“We can trust God’s plans as we realize that His story is being written into ours. His power is perfected in the broken places we consider to be our greatest weaknesses – our most vulnerable emotions we don’t want anyone to know about. In those hiding places, God calls us out of captivity. When we’re willing to let Him, He brings hope for our future despite the pain of our past.” – Chapter 4
Chapter 4 takes a lot of courage. And I’m so proud of you for being here and not giving up, for wanting all He has for you. I know your Heavenly Father is so proud of you too, for your pursuit and your willingness to walk with Him one step at a time. Remember Christ died to forgive our sins but also to heal our souls so that we can live in Him – with HOPE again!
Don’t give up friend, no matter what! Stay close to Jesus. Stay connected here. We’re in this together. HE is so worthy!! And you? You are so worth it!!
Here’s this week’s messages. Please don’t miss it. I want to be able to share with you face to face this. You were on my mind and in my prayers when I filmed this teaching several weeks ago. Please click the arrow below to watch.
Message Notes: You can download video “Message Notes” in a PDF format here or in a MSWord doc here. I encourage you to watch it once and just let God speak to your heart. Then if you want to, watch it a second time and follow along with the message notes which include parts of the message, verses and blanks to fill in. 🙂
I know the timelines I encourage you to do are scary for many. I really do understand. And it takes time. I wish I had shared that more clearly in the book. Today I’m praying for God to give you courage and perseverance to press through any fear that would keep you from starting it. Fear is Satan’s way of keeping us from the freedom God wants in our lives. You don’t have to do a timeline if you don’t want to or if God doesn’t lead you to. The reason I encourage one is because it’s valuable for us to identify memories and emotions caused in the past that play a role in how you see ourselves and others, and how we handle life and relationships today.
In her comments under this post, May shared how she’s been taking it a little at a time and how answering the questions at the end of the chapter has helped her start her timeline.
Connecting in Community: Let’s share with each other what God showed you through our video message? Also, if you feel comfortable, please share some of your answers to questions at end of Chapter 4.
Click “share your thoughts” right below this post and do just that. I’ll be here reading and praying and commenting as time allows. Let’s take a minute today to pray for or encourage someone else as time allows. This chapter is one where it sure is good to know we have friends here to pray and walk beside us, isn’t it? LOVE you guys!!!
Discover more from Renee Swope
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I am new to the group study, and as i was reading the thoughts, I felt Good I am some place where I can finally be understood,I have been through a lot in my life starting at the age of three. and I do remember those awful times, and I can’t talk about them, hopefully i can tell God all about them. Asking for his help now.
Victoria,
I was looking for an encouraging scripture for you and turned to Psalm 40. I hope you have time to read it. Right now, I think that vs. 17 describes your plea to God: “Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.” God loves you and wants to deliver you from your past so you can walk into the future He has for you. Trust Him and He will provide just what you need.
Victoria, I love the Psalm that Donna has encouraged you to read. I also had a lot of pain from my childhood and Psalm 40:1-3 has become my life verses. I have walked through and processed through that pain with the Lord and although it is hard, as Renee said, it is SOOO worth it! Cry out to the Lord, cry on His shoulder and let Him heal. Do what He says do, no matter how hard, because it will set you free. He will lift you up from the pit and set Your feet on His Rock of truth. He will make your steps secure and you will have a song of praise to sing to Him. Others will see what He has done in you and will turn to Him as well. Blessings dear sister!
Brandee,
Well said! Great , sound, God given advice. It lifted me up when I read it.
God Bless us all.
The Lord be magnified!!
So many things spoke to me in this chapter but I will name just a few. He knows our past and our pain can actually lead us to his plans and hope for our future. It is encouraging to know that god knows what hurts and struggles we are facing in our lives and can use these hurts/struggles for his good and his plan for our lives.
I identified with your statement I have always felt like a pine tree, tossed by the winds of my emotions, defined by my circumstances, and uprooted by life’s storms.
No matter what you have done or what as been done to you, god has a plan for your life. He wants to use everything he has brought you to, to bring you through.
Learning to live in the security of god’s promises is a daily journey of dependence. His love is not only perfect and unfailing, it redeems and restores. His truth cuts to the core of our struggles, bringing purpose to our pain, redemption from our past, and hope for our future.
