Occasionally, you know you met someone with a heart of gold – this is how I feel about Gwen Smith. Her all-in pursuit of Jesus, her authentic spirit and her ability to instantly connect, as both a teacher and a girlfriend, is a gift that is so unique to her. I have gotten a chance to deep dive into her new book, “I Want It All” and her words have helped me grab hold of the fullness of God’s extraordinary that he has uniquely carved out for me. Thanks Gwen.
I am delighted to welcome Gwen Smith to Purposeful Faith. I hope you will too.
Post by: Gwen Smith
The book of Esther shows us what our lives can look like when we trust in the sovereignty of God and expect Him to be powerful in the midst of desperate circumstances that could cause us to cower in fear. God positioned this young Hebrew girl to be queen of Persia so that she could rise up in His strength and courage when her people, the Jews, faced imminent death. She fasted and humbled herself before the Lord through prayer. And though it was risky to the point of death, she went to the king and courageously spoke up on behalf of the Jews. The result? God used Esther to save her people from genocide.
I want to be brave like that. I want to live with so much God courage that I don’t go soft when life gets hard. So I take note of what Esther did. She didn’t cave in to fear; instead, she fixed her focus on God and His power to save her and His people. She fasted and prayed and asked for Him to intervene.
Like Queen Esther, we can live with great expectations of God because He loves to do amazing things through average people— people with worries and warts and weaknesses, like you and me. If we want it all, we need to be women who stand firm when our emotions threaten to overwhelm us and courageously believe God for big things.
So… how CAN we stand firm in faith like Esther
did when our knees knock?
The first step to standing firm in faith is to know Him.
Generally speaking, I don’t trust someone I don’t know. Plain and simple. I’m guessing you don’t either.
God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the importance of our knowing Him:
Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he under- stands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (Jer. 9:23–24 ESV)
The apostle Peter also wrote about the importance of knowing God. At the beginning of his first letter, he stated that the grace, peace, and power we need are connected to our knowledge of Christ:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Pet. 1:2–3)
How can you know God? Read your Bible, study His character, and remember the ways He has delivered in the past. Such things are Faith 101. When you are overwhelmed by life, don’t shy away from God. Don’t isolate: investigate. Look to Him. Explore His goodness.
I learned recently about the familiar “trust God” verses in Proverbs 3. You know them. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (vv. 5–6 ESV).
The second part never made sense to me. I wondered, Why would my acknowledging God motivate Him to make my paths straight? In the New Testament, even the demons acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God, so why would my acknowledging Him make my paths straight?
I looked up the root word and found a gold mine. The Hebrew word for “acknowledge” is yada’,1 the primitive root of which means “to know.” It means “to understand, to grasp or ascertain; especially to be familiar or acquainted with.” So, “in all of your ways acknowledge him” really means this: in all of your ways yada’ Him; in all of your ways know Him and seek to understand Him; be familiar with Him; be acquainted with Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Ah! Clarity!
The key to a straight path, the key to trusting God when doubt shoves me off balance is way less about my circumstances and way more about my God.
When we’re intimately familiar with God, when we don’t just know about Him but really know Him, the most crooked roads we travel are made straight. Not because life is easy. Sifting through emotions like anger, depression, hopelessness, insecurity, and so on is hard stuff! But because when we know God, we know all of this as well:
His STRENGTH that is accessible in our weakness
His COMFORT that meets us as we mourn
His MERCY that withholds the punishment our depravity readily deserves
His PEACE that defies our unrest
His JOY that kisses the cheeks of our sorrow
His COURAGE that makes our weary hearts brave and casts away fears
His REDEMPTION that reworks our brokenness into beauty
His LOVE that binds us to eternity and delights over us with singing
Even when the one-two punches come and feelings are frazzled, I can confidently trust God by faith. Not because I understand all the circumstances, or even like them, but because I know Him. And because I know Him, I can trust that He will provide all I need to process pains, heal from wounds, and move forward in strength, grace, and peace.
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Gwen Smith, author of I Want It All: Exchanging Your Average Life for Deeper Faith, Greater Power, and More Impact, (March 1, 2016, David C Cook) unapologetically urges her readers to want more. “You and I were born for greatness,” Smith writes. “Not for the world’s greatness, but for eternal greatness: to know God and showcase God.”
Smith is quick to say that she is not saying more is better. More may include setbacks, more may include being misunderstood and discouraged, and more may include suffering. But more also means knowing God more deeply, even in the midst of pain. The deepest question behind this search for more from God is this: Do I trust Jesus? Smith helps readers explore this question in light of disappointment and unmet expectations in life.
Pre-order today: I Want It All: Exchanging Your Average Life for Deeper Faith, Greater Power, and More Impact; it is 40% OFF… plus, Amazon is offering a $5 coupon (found under Special Offers section)! This means, you get a book that retails at $16.99 for only $5.11.
More on I Want It All:
- “I Want It All” Spoken Word (I loved this)!
- Watch the “I Want It All” book trailer!
- I Want It All Webpage
About Gwen:
Gwen Smith is an author and volleyball enthusiast who lives in sunny North Carolina and has been married to her college honey, Brad, for 23 years. They are tired parents to three tall, competitive-sport-playing teens who keep them on their toes and on their knees. Her online friends meet at GwenSmith.net to connect and be encouraged, and her goal is to help women think big thoughts about God and be inspired to live out the grace and truth of Jesus. Gwen’s new book, I Want It All, (David C. Cook) released on March 1, 2016. She speaks, leads worship, and eats potato chips at women’s events everywhere, and she is a cofounder of the conference and devotional ministry Girlfriends in God.
CHANCE TO WIN: Bloggers & readers, Gwen will be selecting one of you at random to win her books and music. Support Gwen today:
- Join her Thunderclap!
- Share this post.
- Tweet the below tweets or Facebook updates about “I Want It All”!
Facebook: “If we want it all, we need to be women who stand firm when our emotions threaten to overwhelm us and courageously believe God for big things.” @GwenSmithMusic #iwantitall
Facebook: “The key to trusting God when doubt shoves me off balance is way less about my circumstances and way more about my God.” @GwenSmithMusic #iwantitall http://amzn.to/1Tk179P
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WOW! Just Wow, Kelly I spent some time on Gwen’s blog yesterday. Somehow I heard the buzz about her new book and decided to check it!
And Now coincidentally, I find her here…
Thanks for featuring her here, Kelly.
God Bless
Nice to meet you, Ifeoma! 🙂 Hope to do life and faith with you from this point forward.
Blessings,
Gwen
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Thank you, Gwen, for such life-giving encouragement today. I love this verse too: “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10. It’s always reminded me that the key to trusting God is knowing Him more deeply.
May God bless and use your new book.
Kelly, thanks for featuring Gwen and her book today.
Betsy!
Psalm 9:10 is a verse that I often write when I’m signing a book! LOVE it! The last book that I co-wrote is “Knowing God by Name” – thus, the connection. But I just adore the premise/promise of His steadfast faithfulness and the depth of His names.
So nice to e-meet you!
Gwen
Kelly, thanks for introducing us to Gwen and for hosting each week.
Gwen, I loved so many of the things you said. Knowing Him and trusting Him are so closely tied together! The book sounds like a “must read.” Blessings!
Donna,
Thank you so much. Totally agree! I am humbled that the Lord would allow me the honor… and eagerly expecting Him to move with power through the book because the focus is all to point and connect us to HIS glory and power.
Warmest Blessings,
Gwen
Thank you for your beautiful words, Gwen! I know your book is wonderful because you write from the heart. I loved hearing from you at Allume this past Fall and heard you speak about your love of Jesus then. Blessings as your new book launches into the world.
Thank you so much, Mary. 🙂
That means a lot to me. If we don’t write from the heart we are probably wasting everybody’s time – including ours, right? Love that we got to worship together at Allume. Have a beautiful Tuesday, friend.
In Christ,
Gwen
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Thank you Kelly and Gwen for the reminder to stand firm in our faith. Wishing you both a blessed week!
It was my honor to join y’all here today, Jed! Thanks, man. You have an incredible week too!
In Christ,
Gwen
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Thanks for hosting Gwen today Kelly. I wanna know & trust Him, even when my knees are knocking too!
Susan,
You’re my kinda people! 🙂 So glad you stopped by and said hello. Have a beautiful, firm-standing week, new friend.
His,
Gwen
Yes! Thank you for this encouragement today, Gwen! I too want to have that kind of God-courage. And I wholeheartedly agree that the first step is to really KNOW Him. Love this: “When we’re intimately familiar with God, when we don’t just know about Him but really know Him, the most crooked roads we travel are made straight.” Needed it today! Thanks for hosting Kelly…
High five, Angela! 😉
I love when a familiar verse get’s fresh power in our hearts! Funny thing? I needed it today too. {He knew…}
Blessings,
Gwen
Love the encouragement to not ISOLATE but to INVESTIGATE. The feeling to want to isolate is the trigger and our response should be to run to God to figure out why. Powerful truth.
So true, Tyra! I’m constantly in a battle with my feeble feelings. Running to HIS strength when I want to hide or run the other direction is always best. Learning this!
Blessings,
Gwen
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” in all of your ways yada’ Him; in all of your ways know Him and seek to understand Him; be familiar with Him; be acquainted with Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Gwen, thank you so much for sharing this. I never realized either what “acknowledge” meant in that scripture passage either. It’s interesting to know it is the word yada, because I just found out what it meant in beginning the book series of The Yada Yada Prayer Group. By the way, I love your music!
Gayl,
Yay! I love that so much. And YAY!! Beyond excited that you love my music. Hope it points your heart to HIS! 😉
Warmest Blessings,
gwen
Great post, Gwen! Proverbs 3:5-6 is my soul verse and I loved getting some more meaning behind it. Thanks for hosting, Kelly and hope you all have a blessed week 🙂
Thanks, Kelly.
The Word is so rich! God stores fun treasures even in the most familiar places!! 🙂 How awesome is HE, right??
Great to e-meet you,
gwen
SO nice to “meet” you Gwen. Cheering you on as you share this message with the world!
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Such a great post, Gwen! When we know God, so much of life falls into place. It’s not necessarily easy, but we can walk with God’s peace because we know Him in the problems. Prov 3:5-6 speaks to my heart over and over again. Thanks for adding to my understanding of it today!
PS—I was excited to see I am your neighbor at #RaRaLinkup today. 🙂
Thanks, Jeanne!
Not easy at all, but worth every step with HIM! 🙂
YAY #RaRaLinkup sister!!!
;0)
Blessings, friend.
Gwen
The intimacy of God it is comes from that place of knowing God and BEING known by Him. Such deep and necessary reminders for us, Gwen.
Kelly, thank you for sharing your friend here.
Bless you!
Dawn
Thank you so much! God is so good. I had struggled with that verse as well and it is actually the scripture passage my kids are working on memorizing this summer. I am still amazed that I stumbled onto this blog to learn that “acknowledge” means “know”. That makes so much sense – the key to facing life without fear and to trusting God through anything is to know Him, to know His character and His faithfulness.