OUR PRIESTLY RESPONSIBILITY

Part 1 

Dear reader, I shared a little of the following in an article printed in Above Rubies # 74 entitled, Power Parenting! What is the Secret? However, I would like to share with you some further thoughts I have been meditating upon lately.  

Exodus 28:12, “So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.” 

I love the typology of the Priesthood and how everything in the tabernacle in the wilderness relates to us today. The tabernacle followed a heavenly pattern but also shows us a pattern for our lives today. God commanded that the High Priest’s clothing was to be for glory and for beauty. I want to tell you about two aspects of his beautiful garments. 

Firstly the ephod, which was a garment skillfully embroidered with gold thread and blue, purple and scarlet yarn. It was joined with two shoulder-pieces in which were fastened two onyx stones. God told them to engrave the names of the children of Israel on the stones, six on one and six on the other, in order of their birth. These stones were not the onyx stone we know today. The word in the Hebrew means “to shine with the luster of fire.” It was obviously an exquisite shining jewel. Even more than that, they were to be set in gold. This reveals the preciousness of the sons of Israel to God. They were His chosen people, the apple of His eye. This is how we should see our children.  

Exodus 28:12 says, “And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.” 

The names of the tribes of Israel were not graven on these precious stones for an ornament, but to be carried on the priests’ shoulders into the presence of the Lord. The high priest bore the responsibility of the people’s spiritual life. It is on the shoulders that we carry burdens and weights. In the same way, the father (the priest of every home), along with the mother, carry the burden of their children upon their shoulders in prayer. It is a burden that we must not forsake. If we as parents do not carry this burden for our children, who will? 

Not only do the shoulders speak of carrying a burden, but they speak of governing responsibility. Speaking of Jesus and His final victory as king of the world, Isaiah 9:6-7 says, “The government shall be upon his shoulder… of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end… and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.”  

It is our governmental responsibility as parents to bring our children before the Lord in prayer. God gives us authority as parents. We are not to take this lightly. One of the ways we show our governing responsibility is to intercede for them. It is in the place of prayer that we learn to parent with true justice. God chose Abraham because he knew that he would “command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment.” (Genesis 18:17-19) 

We are to raise our children with justice and judgment. We cannot do this with our own wisdom. Our wisdom tends to humanism and tolerance. God’s wisdom moves in the balance of justice and mercy. Only God can teach us the balance. For the sake of our parenting and the sake of our children we cannot afford to lay down our parental task of daily bringing our children before the Lord upon our shoulders.   

Love from

NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Lord, please help me to take my children upon my shoulders and daily bear my responsibility in prayer. Amen.” 

AFFIRMATION:

My shoulders will become strong as I carry my children  in prayer before the Lord. 

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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WHAT KIND OF CHILDREN?  

Malachi 2:15 RSV, “Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does he desire? Godly offspring. So take heed to yourselves and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth. For I hate divorce, says the Lord the God of Israel.” 

God reveals His heart about marriage in the above Scripture. He wants the wife and husband to be one. He wants them to be faithful to one another. He does not want them to be divorced.  And He makes His reason for saying this very clear. The disruption of marriage tampers with the godly offspring. The thing that God looks for in marriage more than anything else is godly children. This is His heart’s desire. He looks eagerly for the coming children. This is His plan for marriage. 

It is the nature of God to want children in His image. And because we were made in the likeness and image of God, it is inherent in mankind to want to have children in our image. We long to see who they will be like. And yet we now live in a distorted age. Couples have been so brainwashed by humanist deception that they often refuse to have children, or at least limit how many they have. They live counter-culture to God’s kingdom and to their own instinctive design. While they live to their own desires, God waits with patience to see children born in His image. Grandparents wait to continue the godly dynasty. 

Each new precious baby is created in the image of God and He wants His image multiplied in the earth.  

But even more challenging is that it is not just offspring that God looks for. No, it is godly offspring. The margin in my Bible says, “the seed of God.” What kind of children are the seed of God? It is even more challenging again when we find that the Hebrew word is elohim. As you know, the name Elohim is one of the names of God, the first name that God introduces himself to us in Genesis 1:1. This is only one name of God and it occurs 2,570 times in the Bible.  

Elohim is used 35 times in Genesis 1:1 to 2:4 revealing God’s creative and governing power. He created this vast universe by His spoken word. Elohim is the one who brought “cosmos out of chaos, light out of darkness, habitation out of desolation, and life in His image.” (Nathan Stone) Because we are created in His image, we also have the ability to create. God has put into our mouths the power of the spoken word. We can minister life or death by our tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) God wants us (and each new babe that is born) to create and speak for His kingdom and His glory. He wants the godly offspring to fill the earth with His words, His truth and His character. 

Elohim also reveals God as a covenant keeping God. There are many Scriptures revealing this but here are a few.

Genesis 17:7, “I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God (Elohim) unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” 

Genesis 9:15-17, “And I will remember my covenant… And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature…” 

On Joseph’s death bed he said, “God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” (Genesis 50:24) 

When Solomon dedicated the temple he prayed, “There is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart.” (1 Kings 8:23) 

Elohim is a covenant-keeping God. He wants us to also manifest covenant keeping. This is how we reveal the image of Elohim. He wants each godly offspring to be a covenant-keeper. It is interesting that God talks about the godly seed coming forth in the context of a covenant keeping marriage.  Malachi 2:14 RSV says, “The Lord was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.” 

It is not having lots of children that will solve the world’s problems. It is having godly children who will impact the nations for God. May God enable us to welcome the godly seed and train them to truly reveal the character of Elohim. There is no career that can come anywhere the enormity and power of this vision.  

Love from

NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Oh God, please help me to be a faithful covenant-keeper and to train my children to be the same.” 

AFFIRMATION:  

I have the awesome privilege to raise the “seed of God.” 

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. 

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THE SECRET IS TO BEGIN 

Deuteronomy 2:24, “Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.”  

Begin! What an important word. 

Are you dreaming about doing something? Perhaps getting that bedroom cleaned up. Or catching up with the laundry so that your laundry room looks spic and span. Maybe you have some great ideas about homeschooling you are planning to put into operation. Then there’s that habit you want to break.  

It’s easy to dream about it, isn’t it? It’s a lot harder to do something. But there is a secret to accomplish the thing you dream about doing. It’s simple too. All you have to do is begin. That’s right. Start. Don’t look at the whole job. It will put you off. Just start. It is amazing what happens when you begin. You’ll be amazed how that room will soon be cleaned. You will be amazed at what you accomplish. 

What about that habit you want to get rid of in your life? Begin tackling it. They say it takes three weeks to establish a new habit. Start today with a positive response to your bad habit. Keep it up for three weeks and you will win the victory. 

What about that mountain that looms before you? That problem you feel you cannot face. Take a step to go after it. Everything happens with that first step! In fact, nothing will happen without the first step! God told the children of Israel to begin to possess the land. They faced giants, fenced cities, high walls and gates and bars, but they began… and they possessed. They didn’t possess the land all at once. But they began. They took a step of faith. You will have to too. You have to go beyond your normal routine. You have to get out of your comfort zone.  

In Exodus 23:29-30 God told His people, “I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased and inherit the land.”  

The big thing is to begin, then tackle the job, the vision or the problem little by little. Little by little you will finish the task. Little by little you will overcome! 

I love the poem, It Can be Done by Edgar Guest. This poem was required learning for our children. Some of the lines say… 

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;

At least no one ever has done it!”

But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,

And the first thing we knew he’d begun it. 

Once you begin, don’t stop until you conquer and win the victory. Oh yes, it may be hard work. You will face battles. God said, “Begin to possess it, and contend in battle.” The children of Israel did not win any victories without first having to fight a battle. It’s part of possessing and overcoming.  

The secret? The final victory starts with the verb begin!  

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Lord, please save me from procrastinating. Give me courage to take the first step to obey and do what you want me to do. Thank you, Lord. Amen.” 

AFFIRMATION:

No more dreaming, I’m doing it today! 

