The Subtle, Logical Lie of Our Emotions
Sometimes our hearts get tricked. In a very subtle, often logical, way our Emotions begin to lead our Spirits.
Sometimes our hearts get tricked. In a very subtle, often logical, way our Emotions begin to lead our Spirits.
It’s those moments—when life grows heavy, when prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling, when the stillness feels too quiet—that a little voice whispers: “You’re alone. God has left you.”
In marriage conflict
In the hospital room
In the principal’s office
When you get let go at your job
When your addiction resurfaces
When your past starts yelling at you and calling you old names
It’s subtle. It sneaks in through emotions. Through weariness. Through old wounds. And if we aren’t careful, we start believing the lie—that somehow we’ve been left behind.
It feels “Logical” because we can see what is going wrong in our lives, we can hear the words of anger, hate and disappointment aimed at us…we are “Seeing” and “Experiencing” the proof that God has left us (or is at the very least ignoring us!).
But the truth of the Word is stronger than any Emotion:
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
(Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5)
Why does this scripture use both Leave and Forsake? Because God knows how we work. He knows we can fear that someone might leave us physically, or stay physically but withdraw their heart. He promises us neither will happen.
He will not leave you—not in presence, not in help.
He will not forsake you—not in heart, not in affection.
When your emotions rise up and say, “Where is God? He’s gone,”—that “evidence” is false. Just because you feel distant doesn’t mean He is distant. Just because life looks empty doesn’t mean He has abandoned you.
This is where faith steps in—not blind faith, but anchored faith. Faith that says:
"God’s Word is truer than my emotions. Truer than my circumstances. Truer than this moment."
In fact, the Psalms are full of these wrestling prayers. David cries out: “Why have You forsaken me?”—yet even then, he circles back to trust: “But I will trust in Your unfailing love.”
It’s okay to have strong emotions and to feel them deeply. But feelings are not the compass—God’s promise is.
So when the shadows feel long, when the road looks empty, when your own heart says,“He’s not here”—answer back:
That is not the truth.
The truth is: He will never leave me. He will never forsake me.
And because of that, I can walk on—even when the road feels lonely. He is here, closer than breath. His presence is steady even when my heart wavers.
And that, friend, is the bedrock we stand on—something much firmer than our Emotions or what we are Experiencing in life.
No matter what you are going through today, look to Him AND believe His word.
Enjoying the journey with you,
Les
PS Below the image I have put 5 Life Coaching Style questions to help activate His Word over Your Emotions—why not pick one and reflect on it for the rest of today, as well as this week?
Reflection Questions
When in my life have I felt like God was distant—yet looking back, I can now see that He was actually with me? What can that teach me for today?
What emotions or patterns tend to cloud my awareness of God’s nearness? How can I intentionally anchor myself in truth instead of those feelings?
When was the last time I reminded myself—out loud—that “He will never leave me nor forsake me”? How might speaking that truth shift my heart right now?
If I truly believed—deep in my bones—that God is always with me, how would that change the way I approach this current season of life?
Where do I need to replace old “false evidence” with the truth of God’s unwavering presence today?