Shana Schutte - Two Minutes in the Bible™ for Women: A 90-Day Devotional

Life is full of surprises. The great thing is that along with the challenges we didnt expect, there are blessings that catch us unaware and fill us with thankfulness. Such was the opportunity to write this book. Thank you for thinking of me, Boyd Bailey, and asking me to partner with you on this project. It has been an honor. I hope we can do it again!

I am also grateful for the talented people who edited my words and smoothed out my mistakes. Thanks to Susan Fox at Wisdom Hunters, Jean Bloom of Bloom in Words Editorial Services, and the team at Harvest House, including Betty Fletcher, Steve Miller, and Steve Kuhn.

And most importantly, thank you to my Lord Jesus Christ. I am in awe of Your grace and love.

Give thanks to the L ORD , for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1

B ecause I was just around the corner from age 46 when I said I do, I grieved the death of my fairy-tale family. The chance of having babies was next to nil, and even though I was submitted to Gods plan, I still experienced a season of grief-filled tears. One afternoon I visited a Christian counselor. I shared my story with her and then asked, How do I keep from getting stuck in grief?

She said one word that has stayed with me: Gratitude.

Ah, yes. Gratitude . Gratitude enables us to see past the fog of our current circumstances to raise our gaze from the here and now to eternity. And practicing gratitude isnt just good because it makes you feel warm and fuzzy. Its not even good because its a distinguishing mark of a faithful Christ follower. Gratitude can literally be the difference between internal life and death, between thriving in life as Christ promises we can and just surviving.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).

But practicing gratitude doesnt mean you have to deny the pain of your losses and say Im so glad my story turned out like it did. It also doesnt mean you have to say you are glad bad things happened. But it does mean you make peace with what happened. It means you are able to say, Lord, I may not have chosen this path, but I trust You, and I know I am never out of Your loving hands. I believe You are working everything out for my good and Your glory, and I surrender to You. Living with a grateful heart means you accept God is sovereignly weaving your story together even when it involves loss.

Then, when you choose gratitude, you can look to the future in hope. Rather than asking, Why did this happen to me? you can ask, Lord, what do You want to do with my life now? Thats the power of gratitude. Its redemptive, powerful, and life-changing.

The L ORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad (Psalm 118:24).

How can you actively practice gratitude today despite your losses?

Related Readings

Psalm 34:18; Colossians 3:17; Revelation 21:4

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:18

I n some seasons in my life, as perhaps you have in yours, I have tried to carry the weight of life alone. During one of these seasons, the Lord ministered to me about trusting Him rather than living like a spiritual orphan, and resting in His love rather than striving. One afternoon, I had my pen and notebook in hand when the following thoughts came to mind. They are written as if God is speaking. If you wrestle with striving, if you have a difficult time believing the Lord will provide for you, or if you live like a spiritual orphan, I hope these words are an encouragement.

The daughter who has forgotten she is fathered, that she has an Abba who loves her, will try to live independently of Me because she isnt sure I am with her; she isnt convinced I will take care of her. So she strives and works and strives and works like an orphan who must take care of herself. She acts like she has no Father while she confesses that she knows Me. Indeed, she is Mine, but she isnt allowing Me to parent her the way a good father does. Instead, she tries to carry the weight of her life and her responsibilities all on her own. She has forgotten that true rest is found in belief and faith.

And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief (Hebrews 3:18-19).

The woman who does not trust cannot rest even if she wants to, because she is always driven, out of her unbelief, to self-protection and striving. I will do it myself! But the dependent child brings everything to her daddy. She brings her worries. She brings her responsibilities. She brings her fears, financial needs, and friendships. She brings her love life and loneliness. She brings her marriage, her money, and her mate. She brings Me her life.

She lays down all the pieces of her existence at My feet, day after day. She brings whatever burdens she is carrying and she unloads them all to Me. She knows she is loved, and she can rest because there is rest in love.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

What do you fear will happen if you let go and let God parent you the way a good father does?

Related Readings

Psalms 68:5; 91:1-16; Isaiah 64:8

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouthfor your love is more delightful than wine.

Song of Songs 1:2

I n 1967, the Beatles released a recording called All You Need Is Love, a song initially performed on the worlds first global television link. The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, said of the song, The nice thing about it is that it cannot be misinterpreted. It is a clear message saying that love is everything.

A lot in the world has changed since 1967, but one thing hasnt changed: our culture is still sending out the message that loveparticularly romantic loveis all you need. Movies, radio, and magazines tell us that if we can just find our soul mate, all our problems will disappear. While love is from God, there are limitations to earthly love, regardless of how wonderful another person may be. Therefore, adjusting our unrealistic expectations about love can be one of the best things we can do. When we realize only God can love us completely, it makes all the difference between being joyful or miserable in our relationships.

But the fruit of the Spirit ispeace (Galatians 5:22).

In his book Counterfeit Gods , Timothy Keller writes, Putting the weight of all your deepest hopes and longings on the person you are

If disillusionment becomes a part of our stories, bitterness of heart may not be far behind. We may give up on love as our expectations betray us. We will close our hearts off to others because we believe love always disappoints. To be free from unrealistic expectations about love, we must continually press into God for our needs, reject the lies of our culture, practice gentle grace in our relationships, remember we are not perfect, and keep our eyes firmly fixed on Christ. We must also remember God created us for relationships; we were not created to worship relationships.