By Micca Monda Campbell
“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;” Job 13:15, (NIV)
Have you ever become a victim to your emotions? I have. Many times our circumstances stir our emotions and we 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. However, our emotions can tell us otherwise, making it hard to trust God for a good outcome. I think the reason it may be hard to rely on God in hardships 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.
During this past year, the doctor discovered a mass in my colon from a CT scan. Usually, I’m not one to worry until there is something to worry about. Although this time I was consumed with “what if.” 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? Like Job, will I be able to say, “Though you slay me, I will trust you?” I hoped so.
God only eliminates the things in my life that don’t “look” like Him. If there is a characteristic in my life that needs to be put to death, I can trust God will do it and I’ll be better off without it. While my mind may acknowledge this truth, my emotions need God’s grace in order to trust Him in the process.
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, remembered God’s history with the Israelite children and how He brought them triumph. Remembering our past victories reminds us of just how big and able our God is, and rescues us from any doubt in our present situation. It offers strength, hope, and the faith we need to endure.
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 though you slay me I’m choosing to trust you.”
After further testing, the mass that appeared on my CT scan could no longer be detected. The doctors were stunned. At first, I was surprised, too. Then, I realized that God not only eliminated the mass in my colon. He eliminated another layer of doubt in my life. In the hollow of that place, a deeper faith in God took root.
Instead of trusting my feelings, I’m choosing to trust 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, still, I will trust Him. Why—because if something needs slaying in my life, I’m better off without it and God is just the one to make the change a success.
Dear Lord, I don’t understand what’s going on in my life right now. This is not what I planned, but I choose to trust You. Help me to see the good You are bringing out of my situation, and the good You can bring within me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
Visit Micca Campbell’s blog
God’s Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 Devotional by Various P31 Writers and Speakers with Gen Eds. Lysa TerKeurst & Rachel Olsen
Micca Campbell’s Testimony on DVD
Application Steps:
Try to identify the wrong character in you that God is trying to replace with His. Do you need patience, humility, trust, or compassion? Let God fill you with His good character.
Reflections:
How does experiencing hardships reveal God’s love?
What is God trying to accomplish in your life through your trials?
Power Verses:
2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (NIV)
Proverbs 3:25-26, “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.” (NIV)
Psalm 36:5, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (NIV)
“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;” Job 13:15, (NIV)
Have you ever become a victim to your emotions? I have. Many times our circumstances stir our emotions and we 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. However, our emotions can tell us otherwise, making it hard to trust God for a good outcome. I think the reason it may be hard to rely on God in hardships 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.
During this past year, the doctor discovered a mass in my colon from a CT scan. Usually, I’m not one to worry until there is something to worry about. Although this time I was consumed with “what if.” 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? Like Job, will I be able to say, “Though you slay me, I will trust you?” I hoped so.
God only eliminates the things in my life that don’t “look” like Him. If there is a characteristic in my life that needs to be put to death, I can trust God will do it and I’ll be better off without it. While my mind may acknowledge this truth, my emotions need God’s grace in order to trust Him in the process.
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, remembered God’s history with the Israelite children and how He brought them triumph. Remembering our past victories reminds us of just how big and able our God is, and rescues us from any doubt in our present situation. It offers strength, hope, and the faith we need to endure.
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 though you slay me I’m choosing to trust you.”
After further testing, the mass that appeared on my CT scan could no longer be detected. The doctors were stunned. At first, I was surprised, too. Then, I realized that God not only eliminated the mass in my colon. He eliminated another layer of doubt in my life. In the hollow of that place, a deeper faith in God took root.
Instead of trusting my feelings, I’m choosing to trust 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, still, I will trust Him. Why—because if something needs slaying in my life, I’m better off without it and God is just the one to make the change a success.
Dear Lord, I don’t understand what’s going on in my life right now. This is not what I planned, but I choose to trust You. Help me to see the good You are bringing out of my situation, and the good You can bring within me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
Visit Micca Campbell’s blog
God’s Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 Devotional by Various P31 Writers and Speakers with Gen Eds. Lysa TerKeurst & Rachel Olsen
Micca Campbell’s Testimony on DVD
Application Steps:
Try to identify the wrong character in you that God is trying to replace with His. Do you need patience, humility, trust, or compassion? Let God fill you with His good character.
Reflections:
How does experiencing hardships reveal God’s love?
What is God trying to accomplish in your life through your trials?
Power Verses:
2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (NIV)
Proverbs 3:25-26, “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.” (NIV)
Psalm 36:5, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (NIV)
7 Comments:
Psalm 36:5, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” Amen!
Praise the Lord for He is forever faithful!
How true this devotion fits me today! I have been walking through a trial for the last 3 years that seems like it is never going to end, but through it all, God has never left me nor forsaken me. His faithfulness has proven true to me time & again. He is teaching me patience, trust, and to have no fear of man and He is increasing my faith in Him and His Word. Jesus I bless Your Holy, Precious Name for being my Lord & my Savior. May all that is done in me & my life, bring glory & honor to You alone.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and keep up the wonderful, inspiring work for our mighty Lord.
My life as a child was difficult; divorce, abandoment, rejection,and abuse. Grandpa and Grandma was also a happy place for a frightened little girl. Now that I am a Grandma it is an awesome blessing to love and nourish my grandchilden. I love when they ask me questions about Jesus. I love singing songs to them and I love just holding them and letting them know that they are secure and safe with Grandma. God has blessed me zillion fold from those hurts of my childhood. He has used them for His glory.
I am at work. I came in on break and looked up today's reading. WOW did it hit me. I came to work today and heard the lash of a supervisior's tongue. She is not a very nice person. So all morning i have been trying to forgive her. This is a new thing for me to do. What usually happens is that I brood all day upset and then I get everyone upset
about the situation. So my new forgiving thing was reinforced by your devotion.
This is just a blessed devotion.. For a while now I've been going through some stuff which really intensified during April, & I've been learning how to respond in a Godly manner.
Right before I read this devotion today, I felt like pouting, screaming and throwing temper tantrums, but the Lord is my help in time of trouble.
Thanks a lot for sharing this devotion. It is truly a blessing for me.
Wow!! What a miracle and an amazing God!! Thanks for the truth and encouragment today.
We are going through a similar health situation in our family and it does look very bad but we know our God is able to bring healing and we are trusting Him for that. This devo was a great encouragement. Thank you so much for sharing.
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