FAITH, NOT FEELINGS, MOVES GOD

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:21

When you are a beginner Christian, God gives you a lot of affirming emotions. But as you grow in faith, God will grow you out of these dependencies. God wants you to sense his presence, but God is now concerned that you learn the art and skill of TRUST. Faith, not feelings, draws you deeper into God. The Hebrew author writes: Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). The situations that will test and grow your faith most will be those times when life falls apart and God seems absent. This happened to Job. On a single day he lost everything—his family, his business, his health and everything he owned. Even more discouraging—for a long time, God was silent! How do you trust God when you hear nothing—feel nothing? How do you stay connected in a crisis without communication? How do you praise God when you don’t understand what’s happening in your life? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they’re full of tears? You can do what Job did: He fell to the ground in worship and said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Tell God exactly how you feel. Pour out your heart to God. Unload every emotion that you’re feeling. Job did this when he said, “I can’t be quiet! I am angry and bitter. I have to speak” (Job 7:11 TEV). Never be afraid to tell God what’s on your mind. He can handle your doubt, anger, fear, grief, confusion and questions. God will never stop loving you.