Pastor John D Jakes

Pastor, author, husband, father (the roles keep switching day by day)

Trust and the deception of our feelings

Have you said in your heart or heard a friend say, “I just don’t feel that God is very close to me.”? In that moment, although we may not realize it, we are wrestling with who to believe – our feelings or God. I think it matters who we believe!

Let’s think today about that word ‘feel’.  In a world that proclaims that we should follow our feelings, we have almost been trained to make our feelings what determines our decisions.  In other words, “feeling” has become the truth we are living by.  So, what happens when what God has promised doesn’t mesh with how we feel today?  I wonder how many who have put their faith in Jesus struggle with who to believe.  The question before us many times is – will I believe what I feel and act on that, or will I believe what God has said or promised and act on that.

“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5

Consider this when going through a really hard time or struggling with a particular sin.  The Lord has said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3) and, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)  He has promised this.  He has declared it throughout His holy Word.  Yet, don’t we sometimes ‘feel’ as if God is far away from us?  Let me be clear, all of us go through times when we feel that way.  We see even some of the heroes of the faith feel that way.  What is the difference between those heroes and us?  They did not make decisions by what they felt.  They made decisions based upon what God had said. Did they still feel alone? Did they still wonder what God was going to do? Yes! Yet, they acted upon what God had promised. That is the key of faith.  That is the path of biblical hope.  That is where we find joy.

We find victory as we trust God’s promises. Trust is not a simple feeling.  It is a profound choice.  It is a choice to believe even when we feel differently. God has declared his love for you and me.  He has demonstrated it on the cross.  We are now invited to trust Him.  There are times when we won’t automatically feel loved.  Yet, will we be ruled by what we feel or by what is true? Here is the awesome promise – by trusting God’s promises in faith we will discover that God has been there all the time. Does it matter if we trust God in this way? Yes! It makes all the difference!

Something to think about,
Pastor John

Pastor John

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One response to “Trust and the deception of our feelings”

  1. Christine Avatar
    Christine

    Dear Pastor John,

    This blog touched me because I’ve been going through some struggles of my own like this. As I faced some health hardships recently, I discovered that people had varying opinions of what I should do. I became very confused and mixed up and actually was going through a state of feeling very down as my condition worsened. However, then I completely turned to God, trusting in His promises, like you say here. Promises like, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” and “Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you,” and “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and HE WILL direct your paths,” and “when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold, for He knows the way that I take”. In these promises, He promises not to leave me, even when those I trusted in do leave me or turn against me. He promises that He cares for me, so I can bring my concerns to Him. He promises to direct my paths, so I just need to ask. He promises that He knows the way that I take, which means that He knows everything about me and tries me to purify me.

    After I turned everything over to the Lord, He then began to direct my paths in my health. He sent me confirmation after confirmation of what I was to do. He performed miracles in the people’s lives around me as I prayed. He sent me timely devotions that gave me the courage to stand up for myself. He sent a friend who went with me and prayed for me as I went to the doctor, and He sent 3 other friends, in timely ways to pray for me through it. The prayers were powerful. I was given the chance to witness to my doctor as I explained to her how I was trusting in God. I look forward to seeing how God uses my life to show her and others that He is working in me! I have the faith of a few close friends to help me as I step out in faith on this next part of my health journey.

    Since then, I have a joy in my heart because I felt God with me. I have complete trust in Him as He leads me on this path. He then gave me a beautiful gift to look at every day that boosts my faith and causes me to praise God. He caused something that was dying to come to life in a miraculous way. Over 20 new leaves have started budding out of a dying rose in a vase. Why is this significant to me? Aaron’s rod budded in the Genesis story. God performs miracles, even in a dying rose. The cool thing is, He gave me this very same type of miracle after He started healing me from an internal organ disease 10 years ago. Both of these roses were roses that were gifted to me from the church. So, I am overjoyed that God is once again showing me how He can bring new life into something that was dying. I believe with all my heart that God is bringing new life into me, even after all I’ve been through with my health. I praise Him because He is not finished with me yet!

    And, guess what? The doctor told me I couldn’t get better. She was wrong. God is healing me little by little. In my heart, I keep singing the song, “Walking and leaping and praising God. Walking and leaping and praising God. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” (faith of a few close friends!) Hallelujah!

    Blessings,

    Christine

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