Emotions: April 3, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY APRIL 3, 2014.

EMOTIONS

DEFINITION:

A state of mind in which feeling, sentiment, or attitude is predominant; a specific feeling such as love, joy, hate, fear, grief, etc.

SCRIPTURE:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Psalm 23:1-2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The book of Psalms is the book of human emotions. The Psalms is a collection of Hebrew poetry, songs, prayers and praises that express the deep emotions and feelings of the writers. Over the centuries these Psalms have been a source of comfort to Christians, in their times of distress and heartache. All the shades of emotion that surge in the human soul are reflected in the Psalms. The Psalms have words of encouragement for us that will lift our spirit and bring us hope.

These Psalms were the hymnbook of ancient Israel. Many were written to be sung in public. David is the author of about half of the Psalms. God gave this shepherd-king the inspired gift of capturing the rich emotions of his experiences. Other Psalms were written by Moses, King Solomon and King Hezekiah, to name a few.

Without feelings and emotions life would be dull and humdrum. Emotions are what motivate us to act. Some emotions motivate us to do things that are right and good. Some motivate us to do what is wrong and evil. Love, joy and compassion are what motivate us to do good. Emotions such as hate, envy, pride, jealousy and anger are motivating factors in vicious acts that cause great harm.

Envy motivated Cain to kill Abel. Jealousy caused Joseph’s brothers to sell him as a slave. Anger motivated Sara to mistreat Hagar. Anger caused Esau to plot to kill his twin brother Jacob. Bad emotions are emotions that need to be controlled.

Controlling bad emotions is most difficult. The Lord experiences emotion and He understands our emotions. Believers have the Holy Spirit within them to convict them when emotions tempt them to do evil. When a believer experiences emotions like depression, sadness, discouragement and loneliness they have a caring Savior who desires to comfort them and cheer them through His written Word.

We want to share with you words of encouragement and inspiration from the book of Psalms that relate to some of the emotions we all feel at one time or another.

If you are happy and want a Psalm to express your joy, read Psalm 92. If you are grateful and want to express your thankfulness to God, read Psalm 40. If your heart is full of praise and love for God, then read Psalm 84 and 116.

If you are troubled by fear and dread, read Psalm 56 and 23. If you are discouraged read Psalm 42. If you are lonely read Psalm 62. If you are angry read Psalm 13.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week continues to challenge us to memorize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20: 4-6. (Paraphrased)

You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness. You shall not worship them or serve them.


PRAYER:

Whether I am emotionally up or emotionally down, whether sad or glad, keep me faithful in reading Your Word and give me a song of praise in my heart. Thank You for the words expressed through David that lift me up filling my heart with joy, peace and happiness.