As I said in my second article on prayer, “Sometimes God says ‘yes’,
sometimes God says ‘no’, and sometimes God says ‘wait’.
We seem used to God saying ‘yes’ and ‘wait’, but what about when God says ‘no’?
That is a very hard answer to receive even in the most mature Christians.
Some people will tell you that God only will tell you ‘yes’ and ‘wait’, but He never tells us ‘no’.
That is not true, God does at times tell us ‘no’. Those people will tell you it is a lack of faith on your part, do NOT believe them!
God does tell people with lots of faith “no”. If you do not believe me, look in the Bible at the apostle Paul. He said in II Cor. 12:7-9:
“And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceedingly greatness of these revelations, there was given me a
thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted.
Three times I called upon the Lord and besought Him about this and begged that it might depart from me; But He said to me My grace
(My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully];
for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.”
First notice that he cried out to God three times to have a thorn in the flesh removed from him and in verse 9 we see that God said “No”.
Was Paul a man of faith? Yes, and I think he had great faith, yet God told him “No”. God did not say “yes” or “wait”, He flat out told him
“NO!” What was Paul’s ‘thorn in the flesh’? No one knows for sure. There are probably 100 theories or ideas that people have come up
with of what it could have been. Does it matter what that thorn in the flesh was? No, what matters is that God said “No”. We also have
an example in the life of Christ.
In Matt. 26:38-44 Christ is praying in the garden of Gethsemane and prays
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless,
not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire”.
We see in these verses that three times Christ asked the Father to let this cup (His crucifixion and death) to pass away from Him or not
let it happen to Him. Although He did add “Not My will but Yours be done”, He did not want to die.
So if God told Jesus, His Son, “No, You have to endure the cross”, what makes us think God will not tell us “No” at times?
Has God ever told me “No”? Yes, many times. Was it easy? Never! The hardest time was a long time ago. My first son, James Daniel,
was born with severe heart defects. I knew that God could heal him and prayed daily for my son’s healing. A year later, after open heart
surgery, the Lord chose to take him. I had begged God and bargained with God saying things like, “If it is just a matter of someone going
to heaven, then take me instead”. But God said, “No”.
He took my son. After the funeral when the shock had worn off and the pain of grief was setting in, I sat on the floor and cried out,
“You promised not to give me more than I can bear and this is more than I can bear!” God immediately answered in His still small voice
and said, “This is NOT more than you can bear, but it is AS MUCH as you can bear,
and you can only bear it if you lean on Me!” The days after that I did need to hold on to God with both hands just to keep my sanity.
I do not know why God did not heal my son but chose to take him to heaven, but I do know that God loves my son even more than I or his
father ever could and He did what was best for everyone although at the time it did not feel like it.
Rom. 8:28 says:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
Although this verse is for us who love God, it does NOT say that everything that happens to us is good,
but that everything WORKS TOGETHER FOR our good. Remember...
Jeremiah 29:11 says,
“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and NOT FOR EVIL,
to give you hope in your final outcome.”
God does have a plan for each and everyone one of us. This plan is for our ultimate good, even though what we go through sometimes is
awful, God’s plan is good. I do not know if God has ever told you ‘no’ about anything.
But if He does, know that He will do it in love. A thorn in the flesh can be anything, the death of a loved one, a divorce, financial hardship,
loneliness, physical illness or handicap, an unhappy marriage, unhappy employment, no employment,
the list goes on and on.
No matter what it is, if God says ‘no’, know that God loves you beyond what you can understand and He will get you through whatever it is
that you must endure.
Trust God and know that He has confidence in you and He believes in you enough to know that you will get through this with His help. So
even if God does say ‘no’ to you in your life, do not ever give up for God will see you through.
That is His Word and that is His promise!
sometimes God says ‘no’, and sometimes God says ‘wait’.
We seem used to God saying ‘yes’ and ‘wait’, but what about when God says ‘no’?
That is a very hard answer to receive even in the most mature Christians.
Some people will tell you that God only will tell you ‘yes’ and ‘wait’, but He never tells us ‘no’.
That is not true, God does at times tell us ‘no’. Those people will tell you it is a lack of faith on your part, do NOT believe them!
God does tell people with lots of faith “no”. If you do not believe me, look in the Bible at the apostle Paul. He said in II Cor. 12:7-9:
“And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceedingly greatness of these revelations, there was given me a
thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted.
Three times I called upon the Lord and besought Him about this and begged that it might depart from me; But He said to me My grace
(My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully];
for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.”
First notice that he cried out to God three times to have a thorn in the flesh removed from him and in verse 9 we see that God said “No”.
Was Paul a man of faith? Yes, and I think he had great faith, yet God told him “No”. God did not say “yes” or “wait”, He flat out told him
“NO!” What was Paul’s ‘thorn in the flesh’? No one knows for sure. There are probably 100 theories or ideas that people have come up
with of what it could have been. Does it matter what that thorn in the flesh was? No, what matters is that God said “No”. We also have
an example in the life of Christ.
In Matt. 26:38-44 Christ is praying in the garden of Gethsemane and prays
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless,
not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire”.
We see in these verses that three times Christ asked the Father to let this cup (His crucifixion and death) to pass away from Him or not
let it happen to Him. Although He did add “Not My will but Yours be done”, He did not want to die.
So if God told Jesus, His Son, “No, You have to endure the cross”, what makes us think God will not tell us “No” at times?
Has God ever told me “No”? Yes, many times. Was it easy? Never! The hardest time was a long time ago. My first son, James Daniel,
was born with severe heart defects. I knew that God could heal him and prayed daily for my son’s healing. A year later, after open heart
surgery, the Lord chose to take him. I had begged God and bargained with God saying things like, “If it is just a matter of someone going
to heaven, then take me instead”. But God said, “No”.
He took my son. After the funeral when the shock had worn off and the pain of grief was setting in, I sat on the floor and cried out,
“You promised not to give me more than I can bear and this is more than I can bear!” God immediately answered in His still small voice
and said, “This is NOT more than you can bear, but it is AS MUCH as you can bear,
and you can only bear it if you lean on Me!” The days after that I did need to hold on to God with both hands just to keep my sanity.
I do not know why God did not heal my son but chose to take him to heaven, but I do know that God loves my son even more than I or his
father ever could and He did what was best for everyone although at the time it did not feel like it.
Rom. 8:28 says:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
Although this verse is for us who love God, it does NOT say that everything that happens to us is good,
but that everything WORKS TOGETHER FOR our good. Remember...
Jeremiah 29:11 says,
“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and NOT FOR EVIL,
to give you hope in your final outcome.”
God does have a plan for each and everyone one of us. This plan is for our ultimate good, even though what we go through sometimes is
awful, God’s plan is good. I do not know if God has ever told you ‘no’ about anything.
But if He does, know that He will do it in love. A thorn in the flesh can be anything, the death of a loved one, a divorce, financial hardship,
loneliness, physical illness or handicap, an unhappy marriage, unhappy employment, no employment,
the list goes on and on.
No matter what it is, if God says ‘no’, know that God loves you beyond what you can understand and He will get you through whatever it is
that you must endure.
Trust God and know that He has confidence in you and He believes in you enough to know that you will get through this with His help. So
even if God does say ‘no’ to you in your life, do not ever give up for God will see you through.
That is His Word and that is His promise!
| When God Says "No" (Part 8) by Julie Anne Hood |
| Why Pray? Reasons (part 1) Persistence (part 2) Believing (part 3) Praise & Worship (part 4) Praying The Word (part 5) Sowing & Reaping (part 6) Listening (part 7) |
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