Just the facts, ma'am…………

9/27/09,,,,,,,just the facts. Remember Dragnet. Such melodrama. We loved it at 2211 South Virginia Street---first on radio and then in the mid 50s on TV---when we finally got a black and white console. From those first four musical notes, “dum dee dum dum” and the intro, "Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent," we were hooked. Seems like in later years, younger brother, Bobby, even had Joe Friday’s badge 714 to wear when he pedaled his little blue and white police motorcycle---that had a little trunk on it where older brother, Buddy, would hide his textbooks so he could say he had no homework. But I digress. Imagine that!

All of this to remind myself that God wants me/you to face the facts not feelings. Yesterday morning I was in somewhat of a blur because of another “wee hours” awakening. As I opened my Streams in the Desert, the 9/26 entry verse shouted out to me.

We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

For a couple of weeks now I have been hoping that my faith shows ---it is my anchor---even when my faithfulness isn’t very evident as I have been struggling with feelings of inadequacy, anxiety and the dreaded C-word, i.e. control.

As believers, “we live by faith not by sight.” God never want us to live by our feelings…….our inner selves may want to live by feelings….He….wants us to face the facts of Christ and His finished and perfect works for us….face these precious facts….believe them simply because God says they are facts….He will take care of our feelings….God never gives us feelings to encourage us to trust Him…..God only gives …feelings when He sees…we trust Him…apart from our feelings, resting solely on His Word…His faithfulness…therefore we must choose between facing our feelings or facing the facts of God. (emphasis, mine) (excerpt from Streams, p. 365)