I don’t know if it is because I am a woman, but it is so easy to let my feelings get the best of me. It is so easy to allow my feelings to take over instead of the truth of the situation. I felt alone most of my life, but in reality I really wasn’t alone. There were usually people around me, God was with me and for pete’s sake when the girls were little, I never could go to the bathroom alone or anything else for that matter, but I still felt alone. You get what I am talking about? I have realized something I think is kind of crucial. Feelings can dominate and control you instead of the truth.

I was talking to the Lord one day and He said to me, “Laurie, you are not alone. You feel alone! I want you to see the difference between the truth and your feelings.” I replied back, “Lord, I have allowed my feelings to dictate my life way too much. Please help me see the difference between feelings and the truth.” So God began to show me the difference and I would like to share with you what I learned.

A.W. Tozer says, “What comes into your mind about God is the most important thing about you.” So, I had to start with what was going through my mind about God. What was my mind telling me? I hate to admit that for years my mind told me that I was alone, that God was a judge and He couldn’t understand me or help me. These thoughts caused me to believe lies about God for years. They were ingrained in me and those thoughts made me depressed and anxious.

There is a story in the Bible about a woman who had bled for years. She was an outcast and she was desperate for healing. I am assuming she was probably a little depressed and anxious herself. She saw Jesus in town one day and she knew in her mind that He could heal her so she positioned herself to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe. As soon as she touched it, Jesus started looking around to see who touched Him. Of course He knew who it was, but He wanted the people to know so He could teach them about faith. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:34

I bring this story up because this woman is a great example to us. She didn’t allow her feelings to get in the way of healing. She allowed her mind to focus on the truth about Jesus so she could approach Him for healing. She had to step out of her comfort zone and move toward Jesus knowing that people would be watching and staring at her. She was labeled unclean by Jewish law because she had an illness that caused her to bleed. Jewish men avoided touching, speaking to, or even looking at women with this problem, but not Jesus. He was willing to stop, turn around and address her and show her respect for her faith in Him. WOW!

If that woman wouldn’t have reached out to Jesus, who knows what would have happened to her. She had to be radical. I think sometimes we have to be the same way if we want to change or be blessed by God. We have to throw caution to the wind and step out with our faith and believe God and His promises. I had to focus on “You are” and “You said” when it came to my faith. I am not saying that feelings don’t matter, but when we let them get out of control and we aren’t able to see things correctly, then our feelings are definitely a problem.

My feelings were out of control and I knew I needed to reign them in. I knew that if I didn’t do it then I would be an emotional wreck the rest of my life. I wanted to get off the roller coaster. So I am going to share with you some verses that helped when my feelings got out of control.

When I felt alone I read,
“For the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (By the way forsake means abandon)

When I was angry I read,
“ For the battle is the Lord’s.” 1 Samuel 17:47

When I was hurt I read,
“I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalm 91:14-15

When I was afraid I read,
“For I am the Lord, your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

I had to go to scripture when my feelings were taking me over and look at what God had to say about the situations I faced. I carried a holder for 3×5 cards with me so I could look at scripture when my feelings were getting the best of me. (I learned that from Beth Moore.) I basically had to run to my Father and ask Him to help me with my feelings in order to get them under control.

God had to become my hiding place. Did you have a hiding place when you were little that you liked to go to? When I was little we had a place under the stairs where we could go and play. It was a place in my house where I felt safe. Whenever life got to be too much for me, I had to run to my hiding place. I am going to share something very intimate with you about the Lord and how He spoke to me when I was going through some very dark times.

“Laurie, I know you are scared and you want to hide. I want to be your hiding place. When you want to curl up and hide, I want you to take me with you. I will curl up with you. I want to be there with you. Grab my hand. I know you are hurt, but I am here to take care of you. You are so important to me. I am powerful enough to keep you safe. I never tire of coming to your rescue. I want you to call out to me day or night. I want to soothe your anxious heart.”

Dear friends, God wants to be our hiding place. He wants us to come to Him with all of our feelings and issues. He wants to help us with everything in our lives. God is telling us that He is our God. He wants to take hold of our hands and help us. We have someone who knows us better than any human can ever know us. He is the only one that has the answers that we desperately need.

Yes, I still have days when I struggle with my feelings. There are days when I still want to curl up and hide. But now the difference is I know I have the Lord with me regardless of how I feel. He is my hiding place. I go to Him because I know He has the answers. He is better than Oprah or Dr. Phil or anyone else on this planet. I love Him with all my heart and I pray that you will reach out to Him with your feelings and struggles. He is the only one who has the answers. Until next time…..

Psalm 31:20 “In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.”