Faith/Feelings

...now browsing by tag

 
Bible/Scripture Choices Christian Living Christmas Church Death Faith/Feelings Forgiveness Friendship Generosity God God's Plan God's Word Grace Humility Jesus Kindness Leadership Lifestyle Love Mercy Ministry Miscellaneous Opinion Parenting Perseverance Prayer Preaching Questions Quiet Time Reflection Resurrection Salvation Scripture look Second Coming Seeking Sin Speech Story Suffering Surrender Thanksgiving Trials Truth Telling Worship
 

August 8

Tuesday, August 8th, 2023

One of the greatest tragedies of our culture today is thinking we can find the answer by “following our heart.” We think we can pursue the wisdom of men and “light within us” and find meaning and purpose.

Alan Noble in his book On Getting Out of Bed put it this way:

Whatever challenges we face can be solved. That’s society’s promise. Whatever problem you have, someone has developed a method for overcoming it. A pill. A treatment. A mindset. Which means if you don’t overcome your problems, it’s your own fault. You really should have tried harder. You should have shown more initiative. You should have chosen the right technique. Because the normal life is a pleasant life for those who merit it. (p.8)

Alan goes on to say he believed all that and he/it was wrong.

Strangely enough, the Bible speaks of that, and in of all books, Revelation. Revelation 8:12 speaks of light becoming dark- a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars. Taken in context that verse is speaking of the futility and emptiness of man’s wisdom and “spirituality” to enlighten as an utter failure. We foolishly think pursuing more of man’s wisdom; more of man’s ways; more of man’s insights will lead us to enlightenment. It is a picture of people going about living their lives in darkness without the ability to see what is true and right and good. You know…follow your heart.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news: it is an empty and dead end road.

But I do like to be the bearer of GOOD NEWS! Proverbs 8:34-36 tells us to pursue God’s wisdom not the world’s. The one who pursues His wisdom finds life.  Instead of “follow your heart” it should be “pursue God’s heart.” He won’t steer you wrong.

Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

May 24

Wednesday, May 24th, 2023

There is no question we all do things that are “off the wall.” Some might call them stupid. We are surprised, not just by our own actions, but also by those of others. We roll our eyes at what some people do or say, or we can’t believe what we do or say!

I recently read about a lady who went to see a doctor with two severely burnt ears. The doctor said, “In all of my years of practice, I have never seen anything quite like this. How did you burn your ears?”

“Well,” she said, “I was ironing and watching TV. Suddenly, the phone rang. I answered the iron instead of the phone and burned my ear.”

“That’s horrible!” the doctor said. “But how did you burn your other ear?”

“Can you believe it?” she said. “The idiot called back!”

Okay…so other than the groan that just escaped our lips and the chuckle that maybe became more than just a chuckle, what did you think?

Roll your eyes?  Shake your heard in disbelief? Did you groan and chuckle some more? Did you comment about the sheer stupidity of some people? Or maybe all the above?

I’d say the woman was a little flaky. Okay, more than just a little. But even more, I’d say she was a bit preoccupied. I mean, how do you? Never mind.

Preoccupation is dangerous. Preoccupied driving, for example, is really dangerous. How often do we hear about not texting and driving? Trying to have a serious conversation with a preoccupied person is a lost cause. It’s like talking to a brick wall. Preoccupied people have skewed priorities. We lose sight of what is in the moment, what is right in front of us.

Jesus once said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” The “these things” refers to the daily necessities of life.

He has promised; He will deliver…and you can’t burn your ears worrying (being preoccupied) about it.

Posted in InTheShadow | 10 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , ,

April 12

Wednesday, April 12th, 2023

In my study recently, I have been reading a lot on fear and anxiety in preparation for a sermon series that will start on May 7th (Lord willing). I had planned on returning to my series on Revelation after a short side road on To and From the Cross (in honor of the death and resurrection of Jesus), but God had other plans.

Something happened along the way and I felt a deep need to delay Revelation and do a short series on fear and anxiety. WOW! Little did I know 1) what I was getting into; and 2) how much it is needed. I’ve had so many express they struggle with it and how they are looking forward to the help they need. I only hope, of course, I am “up to” the challenge.

