What are the two words when placed next to each other that make this statement true? For a couple of weeks now, I haven’t been able to forget a message I heard that focused on these two words. I have mulled it over a hundred times and there is no doubt in my mind that these two words together are the most powerful words anyone can experience.
“But God!” We are, in most circumstances, rational in our lives. We go about making decisions trying our best to decide the best course of action for ourselves and those of our families. We seek the best doctor we can find for our health. We ask for financial advice from people that have been blessed financially. We want the most honest and best mechanic so our vehicles will be good mechanically, so we ask around. Those are smart decisions if we have any sense at all. What about when the doctor, mechanic and the financial gurus can’t deliver on the advertising? What about a myriad of things in our lives that we struggle with truly trying to make the right call? When God steps in everything changes. Let me share with you a passage from Ephesians 2:1-6 & 3:20.
- “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
People that have been born again have been quickened (made alive) because we were dead spiritually. How did we know this? We acted like the world, talked like the world, living our lives under the power of Satan. Our behaviors followed the desires of the flesh. Young people today talk about ‘hooking up’. It is casual intimacy outside the bonds of marriage. Christians have no business living like this. It is a behavior unsaved people live. We all at one time were dead and lived like the world. But God! He takes dead men and makes them alive. Who has the power to raise the dead? Not men. There are no Apostles today in the NT sense. But God who is rich in mercy and love made us alive and sits us in the heavenlies. Once God steps in, the limitations are gone. “With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26).
Let me close with 3:20. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”. When you don’t see a way to solve your problem, remember “But God.” When the devil sits on your shoulder, whispering in your ear lies, make yourself remember “But God.” The two most powerful words “But God.” He is able to do abundantly more than anything we can ask about or think about.