He upholds me with His righteous hand

I don't mean to get off track on our look at the Birth of Jesus...but Saturday I needed a word of encouragement...do you know when you feel like you are doing battle with your mind and emotions? One side says keep going..."I will show you the way"....and the other says why? That is how I felt Saturday....an uphill battle....like swimming upstream and here comes a boulder that hits you in the heart...and you just want to get out of the water! Just want to hibernate...isolate yourself and just rest. Emotions are deceptive. Our hearts veer our perception of the truth if we don't guard against it.
Proverbs 4:20-23 says
"My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart
for it is the well spring of life."
What is the solution to our emotions and feelings? It is the "Word" or as noted here the "words" of God. If we are basing our emotions on anything but the truth, they will lead us astray, rob our joy, blur our security and cause us doubt. Solomon tells us "don't let them out of your sight...they are life...and health" Have you ever gotten sick in the stomach over your feelings? You have "pit" in you and you feel physically sick...that happens when we let our feelings and emotions get away from the truth.
That is what I was noticing Saturday...my feelings where getting the best of me or should I say the "worst of me". Many of us have been there before...we "feel" anxious. We imagine all sorts of things that would validate our emotions. But I want to show you something I discovered this weekend because I realized how weak and susceptible I had become once again to my "feelings"
First: I was talking to myself instead of listening to myself. You know what I am saying...I was talking and every sentence I spoke tried to validate what I was feeling. Instead I should have listened to myself. If I would have stopped to hear myself, I would have noticed I had a distorted view of the facts. Was I having a secret revelation? No...I was letting my hurt feelings and discouragement lead to imaginations that not only gave me the right to feel this way but increased those feelings. Do you do that? Let your heart lead your mind to what you think is true?
Second: I should have taken my thoughts upward instead of downward. Yes the further I let my thoughts go down, the further I was from God's truth. The deeper I went into my "flesh" the father I got from the Divine. I need to go upward in my thoughts. Upward means lead my thinking to what I know about God. His power...sovereignty, grace, provision, love. Instead I went to my needs, my rejection, my self-absorption.
Third: we go upwards when we know "the Word". John tells us in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Later in verse 14 John says, " The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us"...there it is! God with us...Emmanuel. John could have said "in the beginning was Grace" or "in the beginning was Love" which would also have been accurate. But through the Holy Spirit he wrote "in the beginning was the Word" Isn't that amazing...that is because in The Word we can find grace and love and power. Can I tell you "the Word" changed the world. The Word changed the course of history. If The Word can change that...it can change me! Aurthur Pink in his commentary on John says "The Scriptures reveal God's mind, express His will, make known His perfections and lay bare His heart. This is precisely what the Lord Jesus has done for the Father."
The Word is God's language to our hearts. When God wants to speak He displays Christ. Christ is the full manifestation of God...God once chose to speak through the prophets but know He speaks through Christ.
The Word clarifies confusion...it truthfully reasons with us...it imparts wisdom, purpose and it is a means of dispensing God's grace. That is why Paul tells us to "take every thought captive under the authority of Christ". He knows that emotions and feelings can lead us astray...He must have experienced that many times...but he pounded his body to press on...he separated truth from fiction...TRUTH is Christ.
Lastly: I must start every day in "The Word" for it will sanctify my heart and discipline it for the day. If I don't do this, I am assured that by noon I will be a basket case
I know some of you are going through troubled times...many are discouraged....saddened by loved ones...work is scarce...jobs are on the line...homes are being foreclosed. May I encourage you and myself as I say...Jesus is in the storm...He knows disappointment...He is not surprised by the economy...He knows your needs. He is on the throne dispensing grace and mercy with an open hand.
At the cross every disciple felt great disappointment ...grief...sadness. All their plans and hopes lay dead. What appeared to be the greatest defeat became the mightiest of victories. Through the cross came the crown...when hope was gone life was imparted...victory was had!
Wherever we are He will walk with us, cry with us, then lift our minds so our hearts will rise up from disappointment. He speaks to us in His Word...and the Word became flesh and dwelt with us. Jesus...Immanuel!
I hope this encourages you.