“But” is a conjunction with impact.

It precedes a contrary opinion, or introduces a stark contrast to the start of a sentence. The term qualifies or completely negates what precedes it.

“I know I promised we’d get away this weekend, but my boss expects this project on his desk Monday morning.”

“It has been raining four straight days,  but the weatherman says tomorrow will be sunny.”

“I like you a lot, Brad, but I’d rather we just be friends.”

A soul-nourishing study for me in God’s Word traced the appearance of “but God” or “but the Lord” in the Bible. This phrase is typically preceded by a negative situation and introduces a divine remedy to a discouraging dilemma. Here are three verses that have proved especially helpful when I’m depressed or just discouraged.

 

Savor God’s Sovereignty (Genesis 50:20)

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Years later, after God had used his leadership and management ability to help forestall the devasting effects of a famine in Egypt, he told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” God had a long-range view of Joseph’s poor treatment and imprisonment, redeeming it for Joseph’s ultimate good and His own glory.

Admittedly, we don’t always see the benefits of trials as clearly as Joseph did.  But it’s possible to trust in God’s sovereignty, nonetheless. It is a mysterious yet priceless truth, a conviction that God controls human actions and natural events. Meditating on this truth won’t rescue us from suffering, but over the long haul it assuages our grief and instills a helpful perspective.

Renowned preacher and author Charles Spurgeon found solace in God’s sovereignty, He wrote, “It would be a very sharp and trying experience to me to think that I have an affliction which God never sent me, that the bitter cup was never filled by His hand, that my trials were never measured out by Him, nor sent to me by His arrangement of their weight and quantity.”

When it comes to repeated occurrences of my depression, when common means of God’s grace haven’t prevented its onset or alleviated the symptoms, and when utilizing means of special grace such as prayer for relief, Bible study and reliance on friends in the Body of Christ haven’t removed it, I shift the focus of my prayers.  I tell Him, “Father, You’ve chosen not to remove this nemesis. So You must have a purpose in mind that I can’t see. With all my heart, I ask You to redeem this despondency. Employ it to keep me in desperate dependence on You from day to day. Use it to increase my sensitivity to other hurting people. Instead of hindering my ministry, may You use it to expand my ministry. Please, don’t waste this pain. And help me to trust more and more in Your sovereignty, especially during those days when the despair is greatest. You’re either in control of my depression or You aren’t. I choose to believe that You are, indeed, in control of it and that You meant it for good.”

 

Rely on Relationships  (2 Corinthians 7:5-6)

During his missionary journeys to spread the gospel of Christ, the Apostle Paul faced severe opposition. Referring to affliction he encountered in Asia, he told the Corinthian church members, “We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself” (2 Cor. 1:9).

One way the Lord buoyed his strength was through members of his ministry team. In the same letter, Paul cited the comfort of a team member’s presence: “When we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus.”

The New Testament contains over 60 commands that show God’s intent for relationships among Christians. God’s primary means of loving us remains incarnational. When we tap into the strength of others, we aren’t merely exhibiting weakness; we are allowing the Lord to love us through others in the body of Christ. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Applying Galatians 6:2 requires us to admit it when we’re hurting, to swallow our pride, to risk appearing as if we aren’t living victoriously. (Then again, perhaps we are living victoriously when we tap into one of God’s intended means of support!)  It’s asking someone to pray for us over the phone, or better yet, to drop by and sit with us for a while. No one can help us bear a burden unless he or she is aware of our burden. Also, it’s giving your time and physical presence to someone you know who is hurting.

I’ll always treasure those Sunday afternoons, immersed in the worse depressive episode ever, when I called Louise, an elderly, disabled prayer warrior. She went to war for me over the phone, pleading with God’s Spirit to strengthen me and sustain me. And I cherish the memory of Howard, when I phoned him through tears, and heard him cry aloud because he wished he could alleviate my pain. (Indeed, he did. His love for me enhanced my mood and enabled me to finish a project I was working on that day.)

I know that the last thing a depressed person wants is to be around other people. But please…..avoid the snare of solitude. Martin Luther, catalyst for the Protestant Reformation, experienced descents into depression and pessimistic thinking. He believed that for someone in the throes of depression, solitude is dangerous, even poisonous. He believed that God’s people are more vulnerable to Satan’s attacks when they’re depressed. He told a friend whose despair was bringing him to the cusp of suicide, “By all means, flee solitude, for the devil watches and lies in wait for you most of all when you are alone.” Luther also said, “When I am assailed by heavy tribulations, I rush out among my pigs, rather than remain alone by myself.” (I apply Luther’s point by holding our dachshund and letting him kiss my face!)

 

Secure in His Strength  (Psalm 73:26)

One ironclad conclusion I’ve reached in my latter years is this: it’s okay to be weak!

God insists that His power is perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Why do we have the treasure of the gospel in weak earthen vessels? “To show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Cor. 4:7). That’s why Psalm 73:26 is precious to me:  “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” His sufficiency, not my deficiencies, must become my obsession.

When weakness of mind, body or spirit overwhelms me, here’s how I’ve learned to pray:

“Father, You want me to work on some areas of weakness. When a pattern of sin is involved, I must pursue holiness aggressively (Hebrews 12:14). Yet other areas of weakness or inadequacy I must accept. Please give me the discernment to know the difference, so I don’t strive for perfectionism in an unhealthy manner, so I’ll treat myself as graciously as You treat me. Help me to see, day in and day out, that my weaknesses provide more reason to lean on You. In the name of Your Son, the only man in history who had it all together, amen.”

 

Which “but God” verse means most to you today? Why?

If you contact me, I’ll give you a list of other “But God” verses: terry.powell@ciu.edu

__________

I wrote Serve Strong: Biblical Encouragement to Sustain God’s Servants, to instill resiliency in people who serve the Lord, whether vocationally or as a serious volunteer. All 24 chapters cover a Bible truth to buoy the spirits of people engaged in ministry. In one chapter I examine nine “but God” verses and their applicability to those of us who serve the Lord. The link takes you to the book’s page on my website where you’ll see more of the encouraging themes I cover. That page also has a link for purchase of the book.

 

Serve Strong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

+