When God Says “No” (Be Thankful)
Have you ever prayed a prayer – fervently and sincerely – and there seemed to be no apparent answer? I say apparent because as is commonly understood, there are three possible answers to the prayers that we pray – yes, wait/grow and no.
It is the last one that I will be dealing with in this post.
What is our first thought when it becomes apparent to us that God’s answer to our heartfelt prayer request is a gentle but firm “no”? Do we stamp our feet, bewail, bemoan or complain to whoever will listen?
I want to present an alternative perspective: when God says “no” it is the most loving thing that He can and will do for us.
A way of looking at the word “no” is by seeing it as a boundary. If, for example, someone wants to infringe upon your time, but you politely inform them that you will have to decline their company and say “no” to spending more time with them, then you have drawn a boundary – ringfenced your precious time. What you have done in this scenario, is to show yourself self-care and self-compassion. By verbalising “no” you have let the other person know that you do not want to experience burnout and are prioritising your health and wellbeing. (Without overexplaining).
Thus, it is with God. When He says “no” He is drawing a boundary and ensuring that your spiritual, mental and physical health is maintained.
Taking the example a little further, in an educational setting all staff have a responsibility and a duty of care to be aware and know how to respond appropriately when a safeguarding issue becomes apparent, but the Designated Safeguard Lead has the ultimate responsibility. According to two well-known websites, safeguarding is outlined in these ways: ‘Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.’ NSPCC website ‘ Preventing neglect, abuse and exploitation.’ Gov.uk website
You could say that in a way, God is our Designated Safeguard Lead. He eternally seeks to protect us from harm, neglect, abuse or exploitation. Psalms 121:7-8 promises, ‘The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.’ Another word for preserve is keep, and in this context, keep is synonymous with protect. God, who has promised, will keep His word as He cannot lie.
Therefore, when next God tells you “no” as an answer to a particular prayer, shift your focus and let this be your first thought, what is God trying to protect (safeguard) me from why He has answered me with “no”? Just let your mind ponder on the various possibilities.
Afterwards, give thanks because He has most certainly saved you from potential heartaches, troubles and despair.
Until next time.
Love & Blessings
xxx
