Psalms 63:1, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirst for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (NIV)

Devotion:
There is a tale of an elderly woman in the church who served the Lord for years. Instead of seeking the help of others, she did most of the work herself. She was head of women’s ministry, taught Sunday school, sung in the choir, was on the prayer team, and counseled the pastor on a regular basis. She was tired, worn out, and longed for heaven. Yet, because there was still so much work for her to do, she feared that she would never die. Eventually she did die. I guess God wanted His job back.

Nevertheless, from the perspective of most, today’s successful leaders, whether in the Christian world or secular, are much like this woman.

Somewhere between her calling and service to God she took over, rushed ahead, and set her own agenda. It happens to the best of us. In our service to God we can easily slip into pursuing ministry instead of pursuing Jesus, and miss the purpose of our existence. The same is true in every facet of our lives. The pursuit of happiness, opportunity, or even being a good parent, can get in the way of simply pursuing Jesus.

What are you pursuing? What is it that you really want? Is it a successful career that you covet? Is it to be a musician, a doctor, or to author a book? Maybe it’s a spouse you’re dreaming of, or the desire to be a mom that you’re longing for. Whatever your dream is, it’s a God-given dream. In addition to giving you the dream, God has also given you what it takes to make your dream come true. We don’t arrive at our dreams by our own efforts, nor can we make them come true all by ourselves. We get there by pursuing God.

I have found in my own life and ministry that when God reigns in my heart, blessings and opportunities pour down faster than I can make them happen myself. The best way to get where you’re going is to surrender your dreams to God.

We are always in a hurry. God never is. While He has given us the vision of what we are to become, it may not be a reality in us yet. We have to let God work in our lives until we are ready. The dream is not what needs shaping. It’s us. God often prepares us for our dreams through adversity in our lives.

Don’t be discouraged if your dream seems unreachable. No matter what your circumstances are, God is at work shaping and preparing you for it. You and I may achieve some sort of success by our own pursuit, but it will never satisfy us like pursuing Jesus and waiting on Him to bring our dreams to pass.

When God alone is our true treasure, reward, and prize; when He is all we long for, seek after, love and adore, then He gives us the desires of our hearts. Only then are we ready to fulfill our purpose. No other person or thing can satisfy us like Jesus or prepare us for our God-given dreams. What are you pursuing?

Dear Lord, You know the dream I have tucked away in my heart. You know how I’ve longed for it to become a reality. I trust You today. I give You permission to work in my life preparing me for that dream. While You work, I will simply pursue You and be satisfied until my dream is a reality. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Today give God permission to shape you for His purposes. Determine to pursue Him instead of your dream. Then, as God reigns in your life, watch how He pours down blessings and opportunities that can only come from Him.

Reflections:
Are you ready to fulfill your purpose in life or does God still have some work to do?

Are you consumed with pursuing opportunity or Jesus?

Who will accomplish your dream faster - you or God?

Power Verses:
Psalm 36:5, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (NIV)

Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (NIV)

Psalm 63:3 “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” (NIV)

Labels: Wednesday in the Word

I’m getting use to finding myself in uncomfortable situations. Actually, I think it gives God a chuckle. Yesterday, after spending the night worshiping the porcelain throne during my “cleansing” process, I had my colonoscopy. If it weren’t embarrassing enough to have my fanny stuck up in the air while a strange doctor I’ve never met before inserts a CAMERA, then why not have a cute 35 year old doctor do the job. This is not what I was expecting. Where were all the grandpa doctor’s who can do this procedure in their sleep and have seen enough fannies in their life time that they all look alike? Why did I get the new kid on the block?

I’m thinking, “Oh, great. I bet “Doogie Howser” is fresh out of school and I’m his genie pig.”

The good news is all came out well! There was no mass that had currently shown up on my CT scan a week earlier to be found! God was good! The doctor was stunned! And I was reminded that I am a beloved child of the Great Physician who is not only able to heal but is willing to heal.


The weeks leading up to the colonoscopy, I had a mixed bag of emotions. I experience fear; doubt; weakness; sorrow and confusion. Just a short time before getting sick, I signed a book contract with Cook Publishing. I have speaking engagements lined up for the fall and winter…some even into next year. Not to mention, children to raise and a husband to grow old with. I couldn’t be sick. There was too much left for me to do. I have plans for my future. It was a time of testing for me. Would I trust God or give way to fear?

