NOT ASHAMED! Pt. 3

“My people shall never be ashamed.
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God and none else:
and my people shall never be ashamed”

(Joel 2:26-27).

 

A few last thoughts about not being ashamed.

 

We must not be ashamed of trusting the Lord

 

What can you do when you cannot see any solution to your problem, you cannot see any way out and the situation looks impossible? There’s only one thing to do and that’s trust the Lord. But it’s not the only thing to do; it’s the best thing to do. When you trust the Lord, you will never be ashamed, for God is faithful. He cannot go against His promises and it is impossible for God to lie!

 

I will have to admit that God often keeps you waiting. And He often answers differently than what you expect. You wonder why you don’t get your answer immediately. But God is doing more than bringing deliverance. He is working in our hearts at the same time. He is teaching us patience and how to trust Him more and more, even when we cannot see any light in the tunnel.

 

David confessed in Psalm 25:2-3, 20, “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea let none that wait on thee be ashamed… O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.” (Psalm 31:1, 17; 69:6).

 

David also states in Psalm 34:5, “They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.”

 

God promises in Isaiah 49:23, “They shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.”

 

Trust Him when dark days assail thee,
Trust Him when thy faith is small,
Trust Him when to simply trust Him
Is the hardest thing of all!

 

We must not be ashamed of hope

 

The word “hope” means to be expectant, to believe that God is going to do something good. If we do not hope, we do not understand who God is, for He is a good God and everything He does is good.

 

Romans 5:3-5 says, “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed.” What teaches us to have hope? Tribulations! It is in our hardships that we experience God working everything out for good. Each experience gives us more hope in God so that we can eventually be full of hope, knowing that we will not be ashamed, even when people think we are crazy for trusting God (Romans 9:33; 10:11; 15:13; Philippians 1:20). When Abraham believed God’s promise to receive a son in his old age, Romans 4:18 tell us that, “Who against hope, believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be..”

 

We must not be ashamed of suffering for Christ

 

Paul confessed in 2 Timothy 1:12, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

 

1 Peter 4:16 says, “If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”

 

We must not be ashamed of the saints who are suffering for Christ

 

2 Timothy 1:8 says, “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, not of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.”

 

2 Timothy 1:16, “Onesiphorus… was not ashamed of my chain… but sought me out very diligently, and found me.”

 

We must not be ashamed of the blood of Christ

 

We have no salvation except through the blood of Christ. We have no access to the promises of God except through the blood of Christ. We cannot overcome the enemy apart from the blood of Christ. Let’s never be ashamed of the precious, pure, powerful blood of Jesus that was poured out on the cross for our sins.

 

Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

 

We need never be ashamed in hard times

 

Psalm 37:18-19 says, “The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.”

 

What a wonderful promise. We do not know what lies ahead in the coming days, but we have this promise that if we walk uprightly (the word is tamim meaning “free from blemishes and spots, faultless, blameless) that we will never have to be ashamed.

 

The NLT translates it, “They will survive through hard times, even in famine they will have more than enough.”

 

And The Message Bible gets to the “nitty gritty”--“In hard times, they’ll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they’ll be full.”

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
www.aboverubies.org

 

 

PRAYER:

 

I thank you, Father that when I trust you I will never be ashamed. When I lean on my own strength, it will not hold me; but you are my Rock on which I can lean all my weight. Amen.”

 

AFFIRMATION:

 

Ashamed of thee, of that blest Name
Which speaks of mercy full and free?
Nay, Lord, I would my only shame
Might be to be ashamed of thee.

 

 

 

NOT ASHAMED! Pt. 2

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker
(Psalm 95:6).

 

We must not be ashamed of praying in public

 

If prayer is part of our lives, we’ll pray anywhere. We’ll pray with people in shops, in restaurants, and in the street if they are in need of prayer. Paul tells about the believers in Tyre who “all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed” (Acts 21:5). This was not in church, but in public. They not only prayed together, but kneeled down and prayed. It is easy to pray in your heart in public when no one knows what you are doing, but if you kneel down and pray, they certainly will. I’m not talking about making a show of praying, but there are times when the situation calls for prayer and that could mean kneeling!

