Proverbs 24:15, “Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place.”

What is the banner that flies over your home? Is it a banner of love and unity? Is it a banner of joy? The above Scripture talks about another banner that we should fly high over our home. It is a banner of rest. Isn’t it interesting that God calls the righteous home a ‘resting place’?

God wants our home to be a sanctuary of rest – a rest for ourselves, a rest for our husband when he returns from marketplace at the end of the day, and a place of rest for our children. He wants us to enjoy our ‘resting place’.

Sadly, we are often too busy running here and there that we don’t have time to make our home a resting place. It takes time to make our home a place of rest.  It takes thought and prayer. It takes being there!

Recently my daughter, Evangeline, went to a home school used book sale. On the way home her van broke down. What would she do? Her husband was in Sweden. Colin was away. I was taking my 85-year-old father to airport to return to New Zealand. She thought of one family who she called. They graciously came to her rescue and loaned her one of their cars to use until hers was fixed. But by the time she arrived home she was frazzled – especially after waiting in the hot car for about three hours with all the children and her newborn baby.

She eventually got the children home and settled for the night. She was settling down herself when one of the children starting crying with pain. She investigated and found that his private parts were severely swollen and red. He had an infection from tick bites and it looked bad.  Her first thought was that she’d have to rush him to the hospital. However, she took a moment to look to the Lord and open the Word of God. Her Bible opened to Isaiah 30:15, “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” She knew this was the Lord speaking directly to her. She knew God wanted her to stay still and trust in Him. She didn’t have to rush to the hospital. She had to stay home and rest and God would heal her little boy.

She immediately made a mixture of Activated Charcoal, Echinacea and Golden Seal, which she applied to the problem area – and she prayed. The next day she had planned to go to another book sale but she knew she had to obey the Lord and stay home. The following day she’d also planned to go into church in town, but once again she stayed quietly at home. By applying the natural healers and staying quiet, her little boy was totally healed.

Dear mother, it is in quietness and stillness that God will speak to you and give you wisdom. It is by the “still waters” that you will hear His voice, giving you the answers that you need to tackle the problems you face each day.

There’s also a special time of each day that should be a resting time in each home. It’s in the cool of the evening when the day’s work is over. It is the time for rest and fellowship. It’s the time when God wants to come and fellowship with us. Remember how God came to Adam and Eve to fellowship with them in the “cool of the day”? (Genesis 3:8)

Unfortunately, this is often the time when many mothers are still running hither and thither. They are out amongst the busy traffic, taking their children, or collecting their children from this and that. Satan is robbing them from their ‘resting place’. This is the time when a mother should be in her home, preparing a meal for her husband and family, so they can all sit together around the table and rest and fellowship during “the cool of the day.”

We as mothers have to make this happen. It is our responsibility. We either make it happen, or it will be robbed from us. God doesn’t want our ‘resting place’ spoiled. The word ‘spoil’ in the Hebrew is ‘shaddad’, which means ‘to destroy, to rob’. Are you letting the enemy use little things, subtle things, or even ‘good things’ to rob you of your resting place? Do you feel the intensity in this Scripture when it says, “Spoil not his resting place”?

It’s interesting that when God offers rest, there is often resistance. Look again at Isaiah 30:15, “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength, and ye would not.”

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, but they said, we will not walk therein.”

Do you remember the heart cry of Jesus when he looked over Jerusalem and cried, “O Jerusalem…how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under wings, and ye would not”? (Matthew 23:37)

God calls you to come back into the heart of your home. He wants you to rest in your home, to find enjoyment in your home. He wants your home to be the center of your life where you can live in quietness and confidence. And He also wants to rest in your home. God desires a resting place. Of course, He wants to rest in our hearts, but if He is resting in our hearts, He will rest in our homes. In the Old Covenant, God chose Zion for His resting place. Psalm 132:13-14, “For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever: here will I dwell.”

What is your response, “No, Lord, I’d rather not, thanks all the same. Home is too boring for me. Plus, I’ve got to take my children to this lesson and that sport or they’ll grow up deprived. And it’s much easier to buy fast food on the way home than take time to cook a meal.”

Or is your response? “Yes, Lord, I will. I want to take time to make my home a resting place. I want to be planted in the heart of my home, instead of rushing here and there. I want to make my home a resting place for You and my family.”

God share His heart and desire for us in Isaiah 32:18, “My people shall dwell… in quiet resting places.”