I’ll probably say more about that as it gets closer, but in the last couple of days I’ve been able to share something with several people that I have learned from my study. I would like to pass it on to you this morning. It is simple but far more complex than I am able to develop here, and at this moment. (Again, maybe in the future I can “flesh it out” more for you).  I found snippets of this scattered in my reading, but one put it succinctly:

  • You are not crazy.
  • You are not alone.
  • This will end.

Mental illness, mental struggles, and all the branches of that is not something to shrug off, pretend it doesn’t exist (especially if it is you or someone you know who is struggling), or (horror of horrors), criticize. There are millions of people affected E.V.E.R.Y. D.A.Y.  Each one of those three bullet points is an essential to getting a grip on depression, fear, anxiety, panic attacks, breakdowns, etc.

At the risk of sound simplistic, put-off-ish, or calloused, due to time and space constriction,  I want to close this devotion with the following promises:

“My peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives you. Do not let your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid.” Jesus in John 14:27

“I will not leave you as orphans.” Jesus in John 14:18

Walk with Him. His hand is motioning for you to come. You can even find it at His side simply waiting for you to slip your hand into His. Go ahead. Start with that and start healing.

Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

April 11

Tuesday, April 11th, 2023

If someone were to ask me what I believe is the #1 issue facing the majority of people today, I would not say: the economy, the inflation rate, the price of gas, the price of food, the fentanyl crisis, the border crisis, the breakdown of the family unit, or a hundred other answers.

My answer? Fear and anxiety and often the resulting depression and despair which comes as a “fruit” of the fear and anxiety.

I honestly believe we struggle with the results of that fear or the realization of what the difficulties imply, or lead us to rather than the “cause” itself. The fear and anxiety from the triggers play havoc on our lives more than than the triggers.

Fear and anxiety is very real, but it is also nothing new. David is proof positive in Psalm 13. The first two verses of that psalm are a heart cry of desperation and anguish. But if you keep reading, verses 5-6 are an answer to that anguish. Please give me a moment to show you:

  • If God truly forgot David as he says in verse 1a, how did God truly love David unceasingly as David says in verse 5a?
  • In verse 1b David also says God hid His face from him and yet in verse 6b David says God was good to him.
  • In verse 2a David wrestled with many thoughts and had sorrow in his heart every day, but in verse 6a says he sang with joy at the same time.
  • In verse 2b David says his enemy was triumphing over him, but in verse 5b David says God was delivering him from his enemy. 

Do you see the discrepancy? It’s the discrepancy of feelings versus belief. David felt like God had forgotten him, but he believed God was somehow good to him behind the scenes.

The discrepancy was between feelings and fact, between what he felt vs what he knew to be true.

Followers of Jesus do not need to despair or to live in fear. Feelings vs facts. We may not feel God cares, but the truth is that He does, in spite of our feelings.

Stand on facts not your feelings.

{Note: I owe a debt of gratitude to Randall Arthur and his book, Wisdom Hunter, for laying the groundwork for these thoughts. Hint: you might want to check out that book! You will be glad you did.}

Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

March 7

Tuesday, March 7th, 2023

I’ve written often about feelings and how they play an important part of our Christian walk…both good and bad.

It is good, and it is necessary, to have emotions. After all, happy, sad, laughter, tears, anger, and others are part of our DNA. To deny them is not honesty. An emotionless person is a…well…a sad person. That’s not an emotional sad, but a person devoid of emotion is more like a robot.

On the other hand, some people are way too emotional.  It’s like they are on the edge of reality, seemingly losing control at the drop of a hat.

Neither one is good. Nor is it good to have your emotions run your Christian walk. Do you remember the lyrics to the song “You Light Up My Life” from the 70s (1977 to be exact) sung by Debby Boone?  Part of the lyrics were “It can’t be wrong; it feels so right.”  Put that in scenarios. “It can’t be wrong to have this illicit relationship because it feels so right.” “It can’t be wrong to take this drug because it makes me feel so good.” You can figure there is more.

Feelings can be, and mostly are, deceptive. Subjectivism is dangerous. People who rely on the “reality” of subjectivism forget the objectivism of faith. The truth of the Bible takes a back seat to our feelings. “Hell can’t be real because God is love and wouldn’t condemn anyone,” for example. “Surely this relationship can’t be wrong since it makes me feel good and God would not want anything less for me.” Truth takes a back seat. I heard a good quote the other day on a podcast. I was unable to catch who it is attributed to, but it came from a book called Mama Bear Apologetics:

Feelings are a good check engine light but a terrible GPS.

