There’s often a disparity between what I know and what I feel. They don’t always line up or even agree.

If I based my existence and daily decisions on my feelings, I’d be living a very different life indeed.

If you want to dig into the issues of emotions, experience and evidence as I wrote about a couple of years ago, feel free to click here. But I’d like to take us in a slightly different direction this time.

The most often asked question in scripture that is asked by humans to God is, “How long, O Lord?” This is a question that indicates discomfort, maybe even distance, and maybe even disenfranchisement. When we are in a situation that we’d rather not be in, the fuse of our patience typically shortens as we seem to bear up under the weight of whatever it is we’re facing. Even when we sense/feel God’s strength, we are not immune to wondering just how long this situation will last.

By contrast, the most often stated command given by God to humans is, “Do not fear.” It isn’t that God is dismissing our discomfort, but rather He is reminding and recalibrating our hearts to the truth that the present reality is not the permanent reality.

There’s always going to be more to the story. Always. As those catchy lyrics to that song go: “If I’m not dead, God’s not done.”

But feelings and facts can sometimes conflict with one another, can’t they? In fact, feelings can more often be a busted compass leading us in the wrong direction. Here’s the thing: While most people believe that God exists, not nearly enough people view him as personally interested and invested in who they are, where they are, or what they’re dealing with. So the only other option is to go it alone (or with other human friends) and use your human feelings as your guide. Can you see now why we’re a mess?

Imagine instead for a minute that the God who made the universe and stars in our galaxy is the same God who made you, your hands, your eyes, and your feet. Imagine that because He made you, He’s keenly interested in who you are, where you are, what you’re doing, and how you’re doing. Imagine that.

If God is not only real but personal, well, that changes everything. If God is personally interested in what your today holds, then you’ve got everything He is and every ounce of His powerful presence making the difference in your life. You can throw away that busted compass and instead rely on the higher, better, stronger, wiser, ever-present God who refuses to simply let you flounder and figure things out based on your feelings.

With this new reality, you move instantly from scraping by to walking on water. You move from having to muster up human strength to accessing God’s might that cannot be depleted. You get to leave behind fearful thoughts like “What if _____ happens?” and instead walk in the confidence that says, “Even if _____ happens…” and know that God is not merely near you but WITH you. And not merely with you, but FOR you.

I believe the “more” of what we all want is found in extracting ourselves out of natural living and planting our hearts in supernatural realities.

These are thoughts I simply wanted to set on a table and invite you to come and break bread with me and talk about. Leave a comment below for others to share, or feel free to text me. Either way, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

• What role does fear play in your life?
• What role do feelings play in your decision-making process(es)?
• What difference does God’s personal presence and interest in you make on a practical level?
• How do you imagine God to be? What do you think His thoughts of you are right now? Why?