I've learned, once again, through this experience that family and friends are a great gift of God. During this time, their support made me feel cradled in God’s love. When I felt weak, their encouragements strengthen me. When I doubted, my confidence was restored by their reminders of God’s faithfulness. Yes, it was a time of testing for me. Would I trust God or give way to fear?

Some hours of the day I did fear. I worried about what my children’s life would be like if I wasn’t here. Would my husband remarry if I were to die or would he enjoy cashing in my life insurance policy on an exotic vacation without me? Oh, wait, that sounds more like something I would do. It would take visiting a place like Hawaii for me to properly grieve my husbands death.

The scariest thing had to be the knowledge that I am not my own. My life belongs to Jesus. I have no rights. It’s up to Him whether I live or die. While a part of me was at peace with that, another part of me grieved. I guess I’m torn between two loves…my family and God.

It’s not dying that I was afraid of. I don’t think most people fear death. Its how we are going to die that scares us most. Wouldn’t it be nice if we just didn’t have to be there when it happened? I’d like to be beamed up to heaven like they do in Star track when my time comes. It’s really the “going” that concerns me most.

Over all, I think I honored God with my faith even though I had times of fear. I hope I made God look good. I hope He knows that no matter what, I’m His and I’m for Him.

I should have expected this time of testing. The subject of my book is faith vs fear. I had asked God to give me fresh insights as I write. And He did. For example, when we ask God for patience, He gives us a stressful situation. I asked for fresh insights of faith in the midst of fear and got a situation that required my trust. These are God’s ways. He doesn’t necessarily cause them, but He does use them for our benefit and the benefit of others as well.

Until next time…God bless and good health!

Labels: According to Micca

Have you ever become a victim to your emotions? I have. Many times our circumstances dictate our emotions and cause us to respond inappropriately. While our emotions toward our situation are not entirely wrong; they are just not entirely reliable. But God is.

Adversity, trials, and sufferings are God’s greatest tools for growing us spiritually. In His Word, we’re told to rejoice in all things no matter what our circumstance may be. Most of the time, that’s easier said than done. I think the reason is because we forget who our God is. We are focused on what our eyes can see instead of the unseen hand of God at work in our lives.

God uses our hardships to turn us vertically. He changes our view from horizontal and uses our suffering to cause us to look up at Him. If we really look at God, our circumstances will grow dim and joy will be ours as we learn to live above our situation in complete trust and care of our heavenly Father.

Last week during a CT scan, the doctor discovered a mass in my colon. This week, I’m having a colonoscopy in order to determine what the mass is. By nature, I’m not one to worry until there is something to worry about. However, I can’t help wonder about the “what if’s.” What if it’s cancer? What if I’ve come to the end of my days and my kids have to grow up without a mom? What if this trial is a test of faith? Will I make God look good? Can He trust me to glorify His name and by faith say as Job did, “Though you slay me, I will trust you?” Will my life say to others, “no matter what, I’m for God.” I hope so.

God’s grace is always sufficient. He is enough for whatever I face. Recalling God’s faithfulness in my past helps me trust Him in the present. Like David, Habakkuk and many others, I stir my faith in God by remembering those past victories. David was able to face and slay the giant because he remembered God’s faithfulness in his past battles. Habakkuk, as he prayed about his situation, remember God’s history with the Israelite children. Remembering our past victories reminds us of just our big and able our God is to rescue us. It offers strength, hope and the faith we need to endure.

Still, in our human nature, we fear. But as children of God, we must remember how the righteous live. They live by faith. So I’m learning to say in my circumstances, “God, this is not what I want. It’s not what I planned for my life, but I’m choosing to trust you.”

I’m taking my eyes off the horizontal view and I’m looking vertically at my God. He is enough both now and always for whatever comes my way. While my emotions my trip me up from time to time along the way, still, I will trust Him.

Labels: According to Micca

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

Devotion:
“Mom, when did you first begin to love me?” asked my youngest son. I was quite surprised by his question and had to ponder if for a moment. Then, I replied. “I first loved you when dad and I began to talk about having a baby.” Parker reacted with confusion. “But that was way before I was born.”

“That’s right.” I said. “Then, when I carried you in my tummy, my love for you grew stronger.”

“It did?” he questioned with wonder. “Yes it did, and when you were born and placed in my arms, I loved you even more!”

“Did your love for me rub off a little the first time I did something wrong?”

“Not a chance! There is nothing you could ever do that would make me stop loving you.” I reassured him. With a big smile on his face, he leaped into my arms and hugged me tight.