Don’t allow subjective feelings to override the truth of God’s Word. Feelings are good, a must to have. But to be directed and led by them is dangerous. Feelings will lead us down the wrong path; only truth will set us free.

Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , ,

March 6

Monday, March 6th, 2023

This past Saturday afternoon Jo and I went with some friends to see Jesus Revolution. It has surprised many pundits at the box office, taking in more than they ever predicted or maybe even dreamed of. My purpose here is not to give a review but to make a point about one of the characters.

The movie is about the early “story” of Pastor Greg Laurie’s search for meaning and hope in a world gone mad (some things never change do they?). It was a lesson though that Pastor Greg learned many years later-far removed from those Jesus Movement days-that  sticks with me. On July 25, 2008, Greg’s son, Christopher, died in a car accident he was responsible for. As you can imagine, Greg was devastated beyond words. I have 2 daughters and I simply cannot imagine the grief and pain I would feel if they were taken from this life.

But through his pain, Greg received some great words of wisdom from his mentor, Pastor Chuck Smith. Smith said,

“Don’t ever trade what you know for what you don’t know.”

With that in mind, what do I know?

  • I know that God loves me.
  • I know that God wants what is best for me (even though I can’t see it).
  • I know God has a plan for my life and knows the end of my days.
  • I know God has promised to never leave me or forsake me.
  • I also know God doesn’t always give me what I want and sometimes I have to wait for His answer.

Sometimes God doesn’t answer prayers as quickly as I want or would like Him to. But He will not let me down. Delays are not necessarily denials.  Sometimes we have those dark nights of the soul.

So…the next time you or I feel abandoned; the next time you or I feel alone; the next time you or I feel God is not listening “Don’t ever trade what you know for what you don’t know.” 

I heard it said recently: “Feelings are a great check engine light, but a terrible GPS.” Don’t trust your feelings. Trust the ONE whom you know.

 

Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

January 24

Tuesday, January 24th, 2023

I may be wrong in my assessment (I have been known to be wrong a time or two) 🙂 , but I think one of the hardest parts of the Christian walk is practicing the Scripture which says, “Be thankful in all things.” (I Thess. 5:18)

“In everything give thanks.” Seriously? Does the Bible really say that? Does it really say to give thanks when my heart has been torn apart by a wayward child? By a health crisis? By a domestic crisis? By a financial crisis?

The short answer is Yes. Notice it does not say “Give thanks for the event/crisis.” But it does say, “Give thanks in the crisis.” Let’s substitute during for in. While the crisis is happening, or even after it, I am to give thanks.

I can remember a story from Corrie Ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place. She and her sister, Betsy, were prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp and her sister told her they needed to give thanks for the fleas-the fleas that were in their hair, their clothes, their bedding. Sounded strange to Corrie until they came to realize the guards left them alone because of the fleas. They were free to have Bible studies and talk to other prisoners about Jesus because of the fleas and without fear of the guards.

Giving thanks in the situation NOT for the fleas. We are not asked to go all stoic as though nothing is bothering us. No, we are being told by Paul that while we are in the crisis, an attitude of gratitude and faith can change our perspective.

We can also see God working…even though we don’t understand. I don’t have to say, “Father, thank You for this cancer” (or whatever the crisis is), but I can pray, “Father, I thank You for Your presence and peace that is within me in spite of this crisis.”

Be thankful in all things.

Posted in InTheShadow | 12 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

January 12

Thursday, January 12th, 2023

Look around. It is easy to get discouraged.

-A 6 year old shoots his teacher. He got a hold of his mother’s gun and took it to class.

-4 college students in Idaho are murdered.

-Healthy, fit athletes have “medical events” and collapse, some die.

-My retirement (such as it was) took a huge hit in 2022.

-Eggs are $6 a dozen. $6!!!

-Overdoses and suicides are reaching alarming heights.

-Loss of a loved one. Loss of a job. Wayward child. Loss of faith. The list is endless.

So is discouragement. David experienced it. “Why are you downcast, O my soul?” (Read the rest in Psalm 42:11)

Moses was so downcast at one point about the Israelites that he asked God to take his life. Elijah, after his victory against the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, ran and hid out from the wrath of Jezebel. He wanted to die. Jeremiah. Even Paul was overwhelmed from time to time.

