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Deceptive Feelings
Job I long for the years gone by when God took care of me, when he lit up the way before me and I walked safely through the darkness. (Job 29:2-3)
Think of the last time one of your loved ones was going through a difficult time. Did your feelings toward that person change during that time? Most men focus their attention more intensely on loved ones in pain: they know the hurting ones need them more than ever even if they can’t feel their special love and concern. During his worst time of misery, Job began wondering if God still cared about him. He had suffered so much that he fell into a pit of depression and hopelessness. Job had experienced God’s presence in the past. He knew that God had taken care of him and kept him from harm. Now, after he had lost everything––including his children, his wealth, and his health––Job felt abandoned and longed for the good old days. Job’s feelings deceived him. In truth, God knew exactly how much Job had suffered, and he focused his attention on his faithful servant more than ever, even if Job couldn’t feel it. He was dead wrong. Job was so focused on his suffering and loss that he had lost sight of the unchangeable fact that God would never abandon him. Intense emotional or physical pain can make any man feel isolated or abandoned. Even then, you can look through eyes of faith and know that God is still caring for you, perhaps more than ever, even when you can’t feel it.
You can always count on God to be there for you, especially during times of difficulty. When your feelings tell you that he’s distant and uninterested, stop listening to those feelings. They speak truthfully of your pain, but they lie about God’s response to your pain. God has never abandoned anyone he loves, and that means that he will never abandon you, his faithful follower.
What is God saying to you right now? Jot down those thoughts and pray them back to Him.
This devotion was taken from: The One Year Men of the Bible; October 27; by James Stuart Bell
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