Thank you Carrie, your post really ministered to me today. The last line was a very special blessing to me. It is good to remember that God knows our hurts and pains that we are feeling today and has brought us through the past by being there with us, whether we knew it then or not. I am so thankful for that. What an awesome God we serve.
I Praise Him!
Thank-You Renee! The Video is exactly what I needed to hear. Thoughts about things in my past have been surfacing for awhile now. I couldn’t understand why things (hurts, pain, etc) I haven’t thought about in years-because I stuffed all of that down deep- all of a sudden started just “popping” into my head. I realize now it is God leading me to face these issues and heal them with him so that I can go on and become all that He created me to be. I believe God lead me to this study not only to heal those hurts, but to overcome my insecurities and fears and to learn to really trust in Him and to develop a deeper relationship with Him.
This really resonated with me throughout. I too am finding that past hurts and dissapointments are causing me to be critical of my husband and trying to control the situation. As the message states this is just not working. It causes resentment in our marriage where rejoicing in each other should be. We have only been married a little over a year. Being 30 at the time we met, I had many years to mourn, but instead I ran from them and from God. To know there is hope is such a blessing, and like JJ, God has given me the husband He knew I needed. God bless you all this week.
I’ve heard a similar teaching that describes how Satan uses events from our past to oppress us in the now. Unfortunately he knows what has happened, even though we may not be able to identify what is bothering us….much like you mentioned with Aster. It takes the power of almighty God to break those unseen powers. I pray for all of us to have unseen bondages broken, that we may not be held captive by pain of the past…in Jesus mighty and precious name.
This is a great study and as usual God’s timing is perfect! Joanne, thank you for recognizing that “even if we can’t identify” god knows….A timeline sounds so stressful to me because I remember so little of my childhood. I know of little bits and pieces and thank God I went through some intense counseling a few years ago and in those memories Jesus is now there because of the places the Counselor had me go. He worked with me in replacing those times (in the dark closet, crying on the bus to school as a child while children laughed at me) with Jesus right there with me so that is what I see now instead of the fear and darkness i felt. But really, I don’t remember much. It wasn’t good, I know that, I know of my parents alcoholism, the violent outburst were there, the infidelity of my mother, my crying dad…But actual memories are not there. I know after years of Counseling, depression and anxiety, and more…that it was painful, i felt unloved and rejected and I wanted to fix it all. But god was there!! Praise him! for so long I believed He wasn’t’ with me, he let me get hurt. I know better now. Doing the questions is just a reminder of it, so it is difficult, but I press on…In His love
I too went to intense counseling to deal with abuse that I suffered while a very young girl. It was called theophostic. I went into my memories that were causing me pain and I saw God there with me. I prayed for God to reveal himself. I prayed for God to help me forgive those that hurt me.And by doing those things I felt like I broke from my past. It was difficult to “go” there to the memory, but so necessary to free me to live in the present with healing. I can honestly say that I felt like a huge heavy burden was lifted and felt so free and so loved by God. It may be hard to do a timeline, but when I do one, although the memories are still there, there is no pain, no fear, only peace. It is hard to explain, except to say God healed me of those terrible events and I can share specific memories and not cry or feel anything. God is good, 100% good. He never causes us to go through these bad trials or lets us go alone. He is there to help us heal and love us. Psalms 34:18
Renee thank you for this message and for the messages throughout your book. Some of my past hurts have caused me to doubt myself in the area of my abilities to perform my job and to look toward career advancement with fear and doubt. Thank you so much for telling me that God does want to heal my past and take care of my future and he wants me to be confident in his love for me.
Renee, thank you for your honesty and vulnerability and faithfulness. I too have much to heal from and have stuffed it for over forty years. God wants to heal me and I have fought to not deal with it because of the pain. I also have a young adopted daughter internationallly that is struggling through much of your sweetness’s struggles. It has been so difficult to watch her struggle. But I know that if I don’t deal with my own past, which mirrors my daughter’s greatly, I cannot help her. The vulnerability is so difficult. Thank you for standing as an example and in the gap for the rest of us to show us the grace and miraculous love of our Heavenly Father to accept us, love us and heal us as we walk it out and beyond. God bless you abundantly, Renee and your family for sharing you with us.
