Photo by Shashank Sahay on Unsplash
A snub and a rejection on the same day sent me sprawling. I sat down with my journal and dumped my hurt feelings. Usually, the lies I’m believing quickly surface when I do this exercise. God provides relief when I ask for His perspective. But this time, my feelings didn’t budge. The evidence supporting my injured emotions felt more reliable than the truth I knew.
That night as I slept God reminded me of a story concerning Elisha and his servant. The king of Aram was angry with Elisha and wanted to capture him.
“So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city.
When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. ‘Oh, sir, what will we do now?’ the young man cried to Elisha.
‘Don’t be afraid!’ Elisha told him. ‘For there are more on our side than on theirs!’ Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!’
The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire” (2 Kings 6:14-17 NLT).
This scene from Elisha’s life reminded me of Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (NASB).
Biblical faith rests in God and His promises. It doesn’t need physical evidence to rest. It looks at the character and reliability of the One who spoke worlds into being.
When we live by sight, like Elisha’s servant, our emotions fluctuate like Oklahoma weather. If we live by faith, like Elisha, even when the world is turbulent, we can experience the peace of God. Faith knows the reality of the invisible, spiritual world.
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I jotted down truths my faith knows.
God—
- Loves me ( Jer. 31:3; Jn. 3:16)
- Values me (Matt. 6:26)
- Leads me (Ps. 23:3)
- Provides for my needs (Ps. 23:1)
- Didn’t mess up when He made me (Ps. 139:13-14)
- Has given me everything I need to live a satisfying life and to glorify Him (2 Pet. 1:3)
- Is bigger than any mistake I make (Rom. 8:28).
Biblical truth cut through my emotional fog and untied the knots that bound me.
Are you in a battle? Does it feel like your emotions are winning instead of your faith? Take them to the Lord and ask Him to open your eyes. Some feelings may be stubborn, but don’t dismay. They will eventually go away when we take our thoughts captive and meditate on God’s truth.
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Our feelings can be so deceptive. What a good exercise to deliberately list God’s truths to straighten out our thinking.
They certainly can, Barbara. Telling myself the truth helps so much.
So grateful for truth we can cling to by faith and that our feelings don’t have to have the final say! Thanks for this reminder and helpful list, Debbie!
Me too, Bethany. Thank you!
Good truths here, Debbie-this often happens to me, allowing my emotions to run right over the truth of God’s Word!
Sometimes they feel more powerful than other times. But they are always ready to hijack the truth if we let them. Thanks, Donna.
Like you, Debbie, I need regular infusions of truth to counteract the screaming banshees in my brain. Thanks so much for sharing your good list!
Thank you, Michele. Love the pics on instagram of your garden produce!
Debbie, I can so relate to this. We have to take thoughts captive and the best way to do that is to replace them with truth.
I have a friend who is healing from abuse. She goes over her “declarations” (a list of truths from the bible) evry day. I’m thinking ALL believers need to do that.
I think you’re right, Jerralea. A good way to put on the belt of truth.
Thanks for sharing the scripture references to go to whenever our emotions seem to hijack the truth!
I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thank you, Lynn.
I love “the confidence of things unseen!” That’s what faith’s all about…
Yes! Thanks, Jan.
Holding on to those truths can definitely help when our emotions feel out of control.
Yes, Lesley. Thanks for reading.
I needed to read this today.
Praise God for His faithfulness! Thanks Lauren,
Debbie, I celebrate this truth: “If we live by faith, even when the world is turbulent, we can experience God’s peace.” And the best part is His peace is real peace the world can’t take away from us!
Yes! Real peace. Thank you, Karen.