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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

Read An Excerpt: Chapter 1 & 2

It’s Hard to Believe

It’s hard to believe that God could love me the way He does.

It’s hard to believe that no matter what I do, His love will never fail, never change, never end.

It’s hard to believe that He delights in me. That He just likes to look at me and watch me with love in His eyes, even when I am not doing a thing.

It’s hard to believe that even though I’ve broken His heart, betrayed His trust and questioned His ways…He still loves me!!!!

It’s hard to believe but it’s good to know that it’s true!

I want to be a woman who not only believes in God, but really believes Him. I want to really live like His love is true. As I promised in my devotion today at P31 and Crosswalk, I wanted to share a few of my favorite promises of His love from His Word. Will you join me in allowing these words to pour over our hearts and minds and let them become our truths.

“You are precious and honored in my sight, and…I love you.” Isaiah 43:4

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us…There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” 1 John 4:16b-17, 18

“In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” Ephesians 1:5-6

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding…”Ephesians 1:7-8

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separateus from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separateus from God’s love.” Romans 8:38

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” 1 John 4:16

How are you knowing and relying on God’s love today? Are there verses God’s given you to remind you that your heart may say one thing but His heart says another…You are loved!!!!!! I would love to know your favorite “love note” verses.

Comments

  1. Renee,
    Thanks so much for stopping by my teen blog on Monday (WOW..you read them both!)
    As far as my running goes, check out my Lynn Cowell blog today if you have time. I had a rough time on my run EARLY (5:20 a.m.!) this morning. I am plugging away. We are suppose to run 12 1/2 this Saturday. Melissa and I will be speaking in Kinston, so I guess Greg and I will try to get it in on Sunday sometime after I get back.
    I think it would be great to get together and run with you! I NEVER like to run alone – I am too prone to quit. It would also be great to get our husbands together for dinner too. Let’s talk about it!
    See you soon,
    Lynn
    PS Glad you enjoyed my talk.:)

  2. This is hard for me to grasp sometimes. The knowing and the KNOWING! Thank you for the reminder and the encouragement with the verses to keep us going=)

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and for choosing my post. I’m really excited to be able to contribute something. We love ya’lls ministry!

    God Bless,
    Tasha

  3. “I knit you together in your mothers womb…
    You are fearfully and wonderfully made”
    Psalm 139

    Thank you for the great post Renee’ and the precious reminder of the love of our lives!!

    Bless you,
    pat layton

  4. Thank you to all who have posted their favorite love notes!!!! There are many I like, but the one that has ministered to me the most is 1Peter4:8″ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
    God gave me this is the midst of one of the hardest battles of my life, forgiving my husband!!!!
    In 1Corinthians13:4-8 GOD laid out how we are to love, when we love like that, all sins will be covered, after all isnt that how CHRIST loved us when He went to the cross?

  5. Hi Renee,
    Thank you for this post. I have been open to letting God love me lately. I am trying to let go of the need to prove myself. I have two quick (maybe!) stories.
    Last Wednesday was a rough day, mostly of my overcommitted making. Anyway, I was headed to church for a meeting, feeling low, and I just prayed that God remind me that He loves me in spite of myself. When I got out of the car, there was the most beautiful and out of place rainbow stretching in a field across the street. No rain, just a rainbow. Awesome.

    The Lord also gave me a scripture in a dream a few months ago. I was praying and questioning did He know how much I’ve changed and that it is sincere. I had a dream that I was wandering around where I used to work (and get into trouble) and no one recognized me. Someone handed me an ornament with Hebrews 2:6 written on it. Immediately upon waking I looked it up: “For someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?” I knew that it came from Psalm 8, one of my favorites. But I didn’t know about this reference in Hebrews. I know God used the one I love in a place I didn’t know to let me know how He really feels about all of us. Me included!

    Thanks for giving me a chance to share one of my favorite reminders. God Bless all of you at P31!
    Deb Giese

  7. I think I would have to agree with Amy, one of my all time favorites:
    Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, He is might to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

    the other one is Psalm 42:8 “By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life.”

    I need some of these love notes from God right now. I need that closeness, that knowing that he sings over me, that He is with me, and that He will quiet me with His love.

    Thank you for the encouragement!
    God Bless,
    Heather

  8. Hi Renee! Lysa said she invited you to our lunch but you weren’t able to make it! So sad. Maybe next time, though? I would love that.

    Thank you for this post. It brought me to a halt in this busy day to remember the promises of God. And while I’m here, one of my favorite verses of God’s love to us is Zephaniah 3:17:

    “He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

    Many blessings to you as Jesus lives his sweet life through you.

  9. My favorite is Zephaniah 3:17 — The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

    Bummer — This weekend would have been the weekend I would have seen you. I still have Sat. off. Maybe I should make it a goal to get a possible devotion off to you to read?

