Some of my favorite phrases in the Bible are

• but God
• even if
• how much more

When these first started to stand out to me, I began to look at the patterns they created throughout stories and books in the Bible. I looked at their context and what they say about God. The consistency both challenged and comforted me. I finally determined why.

These phrases reveal who God is, especially the position he holds. They also reveal our position. We understand our relationship more because of these phrases. No matter what, God is. No matter what we think, God is. He is better. He is more. He is truth. He is capable. He is invested. Despite what we feel or assume, God has the direction and purpose to guide us one step at a time—even if. We wonder how much more we will struggle, how much more pain family or friends have to go through, how much more we’ll need to show up, stand up, faith up.

The answer is…seek God, know God, trust God. None of them can be isolated. When we seek him, we know him, because he wants us to be close. He wants to reveal himself to us. He wants a dynamic relationship. When we know him, we trust him. It doesn’t mean we never question or doubt. It doesn’t mean we have all answers. But to truly know him is to trust him, because his character is enough.

I love that no matter how much I explore faith, there is more. He always makes room, or more accurately, he shows me the room as I can fathom and embrace it. It’s not always easy to be sure. But what I feel and what I know to be true don’t have to completely align sometimes. The truth becomes the foundation of any moments and situations in which my world shakes.

Even if and no matter how much more, because God…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download