Feelings by Matthew Byars

Ps. 73:3, 17, 27-28

3For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

17until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.

27Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you. 28But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, to tell of all your works.

Feelings are good. Feelings are natural. God created us with emotions in order to experience life. Jesus expressed His feelings and we know we can follow His example. A problem occurs, though, when we allow our feelings to dictate our actions and our reality. As humans we can see what a situation looks like but as Christians we should be able to also see the greater reality. So the question is, how do we do that? In our text Asaph is writing about a person who is feeling envious of the prosperity of evil people. He was angry that he put in the effort to follow the law but he still had troubles while the wicked ignored the law and seemed prosperous. We can see things similarly at times. We can feel mistreated or like life is unfair or that every time we try to do good we get rewarded with trouble. We can feel unloved or even say that we can't feel God's presence. But we cannot stay there. See how the Psalmist changed his tune in verse 17. He went into the sanctuary of God and encountered the reality which overruled his feelings. His change in perspective allowed him to see how God really deals with the wicked. We as Christians need not go any place special to be in the Lord's presence. We can readjust our perspective by seeking the Lord through worship, prayer, and the Word. Our feelings are legitimate and feel like reality at the time. The Bible even says we can be angry without sinning. Our feelings change but the truths of our God never change. The truth is that we are loved no matter how we feel. He will never leave us no matter how alone we look. When life feels unfair God is more than fair; He is merciful. We need only get into His presence.