Happy Valentines Day! I hope you know just how much…
You are LOVED
Welcome online study sisters and new friends hopping over from my Encouragement for Today devotion. I’m so glad you are here! In my devotion, Because You are His, I talk about the love of a mom watching over her children – and how God says He watches over us just like that. Not only does He watch over us – HE DELIGHTS IN US!!{ Zeph. 3:17}
And with His love, He calms our concerns, quiets our fears and speak promises of assurance to our hearts! Scripture says He sings over us, too. I have a feeling the song He sings over you today is written just for YOU, describing the beautiful woman He’s created you to be, while gently leading your heart to know and rely on His love more and more each day.
Oh how I want to know and rely on His love…His unconditional, unfailing, patient and kind Love. How about you? In this short video m message today, I share one of the most important truths I’ve ever learned about God’s love. I’d love to share it with you. Maybe we can connect over lunch or coffee right here at my kitchen table. 🙂
“Message Notes” are 1to download in a PDF format here or in a MSWord doc here.
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Let these truths sink into your heart today…
You are CHOSEN. You are LOVED. You are ACCEPTED.
(Download His Promises and print them for keeps!?)
Although God may not send His love covered in chocolate or delivered in satin covered boxes, let’s remember today how He left Himself as a Love letter nailed to the cross of Calvary, declaring the depth of HIS unfailing love for us – forever! I pray that you will live in HIS love today today…bringing the empty well of your heart to Jesus – so He can fill it!
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Living Loved Give-Away
Click “share your thoughts” right below this post and do just that. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, each one who participates will be entered to win my “Living Loved” give-away which includes 2 copies of my book, A Confident Heart, a Starbucks gift Card, a Godiva chocolate bar and a “God’s Heart for You” day-bright DaySpring calendar.
For extra chances to win: (Leave a new comment for each extra entry please.)
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Oh, and there’s MORE! After you enter to win my give-away, hop over here where I’m a guest in the Blitz of Give-aways at www.RooMag.com today, too!
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I am enjoying this bible study and look forward to sharing it with others. Hope you had a great Valentine’s day!
Renee, I’m curious, what Bible version are you using for the Proverbs 19:22 verse? Several versions don’t use the term unfailing love but rather kindness or loyalty, which makes it confusing for me. They say “what is desired in a man” vice “what a man desires.” Please forgive my ignorance and thanks so much for putting this book out. It has been a life changer for me.
It’s from the New International Version (©1984) – but I just checked other versions and it does read differently. I use NIV more than any other.Not sure why they are so different. This I know, what I desire more than anything is God’s unfailing love – it’s what I crave, deeply desire and long for. And all throughout scripture unfailing love is what God’s promises and what is asked for from Him. I always find it is so important and rich to consider the whole counsel of God’s word. 😉
Hope that helps some!
@Annette the Hebrew word is checed which in the original language means goodness, kindness, faithfulness according to Stron’g Concordance. The Gesenius lexicon explains the word this way, “in a good sense, zeal towards any one, love, kindness, especially of men among themselves”. Hope this helps explain the different choices made when translating.
Wow, thanks! I love looking at verses in various versions because it helps me to get a deeper understanding of the meaning of the verse.
It took me far to long to realize that God was the only one who could give me the security I sought in other relationships. What a blessing every day to know I am loved! What a blessing your book and study have been as I continue this journey each day.
God is love and He loves us all unconditionally…..isn’t that reassuring to know??? I think that is amazing seeing how flawed we are, but He still cares for each and everyone of us.
I really needed this encouragement today. Thank you.
Chapter 5 is really speaking to me. I would love to have extra copies of the book to share!
Hello! This is my first time posting during this study. I read the book with Melissa and was too “raw” to really participate. I guess the fact that I am typing now shows a measure of healing. I am processing (still working on it after starting a year ago) with my counselor, some horrible, severe, childhood sexual abuse that happened 35 years ago.
For years I carried the feeling of being used, tainted, not good enough etc. to convince myself that if I was worthy of God’s love, he would have stopped the abuse.
My struggles aren’t over but I feel, for the first time, there is hope and that perhaps, like Renee, God has a plan for me too!
Rene, I your invitation to respond to thought regarding the position that we ought not stand against things but stand for Jesus Christ. You have a wonderful ministry but I would like to point out that it’s not an either or proposition. We are to do both. I believe that many Christians today are afraid to take a stand for what is right, what is true, and God’s command to hate evil (Psalm 97:10). Furthermore, Jesus came not only to bring healing and comfort, but to bring differentiation between those who believe and those who don’t (Matthew 10:34-35). If we do not take a stand for truth and righteousness, we have failed to follow God’s commands. Doing one or another is incorrect. Sharing the Truth in Love-God’s love is the correct way to live. By ignorning being loving is wroing, but so is failing to take a stand against evil and stand for traditional marriage, etc. is wrong. Anyone who reads their Bible can find many additional references to back my assertions up. Thank you again for your wonderful ministry. God’s blessings to you and your ministry. Steven Garofalo (National Apologetics Training Center)
Thank you so much for taking time go leave a comment. I whole heartey agree!! Are you referring to my radio show about how Christians are often more “known”‘for whY we stand against than what we stand for? That is the only place I can recall addressing that topic. If so, my point wasn’t intended to imply we don’t stand against what is wrong. Just that I wand to others to know what I stand for — Jesus grace forgives love humility hope wholeness rihteousness Christ-centered and God -honoring relationships and all that Jesus lived and died to stand for ;-). Hope that helps clarify my message. Again thank u for taking time to visit and share your concerns.
Sorry for the typos I am writing from my I phone :>
Renee: You have an amazing gift with words. Thank you for sharing your story (so much like mine) and bringing glory to our Father through the icky in our life! We are loved more than we can ever imagine, enough to die for!!!
Just wanted to share a verse that came to me while reading this chapter:
2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
This verse really helped me see that our doubts and insecurities are not something that God will take away; instead, God wants to REPLACE them with His truth about us, His promises to us, and His unfailing love.
How do I know that what God said to Gideon in Judges 6:14-16 was not said to Gideon only? How do I know it is a promise to me? How do you determine what God is saying to others in the Bible is something that He’s also saying to me?
In discussing questions 1-3 today, Renee, I would like to share that Question 3 was the one that really stirred something within me. While this request I made of God to “unsettle” me and walk with me through the healing process in chapter four continues, I’ve begun to realize in answering Question 3 of chapter five that perhaps the two weaknesses I think of first could be the very things that God wants to use me to help others with. I have fibromyalgia and try as I may to not allow it to control me, there are days that it is impossible to get around it. Last chapter as Jesus walked through the healing process with me of discouragement over it all, I committed to praise God more for the good days and focus less on the bad. I’ve also been overweight for a lot of years…50 pounds overweight. That has in turn made other issues harder to deal with…the insecurity of “measuring up”, not being able to accomplish as much as I’d like, etc. On January 11 I started reading Lysa’s book, Made to Crave and God is helping me to live a victorious life over this sin of gluttony that I’ve lived with for 20 years. As I’ve read Chapter five and answered question three, I am beginning to realize how He can use me to help others who may have been having some of the same struggles. I can come along side them and encourage them that He is always there for us…the Light that we need to shine on our pathway. Thank you so much, Renee, for being such a beautiful instrument of His grace.
Dear Renee, the Lord is taking me down some long stuffed down damaged places, my parents also divorced when I was 8. My life was a lot like yours growing up. I realize that my feelings like “I’m not good enough for “those people” to like me, “I’m not good enough to apply for that job”, etc come from those feelings of worthlessness as a young girl. When I read on pg 89 about the lack of child support thing, I was surprised at the violent emotion that brought out in me. Hurt and anger. My Mom in her frustration would ask me (the oldest) to call Dad and ask him to send money. We were very poor, Mom only earned $64 dollars a week and there were 3 of us kids. (That was in the 60’s so it was more money than that sounds like now.) I am looking forward to the Lord healing me and showing me my worth to him. The Lord a few years ago, led me to the scripture about Gideon, being a Mighty Warrior, I too read that and went, did the Lord just call me “Mighty Warrior”? I pray and intercede for my family, and loved ones for their salvation, deliverance and restoration. Thank all you girls for being out there. God bless you all in every struggle and hard thing you are going thru.
Thanks for the gentle reminders that it’s not those we please on earth, but our Heavenly master whom loves us unconditionally!
So thankful for the uplifting messages that I receive from Renee and company every day!
The Lord’s love makes every day seem like Valentine’s Day. So sweet, pure and fulfilling. Thank you Renee for providing us with your wisdom and this study. Your Sister in Christ. Karen
So thankful for this book and message of gods love. Readibg it everyday and speaking gods truth has brought me closer to him. Thank you!
I love the way you can speak to my heart and things make sense. Thank you so much for spending your time helping me to walk with Jesus everyday!
It’s sometimes hard to really believe that God loves “just me” even if I was the only one! It’s also an amazing concept to hold onto. Some days I’m really good at it and others like this month, not so much. Thank you for encouraging us.
I am learning that God loves me unconditionally and forgives me of all my sins and that I be confident through him and him alone. I find myself struggle eadh and every day with this because I have nevr felt this kind of love before. I have been expect this kind of love from my husband and I am struggling to just let God love me. I keep reminding myself that God loves me because he sent his only begotten son to save me from my sins.
God’s showing so much of His love today and many days. I love how He moves and shows us… often so unexpected, but always so perfect. I know I don’t really grasp the “length and width and depth” of God’s love, but I try to open my heart to him. It strikes me like lightning from time to time. So immeasurable.