If you’re reading via email, please click title above (“Known”) so you can read it to my website. This post includes a powerful video and a FREE download that won’t come through via email.
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From Chapter 2, A Confident Heart
“Jesus knew Sam’s (the Samaritan woman’s) story and He knows yours. The Greek word for “know” is yada. It means a deep emotional experience; a bonding between two people when one truly feels the emotions of the other. Jesus knows your pain, fears, doubts, and disappointments. He understands your dreams and desires.
Although some of us feel uncomfortable that God knows so much about us, it is good to be known, to be listened to and not judged. Jesus is the only One who can meet our deepest needs to be accepted and delighted in simply because of who we are. We can offer nothing but our presence, and He will desire us just the same…
Christianity is the only faith that offers a relationship with the living God. We don’t just know about our God; our God wants us to know Him. We were created for that kind of relationship. He wants us to find lasting soul-security in knowing we are valued and pursued by the One who knows and loves us—the One who created our inmost being and wove us together in our mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13). Have you let the gospel of God’s grace move from your head to your heart, so that you know without a doubt you are known intimately and loved completely by God?” (p. 40 printed copy)
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Our word this week is “Known”
Our verse of the week is: Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” (NIV)
This week’s video message is one that shows us we are known and loved. Please click the arrow below to watch this video – all the way through. You’ll be so glad you did.
(from video script)
I WANT TO BE KNOWN
I want someone to look at my face
And not just see two eyes, a nose,
a mouth and two ears
But to see all that I am, and could be
all my hopes, loves and fears…
And YOU know me
You actually know me
all of me and everything about me
Every thought inside and hair on top of my head
Every hurt stored up, every hope, every dread
My past and my future, all I am and could be
You tell me everything,
You tell me about ME
And that which is spoken by another would bring hate and condemnation
Coming from Youu brings love, grace, mercy, hope and salvation
I’ve heard of One to come
who could save a wretch like me
And here in my presence, You say
I AM HE… ( read full script here)
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Today’s Assignment:
- Download our Free Printable PDF of this week’s word and verse — or find it here in a Word doc format if you prefer. Please print it and post it everywhere so you can remember God KNOWs YOU and He loves you!!
- Read this week’s memory verse (Jeremiah 1:5). Ask God to remind you all week that He knows the way you long to be known, pursued and loved!
- Start or continue reading chapter 2. Remember, take your time and highlight or underline sentences that resonate in your heart.
Connect in Community:
What sentences in Chapter 2 are resonating most with you?
- Please lick “Share Your Thoughts” below this post, and do just that. (Remember you have go to my website to do this)
- Share them on our Confident Heart Facebook Group Page
- Share them with me on Twitter(@reneesswope). Use #AConfidentHeart so we all find each other and share how God is speaking us!
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I’ll announce last week’s winners in my next post.
“Ask God to remind you all week that He knows the way you long to be known, pursued and loved!”
This statement comes at such an opportune time…I can be honest here, right?? I’m 37-years-old and just went on my first “real” date 2 weeks ago. To make a long story short(er)….I discovered that he is not yet officially divorced (!!!), is broken over his wife leaving him, is a Christian AND a minister (knew this ahead of time), and….wanted to start a relationship with me. He mentioned after the fact how God must have a sense of humor for my first date in a while to be with a man who wasn’t ready for a relationship. Ummm…..no. I found NO humor in it. 🙁
I am sharing all of this because….I WANT TO BE PURSUED. And, for a moment, I thought this man was going to–actually he did at least begin to. He was very complimentary and, with a weaker heart, I could have stepped right in to “save” the day and pull him through his mess. But….the Holy Spirit prompted me to say no….and, really, that’s what I wanted to say. I don’t want to be his fixer. I’m just so disappointed and really wondering what God was/is thinking. I saw myself, even in this one date, begin to literally “lap up” the attention.
I’m really wondering why God isn’t enough for me?? Why don’t I sense that He is pursuing me?? Am I not listening?? Am I not looking?? My heart aches to be loved….cherished….known. I know that Jesus can/will fill that ache….I just haven’t experienced it.
Martha,
When you act as if God is enough(by faith) He becomes enough. Talk to Him as if He is the Lover of your Soul. Confide in Him. Tell Him your jokes. Tell Him your fears. When you act on His word that “He will satisfy your longing soul and fill your hungry soul with goodness” Psalm 107:9, He WILL make it a reality in your experience. Meditate on the scriptures that state how God feels about you. Don’t just read them. Meditate on them constantly and you will begin to feel loved and cherished.
Some of my favorite scriptures are:
Isaiah 43:4
Psalm 139:17,18
Song of Soloman 7:6,7
Psalm 45:11
God bless,
Karen C.
