Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." Mark 5:36
Sometimes we mistake feelings for faith and a change in feelings for loss of faith. Faith is not feelings. Feelings or emotions change with every moment's experiences. Faith endures the ups and downs of life with the conviction that God is still faithful and can be trusted. It is easy to confuse faith and feelings, but feelings are more fickle than faith. Fine weather, a compliment, an encouraging bit of news -- all of these can make us feel good, but they are not what faith is made of. Faith is trust in Jesus Christ. It is a matter of conviction even when feelings about other things change.
Perhaps we are too much influenced by TV and movies and the way our entertainment culture plays with our emotions. Perhaps our retained childishness leads us to consider everything that "feels good" to be truly good. Perhaps our deceptive sinful nature tests our convictions on the basis of how we feel rather than on what God has done for us in Jesus Christ on the cross. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not "feel" good about His death while in Gethsemane, but He trusted His Father's good and gracious will and was faithful to His mission on earth. We can trust Him no matter how we feel.
PRAYER: Lord, help me see beyond feelings so I can trust You regardless of how I feel; in Jesus' name. Amen.
(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Job 14-16 Matthew 10:1-20
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