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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This is all so true to me . I realize how much I desire love in all the wrong places. If I can just learn to let God fill my empty places and realize after I do that my life will be filled with HIM not the material things. I so hope this study teaches me to let those things go and stop trying so hard for the material things and try harder to let God fill my empty places with HIS love!
Thank you Renee for sharing such a beautiful message. It is so true that I try to fill up so many spaces with material things and people who I think can fill me. God has shown me that it is truly Him I seek and no one person or thing can ever take His place in my heart and in my life. It’s funny for years I would think ” Oh, well this new SUV is going to be great!” only to find as soon as we drove it off the lot I still felt empty even though my friends and family thought it was a great thing. Or the new house, the bigger house, still empty! The new job, still empty! New clothes? Nope empty. It wasn’t until last August when i started having panic/anxiety attacks that I realized only God could fill me, He was what I needed all along not all the “junk” in life just Him and his unconditional, powerful, everlasting love for me! Amazing and overwhelming all at once. I cried tears for joy then tears of unbelief. I’m still a work in progress but what a great work I am with God as my potter! Thank you for this study for your book! Thank you for acknowledging that I’m not the only one who tries to fill the empty spaces with empty things. God bless you and this study and all the women in it!
I love the illustration of the empty jar being filled with “stuff” and then with the Living Water. I made my profession of faith when I was ten years old but now at 61, I am learning afresh and anew that Jesus is my “all in all” and He is everything I need. I am for the first time in my life really becoming a confident woman in Christ. Thank you !
This video really spoke to my heart.
My love for my Lord grows more deeply as I long to know Him more and trust He will supply my needs, not the world to which I long to belong.
I desire His unfailing love and have to remind myself to let go of the things I am tring to fill my jar with that only cause frustration, anxiety, and disappointment.
Thank you for this wonderful reminder…
God, you continue to amaze (& love) me with your tenderness and compassion and offerings of resolution to our aching hearts. Thank YOU, first, Father, for speaking here in ‘this room’ of ladies and for the words you share with us through Renee – and all of these precious ‘sisters.’ Praise Your Name Father
SO many of us have SO many of the same daily battles…. being filled up this morning, for this day anyway, as it is a daily need and desire (Ta’avah)!
I’m so glad I took the time this morning before to work to watch the video!! What a strong message! I have been trying to “let go” of how a co-worker makes me feel in the things that they do. It’s so hurtful when people seem to go out of their way to be hurtful and not forthright. While this subject is a little off-topic to the message, Renee is reminding me to turn to God and know that I don’t have the power to change this person and I should pray for them.
I really liked watching the video. Having the hand outs are a great addition and are an awesome learning tool to have. Watching the video helped drive home and reiterate the message from chapter 3. Thank you Renee for the video and handouts!
I have been so guilty of looking to worldly possessions and relationships to fulfill me. As I was reading this chapter and watching the video I kept thinking to myself, “Yup, I’ve looked to that to fulfill me before.” I once allowed the amount in the checkbook dictate my thoughts and attitudes. More so, I allowed it to place value on me as a person. Through my walk with Christ, I have surrendered that to Him and now I no longer find comfort or value in how much is in the checkbook. (I could give many more examples of how I have looked to worldly possessions and relationships to fulfill me.)
This past year, I have recommitted to doing life with the Lord, and through my church, women’s Bible Study, reading, and other resources (just like this online study) I have “turned from my wicked ways” (2 Chronicles 7:14) and am following Him. I am mindfully choosing to look to Him to fill and fulfill me. Doing so requires continual effort and obedience. The results bring peace and assurance in Him. I’m happy to say that I now praise God for providing the funds that are in my checkbook instead of desiring a “bigger bank account.” Thank you Lord!!
This is such a great study, and Renee’s video just helped drive home the truths in her book that we all need to hold in our minds and hearts – and never forget. We all need a ‘confident heart’ so that we can share Christ with others, and battle the enemy – and put him in his place!
God bless you all my sisters!
I REALLY RELATED TO TODAY’S POST. I ALWAYS THINK THAT EVERY NEW TYPE OF MAKEUP
THAT COMES OUT WILL BE THE ONE THAT WILL REALLY MAKE ME LOOK “GOOD ENOUGH”.
What a wonderful visual representation of the concept you want us to learn, Renee! I love how it’s simply put, so that we realize it’s attainable and doable for all of us. I will think of the jar when I need a daily reminder of what I should be filling mine with. Thank you!
I realized from watching this video, that I too, have looked to so many people and things over my life to fill me up. I just recently found Jesus and this is all so new to me but it makes so much sense. It’s no wonder I never felt fulfilled or satisfied. I now realize that only Jesus can do this for me. Thank you for this Bible Study- I am learning so much from it and all the wonderful comments posted by everyone.
Thanks for the great video. What a great illustration of how we try to fill our jars with worldly possessions and people, and yet we are still not fullfilled and completley satisfied , yet when you filled the jar with the water representing Jesus there was not a single space left void. Jesus does fullfill our lives we just need to put our trust and hope in him and not just believe IN him but believe HIM( like chapter 1 states) that he will be there for us and fill our needs and love us for the women we truley are .
So what I needed to hear and seeing your beautiful face actually speaking the words made them seem even sweeter. How hard I have struggled for years trying to fill that void and just like you illustrated….never feeling full. Thank you for that great illustration and your tender words that help us to know that we ALL struggle with that same issue but giving us the confidence to go to our Heavenly Father and ask HIM to fill us!
I loved the message today. I’m a very visual person so seeing the visual was a great way to help everything sink in a little more.
I want to be filled with The Living Water and know without doubt I’m filled. I don’t know that feeling….
I loved this video message. I learned this the hard way several years ago when I was looking to a boyfriend to fill my voids. He felt like he was not good enough and I was always disappointed. I now know that only Jesus can fill me the way I need to be filled and I am forever grateful.
what I really love about the Sam story/Jesus giving living water/you using water to illustrate how thoroughly He will fill us, is just that…water will fill every nook and cranny, will get into every crack, completely. there is no empty space nor surface untouched.
Renee,
Thank you so much for incorporating the video message. It further amplified the reading. Chapt. 3 is so powerful and is spot on! I believe I highlighted the entire chapter. All I can say is “I get freer by the chapter!”
Glory to God!
Take your masks off ladies, I did it for the first time (other then my husband) to my oldest son, he still loves me & even more I think, he has the same problems i do, which i thought he did but never talked about it, what a freeing experience that was, i can not say how good it felt, i was able to cry when i haven’t been able to for so long, it’ll be easier now to tell others, these are my problems, if you want to stick around & be my friend and help like i help you, if not, they weren’t my friends to begin with, praise God for this, now i know He truly brought me to this bible study, and i can’t thank you enough renee for doing what you’re doing, i know it isn’t going to be easy all the time, but this is a giant step for me, I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW FREEING THIS WAS, PLEASE DO IT LADIES!
I was blessed by the video. I can honestly say I have tried to fill my void with many of the objects used in the video but soon realize that I needed so much more. I thank God for loving and caring for us and knows just what we need and when. Thanks for sharing… There is no greater love!!!! Thank you Lord for filling my voids.
Thank you so, so much for this study and all that you have shared. I have not had the chance to write before now but did want to say that many of us are visual learners so this video message was an especially helpful
reminder that we need to give Jesus the first place in our hearts and we then will be truly filled!
Bless you, Renee 🙂
I want to say thank you for this video. I was able to share it with my nieces and one said she was amazed how I knew just what she needed. You are a blessing.
Video was great. Not sure I can go through this on line Bible study right now. Just lost my mother unexpectly and I have never felt such raw, painful emotion. Just getting out of bed and dragging myself to school to teach each day has been all that I can do. Mom was a christian, so I know I will see her one day. I just wasn’t ready for her to go so soon. I talked to her every day and miss that so much. Please pray for me. Thanks.
Kathy
I am so sorry for the loss of your mother. I cannot imagine the pain you are going through right now. Please know that I will pray for you.
Thank you so much for your prayers. I feel so lost right now. Having trouble just getting through the day. I teach school (first graders) and I really need to be energized to meet their needs. I can’t wait for the weekend. It has been a hard week back for me. I know in time it will get better but right now the emotions are so raw. My family spoke with her several times a day and spent time taking her to appointments, errands, etc. I just want to speak to her again and I know that one day we will be together for eternity. That brings me peace.
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. Be sure to give your momma a call or hug because you never know when it is their time to leave us.
Kathy, I recently lost my mom and can truly understand how u maybe feeling. I want to encourage you to trust God. He will help you as you walk this journey. I will keep you in prayer and if He kept me and comforted me doing my loss, I know He will do the same for you. May He give you peace that surpasses all understanding. Be blessed. Rest in Psalm 23.
Thanks so much. We read Psalm 23 at her service. It was one of her favorites. I read it each day sometimes more than once. I am sorry for your loss. I know I went get through this. It was just such a shock for my family.
Kathy,
Praying for God’s supernatural peace and comfort!
Thanks so much. I appreciate it more than you will ever know. God Bless!
Kathy
I seek God everyday to fill my void… But it comes back in the evening and I cry myself to sleep most nites..my separation from my husband… Which I want to reconcile… Weights on my heart.. I know God loves me and I have grace and salvation but I still feel unvalued ……??
Being able to visually see objects in our life that get in the way be placed in the jar and taken out to be filled with God’s holy water makes it must be realistic. It made me really realize that I need to work on slowly taken things off of the important list in my life so God has more room in it.
I’m so thankful for this study. I have to slow myself – because I keep wanting to just read-ahead! I keep asking myself “what’s God showing me through all of this?” I’ve had the opportunity to share God’s love so much over the past week through this study! I work in an orthodontic office, and we lost our boss and his wife to a tragic plane accident in September. As our patients come in, they want to “comfort” us still and make sure that we’re all ok. I’ve had the opportunity of sharing this book with so many of the moms and telling them, that God has been filling me in a new way for the past week, and that because of Him, I’m ok.
Even though I had a HORRIBLE DAY yesterday, and Satan tried to make today the same, I’m not going to stop spreading hope!! I will continue to fill myself with TRUTH as he tries to sew lies into my heart and mind. I’m taking captive thoughts – and proclaiming truth!
My husband’s employer told him today that they’re closing a part of the company – MY initial thought was to panic. But then I thought, God, I never missed a day of work when my boss passed away, because YOU are my provider!! So I know He’s got this too!!
Like I said – yesterday was HORRIBLE, When I woke today, Satan tried to convince me today would be the same – not even a minute later I got a text from my Pastor’s wife that simply said “I love you, and I’m rootin’ for you!” God’s way of affirming He’s got this! He’s always had this, so I don’t have to have it, I just have to have Him!! God is just TOO good!
Thank you for your obedience Renee!
I have searched my whole life for approval and identification of who I am and my purpose.
All the while I was putting on a happy face and “thought” I was following Jesus and in His will, I was searching in the wrong places. I was compromising who God said I was for affirmation and finding my significance and identity in what others thought/perceived me to be. I was trying to be everything to everyone to please them at the cost of not living by my Christian values and hurting others in the process. I’m learning that the Christian faith IS intentional living. It is not merely reading your book but daily applying the truths you describe of God in my life. It is a daily struggle as I deal with depression, a stressful job, kids in college and home situations. There are so many parallels in my life with your story that I feel I’m re-living my life. I pray that I will allow God to fill me up and I will remove all the obstacles in my way to let Him fill me. I loved your analogy of the items that we try to fill us and yet there is void, but when God fills us, there is no room for more. One example of this for me was on Easter Sunday. I went to church and came home to an empty house. My husband was at work and my children at college. I was lonely and tearful so I began singing praise songs and God turned my sorrow to joy and filled my heart.
Thanks for inviting me to be part of your study. I’m certainly blessed thus far!!
This video is so simple yet so powerful. I am guilty of the exact same thing. I am trying to open my heart to God and let him fill me and fulfill me. It’s so easy to type the words but not an easy task. I am so glad that I found this bible study. Doubt and insecurity have plagued me all my life. I have wanted to continue my education but the threat of failure has kept me trapped. I am now looking into going back to school and pray to God daily. With Him by my side I can do anything I set my mind too.
Loved the video! The visual illustration of how we try so hard to let “things” fill our empty hearts was powerful. I was really struck by the fact that the term “unfailing love” is never attributed to a person but is only attributed to God. And how I love that description of His love – unfailing. His love will never fail us and will never fail to fill us if only we ask. Wow!
I have been struggling these last two years living in a different state that is so beautiful yet SO lonely. I have yet to find anyplace I feel at home or fit in. I long to be back home so desperately and have tried everything from praying, crying, begging, anything you can think of. I miss my church back home, I miss family, and FRIENDS! I have prayed for friends here and the ones I thought would be friends are only interested in selling me their product as long as I listen or buy they will call. I nor my husband never dreamed it would be such a culture shock like it has been. I have primarily only positive things on facebook now and read and listen to positive messages and some days it just isnt enough. I have never been in so much doubt before not knowing what God is wanting from me or what I should be doing. Thank you for your devotion to share your love and word I appreciate it very much. God Bless you!
Hugs Tonya! Praying for you.
I am such a visual learner…always have been. This was big for me. I have to admit that I still have to get my book, but I knew I wanted to join this study because of your first video introducing this book. I know I need to stop doubting and be confident in God’s love when times are hard. And right now things are hard in my house. What a great illustration showing that no matter what is going on around me that I need to fill my heart w/God’s whisperings of his love and his promises instead of satan’s whisperings of worry and doubt.
Thank you!!
Thank you Renee for sharing this with us. I have been that woman who has held out the jar for others to fill. Go has been working in my life teaching me total dependance on Him is what will fill me, not others, my job or my ministries.
Renee,
Thank you for this study and for today’s video. I’ve struggled my entire life filling my calendar, desiring to be involved in anything and everything I could. As long as I was doing that, everyone would think I had it together or so I thought. I have so much to be thankful for yet at times feel so empty and begin questioning my purpose. Raised by an abusive father, I never felt good enough no matter what I did. I carried that into my relationships with men just seeking someone to love me… To be proud of me. This type of behavior has followed me in many aspects of my life..marriage, parenting, work, accomplishments… Many things. Today reading through your study I could so relate to the “I’m fine” mentality. Thank you for the video and for reminding us today that it is only Jesus who can fill the deep wells of our hearts. I watched as you put all of those things in the jar. God showed me that with all those things as wonderful as they may be there are still so many gaps after we fill our jar. His love (living water) completely covers us and fills those gaps. Thank you so much for such a wonderful visual! Thank you for sharing your heart and your story with so many of us!
I too have spent much of my life, certainly my adult life, seeking something or someone to fill my needs (my husband, my children, my friends). The only time I feel at peace is when I’m right with God. And that is when I seek him daily, spending time reading my Bible, just opening up my heart and talking to and listening to Him. My struggle is, however, not having the discipline, or maybe it’s just desire, to do this on an ongoing, continual basis! I am SO hot and cold in my relationship with my Lord. I have lately begun praying for Him to place a desire in my heart to seek Him, not out of obligation or guilt, but a true desire because I WANT to be with Him, because I LOOK FORWARD to my time with Him. Life can be so hard. It is through an entirely new perspective that I view life, when I view it with Jesus at my side. I only wish I could learn to stop pushing Him aside!!!
Thanks so much for this visual, encouraging lesson Renee! Your book and study are helping me chip away at that wall that I’ve placed around my heart!
Thank you for this video. Thank you for showing me what my jar should look like. This really spoke to me and where I am at right now. Thank you so much !!
This message is very timely for me…..there’s a scripture in Psalms that says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart..” God showed me that He is the one who puts that desire in our hearts……I’ve been single for a long time since my divorce. I’ve had longings for brief moments from time to time to have someone in my life…..but nothing like these past 6mos. The desire is soooo strong and I have had opportunities to meet men but they just weren’t cutting filling this huge hole in my heart. I’m beginning to realize that the desire God has placed in my heart to be loved can only be filled by Him…..he began to show me this right before this study and now this week’s message has only confirmed what He has already been showing me. I so love how His timing is always perfect!
What a great illustration! ESP for those mommies of young kiddos who can relate to the “little people”! Unfortunately it’s not always little people that affect us. It would be a lot easier! Thank u Renee! You’ve been a blessing to remind me that God is who I need to please. Not people!
Thank you Renee and all of you ladies for writting your experiences. I don’t feel as alone any more.
Yes, agree,
This is definitely a safe place to share our struggles, as well as encouraging others, and making new friends in Christ ♥
I know that for me I have done this for my whole life practically and have just recently learned that it is to God that I should have been looking.
Thank you Renee. I loved the great demonstration and clear explanation, what a great teacher you are! I felt like you really understand me and want to share what you have learned!
