Craig T. Owens

This is a periodic series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.

Beware Of The ‘Yes-but’ 

   Beware of the “yes-but,” of putting your prudence-crutch under the purpose of God when you find His engineering of things has nearly unearthed your own little bag of tricks. Whenever you debate with a promise of God, watch how you begin to maneuver by your own prudence—but you can’t sleep at night. Whenever you maneuver it keeps up a ferment because it indicates a determination not to confess where you know you are wrong, and when we experience misgiving on account of wrong-doing which we do not intend to confess we are always inclined to put a crutch under God’s promise—“Now I see how I can make atonement for my wrong-doing.” Nothing can act as an atonement for wrong saving an absolutely clean confession to God. To walk in the light with nothing folded up is our conscientious part, then God will do the rest.

From Our Portrait In Genesis

I love that phrase, “Beware of the ‘yes-but.’” How many times do we say, “Yes, Lord, I will obey You, but…”? Or we excuse our sin by saying, “Yes, I know this wrong, but…”?

How quickly we can get freedom and experience new joy if we will simply confess: “Yes, Lord, I will obey you” and “Yes, I will repent from this sin.” Not a “yes-but,” but simply a “Yes, Lord” is all that it takes.