Our Word for the week is TRUST
Trust: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety of a person or thing; confident expectation of something; hope.
Download and print our word for the week in a PDF or in MSWord.
His WORD for us this week: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
Let’s Connect:
I would love to know what one or two things you’ve read so far in Chapter 10 that you feel God is speaking to your heart about. Are there verses or sentences you’ve underlined or highlighted? Click “share your thoughts” just below this post and do just that. {If you are reading this via email please click here to return to my website to connect with us!}
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..just getting into the chapter…looks like a good one to relate with..and as with this whole experience of doing an online study..it was challenging at first and to you, Mary….I so encourage you to take your time..don’t rush..as Renee is so “real and understanding”…..seek the Lord to help guide you into the time to meet with us all, and be open to the Holy Spirit to teach you all the wonderful ways God desires to draw closer to you….we are all so loved!
I am glad to be reading this book, however, I feel worse now than before I started reading it! I am not feeling confident or uplifted. Not sure what to make of it all.
This chapter has been the most powerful for me and brought forth many tears. They were happy tears, tears of thankfulness. As I read, I vividly saw moments over the past few years of my life where God was cnsistent with me. He saved me from an unhealthy relationship and carried me out of the rubble. During that time I truly learned the meaning of the “Footprints in the sand” poem. I underlined multiple sentences, but the one that really stole my heart was “Remember, God is not looking for a woman who is perfect. He is looking for a woman who wants to walk with Jesus and find her confidence through her daily dependence on him.”
The names of God touched my heart because I have been struggling to walk by faith. I love God and know that he has plans for me, “to prosper …” and to give me hope. The Jeremiah Bible verse was perfect for what I was feeling these last few months and it kept running through my head. Reading the part of Ch.10 about trusting God meaning really getting to know/trust Him sums up for me talking about faith vs. then walking in faith. Jeremy Camp’s song by that same name has become a life anthem for me to sing when I need to walk strong and confidently!
I liked this video from Renee Swope. The closing thoughts said: “Gideon learned to follow God more consistently by depending on God’s strength instead of his own. He shifted his focus from doubting himself to believing his God. More than just helping him conquer the Midianites, God also helped Gideon conquer his personal enemies of doubt and fear. And He wants to do the same things in our lives. Oftentimes God will use our doubts to build our confidence by calling us to face our fears and do something we would never choose to do on our own. But when we depend on Him, we experience victory we never thought possible! I know how that feels, because with all that has been going on with my severe health challenges I never thought that I could handle it, but I can! God is the one who has me by His right hand and He is leading the way for the victory! He is going to get the glory in all of this and I know without a doubt how much He loves me! Why can we rise again? Because we have a God who promises to be there to take our hand and help us up again. In Psalm 37: 23-24 says, (insert your name in the blanks) “The steps of _Kimberly_____ are established by the Lord, and He delights in _Kimberly’s___ way. When _Kimberly_________ falls _she____ will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds __Kimberly’s__________ hand. (NASB). He will be there for us and when we do fall He will pick us up again. I hope you like this video as much as I did and to know the promises He gives us.
Renee,
Your book has been such an encouragement to me. I love the Names of God list and especially El Roi. It is amazing that God could even see me amongst all the people in the world and care about the intimate details of my life. I appreciated the words on page 191 in Chapter 10:”Instead of changing our circumstances, often God uses our circumstances to bring us closer to Him, make us more like Him, and help us find our confidence in Him.” I also underlined the words “God is not looking for a woman who is perfect. He is looking for a woman who wants to walk with Jesus and find her confidence through her daily dependence on Him.” Wow! When I depend on God’s strength and truly believe Him, He definitely does amazing things. Thank you so much for depending on God and sharing your book with us. I am forwarding the e-mail to my daughter.
Pam
Oh a prayer request for myself ladies. have had a bad tooth over the past couple weeks with a root canal yesterday. Please pray for the healing of my mouth and tooth, I may end up having to have it pulled here and really do not want to go down that road. Praying for specifics right? Thank you all.
I got a revelation about independence and how we need to be “in dedentednt to God. When I first started the book I had read through your story about with your mom, and just laughed. That was so me, I having to have control of everything to work. I have gotten much better with that in letting go and let God, but I needed to have reread that before this week end. No one liked me in my family including myself, and I was just lashing out. Why.. just insecuriites and fear. and not trusting God. As I started talking to my husband while I’m breaking down in the grocery store he told me to go to Psalms 51 and Psalms 1. I have had to pray for this trust to start on mu end. I know it is there from God.
I haven’t read the chapter yet, will be starting it in a little while. However, want to thank you, Renee, for “permission” to skip ahead. For some reason, I needed to be told it was okay to do so.
My Wimp to Warrior moment came on September 6, 2003 – a date I’ll not ever forget. That was the day I handed over the control panel of my life to Jesus Christ because I had made such a mess of things. Since then, he’s walked with me through many storms and although there were times it got pretty scary and I thought I wasn’t going to make it. I’m still here on the path He set before me! Praising God each day that it’s by His Grace I get to do what I do, and not by my strength but his. I’m so very grateful for the loving care he’s shown me and has allowed me to share the Hope I’ve found in Him with other women. I get to be a Warrior in His Army each and every day, so I proudly Armor Up and head on out to meet the challenges. I know that nothing is impossible with God, he’s shown me that as long as I keep the compass pointed directly toward Him, surrender myself to him each day, he’s with me always! He and I talk throughout the day about all things, and I know he see’s my shortcomings, I’ve asked him to remove them, so he’s working on me; I’ve learned to ask for forgiveness to give it and to make amends to those I’ve harmed. Doing a daily inventory of my behavior helps to keep me on track or in step with my Savior.
Thanks again for listening. I’m enjoying the book. God bless you richly!
As a young bride at the age of 20 and not having dated but a couple of guys, I felt if I didn’t marry this one, no one else would want me or love me. Now here I am 24 years later and still feel all those insecurities. I don’t want to upset anyone or have them mad at me….I want to take care of everyone around me, but let myself sit on the back burner if not still in the cupboard…LOL..I was raised in church and been a Christian since I can remember but until recently haven’t absorbed what He has in store for me. Through a new preacher at church, and this bible study, my heart is softening allowing me to believe what I have “known” for so long. I must quit searching for love for fear of not being loved, and let God fill those places in my heart that I have shut Him out of. I know it is going to be a long process, as walls have been built around my heart over and over. My prayer is that God and I can knock them down brick by brick and not only allow His presence into my most intimate thoughts but my husband as well. I must let go of my fear that if my husband only knew what was in my head and heart he would not love me.