Discouragement is a normal reaction. Life is hard and all we see are mountains, rocky paths, and never-ending obstacles.

But we have a promise from God that He is faithful. His love never ends and His presence never disappears. His steadfastness never wavers and His faithfulness never changes.

I don’t always know what is coming. No one does. I don’t always know where it will end up. No one does. I just know wherever that is, God will be there to meet me.

Even when I can’t “see” Him, I can trust Him. As I read recently: “We can trust His heart, even when we can’t see His path.”

Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , ,

January 3

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023

I read this morning in Our Daily Bread about how some volunteers from a rescue organization in Australia found a wandering sheep weighed down by more than 75 pounds of filthy, matted wool.  They figured it had been forgotten and lost in the bush for at least 5 years. They were able to sheer it and soon the sheep (named Baarack) began to eat and his legs grew stronger. It thrived in the environment of his rescuers and the other animals.

It started me thinking about people, about how so many are weighed down by excess weight (not physical) and baggage. Some of it is simply the cares of life. Some of it is baggage of their own making from their past.

I’m reminded of a song (click here). It says, “I’m no longer a slave to fear/I am a child of God.”  There are way too many people who are slaves to fear, shame, unconfessed sin, regret, and a whole host of other baggage.

Just like Baarack needed his rescuers to slowly sheer away his excessive weight of tangled, matted wool, so do many of us. God, through His Spirit, sets us free. He desires to make us new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17). His Word tells us that “he whom the Son has set free is free indeed.”

Are you carrying excess baggage these days? Are you weighed down by sin and shame and regret? Be sheered and let God’s Spirit set you free.

Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

September 8

Thursday, September 8th, 2022

In yesterday’s devotion I wrote about Principle #5:

God’s will is a flashlight, not a crystal ball; walk to the edge of the darkness and wait.

That got me thinking how some approach God’s Word (GW) with what I called the “crystal ball” or “floodlight” approach. Before I go any further though, I need to say one or two very important thoughts:

  1. I firmly believe GW is inspired by God and is totally inerrant (without error). I base that on 2 Tim. 3: 14-17, especially verse 16.
  2. I also firmly believe it is God’s primary way of speaking to His people. All things, all claims of people saying, “God told me this or that” must have their foundation in GW. For someone to say, for example, “I killed those people because God told me to” is hogwash and the person is either psychologically delusional or fishing for a reason to justify sin. God will NEVER violate His Word.

With those thoughts in mind, there are those who treat GW like a crystal ball or expect a floodlight to shine down on them with a neon sign and say, “Do this!” Some even expect a floodlight to highlight a verse. You have probably heard the story of the man who used this approach by opening his Bible and pointing to a verse. It said, “Judas went out and hung himself.”  He hurriedly closed his Bible and opened it again and pointed to another verse. It said, “What your hand finds to do do it with all your might.” That wasn’t what he wanted to hear either so he closed his Bible, opened it and pointed and the verse said, “What your hand finds to do, do quickly.”  That is the shotgun approach many take to finding guidance in GW. It is like they are expecting the Bible to be a crystal ball, rub it and all truth will come out. It is like they expect that approach to give them all the insight they need to make a right decision and to know God’s will.

Nope. While I believe GW is living and active, I don’t believe it is a crystal ball telling us what to do and when to do it. God has given each of His children the Holy Spirit and that Spirit leads and guides us. But he will never lead us to act contrary to the Word. God guides us by His Word and shows me the path I am to walk, but there is no neon sigh that lights up, either in GW or in life, which says, “Choose me!”  I go back to my friend’s statement (see August 17 post) where he said, “Bill, choose the one. In any case, even if it is the wrong one, God will not abandon you.”  He was right.

God will never lead us astray. The Holy Spirit will never say, “Go your own way.” Pray. Seek His will. Read His Word for wisdom and guidance and strength to follow. Walk with Him to the edge and wait. To borrow a few lines from The Trail:

If God loves me, then He protects me. He guides me by His Word and shows me the path to walk. A safe path, because He knows where the danger lies. So I walk to the edge of the darkness and wait. (p.110)

God’s Word is a lamp not a crystal ball to rubbed, nor is it a floodlight that will shine down to highlight an action to take. We are given His Spirit and a mind to make decisions that will always be in line with GW.

Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

« Older Entries