I Like Big BUTS!

Inappropriate? Probably, but I'd like to direct your attention to this word right here:

The word "but" is used more than 3700 times in Scripture. "But" is a pretty important word. "I love you but..." could wreck your day. "I was going to pay you back today but..." could change a discussion. "But" is a conjunction that links two contrasting ideas; it can alter or negate the previous thought simply by what comes after. And as I mentioned, the Bible is full of "but"s. One of those occasions is in Acts 12:5:

"Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church."

As Luke tells us in the rest of the account, sometime between three and six in the morning, an angel appears to Peter, wakes him, and gives him specific instructions. Peter's chains fall to the ground, and he and the angel leave the prison completely undetected by the guards. Peter is no longer in prison, the result of a "but": but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 

Romans 8:28, 

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

and Luke 1:37,

"For with God nothing will be impossible."

are some powerful "but" verses. Things may look bleak, we might be confused by our circumstances, there may appear to be no way out, our dreams might seem to have vanished right before our eyes...

...BUT God. God created all things, sustains all things, and owns everything. He raises the dead to life, calls things that are not as though they were, and He will bring to light whatever is done in darkness. This is the God we serve! Romans 8:28 and Luke 1:37 are the assurance He is working for our benefit and working the impossible. These verses are the assurance there will be a "but God..."

In Acts 12, Peter was asleep. His brother in Christ, James had just been executed, and Peter faced his own death sentence in the morning. But, he slept. He slept because he served the God of "but"s. Peter knew his future was dependent upon the Lord of Hosts not the King of Judea. Whatever the outcome, Peter knew it would be ordained by God; it would not be overlooked or unseen. Peter was in prison, but the church was praying, but God was still on His throne.

Praise God, He still is! And no matter your current circumstances, that's a very big BUT!