Trust God, Not Your Feelings

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12 NIV).

Have you ever heard the expression, “trust your gut.” This speaks to our natural desire to go with our feelings. If it feels right, it must be right. The problem is that often what feels right to us is not always right to God. The Bible teaches about a time when the world was in anarchy because of this attitude: “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Today, do we do what feels right or do we live a prayerful life and invite the Holy Spirit to be present and guide us in our decisions so they bring honor and glory to Him rather than pleasure to us?

If you reflect back on the poor decisions in your life, they are likely decisions that were made based on emotions and not prayer. Yes, God gave us our feelings but that does not mean that all of our emotions are good. For example, we have the ability to be jealous and envious, but Scripture speaks at length that these feelings are to be avoided.

Emotional-based decisions are particularly dangerous when it comes to major decisions such as marriage and children, divorce, and new relationships after a divorce. “After people get divorced, they rush into a new relationship because they hurt,” says Dr. Myles Munroe. “They believe the secret to relieving the hurt is a new relationship, which is the worst thing a person can do. If you get remarried and you’re still hurting, you are taking your hurt into another relationship, and that is going to become the foundation of the relationship, which is faulty.”

When you are making decisions regarding a new relationship, do not make decisions based on your feelings. Our feelings are temporal and not always rational, no matter how strong that may feel. It is important to take the time to grow and to build your life on a strong foundation. The Old Testament is full of stories of people that made emotional-based decisions that displeased God and prayerful decisions that honored God. Decisions that honor God will bring about His favor and blessing.

One of my favorite Bible verses comes from Joshua 24:15. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” If we are to truly serve Him, the we are to make decisions that honor Him by inviting Him to be present and walk with us. The alternative is not very inviting. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD’” (Jeremiah 17:5). Serve the LORD and be blessed.

Prayer: Dear God: Great is thy faithfulness. Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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Daniel Shows Us How To Handle A Crisis

Crisis Management From Daniel

“Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:17-18 NIV).

I have long enjoyed reading the book of Daniel. He was a young Jewish man that lived in Jerusalem and was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He loyally served the king while remaining true to God. The story of Daniel in the lion’s den from Daniel 6 is one of the better-known Sunday school stories. I also love the story of the fiery furnace as described in Daniel 3.

There is another great story from Daniel in chapter 2. King Nebuchadnezzar was angry because none of his astrologers were able to interpret his troubling dreams. He then ordered the execution of all his advisers which include Daniel and his friends. The king’s men eventually located Daniel and informed him of the king’s decree.

When Daniel heard the news, he asked Arioch, commander of the king’s bodyguard, “why the king had issued such a harsh order. So Arioch told Daniel what had happened. Daniel went at once and obtained royal permission for more time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant. Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He told them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy and to ask him to explain the mystery to them so that they would not be killed along with the other advisers in Babylon. Then that same night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he praised the God of heaven …” (Daniel 2:15-23).

Daniel was modelling for us today the correct response to what seems like an impossible situation. First, Daniel did not panic. He learned all the facts and sought to understand the reason for the king’s request. When someone asks us to do the impossible, we need to gain a better understanding of the situation so we can appropriately respond.

The king was scared and worried. He was panicking, irrational, and made an illogical demand. The second thing Daniel did was to ask Arioch information so he could better understand the situation. Proverbs 23:23 teaches us to, “Get the facts at any price.”

Daniel realized that this situation was too big for him to handle by himself. The third thing he did was to activate his prayer warriors. Daniel “urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery (Daniel 2:18).” Daniel was showing us the importance of having an existing prayer team. It is not an issue of if a crisis will come to any of us but when will it come and how will we respond.

Daniel turned his focus away from the problem and toward God. He asked God for supernatural help. By focusing on God, Daniel was worshiping God. God did what only He can do. “That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven” (Daniel 2:19).

