PAST FEELING FURTHER [March 31, 2022]
In our prior word of encouragement, “Past Feeling,” I cited Ephesians 4:17-19 emphasizing the effects of walking with a darkened mind – one that’s not illuminated by the Light of God’s Word. For some time now the Lord has been dealing with me to revisit this subject and get some things straightened-out in my life.
Those of who have walked with the Lord for any amount of time are aware of seasons we all go through in life. Just like when a baby is born and the journey begins toward maturity – walking, talking, no longer needing diapers, starting school, and so forth. Each segment of time where change (or, growth) is occurring can be called a ‘season.’ Spiritually speaking there are seasons, also. The study of the Word of God begins with “the milk of the Word.” “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1Pe 2:2). Hebrews 5:13 also tells us “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.” Notice this verse says that those who only partake of the milk of the Word are unskilled in the word of righteousness. The next verse explains “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb 5:14).
There is no condemnation for anyone who is yet immature in the things of God! We all have to go through the growing process. That process may include challenges of life. For instance, if something doesn’t go your way, you might throw a fit and pout about it. That’s normal for a baby to do. But, if you’ve walked with the Lord for awhile, you should have better control over reacting in that way. In this instance ‘walking with the Lord’ simply means you’ve been a student of the Word, you’ve been in fellowship with Him and have received revelation from Him of His Word (which is filled with instruction on how we are to conduct our lives as His disciples!). Having a thriving ‘walk’ with the Lord is what Jesus was talking about in John 15 where He talked about “abiding in the vine.” This “abiding” will have the Life-flow of God going through them, which will cause “much fruit” in their lives. For this teaching, that “fruit” is listed in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
[On a side note: there can be people who have ‘walked with the Lord’ (been Born Again) for a very long time and still be a baby where the things of God are concerned. They’ve not grown up spiritually, allowing the Word of God to affect their behavior, or character.]
I said all that to say there are seasons of ‘shouting and leaping for joy’ (some call that ‘mountain-top’ experiences), seasons of simply ‘doing-life’ day in and day out – no ‘goose-bumps’ no running the aisles at church, etc. And, if the devil has his way, seasons of weeping and ‘feeling bad’ – or just ‘blah.’ I still have opportunities to experience each of those seasons. The Lord, however, has been training me to be ‘consistent’ with my ‘moods.’ In other words: live my life with great expectation that whatever God has spoken to me (either through His Word, or personal revelation [direction that isn’t specifically spelled-out in His Word, but always agrees with it]). Not ‘up’ one day and ‘down’ the next.
He had me speak this word to our congregation a short while ago: “Don’t judge whether God is at work in your life by outward circumstances. Just because you don’t see a change taking place doesn’t mean He’s not at work.” In my personal life He has been (gently) rebuking me because I have a tendency to drag around and mope because “it doesn’t look like He’s at work – nothing will ever change.” This is where the title “Past Feeling Further” comes in. Just because we don’t emotionally ‘feel’ like anything is happening for the good in our lives doesn’t mean it isn’t! We can’t always see what God is doing – or, what the angels are bringing to us.
This is very important – we must get this! God has placed in our authority all things that pertain to life. That means we are primarily the ones who bring about good, or evil in our lives by the choices we make. Now, don’t get in a ditch, the choices of others around us can affect our lives, too (just ask Joshua and Caleb who had to wander in the wilderness with the others who refused to obey God). Our enemy, the devil, is well aware of this! He’s a master at deception and creating circumstances that make us ‘feel’ like things aren’t “working together for our good.” Both God and Satan know it takes the operation (exercise) of our faith to bring about the Promises of God (or the curse [lack, fear, hopelessness, etc.]). Faith is not just what we believe; it’s what we ‘see’ ourselves with (as). Satan knows if he can keep us believing ‘nothing good will ever happen in my life’ – to the point of ‘seeing’ ourselves that way – he can keep us in defeat, One of the primary ways he does this is keeping us in the realm of ‘feeling.’ “Blue Monday.” “Terrible Tuesday.” Things like that – down in the dumps, always negative.
[I’m going to humble myself here and confess a major hindrance I grew up with:] I had a pretty terrible childhood in elementary school. I was the brunt of bullying (kicked, spat upon, and called names and so forth). I even had my third-grade teacher call me a “stupid idiot” in front of the entire class! I closed-up so badly that I wouldn’t let anybody ‘in’ my life. This developed in me the outlook of rejection: I viewed just about all interaction from others as them rejecting me in some way or another. This made me ‘feel’ rejected all of the time, which greatly hindered a lot of things God wanted to do in my life. I had to get “past” this “feeling.”
I’m still a ‘work-in-progress’, but God is faithful. He continues to mold me into His Image (which, by-the-way is the end-goal for each of us!). There is a wonderful poem, called Footprints in the Sand. It talks about seeing two sets of footprints in the sands of the individual’s life – except during this one season when things were really tough. The person questioned the Lord about this, accusing Him of leaving them during their great trial. Jesus’ response was: ‘I didn’t leave you then – I carried you!’ That person ‘felt’ God had left them alone in the middle of their trial, when actually He carried them through it!
Let me encourage you; if you’re ‘feeling’ alone, if you ‘feel’ like nobody cares, or sees what you are going through – God sees you, and He has promised to “never leave you, nor forsake you.” Don’t be beat-up if this word had pointed out an area of ‘faithlessness’ in your life – hey, you’re still here!! Tell the devil to get off your back and praise the One Who lifts you out of the muck and mire of this world! Pick yourself up; get ‘Past Feeling Further’ than ever. The devil only has ‘smoke-screens’ and ‘lies’ – which are coming to naught (nothingness!). Jesus is going to return – and, He’s coming back for a Glorious Church (a Body filled with His glory!)!
