What Happens When God Says No?

How do you know if God says no in a certain situation?

Should you move on, seeing it as the opposite of the fight through, or should you accept the answer as no?

This is a complicated question, and the bottom line is, as humans, we don’t always understand God’s ways. Remember the verses from Isaiah 55?

“Because my thoughts are not your thoughts,
your way is not my way,
God declared.
“As the sky is higher than the earth,
my way is also higher than your way
And my thoughts are better than yours.

Isaiah 55:8-9

At the end of the day, we cannot reason with God. He is God and we are human. His path is higher than ours and sometimes we just need to hold the ‘maybe’ or ‘yet’ or ‘no’ in the open palm and learn from it.

Close the door

When my husband and I were pregnant with our third child, we knew we needed a new home because we were growing up faster than the one we were in, but a series of events made it feel like the door wasn’t closing. that slams within ourselves. face. It was difficult, but looking back, it was the beginning of a long journey that took us out of the area we lived in and into a new area where we still live. Sometimes that doesn’t mean something better is coming.

I admire Frederick Buecher’s writing, and one of his quotes says a lot to me. He wrote:

“Every once in a while, there are hints of purpose, meaning, direction, plot hints, hints that, however clumsy, your life is trying to tell you something, take you there. somewhere.” Listen to your life

And it is by following these pieces of bread, listening to God’s suggestions, and remembering the times He has spoken, that shows us that perhaps life is not entirely random. Finally, we must trust the Lord as He holds our time in His hands. I believe that God wants to be intimately involved in our lives and that means when you get an unexpected rejection, hold on to it for a while. It hasn’t, it hasn’t, or is something better coming? His times when he said no were part of a larger conversation.

Jesus Said Yes To God’s Will

Even Jesus wrestled with His Heavenly Father in the garden of Gethsemane – He begged to take the cup away from Him, but it didn’t work.

“Father, if it is possible, take this cup away from me. However, not according to my will, but according to your will.” Matthew 26:39

What can we gain from this? That Jesus did not understand the will of God? That you’ve changed your mind and don’t want to be a part of it? Or is he simply human and he knows what will happen?

There’s a few things going on here:

1. Living in a Fallen World

We have to realize that we live in a fallen world and that sometimes things go bad as a result. There are car accidents, broken marriages and dead people. None of this is ‘God’s will’, but bad things do happen.

2. Close the door

Sometimes when a door closes in front of us it can be frustrating, but sometimes it’s helpful and a reminder that yes, we’ve tried that door, but that’s it. not the right door at the time. Sometimes we need doors closing to remind us to look for other doors.

3. Impatience

Sometimes we wait for years, praying the same prayers, without seeing what we pray for happen. At certain times, it is a case of waiting and living in that waiting. In our 24/7 society, we expect quick results, and it can be tempting to stay glued to the next goal.

Maybe it’s marriage or children, or maybe a new job or a promotion. We may want to let go of things that haven’t come true or think that God doesn’t want it for us, but sometimes things just take time. The things we aspire to shape our character.

My eleven year old daughter has Type 1 diabetes and we prayed for her to heal but we also prayed for a more advanced cure or technology that would help her daily life. a lot easier. We have seen great improvements in diabetes technology and we continue to pray.

I still have unfulfilled desires that I pray for, as do many of us. Don’t give up hope and pray.

Sometimes everything just takes time.

Even if he doesn’t

In the book of Daniel we read that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said to the King:

“If we are thrown into the fiery furnace, the God we serve can deliver us from there, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty. But even if You don’t, Your Majesty, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have built.” Daniel 3:17-18

These people believe in their God, even when He doesn’t answer their prayers. Their lives were in His hands and they trusted Him.

So What Can We Do When God Says No?

1. Surrender To Your Will

Speak up. It makes a difference.

“Father, my life is in Your hands. Even though You seem to be saying no, I believe You want the best for me and I believe in Your plan for my life. Amen”

2. Read Your Promises Again

Have you ever recorded what the Bible said to you? If not, perhaps start writing them down along with any photos you get. When you feel discouraged, or when God says no, look for the ‘yes’ He has said to you.

3. Speak His Promise In Your Life

Find some of God’s promises in the Bible and proclaim them out loud in your life. He has a plan “to make you prosperous and not harm you, has a plan to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

We hope this blog post has helped you see that God has good plans for your life and what steps you can take when God refuses. Check out our other blog posts here.