WHEN GOD’S ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYER IS “NO”!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2023.

SUBJECT : WHEN GOD’S ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYER IS “NO”!

Memory verse: "The word of the Lord came to David saying, 'You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight' (First Chronicles 22 vs 8).

READ: First Chronicles 22 vs 9 - 10:

22:9: Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.

22:10: He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.

INTIMATION:

God’s doesn’t answer yes at all times to our requests, even when the requests are intended for good. When your request is outside His plan and purpose for your life, His answer to your request will be in the negative. You may have sometimes prayed with good intentions, only to have God say no to your request. This is God’s way of redirecting you, most times, to His greater purpose in your life. 

Accepting God’s no requires as great faith as carrying out His yes. Our humility in accepting God’s no, and allowing Him to rearrange your schedule, demonstrates your level of obedience to, and faith in Him. The plan of building the temple was David’s his idea, not God’s. However, God sanctioned this desire of David, and thus God claimed the temple after it was built. But we must not forget that the temple was never in the original plan of God for Israel.

David was a man described by God Himself as "a man after My own heart" (Acts 13 vs 22). He was worried that while he was dwelling in a beautiful palace of cedar, the Ark of the covenant of the Lord, which is a symbol of the presence of God, sat under tent curtains. David expressed his displeasure to Nathan the prophet. Then the prophet urged him to do all that is in his heart. 

But God refused that David should build a temple for Him. God told David that his job was to unify and lead Israel and to destroy its enemies. This huge task would require David to shed a great deal of blood. God did not want His temple built by a warrior. Because David was a man of war, God didn’t allow him the privilege of fulfilling his dream of building a temple. This task was left to Solomon, a king who inherited a kingdom of peace from his father. 

God has done many things in David’s life, and He plans to do even more! This is so in the life of some of us. Like David, we should humble ourselves and give glory to God, even when He says no to our prayers. We should humbly respond, accepting His answer,  saying such things to him as, “O LORD, there is none like You, Omnipotent and Omniscient, knowing the end from the beginning. To You be all the glory and adoration.”

In response to God’s refusal of David building the temple, he went and sat before the Lord and humbled himself in prayer, praising God, recognizing God's blessings and accepting God's decision, promises, and commands. The righteousness of David was manifested in his response to God’s denial of His building a temple. 

He submitted in humility, knowing that the eternal plan of God must be worked out in the affairs of men. He was not presumptuous against the plan of God, and by faith he submitted to God’s will in his life, remembering that God, who made all things according His predetermined purposes, knows the end from the beginning.

Though David thought well, his request was good, but God said no. This does not mean that God rejected David. In fact, God was planning to do something even greater in David’s life than allowing him the privilege of building the temple. Sometimes God says no to our plans for His own reasons, and purposes. When He does, we should utilize other opportunities He gives us. His response is an example of those who would walk by faith, not sight. Though we do not understand all of God’s plans, we understand enough to walk by faith, trusting that He will perform His promises. 

However, God told David that his son Solomon will undertake the task of building a temple for Him instead. David graciously accepted this "no" from God. David made the plans and collected the materials so that his son Solomon could begin work on the temple as soon as he became king. He was not jealous of the fact that his son would have the honor of building God's temple, but instead made preparations for him to carry out his task. David responded to God's refusal with deep humility, not resentment. He accepted his part in God’s plan and did not try to go beyond it. 

It’s noteworthy that although God turned down David’s request, He promised to continue the dynasty of David forever. David’s earthly dynasty ended four centuries later, but Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of David, was the ultimate fulfillment of this promise (Acts 2 vs 22 - 36). Christ will reign for eternity—now in His spiritual kingdom, and in heaven, and later, on earth, in the New Jerusalem (Luke 1 vs 30 - 33; Revelation 21).

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my all in all. Whatever You cannot give me, let me never have it. Whatever You cannot do for me, let it remain undone forever. Endue me with a humble spirit; to acknowledge, obey, and trust in You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!