You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20

Here Joseph tells his brothers that despite their evil actions, God has used it for good. This is one of the most recognizable “but God” stories in the Bible.

But God is the sovereign interruption of a human trajectory. It is the pivot point where God intervenes in the desperate, hopeless, or broken circumstances of our lives, overriding man-made consequences with the reality of His providence. It is a declaration of redemption and reversal. For Christians, it serves as a reminder that no matter how difficult circumstances are, God has the final say. That where human action reaches its end, God’s mercy, grace, and sovereignty are only just beginning.

In the Word of God (His owners’ manual for His creation), but God comes in other forms. Here are some other but God pivot points:

“Ruth left and went into the fields to pick up the gleanings, the grain that had been left behind by the harvesters. It just so happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.” Ruth 2:3

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? ” Esther 4:14b

“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired laborers have more than enough bread, but I am dying here from hunger!” Luke 15:17

Be on the lookout for pivotal but God moments in your own life. Here are three markers:

1. The Encounter (Ruth): The coincidental meeting, opportunity, or door that opens when you weren’t looking for it. There are no coincidences in the providence of God.
2. The Calling (Esther): The moment you realize your current position feels dangerous or mundane, but is exactly where you were placed for a higher purpose.
3. The Awakening (The Prodigal): The moment of clarity when you stop fighting the circumstances and realize that the only way forward is to turn back toward Grace.