But God

I have been reminded recently of just what an unknowable gift God's salvation of us really is. We only grasp a small, small part.

We forget just how big God is. We try to understand him with our human understanding and that only limits him. Our struggles overwhelm us.  Our fears tie us down.  Our frustrations and dependence of people wear out our heart and leave us with little emotional strength. We struggle to believe in God being who he says he is because we think too much in our own capacity.

How can we possibly grasp all that God is, when he is this:

Romans 8:31-39 (King James Version)

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

This is the love of Christ. All along God has been on our side. He has fought and won every battle we could possibly face. He has loved more deeply than we can ever know. He has staked his claim on us. He allows so much, but no more. Because we are His. Bought and paid for. For every lie that Satan tells us, for every deception he perpetrates, God is there. He is always there. WE are the ones that can not see.

I struggle with who I am because who I am is so unworthy of Christ' glorified love. But he loves me anyway.

My two favorite words in the Bible are: "But God". Whenever life was at it's worst, man was at his most unfaithful, Satan was at his most deceptive, and man couldn't see the way out...God could. He knew we needed him, and in our own human-ness we couldn't get there.

But God.

Could. Would. Did. Does. Will.

He loves you.

Not a little love, but a love that transends any earthly comprehension.

It is a love that built the world. It is a love that shook the world. It is a love that saved the world.

And it is a love that is intimately yours.

If you have been "going there" like I have lately, crank this up and praise it out as hard as you possibly can. Over and over. And over. until you, beyond any reason or ability to understand, believe it.

Lyrics below.

Believe the truth of the words I have bolded from these lyrics. No matter what you think is too bad, too much or too far, say it out loud and then say the bolded lines. That is the deepest truth you will ever know. And when I say truth, I mean TRUTH.

Believe it.

Lyrics:

The question was raised

As my conscience fell

A silly, little lie

It didn’t mean much

But it lingers still

In the corners of my mind

Still you call me to walk

On the edge of this world

To spread my dreams and fly

But the future’s so far

My heart is so frail

I think I’d rather stay inside

But You love me anyway

It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known

But You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me
It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway
See now, I am the man that called out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then, I turned away with this smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life
But You love me anyway
Oh, God… how you love me
You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
You love me, You love me
You love me, You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me