Day 25

Faith in God is a choice, not a feeling. We choose to believe God’s Word is true even if it doesn’t feel true..
Our faith is not blind but informed and guided by God’s Word..
Our feelings are about as certain as the sand on the beach. The sand is always being moved, pushed forward and backward by both wind and water. It’s kicked and thrown by people running across it, children building with it, and dogs digging in it. It may appear to be a solid foundation for your sandcastle, but add just a little too much water and the entire building will collapse..
Our feelings are no different than that sand. They’re easily changed by people and circumstances. One moment you could be happily reading a book in your favorite chair, and a few minutes later be angered by the trail of mud your child just brought in. You may have felt down when you first woke up this morning, but after a refreshing run with your favorite music playlist, your day is looking a lot brighter. See how fickle our feelings are?..
Our feelings can also be influenced by others. A speaker could make you feel passionate about a new social justice need. A worship leader could make you feel like God’s presence is all around you. A pastor could make you feel guilty. A friend could make you feel happy again. A salesperson could make you feel anxious that you don’t have the latest product. Our feelings are so easily influenced and changed by words, actions, and tones..
We’re called to not live by our feelings but by faith..
Our faith is rock solid if we have placed it in God—the unchanging, perfect, eternal, sovereign One. And this faith is founded on the infallible, certain, life-changing, authoritative Word of God. Scripture tells us how to live and what to believe. This is what should govern and determine how we speak, think, and act—not our ever-changing, easily influenced feelings..
Sometimes these two can be mixed up; we try to live by both faith and feeling. We may say, I won’t forgive this person, even though the Bible tells me to forgive, because I don’t feel like I can. I don’t feel God’s presence, even though I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me..
God calls us to live instead by faith. This means we act not based on our feelings but on what God calls us to do. We don’t believe something because of how it makes us feel but what Scripture says about it..
In the end, it is God and His Word that should inform our feelings, not the other way around. When you are tempted to listen to your feelings or your feelings are overwhelming you, stop and look to God’s Word. Compare what you are feeling to what He says..
Do your feelings line up? Great—follow what God’s Word says. But if your feelings contradict God’s Word, you need to say “no” to them. Those are the feelings we put off and ignore. Though they may feel strong, they’re not trustworthy. God’s Word is your source and foundation. Live by it, not your feelings..
Walking by faith means living in a way that shows we confidently believe in God’s promises, and this pleases God..
It means we not only read passages of the Bible for comfort or reassurance, but we trust them enough to change our daily decisions at work, at school, and in our relationships based on what they say.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises].…..” (2 Corinthians 5:7)