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.
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Wonderful devotional and illustration! Too often I think we as women look in the wrong direction for fulfillment … sometimes it is well masked in what appears to be an appropriate pursuit — we strive for weight loss, or approval from our husbands, for accolades from other women, for success at work. This is a great reminder to us all that none of these things will fill that empty space reserved just for Christ! Thank you for this great teaching.
Thank you for that illustration and sharing what’s on your heart. I have been searching for someone or something to fill those empty spaces. I lost my husband a year and 6 months ago and having been searching. I know the only one who can complete me is God. I need to stop looking in the wrong places for the people I think will fill those places and focus on God.
Thanks for your message today. All we need is Jesus to fill the longing in our heart. God Bless you!
I loved your article today, as always. I know that what you wrote about today is so true because I have had a very hard time trying to quit smoking, which I know is something I am using to try to satisfy or fill the whole meant for God. It doesn’t work and because of that I would like prayer. To be honest and to help you know better what to pray for me, I need prayer about God taking the desire to smoke from me and filling me with more desire for Him. See I quit for a month but when the hard time came I fell. It has devastated my confidence and I am worn out trying to fight my selfish desires. So I know your article was a word for me to get back to God, to trust Him in spite of the hopelessness I feel over this. I am trying. Thank you.
Wow!! What a powerful message!! I tend to look to food & clothing to fill me up and I’m always disappointed. Thank you for encouraging us to look to God for our fulfillment. Makes perfect sense, but oh how easily we get caught up in the other “stuff”. I am making a commitment today to look to Him. Thank you so much for this message and illustration….perfect timing!!
This is just what t I needed right now. God is GOOD!
Thank you so much. This is exactly what i needed to hear. Many times i turn to my friends not God. Many times ive humbled myself sucked it up and told Him what was going on. I have so much faith but yet i struggle everyday with the bible. Over the past two days i have had it rough. I eventually cried it out to God. Then of course, as i sat in silence my two yo comes in calling my name lol i try to come to Him thru out the day but its really impossible with kids, sports, living with the inlaws. I really have no quiet place. I feel convicted of it at times but what do i do? You have really put it in picture for me. Im a new christian. I was saved and baptised last yr in aug. But He has really done lots of work on me and Hes still working. I understand how to give Him my problems, i know to have trust and faith, but how do i completely let Him in? But He still fauthful to His promises and keeps blessing me. Im ever so thankful for it. I thank Him everyday for the big and small. But i have to say your visual really opened it up for me. Thank you so much Renee. Hope you have great blessed week!!
Oh Crystal! God loves it ANYtime you come to Him. Your desire to seek Him is evident; may He richly bless you as you continue to seek Him.
That hit me right where I am today. So, simple, but not easy to do. I, like many, am missing my mother, the source of unconditional love in our childhood. I am posting that verse in Proverbs on my wall (physical) and to my wall in FB. I would really like to win the giveaway. Thank you for this opportunity.
Good Morning,
This message is so on time. I struggle with this daily. I am so glad that the Lord has shared this message with me. It reminded me that no matter what, if I don’t look to God to fill the emty holes, i will just keep longing for something to fill me and nothing will be able to. Please pray that I am led by the Holy Spirit to look to God for all things daily. Thank you and God bless you for your ministry.
Heavenly Father, I pray for my sister, Brandi. Lord may she be filled with Your love. She wants your Holy Spirit to enter her life and lead her daily. I’m praying for her now, that You would remind her of this request and guide her even now.Amen. Blessings, Brandi!
Hello Renee,
After listening to your message I realized that I empty my jar of things but I did not invite Jesus into my heart and my life. I am so used to being disapointed that it never occured to me that that wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. I’m so used to relying on myself that I never thought about it in this manner. Don’t misunderstand me, I trust and rely on God for everything, but I realize now that may not of been completely true. So thank you AGAIN, for pointing me in the right direction!
Thank you for sharing this timely devotional this morning. I have been feeling quite empty the past few days .I confessed this to my prayer partner this morning. I am between so many things in my life now and have been asking the Lord what would He have for me to do with the balance of my years. I need employment; I am recovering from an injury and must work within new limitations. I am in my middle years and divorced. Sometimes life appears bleak. Your message was encouraging this morning. So I will ask of the Lord anew and afresh what is it that my heart is seeking. I know He willl answer. Thank you!
Thank you so much for today’s devotional. It really hit home. Bless you.
What an awesome illustration. Thank you for sharing and allowing God to use you to demonstrate His word is such a simple way. Stay blessed!
Hi Renee, I am so glad I opened your message this morning (I couldn’t refuse a pretty please,lol). God has been trying to teach me this very lesson but I couldn’t understand exactly what He was saying. I told my girlfriend yesterday how I wish He would just explain to me what it is He wants me to know….I really believe He used you to do that! You have no idea how much this has ministered to me this morning!!
Thank you for that timely message. I did as you said and watched even though I don’t typically…I’m more of a reader. Boy did it speak to me. I have been able to follow God’s leading and stop looking to so many outside things to fill me…but as recently as this morning, I am STILL seeking to be filled by my husband. It is so frustrating to have such a stubborn area. I keep taking it to God and He gives me gifts, like leading me to your beautiful message just when I needed it. He’s working… I just need to keep my eyes on Him. Thank you for helping me do so.
WOW!!! Renee, thank you for your message and for the reminder that really we only need to be enough for God. I am a “people pleaser”, I always have been and I have always felt like if I could make everyone else around me happy that I too would be happy. Although, I have found that to not really work because then I begin to feel unappreciated and used even though I have done it to myself. I know that God has all of the answers and am slowly learning that it’s ok to ask Him for help and this devotion was my confirmation. This really hit home with me as I sit here with tears rolling down my face. Thank you and Proverbs 31 Ministries for all you do and for making a difference in lives like mine everyday!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!!
Wow! That was a beautiful illustration… I loved the Jar filled with things… and the comparison to being filled with Jesus… He really is what ever heart longs for…. Thank for a great reminder…. Loved it! Thanks for sharing!
I struggle with that empty place occassionally, but my husband is currently overwhelmed by it. I will share your inspirational message with him, and pray that he can begin to put more hope and trust in God than in positions or recognition. Thanks so much for sharing!
This was a wonderful message that spoke to my heart today. My husband has an autoimmune disease that has kept him from being able to work for years now, which makes it necessary for me to work full time. My job has been fairly high pressure with very little positive feedback. I have struggled under the weight of never being “good enough”. This was a great reminder that I need to look to my Father to fulfill those longings in my heart for acceptance and approval. Thank you!
Thank you for your message. I am new to proverbs 31 ministry and have found it to be something that I look forward to each morning as I seek my Abba Father in a time of great need. Although I have walked with Christ 36 years, I found myself this year grieving beyond what I thought was humanly possible. My husband of 26 years announced he was gay and wants to embrace it. He has moved out and my emptiness has been crippling. This process of looking to my Abba Father to fill that hole in my heart is a moment by moment journey. I have to keep emptying my jar and asking God to fill my heart. Trusting Him to fill me in my moments of the flood of tears and physical pain usually leaves me groaning and crying out to Him and he is faithful to give me just what I need in the moment. Thank you for your prayers and message.
Lord Jesus, I pray for my sister, Toni, right now. I pray that you would fill her as only You can. That her emptiness would not be in vain, but that she would be used for Your glory. That her emptiness would be filled by Your love and give her confidence. That You would fill her like she never dreamed. Thank You for Your Word and may this dear sister find strength in Your promises. Amen.