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This past week I have found myself in the book of Acts. I was there in the Upper Room when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. I stood near Peter when he healed a lame man and preached the risen Christ to his countrymen…and then was arrested for preaching in the name of Jesus. I watched as Stephen was martyred for his faith. Then I stood by in awe as Saul became Paul. Today specifically, I listened in as Paul preached in Antioch…and I heard him say two of my favorite words in all of scripture: BUT GOD. And I have to admit that one of the first things that crossed my mind was Colombo. Yep, that’s what I said. Colombo. Here’s my explanation.
I grew up watching Colombo murder mysteries, where Peter Falk, dressed in his own wrinkled and over-sized overcoat, brought Lieutenant Colombo to life. No crime was too tough for the intrepid sleuth. Yes, Colombo always got his man- or woman. But it wasn’t Colombo’s successful solving of the case that endeared him to me (and my daughters). Nor was it his tenacity…not even his determination…even though he certainly showcased both of those features. No, what made Colombo so popular in my house was his uncanny ability to annoy and manipulate and outsmart his opponents-all while presenting himself as a bit of a bungling fool. If you’ve ever watched an episode, you know exactly what I mean.
Picture it. The murder occurs, usually within the first five to ten minutes, with the killer appearing to establish a rock solid alibi. Like maybe the killer figures out a way to give himself a fake heart attack and end up in the infirmary while the murder is occurring. Or maybe the killer is conducting an orchestra as the body he killed falls off a roof (two of my favorite episodes). And then Lieutenant Colombo, driving his relic Peugeot, arrives, rumpled and disheveled, sometimes with a basset hound for company. He analyzes the scene, pretty much deduces who the murderer is in that first encounter, and then he starts to reel the killer in. Slowly and methodically, sometimes even painfully. Colombo walks in and questions his unsuspecting culprit, presenting himself as a bumbling fool….then he walks out, leaving the killer feeling pretty confident, and then, just as the killer is lulled into a false sense of victory, Colombo bumbles back in, almost always with his hand in the air and the words “One more thing” tripping off his tongue. And he does this over and over and over and over again, until the killer is about to lose his mind! It’s epic!
I have a grandson who is a lot like Colombo. Primarily at bed time. He will be settled into his room getting ready for bed when a “one more thing” moment strikes. So he leaves his room, finds his parents, and says, “But…” or some version of the quintessential “One more thing” approach. Then he returns to his room. This pattern repeats numerous times. To the family, he is just like miniature Colombo. It’s kind of a family joke at this point.
So what does any of that randomness have to do with my blog? Haha…good question! The answer? Well, it centers around those two favorite words….BUT GOD. Let me show you.
Frequently in scripture, man can be found in difficult, even precarious situations. Situations where all hope seems lost. Look at Noah. There is he, floating around on the flooded earth with an ark full of animals. I’m sure each day that passed must have felt interminable. And then this….“[But] God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark” (Genesis 8:1). BUT GOD! When things looked the most bleak for Noah, God stepped into the story and the waters subsided. God remembered!
Korah, one of the Aaronic priests, writes about the ways of the foolish, how all their paths lead to death. Sounds pretty bleak….until Korah says, “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me” (49:15). BUT GOD! When Korah found himself surrounded by foolish men who were more interested in riches than in God, when he, perhaps, was feeling alone in his faith, God stepped into the story with a timely reminder. God redeems!
Asaph, another Aaronic priest, contemplates life and eternity in Psalm 73. Realizing that his days are numbered, Asaph writes, “My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26). When faced with his own mortality, the inevitability of his own death, God stepped into Asaph’s story, allowing him to experience a precious BUT GOD moment! God strengthens!
In the New Testament, we see Paul ministering in Antioch, teaching the people about God, walking them through the Exodus all the way to Christ- His life and His death. And then Paul says, “But God raised Him from the dead” (Acts 13:30). BUT GOD! This is the greatest BUT GOD of them all! God stepped into Christ’s story, into your story, and into my story when He raised Christ from the dead! Because in raising Christ from the dead, He raised you and He raised me. God raises!
Also in the New Testament, we see Paul writing to the Ephesians about how we were all sinners, all walking according to our fleshly desires, all children of wrath. ALL OF US! As in every single one of us. And then Paul turns our whole sordid and sinful history on end when he writes, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). BUT GOD! Again, God stepped into your story and into my story…to make us alive!! To save us!! God saves!!
There are so many BUT GOD moments in the Bible. In fact, the entire Bible itself is a BUT GOD moment…..it is our testament from a God who created us, loves us, and desires fellowship with us. So wherever you are today, whatever you find yourself going through, know that we follow a God who remembers. He remembers YOU! He remembers the covenant He made with you, a covenant that says He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). A covenant that says you cannot be snatched out of God’s hand (John 10:28). A covenant that says He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). He remembers you! Take comfort in knowing that we also serve a God who strengthens! When we are weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). He will strengthen you and uphold you with His right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Praise God, He strengthens us! We can also find peace and joy and comfort today in knowing that we worship a God who raises…He raised Christ from the dead…and He can certainly raise you up out of whatever situation you find yourself in. Wait in Him! Wait on Him! Look to Him….and He will raise you up as though you are on eagle’s wings (Isaiah 40:31). And then you can soar above your problems, above all those situations in life that are dragging you down, that are stealing your peace and joy, secure in your faith, secure in the heart knowledge that you are gliding alongside the God who is able and willing to raise you up! And finally, most awesome of all, know that God saves. He saved you, and He saved me. By His amazing grace! That’s His gift to us….not something we can earn or achieve, but something we simply grasp with both hands and then cling to for dear life! Salvation is His gift to us, freely given….so freely receive. If you don’t know Him today, reach out and grab that free gift with all your strength…and hold on to it with all your might! Never let go! Because I guarantee you, He will never let go of you!
In closing, I challenge you to seek out the BUT GOD moments in the Bible…and in your life. I promise you won’t need to search hard! In fact, I guarantee you will find Him! Certainly you will find Him on every page of His word. But even more, I guarantee you will find Him on every page of your life, with His fingerprints all over every one of your situations, every one of your crises, and even in every one of your victories. Because He’s always there….always working it out for your good….even when you can’t see what He’s doing. I promise you that He’s always ready to burst back onto the scene, back into your mess, just like Colombo, with a BUT GOD truth to share. Be encouraged today knowing that God always gets the last word- and that those last words are simply beautiful: BUT GOD.