Hi Martha,
I too have not allowed God to be enough for me when it comes to the need for love from a man. I accepted Jesus in my heart 6 yrs. ago after a painful 3rd divorce. I am again in a serious relationship with a man who fullfills my need for love. I compromised living close to my family, my career, and left my home and life to travel and work with him just to be with him. It has been challenging in many ways and I have questioned many times my need for a man’s love verses God’s love. I have always put the men in my life first and even after being saved I feel I am doing that still. I know I am not giving God a chance by putting Him first. I find it hard to be the Christian I desire to be because I let myself be influenced by my boyfriends lifestyle in order to please him. My boyfriend is very good to me and I know he loves me but I still question if being with him is God’s plan or mine? Am I still desperate for a man’s love? I have prayed about it many times….but am I afraid of being without a man and not having faith Jesus will fullfill me? I would welcome any thoughts on this.
Wow, we are all such strong women! We are acknowledging that we have insecurities and are wanting and ARE turning to God for His perfect Love! Yet, after reading all the comments, this is so easy for me to see the strength in YOU, but very hard for me to see the strength in myself. Not sure why, but I want to go ‘go beneath the surface with Jesus so He can show us places in our hearts that need His repair!!’ (Page 40) To live in the security of God’s word, II want a personal relationship with God and a confident heart!
Shannon, I will pray for you! I, too, do not see this strength in myself. But I am trusting and believing that, as we ask Him to work in us, He will do it! Do not lose heart and continue to ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you. I will pray the same. 🙂
Renee, you are such a blessing to us! I don’t know how you can reach inside and read my mind & heart. I find it very difficult to believe you ever struggled with confidence as you make it all sound so clearly possible. To be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be known…and the woman at the well story is one of the best! To suddenly be told that the secret lie you hide in your being is actually irrelevant if you ask for forgiveness for it…and then just let it go and move on and be loved. I need to be loved, for real, and knowing that there are others out there who are “fine” just like I was “peachy” means there’s a lot of need for love out there. I know God wants me love everyone just as he loves me…but I really need to start loving myself first. This is going a long way toward that acceptance and confidence.
Thank you again!!
Oh girl, if you only knew. I had a cancerous disease of self-doubt. Paralyzing and deadly to the soul. You’ll see in the chapters to come more of what it looked like. And I”m not saying it’s easy – but I am saying it’s possible to break free from the chains of insecurity and the prison of pretend.
So, so, so blessed to be on this journey with all of you. YOU are strong and courageous and God is with us – if we are willing to stay w/ Him, HE WILL SEE US THROUGH to the other side!!
I have a few markings and marked the phrase about “being fine.” I noticed this has already been posted, but it just seems to describe me. I can be fine, in every since of the word, on the outside, but the inside is all jumbled. Part of me is wondering if part of the reason my husband says I have changed is because I do not have the confidence as a wife and mom that I had when I was single and dating him? Hmm. What do you think?
To start: Thanks for helping me feel comfortable to post comments here for all to see. : )
One of the first things that popped into my mind (and as I continued to read this chapter) was “Jesus Loves Me.” Jesus loves me this I know, For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
(And it goes on…) How often do we just sing songs but not really take the words to heart and truly believe them?
I had MANY highlights as I read. How awesome is it that He knows us; He loves us (even with our flaws and “mess ups”); Wherever we are, He wants to meet us there; He wants a relationship with us! What An Awesome God!
I pray that I, along with all of you, let the gospel of God’s grace move from my/our heads to my/our hearts.
If I/you were sitting with Jesus today, what do you think He’d want to talk about??? Definitely made me stop and think.
I love the sentence on p. 38 – “But if we only live on the surface with God, we’ll never experience the intimacy we long for or the acceptance and security He offers.” It is so clearly evident that it is our choice as to whether we live on the surface or dive deep into the heart of God. I want so desperately to be changed by Him, I am sick of surface-living and long to feel so filled and entwined with Him. I know it is possible if I am willing to stop wasting time and take the time to sit in His Presence, soak in His Word and listen to the Teacher of my soul. So easy to write, so hard to do…amazing how we were created to have communion with Him and know it and want it but not enough to do what it takes. I think in the past I have tried to do too much, promise too much and then set myself up for failure. This time, I want to stay faithful in the morning to my pledge to spend time with Him and if it is less one day than the next, not to get disheartened and throw in the towel, to keep memorizing Scripture and to just keep keeping on, being faithful.
What stands out to me is on page 37, “He invites you to come to Him to receive the perfect love He offers–love that casts out fear, love that is patient and kind, love that keeps no record of wrongs. That is what He offered Sam, and it’s what He offers you and me.” I have struggled all my life with fear, and it encourages me to know that Jesus can cast out my fears as I learn to rely upon Him. I have also begun implementing praying using Scriptures (from Chapter 1) and it has been very helpful. I find that when my mind is filled with fear, anxiety, and worry, by praying using Scriptures it is helping to calm my mind and the negative thoughts are leaving. I’m very thankful to be part of this on-line study and learn from what others have shared in their comments also.