By the way, the poem, IT CAN BE DONE by Edgar Guest is in the book, “Quiet Reflections for Mothers (Selected Poems for Mothers) which you can purchase from Above Rubies for $12.00. It is filled with beautiful poems to encourage you as a wife and mother and also for your children. Go to www.aboverubies.org to order or you can call 1 877 729 9861 and order by credit card.  

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. 

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HOME DESTROYERS

Part 5 

Proverbs 14:17 “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly.” Read also Ecclesiastes 7.9. 

Today is our last devotion in this series of things that have the power to destroy our home. 

5. CONTENTION 

Proverbs 19:13, “The contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.”  This is repeated again in Proverbs 27:15. In fact Proverbs 27:16 continues, “He who would restrain her restrains the wind, and grasps oil with his right hand.” 

Proverbs 21:19, “It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.”  This is also repeated again in Proverbs 19:9 and 25:24. 

Other versions of the Bible translate this contentious woman as ‘crabby, complaining, nagging, quarrelsome, ill-tempered, cross and petulant, scolding and irritable.’ The actual Hebrew word is madown which means ‘to quarrel, to cause discord or strife.’ Not a very nice description, is it?  

It’s easy to nag. It’s easy to pick a quarrel. But it is destructive, so why do we do it?  

Does this mean that we cannot tell our husband something that we are concerned about? No. We are workers together in building our family. Share your concern with your husband-- in a spirit of meekness. Ask him how he thinks the situation could be remedied. Men love to give answers.  

Once you have shared your concerns, keep quiet. But here’s the secret. You don’t keep quiet on your knees. Cry out to God and ask Him to deal with your husband. Don’t give up praying until you see the answers. 

The opposite of contention is harmony and unity. May God help us to work on another habit in our lives. What can you do next time you feel contentious? Say No to your fleshly feelings and by faith speaks harmonious words. You won’t feel like it. You’d much rather nag or start a quarrel. But that is your old nature which you are so used to. Instead, remember that the Holy Spirit indwells you. Turn to Him and ask Him to reveal His Spirit of harmony and peace-making through you.  

6. ADULTERY  

Proverbs 2:18, “To deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words, who forsakes the companion of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God. For her house leads down to death, and her paths to the dead.” Read also Proverbs 7:27. 

Adultery not only destroys a marriage and the home but hurts the children. When God talks about the breaking up of the covenant of marriage in Malachi 2:13-16 he uses the words “violence” and “treacherously”. In fact, in this short passage he repeats the word “treacherously” three times! God sees the breaking up of the marriage through adultery as treacherous! The Hebrew word is bagad and means ‘traitorous, unfaithful, deceitful and also implies pillage.’ Read Jeremiah 3:20. 

How can it be that adultery is prevalent in the church today? I remember growing up in a little town in New Zealand. If a husband or wife went off with someone else it was the disgust of the town. And that was the attitude of non-Christians!  And yet now it is prevalent for Christians to show tolerance for something God calls treacherous!  

7. RENDERING EVIL FOR GOOD  

Proverbs 17:13, “Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.” 

How important it is to show a grateful heart to those who have blessed us in our lives. We can take things for granted so easily, can’t we? It is easy to carry on with life and forget the goodness of others. There are times when people will speak evil about those who have blessed them. We have experienced this many times in our lives. But we dare not get bitter. We must keep on blessing them and trust God to work in their lives. And God does not forget. God does His own avenging in His own time and in His own way. We can leave it totally with God.  

Romans 12:19-21 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves… for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Proverbs 25:21-22; Romans 10:30) 

Love from

NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Oh God, please save me from being cranky and contentious. Please convict me when I become irritable or quarrelsome. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me establish unity in the home. Amen.” 

AFFIRMATION:

I’m changing from crabby to happy!   

P.S.  The following are two books you can read about the Karen people of Burma. “A Land without Evil” by Benedict Rogers“Displaced Reflections” by Oddny Gumaer

There are many more, but these happen to be two I have read. Check the Internet.   

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.