Word Focus: But…
Movement 1: Yes, God, but...
Read: “Yet the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, ‘No, but there shall be a king over us...’” 1 Samuel 8:19
Reflect and meditate: I was with a wise friend recently who talked with me about the “buts” in scripture and how, most of the time, we need to keep our “buts” out of it. Stick with me ;)
One type of “but” we see is when God says something and we counter with, “Yes, God, but...”
We see this in 1 Samuel 8. Samuel is getting older, and his sons are not following in his wise footsteps. The people of Israel notice this and go to Samuel, demanding a king. Samuel could see from the get-go that this was not a good idea. When he takes this to the Lord, God tells him to go back to the people and tell them what will happen if they receive a king (spoiler alert: it’s not good). But even so, verse 19 tells us that they refused to listen to God through Samuel and said, “No, but ...”
Reflect on a time when you said, “Yes, God, but...” and told Him why your idea was better.
Pray: Repent to Him, asking for forgiveness. Meditate on and speak out the truth that as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than your ways and His thoughts than your thoughts.
Movement 2: Satan’s “but”...
Read:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? Genesis 3:1
Reflect and meditate: The word “but” isn’t specifically in this scripture, but that is essentially what Satan is saying as he tempts Eve. This little 3-letter word contrasts what has already been said... “But wait, Eve. Are you sure? Is that really what God said? Maybe think about that again and see if you remember it differently...” The father of lies often whispers “but” in our ears, trying to make us question ourselves and question God.
Reflect on a time when you knew you heard God speak, but then began to question yourself or question if you really heard His voice.
Pray: Rebuke the voice of the devil. Pray that God would silence any voice that is not of Him. Spend time in silence listening for God’s whisper. Meditate and speak out the truth that you, His sheep, know His voice and follow Him.
Movement 3: God’s “but”...
Read:
Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God. Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord. If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands...
But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you...
But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. Leviticus 26:103, 14-16a, 40, and 42
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:15-17
Reflect and meditate: There are multiple times in scripture when God says “but”... We may wonder and question, but we can know, deep inside, that God’s “but” is to keep us on the path He has for us. It is for our good! In Leviticus, God gives His people specific instructions for their good and tells them that if they do these things, He will take care of them. Then he says, “But, if you don’t obey, it won’t go well for you.” And then He says, “But, if you repent after you sin, I will remember my covenant with you.” In Genesis, He puts specific restrictions on what Adam and Eve can eat; “...from any tree in the garden but...” He knew that if we ate from the tree, all would be ruined.
Reflect on a time when God gave you a “but” and how it was for your good.
Pray: Thank Him for His sovereignty. He is all-knowing. And He is all-loving. He cares so deeply for you and wants you to walk in His ways. Ask Him to reveal His ways to you and keep you in His stead.