Experience Superseded
“And they who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee” (Psalm 9:10).
There is a great danger in allowing our experiences to dictate what we believe about God, rather than allowing His Word to define our reality. Too often, we look inward to assess our spiritual condition, searching for validation in our emotions, circumstances, or past encounters. But the Lord calls us to a higher way—to trust in what He has declared to be true, regardless of what we feel or perceive.
Faith is not a response to experience; faith is a response to truth.
The Spirit of Truth leads us through the Scriptures, revealing God’s unshakable promises. As we trust Him, we grow into the experience of what He has already accomplished. But when we seek experience first—grasping for a feeling, a sign, or an emotional confirmation—our foundation becomes unstable. We may then twist Scripture to support our personal experiences rather than allowing Scripture to shape our understanding.
J.N. Darby’s illustration is simple yet piercing. If a debt is paid on our behalf, it is not something we need to experience to believe—it is a fact. In the same way, when God declares that we have died to sin in Christ (Romans 6:6-7), we do not validate it by how we feel, but by trusting His Word. Our old patterns may still press upon us, but that does not negate the reality of our union with Christ in His death and resurrection.
Imagine a prisoner who has been legally freed but remains in his cell because he feels no different. The key to his freedom is not found in analyzing his emotions but in believing the official decree that he is no longer bound. So it is with us—God has set us free, and our role is to walk in the truth of that liberty, regardless of what our senses may whisper.
“It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). The strength of our walk is not found in the shifting tides of experience, but in the unchanging rock of God’s Word.
Prayer
Father, we rejoice in the truth of Your Word, knowing that You have declared us free in Christ. We rest in the certainty that we have died to sin and live unto You, not because of what we see or feel, but because You have spoken it. Thank You for the firm foundation of Your promises, which stand unshaken regardless of our circumstances. May we walk in faith, fully assured that what You have said is reality, and may Your Spirit lead us ever deeper into the experience of what is already ours in Christ. Amen.
📖 Devotional insights from Abide Above.
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