Tag: 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Does God Care About My Feelings? Psalm 137

At times, you may feel too alone, and think that you have no one to care for you.

Know that all of us are God’s children, and he never allows us to stay alone.

There’s no point in keeping yourself aloof from the rest of the world, for God is always there even when we are too emotional to acknowledge it, to help guide and move you out into the light from your entire struggle.

You may feel that you have not got anyone to be there for you, and support for you.

Although it is easier said than done, we often tend to suffer from such kinds of frustrations and suppressing thoughts.

However, you need to understand that you are not alone. You are never alone, for God is always there with you and you have your guardian angels to pave your ways, no matter how tough the situations get! Just be humble, have patience and get going!

Nothing is hidden from the Almighty, and he has been keeping an eye upon you all the time. He is there to guide you in all your odds, and even when life has been making you walk through the hurdles, you have Him.

Believe me, God is always there for you and he has been working behind the scenes of your life. You may find it difficult to get going, but if you have faith, things will surely start falling in their places all by themselves.

God is always there to talk care of you, even when you aren’t aware of it. He is going to take over when things go out of your hand. In any case, if situations seem to be pushing you to the last extent, keep your trust upon God’s powers and God’s promises and in time, by God’s grace, things are going to work out all by themselves, sooner or later.

Psalm 137 GOD’S WORD Translation

137 By the rivers of Babylon, we sat down and cried
as we remembered Zion.
2 We hung our lyres on willow trees.
3 It was there that those who had captured us demanded that we sing.
Those who guarded us wanted us to entertain them.
⌞They said,⌟ “Sing a song from Zion for us!”

4 How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget ⌞how to play the lyre⌟.
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I don’t remember you,
if I don’t consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

7 O Lord, remember the people of Edom.
Remember what they did the day Jerusalem ⌞was captured⌟.
They said, “Tear it down! Tear it down to its foundation.”
8 You destructive people of Babylon,
blessed is the one who pays you back
with the same treatment you gave us.
9 Blessed is the one who grabs your little children
and smashes them against a rock.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

The book of Psalms is a book of poetry; most often each Psalm is a song written for a specific purpose.

These songs and poems consist of praises to God, sorrowful lamentations, and joyous celebrations. 

Psalm 137 falls into the sorrowful lamentation category.

The Psalmist here is speaking of Israel’s captivity in Babylon (vs. 1).

The southern tribes of Israel, the land of Judah, were all that remained of Israel after the Assyrians had captured the northern tribes (2 Kings 15-17).

Later, the southern kingdom was taken captive by Babylon (2 Kings 24-25).

In this Psalm, the psalmist is lamenting that the captors of the Jews, the Babylonians, are asking them to sing songs about Jerusalem, or Zion.

Because these were songs of worship and praise to God, they would remind the people of their sin against God, the thing which led to their painful captivity.

These songs would also remind them of their longing to be back in Jerusalem.

The second stanza of the Psalm is a self-reflection of what the author would wish upon himself if he were to ever forget Jerusalem.

The final stanza is what revenge the Psalmist wishes upon his captors.

While the picture is disturbing and graphic, it gives us a real portrait of how desperate the Jews were and how badly they wished to be freed from captivity.

It also reveals to us the incredible depth of emotions these exiles were feeling.

The depths of rage, anger and of depressive sadness is quite palpable and for us who would come to read those hard words, quite emotionally provocative also.

God had sent His chosen people into a seventy year exile for their sins against Him – and the beginning of that exilic road to Babylon was exceedingly brutal and one could easily use the word merciless unto the very absolute maximum.

But God is a God of Mercy, of Grace, Slow to Anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving of transgressions, remembering them no more, casting them into the sea of forgetfulness, as far as the east is to the west – just max gone!

So, it leaves open to the reader of such scriptures the very significant question;

Does God Authentically Care About Our Feelings?

Ever feel like God gave up on you, does not care about your feelings?

You are absolutely not alone.

This assumption is one that can promote a sense of invalidation within our relationship with God.

In many ways, this belief can frame our faith in such a way that it leaves us quick to mask the messiness of our emotions for the sake of spiritual maturity.

If we authentically feel our feelings, does that mean our faith is fragile?

When our emotions overwhelm us, is God actually 100% for us or against us? 

This disconnect between emotional health and Christian theology has been at odds for some time.

The common Christian response to uncomfortable emotions is phrases like “You just need to pray more” and “trust the Lord in all circumstances,” which risks adding to the distortion that our distress impairs our spiritual maturity.

I whole-heartedly believe that the spiritual disciplines found in Scripture were never meant to invalidate our pain and problems, but rather not so subtly invite us into expressing our feelings openly and freely unto a loving and caring God. 

Here is the truth: You absolutely matter to God, feelings and all.

