My Review:As I read the first day [included at the bottom of this review] and see "When I say--God says," I am immediately reminded of Romans 12:2. ~Who am I following after? ~What I may hear others say? ~What I see others do that I would like to emulate? ~Who forms my opinion of me that I walk away with? Ready to join 60 days to stop doubting yourself? Romans 12:2, The Message: Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Because we are not cookie-cutters, God's Word applies to us specifically for His path for us ~ to walk alongside and follow Him. The opposite of "specific" is "vague." Beginning, the first step to seek God in the areas of my weakness and His strength as I read these daily devotions. When I say, "My life is too busy. I don't have time to spend with God." God says, "Come with Me to a quiet place and get some rest for your heart, mind, and soul." ~*Powerful Promises*~ Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31)
Back Cover:
Confident, strong, and free--it's closer than you think
We all have doubts, fears, and insecurities, even if we've convinced ourselves that other women don't share those struggles. If you're tired of feeling like you're not good enough, smart enough, or gifted enough, Renee Swope has a message for you: you already have something special to offer the world!
Expanding on her popular "When I say--God says" statements, Renee offers you a daily thought-map to help exchange your most common self-doubts for God's transforming truths. Her authentic style and soul-stirring devotions include personal stories, powerful biblical teaching, and real-life application wrapped around one of God's promises each day to help you
· live confidently in your God-given roles, relationships, and responsibilities
· break free from people-pleasing and performance-based living
· trust the certainty of God's truth over your circumstances and emotions
Take a step toward the life of faith God designed for you and let this sixty-day journey to a confident heart be your guide.
 |
| © In His Image Photography by Julie |
Visit ReneeSwope.com to download free resources and watch videos to enhance your personal study, share with your small group or contribute to your book club. You can also see Renee's speaking schedule or join the next A Confident Heart Online Study. ~*A Confident Heart available as paperback, DVD-ROM Audiobook, Kindle Edition, and NOOK Book*~
***Thank you to Revell Blog Tour Network for inviting me to review A Confident Heart Devotional by Renee Swope, and sending me a copy. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
~*Enjoy Day 1 of the 60 Days Devotions*~
A
Confident
Heart
Devotional
60 Days to Stop Doubting Yourself
When I turned to put something in my suitcase, which was behind me, I noticed a huge nine-foot shadow on the wall. I was surprised how big the shadow was and how much it distorted the image of my five-foot-two-inch frame.
In that moment, I realized my uncertainty had also created a huge shadow—a shadow of doubt that was distorting my thoughts and overpowering my emotions.
As I stood there looking at that humongous shadow, I sensed God telling me I could only see the shadow because I had turned away from the light.
Slowly I turned back toward the light above the mirror, and I was no longer standing in the shadow. But the fact that I had created the shadow by blocking the light taught me a powerful lesson—a truth that became a turning point for me.
Shadows are created all around us whenever something blocks the light. And so it is with the shadow of doubt. When we focus on how inadequate we feel, or what others are thinking about us, we cast a shadow of doubt in our minds by blocking the light of God’s truth in our hearts.
Yet we were not designed to block the light or to be the light. We were created to live in the light, by finding our confidence in what God thinks about us.
Before that day in my bathroom with God and my shadow, I saw doubt as an annoying weakness, a lapse of faith, a dip in my self-confidence. And I just wanted God to take it away. But through my doubt, God led me to dependence on Him and taught me a powerful lesson that became a turning point in my life.
A shadow of self-doubt had been cast over my thoughts and emotions when I turned my attention away from God’s perspective and promises. By taking my eyes o/ the light of God’s truth, I ended up paralyzed by the darkness of defeat.
How about you? How often do you agree with the whispers of doubt and find yourself living in discouragement and uncertainty?
That day in my bathroom was a turning point where God equipped me with a powerful way to process and conquer selfdoubts. And, as we take this sixty-day journey together, I want each day to be a turning point for you . . .
• As you turn toward God, so you can know who He is and His heart toward you.
• As you turn toward His truth, so you can listen to what God says about you and what He can do through you as you learn to depend more on Him.
• As you turn toward the light of God’s promises as a woman, a friend, a leader, and a follower of Jesus—so your life can be about living, loving, and leading others to the light of God’s truth as you walk it out in your everyday life.
When we turn our focus away from feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty and intentionally turn our thoughts toward God’s promises of all-su]ciency, we create a turning point and we begin to replace our wavering self-confidence with lasting God-confidence. In doing so, our lives become a response to the One who has called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Pet. 2:9).
So, are you ready to start turning?
When I say: My doubts won’t go away.
God says: I am calling you out of the darkness. Turn toward the light and truth of what I say about you.
1
Turning Points
You are a chosen [woman], a royal [priest], a holy [daughter], God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, getting ready to travel to a large event while begging God to zap me with confidence—or send Jesus back before it was time for me to speak. I had been struggling with paralyzing self-doubt that week and it was making me question everything.
—1 Peter 2:9
When I turned to put something in my suitcase, which was behind me, I noticed a huge nine-foot shadow on the wall. I was surprised how big the shadow was and how much it distorted the image of my five-foot-two-inch frame.
In that moment, I realized my uncertainty had also created a huge shadow—a shadow of doubt that was distorting my thoughts and overpowering my emotions.
As I stood there looking at that humongous shadow, I sensed God telling me I could only see the shadow because I had turned away from the light.
Slowly I turned back toward the light above the mirror, and I was no longer standing in the shadow. But the fact that I had created the shadow by blocking the light taught me a powerful lesson—a truth that became a turning point for me.
Shadows are created all around us whenever something blocks the light. And so it is with the shadow of doubt. When we focus on how inadequate we feel, or what others are thinking about us, we cast a shadow of doubt in our minds by blocking the light of God’s truth in our hearts.
Yet we were not designed to block the light or to be the light. We were created to live in the light, by finding our confidence in what God thinks about us.
Before that day in my bathroom with God and my shadow, I saw doubt as an annoying weakness, a lapse of faith, a dip in my self-confidence. And I just wanted God to take it away. But through my doubt, God led me to dependence on Him and taught me a powerful lesson that became a turning point in my life.
A shadow of self-doubt had been cast over my thoughts and emotions when I turned my attention away from God’s perspective and promises. By taking my eyes o/ the light of God’s truth, I ended up paralyzed by the darkness of defeat.
How about you? How often do you agree with the whispers of doubt and find yourself living in discouragement and uncertainty?
That day in my bathroom was a turning point where God equipped me with a powerful way to process and conquer selfdoubts. And, as we take this sixty-day journey together, I want each day to be a turning point for you . . .
• As you turn toward God, so you can know who He is and His heart toward you.
• As you turn toward His truth, so you can listen to what God says about you and what He can do through you as you learn to depend more on Him.
• As you turn toward the light of God’s promises as a woman, a friend, a leader, and a follower of Jesus—so your life can be about living, loving, and leading others to the light of God’s truth as you walk it out in your everyday life.
When we turn our focus away from feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty and intentionally turn our thoughts toward God’s promises of all-su]ciency, we create a turning point and we begin to replace our wavering self-confidence with lasting God-confidence. In doing so, our lives become a response to the One who has called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Pet. 2:9).
So, are you ready to start turning?
Lord, I want to take Your hand and trust Your heart as You lead me on this sixty-day journey of overcoming self-doubt and living in the power of Your promises! You say I am a chosen woman and a holy daughter who belongs to You. If doubt overshadows my thoughts today, help me turn back to the light of Your truth, so I can focus on all I have in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
When I say: My doubts won’t go away.
God says: I am calling you out of the darkness. Turn toward the light and truth of what I say about you.
You are a chosen [woman], a royal [priest], a holy [daughter], God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Pet. 2:9)Renee Swope, A Confident Heart Devotional Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2013. Used by permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment