God’s Glory Through our Feelings & Circumstances

Psalm 57, Philippians 4:6-7

The Psalms are some of the most widely quoted passages of scripture because they address something that everyone can relate to - feelings. We see accounts throughout the bible of how God created the world to operate and what happens when sin messes it up. We see clear teaching of what is right and what is not. These accounts can occasionally be seemingly void of feelings – with the main “character” accepting their fate without an internal wrestle. The Psalms is where we find those internal struggles. The collision of what is true and what is experienced. If we’re not careful, we can allow God’s glory to be equal to the amount of satisfaction we find in our day to day life. Believing that, if we’re not happy, God’s not worthy of awe and wonder.

The truth is that God's glory is determined by who He is, not by our feelings or circumstances. God is unchanging and should be wonderful news to us. 

Despite our circumstances, despite our feelings, we can trust and know that God is the same God through it all. He is worthy of glory on the day we get married and the day we lose a baby. He is worthy of wonder when we see no relief in sight and when we are perfectly content with the rhythms of our life. His promises are always true because He doesn’t change His mind, so if we find ourselves in the midst of something that just doesn’t seem to line up with who God is, we can be confident that it is because of our lack of understanding, not a shift in God’s character or lack in His judgment. 

In Psalm 57 specifically, we find David in the midst of fleeing Saul’s persecution. He describes his state of being like this:  

“My soul is in the midst of lions; 

I lie down amid fiery beasts –

The children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, 

Whose tongues are sharp swords.” 

His soul is surrounded by chaos, he is almost certainly feeling fear, and yet, his statement immediately following is “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!”.

Often when we hear about feelings in a church context it can feel like the takeaway is something like, “If something hard happens to you, you just still have to be happy because God is good”. That is not what we’re saying, nor what the bible communicates. In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul says “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The problem with feelings and emotions is not that we have them, it is that we tend to allow our emotions to drive our actions. We believe that the truth of a situation is equivalent to however we feel about said situation. In reality, the most true thing about any circumstance is that God is in control, trustworthy, and unchanging. God is always worthy of glory because He is always the same. So as believers, we get to glorify God regardless of our circumstances, confident that He is who He says He is and He does nothing without purpose. 

We can take notes from Abraham in Genesis 22. For years, Abraham waited for a son, God finally granted him one and then, once the boy was old enough to talk, God asked him to sacrifice the long awaited son. I can imagine few things more devastating than that – to be asked to sacrifice that which I have waited so long for. And yet, Abraham remembers something. He remembers the covenant God made with him years before, to give him as many offspring as there are stars and bless the whole earth through him. We know that he remembers God’s character and acts with trust despite his circumstances because he says “to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.’” (Genesis 22:5). Abraham considered God’s character and believed that God was going to fulfill His initial promise, therefore he walks confidently forward to do what God has asked. He knows God deeply and glorifies Him in his obedience. 

In the Christmas season it can be particularly easy to get wrapped up in circumstances – family drama, financial stress, issues with time off, the list goes on. 

Wonder:

What circumstances are tempting you to question/steal God’s glory? 

What aspects of God’s character do you need to remember?

Can you truly say that God is good no matter what? If not, why? 

What is the thing that would throw your trust in God’s character into question? 

How are your current dominant feelings impacting your actions or thoughts?