Thank you Renee for this book and this study – it has come at a cucial point in my healing and growing process. I began this process by searching for peace a couple of years ago and God has walked me through my past hurts, disappointments and even sins and He allowed me to cry, heal and grow. As hard as it was it has been, I can truly say that it has been an amazing journey and I feel better than I have in…well….ever really! I found you through Lysa’s bible study, Made to Crave, which gave me a new outlook on my struggle with my weight/eating. Then I found your book and study and being guided to go to God for help with my confidence has taken my journey to whole new level! I never cease to be amazed at His impecable and perfect timing and wisdom! Learning to trust in His plan for me, understanding that I have lived with a very false sense of control, my whole life, and finally being able to relinquish that has finally brought me the peace that I have been so desparately seeking. Living in the past and trying to control everthing and everybody was exhausting and futile — His way is so much better!! So I would like to encourage those who are just starting this journey to pray for strength and courage and He will carry you through the process. Enjoy the journey because the end will be better than you can imagine! LOL and prayers to all…..
Thank you for sharing your journey and encouragements, Tish. God bless you.
Dear Renee,
As I read through your book a couple of months ago, I thought to myself how similar our stories are. My dad died when I was six so while I had some uncles in my life, it is not the same. My mom never remarried and so with only a high school education, she had to work minimum wage jobs all the rest of her life. She brought me up with the idea that I had to be strong and able to support myself in case something ever happened to me like what happened to her. When dating, I always was too possessive of the guys so most ended up just being friends. I finally met the guy that became my husband but like you, soon became critical and dissatisfied because he was somewhat independent minded and didn’t like being “trapped ” in a job and has gone from “good” job to self-employment several times. I was looking for security and stability. We have had some very rocky times and right now he is working in another state and we don’t get to see each other all that often. But, also like you, the Lord has given me Isaiah 43 and all that it promises. My pastor felt led to share that scripture with me one Sunday morning. Actually the date was 1/23/11. In that chapter, I feel that God has told me that He is going to restore my family to him and my marriage. There have been some really rough times in the last year, where I questioned if I was doing the right thing by holding on to something that seems all but dead. But God has really reassured me that if I am faithful, He will be faithful. Your book and then the videos are so much what I have needed for reassurance and for building up “A Confident Heart” in me. The world -and some of my church family – would support me if I decided to do different but I cannot disobey God in my marriage. I found your devotion and your prayer for husbands and have been praying that over my husband almost every day since I found it. I am also planning on doing a timeline because I know that my daddy’s death has not been the only factor in me being who I am. I am looking forward to getting rid of some strongholds that have been weighing me down for years. Thank you so much for sharing and encouraging us to seek our “confident hearts” in the Lord also.
When God speaks we cannot go wrong listening to Him alone Donna! YOU are right….if he said he’ll restore then watch and see – he will restore! Praise God for women like you. 🙂
Karen- Michigan
Thanks for sharing, Donna. He will you strength. Keep clinging to His truths!
this was a wonderful encouragement! i sure hope i can let go like i need to, please pray for it to be so, and thank you so much for your teaching and encouragement 🙂 this book is amazing.
I was just thinking how afraid I am of the timeline after watching the video and then I read the next paragraph and it addressed this very thing. For me it’s not the hurts of my past that are “the big ones” that scare me but the possibility of something being brought to my mind out of the darkness and into the light. I have worked through so much pain from my past and already brought so much to light by God’s grace in my life, but I know there is more to be done. At times I grow tired of all this “processing” and then I’m reminded of Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
In weakness, THEN I am strong. It’s all because of HIM. Blessings Sisters!
Thank you Shasta for the reminder of those verses. I get caught up in feeling that some the times this is a race, and the reminder is that it is a journey and it is the direction that my path is going not the speed. But that is one of the lessons/promises I believe God is working on in me is of perseverance. It’s easy to to give up many times, but good to carry on.
