Sunday July 11, 2021
Conjunction Junction
Schoolhouse Rock! is an American interstitial programming series of animated musical educational short films (and later, videos) that aired during the Saturday morning children’s programming block on ABC. The themes covered included grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and civics. The series’ original run lasted from 1973 to 1984.
One of my favorite episodes is Conjunction Junction. Conjunctions are an important tool in the English language that allows writers to combine clauses. With conjunctions, you are able to form longer sentences that break up the choppy sound of single clauses. The most common conjunctions are if, and, and but.
The conjunction but is used to suggest a contrast. It was a sunny day, but the wind was cold. (Here the second clause suggests a contrast that is unexpected in the light of the first clause.) The stick was thin but it was strong.
Psalm 73 was written by Asaph, a composer and chief musician for David and his son Solomon. In this psalm, he laments the perplexing prosperity of the wicked. He almost lost his confidence in the Lord because he was envious of the apparent provision of the unrighteous and the apparent lack of reward for the righteous. His “steps had almost slipped, and he came close to stumbling” (v.2) until he remembered he possessed an amazing weapon…”but God.” (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of provision)
But God. Two of the most powerful words in scripture. Webster’s Dictionary defines but as “a comparative conjunction that infers on the contrary, however, and except.” That is why “but God” is such a powerful truth! Whatever we might be going through…whatever the attack…whatever the trial, there will always be the “on the contrary, however, and except” of the Lord.
Here’s what I mean.
We may feel alone and forgotten “but God remembers” us. (Gen.8:1) We may think that no one cares for us “but God will take care of us.” (Gen.50:24) When we sin and feel so distant from God, we are reminded that, “but God will redeem our souls.”
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Selah (Ps.49:15)
We may have no strength left to go on, “but God becomes the strength of our hearts.” (Ps.73:26) There may be storms raging all around us, “but God has called us to peace. (1 Cor.7:15) We may feel like we have totally failed Him, “but God is rich in mercy.” (Eph.2:4)
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Eph.2:4-7)
Sometimes human love can betray us and hurt us, “but God demonstrates His own love towards” us which never fails. (Rom.5:8) We may experience pain so deep that no one truly understands, “but God comforts us.” (2 Cor.7:6) We may stumble and feel foolish in our attempts to share the Gospel with others, “but God has chosen the foolish to confound the wise.” (1 Cor.1:27) And when we come to the end of our lives and we face the final enemy, death, we can be assured of the greatest “but God…”
But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. (Acts 2:24 NLT)
When we are faced with circumstances that overwhelm us, and the enemy is seeking our defeat, we must remember that we are equipped with a mighty confession of victory and a powerful profession of faith…but God! God is the most amazing conjunction! He is the “on the contrary, the except, and the however” of our lives! Our greatest weapon is a conjunction!
