But God
But God
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:10 esv
Pause
The Bible is filled with accounts that looked hopeless apart from God’s intervention. The addition of two little words changed everything. Reading the following examples, can you guess what they are?
Joseph’s brothers meant harm when they sold him into slavery, but God meant it for the good of an entire nation (Genesis 50:20). Saul hunted daily for David, but God didn’t allow him to find David (1 Samuel 23:14). Laban cheated his son-in-law, Jacob, but God didn’t let him cause bodily harm (Genesis 31:7). Here’s one of my favorites: “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead” (Acts 3:15).
“But God” puts a new spin on our circumstances. They might feel intimidating and look impossible, but he is able to create beauty from ashes and bring joy from our mourning. We’re wounded but he heals us. We’re brokenhearted but he restores us. Life can unravel in an instant and we have no idea how our story will end, but God has the final say.
Ponder
How does “but God” bring hope into your circumstances?
Pray
God, when I feel at my wit’s end, remind me that your presence and power change everything.
“God didn’t promise to give you a painless way of life: He promised you a way of escape. He promised you help to bear your pain and to give you strength to put you back on your feet when weakness makes you stagger.”
David Wilkerson,
Have You Felt Like Giving Up Lately? Finding Hope
and Healing When You Feel Discouraged
From the book
