We’ll start with chapter 5 today, and Wednesday lets transition to chapter 6.
LIGHT (You can download it in a PDF or download in MSWord). Please print it and post it everywhere and you allow His promises to lead you out of the shadows of doubt and into the LIGHT of LOVE this week.
Our verse for Today:
“I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12, NLT
Today’s Assignment:
Read chapter 5. This is a shorter chapter but oh so important!! Be sure to highlight or underline anything that resonates in your heart and journal what you sense God is showing you.
Connecting:
What are one or two things you’ve read so far in Chapter 5 that you sense God’s bringing to “light” for you? Are there verses or sentences you’ve underlined or highlighted? Click “share your thoughts” just below this post and do just that.
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Turning….Always turning back to Him and His Light!!! and knowing that He is using my doubts and insecurities to bring me closer to Him–more dependent on Him!!!!
What an awesome God…
In Chapter 5, Renee’s words, “Instead of waiting for God to zap us with confidence and remove our doubts, let’s ask God to use our doubts to draw us into a deeper place of dependence on Him and His promises.”
I remember so many times in my past asking God to give me confidence especially when I knew I’d be in a public speaking situation. I wish I would have prayed to be drawn deeper into acknowledging my need to be more dependent on Him instead of using Him as a “vending machine.” But now I know how to pray and move my focus toward Him.
Thank you Renee!
I agree with Judie. Focus is my hardest issue. It’s so hard, sometimes, not to focus on myself and the pain I’ve experienced. One day a friend of mine “apologized” on behalf of everyone who had ever caused me pain! It was so wonderful to hear the words, “I’m sorry,” when they had never actually been said. So, to all of you, on behalf of everyone who has ever caused you pain, “I’M SORRY I HURT YOU AND CAUSED YOU PAIN!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!” May God continue to heal us all! Love you, dear sisters!
One thing that I kept going back to was
Changing my focus. When I focus on me I turn my focus from God and then I lose his guidance
Like most of you, I felt like Chapter 5 was written just about my life! Most of the chapter has been highlighted. I loved that Gideon told God his insecuties! I loved the reminder that “once we become daughters of the King, we have a royal inheritance that determines who we are.” The list of doubts – I have every one of them! But I loved the turning! “Turning away from self”, Turning toward God”, “Turning away from doubt”, “Turning toward truth”, “Turning away from darkness”, “Turning tward light”. I am ready to turn! I pray that we all turn toward God in all areas of our lives!
The Lord is working on my faith walk. I still struggle with my daughter and her depression and negative mind set. I adopted the verse that I am a royal preisthood years ago. I know I was set apart to serve the Lord. I refuse to live by my circumstances. Even when i’m weary I will claim the promises of my Lord. He will bring my faith to completion. I will run the race of faith just like the apostle Paul did. If I should fall I will get up again and again and again until it is completed.
Thanks for sharing Maureen. You are absolutely right taking that step of Courage and walking into Faith.
Thank you for sharing Juanita.
As I read over this chapter I could relate. People tell me God’s light shines through me. If only I would step into Faith and be in his light every day everything would be okay for me. My husband has stepped away from his Faith. At one time He used to have the strongest Faith in our family.Going to church every Sunday, Attending Bible Study, Praying at dinner time. As time goes on I have had to step up into that role I continue to pray he would find his way back into the light.
When others post the same struggles I then realize we all can benefit from one another’s stories.
I ask for prayers that one day my husband would find his way back to what he once had.. Stong Faith that did not waver.. God Bless
OFTEN God will callous beyond your limitations to do something that requires faith.It is not so much what he wants you to does what He wants to do in you, as you depend on Him. God has been giving me vision that is beyond my capabilities and courage. He Reminds me that if I empty myself of me and let God use me as his writing utensil, so to speak, He will do great things through me. I have to get my eyes off of myself and on Himor I will fall.He knew that by conquering the mminiatures he would conquerors personal enemies of fear and doubt. I find it interesting that God would put us through trials urging us to take steps of faith to rid us of our fear and doubt. When we did things that we can not do in our OWN strength we know that God can through us. If God is for us……. courage is taking a step out in faith and relinquishing our perceived control. He will bless our efforts beyond our wildest dreams if we take a step of faith. This is difficult. I Heard on K LOVE a saying that fear does not suit me as a Christian. The opposite of fear is faith. I an human and I fall. However, the milestone I spend with Him, the clearer his guidance. Becomes and if I follow Him he has got myback. If I go my oOWN way he allows me to fall, like the proticle son and takes me back when I am willing to listen and follow.
Probably weird to say but it is so reassuring to read through the comments and see the struggles everyone is having. I have been on this journey to really deal with my insecurity over the last year. Through counselling when my marriage was struggling and my husband told me he was leaving last year, I realized my own behaviours when I feel threatened emotionally and how that impacts others. I always doubt that God can really use me and my experiences for Him and it makes me feel so much better to know that there are others who are sucked into insecurity as well. Sometimes we walk through life thinking we are the only ones who don’t have it together!
