“Conjunction Junction, what’s your function? Hooking up words and phrases and clauses….” As a School House Rock lover, Conjunction Junction was probably one of my favorites. The conductor tells us he’s got three cars with “and”, “but” and “or” that can get us pretty far. We can add on with “this AND that”. We can choose between “this OR that”. Then there’s the opposites like “not this BUT that”.
So what in the world does any of that have to do with our spiritual lives? I’m so glad you asked! The Word of God is filled with powerful conjunctions. That’s why it’s so important to study the Word and gain understanding about what God has to say about your life.
A sentence can move along in one direction, then with the addition of one little conjunction, the meaning can stop and turn another way.
I want you to look at how God uses the three main conjunctions And, But and Or. Any one of these can change the course of a sentence. Conjunctions can present something negative or positive. We certainly know that there are curses and consequences found in the Word of God when there is sin in our lives. But, there are also promises, precious promises that give us renewed hope as Believers when we read the sentence in its entirety. This is especially helpful if you are like me and try to build your prayers and faith confessions directly from the Word of God. As you read the scriptures, note that I have personalized them with the pronouns “I” or “me” so that as you read it, it is a faith confession for yourself. Let’s try it…
- Many are the afflictions of the righteous, BUT the Lord delivers me out of them all. (Psalm 34:19) If I confess my sins, He is faithful AND just AND will forgive me of my sins AND cleanse me from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
- No temptation has seized me except what is common to man. AND God is faithful; He will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. BUT when I am tempted, He will also provide a way out so that I can stand up under it. (I Corinthians 10:13)
- BUT God will restore me to health AND heal my wounds. (Jeremiah 30:17)
- For His anger endures BUT a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, BUT joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
- I cry unto the Lord in my trouble, AND He saves me out of my distresses. (Psalm 107:19)
- A just man falls seven times, AND rises up again. (Proverbs 24:16)
- I will not live by bread alone, BUT by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)
- I delight myself in the Lord AND He gives me the desires of my heart. (Psalm 37:4)
- God will wipe every tear from my eyes. There will be no more death OR mourning OR crying OR pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
I could go on and on, BUT I think you get the point. These simple two and three letter words pack a lot of punch! Look at Psalm 34:19 again. If you think you are going through one of the most difficult moments of your life, oh righteous one, the conjunction BUT lets you know that God will deliver you out of it all! How encouraging! If you get depressed because it seems you’re always messing up, slipping, sliding and falling, just look at Proverbs 24:16 and remember you can fall seven times AND get up again! But what if you fall eight times? Well, go back to 1 John 1:9 and you’ll see that if you confess the sin, God is faithful AND just to forgive you AND cleanse you. See the provision He has made for your life?
Take time to rightly divide the Word of God according to 2 Timothy 2:15. Don’t skip over any part. Those spiritual conjunctions can change your life.
Peace!
Lady Al.
Lady Al.