"The Complication"

"Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak." (Psalms 77:4) Some call it grief, while others might call it suffering; whatever you might call it, when we are feeling at odds with the Lord, it's not a very happy place to be. I can handle being at odds with the world, as long as I am right with God; but being at odds with the world and God, now that's completely unbearable. I know it's hard to deal with our feelings when our feelings are getting the best of us, but our feelings are not to be trusted in matters that pertain to commitment in our relationships; especially our relationship with the Lord. First of all, who chose who is what we must get settled in our minds. Do you believe that God chose you? Then, if you do, you have got to learn to get over feeling at odds with Him that has chosen you, because God never makes a mistake! And if God has chosen you, then you are cherished and loved beyond anything this ugly world could ever imagine. I think what gives power to any sort of misguided feelings, is that they seem so real; they seem so much like they are part of who we are, and that they need to be somehow settled or comforted. This must be one of the devil's tools to cause us to doubt that God really loves us, because it is such a lie to feel unloved by the One who gave His all for you. But, I have some really good news about feelings, if anyone feels like listening. They are a choice! We do not need to feel grief or suffering, because we have joy at our disposal, whenever and however we which to use it, it's always right there to grab hold of a claim it as our own. Not quite sure how that works? Where do feelings come from? Can you cut them out or tie a rope around them? Absolutely not! So why should we let something which is not even physically there cause us physical pain or discomfort? I know I don't make any sense sometimes, so it's alright if you don't listen to what I am about to say; but we really need to get over ourselves sometimes, and we need to put our focus on Jesus! Do you think that there is a difference between joy and happiness? I get happy knowing that God loves me; but I get joy from knowing Jesus, because my joy comes from the Lord...
"One of the twelve disciples, Thomas as (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side." Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. "Peace be with you," he said. Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put you hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" "My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me." (John 20:24-29) NLT