Feelings Turned Faith

Date: Monday June 04, 2012
Today's Chapters: Job 13-16
Message Title: Feelings Turned Faith

Hello My Friend,

Our faith in God goes up and down like a roller coaster, one minute we truly believe that all things are possible, the next, we think, it's just impossible. It's really not about God or us, it's about our emotions, they are what really goes up and down like a roller coaster and it's those emotions that make or break our faith. Emotions are defined as the feelings to which the mind is subjected, when an object of importance suddenly demands its attention. We really do know what we need to do, it's the emotions that cause us to make decisions based on feelings and not faith. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” - James 1:3,4,8,12-14.
Job was a righteous and upright man, God Himself confirmed that, however, he was now facing all kinds of persecution, it was as if he were being punished for crimes he did not commit. Job's faith in God was being put to the test and just like the rest of us it went up and down like a roller coaster based on his emotions too. The amazing thing was that the more his friends criticized him the more he felt that God had a reason for what He was doing and knew that He would be justified by Him eventually. “Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears. Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.” - Job 13:1-4,15-18.

God will allow the devil to test our faith in Him, remember, Satan can not take away our salvation, but he can do a good job at making us think he can. It is our strength through Jesus Christ that gives us the hope that all this will come to pass as we put our faith in Him, not our tests. “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.” - Psalm 18:30-32.

Job knew that he did not have to make excuses, He was justified by God and knew that at least He was on his side, regardless of what everyone else thought. This did not stop his friends from continuing to lash out at him, Eliphaz. He begins by rebuking Job, “Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.” - Job 15:1-5.

Job knew that it would be a waste of time to argue with these men, they were not about to change their opinion of him, in fact, the more he defended himself the worse they got. However, he knew he had a witness and that God would testify on his behalf. “I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.” - Job 16:2-4,19-22.

Don't you hate it when you tell someone your troubles seeking some kind of encouragement only to get a lecture about everything that you are doing wrong or they assume you are doing wrong? There are just some people out there who have a lousy way of comforting people, thank God that we have the Holy Spirit inside of us to give us comfort when no one else will. “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” - John 14:16-18.

When a person puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save them from death and hell, they are solely believing, by faith, that He alone is the only one who can get them to heaven. When God looks at a saved person he does not see the sins of the past or present, He sees righteousness through Christ. Why? We are not saved by our own righteousness, but by our faith alone in the finished work of Christ, who died on the cross, was buried, and resurrected three days later. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” - Romans 3:21-25.

Feelings cause us to do some crazy things, pride, anger, and bitterness, are all things that cause us to react on impulse rather than faith. God is a faith in the unseen God not faith by sight God, if we have faith that Jesus saves us even though we do not see Him than we can have faith that we can get through the tests we are facing. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1,3,6.
Today's Prayer: God, As much faith as I have in You taking me to heaven is how much faith I need in You getting me through the tests I am facing. As much as I try not to let my emotions get the best of me I admit that they do at times. Forgive me for the times I let my feelings make my decisions rather than coming to You. Help me to overcome all my tests by keeping my eyes on You, give me faith that not only moves mountains, but crushes them. Give me Your power, strength, and wisdom to get through all these tests, never forgetting that in the end I will be justified because I You truly know my heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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