Not ruled by emotions

God made us to feel but He gave us minds to think as well; though our feelings allow us to be compassionate they can also cause us to be self-centered. Knowing God by reading His Word and through prayer we not only talk to Him but learn to listen so that His Holy Spirit might lead us differently than what our emotions would dictate. For all who are of Christ Jesus become like Him. We the Body of Christ use our feelings and our emotions to sense what is happening but no longer allow them to direct us. Instead when we feel jealous we turn to Jesus knowing that is not like Him and when we feel compassion we are compelled to action, not because we feel compassionate but because it confirmed how the Holy Spirit was already leading us. Our feelings are important and when used properly can cause us to have a greater awareness of the purpose of Christ in our lives.

Often we see Jesus stop on His journey to heal someone because He felt compassion for them. What He did for them depended upon their faith, as we see Him many times ask what He could do for them.

Luke 8:43-48 MKJV  And a woman who had a flow of blood twelve years (who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any)  (44)  came behind Him and touched the border of His garment. And instantly her flow of blood was staunched.  (45)  And Jesus said, Who touched Me? And all having denied, Peter and those with Him said, Master, the crowd presses and jostles You, and You say, Who touched Me?  (46)  And Jesus said, Someone has touched Me, for I know that power has gone out of Me.  (47)  And seeing that she was not hidden, the woman came trembling. And falling down before Him, she declared to Him before all the people why she had touched Him, and how she was instantly healed.  (48)  And He said to her, Daughter, be comforted. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

Now Jesus is God’s Son and so He is aware of all that is done, said, or even thought but He is also man and being such He is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. This is good Jesus being moved by the Holy Spirit senses our needs through His own feelings for us.

Hebrews 4:15-16 MKJV  For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin.  (16)  Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

And so we are not to put away our feelings or hide them because they can mislead us but rather understand why Father God gave them to us in the first place. Like a cool summer wind blowing and causing the hair on our arm to tingle so too can our emotions make us aware of things unseen. If we know and depend on Father God to lead us first through His Word but also by His Holy Spirit then like Jesus we are to move beyond our emotions to go where He leads us or do what He tells us. Yes, this is where depending strictly on feelings causes us to fall short but through faith and obedience we go beyond being made aware to being vessels used by the Master to bring water to the thirsty and sight to the blind. For Christ Jesus displayed this when He went to the cross; He felt deeply yet He was obedient, for Isaiah calls Him the man of sorrows.

Isaiah 53:3-12 NLT  He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.  (4)  Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins!  (5)  But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.  (6)  All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the sins of us all.  (7)  He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth.  (8)  Unjustly condemned, He was led away. No one cared that He died without descendants, that His life was cut short in midstream. But He was struck down for the rebellion of My people.  (9)  He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But He was buried like a criminal; He was put in a rich man's grave.  (10)  But it was the LORD's good plan to crush Him and cause Him grief. Yet when His life is made an offering for sin, He will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's good plan will prosper in His hands.  (11)  When He sees all that is accomplished by His anguish, He will be satisfied. And because of His experience, My righteous Servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for He will bear all their sins.  (12)  I will give Him the honors of a victorious soldier, because He exposed Himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

The fingerprints of God

Jeremiah 1:5-7 MKJV  Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I consecrated you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.  (6)  Then I said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! Behold, I do not know to speak; for I am a boy.  (7)  But Jehovah said to me, Do not say, I am a boy; for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

This is where faith leads you; for your questions go from is God real to does God really love me to can God use me in spite of all my faults and each step in this growing of your faith the fingerprints of God can be seen, if you know where to look.

1 Samuel 3:5-10 MKJV  And he ran to Eli, and said, Here am I. For you called me. And he said, I did not call. Go and lie down again. And he went to lie down.  (6)  And Jehovah called again, Samuel! And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I, for you called me. And he answered, I did not call, my son. Go back, lie down.  (7)  And Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, and the Word of Jehovah had not yet been revealed to him.  (8)  And Jehovah called Samuel again, the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I, for you called me. And Eli saw that Jehovah had called the child.  (9)  And Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down; and it shall be, if One calls you, you shall say, Speak, Jehovah, for Your servant hears. And Samuel went to lie down in his place.  (10)  And Jehovah came and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel! Then Samuel answered, Speak, for Your servant hears.

So often I believe Jehovah comes near and calls to us but like Samuel we don’t realize who is calling so we cling to people or things only to find out they do not fill that God-shaped hole in our hearts but as we draw closer to God through studying His Word, through constant prayer, and through humbling ourselves before His feet in worship His Holy Spirit acts like Eli in that He shows us that it is not these things or individuals calling us but God Himself and our response to Him is to be, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.”

