We often sing the song, “when the devil says “No”, God says, “Yes”. But what about when God says, “No”? What if God says, “No!”?
I can recall 4 characters in the Bible (of course there are more) from whom we can glean what our response should be when God says “No” to us. They are David, Moses, Amaziah, and Paul.
DAVID – 1 Samuel 30:1-8
David goes to God in prayer asking for a confirmation or negation on a question that he was pondering. “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” David went to God in prayer not with an answer already that he wanted to hear. He went to God because it was his habit not to lean not on his own understanding; but instead, in all his ways to acknowledge God, so that God could direct his paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Note: It was within David’s skill, his expertise, to pursue and overtake the troop, but he wanted to know God’s mind concerning it. He knew that by putting the question to God, he was opening himself to the possibility of hearing a “No”. However, if he was going to know God’s mind so as to be in God’s will, he had to ask. Fortunately for David, the answer was “Yes”.
2 Samuel 12: 13-23
However, years later, David is in another situation and again he goes before God in prayer, this time accompanied by fasting for 7 days. David was hoping and praying for a “Yes”, but this time got a “No”. What was David’s response to God’s “No”? David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped (vs. 20 – NKJV). He changed his attitude from grief and petition to worship.
MOSES -Deuteronomy 3: 23-28; 31: 1-2, 7-8; 34:1-2
Moses, in a moment of anger, disobeyed an instruction given to him by God. His punishment for that act of disobedience was that he would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land with the people. Moses, in a moment of regret pleaded with the Lord to change His mind about Moses crossing over into the Promised Land. Here is the account given in Deuteronomy 3:
23 “Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying: 24 ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your [e]mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? 25 I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’ 26 “But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. 28 But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’
Sometimes God tells us “No” and requires us to keep on working; keep on encouraging others. What was Moses’ response to God’s “No”? Moses’ attitude was one of acceptance and obedience, as he prepared Joshua to be the next leader.
AMAZIAH – 2 Chronicles 25
What if God says “No” after you’ve invested monies and energies into a project? Would you be able to trust Him to provide and make the way?
Amaziah was a king of Judah who did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. As such, he put an army together without consulting God. He hired 100,00 mighty men of valor out of Israel for a sum of 100 talents of silver (~$600, 000 today). Let’s read the account in 2 Chronicles 25:7-10.
7 But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. 8 Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.” 9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?” The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.”
What was Amaziah’s response to God’s “No”? – He trusted the word of the Lord, through His prophet, and obeyed. 10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home.
PAUL – Acts 16: 1-10
Sometimes God doesn’t stop us initially but on the way. What do we do when He says “No” then? Paul can testify to the fact that God doesn’t always intervene at the beginning of our ventures, but He signals a halt while we’re on the way.
Paul and his team started out doing a good thing but did not consult God while on the way. Acts 16: 6-8 (NIV) states that 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. Paul was not offended every time God said “No, not there.” He did not get an attitude with God. Instead, he just changed the direction that he was heading every time until he eventually got it right. He was living by his mantra in Philippians 3:14 (NIV) – “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me….”
- What question have you been asking God with an answer that you have already determined you want to hear?
- What are you still sulking about or grieving over after God has already said “No”?
- Why have you stopped working and being faithful to God because He told you “No”?
- What won’t you let go or give up after God has already told you, “That’s a NO”?
- Has God told you “Yes” or given you permission to head down that path, that direction, or on that journey?
Can you accept “NO”?
WHAT IF GOD SAID, “NO!’?