I think about how many times I have told people I am FINE and actually felt exactly how you said it Renee. Frazzled, Irritated, Neurotic and Exhausted! i don’t have to pretend things are fine when they are not. God always enters at the perfect time. He shows up and never lets me down. I always know that He is there to listen, to comfort, to hang out whatever I need at that particular moment.
I really love pg. 38. “If we only live on the surface with God, we’ll never experience the intimacy we long for or the acceptance and security He offers.” Which goes one to say instead of making our lives easier, God wants us to come up close and experience Him and all that He has for us.
He knows all about us and what we need and aren’t we so glad of that! This little Bible study has been such a blessing to me and it has only just begun. I am being drawn deeper and deeper into the heart of God and by spending more time with Him I am finding that I am trusting Him more and more for everything in my life. I have also had to take a good look at myself and where all those doubts come from and why. I am not sure I have the all the answers yet and maybe I don’t need them right now. I do need to stand on His word and just simply believe God is working in my life right this very moment and because he knows all about what is going on so I don’t have to worry or pretend. God loves me just as I am and He loves you just as you are.
Reading through some of these comments is such a blessing and such an eye opener. I wish I could read through each and every one. It it amazing to see how much of us have this very same longing in our hearts for a good friend who loves and knows God. That was my prayer for a few months last year, I think it is a request I need to pick up again. I doubted and discouraged myself and released the request, but now that I can see that it was just doubt driving me, I feel I should pray again.
“We can offer nothing but our presence, and He will desire us just the same.”
This sentence literally brought tears to my eyes. Ive always felt, I still often feel that I am not enough. To know that I dont have to lose 50 pounds for God to love and desire me just the same, to know that I dont have to have the nicest clothes, I dont have to have the most beautiful spouse – I dont have to pretend to be anyone but who I am is amazing to me. For years – I mean years – I pretended to be someone I was not, just to be loved and accepted and even after all that (some of you can attest to this) it still might not be enough – what if the people you want to be accepted you change their minds…then what? (cursed are those who put their trust in man)
Thank You Jesus, thank you so much for knowing me and loving me. Knowing that right here in this moment you cannot love me any more – nor can you love me any less, makes me feel so valuable. Thank You Lord.
This chapter is both painful and beautiful. I also grew up never feeling loved or approved of by my father. I only felt “love” when I did something to earn it. Then my parents divorced and my dad was gone. I quickly found that if I traded sex, I could find that temporary feeling of “love.” It always left me feeling worse, so I would end the relationship by replacing it with another. Finally, after numerous marriages (Sam) and always avoiding Wal-Mart after 3 pm and on Saturdays (Sam’s neighbors). I was introduced and accepted Jesus’ invitation to true love. Like in chapter 2, I meat a gentle, kind, humble Man who accepted me for me.
However, some of the doubts and insecurities remained. I listened to them and remarried a man from my new church. I wasn’t attracted to him at all, but I thought to myself that I was lucky any Christian man would want to be with me. I didn’t trust him and I had a bad feeling, but others told me that it was because of my past that I was afraid to trust this guy. I married him and found out after 3 weeks that he was a total fraud in every sense of the word. He was wallowing in almost every sin you can think of. People told me you have to stay with him, it’s your duty. You don’t want to repeat your past. I tried to, but I couldn’t. He wouldn’t stop the behaviors and I couldn’t bear to have him touch me again. So, I went back to being talked about. I avoided all the stores in my small city. I ended up with a husband who ignored me instead of trying to turn his life over to Christ and a teenage son who belittles me to this day, just like in chapter 2.
I am so thankful for this study. God is using it to bring me back to Him. When I was saved, I was completely on fire. I felt confident and loved until I met that man from my church.
Today I am a part of a body filled with people who care about me. I teach 1st/2nd grade Sunday School and am involved with missions, but the nagging doubts and insecurities are still there haunting me and my son still wants nothing to do with me after a year.
Marie:
I’m so glad that it sounds like you are in a better place now – in a community that cares. May God fill you with confidence that out weighs your doubts!
I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you sharing and being so open and honest with your hurts and life. I too have had an unfaithful christian husband and felt I should stay with him. I was judged, and was not able to open up and share our live intimately with women in church, I do believe that this is where it starts. But in the church family, especially if the church is big, I have found it actually harder to speak with christian women than non-christian women outside the church. The enemy has certainly kept a division among women, isolated and distant even in bible studies. It shouldn’t be this way. It is very hard to make christian women friends. As Michelle commented on her lonliness on the 23rd, this is very sad to me. And to read so many comments after hers of how many women out there are really looking for a christian friend to pray with and have support. We all need it and I hope that maybe some how we who are on here will help each of us to learn how to be the christian friend God wants us to be. To be open and honest and lift one another up here. I’m glad to be apart of this study and find you all here. Lots of love and hugs.
Our verse this week, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart….
