by J. Randal Matheny

"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you" (Psalm 116.6, NIV).

Emotional states waver, dip, and dive more than the world's worst roller coaster. The book of Psalms records many of God's faithful saints coming to terms with their experiences and keeping their trust in his goodness and faithfulness.

The great testimony of Scripture is that the faithful keep on obeying, trusting, working, and confessing the holy Name in spite of their outer trials or inner turmoils. They demonstrate peseverance in their works as they bring all their emotions into line.

Psychologists tell us that all emotions are equally legitimate and none are to be censured or repressed. They have a point. But emotions are the dog's tail and can never be trusted to reflect accurately our bearings. The dog must wag the tail and never let the tail wag the dog.

Some emotions can diminish, deform, and ultimately destroy. Most, if not all, have their time and place, but left to themselves will derail a life.

What I feel does not always reflect what I know. In the dissonance, I must go with what I know. Often, the knowing and going will turn the feeling to its proper heading.

The content of what I know begins and ends with the nature and character of God. Constant review of that knowledge will put the soul at rest and the emotions in line.

"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you."