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh Lord, my house is full of tension. Please help me to make my home a resting place. Show me the things I am doing that spoil the rest in our home. Give me strength and courage to change and eliminate these things from my lifestyle. Amen.”

QUOTE:

Acts 13:43,  “Continue in the grace of God.”

God has given us so many wonderful promises in the Word of God. However, most of them are prefixed or suffixed by a condition.  In this devotion we will look at the condition of ‘continuing on’!

IF YOU CONTINUE IN THE WORDS OF JESUS

Jesus said in John 8:31-32, “If you continue in My Word, then are you my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

I have always loved quoting the familiar words; "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." However, one day I noticed the true context of these words. We will only know the truth if when we walk in obedience to God’s Word. If we don't continue in the Word, we can be led into deception.

“A little learning is a dangerous thing” is true. It’s not enough to half understand God’s principles. We must search after the whole truth. And it’s not enough to search after it; we must obey it and walk in it. James 1:25 says, “Whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” After realizing this, I wrote in my daily devotional book the following words…

Disobedience leads to deception!

Obedience leads to truth! 

IF YOU CONTINUE IN THE FAITH

In Colossians 1:22-23 God promises to present you “holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight: if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel…” 

It’s not enough to receive Christ by faith into our hearts. We must continue in the faith. It’s not how we begin, but how we end that matters. Jesus said, “They that endure to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:22)

Don’t let what people say turn you away from your faith in God. Because the majority of people are saying something different does not mean that it is the truth. I have always been challenged by the words of Romans 3:4, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” Would I still continue to follow God’s truth, even if everyone else was doing something different? Are you prepared to walk in God’s truth even if it may be a different step to everyone else? 

Don’t let disappointments and hardships move you away from you faith in God. Let’s face it. Life isn’t easy. Life isn’t perfect. Just because you believe in God doesn’t exempt you from difficulties. Paul encouraged the new believers “to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22) When writing to the Thessalonian believers, he exhorted them not to be moved or shaken by afflictions. (1 Thessalonians 3:3)

IF YOU CONTINUE IN FAITH, LOVE, HOLINESS AND SOBRIETY

1 Timothy 2:15 says that we will be “preserved in childbearing if we continue in faith and love and holiness and sobriety.”

This is a wonderful promise for mothers, isn’t it? The word ‘childbearing’ is ‘teknogonia’ and does not just mean birthing a child, but it embraces the whole aspect of mothering – nursing, rearing children, and mothering duties in the home.  We are promised that we will be preserved (physically, emotionally and spiritually) when we embrace this lifestyle. But mothering is not enough. We must also continue in faith, in love, in holiness and in sobriety.

What does this word ‘sobriety’ mean? The Greek word is ‘sophrosume’, derived from two words – sos which means ‘sound’ and phren, ‘the mind’. Thus it means to have sound judgment or a sound mind.  We as mothers should not be pulled this way or that way by the fashions and dictates of the world and society, but should understand and exercise sound judgment on all matters. The Revised Authorised Version translates sobriety as “self control” which lines up with another commentator who gives the understanding as ‘a well-balanced state of mind, resulting from continual self-restraint.’

These wonderful attributes of faith, love, holiness and self-control should be the testimony of a mother’s life.

You may not feel that this is your testimony at this present time. Perhaps you have felt the way is too hard and you’ve stopped along the way. You’ve given up on your vision. Dear mother, come now, get up again. Continue on. Your life must be a life of continuance. Don’t give up. Remain strong in the truth. Don’t be sidetracked. Continue on – little by little. Press through your problems, your heartaches, your fears, and your inadequacies.

Keep your eyes on the finishing line!

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Dear Lord, please give me grace to continue in the race. Please give me courage to keep on with the vision you have given to me, no matter what obstacles loom before me. Please help me to stand fast in the faith and not be moved. Increase my desire to abide in your Word, to obey your Word, and to continue in it. Thank you for your faithful promises to me as I continue in your ways. Amen.”

QUOTE:

Judges 15:11,"Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us?"

These are the words that the men of Judah said to Samson when the Philistines were after him. I think they are the saddest words I have ever read. God had given the land to the children of Israel. It belonged to them by the oracles and promises of God. It had been promised to them from the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Under the leadership of Joshua that land had been conquered and belonged to the children of Israel. 

But now, years later, because they had turned away from the Lord, they had been taken over again by the Philistines. These men of Judah were so deceived that they actually believed that the Philistines were there rulers! They had become servants! They had become victims.

