When God Says No

Receiving a “No” from God can be very difficult. Especially in the moments when we have something in the palm of our hands and then it slips from our grasps. Normally, when that occurs it happens unexpectedly or God gave us warning signs and we made the decision to ignore them.

A “no” from God can hurt. It’s okay to be honest and acknowledge that disappointment can bring about pain. I don’t know about you but I’ve been confused by God’s no in various situations. If you were raised like I was then you were taught not to question God. Thank God I made the decision to develop a true relationship with Him and found out that He welcomes our questions. The word teaches us that God gives us understanding for everything (2 Timothy 2:7). The only way to receive understanding is to request it. God loves us so much that He would never leave us in the dark. We may not understand it right now and we may even be devastated by what has occurred but God will restore and He will give us peace.

However, we have a major duty and that is to get out of God’s way. Let’s be honest here, we love to tell God that He is wrong. Now we may not physically say those words from our mouths but we say it with our actions. Here’s an example, God may have told us to stop dating a particular person and we continued to date them. He gave us warning sign after warning sign. God showed us the love that we were receiving didn’t mirror His love, but we kept holding on. Maybe it’s not a relationship, maybe God told us to move forward from a place of employment and we were too concerned about our bills that we didn’t move when God requested us to. Sometimes when things come crashing down in our lives it’s not a setback but a setup and God is literally having to push us into our destiny. We have to let God be God in our lives and get out of His seat!

It’s time to be in agreement with God and every ‘no’ He has placed in your life.

In order to be in agreement with God we must first change our thinking. There is a blessing that comes from every no we receive. We must understand that God protects us from things seen and unseen. Everything may look good on the surface but God can see deeper than the surface and what He sees is not what we need! A no from God could be to reestablish focus. A lot of times we get so consumed on the wrong things and we lose sight of our goals and we lost sight of the promise placed over our lives. This could be a tool from God used to keep us on track. Don’t get me wrong sometimes a no is God simply saying not right now. We love to put a rush on things, but great things take time. It is important to step back and look at the bigger picture. God can still be developing somethings in us and on our behalf and in moments like these we have to stand still. If we are truly meant to have it, trust me it will come back around in due season.

Friend, it is important to remember that God is in control and that He makes no mistakes. I pray for us, that we will welcome every no from God with patience and peace. I pray that in the areas where we find it difficult to accept His no, that we lean on Him for strength to pull us through. I pray we focus on what is in front of us instead of trying to dissect every no. I pray that burdens are lifted as we learn to trust God more and more each day. God knows the plan He has for us, plans to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). I pray that we will always be thankful in every season of our lives knowing that God is keeping us going out and coming in from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 121:7-8). All things work together for the good of them who love the Lord (Romans 8:28). We must continue to speak the word over our lives and not be defeated by a no that we receive but to learn from it and press forward.

With love,

Courtney Arlesia