"No means No!"

"No" is probably one of the most negatively used words in conversation:


We use it to turn down potential suitors.

We use it to deny services to others.

We use it to refuse being treated certain ways.

My parents used to say no to us (my siblings) whenever we took trips to the grocery store and begged for something that were coincidentally NOT on the grocery list (the list we never knew existed). They would caution us (my older sister and I) against guys who were interested in us, tell us when we couldn't spend Friday nights at football games with our friends or what we couldn't wear to school or church. It's almost like they didn't want us to have anything we wanted.

No, No, No!!!

Recently, I've had various opportunities cross my path and I pursued them all while seeking the guidance and wisdom of God. On some of those occasions, God's answer was a resounding "NO!"

How could I tell? It's generally pretty obvious. Doors close and seemingly possible things end up turning out as closed options. Now I'm sure you're thinking...no door is ever really closed. You just need to push through it until you find a way! Right? Wrong! That's not always the case.

Sometimes God uses closed doors (things not working out, options no longer available or out of our abilities) to say "no". And if any no is okay and deemed as 'positive', it's God's "NO". See, we are so used to "no" having a negative connotation that we reject "no's" we receive in life before checking to see if the no is from the Lord.

When God says "Yes", generally its in His timing and happens pretty immediate or in spite of obstacles being in the way. It's evident through opening of seemingly impossible doors (what would normally not happen for others, happens for you).







When God says "No", He could be saying "not now" or "I have something better for you, just wait!"

"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." ~Matthew 7:11

 

"Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens." ~James 1:17

What's the common thread? "Good gifts"...they come to us from our Father. So if He says "no", its' because He knows best and He knows the gift was not good for us (or not yet)! What a promise!! What a relief to trust that just when we are getting all huffy over all of the closed doors and impossible avenues, that He is simply looking out for our best! He wants the "Yes" to reveal his good and perfect gifts!

When my parents told me they didn't want me hanging with this one guy who was interested in me, in high school, I remember being so upset with them. Why wouldn't they let me choose my own boyfriend? Didn't they trust me? I could have pushed past their ruling and saw him behind their backs, but I didn't...I was obedient. I later found out some dangerous things about this guy and where he was headed because of it and I remember thinking to myself, "I wonder if my parents knew about what he was involved in." Whether they did or didn't, I was protected because of their "no".

If my parents know how to protect me from the things I want, how much more will my Heavenly Father know how to protect me from what I think is best for me? That's what Matthew 7 is referring to. How much more is He able to discern the seasons of our lives when certain "gifts" are good for us? How much more is He able to bring promotion, financial freedom, spouses, children, fulfill dreams and so much more?

I don't like "no's" anymore than you do; but don't try to push past His "No" and overpower His will (that's spiritual rape) with your own agenda! Learn to take a different perspective on "No's" from God; if we do, we will reap the benefits of His protection, provisions and peace!!