What if God says ‘No’?
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” Ephesians 3:20
So, what do we do if God says ‘No’? In our humanness, do we try to convince God that we know better? The quick answer to the question asked is “we continue to believe that God is who He says He is and knows what is best for us.” That was easy, right? Not really… but why? Is it a pride thing? Do we really believe in God’s power to know best? For me, my tendency is to lay my desires at the cross, but pick them up again when I don’t see results quick enough!
The good news is that we can go to God for anything. Philippians 4:6 states “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” However, when the answer is ‘No’, do our actions align with our words so we still believe and trust in our Savior? Or, is our belief conditional, based on if we get what we’ve asked for? Tough question, but one we need to consider, as it offers an opportunity to strengthen our faith.
In Luke 22:42, we find Jesus, in His most anxious moment ever recorded, knowing full well what events will be taking place in the coming hours, in solitude, asking His Father, “if you are willing”, (meaning Jesus knew His Heavenly Father could if He wanted to) “take this cup from me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” In this one request, Jesus was modeling how we should be approaching God… that whatever request we have, that we trust that God knows what is best and will respond accordingly.
I’ve been working hard to be more deliberate at making sure that my words and my actions are in alignment. At the root of this desire is the trust of knowing that God loves me and wants what is best for me. Do I have that faith to trust Him in and with all things? I will admit, it’s certainly easier to believe that I just experienced a “God moment” when He says ‘Yes’… after all, ‘yes’ responses typically equate to opportunity and progress. However, can ‘No’ answers be another form of blessings from God? Or do we interpret such responses as God turning His back on us and loving us less? After much reflection, I’m learning that God, like any good parent, sometimes needs to say ‘No’, because He knows better than us… that during those times when His answer is ‘No’, He is offering an opportunity, through faith in Him, to experience a better outcome than we could possibly have imagined from our limited perspective. The reasons may be revealed, or they may not, but faith has us trust that whether He reveals His reasons or not, we must trust our Heavenly Father knows best.
Beyond trust, ‘No’ responses allow us the opportunity to reflect more and to become more prayerful. This typically doesn’t happen when the response to our request is a ‘Yes’ from God. We may be thankful for the event, but we usually don’t consciously give thanks to God for that open door as we usually take open doors for granted as coming from God. Closed doors, on the other hand, grab at our hearts more intensely, and substantive prayer should follow.
Paul does an amazing job in Ephesians 3 at explaining God’s plan for the Gentiles, not by boasting of his association with Jesus, but through humility, expressing the glory to be experienced when we put our faith in God. Paul also explains that the many blessings he speaks of are in God’s time and not our own; that waiting on God’s plan will ultimately reap the greatest reward for generations to come.
Father… help us to communicate more effectively with You through a changed heart… that by learning more of You through Your word, we grow to trust you more so that during those times when Your answer is ‘No’, we trust You because of the relationship we’ve established with You, and that the plans You have for us are good… always! Amen…
Greg (gstefanelli)
Sixty-six books in a year 