As I considered our conversation, I realized that as a child of God I’ve had those same questions. “When did you first love me, Lord?”

“Long before you were ever born I determined to love you.” God whispered to my heart.

“Well, what about the bad things I do. Do they make you love me less?” I asked.

“Not a chance! No sin is strong enough to deter my love for you.” God reassured me. I smiled and whispered back. “I love you, too, Lord.”

You may be wondering how God could love you despite the wrong things you’ve done. It’s simple. God sent Jesus, His Son, to earth to save those who were trapped in sin. When we tell God we are sorry for our sins and accept Christ’s death on the cross as payment for our wrongdoings, then there is no longer anything between you and God.

God’s love is hard to comprehend. It has no beginning and no end, and it’s greater than our sin. Therefore, there is nothing you and I can do that will separate us from God’s love. He has loved you and me from the beginning and His love remains forever consistent and committed no matter what.

Dear Lord, I’m in awe of the fact that You loved me before I was born, and that nothing I do can cancel Your love for me. Your love is truly amazing. Thank you for loving me completely. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Meet God in prayer. In your mind’s eye, climb into your heavenly Father’s lap and ask Him to love on you. While there, read scripture verses that pertain to His love for you.

Reflections:
Do you ever question God’s love for you?

Do you realize that there is nothing you can do that will separate you from God’s love?

Compare God’s love for you to the backdrop of the cross.

Power Verses:
Psalm 36:5, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (NIV)

Jeremiah 31:3, “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (NIV)

Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (NIV)

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (NIV)

Labels: Wednesday in the Word

Here's some laughter for your weekend! Have a good one!

Wife: 'What are you doing?'
Husband : Nothing.
Wife : 'Nothing...? You've been reading our marriage certificate for An hour.' Husband : 'I was just looking for the expiration

Wife: 'Do you want dinner?'
Husband : 'Sure! What are my choices?'
Wife : 'Yes and no.'

Girl: 'When we get married, I want to share all your worries, troubles and lighten your burden.' Boy: 'It's very kind of you, darling, but I don't have any worries or troubles.'
Girl: 'Well that's because we aren't married yet.'

Son: 'Mom, when I was on the bus with Dad this morning, he told me to give up my seat to a lady.'
Mom: 'Well, you have done the right thing.'
Son: 'But mom, I was sitting on daddy's lap.'

A newly married man asked his wife, 'Would you have married me if my father hadn't left me a fortune?'
Wife: 'Honey,' the woman re plied sweetly, 'I'd have married you, NO MATTER WHO LEFT YOU A FORTUNE'

Father to son after exam: 'Let me see your report card.' Son: “I can’t, my friend just borrowed it. He wants to scare his parents.'

Be blessed~

Labels: According to Micca

"So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.”1 Peter 2:1-3

My youngest son loves chocolate milk. He doesn’t just love any kind of chocolate milk. It has to be made with Hershey’s chocolate syrup. One day as I stood stirring the syrup into a tall glass of milk, I noticed that the label read “Genuine Artificial Flavor.” I was shocked! What appeared to be real, looked real, and tasted real, was actually artificial! As I stood with my mouth hanging open in disbelief, I felt cheated, mislead, and deceived. Finally, I was able to speak out loud: “This is false advertisement!”

Earlier that morning, I had read today’s key verse. "So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You've had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God." At the time, the scripture didn’t seem to have much impact, but now the Holy Spirit was using the incident with the chocolate milk to speak to my heart.

As Christians I wonder how often we display false advertisement in place of genuine faith. Instead of feasting on God’s Word until it brings about real change in our lives, we taste just enough of God to pretend that our faith is genuine. We might know the right words to say, have memorized some key verses, and can even pray a prayer that is convincing to others, but inside we can’t convince ourselves that our faith is real.Eventually, we won’t be able to persuade others either.

How often do you and I fuss and fight with our families on Sunday mornings from the time we get up until we pull into the church parking lot? Isn’t it strange how the feuding stops there? It’s as if Satan jumps out of the car once we’re at church allowing us to return to our normally kind selves. Who are we fooling? Shouldn’t we be the same at home as we are at church?What about gossip? Pretending to build one another up in love, we camouflage gossip with prayer. “Did you hear about sister so-and-so? We need to pray for her. I heard that…”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve stood guilty many times. That’s why the Holy Spirit brought me back to our key verse. Each phrase of it motivates me. I need to examine myself for symptoms of malice, pretense, envy, and hurtful talk. I need to stay close to God and become a mature Christian in His eyes and an authentic Christian to others. I don’t want my life to be a false advertisement for Christ, and neither do you.

