A Confident Heart {Devotional Giveaway}
I’m thrilled to have my friend Renee Swope guest posting today, sharing from her new A Confident Heart Devotional, and giving away 2 copies! This devotional a wonderful tool to help grow your relationship with God. It is filled with 60 encouraging devotionals from Renee (and a few from her friends, including me!) Be sure to enter today’s drawing and find out more about another HUGE giveaway Renee is doing on her blog {details below}.
“I had everything I wanted yet felt empty and confused. Although my life was full of relationships and accomplishments I’d worked hard to gain, 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.
I’ll never forget 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, and 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 a need for fulfillment so He could meet it.
Proverbs 19:22a, says, “What a person desires is unfailing love.” That 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 referencing a person. It is only attributed to God.
God gave us a desire for unfailing love because He knew it would lead us back to Him.
His love draws us to Him. Only we can stop God from reaching the deep and hidden parts within us that need Him most.
Let’s invite Jesus to look into our hearts today so He can show us what, who and where we might be looking to be fulfilled. Then let’s ask Him to fill us with the promise and reality of His unfailing love instead.
When I say… I’ll never be content.
God says… Let My unfailing love satisfy the longings of your heart.
“What a [woman] desires is unfailing love. Proverbs 19:22″
* Today’s post by Renee Swope is a partial excerpt from her NEW A ConfidentHeart Devotional. Used with Permission from Revell Books.
About Renee’s NEW Confident Heart Devotional:
Expanding on her popular “When I say–God says” statements from her best-selling book, A Confident Heart, Renee Swope has written a new 60-day devotional that will encourage, empower and equip you to overcome your most common and crippling self–doubts so you can live confidently in your God-given roles, relationships, and responsibilities! Each devotion features a “When I Say…God Says…” statement, prayer and a promise to guide your thoughts and emotions that day, and an easy-reference chart that includes all sixty ”When I Say…God Says…” statements in the back of the book!
Enter to WIN a copy TODAY!
Enter to win one of 2 copies of Renee’s new A ConfidentHeart Devotional book in today’s comments: Share why you’d like to win a copy and let us know what friend you’d give it to, if you won 2 copies. Winners will be announced Friday. Giveaway extended through Sunday night.Winners announced Monday, Feb. 17th.
ENTER the Let God Love You Contest:
Enter to WIN a $50 gift card, 2 additional signed copies of Renee’s A ConfidentHeart Devotional and more at www.ReneeSwope.com