And Renee, the way you are presenting God’s promises in the Word is such a gift andI’m blessed for the timing and my heart being open to processing of this now. Going back to last week lesson one of my fears in sharing my testimony or faith with others is that doubt I’ll do it right. I don’t have the verses on the tip of my tongue, but it has been easier now to see where to look. Starting my own little references with the verses you use in the book and from here online Blessings to all Lou
Thank you, Lou and Shasta for those wonderfully timely reminders! This is a JOURNEY and we do have HOPE in the Lord!!! Yes, we grow weary and faint, but He will renew our strength!
This is a lonely journey for me right now; well, actually, as I’m working through the timeline, I’m seeing LOTS of lonely parts of the journey. ouch. Although in truth, God has been alongside me all the way, much of the time I just didn’t pay attention.
Yeah, Rene, lots of tears. Tears can be cleansing, though!
Here’s to the “light at the end of the tunnel” or actually the Light that guides the Way!
Blessings to you all, sisters in Christ. May He provide abundantly more than any of us can ask or imagine!
Awesome video! I love that God can restore our souls and make us whole again, when we think it’s impossible from the hurt we endured in the past. He is so amazing and His redeeming love is just waiting right there for us when we allow Him to take that hurt from us. The mistakes from my past (especially in college with excessive drinking and being vulnerable to males) have been wiped away and I’m not longer burdened with the guilt. I know that God has restored me and given me hope in His abundant life. Praise God!! Thank you, Renee, for this great bible study!! It has helped me immensely!
what an awesome video … Thank You Renee for posting it today! I just can not wait for my sisters to see it . I’m thanking GOD for you and yours at this very moment. Your work is inspiring many and many more will be inspired by the many. Your obedience to our FATHER is a blessing.
I hear you sister!!! I share with my friends revelations that I experience thru this who are not actually doing this study, so many will be blessed!! AWESOME!!!
I actually got to read today and watch your video. You look beautiful, btw!!
You quoted one of my favorite nuggets from the book in this video. Such a powerful statement about our pasts and our futures.
Blessings to you, sister! I pray for continued healing!
First of all I want to say What a Blessing you are to Adopt Such a Precious and Beautiful little child of God.And I am so Thankful your feeling better.I Love you Teachings this one touched my heart as all the ones I have been doing in your Book.Doubt will rob us of Gods Blessing it is like a poison if we consume it it will destroy us.i Always heard you doubt you will do without.I don’t want to be a Doubting Thomas.I want to be All God called me to be.I kicked doubt to the curb.The devil can only mess with our minds if we let him.He is the one that tries to steal our Joy Our Peace.I have really grown in the Lord more then ever.I know when the enemy tries to take my mind by putting negative thoughts in I just Quote Scripture Greater is He that is in Me then he that is of the world-If God be for me who can be against me-ST.MATTHEW5:1-12 Love these Scriptures.Praying for You and all the Women in this online study.God Bless you and your Family thank you forus to grow more Stronger in God and His Promises.
Thank You Renee for this book & what you are doing. It is helping me through a very tough time in my life. It is encouraging me in many ways. Keep up the great work. I love being able to hear your voice through the videos. It makes me feel like you are right there to talk too. Thank you so much. God Bless You!
Thank you for these videos, they are a great way to reinforce what we are learning and reading and really helps me to process the information in a way that puts it in my heart, not just my head. I have processed a lot of my past hurts before this study but there is always something for the Holy Spirit to bring up for me to surrender! LOL Ladies….be strong and courageous, for the Lord Your God is with you! This is good stuff!
So far this study has been very good, but I am finding it very difficult to keep up as my time at home is not my own, and I work FT outside the home. I took a chance, hoping that I could do this. Please pray that my circumstances will change to allow me to indulge my heart’s desire and need to not only read and study, but to really dig in to the lessons and His Word on a daily basis.
I absolutely know what you are saying. My life sounds the same. The only time that is my own is from 4:30 AM til the 3 year gets up, as I go to bed as soon as I put him down, sometimes at 8:30!! It is HARD, but so worth it when I do get time in the morning or on my lunch break. Praying that you will have just 5 minutes!
A 3 y/o….yikes! God bless you, sister, for staying the course! I certainly will lift prayers for you!
