Even When the Answer Is No

I was getting ready to head out to a car show the other morning, listening to music like I usually do, when the DJ started talking about the song Thank God by Leanna Crawford.

I’ve heard the song plenty of times, but I guess I had never really stopped and listened to the words. Something about the way she introduced it that morning made me pay a little closer attention.

There’s a line in the song that says:

Thank God
For all the times that He said “No”
Thank God

I didn’t catch everything the DJ said, but she was talking about those prayers that don’t get answered the way we want them to — especially those times when God’s answer is simply no.

And that got me thinking...

Have you ever prayed for something and didn’t get the answer you wanted — or maybe God just said no?

Yeah... me too!

Over the years, I’ve found it’s better to ask for what’s in God’s will instead of simply asking for what I want. Now, I don’t always get that right. There have been plenty of times when I’ve caught myself asking for what I wanted, realized what I was doing, and had to correct myself.

But here’s the thing — it really doesn’t matter what we ask for, how we ask for it, or what we want the answer to be.

God’s answer is still going to be His answer.

And sometimes that answer may be yes. Sometimes it may be no. And sometimes we may just have to wait.

Whatever the answer is, it will come in His time — not ours.

So the next time you’re searching for God’s answer to whatever situation you’re facing — a job search, a difficult medical diagnosis, family problems, relationship struggles, or whatever else life has put in front of you — remember to ask Him for what’s in His will, not just for the answer you want.

Then trust Him with the answer and the timing.

And don’t forget to say, “Thank You, God” — even when the answer is no.

— From the Shop Stool

I’ve embedded the song below if you’d like to give it a listen. Maybe you’ll hear something in it that gets you thinking, too.