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Jan 24, 2025 06:00am

When God Says “No”

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I remember being a teen and really wanting to go somewhere. My parents said no, and I was mad. In my mind, there was absolutely no reason I shouldn’t be able to go. Why couldn’t they see? Why couldn’t they just let me go?

So, in rare Yalanda form, I threw a fit. I blew up and yelled at them about how unfair and ridiculous it was that I wasn’t allowed to go. I’m sure there were several eye rolls, huffs, and sighs to accompany my teenage rant.

And then they said this.

“Well, we might have let you go if you had responded better. But with that attitude, there is no way.”

And that made me even madder, not really at them, but at myself. There had been a chance they would let me go, but only if I had shown a little acceptance.

Could I have responded better? I could have recognized their authority as my parents. I could have stopped to think that maybe they said no for a good reason.

This may not be a good place to go.

Maybe they knew something I didn’t.

Maybe they didn’t want me to be around a particular person because they were protecting me from future heartache or trouble.

Maybe…

How we respond when we receive the answer “no” says a lot about us.

Acts 1:11-13

“11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong
12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.”

Paul wanted to go to Rome to share the gospel and teach the truth to the believers there.

But God said no.

It wasn’t that Paul hadn’t prayed enough about it. It wasn’t that he hadn’t desired it enough. God had a reason for preventing Paul from going to Rome.

So, how did Paul respond when God said no? Did he throw a fit? Did he yell at God? Did he curse Him and run from Him? Did he denounce his faith? Did he slander the Lord’s name?

Paul humbly submitted to the Lord’s will. He knew that if God said no, there had to be a reason for it. He trusted that God still had a good plan even though God said no to the thing he so desperately wanted.

What if we surrendered like Paul? What if those “nos” could be a test from God to see how we respond? What if that “no” has a purpose, and it’s to grow our faith and trust in Him?

What if…

We accept His answer.
We surrender it to Him.
We trust that He has a plan and that it’s good.
We hold on to Him and follow Him with every step.
We put our faith in Him today and believe what He does for us is for our good for the future.

What if that “no” is really just a not yet? And it all depends on our response and our trust in Him.

Pray
Trust
Surrender
Believe

Lord, this “thing” that we want so badly and yet you haven’t given it to us, we surrender it today. Let us loosen our grip on it so we can hold tightly to you. Fix our eyes on you, the Provider, instead of the provision. Surrender isn’t easy. You never said it would be. We can’t do this on our own strength. We feel that if we want this thing badly enough, maybe you’ll take that as a testimony to our faith in you. But Father, you are calling us to lay it down, let it go, and be held by you.

Today, we’re laying down our desires

to be healed
to have a baby we’ve always dreamed of
to find a husband or wife
to get a promotion we feel we deserve
for our loved one to be healed from sickness or addiction
for our child to turn from their sin and to you
for our friend to accept you as their Savior

And we trust that whatever you have planned, God, will be for our good. We trust that even as we lay down this desperate desire in our hearts, you will strengthen us. We trust that you will be our strength. Father, we trust that you will carry us through. And maybe this “no” is really an opportunity for us to see just how much we need you and need to trust you.

And maybe this “no” is really a “not yet.”

We trust you, Lord! In your name, Jesus, we pray, amen.