 

My sister, Kate, was burdened by the Lord to pray for the city of Franklin. God impressed upon her to not only pray at home, but to pray in the city square. She has now been praying for three years in the Franklin Square, each Friday lunch time, along with others who join her. One day, no one came to join her. While she was standing alone praying in her heart, she felt the Holy Spirit ask her to kneel down and pray. Although feeling very embarrassed, she did not want to quench the Holy Spirit and therefore kneeled to pray. Oh for hundreds of believers to kneel in the streets of our cities to pray for them.

 

Jeremiah 29:7 tells us to pray for the peace of the city in which we live. It’s not just a good idea, it’s a command from “The Lord of hosts” who is the Great Warrior, the Lord of the armies of Heaven (Jeremiah 29:4-7). This command was given to the Jews in Babylon. Daniel was one of them and he obeyed the word of the Lord and “kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God” (Daniel 6:10). He continued to do this even when there was a law against it and his life was at stake! (Daniel 6:11-13).

 

Recently in Tennessee the ACLU came against a school where the football team and coach bowed their heads for one minute silent prayer. They didn’t even pray out loud, but received flack for it. What a blessing to see people rise up in response to the accusations. Thousands came to the next game (more than ever before). Before the match, once again they gave time for a minute of silent prayer. As the crowd bowed their heads in silence, one person began to speak the Lord’s Prayer OUT LOUD. Soon the whole crowd joined in! What a victory. It only takes one person to stand up. Will you be one who takes the first step? Will I?

 

We must not be ashamed of having children

 

Psalm 127:4-5 says, “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall NOT BE ASHAMED, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”

 

Society tries to put shame on families who have more than the status quo two children. But who is really unusual? It’s families who deliberately limit their families! I’m not talking about those who are physically unable to have children, but to intentionally stop having children is contrary to anything written in God’s Word. In fact, God says that the families who are blessed with many children will not be ashamed!

 

They are raising children to bring more of God and His ways into this world. They are raising mighty warriors who will know the truth and know how to speak the truth.Some will even speak for God in the gates of cities of nations! They are raising arrows to attack the enemy’s kingdom. They are molding children for eternity. No, they need never be ashamed. They can lift their heads high for they are walking in the perfect will of God. No matter what anyone says, they will not be intimidated by their antagonists!

 

More next week.

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

www.aboverubies.org

 

PRAYER:

“Thank you, Father that I do not need to be ashamed when I am walking in your will. I know that Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts, and Your ways are higher than my ways. Please help me to walk in your ways, even when they are counter-culture. Amen.”

 

AFFIRMATION:

“I'm not ashamed to let you know
I want this light in me to show.
I'm not ashamed
To speak the Name of Jesus Christ.” (Newsboys)

 

SCRIPTURES ABOUT KNEELING:

 

God wants us to kneel before Him:

Psalm 95:6.

 

Jesus kneeled to pray:

Luke 22:41.

 

Examples of people kneeling before the Lord:

1 Kings 8:54; 2 Chronicles 6:13; Daniel 6:10; Psalm 109:24; Luke 5:8; Acts 7:59-60; 9:60; 20:36; 21:5 and Ephesians 3;14.

 

One day every knee will bow before God.

Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10.

 

 

NOT ASHAMED!

 

“In nothing terrified by your adversaries” (Philippians 1:28)

 

Why is it that we are often so fearful to witness for Christ? To stand up for the truths of God’s Word even though they are counter culture to society around us? I guess it is because we don’t like being scorned at, laughed at, or even persecuted.

 

God knows that we are fearful and therefore He strengthens us with His living words. Read the following different translations of Philippians 1:28:

 

“Never be scared for a second by your opponents; your fearlessness is a clear omen of ruin for them”(Moffat).

 

“Never for a moment quail before your antagonists” (Weymouth).

 

“Not flinching or dodging in the slightest before the opposition” (The Message).

 

Are you encouraged? It’s time for us to rise up and not be ashamed.

 

We must not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ

 

Paul confessed in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”

 

It was impossible to shut up the early Christians, even when they were put the in prison. When the authorities commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, what did they answer? “We ought to obey God rather than men!” And then Peter immediately starting preaching about Jesus again! Read Acts 5:27-33; Philippians 1:20-21 and 2 Timothy 1:8, 12.

