But then…

I wanted to share a brief testimony with you. There is no way I can share all of the details, so I’ll be as brief as I can.

All my life I’ve been the “encourager, exhorter,” kind of guy. Well, since January, I’ve been dealing with some health issues following a covid episode and and other factors that left me needing a little encouragement myself – along with healing.

Medical tests showed I needed some medical attention. Without sharing unnecessary details, I can say my wife and I were fed misinformation, or had a lack of information regarding my situation. We were frustrated to say the least, and for 6 months I just felt bad.

A few weeks ago and after many tests and procedures, I was sitting at my desk at 4am (yes, that’s my normal time of waking!) for my morning devotional. And, I began to pray. No, pour out my heart!

“Lord, I’m tired, I’m frustrated, and I’m desperate for you! I know your logos, but I need your rhema. I need you to speak into my situation. I need to hear your specific word for my life and situation. Help!”

That’s when two things happen that I will never forget.
1 – God spoke to my heart and said that his “provision” had been made. It just hasn’t been “applied” yet. (Do we not see this time and time again in scripture?)
2 – Then I turned to Psalm 77 (NLT version) on my computer app. And, although I could go very deep on this one, here’s the gist. There are 20 verses in the psalm. For the first 10 verses the psalmist cries out to God about his situation wondering if God is still there, still listens, still cares. What comes next in verse 11 was a complete game changer for me. The two simple words, “But then.” But then what? While the first ten verses of the psalm record his troubles, the next ten record his remembering all that God has done for him and the nation of Israel.

Two simple words. His words. His rhema. “But then.” That settled it for me! And, yes, for the next moments I spent my time remembering all he has done for me.

Fast forward a few weeks. I finally had a corrective procedure done that resolved a portion of what I’ve been experiencing – with another test coming in July. But, two things I know for sure. God has provided the solution and will apply it, and “But then…”

Then just recently, recounting all of these events, I penned these words. I hope you find encouragement and you remember your own “But then” moments.

But then

Sometimes you have to change without,
By looking to change within,
And if you don’t know where to start,
Start with the words, “But then…”

But then I turned my eyes above,
Beyond the storm, beyond my fears,
I found the God who never changed,
Though I had wandered through the years.

But then I traced His faithful hand,
In every valley, every climb,
The grace that met my deepest need,
Was never late, but always timed.

The promise spoken long ago,
Still held me with unbroken thread,
The God who fed my desert soul,
Still sent His daily, living bread.

The night was dark, the tears were real,
My questions lingered in the air,
Yet memories offered hope again,
For I recalled that He was there.

The burden did not disappear,
The winds still whispered through the trees,
But peace arrived before the dawn,
And faith fell gently to its knees.

Sometimes you have to change without,
By looking to change within,
When all seems lost, remember this,
Victory happens when you pray, “But then…”