God never meant for you or me to pretend. Genuine faith is real. It comes as we feast on God’s Word and learn how to apply His ways to everyday living. It’s a faith that should be recognized by a changed life that others can see as well in our actions, our speech, and our works. Genuine faith is our best advertisement for Christ. Let’s be intentional about it.

Dear Lord, Search me for any signs of malice, pretense, envy or hurtful talk. Then, Lord, lead me in Your righteous ways. Make my faith strong and genuine so that I can be a faithful witness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflections:
Why do you think people gossip about others?
How does gossip and envy affect your faith and ability to witness for Christ?
What does being a mature Christian mean to you?
In what areas of your life have you displayed false advertisement instead of genuine faith?

Power Verses:
Ephesians 4:22, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires” (NIV)

Ephesians 4:25, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (NIV)

Ephesians 4:13-15, “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.” (NKJ)

Labels: Wednesday in the Word

I'm so sorry I missed "Wednesday in the Word" this week. My family and I were on vacation at the beach. We love the beach. It's so restful. Isn't that what vacations are all about...rest? When I'm in a place of rest, I find that not only is my mind and body refreshed but my spirit is as well.

As I sat with my husband and children on the beach and looked out at the massive size of the ocean, I was reminded of just how big our God is. I thought about Isaiah 40:12.

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance , and the hills in a pair of scales?"

From this verse, can you get your mind around just how big God is? When God made the universe and galaxies, He measured it's span between his thumb and first finger. Then, He poured the oceans and seas from the palm of His hand! I don't know about you, but when I looked at the huge body of water that could swallow me up in an instant and realized that God, at some moment in time, held it entirely in His hand it simply blew me away!

God is so gigantic that He knows every creature that is in that body of water. He sees every ship that sails the waves, and He knows right where every person lies who has ever been lost at sea.

With a God this big, what could ever escape His attention? What need could we have that He could not handle? Where could we go that we are not in His presence?

Certainly our worries, anxieties and fears could be trusted to a God that is so big the waves of the ocean obey the boundaries set by Him. And yet, we fear instead of having boundless faith in a boundless God. Oh, to live carefree in the care of God!

That's my goal, to reveal how we can let go of our fears and live as carefree children in the Care of our big ole heavenly Father.

I want to thank those of you who have responded. I understand that some of you cannot leave a comment. I'm sorry. I'm new at blogging. I will try and arrange it so you can. In the meantime, if you would like to share your fears or stories with me you can contact me at MiccaCampbell@comcast.net.

Bonita, I was so moved at your gracious words about me and my speaking. Thank you for sharing your blog with me and inviting others to share their worries there. What an act of Christ-like love and kindness. You have been such a treasure both personally and in ministry.

Until next time...God bless each of you!

Labels: According to Micca

With much excitement, I'd like to introduce to you "God's Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 Woman's Devotional." At Proverbs 31 Ministries, we touch over 170,000 women daily with our popular online daily devotions called, "Encouragement for Today." Written by over a dozen of P31 writers, including myself, these devotions were specially selected to empower women to become more devoted to God. You will read about real life stories from these authors and what they learned about God and His ways. But it doesn't stop there. These devotions also come with a prayer and application steps so that you can apply God's principles to your life as well. This devotional book will not only bless your life, it will change it!

You can order it online at http://www.proverbs31.org/ Under Resources.

Now, for my up coming book, "Faith That is STRONGER Than All My Fear," will be my first baby. I'm so excited and yet humbled that God would allow me to write to this subject. It's my prayer that this book contain His message and not mine. I'm depending totally on God to write every word. Only God knows who will read this book and the empty places caused by fear that need His freedom and healing touch. I don't know who those people are, but I know their fear.

I have faced every woman's greatest fear...the death of her spouse. I married at the young age of 19. Two years latter, God blessed us with a beautiful baby boy. When he was only four months old, his father, and my husband, suffer a tragic accident that left him burned over 80% of his body. He lived for 8 days in Vanderbilt Burn Center before he passed from this world to the next. I suddenly found myself alone, a new mother and a widow at the age of 21.
(My entire story will soon be posted on video.)

