HOME DESTROYERS

Part 2b 

Proverbs 13:18, “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored.” 

We continue talking today about the home destroyer of foolishness. 

We pull it down by not preparing for the future. As you read through Proverbs 31 again you will notice that the virtuous  woman did not live just for the day, but prepared her home and household for whatever lay ahead.  

Proverbs 31:27 says, “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the read of idleness.” The words “looks well” are translated from the Hebrew word tsaphah. It has two meanings— 

a)    To watch. It is the same word that is used for a watchman who watches to protect the city, e.g. Ezekiel 33:7. The wise woman is a watchwoman. She guards her home and her children’s lives. She does not leave her post. She guards over what they see, hear and read. She watches over her home to keep everything in order. She does not let things get out of control. 

b)    To lean forward, to peer into the distance. The wise woman does not think only about today, but about the future. She has food and necessities prepared in case of emergency. She has made strategies with her family so that they know what to do in a crisis. She is ready for whatever may happen. 

Proverbs 31:18 says that “her lamp goes not out by night.” No, don’t feel guilty. she is not working all night! Back in Bible days, they did not have electricity. Therefore, they kept a lamp burning, ready for any emergency. The dogs may bark at some intrusion or the baby wakes. They need to have the lamp ready to investigate or to minister to the needs of the baby or children. It could be catastrophic for a family to run out of oil for the lamp. The wise woman always made sure she had enough oil to keep the lamp burning continually. 

Jesus told a story about this in Matthew 25:1-13. The wise virgins took not only their lamps but extra oil with them. The foolish didn’t think of anything but the moment, and of course they ran out of oil! And they missed the coming of the bridegroom! What did Jesus call these women? Yes, we know. Foolish! 

We pull it down by being stubborn. Proverbs 1:7 says, “Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:22) The foolish woman thinks she knows it all and she does not like to be corrected. The wise woman knows that she constantly needs correction from the Lord. Even from her husband and others in order to keep learning and walking in the ways of the Lord. I don’t always like it when my husband corrects me but I know it keeps me on the right track. I want to receive correction and wisdom from others because I don’t want to stay the same. I still have so much changing and learning to do. I want to have a soft heart to hear what God tells me.  

The Scriptures tell us over and over again that it is the wise who will receive instruction and correction. The word that is used continually is “hear”. Hear instruction. Hear counsel. Listen to rebuke. The word “hear” is shama in the Hebrew. It means “to hear with attention or obedience, to give undivided listening attention.” This should be our attitude toward correction and advice, rather than being reactionary. I notice that the word heart is a t added to hear. To have a heart that is soft and pliable, we have to have to hear what God wants to say to us, not only through His Word, but through others.  

Much of what we do and think is conditioned by our deceived humanistic society. It is so much part of everything around us that we think it is normal. But the world’s normal does not always match the Word of God. We must continually seek God and His Word for His truth. We must constantly check to seek if we are lining up with His plan for motherhood and family life.  

I have had to change and repent about so many things over the years and I know that God has still so much to teach me. We must always be open to God’s truth. Read the beautiful family Psalms (Psalm 127 and 128) every week. They keep you in line with God’s heart rather than the humanistic thinking of this world.  

Sometimes we have to humble our ears to hear counsel. Proverbs 22:17 says, “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.”  

We need to take notice of Proverbs 8:33, “Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.” Also Proverbs 15:32, “He that refuses instruction despises his own soul: but he that hears reproof gets understanding.” 

You can read more Scriptures about receiving instruction below. 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Lord, please give me a hearing heart that is open to correction. I know that as I am open to correction, my children will be more open to correction too. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”  

AFFIRMATION: 

I’m a watchman in my home,   I will not vacate my post! I’m open to wise correction   And filled with the Holy Ghost! 

Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font. 

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  SCRIPTURES ABOUT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION: 

These Scriptures will be a blessing to you but also to your children. Many of them make great memory learning Scriptures too. 

Proverbs 1:5, “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.” 

Proverbs 1:8, “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.” 

Proverbs 4:1, “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.” 

Proverbs 8:33, “Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.” 

Proverbs 12:15, “He that hearkens unto counsel is wise.” 

Proverbs 13:1, “A wise son hears his father’s instruction: but a scorner hearth not rebuke.” 

Proverbs 15:31-32, “The ear that hears the reproof of life abides among the wise. He that refuses instruction despises his own soul: but he that hears reproof gets understanding.” 

Proverbs 19:20, “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” (Proverbs 29:15) 

Proverbs 22:17, “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.” 

Proverbs 23:19, “Hear thou, my son, and be wise.” 

Proverbs 23:22, “Hearken unto (hear) thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.” 