Never in Scripture do we see Jesus dismiss the feelings of others or invalidate those in distress.

On the contrary, God’s Word repeatedly reiterates the safety found in seeking God as our refuge when we are weak (Psalm 46:1–3), and as a shelter when we are suffering (Psalm 62:8). 

When we are faced with a depth of feelings that shake our faith to the core of our being, we must go back to Scripture and be reminded that our emotions, created by God, are meant to bring us closer to Him, not pull us farther away.

In my frequent exploration of this concept, I have found 4 ways God responds to my feelings which have ultimately strengthened my faith, comforted my soul.

1. God Is Present in My Feelings 

  In Psalm 34:18-19, David speaks of how God is attentive in our distress saying: 

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

    and saves the crushed in spirit. 

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” 

God does not leave us in our distress or dismiss the weight of our worries, but graciously and mercifully comes near to us as a father comforts his dear child.

His awareness of all things at all times is absolutely active 100% of the time.

The passage states God saves the crushed in spirit, delivering them out of pain.

What is even more powerful about this passage is that in the original Hebrew, the term for saves is translated as “to be safe.”

God is not simply standing with us, around us, by us, but He actively provides absolute safety for us in His presence. 

2. God Values My Feelings 

In addition to God’s attentiveness, He also values emotions.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see His expression of emotion and how He values caring for those who were suffering.

Jesus wept with those who experienced loss (John 11:34-36) and comforted many with compassion and consideration (Mark 6:50). 

The intersection of emotional expression and feelings validation was first modeled for us by God throughout the Old Testament, and then again by Jesus throughout the narratives of the 4 gospels and Paul’s letters to the followers.

We see how God so gently guided the Israelites to their promised land flowing with milk and honey and manna and quail and water and shelter against the sun despite all of their rebellion and complaining throughout the book of Exodus.

Similarly, Jesus speaks to many emotions in his Sermon on the Mount saying, 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:3-4).

The apostle Paul in Romans speaks on this same value of emotional expression, encouraging believers to, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:15).

I wonder what it would look like if we too were to authentically begin to value the emotions we experience and authentically own all the freedom to express them, knowing our God is near and desires to comfort us with His compassion.  

3. God Challenges My Feelings  

Within God’s attentiveness and compassion for His children, He challenges the feelings that no longer have a place in our lives and hearts.

Paul writes on this disputation of futile feelings, encouraging his young protégé Timothy to not be overcome by the spirit of fear but to remember his faith first. 

He says, “For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit, not a spirit of fear but power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

This very Pauline response to my own feelings is one that helps me identify the foundation of my emotions.

As I seek to understand God’s Word and His truth, I am reminded to focus upon my aligning my feelings with the myriad of God’s promises found in Scripture.

This passage reminds me of the truth of the Holy Spirit of God at work in me. 

4. God Reframes My Feelings  

Finally, I believe that God’s Word so beautifully helps us to reframe and to refocus our emotions by placing our focus and intention back on God’s power, God’s provision, God’s strength, and God’s ability to meet us in our emotions. 

One of my favorite passages that help reframe my feelings and focus on my faith is found in Paul’s prison letter of Philippians 4:8-9 where Paul writes, 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” 

Then further bolstered by these words of God assurance, Christ like confidence;

Philippians 4:10-14 GOD’S WORD Translation

Thanks for Your Gifts

10 The Lord has filled me with joy because you again showed interest in me. You were interested but did not have an opportunity to show it. 11 I’m not saying this because I’m in any need. I’ve learned to be content in whatever situation I’m in. 12 I know how to live in poverty or prosperity. No matter what the situation, I’ve learned the secret of how to live when I’m full or when I’m hungry, when I have too much or when I have too little. 13 I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me. 14 Nevertheless, it was kind of you to share my troubles.

Paul’s thoughtful and timely words subtly remind me how to slow down and replace my thoughts that have led to distress and distortions within my heart.

When feelings flood our minds and muddy the truth of God’s goodness and grace, we are invited to renew our minds in the truths found in His Word. 

Romans 12:1-3 GOD’S WORD Translation

Dedicate Your Lives to God

12 Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have just shared about God’s compassion, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you. 2 Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.

3 Because of the kindness [a] that God has shown me, I ask you not to think of yourselves more highly than you should. Instead, your thoughts should lead you to use good judgment based on what God has given each of you as believers.

So, whatever you may be feeling, acknowledge them, just remember that God is near and desires to be involved in the fears and failures, the loss and laughter.

His Living and Active Word continually reminds us to always feel and to be free from the false kind of faith negating the weight of legitimately raw emotions.

Let us continue to seek after God, training our hearts, tuning our hearts, to find rest in the absolute truth (Matthew 11:28-30, John 5:1-9, John 11:35, John 14:1-6), knowing God authentically cares about all of our feelings no matter how deep.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 King James Version

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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