Letting God Fill the Empty Places in My Heart

I have a give-away and a special "welcome" for new friends hopping over from my Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion. I hope you'll make yourself comfortable and stay a while. Before we get started, I wanted to show you my book cover!! I can't believe the cover is in catalogs and the book will be on shelves July 2011! All I can say is wow God.

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In my devotion today, I wrote about our longing to be chosen. From the time I can remember, I wanted someone to choose me. To value me. To want me. Someone other than my parents, that is.

Do you remember the first time you wanted someone to choose you? Maybe it was a game on the playground, a position on a team or an invite to a party.

Wanting to be chosen plays into our question of whether we're good enough to be chosen, doesn't it? But, when someone says or does something that makes us feel good enough, it fills an empty place in our hearts where the longing was before.

Then they change their mind or hurt our feelings, and our filled-up place leaks. Our good enough drains out and our confidence goes with it. A sense of inadequacy leaves us feeling empty again.

There are several things that have happened to make me feel like I wasn't good enough. I recently started sharing a part of my story that I hadn't shared before, and I've discovered almost every woman can relate. I don't have the whole message available today, but I have a 2min video segment that I'd like to share with you.

Note: The first 20 sec are photos/titles because we use this for event promotions, but it's pretty quick. Just click the arrow to watch, and then scroll down to read the rest of my post. But be sure to watch this first, or it won't make sense.



More than anything, I just want you to know I understand. I have felt the cavernous emptiness that comes with painful rejection from someone you love. It's hard to believe I can smile about it now, and share lessons I've learned. When it happened, I was devastated. Crushed. Wounded. Convinced I'd never be good enough.

I remember going to my pastor, asking him to help me process the pain and excruciating sadness. I wanted him to tell me how awful my fiancé was and how I had the right to feel betrayed and deceived. I’ll never forget him saying, “Renee, you can’t put your hope in a man; you can only put your hope in God. A man’s love will always disappoint you.”

Honestly, I wanted to throw something at him. I didn’t want him to correct me; I wanted him to side with me. How can you love someone and not put your hope in them? I questioned.

Deep down, though, I knew he was right. I'd always put my hope in a man’s love and been disappointed. I;d tried to find my good enough in what others thought about me and now I had to face my fear of not being chosen.

I needed to separate myself and my worth from a man’s decision to want me or not. I had to hold his words and preferences up to God’s Word and cling to the promise that He chose me and would never reject me. In time, healing came. As I recovered from being unwanted by a man, I embraced the fullness that comes in knowing I am completely accepted by God. I learned how to let Him fill the empty places in my heart and help me find my good enough in Him.

God gave us the deep desire to be chosen, loved and accepted so He could fill and fulfill that desire. He chooses us. He loves us. And through Christ, He accepts us. If we didn't long for love and acceptance, we'd never recognize our need for His.

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love." Psalm 33:18
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A Confident Heart Gift Pack

Today, I'm giving away the complete 45minute DVD message that my 2min video clip was taken from so you can hear the whole story, along with my message Letting God Fill the Empty Places in Your Heart on CD, a gift certificate for a signed copy of A Confident Heart (coming July 2011), and a Starbucks gift card! Here's how you can enter to win:

1) Send this post or a link (with God's promises below) to someone who might need to know just how much God loves them.

2) Tell a friend (via email, twitter or Facebook) about today's give-away and how they can enter to win here.

3) Share today's devotion,You're the One I Want with someone who needs to be reminded that God sees them and chooses them again and again!

4) Click the word "comments" at the bottom of this post, to tell me which one, two or three you did. Each time you share the love, you'll be entered to win! For another chance, let me know if and how God spoke to your heart through today's messages.

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Confident Heart Promises

In my book, A Confident Heart, I share how I found lasting soul-security by learning to live in the power of God's promises. Here are a few I copied from chapter 6 to share with you and for you to share with those you love:

When I feel unimportant, God says: I am CHOSEN.
“You are my witness,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He.” Is 43:10

When I feel worthless, God says: I am LOVED.
“You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you.” Is 43:4

When I feel forgotten, God says: I am REMEMBERED.
“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Is 49:16

When I feel abandoned, God says: I am NEVER ALONE.
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge... Ps 73:28

When I feel inadequate, God says: I am SECURE.
“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” Deut 33:12

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Check back Monday for more encouragement, my final Christmas give-away and the name of today's winner! If you'd like to be notified, you can sign up in my sidebar for email updates, follow me in Google connect, or friend me on Facebook!