 

It is important to remember that our Christianity is a CONFESSION! We are born again into God’s family when we believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and also CONFESS with our mouth that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-11). We begin by confessing, and we continue by confessing! We cannot hide our faith. We cannot keep it to ourselves. We confess everything we believe. We confess every new understanding of truth. 2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “According as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore SPEAK.” (Psalm 116:10 and Hebrews 10:23). We are not meant to have a “silent faith” but a “SPEAKING FAITH.”

 

Never be ashamed of truth. Always counteract the deceptions!

 

We must not be ashamed of speaking before authorities

 

Psalm 119:46 says, “I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.”

 

We must not be ashamed of God’s Word and His truth

 

Do you take your Bible with you everywhere you go? I am amazed how few believers carry Bibles these days. The majority of them don’t even bring them to church! Help! No wonder we are not impacting this nation. We are no longer people of the Book! And because we are no longer people of the Book, we don’t know the truth. And because we are ignorant of the truth, we are easily deceived.

 

It’s time to not only be believers, but BIBLE believers—and BIBLE carriers! What would happen if every believer starting carrying their Bible with them? They wouldn’t think of going to church without them? After church, they get out their Bibles at a restaurant as they discuss the Word of God with friends. They take them everywhere they go because it is their guide for life. My husband carries a Bible in his pocket which he can read at any place and any time.

 

I love to read the Word when I am flying, which is quite frequently. I know there must be many other Christians on board the plane, and yet I have never seen anyone else with their Bible out yet? What’s wrong? Are we ashamed?

 

Maybe the reason that believers don’t take their Bibles everywhere with them is that they don’t even read them at home. Do we read the Bible daily to our children? If not, maybe our children think we are ashamed of the Bible and it is not the most important book in the world, after all!

 

It is such a good idea to teach your children to get into the habit of taking their Bible with them to church. Sit as a family in the front seats. Encourage the children to open to the Scriptures as the preacher speaks and to take notes! Start them working on their A.U.G. degree at an early age. (Check which degree it is in 2 Timothy 2:15). You could start a revival in your church!

 

Mark 8:38 says, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and MY WORDS in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Psalm 119:6, 80).

 

We are blessed to have freedom to read God’s Word in our western countries. We must “HOLD FAST” that which we have, lest it be taken away (Revelation 3:11).

 

More next week.

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
www.aboverubies.org

 

 

PRAYER:

 

“Oh God, I live in a sinful generation who disdain your Word. Please help me not to be ashamed, but to be faithful to speak your truth in every situation, “in season and out of season.” Amen.

 

AFFIRMATION:

 

“I'm not ashamed to own my Lord,
Or to defend his cause,
Maintain the honor of His Word,
The glory of His cross.”

 

 

 

ANTIDOTE TO DEPRESSION 

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13).

 

I read recently about Dr. Northoff, a medical researcher and psychiatrist, who is researching the neurochemistry of hopelessness and why so many young people turn to suicide. One survey revealed that 20 percent of 140,000 Chinese high school students have considered suicide. Most of these victims have no hope because they cannot see into the future. They cannot see the end of the tunnel, only a dark hole. He believes this is due to a dysfunction in part of the brain.

This may be so, but God, who created us in the beginning, knows what is necessary for us to live in victory and joy. The antidote to depression is hope, and our God is the God of hope. Our hope is found in Him. Hopelessness can trigger problems in the brain, but the brain can also be made whole as we learn to trust in the God of hope. (Proverbs 13:12).

Myriads of people take comfort in the words of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” The Hebrew word for “expected” is tikvah which means “hope” and many translations say, “To give you a future and a hope.”

It is hope that gives us a good outlook on life, and often, it is what keeps us alive. I think of the Jewish people, who for nearly 2,000 years, were scattered to the four corners of the earth, going through persecution, pogroms, herded into ghettos in the countries where they lived and eventually suffering Hitler’s holocaust. Through all these years, they never ever gave up hope for their land of Israel. There were times in history when Jerusalem was by called other names, but they never forgot their city they had never seen. Every year at Passover, they recited in hope, “Next year in Jerusalem.”

In 1886, Naftali Hertz Imber from Bohemia wrote a poem which in 1948 became the Israeli national anthem. It is called HaTikvah meaning “The Hope.” The translated Hebrew words are…

As long as the Jewish spirit is yearning deep in the heart,
With eyes turned toward the East, looking toward Zion,
Then our hope, the two-thousand-year-old hope, will not be lost:
To be a free people in our land,
The land of Zion and Jerusalem
.