It makes me smile to hear this verse. It was on of my grandmother’s favorites. She had such an influence in my walk with Christ. But it saddens my heart to hear so many of us in this study that are longing for a true christian friend. I too have been praying that the Lord would send me someone that I could share my struggles and victories with. I have aquaintances, but I really can’t think of one person(this meaning someone other than my husband) that I can ask to pray with me about things. I say this with the exception of my mother. I can always count on her to be the best and most faithful prayer partner and for this I am so thankful. But I long for someone my age, going through the same struggles as a wife and a parent. I know that the Lord has wonderful things in store for all of us through this study. I will be praying that the Lord will send all of us a friend that we can fellowship with.
Dear Megan,
I can relate to feeling like an “island” among others who face hardships and when I seek assistance there appears to be none left for me. I can imagine the loss of your Bible Study group as well and I always find changes in a church membership confusing since there is only one God but so it is. Although I have been in constant conversation with God all of my life, it is now as my children leave the nest and my husband continues to learn from me as he did not have a relationship with God, and my closest confidant, my mother, has drifted into severe dementia, that I am learning that when there is no one else to lean on or to just listen to me (because I can also relate to all the others who have been praying for close girlfriends), God is always, always there. And I have pointed out (more like complained) that sometimes He is a little too quiet……He is still listening and will still be there for as long as I need to talk and most likely He is waiting patiently for me to finally be quiet enough to hear what His response might be. 🙂 Keep turning to Him Megan and I pray that His peace and love will envelope you and hopefully wipe your tears away.
Sending God’s Love,
Nancy
I just watched the video for a second time and it was a bit easier this time around. To hear the words spoken had such an impact. It made me a bit sad to think that I’ve been hiding and worrying all these years – worry about not measuring up, not fitting in, not being good enough – and I don’t have to worry about that at all because I am loved no matter what. Unconditionally by God. Very humbling and thought provoking.
I was unable to watch the video that was posted yesterday…just watched it now…I had printed out the words but hearing the woman speaking the words REALLY had an impact on me.
The jail I have lived in…the pain I’ve carried all these years…too ashamed to give to God…even though He already knows…the unbelief that God could actually love a sinner like me…constantly looking to others for approval when all I need to do is look to God.
It sounds so easy…but at times it is so difficult.
And oh how He loves you! He just wants you to simply trust Him and tell Him all about your troubles and for you to know that He is working everything out for your good because He knows what is best for you. I am praying for you. Your friend in Christ, Linda
Thank you Renee for the list, Knowing God by Name. I like to thank the Lord for each of those names and characteristics so I pray and thank Him for one each day of the month. In order to have 30 names or qualities I have added some. These include the 7 “I AM’s – The Way, the Truth and theLife; the Light of the World; the Good Shepherd; the Door;; the Resurrection and the Life; the Bread of Life and The Vine. Here are a few more – Jehovah – Eternal, Everloving One; Adonai – The Lord, My Master; Jehovah M’Kaddesh – the Lord Who Sanctifies and Jehovah Tsidkeenu – The Lord our Righteousness. (Our Bible Study did a study on the names you gave plus these). I needed one more to make 30 so I added Wonderful Counselor. Hope this is an encouragement!!!
I truly loved that poem …..who can really love me like that here on Earth…in this world…No One!!! and i am ever so thankful for the God in our Glorious Heaven who sent his only Son to die for me…gthst is yrs love…an amazing love i o no one can truly comprehend! I am do thankful that my God loves me Sooo unconditionally and how he can truly understand and know me and love me for who i am. he will always be there for me like no one else can…i am never alone cuz he promises to always b w me and he promises that he will never leave me o forsake me. i am humbled that he loves me regardless of my past o of the mistakes I’ve made o my decisions….i am loved and accepted by him…i smiley so thankful!!!! there are days when i just don’t understand life o why things happen but i know that he has a plan for me and that he wants the best gore me…that all things happen forsure those who love him who have been called according to his glorious love…i will hold on to him…knowing that he has a plan…the best plan for me…
What resonated with me was the sentence “As children of God we were designed to find our identity, our significance, and our confidence in Him.” Oh how we miss this because we let others define our identity. I fall into this trap so much. I’m letting God help me work on this but it is hard. I’m trying to get to the point that I just don’t care what others think and that I only need to please God. I thank Him daily that I know He will never give up on me. He will help me change and be the confident woman He wants me to be.
I’m in the same boat Linda. Really trying to get to that point too of not caring what others think and just focus on what God thinks of me. I’m trying to find this balance and not care what others think but not to the point where that can negatively affect relationships. And yes it is so hard, especially because you have to apply it everyday and multiple times per day. Sometimes you get tired of fighting that battle. But I encourage everyone dealing w/ this bc the more we do it, the easier it will be to do and the benefits of doing it are immense! Thanks for sharing and encouraging. It’s really something to know of others struggling the same ways. How blessed we are to have each other on this blog. It shows me how so many of us are hurting, have the same struggles but there’s a beautiful sense of support even though we’re all strangers and some on other sides of the country or in different countries.
