How would today be different if I really BELIEVED God?
Sometimes my emotional ups and downs make we wonder if I really believe God’s promises.
In my heart, I know I believe in Him, but do I really believe Him?
If I actively BELIEVE God, then I’ll trust He’s working everything out for good today – even though big expenses have drained our savings account and our son needed emergency oral surgery last week.
If I intentionally BELIEVE God, I won’t be anxious today when little inconveniences get in my way. Instead I’ll turn to Him for peace and I’ll thank Him in advance for helping me accomplish what has to be done.
If I truly BELIEVE God, then I’ll go to bed on time tonight, because He doesn’t want me to stay up late working endlessly trying to get it all done. Jesus says He wants to give me the gift of rest.
How could your day be different, if you really BELIEVED God?
- How would your outlook be different?
- How would your relationships be impacted?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t often realize Im not believing God. I need something to help me recognize and redirect my thoughts.
For instance, I’ve said “My life is too hard” to myself, my husband and my God quite often the past few weeks. We’ve just had one thing after the other going on around our house :). And if I believe that my life IS too hard…
- I get overwhelmed and want to quit. That’s my point of belief. Will I give in or will I grab a verse from God’s Word to believe and help me remember God promises to be with me; to give me strength and time to accomplish His purposes that day.
- I get courage to keep going when I focus on His truth over my feelings and choose to really believe Him. And somehow my active believing opens His acts of providing {or my eyes of seeing} and I end up with all I need to get through my days, my dilemmas and my doubts.
As I wrote my A Confident Heart Devotional book, I kept thinking about this and I realized: I need a new thought map.
I included a “When I say…God says…” statement {like the one above} at the end of every devotion to help me {and hopefully you} replace OUR thoughts with GOD’s thoughts!
That way, we find ourselves lost, stuck or struggling we can turn to God’s truth and remember to BELIEVE.
How could YOUR day or week be different it you really believed God today?
Click “share your thoughts” below and do just that. When you do, you’ll be entered to win one of 3 copies of my new A Confident Heart Devotional with 60-days of encouragement and truth to help you really believe God.
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I Love The Thought Cards Idea! Can’t Wait To Get The Devotional!
I think if I really believed God, I would see the little and the big challenges as His will and trust that it’s ok if life appears messy! He is working it out even when I can’t see it or feel it!!!
I so badly need this devotional. I need to read it over and over and over again. I can read the Bible and get lost in the bigger parts – the stories of someone’s life or trials or ministry, how they needed God and how He provided or they felt without Him for a time. But I have such a hard time *personalizing* it FOR ME. Add that to the difficulty I have in recalling verses when I’m in a pit. I went through the worst depression of my life last winter and felt so alone from God. I was so lost. I bought your book and encouraged a couple friends to read it, too. But this devotional, to just keep reading over and over again… the way you break it down above: “When I say… God says…” Now *that’s personalizing it. That’s how I need to read His word.
I’m headed into middle-age and discovered a few weeks ago that I’m expecting our 4th baby. While we weren’t trying, we also weren’t *not* trying. Somehow, though, it still caught me by such surprise that I’m having a hard time being excited about it. I’m overwhelmed at how our lives will change, how we need to adjust our house to make room, how to keep up with 4 when I have a hard time with 3 (2 of them have sensory issues that can be quite overwhelming.) Pray for me, please. I fear the same post-partum depression I had previously and I fear a recurrence of the depression I had last winter.
If I chose to really believe God with all my mind, and with all my heart and with all my soul, I would see His activity throughout my day, and throughout my week. If I focus only on myself and my strength I rob myself of believing in Him and experiencing His strength…I need less of me and more of Him!
When I become anxious and feel overwhelmed I used to except thous doubting messages and let them stand for who I am.
I feel the three key points are very important
If I actively Believe god, Intentionally believe God, and, if I truly believe God. I will use these daily to help me get closer to God. This will help me focus myself on how the Lord sees me and not feel that I have to feel excepted by the fallen world. I would start to begin to love and except myself the way God does. For everything is created perfectly by God nothing is broken. Just like the trees, clouds, and sun reflecting off the water back to are loving father Jesus Christ. Perfectly made by Jesus. God has spoke to me and told me I am as beautify made.
My relationship would be impacted by God’s love, God’s world, God’s promises. I would feel free from all the hurt of the world, and would be refilled with God’s unfailing love,Joy, peace, love, compassion, kindness, tenderness and gentleness that only God provides. All the scares of the world would be washed away and I would be new. All the negative imprinted messages will be washed away. You will begin to see how I see you. A buitiful child perfectly made in me Jesus Christ. Corinthians 5:17
New International Version (NIV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!
God spoke to me and said in every situation find a bible verse that fits your situation. Then you will be able to receive my word and refocus the pain of your situation back to me. This will give your great hope and you will know I your father love you, will take care of you and will get you through this. Don’t let the situations of the world distract you from me. Come back to my word, pray and share your heart and I will transform you to my victory I have waiting for you.
Since I’m such a feeling person, I really have to boss my emotions around. And right now I find myself Ina season of grief and aloneness as I navigate deep waters of a painful divorce. I really needed this post today! I have become lukewarm in my dependence of scripture – and I’m usually the one encouraging others to memorize His words! When I think too much and dwell on thoughts, that’s when I need His Word the quickest. It’s His voice I need to hear, and I’m desperate for it!!!
Thank you for your gentle reminders, and praying you feel His healing touch tonight.
So many times I think that God doesn’t understand all the pieces of my life that cause stress and worry. He always provides though. I need to make my faith and belief in Him stronger.
