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Yet when God says no to me, my heart hurts. Perhaps I'm a little like a frustrated three year old, fists clenched, foot stomping. Why?
This weekend, our family got two answers to prayer. One was a yes -- YEA!!! The other, you guessed it. NO! I'm not talking a "not right now, sweetie." I'm talking a big fat NO -- rejection! And my heart hurt. I grieved God's answer.
And I wondered, does God grieve when He says no?
I don't think so. You see, God has a plan. In Jeremiah 29:11, God explains it:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."In John 10:10, Jesus explains why He even came to earth to die for us, saying:
"...I have come that they might have life and have it to the full."Verses like these remind me that God's plan is filled with his love and hope. I can have peace, even when God says no, because He wants my life to be filled with purpose and fullness. His plan is the best one for my life. While I may not understand His "no," He does.
In the relationship between us and God, we're like my kids playing in the driveway. God is like us, providing safety and protection from danger we don't see or can't understand.
God's no this weekend means something else will be our "yes." His plan will offer hope and a future beyond what we can imagine.
Does God grieve when He says no?
I don't think so. I'm glad about that. I wouldn't want God to be some big wimp who can't decide what's best for me. I believe in a BIG God who never changes and always wants to give me the very best.
Don't you?
19 comments:
What a great reminder and something I definitely needed to hear!! Sometimes I forget to hear the "Yes" answers because I am frustrated with the "No" answers. Guess it's time to change my thought patterns.+
I like this post...but I have to beleive GOD does grieve-
BUT I don't think it makes him weak. I think sometimes he grieves because we are too stuborn to see whats right for us with out going through the trials...but as you stated IN THE END HIS "NO" IS for our good!!!
POPIN IN WITH vB M2R =)
Pamela,
I do agree that God grieves, especially our disobedience and anger. As a parent, I grieve my own kids' disobedience. It hurts that they don't trust me, won't obey, or choose the wrong path where I see danger ahead. But I don't grieve when I say no to something they want knowing it's not right for them.
Likewise, I don't think God grieves actually saying no -- He KNOWS He is doing what's best for us.
Thank you for adding to this discussion! I look forward to hearing from more people on this.
Karen
Great Post Karen! Yes God has said NO to me many times..I used to really get upset..I'd be like a total baby and even argue with Him that I was right and He was wrong! LOL Thank goodness that His yes is yes and His no is no! Now I am much better at accepting His will for my life..but still disappointed when He says No sometimes.
Blessings!
Thanks for the reminder. I feel that we can't always invision the wonderful things that are in store for us - what we want may not necesseraly be right for us, or enough - there are big plans out there for us.
Leigh @oneandoneequalstwinfun.com
It can be very hard when we don't get what we want. I have often found myself blaming God or being angry, but then I'm always reminded that there is another plan. Thanks for the reminder! I hope you had a great birthday!!
Love this post, Karen!! It's hard to hear no - at any age, even if we know it's for our best. And if we are willing to cling to His promises (like the ones you gave) it reminds us that He ALWAYS has our best interest at heart. I try to look forward to the amazing plan he has in store instead of dwelling on the disappointment that I didn't get my way. ♥ & blessings!!
Fabulous birthday, Kathy. Thanks!!! :)
Thank you, Torrie! Learn it younger than I am, Okay???
hi karen,
great post. i agree, i think he has his reasons and is doing it for your benefit, even though you may not see it right away. it's like when i'm running late, and invariably an old lady pulls in front of me, driving half the legal speed limit. i try to remember that maybe this is an angels way of saying slow down....there's danger ahead if you rush. i think you're right, it's all in how you look at it
:)
leslie
It's funny because I always say God answers ALL of my prayers. Doesn't mean his answers are always "yes" but they are always answered and true joy comes when you can be content with the "yes" and "no."
I agree, Fawn. It's learning to separate my desires from God's plan that is the hard part.
I wanted a yes so badly, but got the no. It hurt, not because I don't believe God's plan is best but because I had to let go of my plan to accept His plan. The pain is mine for letting go of the plan, not God's for saying no.
That's a lesson I had to learn, I guess. I'm thankful for it, but it sure was hard.
What a lovely post. One of the most challenging things to do is to accept things... especially rejections for something we want so bad. But like everything else in life, we eventually cope and learn that the NO in the beginning only means there's a bigger and better YES somewhere down the road (just like you said).
Just the message I needed to hear today!
I saw that you had a birthday this week--hope it was a GREAT one!
I like Fawn's comment ... deciding to be content with whatever God decides. Not always easy, but it's what He calls us to do.
What an interesting view - never wondered myself if God grieved over a no... But, like you, I hope not, you're right, I want to know God has a definite plan for what's best for me.
Although, I confess, now that I typed that, there are a few no's I can't imagine him not grieving, like when a family has an ill child they are praying gets better... Makes me glad I'm not the one in charge!
The more I trust God the less I worry or get disappointed when God says no. I love how you quoted Jeremiah 29:11, such a powerful promise. I definitely believe that God knows better than me, and in my rebellious 20's I learned just how much better it is to accept God's no then to encounter the alternatives. :) Great post.
How can you have free will when God already has a plan set up for you?
That is a great question!
God has a plan for everyone. His word says we are designed for a purpose. The problem is that instead of choosing to follow that plan and trust in Him, we choose to do what we want instead. We get off track and make a mess of things.
As a parent, I have a plan for my kids, the goal for them to have a successful life -- chores, studying, applying themselves, being good friends. My kids have heard the plan. They know it. Some days, though, they choose to ignore what's best for them. One day recently, my son got out his phone and texted late into the night. He had a test the next morning. He didn't do as well as he could or should have. He freely chose to ignore my wisdom and suffered the consequences.
We do the same with God. It's hard to trust in God's plan, but when we choose to follow Him, our lives work out better.
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