As we mature in faith, we rely less and less on our feelings as the highest and best indicator of our spiritual state. Feelings are not evil, certainly, and God can use our feelings (emotions) to deal with us. The trouble with feelings is that they cannot always be trusted. I find my feelings toss me to and fro--and it doesn't take much. I get a slightly burned bagel one morning and I'm down. I catch a series of green lights and I'm on top of the world. Good feelings come and go with circumstance; faith is built on facts. Let's face it, if we are only saved when we "feel saved," we are not going to be saved for long!
The good news is that God knows our hearts, and He is greater than our hearts. He has provided two sources of security that are always there whether we feel them or not: The written word of God and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. One mark of Christian maturity is a lessened reliance on feelings and a heightened reliance on His word. It is a new, healthier way to be fully alive.
And healthy living things grow.
Paul may or may not have "felt close to God" in his jail-time writing those verses to the Philippians. But one thing was sure--he pressed on in His growth as a believer. Growth for Paul meant one sentence: "To know Christ and be found in Him." This was the anthem of his life.
And it should be ours as well.
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