God Bless!
Hey everybody! I underlined two things while reading (and as I am going through a trial – these must be relevant to it): 1) “I had created the shadow by blocking the light” and 2) “We were not designed to block the light or to be the light”
When I reflect on these two lines and having the talks with my church campus coordinator, I have learned that maybe I am getting in God’s way. That I need to trust in God completely. A few weekends ago, as I was praying to God and asking Him, “Are Your sure?”, He answered (clearer then ever before), “Trust in Me”. I could not believe I was hearing His voice but quickly said “Okay, God”. Along the lines of not blocking the light (my trial involves a true reconciliation with my ex-husband who has lost his way with God), I realized that my confidence had been shattered by the words and actions of my beloved. I had placed my confidence in him instead of Him. God is using this trial to remind me of His ultimate goal for me which is He, Himself. And I am living my life to share the light that is within me.
I am not to block the light from myself or others and I am not the light but rather a vessile to share the light.
I ask all you prayer warriors to pray for my love to turn his heart to God again. This man once told me that he needed Jesus everyday but now questions the foundations of Christianity. I love him. Although he does not understand, I know one day he will. Our marriage will not be restored wholly until he turns to God and places Jesus in the middle of his heart. Thank you friends! Praise to God for showing me how to depend on Him and showing me the way!!!
Praying, Juanita! Father God, we lift Juanita and her love to You. Thank You that Your love for both of them is great and deep. Please strengthen Juanita in her inner man to maintain her stand for her and her husband and their relationship. Please silence the lying voices around her love and let TRUTH abound in his heart. We pray for a restoration of his relationship with You and then with his wife. Please continue to grace Juanita in this part of her journey. May Juanita’s love be a great example to her love and his heart be turned to God once again. We bind the enemy over this couple in the Name of Jesus. Amen!
Thank you for what you shared here, Juanita. Thank you for reminding us that we, all too often, block the light and get in God’s way. We, indeed, must lean into and on Him. God bless you richly!
We find ourselves in the shadow of doubt many times because our thoughts are mostly about ourselves: how we’re performing and what others are thinking about us…When we focus our attention on ourselves, we turn our attention away from God…we leave no room in our thoughts to listen to what He is thinking(that’s a big one that causes me to ponder)…ask God to show me how to change my focus …I have to turn my thoughts completely toward Him by thinking about “His Strengths” instead of my weaknesses. These are some of the many lines that jumped out at me!!!! Loving this chapter! Just writing these words gives me a surge of hope and excitement inside!!!!
I loved the story of Gideon. God saw beyond what Gideon thought of himself, as lowly and the least of them. God saw a mighty warrior! I love the heading Renee had “God is Not Limited by Our Limitations”. God sees in each of us who we are in Him! That thought gives me boldness to go, and do and be what He wants me to be. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! 🙂
God bless you all my ‘sisters’!
Ch 5…oh how I so needed you…the timing of your message is perfect! I highlighted ‘I took my eyes off God’s strength and focused on my weakness’ and ‘shadow of doubt had been cast over my thoughts and emotions because I had stopped living in the light of God’s promises. That is how I end up paralyzed by the darkness.’
ohhhhh…the pit in my stomach comes alive…stirs stronger…I have been having challenges with my supervisor since early March that sent me in a frenzy back to therapist & my xanax! I have gotten myself refocused on my God in my work, however the issues with her keep creeping up. Many many factors coming in to play here, and all have me doubting my skills, performance, wanting to give up. I have her supervisor telling me to not let her stress me out…uggghhh God…seriously? why me? right now?
My sweet husband is wonderful, and knowledgeable in business which helps, calming me and helping me from getting caught in her frenzies or rash decisions that cause me to panic. He actually labeled her ‘my boogie man’ …LOL…which is so true! Why am I letting her control me so much? I lost my focus on God and His promise! Exactly…get my heart into His light and let His truths rush over my anxiety…I’m not going to lose my job, but I fear because of doubt.
Vicious cycle that enemy plays on us! But I am a child of God, and I will live in His love…I will fight for that light! Oh Lord…help me to have a confident heart…I need You. I know You are here…help my heart believe.
Joining you in the same prayer….Letting it go to the One who IS in control already. May God’s singing over you wash away our every doubt as you hear Him say….”Why are you so afraid?” in the storm.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/carrieunderwood/jesustakethewheel.html
“God is not limited by our limitations.” This is what I need to remember, believe, and pray over without fail.
last night the employment agency I am working with to find a job asked me to come in to take the bookkeeping test as they had a position open.
I was all excited and then the thoughts “you loser you know you will fail” “stupid old lady you got laid off what does that tell you.” “useless”
But oh thank goodness for chapter 5 which I had read earlier in the day. Turn to Jesus don’t run to that dark abyss of despair! So I prayed more than once mind you 🙂 as those thougths kept trying to come back.
I prayed on the way to the agency and I was confident in Jesus I knew this stuff I’ve done almost all my adult life. I went to the test with no fear! And I received a 90 on my test Praise Jesus!