Thanks for being vulnerable with all of us, Renee. It has been a struggle for me, but God is showing me (even prior to this study) that I have been too strong and I need to show my weakness and deal with them. Only in my weakness can He show Himself mighty in my life. I’ve been in the way of may victories…and now, I’m allowing Him to move me out of the way!
Thank you for such an encouraging video Renee. You’r looking so good, praise God for His healing.You are so right, the thought of the timeline fills me with dread.
The chapter a week way to study, is a great way for things to sink in. If I was just reading your book I would be rushing through it and missing lots of what God has to say to me.
Blessings to all the ladies taking part in this where ever they are. I’m in the UK xxx
Today’s topic on “Finding Hope for My Future” is so timely because of what I am going through right now. I was involved in a car accident about nearly 3 years ago which resulted to a court case filed against me (Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Homicide). It was such a painful experience and my faith in Jesus was put to the test. By the grace of God, I’ve kept the faith and continually holding to His promises up to this day. It was the presence of God that keeps me going and although I have to face the “unknown” with regards to my court case, in my heart I know my life is in His Hands and my hope is in Him alone. Thank you for your encouragement through your book “A Confident Heart”. Although I don’t have a copy yet, I faithfully the topics thru your emails. Please pray from me especially on my upcoming court hearing on the 27th February. May the Lord be with me just as He had promised. God bless us all.
Angelina,
I can’t imagine your waiting. May God give you supernatural strength in your waiting and pain. May his truths come incredibly alive to you as you continually look at Him and His word!
Karen- Michigan
Angelina,
Bless you for sharing your experience. Cling to the hope you have in Jesus as you wait. My prayers are with you!
Valerie
Angelina,
I pray the God of hope fills you with all joy and peace as you trust in him. Your faith is an encouragement to all of us. Thank you.
AKingelina,
My heart goes out to all involved. A condo complex was built next to my house that is over one hundred years old. My house partially collapsed with my husband and I in it! It’s been in litigation three years now. It has been a long, confusing, trying and sometimes very dark journey. God is faithful though. Choose each day to seek God’s presence and help. I am amazed how God shows his presence and encouragement to me.
Blessings,
Mary Kay
Hi Angelina,
Wow, my heart goes out to you and your pain.You are an example of faith and trust in Our Lord. Thank you for sharing. I will pray for you and for your upcoming court case.
What touched me also was what you said, “although I have to face the unknown with regards to my court case, in my heart I know my life is in His Hands and my hope is in Him alone.” I face the unknown right now with regards to my marriage, because we are separated. As I lean heavily on my Lord, I know all my answers, help and hope come from Him alone. I will be praying for you.
Angelina, I want to share with you some scripture that is helping me go through my court cases process. For God’s Glory and Honor , He has already declared Victory in one of the cases. But what I am learning through this process is that it has brought me to a place where I needed God to help me. I needed to be weak in order to really cry out and depend on Him to really get to know HIm as my great “I AM”. I dont like the way I got to really know Him but Im sure glad it happened. If it never did I could not see how Real our God is.
Romans 8:33-35
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Isaiah 54:17
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the LORD.
What an amazing testimony of faith you have Angelina! I have really been going “through the storm” of the unknown in my own life and reading hearing your strength through your words & the faith you have encourages me to “stay the course”. God bless you during this time, may He guide you and keep you. I know what the devil meant for your harm, God is using for His glory! God bless you today & always. May this test become your testimony!
Hello, I am also in the UK , so a little out of the timeline but this book is amazing and speaks a lot to my heart. I have been struggling to come to Christ for years now – forwards and backwards and never sure of what I believe. Yet books like A Confident Heart get to me and hit home. I have prayed and asked for faith and confirmation of faith, I have felt strong, then like a fraud ,worried sick that I am rejecting the Spirit and so on. I also lost a relationship with a Christian partner as a result of my fear and panic and nothing has ever pained me more in my life or made me feel more of a failure. I live daily with regret and a longing for him which never goes away but yet knowing nothing has changed in my life, so we still could not be together. He has also moved on and found someone new. This has all been incredibly hard to deal with so I guess I’m a bit dispirited and in need of God to really, really lift me up if he is there and show me how to go on and what to do. Thank you for this blog x