When our beloved child, spouse, parent or best friend dies, our devastation and vulnerability often makes us feel that God has indeed ‘abandoned and forsaken us.’ His Promises seemingly conflict with our consuming emotions of disappointment or betrayal by God. Facts, as captured in the authority of God’s Word, are questioned, even challenged by our perception and feelings of “Why God, when I need you the most, You are nowhere around?” Logic willingly dictate this conclusion.
However, just because we feel alone, perceive that His Presence is g-o-n-e, does not mean this is true, that it’s indeed a fact. Rather, it is at this spiritual crossroad of doubt vs. faith that we Christians must focus on staying steadfast in contrast to shaken by our feelings. The root word of steadfast is steady, as in firm, fixed or stable, all of which is the opposite of what we’re feeling!
Dr. James Dobson’s book, When God Doesn’t Make Sense, captures this spiritual challenge in the telling of the story about two disciples of Jesus walking towards the village of Emmaus [pg.48; Luke 24: 13-14]. As they walk, conversing about the crucifixion and death three days earlier, all of their hopes and faith – including Christ’s claim to be the Son of God, the Messiah – seem as dead to His Believers as the earlier entombed body!
Confused and devastated, I imagine their heads hanging downward as they similarly drag along their dejected spirit. Yet, unbeknownst to these disciples, Jesus was walking beside them along that road, listening to their doubts and fears, knowing soon that they would hear wondrous news that would remove their doubts and renew their faith in His Promises!
But as Dobson points out, “at that time, however, all they saw were facts that could not be harmonized” with Christ’s words and world view. These disciples, just like us, had “a problem with perception” [pg. 48], confusing feelings as facts. Just like us, these disciples’ feelings became their truth. Just like us, we join together with these disciples and Jesus. in our humanness as He cried out from the cross ‘Why have you forsaken me?’ [Math 27:46]. [Also See, #2 Spiritual Blog: In the Face of Suffering & Loss, Can Faith be Sustained?.
Christians dealing with devastating loss, Dobson says, “…trudge along in deep thought,” with “…no evidence that Jesus is in their part of the universe. Because they don’t feel His presence, they cannot believe He cares. Since the facts don’t add-up, they are convinced no reasonable explanation exists. …prayers bring no immediate relief…so [Christians] presume they are not heard” [pg. 48-49]. In my own words, our feelings become the basis for our faith instead of the facts contained in the scriptures. Again, we are human first-&-foremost!
But Dobson reminds us all, that …”If you find yourself walking along that dusty road to Emmaus…never assume God’s silence or apparent inactivity is evidence of His disinterest” [italics added]. And again, “…His Word is infinitely more reliable” ]pg.49] than our emotions!
He promised that “He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” [Prov. 18:24]. And in Psalm 139:7-8, David said of God, “Where can I go from your Spirit, where can I flee your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there, if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” [Bold added].
Dobson concludes that “These promises and proclamations remain true even if we have no spiritual feelings whatsoever.” And the next is my favorite: “Cling to that truth with the tenacity of a bulldog!” [pg 50].
My final words? Feeling are not facts!