Last week, I wrote about the amazing chapter 2 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he reminds them of God’s amazing power to change the course of life through His everlasting mercy. I mentioned that the recent experience of my Dad’s very serious illness from which he is currently recovering reminded me of his power, his love, and his grace. I thought of how powerful those two words are: “But God”.
The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that I failed to adequately address it. I talked of how powerful those six letters are during the course of our lives as God delivers us through various trials, and that is true, but not once did I speak of the foundational Truth. Never did I mention what Paul, himself, was talking about. Without that, everything else in that post is worthless.
Of course, I’m talking about the fact that we were dead in our trespasses, chasing after the very things that condemned us to death, “…but God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” Ephesians 2:4–5 (CSB, emphasis added)
That is foundational because that is the Gospel! That is the good news! I have hope in the well-being of my father, not because God has physically healed him, but because God has eternally saved him! That changes everything!
Yesterday was the first day that the doctor said that my Dad is “Out of the woods.” I have come to hate that expression because we have heard it every, single morning since September 10th: “He’s doing slightly better, but he’s in no way out of the woods.” So, today I rejoice that he is, physically, “out of the woods,” but by God’s grace, I was able to rejoice that, spiritually, my Dad was “out of the woods,” through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus two weeks ago when he seemed to be on his deathbed. It was that, as I watched my Dad lying gravely sick, that gave me such peace as the grace of God washed over me, knowing that, because God made my earthly father alive through the grace of Jesus Christ, my Heavenly Father sealed him so that no earthly sickness and, no, not even death could ever touch him! That’s hope right there.
So, I ask you the question of your foundation: Is it built on something solid? Have you really trusted Jesus with your “today” and your “tomorrow”; with the day on which you will take your last breath?
Those two words, “But God”, are powerful as we experience deliverance from or through daily trials and storms, but it is only powerful because of the fact that we were without hope, drowning in sin, but God, rich in mercy, saved us. He is worthy of our gratitude because He helps us through our trials and suffering. He is worthy of our worship because of Who He is and what He has done for us, eternally, even when He doesn’t deliver us from earthly trials and suffering. In all things, God is worthy!
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1:21 (CSB)