THIS SENTENCE SCREAMS AT ME!!!
“your heart needs to be set free from pretending and perfectionism.”(Swope, 2011)
I have been so worried about everything being so perfect and wanting to be accepted I have been attempting to pretend to be something that I am not. I have failed miserably in this area and only want to continue to learn and grow in Christ so that I will be set free from my own standards but most importantly set free from what I think other peoples standards are. Notice I said what I think because many times my standards are way above theirs.
I am a work in progress and taking the time to enjoy the journey as I go so I can share with others what I am learning.
Blessings!
Swope, Renee (2011-08-01). Confident Heart, A (Kindle Location 497). Revell. Kindle Edition.
Wow. These words strike a chord tonight as I struggle to understand why God has placed me in a (extended) family with so many hardships. I feel like I’m on an island. I don’t ask my parents for help hardly ever, but when i do I’m constantly let down. It hurts so much. Couple that with changes in our church membership & the close-knit Bible Study group I had been a part of not meeting anymore, and I really struggle. I feel alone, but it’s comforting to know God is there no matter what. Still, that doesn’t always make the tears sting any less.
Changes are so tough for all of us but we need to remember that changes come for a reason. Old things end and new things begin. Look at the whole new family we have been given right here with all of us girls. It could be that God is wanting to work in your life right now so I will be praying that your heart will be open and sensitive to His leading. Linda
Page 38…..Renee says..”But if we only live on the surface with God, we’ll never experience the intimacy we long for or the acceptance and security He offers. Instead of just making our lives easier, God wants us to come up close and experience Him and all that He has for us! He knows that our problems wont be solved and our confidence won’t be found through simply getting more stuff done!!” I don’t know about all of you, but I’m sure guilty and good at getting stuff done…….but not taking the time to be intimate with God!!!
Time to get intimate!!!!!
I long for this from God……….thank you Renee for your words for encouragement 😉
Hello all my sisters in Jesus!
How I agree this chapter, the video and music given by Renee was so super…touched me so deeply.
How stirred my spirit felt after reading of so many lives, with the same hearts cry!….loneliness.
Let us try to see Jesus…lonely, as he left the throne of heaven to give himself for us, people found him, different…saying strange things, having people around him…not understanding him….oh, how he must of thought about heaven…yet, he was willing, obedient to show the Fathers love to every person he encountered.
Jesus understands us, more then we will ever know…PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!!!
I cried for you all who shared so openly of your need for friends….and those of you who gave those, loving words of encouragement and hope!……we all desire to be loved…known, and that is why we have been given this moment of time ..to be here…with Renee…..we are blessed women, indeed!!
One thing that has come to mind when reading ” Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life,” is that I feel like Jesus was saying that bc of him we would have this forever resevoir inside us whenever we needed it…a spring of water welling up that is constantly available when needed. And this goes well and makes sense w/ everything else he said ….”come to me all you who are tired, take my yoke which is easy…..” That he’s there in us and we’ll find him whenever we need him…this constant spring of water resevoir.
My thoughts have conjured up the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”. It has been running through my head since I finished our assignment tonight. Maybe some of you can relate, but I find the refrain to be completely appropriate to this study. I plan to write out the refrain and hopefully some of the verses to remind me of what my focus needs to be!
..yes, yes,yes…I so agree
Much in this chapter resonated with me- This year I am pursuing God- focused on going below the surface- your comments here served as confirmation as where I need to be-digging deeper and deeper that i may know God. My Scripture verse for this year is Hosea 6:3 Oh that (I) might know the Lord, Let (me) presson to know Him. He will respond as surley as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring. See why God brought me to this book- He knows me, my thoughts, desires, hopes, dreams. I can’t help but O what a mighty God we serve. What came closes to my heart in chapter 2 I don’t have to be perfect because He is- this met me where I was. God bless you Renee and all the ladies in this study.
I believe many times I am aware of what needs to be done, but unaware of how I am going to do it. Life can be full of challenges. I know that I can over depend upon others, my friends, my husband, or relatives to meet my needs, but that is not a good expectation. I cannot always depend upon other people to meet my deepest needs. I can seek God and allow Jesus to help meet my deepest needs. Jesus knows me better then anyone here on Earth, so I need to try to reach out to Him and allow myself to receive the Bread of Life, the living water that only Jesus can give. I am in my 50’s so I find I rely upon Jesus more to meet my needs, although I do love my lunches and coffees and time with friends. I celebrate time with friends but I rely upon Jesus to fill my soul. Are there any Canadians in this Bible Study ? I live in Alberta, Canada.
..I do not in Canada, yet, I so appreciated your sharing…no other can “fill our souls”…as He.
(are you familiar with the singer/song writer Steve Bell…lives in Winnipeg?)
I’m in Toronto, Dianne, and I wish we all could meet up for lunch! Renee actually presented her book (before it was published) at a retreat where over 20 women from our church listened…more than 10 bought the book…but none of them wanted to do this study with me/us. It makes me sad because I would have loved to be able to sit & talk some of this out…and get the huggggs I need (as I’m single & have no one around).
