When God Says No

-November 30, 2022-

Good morning happy Wednesday,

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give to the congregation and their animals’” (Numbers 20:7-8).

“Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank” (Numbers 20:11).

Moses was a great leader and in this one occasion he disobeyed the Lord and did not hallow God before the Israelites. He struck the rod twice in anger. Because of this, God did allow Him to enter the Promised. God permitted him to see the land before he died east of the Jordan River. God even told not to ask about this matter again, the answer was no. It was Joshua who led them into the land of Canaan.

God knows best and is sovereign. When says no, the answer is no. It is not a maybe or a we’ll see. It is a no. We should not try to turn God no’s into yeses. Paul prayed three times that his thorn in the flesh be removed and God in affect said no, but instead gave him sufficient grace to bear it. The eleven apostles chose two men to be finalists to take the place of Judas and sought God’s guidance. The answer was yes for Matthias and no for Joseph called Barsabas, also known as Justis. The latter didn’t complain or sulk, but went on to serve the Lord faithfully in a different role.

Just as God’s delays are not denials, so His no’s just mean He has a different and better plan for us. He has His reasons. We may not find out the reasons until we get to heaven. Other times, we clearly see why we didn’t get the house, or job, or promotion.

Let us not be discouraged when God says no, but instead thank Him and trust Him. Something will be coming down the road that will be perfect for us. He always wants the best for us.

Have a blessed day trusting the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

Accepting God’s answers, yes, no, or wait,

Dean