Something significant happens once you cross this threshold in your life… you begin to see God in everything. Every day conversations are no longer about you as much as it is about what God is doing through you to speak to others. At the end of the day you ask God why something went the way it did and He reveals to you things that remind you He is God, He is in control, and like Jeremiah you see God has sent you places and God used you as His vessel to pour out His message of love to someone. It’s these times in your life that your faith grows exponentially and you, at least for a while or as long as your faith allows it, stay in a state of amazement and awe of what God is capable of, even through a broken vessel such as yourself.  

You see you can never return to where you came from because God has ruined you for any lesser love. A place where I can see God’s fingerprints in my life is in things that He has kept from me throughout my life or in things I once enjoyed but are no longer able to. Now listen carefully, these things were not bad in and of themselves but I would have tried to fill that God-shaped hole in my heart had God allowed these things or people to be present. Several years ago I noticed something very strange, things I said I loved were beginning to be taken from me such as certain types of food. These foods, in moderation was not bad for me but God showed me that some part of me I would have given away, some part of me that belonged to Him and so I have learned to be very selective about saying I “love” certain things , as a matter of fact I simply won’t do it or if I do checks the Holy Spirit has placed in my heart go off like warning signals.

This has happened with people in my life as well. Don’t misunderstand God hasn’t told me not to love anyone but there was once a girl whom I was sure I would be with for the rest of my life and even though we only went out on one date I was sure who she was fit perfectly with who I was but God said, “No.” For a long time I thought a mistake had been made but I see now God has set me apart for His purpose. Now I love my wife with everything I have and would lay my life down for her but the relationship I share with her doesn’t draw me away from God but closer to Him. I am not saying this other girl would have drawn me away from God had we been married for she is a beautiful child of God; no what I am saying is that I would have idolized her and placed her on a pedestal in my heart and therefore God did what was best for me and for her. The same is true with wealth, I’ve often wondered why God’s people, the ones He is closest to seem to many times just have enough but it is for the same reason… God doesn’t want anything coming between Him and His children and until we learn what has true value and what is worthy of giving our hearts to things we reach for God will gladly take away. Like a child reaching for the hot stove and the parent stops them before they get hurt. Sometimes the child is stubborn, trying many times but eventually the child begins to understand the father said no because he cares for and loves the child more than the child could possibly know and so it is with God and His children.

Where can you see the fingerprints of God in your life? If you are honest with yourself start with what you could have easily allowed to take the place of God but instead was mysteriously taken from you, either abruptly or your interests slowly faded away and see if God didn’t have something to do with it, look to see if God’s fingerprints aren’t there. Always remember God’s ways are higher than our ways and we not being able to see the whole picture must trust God with our very lives. We can choose to stumble around in the darkness thinking we know what’s best for our own lives but I choose to trust God knowing my life is not mine at all but instead His and He knows the plans He has for me when I am young and when I am old therefore I will serve the Lord all the days of my life.

Belief without sight

John 20:29 MKJV  Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed.

With all that is within I long to see Jesus with my own eyes but to long for only that would mean I miss out on this close personal walk I have with Him now, time which He has set apart just for me. Those Jesus came to visit in their own towns, which He touched and healed, how many of them would look at us and say I long for Jesus to live in my heart? To be with Him day and night, in good and bad times, never alone knowing He is with me always? Instead a few were able to touch Him or talk with Him briefly, many only got a glimpse through the crowds that always seem to surround Him. Many could only say Jesus came through my town once but we can say, “I walk with Him and tell Him my most intimate secretes and He is faithful to lead me so that my faith in Him might grow.” Once again it brings Free Will, which was given to us by God's sacrifice, front and center. What greater way can we tell Jesus we love Him than to give ourselves a living sacrifice in faith, ahead of seeing Him with our own eyes knowing His best for us is now but not yet!

Why are the ones who believe and have yet to see called blessed? How great is the joy of the wife or husband whose spouse returns from a long trip, better yet the spouse or parent that returns from the military whom they have not seen in a long time or maybe for the first time? We’ve all seen videos of soldiers returning home surprising the loved one who is hopeful but did not know their return was so near. For those who believe Jesus is who the Bible says He is there is a hunger inside to know Him better, to see Him face to face, and to touch His hand and worship at His feet. We long for that day when knowing Him and listening to His words no longer require faith but instead the faith we had in this journey is made complete. On that day we will be blessed not only because our faith turned to sight and our hope to touch but we will be blessed because of the relationship we already have from walking with Him through the hills, meadows, valleys, and mountain tops. We will remember the deserts and how He sustained us and the storms when all we could do was to hold on. You see all the things we experience in this life while walking with Jesus by faith make seeing Him face to face all the more glorious and filled with anticipation!

Hebrews 11:6 MKJV  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Matthew 5:6 MKJV  Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled.