Do you struggle with confidence, significance, or feeling loved? Or do you know a woman who does?
God’s Word is full of life-giving, confidence-boosting verses. But we have to understand and apply them to truly be changed by them. Here are five passages that – if really believed – will change your life or the life of a woman you care about.
1. Isaiah 54:5 – God is your spiritual husband.
Show me a confident woman who follows Christ and I’ll show you a woman acquainted with Isaiah 54:5: “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer…”
While that verse, in context, was spoken to the nation of Israel, it is applicable today to the church – those who are trusting in Christ alone for their salvation. God’s illustration of the church as His bride is something that resonates with a woman’s heart. When you really believe this passage you will understand that your husband –and anyone else – can’t possibly meet all of your emotional needs and you’ll begin to look to God to be your spiritual husband. Only God can meet your primary emotional needs. And a woman who looks to God as her spiritual husband will see Him as her Protector, Comforter, and Fulfillment.
2. Jeremiah 31:3 – You are unconditionally loved.
At the root of a woman’s insecurities and search for significance and purpose is the question “Am I loved?” To know she is unconditionally loved for who she is can truly change her life. Jeremiah 31:3 tells us: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
Stack that truth up alongside Romans 8:38-39 and you’ll find there’s nothing you can do and nothing that will come your way that will ever separate you from God’s love for you in Christ Jesus. You are His. And you are incredibly loved.
3. Hebrews 13:5 – You are never truly alone.
As a pastor’s wife, I discovered years ago that a woman can be in a room (or church) full of people and still feel very much alone. Yet Scripture tells us we are never truly alone. God is always with you and me.
Hebrews 13:5 reminds us of God’s words spoken in Deuteronomy 31:6: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Psalm 139:7-12 describes in detail the fact that there is nowhere you and I can go where God will not follow, no place we can hide where God cannot find us, no place we can wander where we will be outside of His presence. That is love that will never leave. And that kind of love changes a woman’s life.
4. Psalm 18:28-29 – You can do anything with God-confidence.
Do you ever feel that it’s you against the world? That your schedule is overwhelming, your marriage is deteriorating, or your kids are out of control?
Psalm 18:28-29 says: “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.”
If you lack energy or motivation to continue in your job, your marriage, or your Christian walk, God is the One who keeps your lamp burning. When you lack direction in how to move forward no matter what the issue, He is the One who illumines your path and turns your darkness or uncertainty into light. Whether you’re up against a dream you don’t believe you can accomplish, a relationship you don’t think is repairable, or a child’s heart you think is impenetrable, God will help you advance against that troop of doubts and fears and leap over that wall of impossibility.
God goes before you into your battles and, as the next verse in Psalm 18 says, “His way is perfect” (verse 30). Trust Him and rely on His Word. And you’ll have all the God-confidence you will ever need.
5. James 1:5 – You can have boatloads of wisdom.
There isn’t a woman, wife, or mom I know who doesn’t want and need wisdom in any number of areas. And we have a promise in James 1:5 that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” There it is. If you want wisdom, all you have to do is ask for it, and the God who gives generously will grant it, without hesitation and without finding fault in you. That is reassuring. And it means you never have to stress or lie awake at night wondering if you made the right decision or if God will bless it, if you first asked Him for the wisdom He promises to give.
So tell me. In light of what God’s Word offers, do you still struggle with confidence, significance or feeling loved?
Cindi McMenamin helps women and couples deal with the struggles of life through her books, When Women Walk Alone (more than 125,000 copies sold), When a Woman Overcomes Life’s Hurts, When Couples Walk Together and When God Sees Your Tears. For more on her 15 books, national speaking ministry, and free resources to strengthen your soul, marriage or parenting, see her website: www.StrengthForTheSoul.com.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Publication date: November 7, 2016