When God Says “No”

2 Samuel 7:4-17

“David, you will know the delight of having a son by whom this temple will be built. Not through your efforts, but through your son the dream will be fulfilled.”

It is not a question of sin here. It is not God’s judgment that is coming upon David as a consequence of wrong. It is simply God’s redirecting David’s plan and saying, “This is a great resolve, but I say ‘no’ to you and I say ‘yes’ to your son. Now accept that.”

Well, was David wrong to begin with—wrong in thinking of building the temple?

It is not a question of being wrong. It’s a question of accepting God’s “no” and living with the mystery of His will. We people on this earth package everything. And we expect God to package His plan for us just like we would. We want the logic that we use to be His logic. And when it isn’t, we wonder what’s wrong because it’s not working out like we would have worked it out.

When God says no it is not necessarily discipline or rejection. It may simply be re-direction. You have pursued His will; you have wanted to do His will. With all good intentions you said, “By God’s grace I am going to pursue this.” And here you are, thirty or forty years later, or maybe only five years later, and it hasn’t materialized.

Now if you listen to some people, you’ll be put on a guilt trip. “You see there,” they say, “you set your heart on God, but you have run from Him. You’re out of His will.” I don’t know how many couples I have talked with who, early in their lives, had their life’s plan all mapped out, but it didn’t transpire. Perhaps the very road they are traveling is God’s will for them, and it took His saying “no” to get them on that right road. Others were of little help.

The thing we have to do in our walk with God is to listen carefully from day to day. Not just go back to some decision and say, “That’s it forever, regardless.” We need to look at it each day, keep it fresh, keep the fire hot, keep it on the back burner, saying, “Lord, is this Your arrangement? Is this Your plan? If it is not, make me sensitive to it. Maybe You’re redirecting my life.”

Taken from Great Days with the Great Lives by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com

Posted in Bible Characters and tagged .

Accuracy, clarity, and practicality all describe the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll. Chuck is the chairman of the board at Insight for Living and the chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary. Chuck also serves as the senior pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, where he is able to do what he loves most—teach the Bible to willing hearts. His focus on practical Bible application has been heard on the Insight for Living radio broadcast since 1979.

ఖచ్చితత్వం, స్పష్టత మరియు ఆచరణాత్మకత అన్నీ చార్లెస్ ఆర్. స్విన్డాల్ యొక్క బైబిల్-బోధనా పరిచర్యను వివరిస్తాయి. చక్ ఇన్సైట్ ఫర్ లివింగ్ కు బోర్డు ఛైర్మన్ మరియు డల్లాస్ థియోలాజికల్ సెమినరీకి ఛాన్సలర్. చక్ టెక్సాస్‌లోని ఫ్రిస్కోలోని స్టోన్‌బ్రయర్ కమ్యూనిటీ చర్చ్ యొక్క సీనియర్ పాస్టర్‌గా కూడా పనిచేస్తున్నారు, అక్కడ ఆయన చాలా ఇష్టపడేదాన్ని చేయగలుగుతున్నాడు-ఇష్టపడే హృదయాలకు బైబిల్ నేర్పిస్తున్నారు. ఆచరణాత్మక బైబిల్ అనువర్తనంపై ఆయన దృష్టి 1979 నుండి ఇన్సైట్ ఫర్ లివింగ్ రేడియో ప్రసారంలో వినబడుచున్నది.