I would love to be able to be able to daily actively, intentionally, truly believe God. My head, heart & emotions are all tripping over each other. My daughter, son-in-law & 7 month old grandson are leaving next month for long term missions in a somewhat closed country. I know that’s what God has called them to do, but it’s going to be so hard to send them off not knowing when I’ll see them again. I’ve got to be able to go on faith not on feelings.
Hi Renee!
I love all you have written and I love to watch yr video messages. I especially live when I can join in on yr live chats! All of the above have helped me tremendously. Thank u so much. U see , every time I achieve peace in my heart, a tragic event happens and I become so deflated. I believe in God’s promises. I just wish they would happen faster than they do. I am climbing an uphill road that is discouraging at times. I hope My LORD AND SAVIOR UNDERSTANDS THESE FEELINGS. I do love HIM So
This sounds like a book I would love to read. I know sometimes I get caught up in my own thoughts that I don’t stop to listen and actually hear God.
Like you, I know I *believe IN* God, but I do have a hard time simply believing him, especially when I feel like I have been doing “all the right things” and yet it feels like things aren’t going in my favor – or the way I think they should go. Unexpected bills (husband needed oral surgery) kid issues (My son’s PICA is flaring up, which means he’s stressed!) health issues (3rd kidney infection in 2 months!) , school issues (mine and my husbands) homeschool issues (why did I agree to this again?!) car issues (need parts they can’t find UGH!!!) … It all adds up.
I know that if I really believed him I would not worry so much. Worry is doubt, a lack of faith. I would sleep better and have less stomach aches, I wouldn’t argue with my husband so much, when I stress I tend to nit pick (you mean you couldn’t switch that empty TP roll?! Don’t I have enough on my plate!!!!) I know this is a ME issue, it’s a FAITH issue and it needs to change, but it is like I am addicted to worry. I *WANT* to have that kind of faith.
That kind of faith, how insane is it that I need MORE faith to believe that God is in complete control and I don’t need to worry than I need to believe in the virgin birth, or Jonah being swallowed by a giant fish or the entire world being flooded or Jesus rising from the dead! THAT I believe with absolute faith, but God will take care of me?!?! I worry.
So much of this topic has been weighing heavily on my heart for the past week. Amazing how God works in these same ideas everywhere I look. Been challenged to not just believe, but to look to him to live out those beliefs. Can’t wait to use this devotional!
I think if I truly believed God my outlook and relationships would improve so much and to the extent God intended them to be. I have fears/phobias that prevent me from truly being the person I should be and doing what I need to. Although I believe, if I truly believed God, He knows what I fear and I can’t change what will happen I can only change my response. I feel like my daily life revolves around avoiding things to lessen my fears. I don’t truly live freely in Him. My relationships would improve so much because I would not have the fears laying in the back of my mind all the time and could be free to truly enjoy the relationships as God planned for me to enjoy and be more involved and closer to people and especially those that I love and my family.
It’s no coincidence that I’ve been spending time in Psalm 91 and you happened to mention it in the post…I sure could use some encouragement in trusting The Lord.
If I really believed God, then I wouldn’t be afraid. I would be free to love others and myself. With fear is torment, but perfect love casts out fear. Jesus is that perfect love. Because the Bible says, true love is this, that one lay down his life for his friends. I really want to “overcome” and I know that going to God and believing Him is what will help and heal me. Still, I say, “Lord, help my unbelief”!
If I really believed God today I would remember that He is writing my life story, not I. Rather than get upset at the unexpected, I can have hope that what I’m going through doesn’t take Him by surprise. He has promised that what I’m facing is nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in me. The Holy Spirit helps me in my weakness and intercedes for me. God works for my good in all things. If God is for me, who can be against me? Nothing can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord. Jesus carries out and fulfills all of God’s promises, no matter how many of them there are; and I have told everyone how faithful he is, giving glory to his name! (Romans 8:18, 26, 28, 31, 39 (NIV) & 2 Cor. 1:20 (TLB)
I am learning that I have to believe God minute by minute sometimes. I am currently doing the bible study Confident Heart online and this past week I had to believe God would get me through a very hard time. I was very fearful in a situation and I found myself praying to Him more than ever and actually feeling His peace. I am a long way from where I need to be, but I am getting there one step at a time. I am the one who doubts herself and basically feels worthless and useless around others. I find that when I start believing God for who He is and what He says, then I can start little by little, moment by moment breaking free from lies. I am in ministry and it is so hard sometimes because no one knows the thoughts or feelings i deal with. I feel so alone sometimes, but believing God is the only way I can get through. He has to be my rock and my truth.
I so needed to read this today. I just need to trust God instead of trying to rely on myself. I am reading your book A Confident Heart and am struggling with being single. This study has helped me in so many ways, but I know that I am still work in progress and it doesn’t happen over night. I am trying to being patient and God knows I am no good at that…lol. His grace covers me and allows peace with in me just knowing that I am changing. Thank you Renee for all you do in sharing your heart with us gals of the world. You have made me understand and know that I am truly a child of God. Much Love & Blessings, Lisa Marie
Thank you for sharing your story with us. It is so comforting to know that we all struggle with really believing how big is our God. And I love what you said about His gift of rest. Oh, how I needed to hear that! I need to learn to let things go and accept his gift of rest joyfully and not worry about all that I think I need to do right this minute: the laundry, the clutter, the lesson plans, the projects, and on and on.
Again thanks and hope you feel better soon.
I REALLY needed to hear your message today. My husband and I have been planning several projects that must occur before I can retire. It doesn’t seem to be as important to him as it is to me (he is already retired). I see the date we set rapidly approaching and so much remains undone! I was very discouraged this morning and your message to BELIEVE God was just what I needed. Thank you!