Empty Inside? Take These 3 Steps Today and Get Filled
Fog hovers over clear water this morning. I sit in silence as my soul waits for the Healer to reach out and touch these empty places inside of me. When’s the last time you stilled your soul long enough to be real about the places where you feel empty inside?
King David penned these words: “My soul waits in silence for God only.”
I could use this reminder every day of my life.
Because we all have empty spaces.
Places where we’re longing for someone to reach out and offer something substantial – something that lasts.
David continues his song like this:
“From Him is my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2).
And maybe this is the secret.
The Secret for When You Feel Empty Inside
The original word for salvation in this song is yeshuah. Yeshuah denotes victory and the deliverance of God, primarily from external evils, but often with the added spiritual idea of rejoicing. Yeshuah, in the New Testament, is translated into the English word Jesus, our living salvation.
What does this mean for the times when you feel empty inside?
Jesus comes to fill our empty spaces. He shows up as our salvation time after time. He saves us from ourselves, our compulsions, our escapist behaviors, and the empty cisterns to which we turn when we feel empty.
But what does it look like on a practical level? What should we do when we fill empty inside?
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Create Space for Silence and Solitude
Silence and solitude create space for our souls to breathe. We discover space to uncover our truest desires. God will use silence to show you where you are turning to the wrong sources to fill your empty places. He will show you his desire to fill you where you feel empty inside.
The next time you feel empty inside, make room for ten minutes of silence.
Allow the chaos within your soul to settle.
In silence, we often uncover the truth about our lives: soul-level exhaustion, grief, and emptiness. Silence creates space for God to show up and meet us where we are.
In the silence, we discover soul-level exhaustion, grief, and empty spaces that can be filled by God alone. Silence creates space for God to show up and meet us where we are. #slience #seekingGod Click To Tweet2. When You Feel Empty Inside, Drink From the Word of Life
I read my Bible every day, but I do not always drink deeply from the Word. If you are at all like me, you’ve had many encounters with your Bible that did not fill your soul.
The reason is often simple: We need to drink deeply from this Word – not hurrying through it or simply crossing it off a list. Is your Bible reading leading you to life-giving encounters with God? If not, it’s time to step into it with a different plan.
Here are a few resources to get you started:
Tools for the Days when Your Bible Time is Boring.
If Your Bible Reading Looks More Like Mindless Skimming: How to Encounter God in Life-giving Ways.
3. Fill Your Emptiness by Pouring Out
Ironically, I often feel empty inside when I have spent too much time focusing on myself and my desires. I feel empty inside when I have not poured out to others.
I sometimes focus on what’s wrong and forget to fix my eyes on what is right.
Self-pity gets the best of me. I become frustrated with the people in my life.
Other times, a comfortable season lulls me into complacency.
Do any of these statements resonate with you? Ask God where he is asking you to join him in bringing hope and healing to a hurting world. Listen for a gentle nudge, and follow where he leads. We can find ourselves empty when we forget that God is working in our lives for the benefit of others.
If you are feeling empty today, pray about which of the above ideas might help you align yourself with God. He wants to meet you in this place and offer you the most abundant kind of life.
A Free Gift for When You Feel Empty Inside:
Today, I invite you to let Jesus hold you as he begins healing your heart when you feel empty inside. For a limited time, I’m offering a free chapter from my book, Lean Into Grace. The title of this chapter is “Crying in the Bathroom,” and it will help you experience God’s tender comfort when life is hard. Download this chapter right here today with promo code GRACE. God is waiting to hold you in his arms and heal your heart. 
Calling All Moms and Daughters!
Additionally, my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book to help mothers and daughters grow closer together while connecting with God. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section. Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by this book! You can find this book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or buy a print copy for 11.99 right here.
