When God Says No!

“But Yahweh was angry with me on your account and would not listen to me; and Yahweh said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter.” Deut.3:26.

Every Christian has experienced disappointment  in their lives. I have prayed for things that God has not    answered in the way I would want. You may have prayed for a loved one not to die from cancer, but they died,    healing in your marriage that ended in divorce, or salvation for someone you loved who died, not knowing Christ as Lord and Savior. Sometimes God says no.

Moses in Deuteronomy 3:23-26 was told no.  Moses, God’s faithful servant, pleads with the Lord to  allow him to enter the Promised Land. He had led Israel through 40 years of wilderness wandering, interceded  for them countless times, and obeyed God through trials and rebellion. But here, God says no. God’s response  may seem shocking: “That is enough. Do not speak to  me anymore about this matter.”  It’s a reminder that even the most faithful leaders don’t always get what they     hope for.

But God’s “no” was not a rejection of Moses but  a consequence of his sin when he doubted God. However, in His mercy, God allowed Moses to see the land from a distance and prepare Joshua to lead. When we face  disappointment, especially after praying fervently, it can feel like God is distant or unfair. But like Moses, we are called to trust God’s wisdom even when we don’t understand His decisions. His “no” is never without  purpose. Will we still worship, still trust, and still follow when the door we want doesn’t open?

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark