Some days my written words come easily. Other days I need to show and tell you what’s on my heart. Today is one of those days.
Please {like pretty please even if you don’t normally watch video posts} click the arrow below 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. 🙂
Today’s Giveaway:
Two friends of mine who serve behind the scenes and are part of our online study, [thank you Donna & Veronica] have donated copies of my book to giveaway today. Together we created 5 gift packs for 5 of you. Each one includes a copy of my book, A Confident Heart {for you or a friend?} and my testimony/teaching message on CD, Letting God Fill My Empty Places.
Let’s Connect {and how to enter today’s drawing}:
I’d love to hear your thoughts about today’s message… and this is an easy way to enter today’s giveaway too. Just click “share your thoughts” right below this post and do just that – share your thoughts. {I love to read them! And pray over you when I do.} I’ll be there reading and sharing my heart with you too.
For More Daily Encouragement join my Confident Heart Facebook page.
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Hi Renee, I am a people pleaser, I have come to find out. I think I have been one since I was younger, always doing things to please people to make them happy and to like me. It is so hard to stop doing things to please people when it is a part of you for so long. But since I have become aware of it in my life it is getting easier and God opens my eyes at times to make me see what I am doing. Since I have stopped doing these actions I have time on my hands and the kids are older and my mother has passed on and all these things have filled my life and now they are gone for the most part. So after seeing your video and knowing that I need to listen to God and let HIm fill my life and not go out looking for things to fill it up~~~~~it’s the waiting and listening to God and the Holy Spirit that is the hardest, but it pays off in the end if we stop and wait and listen, it may be against the grain of society but when God says move you know it and He will bless you, so I wait and wait and wait and listen and listen for the whisper and then move in the direction God and the Holy Spirit are leading me and let Him fill me up and be at peace and not feel like I need to be pleasing someone all the time, the only one I need to please is God~~~~~Thank you so much for the video to watch and listen to help illustrate this.
That was a beautiful illustration. I do get caught up in the material things, and then I stop and see how blessed I already am. Your message helped me see that once again. Thank you!
have a huge hole right now, and this will encourage me to remember that only He can really fill it.
Love the illustration! I have tried to find fulfillment in so many things: my parents, my husband, church, food, and the list goes on. The illustration you used was so powerful, that when we try to fill our lives with things other than God, there will always be empty spaces. It reminded me that I need to re-focus on the only One who can fulfill me, Jesus. I pray that God shows each one of us what or who we are trying to fill our lives with, so that we can repent and turn our hearts fully to Jesus. Only He can fill my soul.
God is speaking to me through your book, and it is awesome how involved you are in the lives of your readers. Thank you for your devotion to what God has called you to do…God bless!
Thank you for this reminder that things can be used in an attempt to fill us and satisfy us but God really reserves that privilege for Himself. Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of those things but when they take the place of God there is a problem. I’m thankful that God teaches me that any hope, confidence, or dependence that I place on Him, He is sure to reward it.
Yvette, I am glad that you highlight that the things we fill our lives with are not inherently bad things- it’s the place we give them is wrong. I liked how Renee phrased it about giving them priority but not pre-eminence.
Sometimes I think my problem is that I don’t even realize that I am trying to fill empty places. I am so caught up in all that I have to do, that I don’t realize I am empty until I am falling apart. We need to be drinking the living water all the time! I was studying Peter’s denial of Jesus anyway, despite his faults. So much that we have to keep in mind…
Half of my post dissappeared… I was studying Peter’s denial and ultimate restoration with Christ and how Jesus loved Peter anyway, despite his faults…So much to keep in mind…
What an amazing visual to really drive the message home! I definitely needed to see this today and am so glad I took the time to watch it. Thank you for sharing this Renee!
I have hard this analogy before.I know it to be true.I am so swamped by my lack of looking to God on a confident basis that I feel I don’t even have the energy to change back.pathetic.could everyone pleases pay got me I don’t even know what up pray for at this point.thank you
Oops that was please pray for me,, not”pay got me”
“Focus on the Giver and not the gifts.” That statement really hit home with me. Thank you for providing such a clear visualization of what I’ve been doing and how I need to change my focus.
It is amazing how God knows what we need to hear at just the right time. I listened to your message during my morning devotion and have spent the day reflecting and meditating on it. After all of these years of giving my life to Christ, I still struggle with this truth. I honestly cannot figure out if it is my mind or heart that is making it so hard for me to truly rest in God’s unfailing love. The one thing I am confident about though is that there is a DEEP desire for me to feel this peace and love that can only come from God, and I will not stop until I have it. I am so happy that God loves me in my brokenness.
I receive that prayer!!! I love to be filled so that I can spill His words and His love on all of you. Praying for Him to inscribe His revelations and truth on my heart and soul.
Thank you so much Renee for your e-mail and video (I watched it twice) and questions in the word doc.
It was very timely in my life.
Hugs, Elizabeth
Wow, how amazing is our Heavenly Father! I too as all the others was encouraged by the illustration in the video. God has been speaking to my heart all week about renewing my mind, changing the way that I think & this week’s study falls right in line to confirm. Thank Father for your daughter Renee, continue to fill her cup so that she will continue to pour out to us.
God bless you, Renee. I love to hear your words and your devotionals on the radio too. I’ve had to remind myself of God’s love for me on a daily basis. I can’t believe how hard that is. Thank you for your beautiful reminder today…I needed that, it’s been a hard day with mommy anger. Thank you for your prayers.
Tucking you in prayer under the protection and peace of His wings, praying for truth and peace to be your covering today Carolyn.
Thanks Renee for that great video message, with all the different kind of longing and emotional struggles i go through as a widow and single mom, Only His unconditional acceptance, approval and affirmation can fill the empty places in our hearts – the deepest thirst of our souls. Until God’s love and acceptance is enough, nothing else will be.
I”m praying for an extra portion of His love, acceptance and affirmation to be yours today Casseta!!
Wonderful visual message! I got so excited as you were going because I was thinking that Jesus says He is the Living Water and water would feel every little crevice of that jar. Also that water is essential to life. We can live without some many things but not water. I just started down this whole path about why Jesus used water as the illustration. And then I was like Yes!, Renee is putting water in the jar to show this illustration so perfectly. Needless to say I loved it!
I also am enjoying chapter 3. Thank you so much for sharing your personal struggles. I know that must be hard to do. But so many people can relate to it and appreciate the fact that you are being transparent.
Great study!
Thanks Nancy. It used to be so hard to be so real but now I see that God uses me most powerfully through my not so great moments and emotions. Like Paul I have learned it’s actually most comforting to others and most glory-giving to Jesus when I “boast” in my weakness so that His strength is seen and rests on me. BUT thank you for noticing and being so sweet about it. I pray it helps many more than I’ll ever know!!
This was a great video! It’s so true how I need to get my confidence from the one who blesses and not from the blessings He has given me.
Letting God fill the God shaped hole in us is something I have been putting into practice for a while now.
Where I fall short is spending time in God’s word on a daily basis to continually fill up my vessel. An issue not touched upon is when others look to us to fill them rather than God, especially when the others are non Christians (hubby) that are not looking for a relationship with Christ.
Thank you so much, Renee. You told that so beautifully it melts my heart. Refill me Lord, all of us,new in Christ or not so new, with the fullness only You can provide.
I cannot begin to express how much I needed to see the visual you gave today. I have been struggling with this exact thing… allowing God to fill me with his amazing love and peace. The visual you used today was perfect for me. I am a mother of three and a teacher seeking direction for my life. I realized the I just need to trust God and let Him fill be. Thanks again!
Excellent analogy! Thank you. I have to say that I am guilty of looking toward worldly things and/or people to fill me. It is a constant struggle that I want to conquer with the Lord’s help. Day by day…