When God Steps In: "But God" Devotional Collection

By Earline Kline

In this devotional collection based on "but God" scriptures from the Bible, you will see how God intervened in surprising ways for His people. He protected Sarah in a harem, turned Balaam's curses into blessings, saved David from Saul, and much more, each situation unique. Like Sarah, Balaam, David and Saul, Joseph learned God fulfills His purposes. To the brothers who sold him into slavery, Joseph said, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20 NIV).

 

God is always at work, even when we can't see His hand. These devotionals will deepen your trust in God and help you realize He has a special purpose for your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Earline Kline
• Release date: Aug 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201040727

Book preview

When God Steps In

But God Devotional Collection

Earline Kline

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Copyright © 2022 by Earline Kline

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Published in Idaho by Perpedit Publishing, Ink, PO Box 190246, Boise 83719 / http://www.perpedit.com

Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover image: Christian Wayne Photography / https://www.cwaynephotography.com / Used with permission.

Author photograph: Rick Olmstead. Used with permission.

Contents

Dedication

To the Reader

Evil Turned to Good

God Remembers Us in the Storm

God Protected Sarah

Curses Turned to Blessings

Desperation Points

God Looks on the Heart

God Is My Support

God Protects His Own

The Battle Is God’s

God Is Our Helper

Stiff-Necked Israel

Faith Tested Like Gold

God Delivers Us in Trouble

Redemption from the Grave

The Enemy Only Appears to Win

The Wicked Destroyed

But God Listens

The Strength of My Heart

God’s Just Judgment

But God Is Faithful

God Is My Refuge

God Is Sovereign

God Is My Song

God Directs My Steps

God Calls You by Name

God Is My Potter

Revealer of Secrets

God Prepared a Worm

Stopped in His Tracks

Jesus Calms Fear

Children Are Welcome

God’s Gift Exchange

Who Can Forgive Sins?

A Foolish Rich Man

Nothing Is Hidden from God

Born of God

The Comforter Comes

Man Cannot Stop God’s Work

Saul Chosen

Equal in God’s Sight

Our Merciful God

Death Could Not Hold Jesus

Loved While Sinners

God’s Eternal Gift

Thank God for Obedience

Our Holy Spirit Helper

God Chooses the Foolish

Secrets Revealed

Laborers Together with God

God’s Faithfulness

We Each Have Our Function

Victory Is Ours

God Is Enough

Abraham, Man of Faith

All Glory to God

God’s Mercy

You Too Must Suffer

Kept from Evil

God Was with Joseph

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by Earline Kline

When God Steps In is dedicated to Art Ortman who suggested my devotionals could become a book.

To the Reader

May you be challenged as you read these devotional thoughts on the but God verses of scripture. Time after time, you will see how the Lord intervened in the lives of individuals and nations, how He revealed His character and provided protection. You’ll also see how His deliverance in times of trouble brought good out of evil and turned curses into blessings and weakness into strength. May you be encouraged as you look for the but God moments in your own life.

Evil Turned to Good

Genesis 50:15-21

Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’

Genesis 50:19-20

Remember the story of Joseph? How his brothers hated him because he was their father’s favorite and also because of his dreams that he would someday rule over them. One day when Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers, they saw their opportunity to get rid of him and threw him in a pit, intending to let him die there.

When a caravan of Midianite traders came by, the brothers decided to sell Joseph to them. He became a slave in Egypt who served his master for several years—until the master’s wife cried rape, and Joseph was thrown into prison. Later, he was brought out of prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. As a result, he was made prime minister of Egypt and tasked with leading Egypt through the seven-year drought foretold by the dreams.

Five years of famine remained when Joseph invited his family to immigrate to Egypt so he could care for them. Joseph saw the bigger picture—how God used his brothers’ sin against him to save their lives as well as thousands of others.

After their father, Jacob, died, Joseph’s brothers feared he would take revenge on them for all the hurtful things they’d done to him. They fell on their faces before him and begged for his forgiveness. The tough times Joseph endured had humbled him and made him a compassionate person, a forgiving person. That’s when he said, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.

Let God take you through the tough times of life and the hurtful trials we all experience, just as He did for Joseph.

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Insight: Only God can take the painful experiences in our lives and turn them into blessings.

God Remembers Us in the Storm

Genesis 8:1-13

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth and the waters receded.