The Thread for Survivors: A 5-Day Devotional Journal of Healing, Finding Your Voice and Sacred BecomingSample

The Power of No

Yesterday, we remembered Tamar, a woman silenced by violence, yet seen and remembered by God. We sat with her story and honored the truth that even in desolation, healing can begin.

Today, we focus on the power she dared to claim in one holy syllable: No. For Tamar, No wasn’t just a protest. It was a stand for her sacred worth. She didn’t beg. She didn’t shrink. She cried out: “No, my brother!” Her words named the wickedness for what it was. Even if those around her disregarded her voice, her No echoed with heaven’s agreement: You matter.

If you’ve ever felt powerless, unheard, or unsafe to speak, you know how hard it can be to say No. Maybe you never had the chance. Or maybe you did, and it still didn’t protect you. But Survivors, No, is not just for the past. No is for the now.

Saying No today might be the first step in reweaving something sacred.
No to shame.
No to silence.
No to carrying guilt that was never yours.
No to pretending you’re fine when you’re hurting.

If you’re beginning to reclaim your voice, start gently. Say No, to what drains your spirit. No to the inner critic. No to staying silent when your truth is rising.

You are allowed to speak.
You are allowed to feel.
You are allowed to heal.

And if Tamar could sit beside you now, I believe she’d say, “You didn’t deserve what happened. You are not what someone did to you. You are still whole. Still sacred. Still worthy of healing, of living, of joy.”

Healing isn’t linear. It’s tender and sacred—and it often takes others. Scripture reminds us: “Two are better than one… if either of them falls, one can help the other up.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9 -10 God weaves people into our lives—therapists, mentors, sisters in faith—who can help hold the thread when our hands feel weak. Healing may begin with a whispered prayer: “God, I’m tired. Please meet me here.”

And He does. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3
“To all who mourn… He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning.” — Isaiah 61:3 God doesn’t just mend what’s broken. He reweaves what’s sacred.

Reweave a New Tapestry of Change

• Where in your life do you need to say a bold, holy No?
• What might it feel like to let God turn that No into a thread of freedom, wholeness, and becoming?

Prayer

God, who restores, Thank You for reminding me that my voice still matters. Teach me to say No with courage and grace. Help me trust that You’re not just patching me up but restoring me completely. Weave Your beauty through my broken places. Guide me as I co-create something new with You.
Amen.