So tomorrow is the job interview I ask for prayer that those thoughts stay away and that I trust the Lord
in the interview and to be content if this is or is not the job he has for me.
Thank you for Chapter 5 🙂
That is awesome Debbie! Keep praying, and we will keep praying with you, for that job!
This study has truly been opening my eyes to the way my doubts and insecurities have taken away my joy in recent years…but in doing that, I’ve been exhausted! I really had no idea how much of my energy had gone into feeling not good enough. I keep seeing how doubt has crept into so many areas of my life…at work I feel that I’m not accomplishing what I would like to because I am so tired and weary from being a single parent with extremely limited resources and support where I live, at church I feel looked down upon because I am divorced, and in terms of a relationship…feeling that a ‘godly man’ could or would never have me…and that since I wasn’t ‘good enough’ and my husband walked out on me, and our tiny baby at the time, why would anyone want me anyhow. This chapter gave me a huge wake-up call. I am a holy daughter, a woman belonging to God (1 Peter 2:9). Though I am tired and weary, I just need to cling to this. I am His.
One of the things I read that got my attention was the list of doubts that can lure you in to the shadows. I stopped at “I don’t have anything special to offer.” I was talking with a friend about his first mission trip he was taking a couple of weeks ago, and I mentioned that I’m not comfortable enough in my own walk yet to feel like I have anything to offer anyone. And to see almost the exact same words spelled out when reading chapter 5 this week, I think that may be something that God wants me to see and understand. That by getting rid of that doubt , I will be better able to step out of that shadow and focus on what He wants for me, and maybe help others in the process that have felt the same way.
Hi everyone well I just finished reading chapt 5 and 6 but won’t spoil chapt 6 for everyone will comment on that chapter tomorrow. I related to chapt 5 in so many ways of self-doubt. I tell myself that i am not good enought because I don’t feel like I have enough knowledge of our LORD GOD. This self-doubt chapter hit me hard in the face when I read it. I found myself questioning everything that I was doing in my life today. I liveby self-doubt week in and week out lately and with fear that I will never be able to overcome it. I doubt today that God would want a woman like me leading a sunday school class in prayer yet my friend said to me that I am ready and should just risk it. Well , if anyone knows me taking risk is not me I would rather turn around and run for the hills in short of being embarased in front of my friends. However, she doesn’t see it that way she tells me that I have grown in many ways espicially in Gods family and has no DOUBT that I could lead the Sunday school class in prayer. Taking risks is like saying here it is come and get it but if you fail than you are a failure to yourself again. What is up with that ? Okay I will stop rambling here.
Hi Renee and everyone
Im just now finishing chapter 4 it was really hard for me. I have started a timeline last night and plan on working on it nightly with God. I have looked over chapter 5 but not really read it yet i will to night be from what I have seen I can relate. I also relate to Ms. Donna’s story. will tell more later. Praying for all In Christ Love. I;m also asking for prayers for a personal problem in my life I thank you for all prayers IN Christ Love
Renee and all my sisters in this study. Please pray for my girlfriend T.S who was just diagnosed with MS yesterday. Her health start failing in Oct…as she was getting ready to get married. My friend is newly married now, and ONLY 37. She loves the Lord and her faith is amazing. And, like most of us woman—she wanted to have a child lead an ordinary life –yet serving the Lord but can’t right now because of MS. My heart is heavy w/sadness and all I can think about is praying and encouraging her. How can one turn to the light w/heaviness in heart and feeling hopeless. She is accepting it and is peaceful but I am sure it is not as simple as it seems for none of us know she she feels inside and what comes to her mind as the end of the day when she put her head on her pillow to rest. Pls pray along w/me for God to give her strength, and for continued peace as well as direction and wisdom as the disease progress. THANK YOU ALL!!!
Hi Ferehiwot aka tati michael
I will be praying for your friend In Gods Love
I will pray for your friend as I have worked with alot of people who have m.S. and see what it does to ones life. Putting her on the prayers I will be saying tonight.
Hi! Ferehiwot aka tati michael, your friend and you will be in my prayers. I know first hand that you feel helpless and do not know how to help. Coming into the New Year my niece had lost vision on one of her eyes, she was hospitalized over the holidays and through various extranious/painful test,my family and I were notified with the news that my niece has MS(she will be 20yrs old this May) I did not know how to grasp the news and help not only my niece but my sister that looked like she was swallowed into a big black hole. In my heart and faith I know God does miracles and that he is cleansing and purging my beautiful niece to be this amazing young woman in God. Please let your friend know that God does not give us nothing we can’t handle, it is a journey she will be walking with God and believe in miracles and beautiful cleansing from inside/out. This is what I tell my beautiful niece and no matter what God never lets go. As for you Ferehiwot aka tati michael, fear not you are your friend best medicine, you are walking with her on her journey with God…and both of you will see beautiful miracles in God. Be blessed and never let go of your faith.
Praying, praying,praying!!! Sending love and hugs to you both!!