THE CHILDREN'S FEELINGS

In one of his epistles Paul wrote that, sadly, people of many nations had "cast off all feeling" in their pursuit of wickedness. In the next epistle he wrote of Timothy that he cared "with genuine feeling how ye get on". Feelings of this kind in a believer are not merely the natural sympathies which an all-wise God has given, in measure also to the lower animals and even to other creatures. They are rather an evidence of His work in the souls of believers by 'new birth', so that they should share His own feelings regarding His people, and indeed the whole creation.

You will be able to think of a number of instances in the Scriptures where God has used an expression of deep feeling such as "O Jacob" and, as the Lord Jesus said, "O ye of little faith". Also it is said of God that, in holy sympathy, He was afflicted in all the afflictions of Israel in the desert. We read, too, of the Lord Jesus being "moved with compassion" when He raised to life a youth at the gates of the city of Nain. Peter in raising from the dead a young woman expressed his deep feelings in prayer, recognising that God knew the special sorrow of the occasion.

Right feelings within us are indeed the result of the work of God, but they are not to take first place in the perfecting of His saints. For progress in the new nature of the believer feeling comes last, giving place to fact and faith. You can imagine these as three boys walking straight along in Indian file - fact in front, faith looking steadily at him and followed by feeling. All is then in order, but if faith turns round and looks at feeling, what happens? He cannot see fact, he walks crookedly and all is in disorder. The redeeming work of the Lord Jesus and the blessing of God's purpose are examples of fact which will always lead us straight on if our faith is active. The feelings thus produced will be for our own enjoyment and will, in their turn, rise up in praise and thanksgiving to the Giver of all good. Do yours?

J.C.Evershed