"Feeling" God: How do I know God is with me?
Faith: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” - Hebrews 11:1
What do we do when you don’t “feel” God?
The Bible tells us that God will God will go before you, he will be with you, he will not leave or forsake/abandon you, and he will be with you wherever you go:
Deuteronomy 31:8 - Moses tells Joshua: “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged”
Joshua 1:5 - God told Joshua: “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you”
Joshua 1:9 - God told Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Do not let your emotions lead you spiritually:
Our emotions change constantly, but God never changes.
Example: After a big event like YQ or a summer at camp, you might feel a “spiritual high”, then when you go home, you don’t have the same feeling. You might be thinking: Has God abandoned me? Where did He go?
Looking back at the verses listed above, we can have faith that God is still with us even when we don’t “feel” him.
Pursue God, not an emotional high
Seek God by spending time in his Word (the Bible)
Seek God where he is working. He is always at work around us, even when we don’t feel it. God is at work in our very youth group!
- Wanting to know what to do when you don't feel God: that is God working in your heart!
There will be times when you don’t feel God’s presence:
When this happens, you can trust that God is not far away (see above verses).
God is just as close to you when you feel him and when you don’t.
Everyone is going to experience God’s presence differently. When you don’t feel him, you can try to:
Do something He did: Serve and care for others. You are joining Jesus in His mission.
Find something He made: beautiful prairies, sunsets, nature. All things are a reminder of the amazing things that God has created. Enjoy these things and praise God for creating them.
Read something He said: Read the Bible. God speaks through the Bible. If you want to get to know God, read the Bible.
Ask Him to come: Again, we don’t need to feel tingles to experience God’s presence. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you, to use you in whatever way to serve Him.
Talk with Him: God cares deeply for you. He created you and wants a relationship with you. Talk to Him.