Quiet Fire Devotional Series | Alive: From Striving to Resurrection - But God...

But God…

But God…“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…” — Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV)

Two words changed everything: But God.

Easy to overlook—just two brief words nestled within a sentence. Yet, these words carry the transformative power of heaven itself.

I was dead in sin—distant, dried out, drifting aimlessly, desperately striving to repair brokenness I couldn't even fully identify.

But God.

I had nothing valuable to offer—no spiritual momentum, no moral credentials, no remaining strength to pull myself back up.

But God.

This is the gospel: the divine rescue. Not “But I finally got it together,” nor “But I managed to fix myself.”

Simply this: But God.

Exposing the Real Problem: You Can’t Save Yourself

Our culture idolizes the self-made narrative—we're coached to hustle harder, push forward, prove our worth.

But Scripture reveals a different reality:

“Even when we were dead…”

Not merely tired. Not merely struggling. Dead.

And dead people cannot climb. They can't respond to motivation. They cannot rescue themselves.

"For apart from me you can do nothing." — John 15:5 (ESV)

We weren't "almost there."We were spiritually lifeless.

Then, mercy entered:

“But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive.”

That’s no mere assistance. It’s not an enhancement. It’s resurrection itself.

Challenging the Misconception: Grace Isn’t a Boost—It’s Incomprehensible Love

Too often, grace is misinterpreted as divine encouragement—a spiritual boost. We do our best, and God covers the rest.

But that’s not the true gospel.

Grace isn't God meeting you halfway. It's God coming the entire distance—because you were unable to move.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." — Romans 5:8 (ESV)

He didn’t demand effort first. He didn’t wait for our initiative.

He acted first, driven by relentless love and boundless mercy.

❌ Grace isn't for those nearly there.✅ Grace is for the utterly dead, the hopelessly dry, the completely finished.

My Turning Point: Mercy in My Emptiness

There came a moment when I had absolutely nothing left. No polished prayer. No emotional uplift.

Only silence. Only emptiness. Only desperate need.

It was precisely then—when I was utterly spent—that He showed up.

"He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock." — Psalm 40:2 (NASB)

Not to rebuke, but to restore. Not to demand, but to revive.

That moment wasn't born from spiritual striving. It was the collision of my emptiness with His extravagant mercy.

And that moment has a name: But God.

Application: Let Grace Rewrite Your Story

Which words currently define your life?

• "Trying harder"?

• "Exhausted"?

• "Drifting still"?

• "Stuck again"?

Allow God to introduce a different narrative: But God…

Not but shame. Not but failure. Not but guilt.

Just mercy. Just love. Just Jesus.

Closing Challenge

If you're at your absolute end—perfect. That's precisely where resurrection begins.

Don’t look inward. Don’t try to climb back. Simply look upward.

“By grace you have been saved.” — Ephesians 2:5 (ESV)

No effort. No boasting. No self-credit. Only mercy. Only love. Only Jesus.

He’s right here:

• Interrupting your failure.

• Rewriting your story.

• Offering life once again.

This is your But God moment.

Will you embrace it?