WHAT TO DO WHEN GOD SAYS NO!

Yes, No, Wait … WHAT TO DO WHEN GOD SAYS NO!

It is said that God answers our prayers in one of three ways – Yes … No … Wait. And as much as we would love for “Yes” to be the answer of every request – For a yes means we know what’s best, our requests are selfless, and our reasoning is supreme … but don’t fool yourself. It’s not like Bruce in “Bruce Almighty” where he said yes to all requests. ((watch the movie, that didn’t turn out too well))

I mean, I would love a yes – lottery numbers, lose 20 pounds without work, wife adores everything I do, and make my lane the fastest at the grocery store. But we know life isn’t that way – God does say NO at times.

We don’t lose the weight. We have to park way out at the grocery stroke and walk in the rain. My wife scratches her head at my jokes and she would rather get salad as opposed to my choice of Chipotle. And … we lose friends to cancer, couples get divorced, IRS audits us, kids rebel and get kicked out of school, and we lose our jobs.

It hurts.
We grieve.
Loss is real.
Pain happens.

There are some basic things we need to understand. The big thing … For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. (Romans 11:36 esv) So when He says yes, or wait, and even no – it is for His glory

So, I ponder, why? (that age old question sometimes left unanswered)

WHY does He say no?

Let me share a few thoughts that give me some comfort, some deeper understanding.

First – God has a bigger PERSPECTIVE.

He sees our life’s journey. He knows how things impact us and impact His glory. Like Moses on the mountain top that saw the battle with the Ameleks … aided in the overall battle … So God is above it all and is sovereign over all. His perspective is not just over all the goings and comings incur life, He also knows the past, the present, and the future — His perspective is bigger than ours.

Second – He has a better PLAN.

His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. So He has a plan. And because of His better perspective, His plan is better. Think about this, I may lay out my plan for my life … type of wife, college degrees, occupation, number of kids, and where I will live. First I wanted to be an astronaut. Then a radio DJ. I then wanted to go nuclear subs … got my appointment to Annapolis … then I got hurt. No more Navy, no military academy, no nuclear subs. And then, I became a pastor … Yeah, not in my plan at all — He has a better plan.

Third – He has a greater PURPOSE.

Most my prayers are selfish – all about what I want. But His purpose is His glory. And His purpose is to mature us, so we can bring Him more glory. He makes everything for His purpose. So “No” is for a greater purpose.

Saying no now may open for a better yes down the road.
Saying no now may teach us better dependence.
Saying no now may be better for those around us.

Sometimes God says, “No,” and I can live with that. Do I really have a choice? Not about the answer … I have no choice … but I do have a choice how I react to it.