Faith & Feelings

Ok, I’m going to be honest - I don’t always feel like praying and I don’t always feel like studying my bible. To take it a step further, I don’t always feel saved and I don’t always feel like I’m righteous. But the truth of the matter is, I am saved – through faith in Jesus Christ and I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. So, it doesn’t matter how I feel, those are the facts.

In this faith walk, it’s critical that we don’t rely on how we feel to guide our decisions. The bible says, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17). It doesn’t say by feelings, sight, or sound – but by faith. If we live our lives totally based on our emotions, we’ll be all over the place, completely unstable. Our emotions change from day to day, and from circumstance to circumstance. Even in these uncertain times, emotions and tensions are high. If we let our feelings guide us, we’ll often end up in trouble by making poor decisions. Our faith in God has to be our compass. Our faith, not our feelings should be the guiding force to help us obey God and to do what we know to be right. We are called to live by our faith in the One who can be trusted.

Throughout this journey with God, at times it may feel as if He’s not there, not listening or is outright indifferent to our cries. But the those are all lies. The truth is, we know He’s with us because He said He’ll never leave nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6). We know His ears are open to the cries of the righteous because the Word of God says so in Psalm 34:15. What we know to be true about God’s character and His promises must override how we feel.

In Psalm 42, the Psalmist is clearly depressed and feeling forgotten by God. Nevertheless, these verses are so refreshing to me as I notice how he checked his own spirit.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you…

9 I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

This is a prime example of how not to allow your circumstances and your feelings to dictate your mood, your praise, and your faith in God. He reminded Himself of who God is and what He did for Him in the past. Essentially, He asked himself, “Why are you worried and why are you depressed? Hope in God! You know Him!” I’m paraphrasing but I just want to encourage you to believe God, what He says about you, and His promises to you. It doesn’t matter how you feel, but according to your faith, it will be done for you (Matt. 8:13, 9:29). Only you know what that “it” is. Be determined to live by faith and not your feelings. Be courageous and steadfast in your faith in God. He’s faithful.

Be Blessed & Encouraged,💓

A.M.