Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
People of God, one of the challenges many people face today is the elevation of feelings and emotions above truth. Many question whether God loves them, whether He will really answer their prayers or fall into the mindset that the ‘world is against them’. This is because they are seeking an emotional experience or encounter with God instead of acting on what God’s Word says. You must distinguish between what you feel and what is real. The truth of God’s Word is that we are not saved because we feel saved; we are not loved by God because we feel loved; we are not forgiven of our sins because we feel forgiven. No – we are saved, loved and forgiven because we believe what God’s Word says and act on it by faith.
In the same vein, the evidence that we have forgiven someone who wronged us is not that we feel like we have forgiven. By an act of faith, we forgive someone and the feelings may follow. You need to choose to not relive the past in the present in your relationships and this is a choice – backed up by truth. You don’t forgive because you feel like it – you forgive because your faith demands it. When you understand spiritually the importance of forgiveness, your feelings will not play a key role in that decision.
Many times, our feelings and our emotions deceive us because they are influenced by changing factors around us. You may feel great today, tired tomorrow or lonely next week but God’s Word will say the same thing yesterday, today and forever. This is why you need to base your faith on something with more stability than your feelings – the eternal Word of God! Today, make a decision not to be emotion-driven but to base your faith on the solid rock of God’s Word, not the shifting sand of emotions and feelings.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to understand that faith acts on Your Word – it is not dependent on how I feel or what I see. Give me the grace to act faith today, in Jesus’ name, amen.