But I Trust

But I trust in you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God,” My times are in your hands.

Psalm 31:14

Sometime in middle school, I had an English teacher who taught me that it was not acceptable to begin a sentence with the word “but.” And even though I cannot remember her name or picture her face, that nameless, faceless teacher influenced my writing for many years. I can still hear her shrill voice now: “But is a word that wipes out everything you have just said. It contradicts your prior statement. Never begin a sentence with the word but!” However, after many years of struggling to find alternate ways to begin a sentence, I have learned it is perfectly acceptable to use the word “but” to begin a sentence.

In fact, beginning a sentence with a “but” is sometimes essential because it allows me to put God between me and a pressing problem. We see this use of the word “but” throughout Scriptures—and nowhere is the use of this little word seen more often than in the Psalms. Time and time again, David begins his affirmation of confidence in God with the word “but.” Throughout the Psalms we hear David saying, “Lord, I have a problem. My foes are real and this situation is more than I can handle. But I trust in You, O Lord. You are bigger than my problems and mightier than my foes.” The word “but” put God between David and his enemies.

And, when it comes to living a life pleasing to God, the word “but” can be both a help and a hindrance. I often hear folks saying, “Yes, I know I need to be more consistent in Bible reading and prayer, but I just don’t have enough time!” Or, “I know God wants me to let my light shine, but it is just too hard for me to live out my Christian faith in my workplace.” So when people use the word “but” as an excuse, my English teacher was right: it is a word that wipes out everything that was said before. Using it in this way makes the problem bigger than the Almighty God who is Sovereign, Supreme, and All-Sufficient, no matter how difficult the circumstance.

How much better it is to say, “Yes, this is hard. But I trust in you, O Lord.” Or, perhaps, “I can’t do this on my own. But I know I can do it when I have your strength behind me, O Lord.” When we use the word “but” in this way, we acknowledge that God is more powerful than any obstacles we might face.

Today is the day to remember to affirm your confidence in the Lord by using the little word “but” to put God between you and the things that keep you from doing what pleases your Master. No matter how difficult the challenge, you can do all the things God asks of you because he is the one who gives you the strength to do his will.

Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God.

Faith puts God between us and our circumstances.

F. B. Meyer

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A Question to Ponder: How can you use the word “but” to put God between you and your circumstances and strengthen your faith so that you are empowered to do what is pleasing to your Master?

A Prayer to Offer: Loving Lord, Each day I am given a choice. I can either remember who you are and what you have promised to do for me, or I can fall back into my old self-sufficient ways. When I remember your love, mercy, kindness, grace, and compassion, I am built up in my faith. And when I forget all the awesome things you have done for me, I become easy prey for Satan’s wiles. Thank you for the gift of memory—and for your Spirit living in me to remind me of your words. When I listen to the Spirit’s still, small voice, I am given the grace to remember times when you have come to my rescue—and as I remember I am empowered to anticipate that you will do the same wonderful things for me today that you have done for me in days past. Help me, gracious Lord, to see the futility of offering flimsy excuses rather than doing what you ask me to do. It is so easy to talk about why I can’t than it is to offer affirmations of why I can! Forgive me for acting as if I am a spiritual orphan, left to fight my battles alone. You, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, are always with me. You have promised to fight for me if I will only be still and wait in quiet trust. Today I will use the word “but” to put you between me and the things that threaten my peace of mind. Amen.

An Action Step to Take: Use the word “but” in six sentences: three that are flimsy excuses and three that are affirmations of God’s faithfulness. When you have written them, reflect on how saying each group makes you feel.

But God is so rich in mercy,

and he loved us so much

Ephesians 2:4