So Dianne, let’s support each other rather than being dependant, as I have learned that is no way to live life!
Take care!
I have to say…this chapter is full of so much! I think that I said that about last chapter too, but then I read this chapter and there’s more!! There were defiantly more than two sentences that stuck out to me, but since I am picking two they would be…..”He is there waiting for us in the midst of our imperfect lives, when our pain and failures confirm our self doubts. He is there waiting for us when we’re going through the motions, aware of what needs to be done but unaware of how we’re going to do it.” WOW…WOW…WOW!! So much truth in these two sentences!
I can relate to Sam’s life. I’ve been married more times that I want to admit. The video and the story of the Samaritian woman let me know that it is no mistake that I am in this bible study.
I haven’t finished the chapter yet but here is a sentence that jumped out at me:
“It can be hard to let people know how we are really doing. We don’t want to be high maintenance, right?” (page 31)
That is why I say I’m fine. It is not that I’m worried that people won’t accept me, it’s that I don’t want to burden them. A sad way of thinking!
Isn’t that so true. And, another thing that I have found when talking to people, is that most of them are full of “earthly” advice.
p.32 “Slowly we begin to believe we have to be perfect to be loved and accepted.”
This sentence is so true for me. After an unwanted divorce after 18 years together, I, too ,told people I was “fine”. I started believing that I would never be loved or accepted again because my life wasn’t perfect. I stayed away from church because it was too hard to go alone. I gained weight because eating was my comfort and I figured no one cared about me anymore anyway so why not eat all day. I was left with three children, no house, no car, and no money so my life was far from perfect. Slowly, I began to believe in myself again with the help of good friends and my family who encouraged me and my church family who welcomed me back when I was ready. I know that God loves me despite my imperfections and nothing I do or don’t do can change that fact.
I love the verse John 4:4 “He had to go through Samaria.” Jesus purposefully went through Samaria (when most Jews wouldn’t) so that he could meet with Sam. There was a specific plan to meet with her. I believe Jesus seeks us just as purposefully, too!
Amen!
Karen C
I like following the story of Sam. I never really gave much thought to the woman behind the story but it is pretty amazing. Pretty much most of chapter 2 spoke to me in quite a few levels of my life. On page 55, paragraph 3, it says that “Jesus helped Sam to see that no person or position, such as being someone’s wife, could fill the empty places in her heart.” Jesus is showing us all that He is enough! We need nothing else to fill our empty places and find our significance. I, like Sam, have looked for love in all the wrong places only to find that it doesn’t work. It doesn’t take away the loneliness or pain. I thank God that He showed me what I was doing and brought me out of that destructive way of life. I praise God as well for the healing that only He can bring if we allow it. I love this book! Some of the memories are painful but I give them to the Lord as they come up and let the healing begin! I also want to praise God for setting me on His path and giving me a wonderfully supportive husband and three beautiful, healthy kids. Anything is possible with God!
He is enough! So encouraging, thanks.
Great chapter! In reading this chapter, I realize that I have been pretending that things are just “fine” when they are not. Like many of the posts above, I struggle with really letting people know me. On p. 33, I resonated with the line “I was haunted by thoughts of never being good enough. I felt like I could never do enough to measure up.” That is because I am either told this in some way (or perceive I am told this) or compare myself with someone who seems to have it all. And as I read that, I think that perhaps everyone in some point of their life thinks this. Things on earth, whether it be some material possession or even acceptance from someone else, will never satisfy. I guess that is why I am participating in this study and reading this book. 🙂 Praying that all of you will be reminded that as Jesus says in John 4, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life,” and as Renee said on p. 43, “As children of God we were designed to find out identity, our significance, and our confidence in Him. Praying that we will all take those steps in claiming our true identity in Him and as He designed us. 🙂
This chapter really challenged me but I absolutely enjoyed it. In my life, saying “I’m fine” had become my default simply because I didn’t want people to think otherwise. I thank God He has put certain people in my life that I feel I can be real with but now I am challenged to not pretend at all. The reality is, everyone has something going on in their life and who knows, by me being honest, God could use me to speak life into someone else’s life. Depite being in my early twenties, this year has been quite challenging but it’s been awesome growing closer to God. I completely relates with Sam, desiring for God to make my life easier. But a challenge that came to mind as I read page 38 is that getting up close and personal with God requires work; living with a superficial relationship with God is far easier. But ultimately there is no satisfaction and we end up back where we were. Going through struggles and trials are not fun, but I don’t regret getting closer to God in the past year and Him divinely leading me to do this study. Lastly, Phil. 1:6 really resonated in me. I once again was encouraged with the promise that God has a plan and purpose for my life that He WILL see to completion. I no longer want to know or keep God at a distance; getting up close is definitely worth it.
