Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us," (Ephesians 2:1-2,4)

But God. These two words appear in Scripture 45 times marking how God has lovingly and generously stepped in to intervene on mankind’s behalf. Often the divine interruption and disruption involve protection from unseen danger, the opening of a door to something greater for your life, or an olive branch for another opportunity to “get it right.” When all seems lost, broken, or destroyed, when we are at the end of the line with no other options, we hear, “But God.” He intervenes. He provides. He saves.

I could have been dead and gone, but God gave me another day.  I could have disappeared in my ashes of defeat, but God saw and rescued me.  I could have remained enslaved to my addiction, but God freed and healed me.  I could have lost everything, but God provided for me.

This simple term captures the nature of our God. He redeems, resurrects, and makes all things new. He is a God of boundless patience offering second, third, and millions of chances. His mercy is rich.

A synonym for rich is ridiculous. God has that kind of rich, ridiculous mercy. God possesses the kind of rich mercy that in all common sense, He should have given up on us and allowed us to send ourselves to the demise of our own destruction, but He chooses to extend grace again and again, leaving the 99 to save the one lost sheep (Luke 15:4). But God. He values the lives of each one as precious even though at times we may feel worthless.

Consider the very first verse of Ephesians 2 to get an idea of how God values His creation - you and me. Our future destiny was death for all of mankind: to be born, live a mediocre life, and die with no hope of anything more than that. This is such a hopeless, dark existence. Then we hear, “But God.” He provided a way in His Grand Salvation Plan to save us from eternal death and give us the gift of eternal life. Here are some other “But God” statements to hold onto.

• "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible(Matthew 19:26).'"
• "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26)."
  
• "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20)."
  
• "To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, LORD my God, brought my life up from the pit (Jonah 2:6)."
  

When our circumstances are dire and you may think there is no possible way it will change or get better, let this scripture be your anthem - that God always has the final say.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Every believer has had a “But God” experience. Think back to a moment or season in your journey where your life could have been quite different, but God stepped in and provided you with more.
• When you read in Ephesians 2:1-4 that God could have left you doomed to death, but he made you alive through Christ Jesus, how does that inform your prayer life and your relationship with Him?
• Prayer: Holy Father, the Great I Am, the Alpha and Omega, and everything in between. I praise You for being “but God.” My circumstances are not the end of my story, but the beginning of a new story You are crafting a fresh chapter in my life. Thank You for what You have done, are doing, and will do in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Family Devo: Ephesians 2

By: Lauren Strickland

When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.

Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset 

Head

Paul writes to remind the Ephesians of three important truths in these verses:

1. God made people and chose people as His most treasured creation—we are His work of art, a true masterpiece! Every person in the world was created on purpose by God because of His love.
2. When we place our trust in what Jesus did for us and receive the GIFT of salvation, we are transformed into a new work of art “in Christ Jesus” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Think about the caterpillar who leaves its cocoon a butterfly –we’re like that! A brand-new creation!
3. Lastly, Paul wrote to remind the Ephesians that every person was made with great purpose. Just like each work of art (a beautiful painting or butterfly) is as unique as their creator, so are we! Every Christian has their own unique way of reflecting the goodness and love of God to the world!

Heart

One of my favorite works of art is a small red, blue, and green butterfly drawn and colored by my son, Judah, when he was in first grade. It hangs happily in our kitchen—a place where I can enjoy it each day, and where others who visit our home can enjoy it too! When I look at it, I think of Judah and smile big. I bet you’ve had some of your artwork or crafts on display at your house, too! The loving adults in your life proudly hang your artwork because they love you! The same is true about God’s people. Each of us is wonderfully unique to God with different bodies, abilities, talents, and gifts. Each of us is deeply loved by Him. And all of us are given great big purpose by Him. That purpose? To know God, to love Him, and to reflect His love to the world as we follow Him.

Hands

Pair up with someone in your family and study each other’s hands for one minute. Look at all the little lines across your palms. Notice the swirly prints across your fingertips. See if you can find a unique shape or pattern on your partner’s hands. Notice how unique each of your hands is. How wonderful that the Creator of the Universe made each person with such special care, with so many one-of-a-kind details! You were made on purpose! And because you were made on purpose you have great purpose!

Spend a couple of minutes talking about specific ways you can show love this week: with your hands (as you serve), with your ears (as you listen), in your words (as you speak), and on your feet (as you go).

Prayer: God, I am Your wonderful work of art. Thank You for making me on purpose! For creating me –just the way I am! Thank You for giving me great purpose in this world! Help me get to know You more and more each day. Help me understand how much You love me so that I can share this great love with everyone around me.