They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.” (Numbers 13:27-28, NIV)
One of my favorite Bible teachers once said, “Everything after the ‘but’ in a statement pretty much cancels out what came before it…”
That revelation has caused me to take notice of the “buts” in life—even the “buts” I come across when reading the Word. One particular “but” really stood out to me as I read the story of the 12 spies.
God told Moses to send out 12 men—one from each tribe—to scout out the land of Canaan and its people. So, the 12 spies journeyed to Canaan and spent 40 days studying the area and the people who occupied it before returning to Moses. The 12 spies brought back a sample of the land’s fruit (the grapes were so large that it took two men to carry just one cluster!) as well as a thorough report of what they had observed.
Ten of the spies said: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.” (Numbers 13:27-28)
Notice the “but.”
In other words, “Yeah, we found the land to be flowing with milk and honey, exactly as God promised, BUT there are too many giants, and they will surely overpower us.”
Thankfully, two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, had a different outlook. You might say, they didn’t let their “buts” get in the way.
Caleb said, “Let’s go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it.” (Numbers 13:30)
Sadly, the negative report of the 10 spies—the part following the “but”—spread rampant throughout the camp, causing the Israelites to be afraid. They did not want to enter the Promised Land; thus, they ended up staying another 37 years in the desert.
So, here’s my question to you—have you been allowing too many “buts” to creep into your conversation lately? Are you guilty of spreading a doubting report when you should be saying what God says?
For example, if someone asks you, “How’s your new job going?” Do you say, “It’s going great, BUT I’ve heard I’ll most likely be let go if our department’s numbers don’t increase.”? Or, do you just say, “It’s going great! God is really blessing me. Thanks for asking!”
Or are you allowing “buts” to transition you into gossip? For example, when speaking about a co-worker, do you say things like: “She seems nice, BUT I heard that she uses people like rungs on a ladder to move up.”
Let me encourage you to use your “buts” wisely. For example, here’s a good “but.”
“But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” (Psalm 31:14)
Pray this with me:
Father, watch over my words and help me say only what You say. Help me, Lord, to resist the urge to offer a negative report, and help me to avoid gossiping about others. Fill my heart and mouth with words of faith. I love You, Lord. In the Mighty Name of Your Son, Jesus, Amen.
