Yes, But…

I was thinking the other day about the word "BUT. Have you noticed how often "BUT" is used to TAKE THE SHINE OFF or WIND 0UT 0F SAILS or BURST BALLOONS? So often it seems to NEGATE or SHRUG OFF or PUT DOWN what was said before.

"BUT" is so often used as a DOWNER, e.g., "That's a great idea, BUT IT W ON'T WORK", or "You have a beautiful car, BUT IT REALLY GUZZLES GAS".

"BUT" can be an attempt to set SELF up as the AUTHORITY. "The Bible says I 'm to love God above all else, BUT I think that's a bit MUCH". So, in the face of FACTS, COMMON SENSE or the CLEAR WORD OF GOD, there's the "BUT" word. BUT: I feel — I hope — I think — I want.

And then we come to the Bible where God uses BUT to LIFT, REDEEM, and pleasantly SURPRISE us.

• "Christ died, BUT now He's RISEN"
• 'We were DEAD in sins, BUT Christ died for us"
• "We had NO HOPE without God, BUT in Christ we've been BROUGHT CLOSE TO HIM"
• "You meant EVIL, BUT God INTENDED GOOD" (Joseph to his brothers)

I guess the only conclusion that I've come to is that God always operates DIFFERENTLY than we do — And that's GREAT! PRAISE HIM! — OH YES, I hope I BITE my TONGUE the next time I'm about to say, YES, BUT…