(just an aside, it’s not wise to declare;  ”Aha!  here’s another ‘but’ verse!!” whilst teaching a room full of 5-8^th graders when some of them are boys….because of course they will think you have said the butt word and at Bible Study no less!!  which reminds me of the time during prayer years ago with my own boys; “Dear God, tho we are but dust, You love us”  giggles and giggles….

”uh mom, what is butt dust??”

“merely dust, only dust, came from dust…”

“oh, i was thinking it was something that happened when you tooted”)

Ha Ha

moving on….

i’m finishing up a year in Genesis.  i began to see a pattern emerging early on…and then began seeing it elsewhere.  so i started a list:  (maybe look up the context for better understanding??)

Genesis 3:8-9  Adam and Eve;  “they hid from the LORD God…
….But the LORD God called to the man.” 

Genesis 6:13, 18  “So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.  I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.
…..BUT I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark.”

Genesis 11:5  “But the Lord came down….(to see the city and tower the men were building.)”

Genesis 12 Abraham lies and Sarah is taken into Pharaoh’s haram; 
-But the LORD inflicted Pharaoh’s house with disease….and Pharaoh says to Abram; “why did you lie? now then, here is your wife, take her and go.” 

 Psalm 73:22  “I was senseless and ignorant; i was a brute beast before you.
….YET i am always with You; You hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with Your concel, and afterward You will take me into glory.” 

Isaiah 63:15-16  “Your tenderness and compassion are witheld from us.
….BUT You are our Father….You oh Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer From Old is Your name.”

Psalm 73:26  “We are all weakness…
….BUT God is the strength of my heart.

Genesis 26:1-6  “There was a famine in the land and Isaac went to Abimelech-king of the Philistines….
….BUT the Lord appeared to Isaac;  “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.  Stay….and I will be with you and will bless you….I will….I will….I will….”

Genesis 27  Isaac plans to bless Esau
….BUT it’s Jacob instead……

….BUT God brings him to surrender and faith  (v.33 i blessed [Jacob] and indeed he will be blessed; Heb 11:20 by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.)

Genesis 28:10-22  Jacob alone, rock bottom…BUT God. comes. to. him.  ……in a dream

Genesis 31:38-42  “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty handed.
….BUT God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you (Laban).”

Genesis 39:20  “Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the kings prisoners were confined.
….BUT….the Lord was with him.  He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”

Genesis 40:23-41:8  “The cheif cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him…..  when 2 full years had passed, Pharoah had a dream
….BUT no one could intrepret them for him.  THEN the cheif cupbearer [remembered Joseph]….so Pharaoh sent for Joseph and he was quickly brought from the dungeon…”

Genesis 45:4-8  “i am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!……for two years now there has been famine in the land
….BUT God sent me ahead of you to preserver for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  So then, it was not you who sent me here, BUT God…”

Genesis 50:20  “you intended evil,
….BUT God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives…”

 Genesis 50:24  “i (Joseph) am about to die,
…BUT God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

 and so i can confidently say;

But God will certainly come to your aid……

But God comes down…..

Grace Amazing….

nothing, no one

But God