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“What a [woman] desires is unfailing love …” Proverbs 19:22a (NIV)
I had everything I wanted yet felt empty and confused.
My life was full of relationships and accomplishments I’d worked hard to gain, but none could fill or fulfill me.
Frustrated by my aching emptiness, tears streamed down my face as I thought about the guy I dated through high school and college. Our future plans had crumbled under the pressure of me expecting him to be all I needed.
I had been crazy about him — a little too crazy.
Like the time a friend mentioned my ex-boyfriend was heading to our hometown for the weekend. We worked near each other, so Friday afternoon I parked by his office and waited for him to leave.
We both “happened” to be at the same fast food restaurant, at the same time and bumped into each other. After getting my order, I got in my car and followed behind him, hoping he’d see me, realize he couldn’t live without me and signal to pull over so we could talk.
Seriously, what was I thinking? As you can guess, he never stopped. I was hopeless and humiliated…
A few weeks later, I was taking a walk around my college campus. My eyes drifted to the buildings, dorms and other landmarks of memories. Suddenly my mind filled with a collage of faces, reminding me of my efforts to win the approval of advisors, friends and professors — hoping their affirmation could fill my emptiness.
Although I was graduating soon, had a few great job offers and achieved success in many ways, my heart still felt restless. And I couldn’t help but wonder: Why was all that I had never enough?
A thought rushed through my soul, stringing together two words I had never put next to each other. I sensed God answering me.
Renee, all you have ever wanted is unconditional love.
Unconditional love? I didn’t know there was such a thing. Then God whispered into my soul: You’ll never find the love you long for in anyone or anything but Me. I AM the unconditional love you’re looking for.
The thought of God loving me without any conditions was inconceivable, yet something deep in my soul told me it was true. I’d been looking for love that didn’t have to be earned. Love I didn’t have to fear losing.
Honestly, it was hard to see how God’s love could fill the emptiness in my heart. It took time, but I came to understand that God created me with that need for fulfillment so He could meet it.
Proverbs 19:22a, says, “What a person desires is unfailing love.”
The word “desire” comes from the Hebrew word ta’avah, which means: to greatly long for, deeply desire or crave. Interestingly, unfailing love is mentioned over 30 times in the Bible, and not once is it in reference to a person. It is only attributed to God.
Could it be that God gave us a desire for unfailing love, because He knew it could lead us back to Him?
If today’s post resonated with you, I hope you’ll ENTER TO WIN (This giveaway has ended, but I’d still love to hear from you!)
a copy of my new Confident Heart Devotional. I truly believe the stories and truths in it will change your life {like they have mine}!
Based on honest struggles we all have with comparison, self-doubt, fear of failing, and the life-changing lessons God’s taught me and ten other women, {whose stories are in the book} you will discover how to change the way you feel by changing the way you think – which will transform the way you live!
Expanding on what readers of my first book LOVED most: “When I say … God says …” statements, I’ve written 60 new devotions and new {WISGS} statements to equip you with a new a thought map and a promise – to live in every day!
ENTER TO WIN (This giveaway has ended, but I’d still love to hear from you!)
Share your thoughts in the comments below to WIN one of 5 copies of my A Confident Heart Devotional or a copy of The Five Love Languages: Singles Edition for you or a friend. Be sure to let us know which book you’d like to win!
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Thank you Renee again for your transparency. Through our stripes, we are healed and help others heal.
This devotion was perfect for me today. I missed out on a parent’s love growing up and I do long to be loved unconditionally. Expecting that of my human husband has led to disappointment and too great a load for any man to carry. I know with my head that God loves me unconditionally; I am praying to know it deep in my heart and soul. I keep asking Jesus to renew my mind with His word and truth.
thanks for your post. It really resonated with me.
This really touched me and spoke to me. I have been going through a lot lately and this was exactly what I needed I hope that I win one of the devotional books!!!
Hi Renee! I would love to win a copy of your A Confident Heart Devotional! I have your book and I must confess that I stopped at Chapter 8. The bible study group that I convinced to do a study of the book, disbanded before we finished. I want to finish it, but I am currently doing the Made 2 Crave online study. I have always struggled with low self-esteem and confidence. My father died when I was 13, and I see know that I chose my husband because he was like my dad in some ways. The problem was, he could live up to my expectations. He was not a Christian and he was very verbally abusive and demeaning. After 17 years, it got to a point where he almost took my life infront of my children. I left and 10 years later, I still struggle with guilt for choosing the wrong guy, staying too long, ruining my children’s childhood, etc. They don’t blame me, but I blame me. I am realizing my issues with food are related to this. Since the day I left my ex, my relationship with my heavenly Father has grown by leaps and bounds, but I still have a ways to go. I feel your devotions would be a great inspiration to me.
Thank you for being so honest and open with all of us!
I’ve been struggling with feelings of emptiness and have been trying to fill that with all of the wrong things. I’ve been praying that God help me to focus on Him and allow Him to fill the void I know only He can. I’ve gotten several reminders over the past few days. Seeing a portion of your devotional pop up on my FB newsfeed was another and I really appreciate the encouragement!!
I know that when people look at my life they all think, “her life is perfect. She doesn’t have a problem at all”. If they only knew how distant I feel from my Father, how much I strive to feel His love. I am reading this on my computer and I know that I need to get “The Confident Heart” as soon as I can. I would love to have the Devotional to go with it.
It is so easy to look for love in the wrong places, I need assuranance sometimes that God is all I need, I would love the confident book
I do this with many things. For instance, when I’ ve left jobs, I still want to know what is going on and it takes a while to let go, even if I am unhappy in the situation.
Most recent days have left me feeling like a lost soul, empty, unfulfilled. So many things have changed in my life lately and I have felt the need to feel Gods love and be still to try and find my way and my place in this life. Today’s devotional spoke volumes to me as a reminder to seek that fulfillment from God and not others. I can relate to almost every post here and it’s reassuring that I’m not alone. I would love to read both of you books, as a single mother, maybe love languages would best benefit me. For so much I am uncertain, the one thing I can be certain is that I need to put all my faith on Him and trust God has a plan for me, even when I feel so very broken.
I have always found myself wanting to feel accepted and constantly go out of my way to do things for others so people will accept me and yet I always find myself getting burned, used, still feeling like I’m not good enough. My faith withered away at one point thinking that I wasn’t even good enough for God to take care of and love due to some awful things that happened several years ago that I’m still trying to overcome. My mind is still in constant worry, despite going to church and praying and even still I feel that sometimes I’m just not important enough. Thanks.
So sorry I would love the Confident Heart book to maybe learn how to be stronger.
I have been expecting the unconditional/unfailing love to come from people, especially relationships for too long and they always end because they cannot meet ALL of my needs. I always thought I was putting complete trust in God, but if I had, I wouldn’t have felt so lost and devastated when things ended. I would love and be so thankful to have either one of the books.
This post hit home as it has been something I’ve struggled with a lot. Thanks for a great giveaway. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the Confident Heart book. 🙂
Thanks Renee for giving us the opportunity to win a book!
I loved “A Confident Heart”, as our women’s bible study group went through it as our bible study last year. I learned so much and so did the rest of the ladies who attended.
I would love to win the “A Confident Heart Devotional”!
Thanks and may you be blessed!
Susan
I would dearly love to win The Things We Do for Love. . . All of her books have helped me one way or another and have been reread many times!
I am reading your book right now and I love it. I would love the devotional. You have been such a encouragement to me
Understanding and truly believing that God is my first love. Knowing that I can only look to Him to fill those empty places. No other being can do that.
If there is one thing our Heavenly Father can give us that no one else can, it is unconditional love. Through my struggles with my marriage, deep depression, job loss, & weight loss over the past six years, I have always felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. When I felt like I was not worthy, didn’t deserve forgiveness, & I hated the person I saw when I looked in the mirror, God was always never more than a prayer away. Even though I didn’t think I was worthy of His love, forgiveness, mercy, or grace, He believed I was worth it & made for so much more! He has always loved me despite my sin, my failures as a wife & mother, & my obesity. Bearing the weight of my sin on the cross & giving His life for mine is the greatest gift of unconditional love I could ever receive. I desire to be more like Him everyday & it’s because of Jesus I have hope to be an overcomer!
My husband is pretty good at it but still I struggled for yrs. to understand his love so to comprehend the love of God I’m thinking will take me a lifetime. I know He is unconditioal but not sure how to receive it & let Him shower me in it. Still a work in progress as we all are.
The Lord speaks to me through your post. I have been going through an illness that makes me depressed because I can’t do many things that I would like to do. I have congestive Heart failure. I am recovering right now from 5 days at John Hopkins .i was retaining too much fluid,so they had to get the fluid out of my body so that I could breath easier. Have a blessed evening!
i read Confident Heart…my youngest daughter is reading it now…beautifully written Renee~ thank you…perfect timing~ would love to win the devotional.