Finally, but of great importance, Daniel used this situation to point others toward God and not himself. After the king had asked Daniel if he could interpret the dream, Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:27-28). Daniel wisely gave credit to God and turned the crisis into successful evangelism. The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery (Daniel 2:47).” Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for giving us Scripture and for using Daniel to show us how to worship you in a crisis. When we are faced with adversity may we worship you with praise and prayers of thanksgiving for your love and grace and lift petitions in confidence for Your help that will come in the perfect form and perfect time.

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When You Walk Through The Fire, You Will Not Be Burned

When You Walk Through The Fire, You Will Not Be Burned

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2 NIV).

Please closely read the Scripture at the top of this blog. Hopefully, everything is going great for you in your life right now. However, if you are not in a period of adversity now, you will be sometime in the future. More about that later.

As I think about Isaiah 43:2, my mind thinks of situations in which God has delivered His people from water and fire. I can remember as a child in Sunday School listening to the story of the parting the Red Sea as Moses lead his people out of Egypt. Exodus 15:4 states: “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea.”

The reference to fire in Isaiah 43:2 may be particularly relevant to many people today. We don’t often have a 100-year rain event, but it sure does seem that we often have some sort of “fire.” There is an old expression, “The heat is on” when the pressure gets high.

Daniel 3 describes the story of three friends of Daniel that were literally subjected to heat and fire. Daniel’s friends would not bow in worship to a statue of King Nebuchadnezzar. So, the king had them tossed into a fire and had the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.

The LORD was with Daniel’s friends, and they were not harmed. They actually lived out the last sentence of Isaiah 43:2. “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2).

How did this happen? The furnace was seven times hotter than usual. The men should have been instantly consumed by fire. The answer is in Daniel 3:24-25: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Jesus was with them in their actual fire. He was the fourth man. Jesus is also with us in our “fires” when the “heat is on.” How do we know that Jesus also be with us in our “fires”? We can take comfort that He will be with us because He tells us, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Now go back to the top and read Isaiah 43:2 again. Notice that it does not say if you pass through the waters or if you walk through the fire. It states when you walk through them. Scripture is promising that it will happen, but when it does God is also promising that He will be there with us and we will survive.

One more promise – the fire, water, or other problem will ultimately result in good. God promises that in Romans 8:28. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for never leaving or forsaking us. Please draw us close to You in both good times and bad. Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist under the direction of the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is currently in training to become a Lay Minister under the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He enjoys writing inspirational Christian blogs at ToddShupe.com and Todd-Shupe.com .

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Book Review: Forgiveness, the Passionate Journey Nine Steps of Forgiving through Jesus’ Beatitudes

Book Review: Forgiveness, the Passionate Journey Nine Steps of Forgiving through Jesus’ Beatitudes by Flora Slosson Wuellner

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11 NIV).

I think most Christians understand that that through the blood of Jesus we have forgiveness for our sins and life everlasting with the Father. However, many of us still struggle with the concept of forgiveness. This book uses the Beatitudes, eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, to point the reader toward Jesus as they travel the path of forgiveness.

This book is helpful for those seeking spiritual growth and insight for healthy, empowered forgiveness of others and forgiveness of ourselves. Each chapter focuses on a Beatitude and concludes with a healing meditation. The meditations help the reader to process their emotions by acknowledging that “hurt, hostility, and healing that is hot and Holy ground.”

I underlined a section in the Introduction that speaks to the Biblical definition of “blessed.” “To be blessed means two things in Scripture: It means to be happy, to be fulfilled. It also means to be empowered by God’s love to undertake a task. The living Jesus Christ not only empowers us for healthy forgiveness but walks the path with us, enfolding us with God’s compassion, praying through the pain “that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11)

The book explains that the central focus of the Beatitudes is “what is happening in our heart’s core.” In His sermon, Jesus is addressing release from that which imprisons and corrupts our heart. This is important because our words and actions are a manifestation of our heart. Forgiveness is a release from the prison and burden of the past. Forgiveness is not a release from responsibility. As we study and pray and grow closer to Christ we are able to do the things that we cannot do on our own. Through Him we can forgive others and ourselves.

