treasured truth
It is not hypocritical to affirm as true what God says as true...even when I don't feel it, yet.
I've been reading, thinking on, whispering, and speaking in quiet moments one-to-another these things for quite awhile now. But I know that now is the moment that has been whispered in my ear, I need to proclaim on the rooftops (Matthew 10:27). As much as I love literal rooftops, this has become a type of rooftop for me as well. So I'll speak these whispers now...
If I believe that my Lord holds the words of eternal life, then there should be nowhere else I'd rather go than to His presence and His words (John 6:68).
And if I believe every word, all of Scripture, is breathed by the very breath of God and is inspired then it is good for teaching me, for correcting my errors, for training me in righteousness so I can be (not might be) adequate (not inadequate), equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
And His word, His promises, are inextricably linked with His name, His character, His reliability, because how could He lie to me and break His promises and then expect me to trust Him. He is the only One who always follows through on everything He promises. He won't leave me hanging. He may not come through in my way, in my time. But He will. He always will. He magnifies His promises, His word along with His name because you see, they cannot be separated (Psalm 138:2). He Himself is the Word (John 1:1).
His words are the final authority. What God says is the truest, purest, most trustworthy.
That being said, I want to make a bold assertion that it is not hypocritical to affirm as true what God says as true...even when I don't feel it, yet.
What's more true? My feelings or what God says?
Oh my feelings are very real. Don't get me wrong! You can ask anyone around me. I don't hide them well at all, for all my desperate trying. But my feelings are not always based on reality.
Emotions are not evil either! They are a gift. And if God Himself has emotions and has no wrong in Him, then emotions cannot be inherently wrong. We are made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). Emotions are a signal of what's going on, what I'm really believing in the moment.
If in any way I don't act, think or feel according to what is true, then (at least in some way) I am not believing what is true. I may say that I know it, but I don't know (experience and believe) it.
You can't control your emotions, force them to go away, or pretend they are not there. It doesn't work. Trust me, I've tried. But you can control your thoughts in the sense that you can take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). Literally, to bring them under control, to bring them into captivity.
To bring those thoughts under the control of what? The text, the Word breathed out of God's heart to me, to you, says to bring them into the obedience of Christ. To choose to make my thoughts obey Christ and capture and lead away anything not in line with what He says.
His words are the final authority. What God says is the truest, purest, most trustworthy.
Submitting to God (James 4:7) is trusting Him, affirming and acting on what He says. Not merely out of obedience, but because I know Him. Because I love Him, because He has loved me (1 John 4:19). So I can trust Him. I know He is the only One who always follows through on everything He promises. He alone will never leave me hanging. Life is best with Him, because life is found in Him. He is Life (John 14:6)!
And this even means when I cannot see how or why...at least, not yet. When I don't know fully. When what I can see at the moment is contrary. Because the eternal cannot always be seen (2 Corinthians 4:18), but it is the truest. And one day, I will know fully and see clearly (1 Corinthians 13:12). But until then, I will choose to affirm and act on what God says is true.
Here is a list of some of the things God says are true that I need and treasure. This list is growing and I hope you'll gather your own from truth sown into your life...
He is the beginning and the end who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8)
He is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16)
He is good and what He does is good (Psalm 119:68)
He was the perfect sacrifice for sins for all time (Hebrews 10:12)
He is before all things and in Him, all things hold together (Colossians 1:17)
He is Himself my peace (Ephesians 2:14)
He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
In Him, I am blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed and forgiven (Ephesians 1:3-7)
He came that I may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10)
I am one of His wonderful works (Psalm 139:14)
There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
In Him, I have been made complete (Colossians 2:10)
Nothing can separate me from His love (Romans 8:39)
God is in the midst of me and I will not be moved (or destroyed) (Psalm 46:10)
Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18)
All of my longing is before Him (Psalm 38:9)
He satisfies my years with good things (Psalm 103:5)
The sting of death has been taken, victory over death has been won (1 Corinthians 15:56-57), and the enemy of death will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26)
This is some of what He has whispered in my ear and this is my rooftop from which I'm proclaiming it!
These ideas are not my own. They come from Scripture and how the Lord has guided me into truth by the power of the Holy Spirit and His Word. And He has used others to mentor and disciple me in this, whether in person or through books or teachings.