Encouragement for Today

June 23, 2023 Feelings May Fade, but His Word Remains SARAH FREYMUTH Lee en español

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

I plod to my chair in the corner, pull my coffee close, and breathe for a minute before opening my Bible. I glance out the window, taking in the curve of tree branches and the sea of blue sky above. I wish, yet again, that the inside of me would look the same: restored, light, vibrant.

I’m a feeler through and through, an empath who puts on the emotions and experiences of others and feels them deeply. But since being struck with lingering physical and mental health challenges from a traumatic season of life, I’ve found my emotions are very low, and I’m unable to commune with God and others in the ways I love.

It’s been over a year, and I’m still shuffling through the beauty of this world with a muted palette. Brain fog, exhaustion and perhaps medication have stifled what I’ve always seen as my “superpower” of feeling, which has led most of my life and faith.

It’s been frustrating, confusing and full of grief. While there has definitely been improvement, I’m still not operating in mind, body and spirit as I would like.

What do we do when we feel empty, lost and disillusioned?

When our feelings have fled and we can’t sense the closeness of God, how do we still stay grounded and secure in our belief that our loving Father hasn’t left us?

When the ways we’ve always relied on are no longer around to guide us, how do we handle the inside-out season of uncertainty?

We choose to stake our faith on the promises of God.

As the fog shrouds our spiritual view and our hearts are left unfeeling and unable to sort through the emotions, we reach out for something strong to hold on to. And we learn a new way of walking with the Lord.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

This is the time to lean on the strength of Scripture, looking to the words written long ago that stand the test of time and have guided thousands upon thousands of fellow sojourners through life with our Lord — despite every internal and external suffering and uncertainty.

Even when we don’t feel our faith, we fight for our faith. We taste His Word on our tongues and receive what revives. We get up each day as best we can and take hold of even just one piece of Scripture, returning to it again and again throughout the day. Sometimes this is all we are able to do, and it is good. God is there, in the fight for the day, in the tears that stay in our hearts rather than our eyes, in the numbness, in the muted emotion.

Faith is not just a feeling, and feeling isn’t always fact. God has given us His Word exactly for times like these because His Word is living and active, always moving for us, always at work in us (Hebrews 4:12). And the more we rely on the reminders of His faithfulness, His presence, His promise to go before us and keep us in His forever love, the more we are anchored in mind, body and spirit. When feelings fade, His Word remains, building a pathway that leads deeper into who God is.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet …” (Psalm 119:105). This image implies the speaker's feet are moving, making a way forward.

God's Word is also “a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). When we long to know the way, we can choose to trust He will guide us through.

Today is here, and so is He. We have a choice to place our trust in God even if — especially if — we can’t gauge our feelings. God is the One who navigates, who guides, who makes His goodness known. And that is a fact to hold on to.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

If you’ve got ideas, gifts and dreams God has given you but aren’t sure of much else, take our Communicator Style Quiz to find out what kind of creative communicator you are! You’ll also learn what resources or training would help as you share what God has put on your heart. Click here to take the quiz now!

ENGAGE

To connect with Sarah, visit her website, or follow her on Facebook and Instagram!

We’d also love to meet you in our “Encouragement for Today Devotions Community Group” on Facebook, where devotion readers, writers and prayer partners around the world do life together with a shared commitment to God's Word.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 25:1-2, “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame …” (ESV).

How can you look to God’s Word as your light in a season when you may not be experiencing His presence like you used to? Find three Bible verses that talk about God’s character or promises, and write them down. Post them around your home, and speak them out loud throughout the day.

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2023 by Sarah Freymuth. All rights reserved.