God’s But

From today’s reading (Psalm 74 and 75), I love the raw way Psalm 74 starts out, as the author lists what a poor job God seems to be doing running the world. He kind of makes sure God knows how He is being mocked down here. Then he ends with, “We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.” It’s like, “Everything sucks. Nothing’s changing. Probably never will.”

Ever felt like that? Of course you have. Know what the difference is between people who get through that, and people who drown in it? … God’s but.

After eleven verses of hang dog woe is me talk, verse twelve begins, “But you, O God…” and then the author goes on and on, recounting all the great things God has done in the past. He realizes that the way things seem probably aren’t the way they are, and are surely not the way they’re going to be. And that restores his confidence in God, and gives him hope.

The other day I was having a “Everything sucks. Nothing’s changing” moment, and my wife encouraged me to write down a “But you, O God” list, and to keep it for similar times I’d have in the future. To write down all the amazing things God has done, and has done for me, to get my focus back on God’s but, and so I could always have my “But you, O God” list in the future. Maybe you need to write one of those?