Durruck
Pirate!
God's Holy Sentence
By Jon Walker
“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God ….” (Genesis 45:8 NIV)
Today, in the story of your life, you are in the middle of a sentence, and you may find yourself paused in a painful place. But that’s not the end of your story. You may be paused on a holy “but God” moment that is leading you to the very purpose of God for your life.
You can find this divine “but God” sentence structure throughout the Bible. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, “but God” used it to preserve the Jewish race and to advance his kingdom work.
Later, the Israelites are enslaved in Egypt, “but God” sent a deliverer to take them to the Promised Land. Then, in the New Testament, Jesus is dying on a cross, “but God” used that very moment to deliver us all from evil.
Every one of us reaches a point in our lives where we wonder what God is doing , “but God” then does something unexpected and marvelous. You don’t know what’s behind the “but God.” You can only, in faith, believe it is exactly the best thing God could give to you.
It’s only natural, in moments of despair, confusion, or darkness, to wonder if God is even paying attention, if he knows what he is doing, if there’s any kind of plan.
We may be years away from the “but God” moment; we may not be able to see the end of the sentence he is writing; but that doesn’t mean God has abandoned our story. Before the “but God" happens, God offers us a radiant certainty of his sovereignty and grace. We may be “hard pressed on every side, but we’re not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4)
And through this we learn that the issue is not whether we will be delivered or how we’ll be delivered – rather it’s that God is our Deliverer. We seek his face, and not his hand – the Giver and not the gift – and during the pause just before “but God,” we find ourselves falling in love with God again.
So what?
· Count the ‘but Gods’ – Make a list of all the times God has provided for you or delivered you from a difficult situation. Meditate on the steadfast faithfulness of God, and then keep reminding yourself of this. The Apostle Peter tells us to keep telling our “God-stories” over and over again, to encourage each other.
· ‘But God’ faith – Ask God to help you develop a “but God” faith; in other words, a faith that believes: “Things may look bad, but God is working it for good.” I believe; help my unbelief!
· Seek God, not the answer – Seek God first, and then the answers will come in time. Seek God and not what you can get from him. Seek God and all other things will be added.
· Book Look – There’s an old Gospel song that sings, “I just took a look at the back of the book.” You may not be able to see past the forests of paragraph in your life story, but you do know how the book ends. The Bible tells us the truth: God wins, the demons die, and we spend eternity with our Heavenly Father. And this can give us blessed assurance!
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
The above content is provided in its entirety from purposedrivenlife.com and used with the full permission of the website. Additional archives of the Purpose Driven Life devotionals can be found in their archive.
By Jon Walker
“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God ….” (Genesis 45:8 NIV)
Today, in the story of your life, you are in the middle of a sentence, and you may find yourself paused in a painful place. But that’s not the end of your story. You may be paused on a holy “but God” moment that is leading you to the very purpose of God for your life.
You can find this divine “but God” sentence structure throughout the Bible. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, “but God” used it to preserve the Jewish race and to advance his kingdom work.
Later, the Israelites are enslaved in Egypt, “but God” sent a deliverer to take them to the Promised Land. Then, in the New Testament, Jesus is dying on a cross, “but God” used that very moment to deliver us all from evil.
Every one of us reaches a point in our lives where we wonder what God is doing , “but God” then does something unexpected and marvelous. You don’t know what’s behind the “but God.” You can only, in faith, believe it is exactly the best thing God could give to you.
It’s only natural, in moments of despair, confusion, or darkness, to wonder if God is even paying attention, if he knows what he is doing, if there’s any kind of plan.
We may be years away from the “but God” moment; we may not be able to see the end of the sentence he is writing; but that doesn’t mean God has abandoned our story. Before the “but God" happens, God offers us a radiant certainty of his sovereignty and grace. We may be “hard pressed on every side, but we’re not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4)
And through this we learn that the issue is not whether we will be delivered or how we’ll be delivered – rather it’s that God is our Deliverer. We seek his face, and not his hand – the Giver and not the gift – and during the pause just before “but God,” we find ourselves falling in love with God again.
So what?
· Count the ‘but Gods’ – Make a list of all the times God has provided for you or delivered you from a difficult situation. Meditate on the steadfast faithfulness of God, and then keep reminding yourself of this. The Apostle Peter tells us to keep telling our “God-stories” over and over again, to encourage each other.
· ‘But God’ faith – Ask God to help you develop a “but God” faith; in other words, a faith that believes: “Things may look bad, but God is working it for good.” I believe; help my unbelief!
· Seek God, not the answer – Seek God first, and then the answers will come in time. Seek God and not what you can get from him. Seek God and all other things will be added.
· Book Look – There’s an old Gospel song that sings, “I just took a look at the back of the book.” You may not be able to see past the forests of paragraph in your life story, but you do know how the book ends. The Bible tells us the truth: God wins, the demons die, and we spend eternity with our Heavenly Father. And this can give us blessed assurance!
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
The above content is provided in its entirety from purposedrivenlife.com and used with the full permission of the website. Additional archives of the Purpose Driven Life devotionals can be found in their archive.