Live Dead Joy: 30 Days of Living and Dying with JesusSample

“The Divine No”

David blessed the Lord who gave him “counsel . . . in the night seasons” (Ps. 16:7). God is faithful to lead us, to guide us, and to give us advice even when the decision is not a straightforward one. In Acts 16, the divine no was just as much a part of God’s guidance as the heavenly yes. Paul and Timothy tried to preach in Asia but the Holy Spirit did not allow it (Acts 16:6). They next attempted to minister in Bithynia (16:7) but that, too, the Spirit did not allow.

God is just as good to us in His denials as He is in His approvals. The denials of God are immeasurable mercies. If God answered all our prayers with a positive response, how miserable we would be. Thank heaven that heaven says no! Negations, restrictions, refusals, denials, and rejections are all divine mercies. May we be as thankful when God says no as when He says yes.

When we learn to allow Jesus to choose for us, we enter into a new plane of joy and safety. David wrote, “You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11). Submitting to God’s restrictions keeps us in life. Staying in the life of Jesus grants us the joy of Jesus. Let us rejoice when the divine Jesus denies our heartfelt requests. He knows best how to keep us in joyful life.

A fruitful pastor I know keeps a job description from God in his desk. The job description is eight pages long—every page completely blank. He has signed it on the bottom of the last page. Periodically, he pulls it out and reminds himself that God has the authority and absolute right to fill in those pages as He wills.

God can sustain us in a hostile environment, shielding us from abuse. God can also lead us through the valley of the shadow of death. It is His choice. God can exalt us before humanity. He can also invite us into His humility and shame. He gets to write the story. When we accept His divine denials as well as His divine approvals, we embrace His authorship of our lives. When we let Jesus write our stories, we can be assured of His ongoing, joy-filled presence. Joy in the presence of Jesus is far better than the bitterness of getting our own way as a result of wayward prayers.

Pray for the Unreached:

Somali Muslims of East Africa

10,080,000

0.0% Evangelical

Pray the believers among the Somali would be set free from a spirit of fear of what may come and would boldly proclaim the truth of the gospel (2 Timothy 1:6-8).