Learning To Accept God's "No" As An Answer

Small children are seemingly lovable and innocent until their parents say “no” to their demands. When this happens, some kids scream and cry uncontrollably, demanding what they want.

When our son was small, my wife and I thought it was important for him to learn to accept “no” for an answer. We firmly believed this would help him handle the disappointments of life more effectively. We prayed that it would also help him submit to God’s will. Thankfully, he has achieved both aspirations.

In 2 Samuel 12:13-23, we see the record of King David’s admission of guilt when confronted by Nathan. David was forgiven, but God let the consequence of his sin fall on the baby conceived out of wedlock. David fasted and prayed to the Lord day and night for his son’s restoration, but in spite of his sincere petitions, the baby died.

Note that instead of behaving like a demanding child and being angry with God, David got up, washed, changed his clothes, and “went into the house of the Lord, and worshiped” (2 Samuel 12:20).

His actions teach us an important lesson:

Sometimes we must accept “No” from God as an answer to our pleas.

There’s no question that in times of trial and difficulty, we should seek God’s help and deliverance (cf. Psalm 71:4). But we must still trust Him if He does not answer our prayers the way we want Him to (Proverbs 3:5-6). We must learn to accept God’s “No” as an answer.

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets