Daily Devotional
Do Your Emotions Lie to You?
“And Joseph said to his brethren, ‘I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’ So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.”
Genesis 50:24-26
November 14, 2023
Ponder This
Faith is not shaken by appearances. When Joseph quoted this promise that God had made, from all appearances, there was no reason for them to think of ever leaving Egypt. Joseph was the prime minister there. They had it good there. They were living a life of ease. They had come from the land of Canaan to Egypt because of a famine. There was no famine in Egypt. They were in a place of privileged position.
Emotions don’t really matter when it comes to God’s Word. In this passage, nothing is said about Joseph’s emotions one way or the other. I don’t know what they were, but they really did not matter much. Feelings come and go, and feelings are deceiving. The Bible is the Word of God and nothing else is worth believing.
Don’t take counsel with your emotions as to whether or not a promise of God is true. Your emotions are the shallowest part of your nature. Salvation is the deepest work of God. God doesn’t do the deepest work in the shallowest part. Put your confidence in the unshakeable power of God, not in your reasoning and not in your emotions.
- When have your emotions influenced you negatively?
- Why is it important to trust the Word of God even when your emotions tell you otherwise?
Practice This
Think about an area where your emotions are dictating your decisions instead of God’s Word. Bring these to God in prayer.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