Renee, I could sit and listen to you speak for hours about Jesus. You have been blessed with such wisdom and you share it in such a loving way! I agree 100% with you about how we are always searching and trying to fulfill a void in our life and when we think we have done it , we wonder why we feel so very empty inside. I cannot count the times I have done this….shopping for clothes, or going to a certain party or even thinking doing a certain thing at church was what you need to do at that time…..but it was never right….always that empty feeling like you had just run out of gas. It took me receiving a diagnosis of ALS in March 2012 to realize what I totally needed at all times and all those things I thought I needed , just how unimportant they really were. I just recently gave my nephew an awesome DVD about teenagers reaching for the wrong things to fulfill themselves, with alcohol, drugs, sex, etc…and how GOD is the only way we will be totally fulfilled. I gave it to him to share with the youth(teenagers) at his church. It breaks my heart because I see my friends and relatives doing the same as I did….thinking that all the world has out there is going to really make a difference. The sad thing is I was involved in church and so are the people I am referring to but I was not totally letting God be the leader of my life . I tried to fix and do on my own without waiting on HIM. I have seen the light…I believe that is part of the good that will come from having ALS. I just want to thank you for this beautiful book , the love you are sharing through the glorious wisdom God has blessed you with, and the encouragement I receive from you every time I read your words!
It is always great to be reminded of how God loves each and everyone of us. I am so glad that I am allowing Him to fill my empty places. There is no greater love, ,then the one You have for me Lord!
This video was a great reminder for me. I grew up without a dad and allows felt like I was not good enough for my mom and I was always trying to find love and someone to fill those holes in my heart. I have recently go through a divorce and I have been searching for a man to fill that hole again. This video really reminds me that its God who I am searching for. I need to focus my time and energy on our relationship and once he has filled me with his living water, then more doors will open for me. Thanks Renee for confirming this message. I am so grateful for this study.
All of those things in the jar can be taken away in just a moment of time……..loss of a job or death or extended illness. The one thing that cannot be taken away is the love Christ has for us. We just simply need to trust that he will fill our jar with spiritual things and not materialistic things.
Such a great reminder that we need to get everything else out of the way to make room for Jesus 🙂
My name is Patti and I am the wife of a full time Army Reservist. We have 4 children who we homeschool. God is working amazing works in our lives right now. We are investigating a possible job change. It is taking a huge dose of faith. So this study is coming at the perfect time.
Wow, I really needed the reminder today about only God being able to fill our hearts. It is so easy to get caught up in chasing all that other stuff Renee talked about. This is why having a quiet time where I focus on God and His word is so important. I’ve always thought doing what I love as a career and following my heart would fulfill me and often get bitter because things didn’t work out like I thought they should. But I am reminded again today that nothing will ever fill me up and fulfill me like God.
What an awesome video! As the other women in this Bible study, I could see myself in filling my jar with other things to satisfy me when I truly just needs God’s unfailing love! It reminded me of what an evangelist had said when he was at my church. He stated, “Your husband, friends and family will disappoint you. There is only one person that can give you pure joy and that is our Heavenly Father!” How true that is! I use to look to my husband as my “knight and shining armor” and that he could fill my heart with happiness. He does to a certain extent but I have learned that my true joy comes from God and Him alone!
Hi Renee!
I watched your video and it was so powerful. Your demonstration allowed me to see how I’ve been looking to all the wrong people and things to fill this void that I have. I’m not finished reading ch. 3 because I have to keep putting it down to digest the words. The words that i’ve been looking for to verbalize what i’ve been feeling. As I read every other sentence I say to out loud “YEEESSSSSSSSSSS…UUUHHHHHH”!!!! It’s hitting a place deep down in my belly!!! I understand now!! Thank you Jesus!!!!
Thank You Renee for being available and willing to be used by God to pen the words that give us the understanding that so much of us have been looking for!!!
(PS – I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the note sheet as well. I’m a notetaker!!)
You are really helping me to understand my thoughts and feelings. I really “got it” when you were talking about your son who was looking for something but didn’t know what. I feel that way. I know I need something more but I didn’t know what. I now understand. I’ve always looked to people for acceptance and here all along God has accepted me for who I am. I know that there are other things that im going to uncover that I didn’t know I was looking for but at least I now know who has what I need. Im so grateful for this study. You are making me a better person and more important you are helping me to build my relationship with God. God bless you Renee!!!!