When God Says NO

What happens when the plans we've carefully laid out for our lives are met with an unyielding "no"? On this episode of Positioned for Purpose Conversations, I, invite you to explore the deeper wisdom behind God's rejections and how they can lead us to a more profound understanding of His will. We unpack the emotions of disappointment and hurt that often accompany His refusal, but through the lens of Romans 8:28, we find hope in the promise that all things work together for the good of those who love God. Reflecting on the story of King David, we'll discover how his acceptance of God's decisions with humility can serve as a guiding light for our journeys of faith.

Amidst the noise of societal pressures and personal expectations, embracing God's "no" becomes a testament to our trust in His plans for us. This episode encourages you to see His refusal not as a denial of love but as a greater expression of it—steering us towards our ultimate good. We'll consider how submitting our desires to His wisdom can bring us closer to His perfect plan. Join the conversation and find strength in knowing that even when His answers are not what we hoped, they are always what we need.

I pray you will embrace God's NO as HIs best for you.

Chapters

• 0:00 Trusting God When He Says No
• 9:36 Finding Hope in God's Answer

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi, everyone, welcome. Thank you for joining us today on our Positioned for Purpose Conversations with Colette Marie podcast. I'm your host, colette Marie. Yes, our podcast is for women of faith who struggle to see God in the places of pain and hardship and who need a reminder, a gentle reminder, that, right where you are, god will use you In the mess, in the hardships, in your most challenging times, in your heartaches and in your pain. God has a greater plan for your story Romans 8. 28 states For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose. Welcome back to another episode. I'm glad that you're joining me today.

Speaker 1: 0:56

On today's topic, we'll be talking about when God says no. When God says no. When God says no. If you've been listening with me for a while, you know that the underpinning for our podcast is Romans 8 28. For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose. As I was thinking about the podcast episode title, I heard this immediately in my spirit when God says no, and I just paused and was asking the Lord what is it that you're saying to me and what is it that you want me to share with the audience today? My family, that's who you are to me, the family that I don't get to see often but know that you're there. And a thought came to me that, as the year has just started, there are some things that you have placed before God. You've made your vision board. There are some plans that you're laying out before them, and some of them he has already told you.

Speaker 1: 2:05

No, not that one. And you may be feeling a bit annoyed by it and saying, but Lord, why? It's a great plan, it's a great idea, and I want to do this thing. And he is saying no. And he's saying no. It's hard for us to hear, I know, because, especially when you spent a considerable amount of time just putting this thing together, laying the groundwork, you get your charts up and you're looking for your KPIs and you just want to make sure that you are showing up the way you believe that God wants you to show up. And after you have made these well laid out plans, and you submit them to him, and he's saying shelve that one for right now or no any at all. How does it make you feel? How does it make you feel when God is saying no? Feel when God is saying no For me. I feel disappointed and I feel hurt by it and I'm saying, lord, but why? I believe these thoughts came from you and I've laid all these plans out and now you are saying no.

Speaker 1: 3:21

But I have learned over the years that God's no to me is not a no out of spite. It's a no because he knows what is best for me. He knows that this thing that I want to do is either I'm not yet ready for it or the world is not yet ready for it. He sees the dangers that lies ahead. He knows he's in the eternal now. So he knows the end from the beginning and he knows that, even though it looks like a great thought to us, that it really is not in the long run going to work out for our good.

Speaker 1: 4:00

And so in these cases, when he tells us no and we question and we doubt and we become like petulant children or maybe I'm just talking for my own self. We become like these petulant children. What do we do? Do we then say okay, father, this is what you're saying? You're saying no to this. Help me to understand why. And even if you don't show me why.

Speaker 1: 4:28

Now I trust you. I trust that what you are saying is what is best for me, because I'm reminded in your word, lord, for me, because I'm reminded in your word, lord, that all things work together for good. He said all things. So, when you said no for this thing, it is going to work together for my good. Though I don't see it now and though I do not understand it right now, I am trusting you and I know that one of the things right, it's easy to say, but God says he'll grant me the desires of my heart, and most times we forget the other part that says according to his will. So the desires of our heart are according to God's will. So the plans that we have, yes, they are good desires, but are they God's will for our lives? Is it what he wants us to do in the now?

Speaker 1: 5:24

So, as you pause and as you reflect on it, right, I'm going to ask you what is your solution to the now that God is saying to you? Will you just go back to him and rest in his grace, in his arms, and say, father, show me your way. I need to know what you want me to do in this season? And will you be obedient to listen? Or will you plow ahead because you've placed it on social media, you've told your family all about it and now you have to retract it and in the retraction you're going to feel embarrassed by it. You know the negative feelings that is going to come and you're going to feel like you're a failure and persons are going to say this and persons are going to say that. Or will you just be obedient and say I'm going to retract this because at the end of the day, yes, I'll get the applause of men. Men will say this is a beautiful idea, but God is saying no. I would rather his hard no than someone else's easy yes, because someone else's easy yes is not going to make the difference that God wants this thing to do, want my obedience to do.

Speaker 1: 6:42

As we think about King David, how King David pleaded for the Lord for the life of his son that he was having with Bathsheba right, sheba right. Hear David's response because God said no. David responded in acknowledgement of what God did and he went to the house of the Lord and he worshipped right. And this is in 2 Samuel, verse 2, 16 to 18, and we can go down to verse 20 as well. He hoped that God would have said yes, but God said no.

Speaker 1: 7:20

But because God is God and God has the right to make the decisions on our future, he has the right to say yes and he has the right to say no. So will we choose to do like David and worship in spite of the norm, or will we plow ahead anyway and do what we want to do? God is saying no, and I want to remind us today that his saying no is not because he loves us any less. It's because he loves us more. He wants the absolute best for us and we have to trust his timing. His timing is perfect, absolutely perfect. Though he's saying no, no, and you put that plan aside. You don't know if later on down the line, a couple of years later, he will not bring that thought back and say that no is the time for this, no is the time for this. Go forth, my child. We don't know what he will say down the road.

Speaker 1: 8:32

So instead of becoming like petulant children, instead of wanting our own ways, let us trust our plans to Almighty God and ask him to lead us, to direct us and help us to understand that his no is for our best and we will move on to the next thing. May our ears be open to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to us and may we be obedient to do what he is asking us to do, because Romans 8.28 tells us, as believers, that everything will work out for our good. We don't have to understand how, we don't have to know the why. We just have to trust that it will be so. So, yes, as you're still in the month of January, making your plans, writing your vision board, setting up your goals up, be open to what the Lord is saying, be open. Be open, be obedient and do Blessings to you.

Speaker 1: 9:36

I hope that today's episode is an encouragement to you that when God says no, it's not that he loves you any less. It's because he loves you more and wants the absolute best for you. Until next time, have an amazing day Blessings. If you enjoyed this week episode and found valuing it, would you consider liking, subscribing on either Apple, spotify or iHeart Podcast, share with a friend or leave a review on the show. You doing that helps to allow other persons to find this podcast and also make it be a blessing to them. Looking forward to see you next week.