Ecclesiastes 5:1, “Be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools.” 

Ecclesiastes 7:5, “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.” 

Isaiah 43:9, “Let them hear, and say, It is truth.” 

Jeremiah 5:21, “Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not.” 

Ezekiel 40:4, “Behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall show thee.” 

Revelation 2:7, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” 

Proverbs 1:7, “Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” 

Proverbs 6 :23, “Reproofs of instruction are the way of life to keep thee from the evil woman…” 

Proverbs 9:8-9, “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser teach just man, and he will increase in learning.” 

Proverbs 10:8, “The wise in heart will receive commandments.” 

Proverbs 10:17, “He that refuseth reproof erreth.” 

Proverbs 12:1, “Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.” 

Proverbs 13:18, “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored.” 

Proverbs 15:5, “A fool desipseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.” 

Proverbs 15:10, “He that hateth reproof shall die.” 

Proverbs 17:10, “A reproof entereth more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool.”  

Proverbs 19:25, “Reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.” 

Proverbs 21:11, “When the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.” 

Proverbs 23:12, “Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” 

Jeremiah 5:3-4, “They have refused to receive correction… Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God.” 

Jeremiah 17:23, “But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.” (22:33; 35:13)                      

HOME DESTROYERS

Part 2a 

Jeremiah 4:22 RSV, “For my people are foolish, they know me not;  they are stupid children, they have no understanding.” 

Today we continue talking about things that destroy the home.  

2. FOOLISHNESS Proverbs 14:1, “Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish plucks it down with her hands.” 

What does it mean to be foolish? Simply, it means to do it my way rather than God’s way. God’s way, although different to my way always ends in blessing. My way, although it may look good, always ends in destruction.  

If we are not building our home, we are pulling it down. How do we pull it down? 

We pull it down by vacating the home. God wants the mother in the home--nurturing, nourishing and training her children. We can’t do everything successfully. We either build up a business (usually someone else’s business) or we build up our home. God has given us a full time job to tend our little flock. God gives a warning to the mother shepherdess when He says in Zechariah 11:17, “Woe to the worthless shepherd, who leaves the flock!” Notice that this Scripture  has an exclamation mark! 

We pull it down by our words. Negative words. Critical words. Reactive words. Spiteful words. Angry words. And on it goes.  

We build our home with words

or we destroy our home with words! 

When God allowed Satan to get at his servant Job, he smote him with terrible boils from the top of his head to the sole of his feet Job was in agony and pain. Instead of encouraging him, Job’s wife said, “Do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God, and die.” Job replied, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:9-10)  

Do you speak as one of the foolish women, or one of the wise? 

Sometimes it may not be negative words. It may be wasteful words. Proverbs 15:2 says, “The mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.” Often we speak unnecessary words when we should keep out mouths shut. I am always challenged by Proverbs 10:19, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” The more we blab on about anything and everything, the more opportunity there is to sin with our mouth. The NLT makes it clearer, “Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow!” 

We pull it down by spending frivolously and unwisely. The foolish woman buys according to her whims and what takes her fancy. She buys groceries without thought for nutrition or without reading the ingredients. She fills her cupboards with devitalized packaged foods instead of cooking from scratch. She purchases unnecessary “things” to fill her home which could be used for wiser needs. 

Proverbs 21:20 says, “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man (or woman) spendeth it up.” The foolish woman spends more than her husband can afford.  The wise woman lives frugally within her means. I often have to remind my new adopted daughters that we don’t have to eat what we want whenever we want. We must learn to live thriftily rather than extravagantly.  

We pull it down by wasting. Many women not only waste time but waste products. They throw out everything. It is not wise to be a hoarder and clutter up your home, but there are many things that can be re-used to save re-spending.  

Many mothers allow their children to pick at their food and leave it on their plate without teaching them to eat what is in front of them. Good food is thrown in the trash. This is wasteful. 

May God deliver us from being in the “foolish women category” that pulls down their home.  

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Father, please touch my lips with coals from off the altar. I don’t want to speak negative words. Fill my mouth with encouraging and life-giving words that will build up my husband and my children. Amen.” 

AFFIRMATION: 

Building up my home with uplifting words,To do anything else is utterly absurd!    

Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font. 

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HOME DESTROYERS

Part 1 

1 Timothy 6:8, “Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” 

Reading through Proverbs recently I noticed that it mentions five things that destroy the home. I prefer not to write about negative things, but, on the other hand, we can’t wipe any of God’s Word under the mat. And God’s negatives always turn to positives. When we read His warning signs which mean, ROAD BLOCK, WRONG WAY-GO BACK or DEAD END we know that it is not the road to take, even though it looks beautiful and such an easy road. We must swerve back on the road God has planned for us from the beginning of time. God has never changed his plans. His ways are still the only ones that work effectively. Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”  

Let’s look at some of these WRONG WAY signs. 

