When God Says No

very sad grandboy 2010ish?

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

A few years ago, an army of faithful believers earnestly and fervently prayed for earthly healing for our friend, Gwen. The Lord said no to earthly healing and took her heavenward - His home and perfect place of no tears, death, sorry, crying, or pain.

If we're not cautious, we may misinterpret denial as "God does not hear," or "God does not care," or, tragically, "God does not exist."

So what are we to do when God says no? We must...

"Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not depend on our own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)

"Walk by faith, not sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

"Never stop praying and be thankful in all circumstances." (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

"Not lose heart and never give up...for [in comparison] our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce of us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don'g look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the Things we can see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." ( 2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

"And this is His plan [beloved], at the right time God will bring everything together under the authority of Christ - everything in heaven and on earth." (Ephesians 1:10)

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable..." (1 Corinthians 15:18a)

And "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

For "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined [the wondrous, eternal things] God has prepared for those who love Him!" (2 Corinthians 2:9)