God Fills You Not Uses You - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - May 07, 2026
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose”—Philippians 2:13
Are you feeling drained, spent, used up, with no more to offer in ministering to others, whether you’re ministering in a church, ministry organization, to your husband, children, or neighbors?
If so, you’re not alone. Although the expression has been around for years in Christian circles, and many of us as Christians know what it means, the terms “used” and “being used” have become derogatory in the world we live in today.
In today’s culture, a “user” consumes a product or takes advantage of another person, spending what they have or offer. But God fills us because He’s a giver, as Philippians 4:19 describes, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”
So when we write or say the word in reference to God with the negative connotation currently associated with it, it doesn’t ring true because God is not a user; He doesn’t take what we have and use it up, but rather gives to us, filling us up and working through us for His purposes and plans.
Fill Us Lord
Sometimes, when I sit down to write, my mind asks what more is there to write? But then God starts working through me, leading and guiding my words, and I realize that with Him, there will always be more to write.
We need to know that God is not a user, but a giver, who fills us up. The following are seven of the many ways God gives to us.
1. God gives us life. He fills us with life, as Jesus tells us in John 10:10, ”The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
In Acts 17:28, the Apostle Paul describes the life God gives us, “’ For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’”
2. God gives us strength. When we are weak, God fills us with strength, as Isaiah 40:29 describes, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
As well, Philippians 4:13 describes how, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
3. God gives us hope. In a hopeless world, God gives us hope, as Proverbs 23:18 assures us, “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”
The Apostle Paul describes in Romans 15:13 how God fills us to overflowing with hope, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
4. God gives us health. In speaking to Israel in Jeremiah 33:6, God reveals that He can give us health. “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.”
Although many of us look to gain health through food, supplements, and exercise, God is the one who gives it to us. He is our source.
5. God gives us His Spirit. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 explains, “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
6. God gives us a future. He has a purpose for us, as Jeremiah 29:11 assures, “’ For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
7. God gives us an imperishable inheritance. Our future is certain and cannot pass away, as we’re told in 1 Peter 1:3-4: “Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father, fill us today and every day with all that You have prepared for us. Help us to surrender all that we have to You, trusting in You to continue to fill us. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Jacob Wackerhausen
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
