Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Dear sweet mother, why do you cry?

Don’t you know that your God is nigh?

He is closer to you than your very breath,

He will never forsake you, not even in death.

He created you for His joy and pleasure

And has chosen you as a special treasure.

He has graven your name on His very own palm,

He’ll come to your aid with His mighty right arm.

He is your Source, He will fill your cup,

When you are down, He will lift you up.

You don’t have to stay sad, for He is your Joy,

He’ll help you conquer those things that annoy.

God has given you children, which are your glory

To enrich your life and help write your story.

You’re in God’s perfect will, this is your calling,

He’ll help you each day and keep you from falling.

You can’t do it alone, your strength is weak,

Trust in the Lord and things won’t seem so bleak.

Look to the Lord, not the problems you face,

You’ll be amazed how He will give you His grace.

A joyful mother is what He wants you to be,

Filling your home with gladness and glee,

Counting your blessings and praising the Lord

For His daily mercies and love out-poured.

Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh Lord, I thank you that you know when my heart is broken and that you feel my pain. I thank you that you have promised to come close to me in these times. I thank you for your nearness and comfort. Amen.”’

AFFIRMATION:

2 Timothy 4:18, “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen!” Read also 2 Peter 2:9.

 

7. Psalm 119:116, “Uphold me according to your word, that I may live.”

God’s Word is able to hold you up. When you feel as though you are sinking, resort to the Word. It will bear you up. It will bear you up above your circumstances. Oh yes, you’ll still face them each day, but you will walk in the power of God’s Word that will carry you above the difficulties.

8. Psalm 119:170, “Let my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your word.”

God is a God of deliverance. He has promised to deliver us when we cry out to Him. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Psalm 22:5) 

There is no pit too deep, there is no problem too big and there is no predicament too difficult from which God cannot deliver you! Are you bound by fears, anger, self-pity or negative habits? God does not want you to live in this state. He is waiting to deliver you. Cry out to Him and use the power of His Word.

What about fears? David confessed in Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” You don’t have to live with one fear! Find antidote Scriptures about fear. Memorize them. Confess them out loud constantly. Use them against the enemy every time fear begins to take hold. Here are some examples -- 2 Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 13:5-6; Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Psalm 91 and Isaiah 41:11,13.

Do you have a problem with spouting out angry words?  Fill your mind and heart with Scriptures like these -- Matthew 5:44; Ephesians 4:1-2,32; Colossians 3:12-13; Leviticus 19:18; Psalm 119:165; Proverbs 15:1; 16:24 and 31:26. Whenever you feel anger rising up, speak one of the Scriptures out loud.

Are you in the habit of always complaining? Check out these Scriptures -- Ephesians 5:20; Philippians 2:14-15; Colossians 2:7c; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Proverbs 17:22 and Psalm 34:1; 35:28; 44:8 and 71:8.  Memorize them so that you can quote them out loud every time you start to grumble and moan.

I think that one of the worst habits that we tend to fall into is selfishness! It is easy to make a life-style of this habit but it destroys marriage and family life. If you tend towards this one, check out these Scriptures -- 1 Corinthians 10:24,33; 13:5; 2 Corinthians 5:15 and Philippians 2:3-4; 6-8.

What about evil or immoral thoughts? Oh yes, you can be delivered from these as you wield the sword of the Word of the Lord. Every time an evil thought enters your mind, don’t receive it. Don’t dwell on it. Instead quote the Word of God, even as Jesus did when Satan came to tempt him. This was Jesus’ way to overcome the enemy. It’s your way too. Start the new habit of saying, “It is written…” (Matthew 4:1-11 -- Philippians 4:8; James 4:7)

God’s powerful, living words are able to deliver you from your habits. A habit is “a tendency to act constantly in a certain manner.” God’s Word can help you change that tendency to a different tendency. Thomas A Kempis said, “Habit is overcome by habit.” I have also read that it takes about three weeks to change a habit with another habit.

What negative habit do you want to be rid of in your life? Here’s an answer. Search for the antidote Scriptures. Memorize them. Each time you start to get in the groove of your habitual tendency, stop, and recite the appropriate Scriptures OUT LOUD! I am sure that if you will do this for at least three weeks, you will be delivered. You will begin walking in a new and positive habit instead of the negative one.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, I thank you that you sent your only Son to die, to deliver me from my sin, from my habits and from my selfishness. I thank you that you have also given me your Word to change me and deliver me. Help me, Lord, to live in the power of your life-changing Word, which is able to deliver me. Thank you. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

 6. UNDERSTANDING ACCORDING TO THE WORD

Psalm 119:169, “Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word.”

“Give me understanding, Lord.” Is this the cry of your heart, dear mother? Oh how we need understanding each moment of the day. Proverbs 24:3 tells us that it is by wisdom and understanding that we build and establish our homes. That means that we can’t accomplish our great task of mothering without the anointing of understanding.

What is the middle letter of the word, truth? It is U, which stands for understanding. Understanding is the heart of truth. You can’t have understanding without truth. And you can’t have truth without the Word of God.

There is worldly understanding and there is godly understanding and they can be poles apart. Don’t be content with humanistic understanding and what seems good to you. Make sure it lines up with God’s eternal Word. Add an extra sentence to your prayer, “O Lord, give me understanding according to your word.” It is as you are immersed in the living Word of God that you will be filled with His understanding.

Oh yes, when you get God’s understanding, you might be out of step with the rest of the world. I am always challenged by the Scripture Romans 3:4. “Let God be true but every man a liar.”  Are we prepared to stand with God’s truth even if everyone else is doing something different?

How can we receive understanding from the Word?

1. By asking God. Make today’s Scripture your prayer each time you open the Word, “O Lord, give me understanding according to your Word. Open my eyes to behold wondrous things in your law.”

2. By digging. You need to get below the surface to hear the heart of God. It’s not enough to read the Word. You have to think about it, meditate upon and chew it over and over. I love to check out the Hebrew and Greek words. I use a wonderful Bible, which helps me to do this. It is the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible edited by Spiros Zodhiates. I wouldn’t use another Bible. I read the King James translation but also like to check other translations that often give further understanding.

There is one thing that is very important to remember. The truth of a particular subject is not found in one Scripture. It is what God says about the subject from Genesis to Revelation. When you check out every Scritpure in the Word of God on a particular subject, you’ll then have a full understanding of what God is saying.

3. By divine insight. God comes to my spirit with a flash of enlightenment. Oh I love it when this happens. But mostly I have to dig. Read Ephesians 1:18 and Colossians 1:9.

4. By discussing. Whenever I am meditating on a certain Scripture or thinking about a specific subject, I talk to my husband or daughters about it. “What are your thoughts about this?” I will ask. We always discuss our latest thoughts and revelations when we get together. It’s our favorite thing to do. It’s a great way to fine-tune your understanding. As we discuss together, we adjust one another, and are spared from getting on a tangent. Our thoughts are also deepened and expanded. There is nothing more satisfying than discussing the Scriptures and sharing insight and revelation with fellow believers. The only sad thing is that so few believers really want to do it.

Get into the habit of asking your husband for understanding. “Oh but he’s not walking with the Lord,” you exclaim. That doesn’t matter. God has made him your covering, whether he walks with the Lord or not. Ask him for his insight on all matters. Ask him for his understanding about Scriptures too. There’s nothing like asking him to get him searching. And because God has ordained for him to be your head, you’ll be amazed at what insight God will give him.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, I long for your understanding. I can’t adequately mother without it. Please give me insight and understanding according to your word. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

Words of life, words of hope,
Give us strength, help us cope;
In this world where'er we roam,
Ancient words will guide us home.

Joshua 23:14, “You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you, and not one word of them has failed.” Read also Joshua 21:45 and 1 Kings 8:56.
 

5. GOD’S GOOD WORKINGS ACCORDING TO THE WORD

Psalm 119:65, “You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word.”

The Hebrew word for “dealt well” is “asah” which actually means “to do, to work, to make, to create, to build.”

God’s ultimate plan for us is to transform us into the image of His Son. He wants many sons in the likeness of His Son. He works in us by His Holy Spirit and by the power of His Word to change us into His likeness. The more we allow the Word to dwell in our hearts, the more we will be transformed into the way God wants us to think and live.

God’s Word doesn’t always suit our circumstances but if we know what’s good for us, we’ll put aside our desires and embrace the transforming principles of God’s Word. We will resist our humanistic reasonings and allow God to fill our minds with His life-changing thoughts that He has given us in His Word.

Everything that God has written is for our GOOD. God’s ways are for our best. Deuteronomy 6:24 says, “And the Lord commanded us to do all these statues, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always…” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

The Psalmist experienced God’s Words changing him for good. In Psalm 119:67 he confesses, “Before I was afflicted I went astray. But now I keep your word.” Again in verse 71 he says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes.”

Allowing God to change us can be painful. It pricks our nest. It is uncomfortable. But who wants to stay the same for the rest of their lives? How boring. God loves us too much to leave us in our shallow, sinful state. He wants to take us on to victory. He wants to lift us up to the overcoming life. He wants to transform our thinking into His thinking.

There can be times in our lives when God’s rhema word comes to us and yet we do not see the fulfillment of it. This happened in Joseph’s life. God revealed Joseph’s destiny to him in two dreams. He was going to be a ruler and his father and brothers would bow down to him. Wow, this was pretty exciting. But things didn’t turn out like the dream. His brothers who were supposed to serve him turned against him. They would have killed him except for the intervention of his brother, Judah. Instead they banished him from their sight and sold him off to merchantmen on their way to Egypt. He was torn away from his beloved father, his family, his country and everything familiar.

Down in Egypt things went from bad to worse. Although he walked in integrity and refused to give into the seducing of Potiphar’s wife, he was falsely accused and thrown in prison. Even when he sought to do the right thing, it turned against him and he was doomed to a dungeon.

Was God’s word false? No. God, who lives in the eternal and who is not bound by time, was working and setting the stage for Joseph’s destiny. In His perfect timing, He delivers Joseph from the prison. Joseph miraculously becomes second-in-command to the Pharaoh of Egypt. Then comes the day, in fulfillment to God’s promise and word, that Joseph’s brothers bow to him.

In that poignant moment when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and they are reconciled together, he says these words, “God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God…” (Genesis 45:7-8) Again, at the death of his father, he reminds his brothers again, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Read these words again… “God meant it for good!”

All the suffering that Joseph endured was ultimately for his good – and not only for his blessing but also for his family and for nations.

Have you received a Word from God? Yet everything is turning out the opposite! Don’t give up on God’s promise to you. God does not work in your time. He works in His time. He sees the future. You can count on Him that He is working everything out for your good! His whole purpose is to do a good work in you.” Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh Lord, I thank you that you are a good God. I thank you that I can trust your timing to fulfill your purposes in my life. I yield my life to you and to the principles of your good Word. I thank you that you will complete the good work that you have started in me. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION: