Psalms of Lamentਨਮੂਨਾ

Are your heart and your mind at war inside of you? We can feel strongly about a situation, but our mind reminds us of the facts. Leading with emotion or with thought is a battle we all face. We see David conflicted by his heart and his mind in Psalm 42.

Feelings and faith can coexist. We often believe that we can’t have faith if we have feelings. And that is untrue. God created us to have both! But, to have both, we must be rooted in truth.

How can we be rooted in truth? It’s pretty simple. The Bible is the ultimate truth. And so, to stay rooted in reality, we must ensure that what we believe or feel aligns with the Word of God. And if it doesn’t, you will know that it’s not true. God’s Word will equip us to face our feelings, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

When we pray, sometimes we avoid sharing our struggles with God. We are afraid that acknowledging it means we don’t have faith. But God isn’t scared of our feelings and questions. He wants us to pour them out to Him. Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” God’s power, authority, and goodness aren’t dependent on what we feel or how we deal with those feelings. He created us and already knows our thoughts and our hearts. He desires to hear from us and tenderly hold us in our affliction.

Avoiding sharing our hearts with him doesn’t help anyone. Instead, it only deprives us of complete dependence on him.

1. What is keeping you from complete dependence on God?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are all things good, perfect, and holy. Help me give you my all; I will depend fully on you.

ESV, English Standard Version.