Fearful, anxious, confused, worried, panic-stricken became the words that described my life. They are also the words that describe over 40 million Americans. What are we afraid of? Is it when the phone rings and nobody is there? Are we afraid that the school our child attends will be the next school shooting? Is it caring for your family's needs that worry you most? Is it the unknown or being known? Perhaps it's your past that haunts you. Although we are living in fearful times, God never intended for us to be worry-warts. You and I can't be afraid and live by faith at the same time. We must believe that our faith in God is stronger than all our fear.

I'd love to hear from you and perhaps use your story in my book. What concerns you most? What keeps you up at night worrying? What are you most afraid of?

Until next time...God bless!

Labels: According to Micca

I've decided to make Wednesday's, "Wednesday in the Word" day. Each Wednesday I'll post one of my devotions. I hope they encourage you and draw you nearer to the Lord.

Recently, I submitted a book proposal to several Publishing Houses. To my surprise, I have been offered two contracts by two different publishers. So since I'm in middle of asking, "Lord, What should I do?" I've posted a devotion writien on that subject. (Tomorrow, I'll tell you more about my upcoming book, plus, a new devotional book that's just been released by Proverbs 31 Ministries!)

Lord, What Should I Do?
By Micca Campbell

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3: 15-17(NIV)

Let’s be honest. When it comes to making decisions, we tend to base them on our emotions and our thoughts. This is what I call using our “feelers” and “thinkers.” You’ve done it. I’ve done it. Haven’t we all said something such as, I’m just not “feeling” it, so I’m not going to send my kid to that school. Or what about, I ” think” it’s the right thing to do.

I’m not saying that emotions and thoughts are entirely wrong; they’re just not entirely reliable. However, the principles of God are. So we need to trade in our indicators for God’s indicators. In today’s key verse, God lays out a map that will help us make good decisions based on His reliable principles.

First, our key verse tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us. The truth of God is whatever God is saying to you. When you hide God’s Word in your heart, the Holy Spirit will use it to guide you in decision making. So before you decide who to date, what to do for a living, or which house to buy, listen to what God says first. Then compare what you think is right to what God says is right in His Word. The proverbs warn us that “there is a way that seems right to man [and woman] but the end is death” (Proverbs 14:12, NIV). God’s way always leads to a good decision and a great life.

Second, we’re told to let the peace of Christ rule or reign in our hearts. The Greek word for rule is the word we would use for referee. A referee is someone who wears a whistle. If the ball is about to go out of bounds, the referee blows the whistle. You and I have a heavenly referee, the Holy Spirit, who gives us a great deal of freedom to live our lives. The Christian life is not a restricted journey. We are free to live and move and make choices. Although, when we are about to step out of bounds, the Holy Spirit blows his whistle as a warning. That warning comes often in the form of a lack of peace.

Finally, today’s verses tell us that whatever we do, to do it in the name of the Lord. If I can’t take the name of Jesus and stamp it on what I’m about to do, say, or where I am about to go without embarrassment or apology, then its best to back off. It’s not worth it, whatever it is. If you and I have the nature of Christ living in us then it doesn’t make sense for either of us to do something that isn’t consistent with His nature. So, if we can’t stamp His name all over the decision we’re about to make, then we should not do it.

Some of us today have families in trouble, and we’re trying to figure out which way to go. Others may be struggling emotionally or with financial decisions. There are those who are facing their career ahead, and others who are facing their retirement. Decisions need to be made. Yes, you have feelings and thoughts about these situations. They are not entirely wrong; they’re just not entirely trustworthy. Only the principles of God are entirely dependable. So take God’s map and let the spirit of God walk you through it. He’ll lead you in the way you should go.

Dear Lord, I don’t want to do anything that I can’t put Your name on. Thank You for providing a way for me to make good decisions while glorifying Your name. As I meditate on Your Word, speak to my heart and guide me with Your peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Begin studying and meditating on God’s Word today so that He can speak to your heart about any situation you face. Remember to compare what you think to what God says. Wait for peace, and be sure that you can stamp His name on it. If you can, then go for it!

Reflections:
What is you method for decision making? How has your method been a benefit to you?

How will following God’s principles for decision making benefit your life?

Who do you think is wiser when it come to the decisions you need to make in life: you or God?

Power Verses:
Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (NIV)

John 16:13, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (NIV)

Isaiah 58:11, “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (NIV)

Luke 1:79, “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." (NIV)

Labels: Wednesday in the Word