But God…

In the Bible there are a dozen or so verses that use the phrase But God. Usually there is an impossible situation mentioned, something hopelessly

The Reverend Stephen Crotts is pastor of Village Presbyterian Church in Charlotte Court House, VA. He is also the director of the Carolina Study Center, Inc., a campus ministry, located in Chapel Hill, NC. Pastor Crotts may be reached at carolinastudycenter@msn.com.

beyond human help. Then there is the confidence that God has the matter in hand. And He is able. The hinge between the two is the phrase, But God. Example: Acts 13:30. “They took Him (Jesus) down from the cross and placed Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead.” 

See the formula? Man’s sinfulness but God’s faithfulness. Man’s grave. But God’s resurrection. In other words, after man has done his worst, God can still do His best.

When I was a boy we were too poor to have very good baseball equipment. Yet we loved the sport and played with worn out balls, often gloveless, and with sticks. Now Jerry was a rich kid. He had all the best equipment. But he was young and not very good. Still, we let him play just to use his glove, bat and balls. He insisted on batting first. And he couldn’t hit. So after three pitches, three swings, and three misses, we’d yell, “You’re out!” He’d just smile and say, “My ball and my bat. So my rules. I’m not out yet.”  And he’d swing away till he eventually hit one.

Neither does God play by our rules. It’s His world. His people. And it’s not over until He says it is!

What the But God verses in Scripture teach us is that God’s not playing nine inning games. He plays until He wins.

Our sinfulness? Rebellion? Judgment? But God atoned for us. Romans 5:8.

Death? The grave? But God raised Jesus. And He can us, too. Acts 13:30.

Indifference? Hate? But God showed His love for us. Ephesians 2:4.

Shifting human options? But God is our sure foundation. 2 Timothy 2:19.

Like Yankee catcher Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” God gets the last word.

Always.