When God Says No!预览

All of us desire a life filled with answered prayer and divine favor. However, more often than not, that may not be the case. God’s answer may not be exactly what we hoped for; worse yet, it may even be a no. My dad used to say, "Learn to take no for an answer." That can be quite a challenge, isn’t it? In today’s world, "no's" are negotiable. It’s a challenge; if you push through and try harder, you may steamroll your way through. That’s not a victory. Those are bullies.

Sometimes we are so caught up in the last "no" that we forget to see some other "yes'es" that have come our way. We struggle taking "no's" from others around us, our friends, and families. "How can he/she say no to me? Haven’t I done this for them?" It is a struggle, and even if we don’t like to admit it, we sulk and are stuck on the last "no."

However, let’s look at scripture and see how some of the giants of our faith dealt with God’s "no" to them. Moses, one of the greatest leaders in the Bible, was told no by God regarding entering the promised land because of the wrong he had done.

Paul, three times, asked for the removal of the thorn in his flesh, and the reply he received was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

God said no to Jesus too. In the garden, in the midst of the agony of suffering the separation from the Father, Jesus asked for the cup to be passed from Him. He said no to Jesus. And what was the result of that? The whole world was given a chance to come back to the Father through Jesus’ sacrifice.

There are different types of "no's" that we see:

• No: Wrong/sinful.
• No: Something better planned.
• No: Not now, wait a bit.
• No: That won’t work out for you later.
• No: It was always no, what were you thinking?

All the "no's" that we receive from God have been given to us with His added advantage of foreknowledge. He knows the future. He’s not out to get us or, like some power play, wants to assert His dominance. It is with this knowledge and all the goodness in His heart that He says, "No, this is not going to work for you, so no." It’s easy to say it now, but when we’re in the middle of it, wanting that visa to come through, or wanting to get that job or marry that person, we must trust in God’s plan and purpose. When He says no, He has said no with all the knowledge and goodness in His heart, knowing that this is not the right thing for you.

Prayer

Lord, help me set my mind and thoughts to You; help me seek You daily for direction in my life. Your thoughts are higher than mine; help me set my mind to things above. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.