* But GOD

...but God...

     Those two words DEFINE human existence.  Even if you don't believe in God our almighty Creator -- rest assured He believes in you.

     You may be familiar with Ephesians 2:4-10, which reads:

     4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are totally and wholly undeserving to be redeemed.  We are born into sin and it takes no effort to remain there.  BUT GOD -- redeems us.  He offers us salvation and forgiveness despite our lack of deserving.  We would be dead on our own, BUT GOD made us alive with Christ.  

Then, there is Romans 5:8, where you'll find:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

How many of us show love to anyone, even our family when they are unworthy?  How many times do we do something for someone who is not only undeserving, but completely unworthy?  Jesus DIED on a cross, suffering unimaginable torture at the hands of men who persecuted him.  He could have so easily removed himself from the situation, but He didn't.  He not only endured the suffering, he suffered for those who wish to harm him.  I can not fathom...

And, in Genesis, we read of Noah and the great flood.  The whole Earth destroyed, save for Noah and his family and the animals on the ark.  It must have been tough to endure the flood.  Surely doubt crept into the minds and hearts of those on board, wondering if God really was going to end the rain and if the water would ever recede and they would live life on land again.  I'm sure sin clouded their eyes and the doubt began to become harder and harder to fight.  

Genesis 8:1 tells us, But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.

There it is again--but God.  The Earth washed away and fear tight in their hearts, but God delivered on His promise.  The water receding and life started anew for Noah and his family.  

And, perhaps, one of the most crucial pieces to solidifying the impact of "but God" is Acts 13:30.  Take time to read the whole chapter.  Paul's message to the believers then is still true today.  If we just look at verse 30, however, we can see the whole reason to hope...hope in a life that does not end with the death and destruction of our Earthly body.  We see the salvation of our souls, intended for fellowship with God in Heaven when this life is over.

But God raised him from the dead

Jesus was dead.  He laid in a tomb for three days.  The story would have ended there, but GOD, being faithful to deliver on His promise raised His beloved Son from the dead.  He added the second half to the story.  He gave us the chance to "know life and know it more abundantly."

Every single moment of my life I know God has been there.  He has been with me, He has carried me, He has saved me.  So many times I don't know what or where I would have been if not for "but God".  Every day presents a new struggle or a new "crisis" that this wretched, evil world throws in my path.  But I have hope.  I have hope to know that it will all be okay, even if it's not today.  And, even if tomorrow is just as bad---I have hope for a future.  Hope in an eternal promise that God himself has given.