But God…

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

“But God” is a powerful phrase found repeatedly throughout the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. An interesting, and even an eye-opening exercise, is to look up the phrase “but God” in your Bible’s concordance. It doesn’t matter how big, how impossible the need may be, when it includes ‘but God” in the passage. He then demonstrates His power, sovereignty, and majesty. The ultimate “but God” is Jesus Christ’s defeat of death when He was crucified and laid in the tomb for three days and then, “But God raised him from the dead,” (Acts 13:30)

When you take the time to read the full accounts of the following stories, (this is just a few of them) you should be greatly encouraged! 

“But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.” (Gen. 8:1)

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Gen. 50:20)

“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles.” (Acts 7:9-10)

“But God raised him from the dead,” (Acts 13:30)

“but God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to world standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” (1 Cor. 1:26-29)

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Cor. 3:6)

“For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.” (2 Cor. 7:5-7)

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5)

“Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” (Phil. 2:27)

 Therefore…

“But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”(2 Tim. 2:19)