BUT God
Two small words full of immense comfort
To borrow something my pastor said recently, By Bethany Riehl we are just not good enough. We have to come to But God. a place where we understand that. Our lives deThose are my two favorite words in Scripture pend on acknowledging this unmistakable truth. that, thankfully, are repeated over and over lest We are not good. Forget enough. We are simply my feeble mind forget. not good. We have no power on our own to save I used to overlook these words when they arourselves. rived on the scene. Or maybe it’s that I wasn’t But God. reading my Bible carefully enough. Multiple “But God, being rich in mercy, because of times in Scripture when all seems lost, the text His great love with which He loved us, even speaks these words and reminds us of their great when we were dead in our transgressions, made promise. us alive together with Christ (by grace you have We see them after Adam and Eve sinned been saved), and raised us up with Him in the against God in the garden. They were afraid, heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the aware of their nakedness, the covering of fellowages to come He might show the surpassing ship and perfection gone, when we read, “But the riches of His grace in kindness toward us in LORD God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” Bethany Riehl Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7) (Genesis 3:9) Yes, He cast them from the garden, God’s riches are so much more than we can but His perfect plan was already in motion. There would be a imagine. A nice home, fancy car, and fat bank account are not Savior to undo the awful damage that had been done. examples of the goodness of God. Not really. Those are all temAfter the earth was cleansed by the Flood and all but eight poral. The real goodness lies in the promises found in Ephesians souls were destroyed, Genesis 8:1 begins, “But God remembered 1:3-8a: Noah…” “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Later, Joseph assures his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavagainst me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many enly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the people should be kept alive as they are today.” (Genesis 50:24) foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameDavid says in Psalm 49:15, “But God will ransom my soul from less before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.” sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind I could share hundreds of examples, but I think they all come intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we down to this ultimate truth: “…but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sin- have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He ners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) lavished on us.” Six years ago, we were blessed to go through a series of trials As I write this article, my phone is beside me. I’ve been texting that completely stripped away all of my previously conceived notions about who God is. When I say blessed, I mean it. I would with my sister and father all day because my mom is in the hospital and it’s not looking like she will be coming home the way we rather go through suffering and know the real God than have expected her to, if she comes home at all. a comfortable life spent possibly worshipping a false one. I had Like most of you, I’m certain, I just can’t picture a world always known that He was good, but through various trials I without my mom in it. Hers was the first heartbeat I heard, the learned that His good is not the same as mine. first voice, the first warm embrace. She has encouraged me in my Six years ago, life got real and raw very quickly. God began to writing, talked through Scripture with me, fed my love of Revelashow me the unedited reality of who He is. He opened my eyes tion and the study of eschatology. Most importantly, she taught to what His Word actually says about Him – instead of my own me to love Jesus. My heart is breaking. quick perusal and assumptions. No fluffy feel-good version of But God. God where His goodness is measured by how well life is going, This world is not our home. My mom repented and put her how big my house is, or how well-behaved my children are. trust in the blood of Jesus as a child. Whether now or someday The “But God” reality. far in the future when we have to say good-bye, it will only be for The God that is bigger than physical pain and emotional suffera little while because of the marvelous mercy and grace of our ing. great and glorious King Jesus. The God that is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But God, my friends. From the darkest of days to the brightest… The God that will not leave nor forsake, and who shows you exBut God. n actly what that means when you surrender to Him and His will. The God who refines with fire, sharpens with iron, and sepaBethany Riehl lives in the Treasure Valley with her husband, rates truth and love from lies and hate with a double-edged three kids, and one super chill dog. She and her husband sword. His blade cuts too close for comfort at times, but God is homeschool their kids and were only slightly embarrassed a master surgeon with precise incisions. For our good and His when their lives didn’t change all that much when the world glory. shut down in 2020. Hashtag, homebodies. She writes articles The story of our lives could not have been more bleak when and fictional novels when she can, and her one desire is to He saved us. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, helpless point others to the love and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. Her and hopeless. All of us. Every single one. And some reading this books can be found on Amazon or at your local library…after article are still in that place. you request them to be in stock, of course.
30 September / October 2021 | Christian Living
www.christianlivingmag.com