1.   GREEDINESS 

Proverbs 15:27, “He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house.” 

No wonder one of the Ten Commandments is “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house… thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife… nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20: 17) When we see friends with things that we don’t have it is easy to hanker after them too. Most people like to be like everyone else and have everything that their associates have.  

How can this negatively affect the home?  

a)   By becoming despondent and full of self-pity because we can’t afford what we want. This takes away our joy of living and being “content with such things as we have.” (Hebrews 3:5-6) 

b)   As we crave a better house and more things to put in the house we start to plan how we can get these things. Ideas take shape. That’s it! I could do what everyone else is doing who has more things. I could go out and get a job! Yes, that’s the answer. But is it? To go out and get a job you have to leave the home behind. You have to vacate the very place where God wants you to be—in the heart of the home. (Psalm 1228:3) You have to put your children in daycare or leave them with someone else. God didn’t give your children to you to give them to someone else to look after! He gives the responsibility to you. You are the only one who can truly nurture and nourish your baby and children.  

c)   The home becomes a show piece of material riches rather than filling it with the true riches of children. When you get your eyes on material riches, children become a nuisance. 

May God save us from a greedy spirit. 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

Prayer: 

“Father, I pray that you will take every spirit of greediness from me. Give me a contented spirit. Help me to enjoy the riches you have given me – my precious children and the (little) house you have provided for me. I thank you for the blessing of food and clothing. Amen” 

Affirmation: 

Content in my home, that’s for me,With coveting gone, I’m now free!  

Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font. 

If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.?subject=subscribe-devotional  

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DISARMING THE GAINSAYERS 

Zechariah 8:12 (NLT), “I believe, therefore have I spoken.”  

“Who am I? Have you sighed these words on your difficult mothering days? 

It’s a good question, for if you don’t know who you are, you will flounder in life. Fortunately, it’s not a hard question to answer. God created you uniquely, like nobody else on earth, with special gifts that no one else has. But, transcendentally, you are a mother. You have an in=born urge to nurture. If you don’t want to mother children, you will find yourself mothering something else, maybe your pet dog or cat. It is distinctive to us as females.  

God created you with a womb and with breasts to nurture and nourish life. Why not embrace who you are? Be the best at who God created you to be instead of running from it. Start enjoying it. Disarm the feminists! Disown the lies! Destroy the deceptions and delight in motherhood. 

How? By exploding with joy. You have the privilege of bringing children into the world for God's purposes, children who will live forever. By telling the world you are proud to be a mother. Away with inferiority that’s a lie! Away with feeling insignificant; that’s not true! Away with the thoughts that you were called to do something more important; that’s a humanistic lie! 

Next time someone asks you what you do in life, beam with joy and shout, “I am a mother! I have the most blessed career in the world.” 

The next time someone sees you with all your children in tow and asks, “Are all these yours?” put on a bigger smile, from ear to ear, and shout, “Yes, I am so blessed.” Or, “Yes, we love children so much we are hoping for more.” Or, “Yes, we’re just getting started!” 

Or you could even say, “Yes, they are. But where are your children?” 

“Oh, they’re’ at school. We could only afford to have two.” 

“How very sad,” you reply. “You must often feel bored and lonely. We live such a full and exciting life.” Give another beaming smile and leave them speechless, ready to disarm the next person who makes a negative comment.  

Going out with all your children will become such fun. It will be even more exciting as you train your children for adverse comments about family. When you have answered your critic, the children can also put on their beaming smiles and all say in unison, “God bless you, Madam." 

What if someone says, “DON”T YOU KNOW HOW TO STOP HAVING CHILDREN?” Or “Are you planning to have any more?”  With a smile and twinkle in your eyes, you could answer, “It’s conceivable.” 

What if some dear soul comments, “You have your hands full.”  “We’re working on it,” you reply. “We are blessed with five; only five more to go!” 

Put your shoulders back. Lift up your head. Put a big smile on your face and disarm the anti-child advocates. You’ll begin to change the world around you!

You’ll be speaking on the behalf of God who loves life and loves children.

You’ll be destroying the deceptions of Satan who hates life and seeks to destroy it. 

What a mission. Have fun. 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“I thank you, Lord, that you created me to be a mother. Help me to shine with your glory and lift up your truth wherever I go.”  

AFFIRMATION:

I am heralding the joy of motherhood whenever I go.

Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font. 

If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.