These words were written before there was any dream of Israel becoming a nation again, but hope kept the nation of Israel alive as they waited for the promise. Many years ago, while walking through the bush in Australia, Colin and I met a Jewish couple. Colin immediately began witnessing to them about Jesus and they became our dear friends. The guy was a Russian Jew and the wife a Persian Jew, both having made aliyah to Israel. The gentleman shared with us, that although living in Communist Russia and never having heard of the land of Israel, he always longed and hoped for his homeland that he didn’t even know existed.

Hebrews 6:11 NASB inspires us “to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish.” The Amplified Version explains the actions we need to take in order for hope to work in our lives, “We do (strongly and earnestly) desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity (all the way through) in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of your hope until the end.”

The word “sluggish” is nothros and means “a sluggishness which makes a person unfit for activities of the mind or spirit.” That’s a picture of depression! What saves us from this kind of state? Hope!

Hope in God who puts hope into our soul as we look to Him and trust in Him. Psalm 31:24 tells us that when we put our hope in the Lord that He will put courage and strength into our very soul! Teach your children from a young age how to put their hope in the Lord, rather than getting into the habit of dwelling on their problems. David’s mother must have instilled this into her son. David confesses in Psalm 71:5, “For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.” Read also Psalm 78:4-7.

I can’t let you miss out on this Scripture, Psalm 146:5 says, “HAPPY is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose HOPE is in the Lord his God.” We are reminded again that hope is the antidote to despair. When we put our hope in the Lord we will be happy. This particular “happy” in the Hebrew is esher and is only ever used in the plural. It means “doubly happy!” Don’t you love that? Proverbs 10:28 says, “The hope of the righteous is GLADNESS” and Proverbs 16:20 reminds us that “Whoso trusteth (hopeth) in the Lord, HAPPY is he.”

 

The meaning of hope is to be constantly looking, waiting and expecting something good to happen. This is the way God created us to live. This is what keeps us in health and happiness.

Hope in His “exceeding great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4).

Hope as we go through trials. Hope is what enables us to endure our trials. (Romans 8:28 and Hebrews 12:2-3).

Hope for a glorious future—eternal glory forever and ever. Our hope goes beyond this life. Our true hope is for eternity.

To be encouraged in your soul, read the Scriptures at the end of this devotion.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
www.aboverubiees.org

 

 

PRAYER:

“I thank you, Father, that you have destined me to live a life of hope. Help me to get into the habit of knowing that you are working out everything for my good, even if it isn’t to my liking. Fill me daily with your Holy Spirit so that I will go around my home ABOUNDING IN HOPE. Amen.”

 

AFFIRMATION:

I am ABOUNDING in hope today!

Read these Scriptures about hope.

 

Hope in God. (Sometimes The King James Version translates the Hebrew word for “hope” as “expectation” or “trust.”

Psalm 4:5; 9:10; 13:5; 25:2; 26:1; 28:7; 31:6b, 14, 24; 32:10; 33:18, 21-22; 37:3-5; 38:15; 39:7; 42:5, 11; 43:5; 50:10; 52:8; 56:3-4, 11; 62:5-8; 71:5, 14; 84:12; 86: 2; 91:2; 112:7; 115:9-11; 125:1; 130:7; 131:3; 143:8; 146:5; 147:11; Proverbs 3:5-6; 28:25b; 29:25; Isaiah 12:2; 26:3-4; Jeremiah 17:7, 13, 17; Lamentations 3:22-26 and 1 Peter 3:5.

 

Hope in God’s “exceeding great and precious promises.”

Psalm 119:42-43, 49, 74, 81, 114, 116; 147, 165-166; 130:5 and Romans 15:4.

 

Hope as we go through trials.

Job 13:15; Psalm 22:4-5; Romans 5:3-5; 8:24-25; 1 Corinthians 13:13 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

Hope in a glorious future.

1 Corinthians 15:19-22; Ephesians 1:18-20; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:10

Titus 1:2; 2:12-14; 3:7 and 1 Peter 1:3-5, 13.

