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But God!
by: Janine Scott-Lowe, MD
Psalm 34:19: MANY are the afflictions of the righteous, BUT THE LORD DELIVERETH them OUT OF THEM ALL.
THANK GOD for the MANY deliverances He has brought in our lives! As the Scripture says, the afflictions, or problems, experienced by God's children are NOT few, but MANY. We don't tend to go through ONE thing, but a LOT. Sometimes our lives embody the message of "when it rains, it pours." The FIRST part of this verse can sound so disheartening. Especially if one believes the FALSE teaching that once one is saved, "everything will be alright." There will be no more problems. You will be walking on Easy Street. I heard one person say, "all of your fountains will not spring water, but Kool-Aid." But, this simply is NOT true and goes against what the Word says. John 16:33 says that "in the world, we SHALL (NOT might, but SHALL) have tribulation (trouble). Again, this FIRST part sounds a little depressing, but (this is a word that I have come to LOVE in the Bible, "but"), we are encouraged to BE OF GOOD CHEER because Jesus has OVERCOME THE WORLD.
Let's look at the word "but" a little more closely. Usually, what has been said before it was bad. What has gone on before it was negative. What preceeded it was nothing to be happy or excited about. Sort of sounds like how we were before accepting Christ as our Savior...BUT GOD! As today's Scriptures say, as God's children, we will have many afflictions...BUT GOD. We will have trouble in this world...BUT GOD. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says that "we are troubled on every side, YET (another word for "but") NOT distressed; we are perplexed, BUT NOT in despair; persecuted, BUT NOT forsaken; cast down, BUT NOT destroyed.
THANK GOD for the "BUT GOD"s in our lives. If you are going through a "pre-but" experience, HOLD ON, your change (the BUT) IS coming! Give God control of your situation, leave it in His ABLE hands, and watch Him TURN IT AROUND FOR YOUR GOOD (Romans 8:28).
Remember, weeping may endure for a night, BUT JOY WILL COME in the morning! BUT GOD!
Have a GREAT day!
**One last thing that I have noticed about today's main Scripture. It does NOT say that the Lord will deliver us FROM our afflictions, but OUT of them. Again, salvation does NOT mean that we get a FREE PASS to never experience any problems, However, in being saved, we have the SURETY that God is "the fourth man with us" in ALL of the fiery furnaces that we may find ourselves thrown into in life (Daniel 3:25).
BE ENCOURAGED. You are NOT alone. GOD IS WITH YOU and He WILL deliver you....BUT GOD!
Ok, now I'm done (smile!)
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