    Hope you get to do something great this weekend.

  10. “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:13-14)

    “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD endures forever–do not abandont the works of your hands.” (Psalm 138:8)

    Thinking of your tonight, friend.

    peace~elaine

  11. Thank you for this devotional! One of my favorite verses is:

    “Jesus wept.” John 11:35

    It reminds me that Jesus loves me enough to weep with me when I weep. He’s not just laying down the laws of the land, rather He’s “interactive”, caring about the details of my heart.

    After a miscarriage, I had a friend who just sat silently, held my hand, and cried with me. That, for me, was a simple, yet very memorable act of love.

  12. What a great devotion for today! I remember watching Kristyn as she slept…so peaceful and content. To know God loves us so much that He watches over us with even more perfect love than we can give others is breathtaking. Thank you for a beautiful devotion today, and for the Scriptures you shared here. I am clinging to, “”You are precious and honored in my sight, and…I love you.” Isaiah 43:4 It reminds me that I am the Daughter of the King.

  13. In Isaiah 41:10 (Amplified)God tells us not to be dismayed (discouraged or confused by what we see), for He is here with us….Praise Him always!

    Isaiah 41:10 Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

  14. “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” Hosea 2:14

    This is where the Lord is showing me His love right now and speaking tenderly to me – in the desert. Not a desolate place, but a place without distractions. I place where there is only Jesus and me.

    Then, the Lord tells me in Isaiah 51:3, “He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord.” Nothing more beautiful than being loved and restored by the Lord.

    My all time favourite “love” verse is already mentioned in your post – Isaiah 43:4

    God’s love is incredible, but wonderful to believe,
    Joy

  15. Hey, Renee!
    I loved your devotional today! I read through the scripture during my quiet time–love it! Our God is so tender with us in His love. It’s that same love that we lavish upon our children. Even though my boys are older, I still love to sneak in their rooms after they are asleep and kiss that sweet little place on the backs of their necks just like I did when they were babies.

    I have too many verses to pick only one! THe ones you listed were great.

    Many blessings,
    Susan

  17. Renee-Loved your P31 devotional AND today's post. The Scripture verses you chose are so powerful. Thanks for sharing your beautiful heart with us.

    I was just watching the DVD of your talk from She Speaks. God spoke so deeply to my heart the first time I heard your message. My life has been dramatically changed since that night. THANK YOU for allowing God to use you! Watching it again has been so good. 🙂

    Praying God's sweet & abundant blessings upon you!

    With love,
    Amy in OR

  18. Thank you for your precious encouragement! I too have many love verses and God speaks them to my heart on different occasions.

    “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.” Isaiah 40:31

    This verse is very special to me in this season, as one of my dear friends treasured this verse and she went home to be with the Lord a couple of months ago, after battling leukemia. Now whenever I see a bird soaring in the sky, it reminds me that she is soaring effortlessly with God in her heavenly home.

    May God continue to bless your day and your ministry!!

  19. Goode Morning…
    I have been admiring your blog for a few weeks now. Love it!!!

    I firmly believe in the word… Thank you for reminding me, I will be back to visit often & go through your archives.

    AuTuMn BLeSSiNgs, Pamela

  20. Renee,

    I have so many "love notes" for many situations. Right now with the state of the world, the economy the way it is as well as our own personal finances I turn to Psalm 46. I've typed verses 1-3 & 10 but the whole chapter is powerful!

    "God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."

    "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

    Peace….in the storm of life.

    In Christ's name,
    Kim

  22. Since I’ve been dealing with some depression lately, this verse rings true to me:

    I John 3:16, 19-20

    “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

  23. Thank you for the devotional and blog post this morning 🙂

    My favorite love note from God is Psalm 27:8:

    My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

  24. Thank you for your words of encouragent! Here is one of my favorite verses on God’s love.

    For the mountains may move
    and the hills disappear,
    but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
    My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:10 (NLT)

  25. “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us…There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” 1 John 4:16b-17, 18

    This by far is my favorite love note. It allows me to feel the fear and do it anyway. I can not believe how complete I feel when I walk out of fear and into obediance. I love the part where it says perfect love drives out fear, that is amazing!!!!! What I am walking through now is being obediant to the call and allowing God to prune me and I am learning to relax in the process. His perfect love allows me to put away my training wheels and ride with no hands!!!!!! Thanks my friend for the love notes.

    Love you bunches
    Cris

  26. God Bless you for the reminder of His truth today. Your devotion “While you are sleeping” was such a tremendous blessing to my heart today, too.

    “The Lord is my Shepherd, I have EVERYTHING I need.” (Psalm 23:1) has been the love verse that I proclaim each day.