But

But

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

THERE IS A PLAQUE that sits in my mother’s house, easy for anyone who enters to notice. There are just two small words etched into the stone that simply reads, “But God.” I asked my mother about it one day, and she smiled a little as her eyes fell on the sign. She told me those are really the only two words that need to be on her gravestone. Those are the two words that define her life.

Those words signify to her what it was like to live for years without a very clear understanding or knowledge of God, and then the shift that happened the day she surrendered to Jesus, accepting his offering of grace. She fully believes that but for God, her life would look completely different than it does today, and she shudders at the thought of what that could be. She is secure in nothing more than who he is and his sovereignty in her life. She clings to him, like no one or no thing she had known before or since. He is her everything. She knows these two words to be true to the core of her being.

And although I grew up very different from my mom (my earliest memories have everything to do with God and the church), this understanding of how much God means to my own life also resonates with me. I, too, can see where his grace has met me, where his conviction has changed my heart, where fear has been replaced by his love. But for God, my life would look nothing like it does now.

Whether we’ve known God our whole lives or just started a relationship with him recently, we can all appreciate his mercy and love that meet us every day. The truth is we were all dead because of our sins, but because of Jesus, we now have life. And hope. Each of us has had turning points where God changed us, and grew us, bringing us from death to life.

Lord, thank you for your mercy and love that change our lives. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Take some time today thinking about how God has changed your life, and then give him thanks that you are where you are.