Yes, that is what they were experiencing, but they had forgotten the truth! The real truth was that the land belonged to them by God-given mandate! They were deceived! Over the years, their minds had been slowly seduced and now a new generation had grown up believing a lie!

Why are these such sad words? Because they are indicative of our situation today. America was founded on holiness and God's principles as the Pilgrims walked humbly before God. But now, the humanists, the feminists and the abortionists are ruling over us! This is not how it’s meant to be. 

Isn't it sad that even many of God's people are brainwashed by humanist philosophy. It is so part of their lives, that they don't even realize that so much of their thinking is humanistic. And yet it is opposite to the thinking of the Bible.

Oh may God wake us up. The “Philistines” are not our rulers. Samson did not give into the lie. He was only one lone voice but he defied the Philistines. He defeated the Philistines and became a judge over Israel for 20 years. 

I am always challenged by that scripture in Romans 3:4, "Let God be true, but every man a liar." I often ask myself, "Am I prepared to stand for God's truth even if everyone else is doing something different?" The way of the majority is not always the right way. It is only God's way that is right, even if it is the narrow way and few are following it.

May God give us discernment. May we see clearly through all lies and deception. May God give us courage to stand for truth and walk in the light in the midst of darkness. May we not only put on our armor to protect ourselves from the onslaughts of the enemy but may God give us courage to be on the offensive – to use our sword, the truth of the Word of God, against the deceptions of the enemy.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, please save me from being deceived. Your Word says that in the end time even the elect will be deceived. Lord, I don’t want to be one of the deceived ones. I want to hear your voice. I want to walk in your truth. I want to discern between truth and error. Please sharpen my spiritual eyes and ears that I will not believe a lie.”

QUESTION:

John 17:20, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.” 

Today we complete the seven specific things that Jesus prayed for us.

4. THAT YOU WILL BE SANCTIFIED – verse 17. 

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth.”

The word ‘sanctify’ means ‘to make holy, purify, consecrate’. How can we keep pure and holy in this world? Jesus tells us the answer in his prayer. The Word of God will keep us holy. Read the Word of God. Memorize it. Think about it. Confess it out loud. Talk about it. 

Do you want your children to be sanctified? Feed them the Word of God. Read it to them daily. Encourage them to memorize it too.  Two important Scriptures for your children to memorize on this subject are:

Psalm 119:9, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” 

Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” 

5. THAT YOU WILL EXPERIENCE HIS GLORY – verse 22.

“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them.” 

Can you believe this statement? It is amazing. When Simeon saw the baby Jesus, He spoke prophetically as he proclaimed, “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32) Jesus was the light and glory of God on earth.

Now he has returned to the heavenly realm, God still wants His light and glory to be revealed in this sin-sick world. He has now chosen His redeemed people to be the light and the glory. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Yes, He wants you to show forth His light and glory from your life.  

Unless you shine your light, people will stay in darkness. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1)

Jesus was not a flickering light, but a great light. He wants you to shine brightly too. Remember that Jesus prayed this prayer for you and is still praying it at the right hand of the Father.  Read Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16; 5:16. 

6. THAT YOU WILL BEHOLD HIS GLORY – verse 24.

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am: that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” 

Jesus longs that we will live in the eternal realm with Him and behold the glory that He shares with the Father. This is why He came to earth to redeem us. What a redemption! What a hope! Oh what a day when we will behold Him in all His glory!

This is also the prayer that we pray for our children, isn’t it? That they will be born again, receive eternal life, and come to know Christ intimately. Our most important task as parents is to prepare our children for the eternal world. 

7. THAT THE FATHER’S LOVE WILL BE IN YOU – verse 26.

“That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

What kind of love does Jesus want us to have for one another? The love that the Father had for His only begotten son! Oh to experience this kind of love in our lives. Oh to have this love in our families. Oh for this kind of love in the body of Christ. 

It is sacrificial love. It is love that does not think of itself.  It is love that does not demand its own way. It is love that delights to serve. It is love that pours itself out for the other person. This is the love that keeps a marriage together. This is the love that binds a family together. This is the love that will bring true revival to the body of Christ.

We can’t experience this love in the natural. It is only as we lay down our lives, take up the cross and allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Come, Oh Lord, and overflow me with your love.  My love runs out so easily, but I thank you that in your heart there is a well of love that is inexhaustible. I draw from that everlasting well. Fill me to overflowing. Let your love spill out to everyone in my home – and everyone I meet. Amen.”

QUOTE: