Two words for 2012..

Several of the blogs i follow are writing about the same thing the last few weeks. They have been blogging about their "word" for 2012. This "word" describes what they want to see God do in and through them this year, or trusting God to grow them, etc. Examples of these words are: trust,be still, cherish, enjoy, and within. While i love stuff like this i wondered what would my word be, if i did one? Now i didn't want just any word just to say i had one, i wanted it to really mean something.

As i got to thinking, honestly the first word i could think of for this year was "weddings" haha. (Seriously we're are only a few weeks into the new year and i do not have enough fingers or toes to count the weddings for 2012.) When i seriously started thinking it wasn't till worship yesterday that i saw it. For anyone who knows me i just can't do things like everyone else so instead of one word, mine is two ;)

Do you ever look through your order of worship and circle, box or highlight words that you want to remember? kinda weird?? i do it every week. Words that come with such depth or words that will help me recall what was preached that day. As i was circling my words these two simple words jumped off the page for me. 

...but God...

I LOVE THIS! I started researching verses, sermons based around these two words and came across this book by Casey Lute. He described exactly what i wanted to write..

"To the left of “But God” in Scripture appear some of the worst human atrocities, characterized by disobedience and rebellion. To the left of “But God” is hopelessness, darkness, and death. But to its right, following “But God,” readers of Scripture will find hope, light, and life. Following God’s intervention, the story of Scripture becomes one of grace, righteousness, and justice. In fact, this phrase is used to describe God’s activity in nearly every great salvation story in the Bible. It is the perfect phrase for highlighting God's grace against the dark backdrop of human sin."

Thankful God did not leave us stuck with the left side story: hopelessness,darkness,death. Because of Christ death on the cross and resurrection that sealed his promises, we would not have "but God". Christ secures hope for left up to us would be a hopeless situation. We have freedom to what seems so enslaving. Life in a dead world.

This is my word/words for 2012 because i do not want to focus more on the left or the right of "but God". On a day to day timeline i do not live in such a way that i "feel" like i need saving. "I'm pretty good right now, thanks." yeah right! I need saving from myself, the world and satan DAILY. Therefore I want to see the depth of what Christ did for me rather than dethroning him because i "think"  i have things control.

Two of the verses that I want to claim is Romans 5:8 and Ephesians 2:1-5

Romans 5:8 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”

Ephesians 2:1-5"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved."

 Do you remember who you once were and what God saved you from? 

God teach me to see before and during rather than focusing on the details of today, or the things i do not have. Help me to fight the lies of this world by recalling "but God". PTL I am not longer who i once was!!

not to us, not to us, but to your name we give all glory!