Oh how I am LOVING reading so much about each of you. Gosh I wish we could all meet!! What an amazing group of women of all ages and from all places God has gathered here in HIS name! Makes me just about burst with joy! And now, I’m so glad today is here. Some days my written words come easily. Other days I just have to show and tell you what’s on my heart. Today is one of those days.
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{Are you a note-taker? If so, I created “Video Message Notes” in a PDF and in MSWord just for you. Even included blanks to fill in. 🙂
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Asking questions are truly nice thing if you are not understanding anything
totally, except this article presents pleasant understanding yet.
I lost my job 6 months ago and I hadn’t realized how much of ME was lost in that job; I allowed my job to consume me. My prayer is for the Lord to show me through this study how to re-align myself w/ Him and for Him to direct me where I should go. I pray for complete satisfaction that HE is my portion. Amen!
Loved the message! I think the most powerful picture was after the vase filled with all of those “things” there was still so much room/space. God is the only one who can fill us up. I am so thankful for His love!
This describes exactly how I feel most of the time. This was a very powerful message to listen to.
Hey!
I was really inspired by the video and chapter 3. I’m in the middle of trying to fill my life with other people, my job, house and other things. but it never seems to be enough because I lack in my relationship with the All mighty God.
Just need to work my way around it and start making some progress in my relationship with Christ!
Thank you for your encouraging words and video.
Riina
Great ‘show and tell’ of a lesson I’ve been learning for many years and have many more to go I’m sure. Thanks!
I spent years trying to fill the void in my heart with everything and everyone but God. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom that God opened my eyes to see that He was all that I ever needed and He was the only one that could fill the unsatisfied quenching of my heart by His unfailing love, mercy, and grace. Thank you Renee for this beautiful reminder of my need to rest in God’s love, mercy, and grace each day and that nothing and no one else can satisfy the hunger of my soul and bring me true peace and rest but Christ and Christ alone.
Such a wonderful message.Thank you for this, it is helping me tremendously.
I just loved this video! When you were putting everything into the jar all I was thinking was I do that, I try so hard to fill up my jar in order to be loved or accepted. It’s hard to acknowledge that I do that. I feel so guilty just knowing I do that and wonder how can God love me so much when I push him away so much. I loved how you filled the vase up with water. I just had a smile on my face thinking, God can do that for me, he can fill me completely! What a wonderful feeling. Thank you for sharing! I am loving this study.
Love this video! I give a lot of safety trainings so these types of demonstrations always speak to me! It is similar to the demonstration of putting rocks, pebbles, sand and then water in a jar. It always seems full but there proves to be room for more each time. But this demonstration dumps that out and puts it in perspective: fill it up with the water first! Seek Him and he will provide!
Reading this chapter was powerful enough, but this video really brought it home (especially since I am a very visual person!). Seeing all the things that we try to fill our lives with. I do this all the time, though I know it’s wrong. I’m an “addiction” type person. Not bad addictions per se, but then, anything that takes me away from focusing on God is pretty bad. This is usually electronic related, or even regular books, food and coffee. In themselves they’re not bad, but I tend to turn to them more than my Bible when I’m feeling down or tired, even though I know how good I feel when I am in His Word.
I seek approval from others. I look to them to tell me, “Well done, good and faithful servant” instead of living my life waiting for Him to tell me. This is something I have realized about myself previously, and something I have been working on. It’s a matter of wanting others to tell my I’m doing a good job, that I’m needed, that I’m special, that I’m important. I want to be sought. And yet, I’ve already learned that HE sought me. That why I am where I am today. Washed in the blood of the Lamb. He has filled me, yet I still slip.
I would also like to say that I am so very thankful for this Bible study. I feel comfortable sharing my real thoughts and feelings. Plus, It takes me a while to get all my thoughts together, so having a place to come and really think about the message, and then being able to write it here (I’m a writer, it’s so much easier for me!) is amazing.
Renée, your video message put the story of the Samaritan woman into a simple and real message. Even though I know that there is only one source that fills my heart, mind, and soul and fulfills my desire to love and be loved, sometimes I receive a gentle nudge or a big shove if I don’t turn to Him right away. God has great plans for me! He satisfies my deepest longings and desires and all I have to do is rely on Him in faith and trust with hope and love! Thanks for the imagery!
WOW!!!! What an amazing perspective!!!! I have never thought about my heart as a jar. But like other people (which is quite comforting to know that I am not alone in my thoughts, feelings and actions), I have struggled for so long, struggled with happiness, feeling alone, feeling not good enough, feeling like I am never going to get ahead, always wanting better, always wanting that acceptance from people and things that I missed out on alot of time, precious time with my family, friends and most importantly God. I never felt good enough, smart enough, to the point it was self abusive. But when God blessed me with a very supportive, understanding, loving husband, and the most wonderful, understanding and beautiful daughter, he gave me a taste of what true unconditional love is and I can’t thank him enough for that. Now I need to shift myself into being more appreciative and grateful to him for HIS LOVE, HIS UNCONDITIONAL, UNFAILING love and so I can see the beauty that he sees in me, someday.
Some of my favorite thoughts from this chapter:
…”God put a longing for unfailing love in our hearts because He knew it would lead us back to Him”
…”by being honest about her life and the lies she believed, she could start turning toward the truth”-lies keep us from the truth. Believing in the lies is why we haven’t been able to feel His unconditional love. It’s been there all along yet we haven’t been able to connect to it because of believing in the lies.
…”She could bring the thirst of her heart to Him”- that’s how I want to change
…”seeking satisfaction in Christ”- this is the main message for me that I have gained from this chapter
I have learned that I:
* constantly look at my performance, judging myself and not being happy about it, never good enough
* looking to my husband for love, acceptance and approval
* look to food when I don’t feel good, when I feel empty inside
No wonder I struggle with having a steady stream of happiness. I have been looking for happiness in performance, my husband and food. A great eye opener. I guess that is what this chapter was meant to be- an eye opener for us, to see where we are looking to get our needs filled and to realize that we’ve been looking in the wrong places-it’s in Him where happiness lies.
I love this book. It really makes me stop and look at myself, what I really want, where I am in my walk with the Lord. I look forward to getting deeper even though I know I may not like what I see in myself.
I had read the chapter at the beginning of this week, but did not watch the video until just today. The video really helped to give a visual to the meaning of “filling our hearts” with Him instead of everything else in life. After having read the chapter and discovering the main point, I really tried to use/reflect on that main point throughout the week – especially when I was feeling stressed and went to fill myself with food, instead of Him. Unfortunately the food won out sometimes, but I keep trying; it’s a work in progress, as I am, too.
You know lately, I have been thinking…I want a bigger house…should I get a bigger house, can I afford a bigger house. This video reminds me, I don’t need a bigger house. God has provided me this house and it is sufficient. I loved the video and the illustration of the jar to remind me, I can only feel full, if I’m taking in Jesus.
I know this from the past, when I walked closer with God than I do right now. I have allowed life to take over and put the “stuff” as a higher priority than my God.
This Bible study is a start of trying to get things back in order and it seems everything in this study is exactly what I need to guide me back to where I need to be and lead my children by example.
Thank you!!