When God says “no” to you, He is not rejecting what you asked for, but rather redirected what’s best for you. In the Bible, he told some of his most faithful servants “no” and even told His son, Jesus “no.” Examples are: In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, the Apostle Paul begged God three times to remove a painful “thorn in the flesh.” God told him no by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In Deuteronomy 3:23-27, after decades of leadership over God’s people, Moses asked God if he could cross over into the Promised Land with them. Well, because of earlier disobedience by Moses, God said no. But He at least let Moses see the people he had led for years cross over from a distance. In 2 Samuel 12:15-18, David prayed, fasted and begged God to spare the life of his infant son who he had with Bathsheba. But God said no and later the child died. Later in 2 Samuel and 12, it explains why God allowed the infant to die. It was a consequence of David’s sins and adultery and for killing Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah.
You see, even though God loves us, we still have to reap what we sow. In Matthew 26:39, while in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me?” God said no to sparing His only child, His only son, Jesus from the cross, in order to fulfill the plan for him to be the sacrificial lamb for all of our sins.
Ok. God said no. So what now? It is perfectly normal for you to be disappointed, confused and even mad because God said no, but try to shift your focus from the “yes” you wanted to what God may be protecting you from and preparing you for. When God closes one door, He is opening up another, and rest assured, you will be better off with what He is planning for you. His “no” can strengthen your faith in Him and your relationship with Him. Use that disappointing “no” as a catalyst to grow closer to God, even when you don’t understand his immediate plans.
Finally, let go of your specific timelines and expectations because they may not be in alignment with God’s timing and we know His timing is perfect. So just wait a while and you may see that His “no” was just a “not right now.” Just be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10) and everything will work out in your favor.
With Agape Love,
Willie Mae