When God Says NO!

Everyone has someone that they look up to.  Me? It’s mainly professors, a minister or two here and there and that’s about it. I’ve had a rough history with family members, and even today it’s still hard to get over those past issues. But I would not be who I am today without them.

Some people though their parents are their heroes, others it’s actors or actresses, professional sports players, friends, teachers, whoever.

Now of course I have to get into a “Sunday School” “Bible-ly” thing. But this one is actually really good. So get ready.

Go now and read 2 Samuel 7. Yes the entire Chapter.

I’ll wait.

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I read this sometime last week and it blew me away. The main person here is David, and basically how this particular story goes is David builds a huge house for himself. Then he thinks, “Why is it I have a huge house, and the Ark of the Covenant, where God is, have been in a tent all these years? I’m going to build him a temple. A huge, awesome temple, for a huge awesome God.” David then proceeds to talk to a prophet about it, and the prophet, before consulting God says, “Go for it!”

That night, the prophet has a vision from God who tells him that David is not to build him a temple, but instead one of his offspring will. So the next morning the prophets runs to David and tells him that God said that he is not going to build him a temple.

God just flat out told David “no.” And what does David do?

Well he flips out, yells and screams, and does what he wants anyway because he knows what’s best right?

No.

He drops down on his knees and thanks God for telling him no. And for blessing him in all that God has done for David. And thanks him for all he will do for David’s offspring. He spends about a third of the chapter thanking God right after he was blatantly told no!

Now how do we act when we’re told no?

Back when I was growing up my parents would point blank tell me never to do certain things, never giving me an explanation why. Well I was a teenager, I was smarter than they were, and they didn’t give me any reason. Heck. I’ll show them and do it anyway. No one can control me!

Years later full of regret and pain I see why they said “don’t do this.”

Whenever we are told not to do something, we generally turn around and do it, just because “we’re an independent person and we don’t need no rules.” (I cleaned that up so no one would call me racist again.) But really that’s how we act. We’re told not to do something and we go and do it. Sometimes we need some coaxing, like Adam and Eve. But I seriously wonder if when God told them not to even touch the Forbidden Fruit they got an itch in their hands to reach out and poke it.

It’s what we do, and it’s something we have to fight constantly. I wonder if David had to fight the urge as well when God told him he wasn’t going to be building any temple. Did he first think of defying God? Or was his actual first thought his actual first response?

David is a hero of mine. When God told him no he went ahead and said okay then thanked him for it. Of course he had his downfalls as well, as we all do, but this is a life style I want to live. To constantly thank God, even when he tells us no.