Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – February 14, 2017
As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5
I married late in life. Late as in several of my high school classmates were already grandparents. Late as in I had been coloring my hair for ten years, and late as in I had just found my first grey eyebrow hair. Yep! It was late.
Right after my engagement, I felt stretched beyond my comfort zone as I prepared to transition from being Shana the single, Shana the writer, and Shana with the family from southern Idaho to Shana the wife and stepmom to five fabulous grown children and two sons-in-law.
Now, two years after saying “I do” there are still some days when I feel stretched beyond my comfort zone, days when I am forced to press into Christ out of desperation. At these times, I need to experience His sufficiency. I need Him to be my Enough.
I have needed Him to be my Enough as I have wrestled with the normal insecurities that come with becoming a part of a blended family. I have needed Him to be my Enough as I have moved from “I still show up to family holiday gatherings without bringing a dish since I am unmarried” to “I am the Thanksgiving chef in this family” even though—up until the time my husband and I tied the knot—I had never made a turkey, or even purchased a can of cranberry sauce. In so many ways I have needed Him to be my Enough.
“But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8, AMP).
But the need to experience Christ’s sufficiency hasn’t just been a marriage thing. It’s been a life thing. I also needed Him to be my Enough during my single days when I was alone and lonely. I needed Him to be my Enough as I prayed through tear-filled nights, friendship failures, ruined romances, money messes, and dashed dreams. In fact, there hasn’t been a moment in my entire life when I haven’t needed Him. I have always needed Him to be my sufficiency, and I am so grateful that He always has been—even during those times when I thought He wasn’t.
I don’t share my story because it’s all that interesting or unusual. Rather, I share it because it’s so typical. It’s so typical of God to be so good because He is goodness. It’s so typical of Him to be so loving because He is love. It’s so typical of Him to be so faithful in demonstrating His sufficiency, because that’s what He is. He is our Sufficiency.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His love never fails (Psalm 136). He is always Enough. You may feel as if God can’t possibly be your Enough because you are in a very difficult place on your journey. Maybe you are unhappily single, unhappily married, or unhappily divorced. You are shy, unemployed, or in a financial fix. You feel rejected, unwanted, overlooked, unseen, unimportant, or like you are without purpose. Let me encourage you: Jesus is Enough for anything you are experiencing. He wants to be your sufficiency and He died on the cross to prove it.
Since He has given us such a great and precious gift, won’t He also give us all things? I pray that you will also come to know that He is your Enough too, no matter what you are going through. Grow complete in God’s love.
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things” (Romans 8:32)?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, grow my heart so all I have is room for You as my Enough.Application
Write a letter from God Your Lover—describe how He feels about you.Related Reading
Psalm 45:11; Song of Songs 3:11; Zephaniah 3:17; John 14:21-23 Today’s reading is taken from Shana and Boyd’s just released book, Two Minutes in the Bible for WomenPost/Tweet today
God is our Enough no matter what we are going through. #wisdomhunters #lovedwellWorship Resource
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While this is a beautiful message, it’s a repeat from just a few short months ago. Pretty disappointed to see this today when I look forward so much to this devotional every morning. 🙁
You are so real and genuine. Your devotionals touch me I many of my pain places. I always questioned why I have been single while my siblings got married. I know that all things are possible for those who believe. I, too, appreciate your passion for our Lord and Savior, truth and life. He has blessed me with immediate family and Christian friends. Marriage is still not out of the picture. Thank you.
Dear Maggie,
Thank you so much for your kind words. Please know that I forwarded them on to Shana and she will be blessed by them. I agree with you: Shana is so real and genuine! And can I just tell you she is all that and more in person!! She shines His Light wherever she goes!
I have read this devotional a few times now and appreciate and bask in the whole idea that He is our Enough!! HE IS OUR ENOUGH!!!!
Shana stated, “But the need to experience Christ’s sufficiency hasn’t just been a marriage thing. It’s been a life thing.” How true is that?
Thank you again, Maggie, for your kind words! We are thankful that you are a part of the Wisdom Hunter’s family and look forward to hearing from you again sometime.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
“I shall delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your Word.”
Psalm 119:16
Dear Liz,
Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us. We appreciate you letting us know that this particular devotional was recently one of our daily devotionals. We wanted to share this one again on Valentine’s Day because it speaks to so many in our Wisdom Hunter’s family that perhaps are single or maybe are looking for their “enough” in others when HE IS OUR ENOUGH. It is just a good reminder and we thought it was worth repeating on this day.
I certainly understand your disappointment and hope that you will continue on to be blessed by the Wisdom Hunter’s daily devotionals.
We are so thankful for you and look forward to hearing from you again.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
“Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
This blessed my life this morning as I’m going through some hard marital challenges. God has to be enough for me. Thank you.