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.
{If you are reading this via email, click here. You can only see the video on my blog, not in an email.}
Please {like pretty please even if you don’t normally watch video posts} click the arrow to “hear” today’s message from my heart to yours. I don’t want another day to go by without you knowing this…
{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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Renee, the video was a great visual reminder of what Jesus can do if we allow Him into our hearts. We become so concerned with things of this world, we forget, at least I sometimes forget, this is only our temporary home. We can’t be filled by things of this world because we weren’t made for this world. It’s easy for me to forget that so thank you for a much needed reminder.
Wonderful illustration, Renee!
Your example reminded me how I sought happiness in all the things society tells us that we should have to be happy. Even after achieving some of those things, I still felt empty and sad. People would tell me all the time that I had such a wonderful life and should never be sad or want for anything. I felt so ungrateful that I had a degree, a nice car, great job, and an awesome husband. I just could not understand it myself. But, oh! It was not until I encountered God and his unconditional love for me that I started to feel complete. I started to realize I could have all the riches, but without my Father’s love I would always be searching for that thing to make me whole.
Should be “years” not yours”. Computer is on “auto-pilot”. 😀
Thank you so much for the Video and for the PDF
I already posted a comment on youtube. In addition, I “Thank the Lord” for you being in my life and giving me Hope and Inspiration!
God Bless
You are my rock.
Wow. Very awesome. Long journey here after the 18 wheeler hit me. He has drawn me closer to Him through this. It’s a life changer. Now I am praying he will change me and He has done so. I am gleaning so much from your teaching. I really appreciate your video message today. So many yours spent on being accepted… holding my jar out. I am so thankful that you see what we need and have the courage to teach it. Blessings.
Michelle
I struggle so much in this area. I love God, follow Jesus but still feel empty at times. Just recently I was complaining to my husband that I feel empty inside. And how true this is! My schedule is full yet I feel empty, insecure and not confident. What a great reminder that our hearts are created to be filled and fulfilled only by God alone! So often I look to my husband and other people in my life to fill those empty places and get frustrated and disappointed when that doesn’t happen. I want God to fill me with love and assurance, confidence and security. And that’s exactly what I am going to ask Him for! Thanks, Renee!
What a great illustration, thank you for reminding us that the things we use trying to fill those empty places in our lives does not work; and only the living water of God’s word can fill us. Thank you so much for the video
Thanks for sharing that powerful video, I know it’s not by accident that I’m apart of bible studies. God.is clearly giving us message through you, and I welcome it with open arms. I love the demonstrations from gift box to water. I. Will share that with my family. I have a lot to learn & will to accept what ever God is calling me to do. Thank for writing this book, I so love reading chapter 3 so far it’s my favorite. You are a true inspiration, and one already being blessed by being apart of it. I know every chapter will be like a new beginning, and I know that I will be fulfilled,and my confidence will be greater than my I can.imagine. thanks Lord for sending so many people to me on my journey. Thanks God for living inside of me, and thanks for loving me unconditionally. I one day to never let you go, because I know that you will never leave me or forsake me. You met rock. Love you Renee, and I will continue to pray for a speedy recovery for your mom. Amen!
It’s very hard for me to get out of the HABIT of using things/ppl/activities to fill me up, I guess I need to find Jesus as my new obsession, what’s ironic about this whole thing for me is now that I know these other things are of no worth to my worth, I don’t even want to do any of them, does that make sense to anyone out there?
Great message!
I learned so much about how I’m trying to replace God with possessions,and how they will always leave my heart wanting more.But if I let God fill my heart with more of him,I will never feel empty or alone again.
Thanks so much Renee!
Kayla, I also have replaced God’s special space with possessions many times. It’s not fulfilling.
My heart too wants so much more! Seeking more of Him
Glad you’re a part of this study! 🙂
As you we’re speaking on the video the song “Only Jesus can Satisfy you soul” came to mind. Here is more from that song:
Yes only He can change your heart
And make you whole.
He’ll give you peace you never knew,
Sweet joy and love and Heaven, too.
For only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
Thank you for sharing with us in this video!
Wow! That was a great message! Exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve spent the better part of my life as a huge “people pleaser”. Trying to make everyone happy so they wont be disappointed in me and like me or love me. Through your book I’ve come to realize that all the people that I’ve been looking to to “fill me up” are mere humans, uncapable of what I really need.Im realizing that only God can satisfy my longings. I still struggle but I catch myself redirecting my focus backto God. Thank you for this study, Renee…..its helping me learn to be truly happy ONLY in Jesus!
I started doing this study cause I finally realized that all the THINGS I thought were suppose to fill me up, weren’t, I know God loves me to pieces, and I know his promises are true & I SHOULD believe, it is hard to let me go of the notion that something else could possibly fill me, it’s easier for me to see this cause we can see the THINGS materially & we can’t SEE the promises right away working for us, I keep reading verses over & over, it helps for awhile, I guss I don’t have alot of faith, I suffer so much from depression & social anxiety it’s hard for me to share with others how I really feel, I tried once & of course they said they felt sorry for me, I have a very hard time making friends cause of my low self esteem & insecurities, I’m always comparing myself to others & I never stack up, I hate being such a Debbie Downer compared to most everyone else’s posts, why am I not getting it? Anone else still having some problems & doing or reading certain verses that are helping, would like to know, I live out in country, so I feel even more isolated.
@Zoyie I hear what your saying what I have found is to find security in Jesus Christ, to get my self esteem from him, and what his word says about me, the devil comes to put doubt and lies in our minds, that I contrary to what God says. I have found this website helpful in telling me Who I am IN Christ.
https://www.bellshoals.com/uploads/WhoAmI.pdf hope this helps you, never forget you are not alone, even though may feel alone, Jesus is an ever present help in trouble. Our identity is only found in one Jesus Christ.
Thank you SO much, I printed the Who I am in Christ off already, I NEED verses to keep reminding me, it just feels so good that you cared enough to respond to my email, I so needed that today, Thanks, God is definately using you, PTL!!!
Oh, I loooove Neil Anderson!!!!!!! Thank you for posting this. I am going to copy this for myself as well.
I have been really struggling for the past couple of days, but I am believing that it’s because the enemy knows that my victory is right around the corner. I did something yesterday that I did not want to do; I told a friend what was going on in my head and heart instead of slapping a smile on my face and pretending that I was okay. Her response was to embrace my confession with so much love and to offer me encouragement as I purged it all out. I told her at one point that if God would just come down and tell me that He loved me, that I would be okay…to which she responded, “Maybe He is ;)” I am not sure that I ever thought about the fact that His silence may be a loving desire for me to open up and fellowship with other believers…
Thanks for listening! Praying for all of you.
So good to be reminded to put the Giver and the gifts in the right place. Too often I look to the gifts for my fulfillment, when God is the only one who can truly be my fulFILLment. I will let God, The Giver, My Wonderful Rescuer fill my soul.
I heard that story of the Samaritan women before, that is years back. I felt at that time, that I was like a robot. Only there to fullfill the needs of others. I felt empty inside. So I took part into a seminar weekend in a convent. After that I felt much better. Sometimes you have to remove the stones from the well, to get to the water. I removed the stones. But sometimes the same story has diffent meanings. So it is this time. I always, looked more or less to somebody to fill my emptyness. Although I alway pray to GOD and ask Him for guidance.I try to follow Him, although it is sometimes not so easy for me.
This video says so much. I have felt those “empty” spaces for the past several years and I am slowly letting Him fill them up. It’s taking time, but with the Bible studies, books and devotionals I am getting there!
Hi! I have been struggling for the last 5 years. My two oldest, are now 22 and 19 and are not walking with the Lord. My jar has been filled with idolizing the kids, their accomplishments, their beauty, their education, their future. I found my worth in them. So when they rebelled ( both of them ran away from home at 18 with men) , my world came crashing down. I felt it was my fault, I felt so empty. Chapter 3 and this video has helped me understand that I cannot fill my jar with God’s gifts. I can give thanks for the gifts He gave me in my kids, but they belong in a gift box, not in my jar. I can now visualize myself emptying the jar and allowing God to fill me. Right now I am like Sam I need to be filled up with living water that only God can provide. I pray that one day my daugters will realize that the men they are with are not going to fill the void in their life, I pray that they will return like the prodigal son, and will allow God to fill them up completely.
I have been blessed by this study~Thank you Lord for leading me to Proverbs 31 Women!