July 22

Read: Isaiah 40:27-31

The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him (II Chronicles 16:9).

Strength When I Don’t Feel Holy

A careful holiness teacher writes: “Holiness… is the renewal of the whole man in the image of Jesus. It is the utter destruction of all hatred, envy, malice, impatience… love of ease.., and the like.”

Does this mean that the sanctified man never feels like acting impatiently and never feels an inclination to be easy on himself by dodging a hard job? No. To be without these feelings would place us beyond temptation. God has not promised to keep us from feeling tempted. He has promised us power to stand.

In the sanctified life there are days when we honestly feel as if every evil tendency has been destroyed. We feel no impulse of any kind to be impatient, lazy, or proud. But there are other times when the allure of a wrong choice comes with such power that we can scarcely distinguish the feeling of temptation from the manifestation of carnality. In a moment of weakness or at the height of an unusually fierce assault from Satan we simply do not feel as if all impatience and love of ease have been destroyed.

How shall we reconcile these experiences? Let us in no case depend on our feelings for assurance of full salvation. Let us seek only to be sure that our hearts are perfectly loyal to God. Let us thank Him for sanctifying power when we feel it, and still thank Him when, for a time, we do not feel it. This sanctifying power is of God; He is always there. He is always waiting to show himself strong in our behalf so long as our hearts remain perfect in love toward Him.

Sprinkled with atoning blood, Still to my soul thyself reveal; Thy mighty working may I feet, And know that I am one with God.

— Wesley’s Hymns