April 13, 2011
When God Says “No”
Today’s Truth
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).
Friend to Friend
Most of us have broken dreams, but they just happen to be different ones. Yesterday I brought you along on one of mine … the dream to be a mommy to a houseful of children. Thank you for joining me again as we continue. While this may not have been your particular struggle, the pain of broken dreams and the hope that God wants to give is still the same.
For years, my son Steven, continued to pray that God would give us another “Jaynes baby.” He prayed it every night. When he was about five-years-old, I thought it was time to tell him to stop. But how do you tell a child to stop praying a prayer? This was something God was going to have to do because I did not know how.
One day, Steven and I were sitting at his miniature table eating our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when he looked up at me and said, “Mommy, have you ever thought maybe God wants you to have only one Jaynes baby?”
You can imagine my shock at this statement coming out of the blue from a near five-year-old. Once I regained my composure I answered. “Well, yes, I have thought that maybe that is the case. If it is, I am so thankful, because He has given me all I ever hoped for in a child wrapped up in one package - YOU!”
Then he cocked his little head like a robin and continued, “Well, what I think we ought to do is to keep praying until you’re too old to have one. Then we’ll know that was His answer.”
What a great idea! Steven had no idea how old “too old” was, but he did know that God could do anything. If His answer was “no,” he didn’t have a problem with that. I told Steven “no” many times and he knew “no” did not mean, “I don’t love you.” “No” meant “no” because I was his parent and knew what was best for him. I was the one having trouble with God telling me “no.”
There was a song Steven used to sing that went:
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God cannot do.
The mountains are His,
The valleys are His,
The stars are His handiwork too.
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God cannot do.
The Lord taught me a great lesson that day. Through Steven’s childlike faith, I saw an example of the attitude of trust that I should have toward my heavenly Father who loves me and knows what’s best, even when the answer is “no.” After all, if God said yes to every request, then He wouldn’t be God at all…we would.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, help me to accept when you say “no” with the trust that You know what is best for me. Help me to become a woman that doesn’t ask “Why me,” but rather “What now.” Thank You for taking the pieces of my broken dreams and making them into something more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
When something seemingly bad happens in your life, do you tend to ask, “Why me?”
Here’s something I want you to practice: Try asking “What now?” Think of a broken dream in your life. In your mind’s eye, place it at Jesus’ feet. Now look up at Him and ask, “What would you have me to do now?”
I can’t wait to hear what He tells you! However, it might be quite some time before He answers. For me, it took one year from the time I asked Him the question, until He revealed His plan. In the meantime, get ready! The best is yet to come!
Has God taken you on a different path than you ever dreamed? Let’s share at www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes.
More from the Girlfriends
Today’s devotion was taken from Sharon’s new book, 5 Dreams of Every Woman and How God Wants to Fulfill Them(a new revised version of her previous book, Dreams of a Woman). This book is for every woman whose life hasn’t turned out like she dreamed it would…and I think that includes most of us. Can you risk the hope that God still has dreams for your life? That He hasn’t forgotten you? Place your hand firmly in His--take a deep breath, and begin the exciting journey to a place you thought you’d never find: the dream God planned for you all along. Let’s dare to dream again!
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Originally published Wednesday, 13 April 2011.
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