 

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 going to: http://bit.ly/WomensEmailDevotional

IN THE KITCHEN AGAIN! 

 

“Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work(1 Timothy 5:9-10).

 

Do you feel like doing something good today? How about making your husband his favorite meal? Or making some healthy cookies or an extra special meal for your children? Or you may like to bake a cake or some homemade bread and a big pot of soup for someone you know who is sick, pregnant or recently had a new baby.

 

“Goodness, you don’t want me to get into the kitchen again, do you?” I hear you say. Yes! And you will be doing the “good works” God planned for you.

 

There are two particular passages in the New Testament that give a description of God’s plan for women. As I read them again recently I noticed that they bring us back to the kitchen! God is so practical. And He wants us to be heavenly practical! That means doing the “good works” He planned in Heaven for us to do on earth!

 

The first passage is in 1 Timothy 5:9-10 where it gives a beautiful description of a godly woman. God puts everything in order and the first thing we read that she does is to:

 

  1. Nourish children. The word in the Greek is teknotropheo and means “to cherish, nourish and give food to children; it is also used of a mother nursing a baby at her breast.” This is all about food! It starts with nursing our babies and then feeding them every day of their lives until they leave home! This means spending a lot of time in the kitchen! But it is not a waste of time. It is all part of our nurturing, mothering anointing. And it is all in God’s plan. What does she do next?

 

  1. Show hospitality to strangers. Hospitality is also about food. The more people you invite to your table and to stay in your home, the more you’ll be in the kitchen! Don’t despair! God looks upon it with favor. He says it is a good work!

 

  1. Wash the saints’ feet. In biblical times they washed the feet of their guests when they arrived at the home and before they sat them down to a meal. It speaks of serving. But once again, it is all about food. Washing feet is preparing to serve them food.

 

  1. Relieve those who are in distress. Most of the time this will mean feeding those who are hungry and bringing into your home those who have nowhere to stay (which once again means feeding them)!

 

Do you notice how these “good works” are all to do with food? But we haven’t finished yet. The other passage is in Titus 2:3-5 where it tells the older women to teach the younger women “good things.” The Greek word is kalodidaskalos which means she is teaching them things which are valuable and beautiful to behold. The J. B. Phillips translation says that these things are “a good advertisement for the Christian faith.” Of the good things that are mentioned, most of them refer to food. Let’s have a look:

 

  1. Love your husband. You can’t love your husband without feeding him. The old saying is true that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” One of the good things you can do for your husband is to make sure that you have a nutritious, attractive and aroma-filled meal ready for him when he gets home. Not an hour after he gets home, but as soon as he gets home! You abundantly bless him when he arrives home to a beautifully set table, a lovely meal and the family waiting for him to take his place at the head of the table.

 

  1. Love your children. You certainly show your love to your children by preparing wholesome meals for them, not with resignation, but with excitement and joy. They know you love them when you delight to cook for them and make special things for them. And as you cook, you will let them help you, showing the way for the next generation.

 

  1. Sensible. This is translated “discreet” in the KJV. The Greek word is sophron and means “a person who limits his own freedom and ability with proper thinking, demonstrating self-control with the proper restraints on all the passions and desires, one who voluntarily places limitations on his freedom.” To prepare meals for our husband and family, day after day, week after week, year after year (I have now been doing it for over 48 years!), takes sacrifice and limiting our own freedom. We’ll happily stop doing “our own thing” when it’s time to prepare meals.

 

  1. Keepers at home. This speaks of running our home efficiently. To competently manage a home we need to plant a garden to provide fresh food for our family, shop, order food from afar, plan, preserve, and prepare wholesome and delicious meals. It’s all about food again!

 

  1. Good. Remember, cooking and preparing meals is a “good thing” and God is watching!

 

  1. Submit to your husband. Having a meal ready for our husband shows our deference and submission to him. What does the virtuous woman to do her husband? “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life” (Proverbs 31:12).

 

Have fun cooking! Now you can do it with revelation, not resignation!

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

www.aboverubies.org

 

PRAYER:

“Thank you, Father for showing me that preparing food is not an inferior task, but high on the list in your agenda for mothers. Help me to remember that it is one of the good works you have chosen for me to accomplish.”

 

AFFIRMATION:

Look out family: mother is cooking up a storm!

 

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.

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