After reading chapter 2 I felt like it was written about me bacause it described my past life. But thanks to the grace of GOD my life and unhealthy patterns with the opposite gender have really changed. Jesus helped me to see my own pattern just like He did for Sam . I have been married now for 18 years, they haven’t been all sunshine and roses but we are still together just the same. Thank you Jesus for all you did for us over the years. Had I not seen the pattern and excepted Jesus’ help there is a good chance we might not still be together. I can also say that I am fine when I am really not, this is something I have been working on for a while now. As for walls in my life well they were there but thanks to the grace of GOD they have come down at least many of them did, if ther are more I am sure GOD will point them out to me.
The video was awesome, and quite eye opening. Thanks for sharing it Renee
BECAUSE GOD’S LOVE IS PERFECT, I DON’T HAVE TO BE AND NEITHER DO YOU!
Loved the video, thank you Renee!
Amanda, just go again to Rennee web and try it. It wasn´t work for my either in my email.
I hope you´ll be able to see it.
Thanks a lot to everyone for sharing tour thoughts, I´m enjoing myself .
These are the sentences that are resonating with me:
Jesus met Sam in one of the loneliest parts of her day
He was there waiting for us when we’re going through the motions, aware of what needs to be done but unaware of how we’re going to do it.
He is there.
When we come home to a husband who ignores us, Jesus is there.
But if we only live on the surface with God, we’ll never experiene the intimacy we long for or the acceptance and security He offers.
He took her below the surface and showed her what was really going on in her heart.
My prayer is just that, Jesus take me below the surface cause I’m ready to see what’s really going on in my heart.— Amen
The video is fixed now. Sorry about that – not sure why it stopped working. Be blessed today! You are known!!
“So it is with Jesus. He notices and cares enough to tell us that our hearts need repair.” This is one of the many lines I highlighted. My story in a way reminds me of yours, Renee. As teens, my husband and I went to Church..I didn’t grow up knowing God’s love, but my husband and his family did. I went because he invited me (he was my boyfriend at the time). And I figured I could spend more time with him. I never truly listened to what was being said, and I always felt very uncomfortable. in the last 3 years, we have gone to Church maybe 5 times up until 3 months ago. We have been going steadily, and we both actually LISTEN, and I know God is speaking to me. He knows that I haven’t been living completely for Him and trusting his Word. He is telling me that my heart needs repair. I believe I was meant to own this book. I believe it was part of your plan to write this book to help people like me really HEAR what he is trying to say to us. I know now what he’s speaking to me and I’m so happy that I now hear him. “Through His death and resurrection, we are offered the gift of new life through the Holy Spirit and lasting security through our relationship with Christ.” Praise the Lord!
and unfortunately, the video wouldn’t work for me :/..it said “video not found”
The only way we’ll have a confident heart is if we move beyond knowing about God TO knowing and relying on Him–to depend on His Word with our whole heart, mind and soul.
This is what stuck out at me and what I long for 🙂
I so relate..
It’s such a wonderful feeling to know that God, knows EVERYTHING about you but He will still love you no matter what. I need this truth so often, I have never been very confident or secure in anything I did, but I have been learning more on the Power of God’s love everyday and the truth that all of His words speak. Thank you God for everything!!!
The fact that God loves me no matter what is something that I have to remind myself of regularly. Ch. 2 spoke about how we tend to remind ourselves of our past wrongs, and reminding myself that he still loves me despite these wrongs and has forgiven me of them is the hope that I need some days.
“A personal relationship with God sets us free to be all we were created to be. As children of God we were designed to find our identity, our significance and our confidence in Him.”
I love this sentence, society has designed us to find our identity, significance, and confidence in our successes, possessions and others opinions of us. As mom’s society has designed us to find these things in the way our children act in public, and if they can get out of the house without toothpaste on their shirts. As wives we are taught to find these things in our appearance, our ability to keep a home clean for longer than 1 hour, and the pressure to prove our equality with our husbands.
This passage reminds me that there is one person I need to base anything in, including my identity, my significance and my confidence in and that is God.
It seems that I am always trying to find who I am and what I’m doing here but I don’t need to keep searching and searching; all I need to do is open my bible and read.
Good word, Tonya!
Tonya,
That was the very statement that really impacted me also. God truly is the ONLY one I need to base anything in. God bless.
Karen C.
Thanks Karen and Suzanne, as easy as the concept may seem it takes daily reminders (speaking for myself of course) to remember that God is the only one who can say who I am and what my value is. 🙂
Yada. Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10
It was if God said, “You don’t realize WHO it is you askfor help from on a daily basis. IF YOU did you’d have more confidence in MY ability rather than your own!” I felt it lovingly and powerfully. It is also convicting.
Page 32: Someone asks how we’re doing and we lie though our teeth: “I’m fine!” – That sentence struck me because I recently heard a definition of fine as:
Failure to
Identify
Numerous
Emotions
That has REALLY stuck with me and reminds me to STOP and IDENTIFY what I truly am feeling at the moment and why, which helps me to go to God and ask for His help if it is something that is bringing me down.
This is only ONE of the MANY sentences that I have highlighted in this chapter, though! LOL Another was the one about wanting to be loved for “who I was” and not what someone else wanted me to be.
I love this Kathryn it makes so much sence and a good thing to keep in mind thanks for sharing it.
p. 43 “The only way we’ll have a confident heart is if we move beyond knowing about God to knowing and relying on Him — to depending on His Word with our whole heart, mind, and soul.” I haven’t always felt His promises were for me. I would want to accept a promise for me, and then I would be reminded of someone else in the Bible that didn’t receive that same promise. I think I’m learning that it’s a choice to accept those promises as true for you because His Word says it is, and the reason others don’t receive is because they didn’t believe. So I choose to believe that His promises are for me. And if anyone can receive them, then it can be me because I believe 🙂
Loved the video and the whole chapter!. It would take up too much space to tell you all I received from it so far. I got a lot out of the quote at the beginning of the chapter by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis. I need to get that book too! 🙂
I am leading a group of ladies from my church starting this Friday in this study. I’ve got to say that I’m learning how to step out of my doubts and into confidence in what I can do with the Lord equipping me and trusting Him and the Holy Spirit to lead me. This will be a real time of growing for me! Wow!! What was I thinking? And yet I know it’s an area where I see so many of us ladies struggle in, including me. We doubt ourselves so much in so many areas of our lives, look to others to fulfill the emptiness within and want to be known and loved for who we are. So I’m thankful for the opportunity to go on this journey with these ladies and look forward to the transformation in all our lives through this study that the Lord will bring, and to all of you too!
My hearts cry? To be known and loved for me! Not for the person I think others will accept or the person I think I should be. Not for the things I do for others or for the Lord to gain that acceptance. To know that I am loved just for me? That the Lord knows me intimately, the good, the bad and the ugly and all the in between and loves me unconditionally! How amazing is that? As the psalmist said in Psalm 139:6, “this knowledge is too wonderful for me to understand”. He loves me unconditionally, without any conditions. He wants me to have that intimate relationship with Him and as I get to know Him more, I will know freedom and healing. I believe all of us will!
TO BE KNOWN IS TO BE LOVED~ How awesome the idea is, but how sad so many don’t feel it or experience it.
This part of the poem is what stands out the most:
“A woman unclean, ashamed, Used and abused
An outcast a failure a disappointment, a sinner.”
The words resound in my head as I have been addressed like this in the past. I have wanted to get close to people and reveal who I am but have been fearful if they knew the truths of my heart they would reject me in the end.
My past is a long and dramamtic story it began with a baby girl being abandoned by her mother that grew up abused and used with details I care not to explain. If you saw my heart would you love me, accept me for who I am, or would it be a surface act that I have grown accustom to daily without end.
BUT then I saw the face of TRUE LOVE and HE invited me in and knew about the tears of my heart before I even began. I love this man that I call FATHER for HE knows me and does not run. HE sees all of my scars loves them just the way they are, HE is healing me within and teaching me to love myself correctly as I begin. I begin to take HIS hand as HE leads me HIS way and TRUST HIM no matter where we may end.
This is a new step that I take, a leap of FAITH of sharing of WHO I REALLY AM!~ I am a CHILD OF GOD that HE is restoring from within, I will not listen to the lies that have been told and the past of shame, guilt and doubt is no longer allowed in.
Renee thank you so much for sharing your heart and being transparent it is truly inspiring and appreciated.
This study and community is not only revealing and renewing the women within but it is helping me be a better wife and mama too.
Thank you so much again.
Love and hugs to you Maria! Keep clinging to the truth!
I started watching the video, but then I had to pause it. Now it says access denied. Does anyone know how to fix it? I tried to refresh my screen and I also re-opened the screen again. I also tried to find it on godtube.com and couldn’t. Thanks.
For me these are the workds on Pg 43 “The only way we’ll have a confident heart is if we move beyond knowing about God to knowing and relying on Him- to depending on His Word with our whole heart, mind and soul.” I need this I need to be reminded that we ahallnot live by bread alone but by every word the comes out of God’s mouth.
The Lord is allowing me to be at a stage of my life at the age of 54 where I feel I have lost my status and influence and importance, professionally and socially. I recently gave up a very influential professional job to make a major geographical move, primarily to save my family from disintegration and destruction may be. But I believe it is what God wanted me to do . Now I am adjusting and rebuilding. I have depended on God’s promises all my life but this time its as though I cannot even contribute to helping Him make things happen. So I have to absolutely trust Him to bring us through. I believe that there are lessons He wants me to learn and that He is building a reat testimony for me to share some time later in my life. I am relearning that my relevance is wrapped up in Him not in what I accomplish nor depending on my gifts and talents. So this story of the woman at the well reminds me that I am important to Him and that my relevance is wrapped up in Him and His divine plan for my life.