Just the Facts Ma’am: Help For Growing in Grace

Posted on 12/29/2015 by goodnewsfromadistantland — 1 Comment

winterFOG Often the facts of a situation are clouded. Because of our attachments and emotions, facts can sometimes be hard to grasp.

If a situation stirs up our emotions, or if we are upset with family or friends about a matter, then seeing the situation clearly enough to evaluate the facts can be daunting.

Facts can seem like hard, cold things. But many times, it is simply the FACTS that we sorely need to know, and rely on, instead of relying on our feelings or emotions. Often, in order to clearly resolve a difficult situation, in order to come out of a foggy condition, we simply need — ‘Just the facts, Ma’am.’

This is the way it is in our walk with Yahuwah Elohim [the Hebrew name for the LORD God].

It is the facts of God’s Word that we need to learn, and then rely on, and trust in those facts. This is the secret to walking by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

If we base our walk with Father on our feelings, then we are letting our feelings dictate, we are letting our senses determine our behaviour. Feelings go up and down. They are variable. And if we are enslaved by our senses or even by our ‘own’ understanding [what I think, what I see or hear or feel], then we are not really walking by faith.

What the Word of Yahuwah actually says [not our emotions, not our imaginations] is our authority, our standard of behaviour. The Bible is the standard of what is right and true! The Bible is where we find the facts we need for determining our attitudes and behaviour.

Yahuwah has told us many facts in His written Word regarding His love for us, and His desires for us! The facts that we find in His Word are His promises to us and for us — promises we can trust in, helping us to choose the best direction of conduct. When we learn the facts of Father’s love for us, His plans for redeeming us, then our understanding of His ways increases.

We cannot expect to understand everything that God does in our lives. But we can begin to learn the facts of His Word, and then seek to behave according to those facts. This is the pathway to maturity and to growing in Father’s grace for us.

I am not saying we must deny our emotions. Father created us with emotions. Emotions can be very helpful at times. As we mature, we recognize the strength of our emotions to help us fulfill the facts of Father’s Word. But if our emotions and feelings determine much of our behaviour, and cause us to doubt the Word of Yahuwah, then we are a babe spiritually.

A mature person acts more according to facts rather than relying on emotions or feelings. A mature person uses emotions only as a postitive means for obedience to Father’s Word. A mature person is sensitive to utilize Father’s grace [His enablement to obey Him] in order to walk by faith and fulfill Father’s wishes:

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (Hebrews 12:28; see also 2Peter 3:18).

Father’s grace enables us to serve Him. By His grace, we grow more mature in understanding Father, His Word, and how He desires us to behave.

Five Basic Facts

Let’s consider just a few, very basic, facts from Yahuwah’s Word.

1) Fact: Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. (James 4:8) — When we pray [humbly and honestly], it is a fact that Yahuwah will draw near to us. So if we want a closer, more intimate walk with Father, then we will adjust our lifestyle, and make time for secret prayer.

2) Fact: For the eyes of Yahuwah [the LORD] run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect [completely and sincerely] toward Him. (2Chronicles 16:9a) — When we sincerely give our heart to Yahuwah, and commit our life to Him, then it is a fact that Yahuwah will bless us, support us, and supply what we need in order to honour Him in all we do.

3) Fact: In all your ways acknowledge Him [Yahuwah], and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:6) — Acknowledging Yahuwah in everything we do helps us to be of a humble heart, as well as helps us maintain sober-mindedness regarding our activities. When we do this, our relationship with Father is strengthened, and it is a fact that He will therefore guide our steps and direct our path.

4) Fact: If we confess our sins, He [Yahuwah] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9) — If we have sinned against Yahuwah by disobeying His Word (1John 3:4), then it is a fact that when we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness!

5) Fact: Yahushua [Jesus] said to him, “…Whoever has seen me [Yahushua], has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) — As we pointed out in the previous posting, if we want to know what the heavenly Father is like, all we need to do is study the characteristics of His Son, Yahushua Messiah. Yahushua was moved with compassion among the people! It is a fact that Father will be moved with compassion toward His children (Matthew 14:14; Mark 6:34).

Feelings – Leading or Following?

Father desires that we would mature, and begin to work at not allowing our senses [emotions, feelings], or our imaginations, to determine our behaviour. Instead, He wants us to learn to the facts of our faith, and then walk by faith, not by sight.

If we want to mature, then we need to make a conscious, determined decision to seek Father’s help to recognize something — recognize the difference between what our emotions are shouting at us, and what the facts of God’s Word are.

Yes, there are times when our thoughts and emotions will conflict with Yahuwah’s Word. The conflicts can be difficult, and very personal battles. But those are moments when we must use our faith and trust in Father’s character and the facts of His written Word! Those are moments when we must ask Father’s help to overcome the battles.

The moments of conflict are times of testing. Who will we trust? Will we rely on our good and loving Father, and trust His Word? Or will our feelings cause us to doubt the facts of God’s Word?

When we grow in our knowledge of God’s Word — when we learn the facts of His Word, and stay close to Him by telling Him our fears and struggles — then little by little, we begin to trust Father and the facts of His Word, and we become strong, by His grace, to walk by faith!

“When a man is fully determined to obey God because it is right that he should obey God; I call that principle! Whether he feels any lively religious emotion at the time or not, he will do his duty cheerfully, readily, and heartily, whatever may be the state of his feelings. This is acting upon principle, and not from emotion. An individual who grows in grace is more and more motivated by principle, and less and less by emotion or feelings. I do not mean that such a person has less feeling, but that he acts less under the influence of feelings or emotion. He does things, less because he feels so, but more because it is right!” — Charles Finney

Our walk with Father must be based on our faith and trust in Him and the facts in His written Word! It is the facts of our faith, not our feelings or emotions, that must be relied upon for fulfilling the Word of Yahuwah. We need to let our feelings follow – not lead!

Our emotions are good things whenever they confirm Yahuwah’s Word. Our love and passion for Yahuwah and His Word are especially helpful in walking by faith with courage and boldness! But let us seek to line-up our emotions with Father’s Word, and not depend so much on how we feel to determine our obedience to Him.

Let us remember that Yahuwah Elohim is good! Therefore let’s begin to seek Father in faith-FULL-ness, and try our very best to learn, and follow, what He has said in His Word! The more we follow [obey] the facts of His Word, the more we will grow in our relationship with Him, and the more we will grow in His grace!

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