BUT GOD moments

If you are in a place where there seems to be no way out. If you are drowning in sorrow or pain. Trust in Him! You have a BUT GOD moment coming.

At a time when my marriage was unraveling. He was there whispering my name but I wasn't listening. I could fix my life. I knew what I was doing. I could make myself happy. Except my reality and my actions spoke otherwise. I made terrible decisions. I was crumbling. I was broken in so many ways.

My marriage was over. My life was a mess. Happiness was far from my grasp... BUT GOD. He said that it wasn't. He said He would mend it all. He had great joy waiting for me. In that moment I found Jesus. In that moment I knew He was with me and always had been. In that moment He healed my marriage. He restored what had been so neglected. I'm happy to say that my marriage now full of love and laughter. Yes we have our moments as everyone does but at the end of the day I have a reminder of how God can take a situation of despair and mold it into one of hope and overflowing joy.

There are so many encouraging BUT GOD moments in the bible.  These are a few that stick in my mind.

When Joseph seemed to be losing it all, betrayed by his own brothers, and sold into slavery God had a plan.

Acts 7:9 -10

9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were to be burned to death for refusing to worship the golden statue King Nebuchadnezzar had made. They weren't alone in the fire. God had a plan.

Daniel 3:25 – 30

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Then there was the biggest BUT GOD moment there ever has been and ever will be.

What should have been death, the end, was really the beginning. Without the crucifixion there could be no resurrection. Without Jesus we are lost. God had a plan.

Matthew 28:5-7

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Matthew 28:18-20

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God can take any situation no matter how terrible and turn it for good. I've seen it in my life and in my friends lives. We have to let him do it though. God is a gentleman. He does not barge into our lives and demand that we DO THIS OR ELSE. He wants us to come to him willingly and lovingly. He wants us to trust him. He has so many blessings for us. So many times we focus on the problem in front of us that we miss all the things He is doing around us. Don't miss them! You do have a BUT GOD moment coming. If yesterday was hard. If today is hard. Don't lose hope. You could be in the middle of your testimony. Lean on Him. Let Him work it out. You just might look back later and think, "God, you did a great work!" You might be able to use that testimony to encourage other people.

I know I do.