It's the Truth of God's Word

Perfect Love does indeed cast out all fear (1 John 4: 17)

I am starting to realize that for the longest time, I was making my feelings the final arbiter of peace and harmony.

If I felt bad, then I was bad. If I felt good, then I was good.

Crazy stuff!

Most importantly, though, I was so caught up in how I felt because I had tied believing with feeling.

Faith is all about taking God at His Word.

King James Bible
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

This translation is not accurate. The New International Version is much better:

New International Version
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10: 17)

When it comes to growing in grace, though, I realize that the greatest hindrance of faith is either our lack of knowledge of God's Word, or our adherence to the law, to our efforts, rather than His grace.

I spent so much time trying to push aside fearful premonitions about the future.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6: 33)

The key is righteousness, which is not a work, but a gift (Romans 5: 15-17)

The truth of this matter could not be clearer in the Bible, from the New Covenant:

"10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

 

12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8: 10-12)

 

All of these promises are kept for us because of the Cross. There, Jesus shed His blood, became sin on our behalf, and gave us His standing before God.

 

All God the Father asks us to do is. . .believe on Him!

 

Today, I have a greater understanding of what it means that God's weapons are mighty, bringing down every stronghold.

 

Those strongholds are truly painful, difficult, do not budge easily. For longer than I care to admit (or remember) that I would fight with every bad thought, every bad feeling.

 

The Bible is the final testimony on every issue. Today, I choose to take God at His Word, not how I feel about it.

 

I do not fret about tomorrow, because I have the promise of His Word.

 

If there are any "what ifs" and "yeah, buts" in our lives, they  emanate from nothing more than the lies and distortions taught to us by others, whether in our best interests or the worst manipulation.

 

What does God's Word say about us? What does the Word of God say, which no one can argue with?

 

That is all that matters, and any conflict on the matter is irrelevant across the board.