Those that hurt us are often wounded people themselves. We will encounter some people in life that knowingly choose to do evil things to other people. The author states that they are “caught in a prison of self-destruction that almost defies description.” I had not realized that often when people deliberately hurt us they are acting out of a deep inner hurt in themselves. Instead of giving emotional control to our attacker by feeling angry, we are asked to consider feeling pity and wonder what has happened to this person that has caused them to act in such an evil manner? This is not done to minimize the hurt, but to facilitate our healing.

The discussion on self-forgiveness will also be helpful for many. As we learn to listen to our inner selves we also learn to be released from rigid self judgement. The door is opened for healing and transformation that can only be accomplished by God.

The author does not advocate using this book in lieu of professional therapy. The author clearly states in the Introduction that she believes in “prayer plus therapy, especially if the wound, abuse, anger, or fear is deep and longstanding.” The book is available from the Upper Room Bookstore.

Prayer: Thank you for the Sermon on the Mount. Help us to find forgiveness and peace in the Beatitudes of Jesus. Amen.

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Book Review: God Knows Your Story (and He’s Not Mad!)

Book Review: God Knows Your Story (And He’s Not Mad!) by Carter Featherston

“For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6 TPT).

If you have never done anything wrong and do not have any regrets or shame, then this book is not for you. However, I strongly suspect that all of us have regrets and feel some sense of shame for poor choices. This is a Biblically based book that points the reader to the only true source of victory of sin and shame, Jesus.

This book is valuable because it addresses a topic that all struggle with but is seldom discussed. I have known Carter for several years through his talks at various Iron Sharpens Iron conferences, which are always well attended and well received. Carter is the perfect messenger because of his deep knowledge of Scripture from his years in seminary and as a pastor. The book is also beneficial because it is authentic. At the end of Chapter one, Carter writes, “My qualifications to write this book are twofold: I have outrageously failed in life as my story finally defeated me; but I cried out to God, Who answered me and showed me great and hidden things I did not know (Jeremiah 33:3). This book is about what I learned on that journey.”

The first six chapters are categorized as Dialogue: God’s Plan For Transformation. The first chapter is entitled, Our Stories Begin With Hiding. Just as Adam and Eve covered their shame with fig leaves we and often cover ourselves with a “false self “to cover our shame. The book proceeds with authentic examples from Carter’s life and Scripture to help the reader find freedom.

Carter unpacks Ephesians Chapter 1 to explain six comforting and encourage elements about our relationship with God. We (1) were chosen, (2) are holy and blameless, (3) have been adopted, (4) have redemption, (5) were granted forgiveness, and (6) were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

The final seven chapters are categorized as Strategies: Changing at the Level of Identity. Carter takes the reader on a deep dive to change how we perceive ourselves by understanding who we are and Whose we are. Carter shepherds the reader along the path of God’s grace, God’s Word, and prayer to facilitate a change at the level of identity.

I underlined several sentences and paragraphs in the book. One that particularly resonated with me was, “Every passage in the New Testament about our identity is taught to us personally and privately by the Holy Spirit. If He does not teach us, it will remain as mere words on the page. Now that will preach!

Carter (and all of us) are not defined by our past mistakes. Carter beautifully reveals how He has obtained true and lasting forgiveness for his sins from Jesus and we can too. By yoking up to Jesus, Carter’s past failings are now being used as a powerful, authentic witness to help others. As I read the book my mind would often drift to Luke 4:18 where Jesus reads from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah and announces, “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” I now realize how some people have imprisoned themselves due to shame, have vision but are blind to the promises of love from the Father in Scripture, and are oppressed by a self-created monster of shame due to an inability for self-forgiveness. The book is available at Amazon and will be a blessing to yourself or as a gift to a friend.

Prayer: Dear God, We all have sinned and fall short of Your glory. Open our ears to hear Your voice. Open our eyes to see ourselves as You see us. Help us to claim our new identity in Christ. Amen.

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Month: May 2020

Trust God, Not Your Feelings

Trust God, Not Your Feelings

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Daniel Shows Us How To Handle A Crisis

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Book Review: God Knows Your Story (and He’s Not Mad!)

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