Is God saying no, or not right now?
Only say yes if you mean yes, and no if you mean no. If you say more than yes or no, it is from the evil one.
-Matthew 5:37
We’ve spoken a lot about giving God our yes… How do we take it when he says no? When our Heavenly Father tells us no… He means it! His thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways (paraphrased from Isaiah 55: 8-9). Our human understanding cannot grasp the depths of what God knows, sees, or the plans that he has for us. Sometimes, when our thoughts, desires, and plans don’t align with God, he gives us his no! Jesus tells us in the scripture above that yes means yes, and no means no. Let God’s no, be a firm no! God doesn’t have rubber boundaries, so we must allow him to move in ways that surpasses our understanding… Especially when it’s hard. No one wants to hear no to something that we secretly or publicly desire. Yet, we will hear no... From our friends, family, employers, opportunities, and in everyday life, we will experience some no’s. How do we discern a permanent no, from “not right now”? Honestly, I’m still learning to navigate this, so prayerfully I hope the remainder of this post helps all of us.
A firm definite no… When God keeps declining your card, take heed. We may be sad, upset, or confused from the initial no… But God will reveal things over time. This firm no just might be a set up! God goes before us, so he knows what we need. When I speak about this journey, I normally phrase it as “The will of God has nothing to do with what I want or my happiness”. What I mean by that is sometimes, we are called to do things that we don’t want to do, or we are called to do things that don’t make us happy… Yet, when we are called, it’s our job to answer. The no may hurt however, ALL things are working together for our good. One no may open the door to mind blowing miracles, signs, and wonders. When we are being challenged and stretched in ways that we do not understand, we are instructed to count it all joy! “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3 Even when we experience rejection, heartbreak, betrayal, trials, turbulence, and storms… find a way to see the benefits in these trying times. While this is easier said than done, God knows best and, it will serve a greater purpose and benefit you later on.
What happens when we keep hearing no’s in the physical world, and God keeps pressing you to push forward spiritually? This is a level of patience and perseverance that I’m not so sure that I possess. But God can and will give you his reassurance even when we keep hearing no. I’m experiencing this personally with God where I keep asking him if my vision and desire was from him… Yet, he keeps reassuring me that the vision is real, and that the promise will come to pass. It was recently quoted that the founder of Canva pitched her business proposal to 100 venture capitalists and was told no every single time… Yet, she’s managed to build a $26 billion dollar company despite being rejected repeatedly. This powerful woman understood the vision God had given her and she was persistent and relentless in making sure her dream became a reality. How does one do this? I’m still learning to navigate this and yet… I trust God. I trust that every vision and promise from him will come to pass. So that also means holding on and patiently waiting for God’s time. No matter how long it takes, God will fight for you! I’ve been reminded of this scripture very frequently recently… “I will fight for you, you only need to be still.” Exodus 14:14 “Be still” in Hebrew means to slack, to drop, or to be weak. So, when things seem hopeless, and we can’t fight in our borrowed strength, give this battle to God. He will fight for you in due season… So, do you trust God even when all odds are against you? Even when things seem impossible, can you maintain your faith? This next season will require a high level of crazy faith… And God, I trust you! I pray you ladies keep your trust and your faith in our Heavenly Father forever and always. Who knows, one no may lead to your biggest breakthrough and blessings on the horizon.
Always with love,
Love Esther