I do not feel anything

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

DAVE DRAVECKY was a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, and one of the best in the baseball league.

In 1988 he had a malignant tumour removed from his arm, but a year later he was able to return to playing baseball. The tumour returned however, and in June 1991 he had to have his left arm amputated.

Despite all this, Dave's confidence in the Lord continued to grow in the midst of his pain and suffering.

Although suffering in this case, as in many situations, was unavoidable, sometimes we depend too much on how we feel, both in a positive and negative sense.

Sometimes we leave something undone because we feel we should not be doing it... Our feelings play a vital role in our lives, but they should not be the most important influence.

The greatest factor in the mistakes we make is related to our dependence on 'how we feel'. We have all made excuses like, 'I thought it was for the best...', 'I didn't know what to do...', 'It was how I felt at the time...' or, 'I didn't feel up to it...'.

From a very young age we should learn that the only worthwhile basis for all our decision-making is the Word of God. If what we feel goes against what God says, then we should learn to subdue the feelings.

Otherwise, we fall into the clutches of the enemy who tries, in all sorts of ways, to cause us to doubt the word of God.

Have you ever thought about that? Have you felt its influence? Because only the devil makes us think things like, 'Look at yourself! - if you don't have control over yourself, how can you possibly tell others about God?' Or maybe he whispers, 'God does not listen to you,' or even, 'God has left you.'

Through every possible means, the devil tries to persuade us to doubt what God says. And sometimes he achieves that.

We should not be so foolish! Remember, the important thing is not what we feel, but what God says.

Our feelings may be right or not, we may be mistaken, but God does not make mistakes.

He has overcome the world,and in the same way he can help us to overcome, even though it may cost us suffering and disappointment.

So,what you feel is not the most important thing. Don't stop in your tracks because you don't feel anything. Don't doubt God just because you feel mistaken.

Don't do something stupid just because you feel that you should do it. Only the thing which never changes deserves our total confidence: our feelings change but the Word of God does not.