But God

Verse: Ephesians 2:4-5
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
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Devotional
The preceding verses were unwrapped in yesterday’s devotional, and felt something close to a sad movie you continue to sit through, only because you’re waiting for there to be a happy ending. It can’t all be bad can it? What is it that keeps us watching until the end? If the story so far has been one of pain, hardship, grief, loss, shame…what is it that makes us think the ending will be any different? Hebrews 6:19 says, “We have this HOPE as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” When sin entered this world through Adam and Eve, the entire human race became spiritually dead. Sin has a way of stripping us of joy and killing the life in us. Our hope is that God changes the narrative in this story, and there is an extravagant turn of events when Paul writes, “But God.” Only God gives us new life and restores what is dead inside of us. No other two words have been saturated with so much hope. But God, in His kindness and mercy, gave His Son for us while we were separated as sinners. He loved us long before we loved Him (Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:9-10).

As I was writing this, I was pondering stories that could be used as adequate examples or comparisons. I racked my brain trying to think of my own life stories, or even someone else’s. I could tell stories where grace was extended when it wasn’t earned. I could tell you about kindness when it wasn’t deserved. The conclusion I kept reaching, however, is that God’s redemption is so astounding that it speaks for itself. There is no one and nothing else in this life that will ever come close to the Father and His unending grace. The sin in our lives that keeps us trapped under the weight of pain, and shame is no match for the mercy of the Father. There is no better escape, no better salvation, no better redemption than that which He offers.

A quote I love from Melissa Helser is, “When you know His nature, you won’t question His motives.” His kindness exposes and brings to light all the areas where His love needs to permeate and heal. Our neediness for Him is our honor and not our shame. After He saves us from our old ways of sin, He invites us into a deeper relationship with Him. Some of the hardest questions to answer are those rooted in loss, grief, and pain. Needing more of Him looks like us digging deep to know His nature and find His heart for us in our suffering. We need to understand the weight behind the, “But God” based on what we know about Him. When you seek to understand His motives what you will find is that He is so, so kind. In our sinful, selfish nature it’s often hard to see that what He is doing is far exceeding our capacity to understand without knowing Him. It takes a closeness with the nature of the Redeemer to see how He is our Hope. His motives are always good, and always with the purest intentions for our own growth. I would encourage you to keep watching the story unfold before you, and don’t stop before you get to the good part. Let Him show you the happy endings He has intended for you. Your story is not over if you haven’t reached the part of the narrative that says, “But God.”

Prayer
Thank you, Lord for knowing we needed a Savior. Without your Son we would still be lost to sin and trapped under its weight. For anyone who has not yet been able to identify your grace that redeems us, would you reveal yourself and begin to restore and save. We want to know your nature to see your heart for us. We want to see your goodness and new mercies. Take us into a deeper understanding of what you can do. Show us the weight of the, “But God” in our story. Thank you for loving us enough to save us, and redeem that which was once dead. We love you, Lord and pray for new life today. In your precious name, Amen.

Author: Jillian Tulowitzky