The Lord Said "No"
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http://www.forthright.net
Straight to the Cross
COLUMN: Heavenly Connections
The Lord Said "No"
by Tim Hall
"If the Lord really loved me . . ." So begins a
statement people sometimes make in response to bad
things that come into their lives. From their
perspective, the Lord ought to level the path
before them. The presence of obstacles, however,
means that the Lord said "No" to their happiness
(they think). If He really loved them, shouldn't
His answer always be "Yes"?
Mark recorded incidents in which Jesus did not
grant what others requested. Considering those
instances should give insights into why the Lord
sometimes says "No".
A man of the country of the Gadarenes had been
horribly enslaved by a legion of demons. Jesus
blessed this man by casting out the demons, thus
restoring his ability to lead a normal life. As
Jesus prepared to leave, the former demoniac
"begged Him that he might be with Him. However,
Jesus did not permit him . . ." (Mark 5:18,19,
NKJV). Why not? What could it hurt to allow this
man who had been so stigmatized by his neighbors
to leave those hateful people and travel with
Jesus? But, no, the Lord would not permit it.
Jesus' reason for denying his request is given:
"'Go home to your friends, and tell them what
great things the Lord has done for you, and how He
has had compassion on you.' And he departed and
began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had
done for him; and all marveled" (Mark 5:19,20). If
Jesus had approved the former demoniac's request,
many others would not have heard the good news
about Jesus. Jesus had a higher good in mind, and
that was accomplished by saying "No".
In chapter 6, Mark told how Jesus sent out the
twelve to preach the good news of the kingdom.
When Mark notes that "He commanded them to take
nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag,
no bread, no copper in their money belts . . ."
(v. 8), it was another instance of the Lord saying
"No". To these disciples, the Lord's plan may have
seemed unreasonable. "Lord, this will be a
hardship. Why can't we take a little money for
emergencies?" Yet the Lord was clear in His
directions, and they set out on their journeys
with virtually nothing in hand.
Why would the Lord refuse a reasonable request for
these men to carry provisions on their journeys?
The answer is found in Luke 22:35: "And [Jesus]
said to them, 'When I sent you without money bag,
sack, and sandals, did you lack anything?' So they
said, 'Nothing.'" Obviously Jesus was teaching His
apostles a lesson. They learned through this
experience that God would provide all they needed
as long as they kept their focus on the kingdom.
By saying "No", Jesus was pointing to a higher
good.
A favorite verse of many is Psalm 84:11: "For the
Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give
grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold
from those who walk uprightly." What we must
understand is that the "good thing" is determined
from God's long-range perspective. My temporary
discomforts and deprivations may actually be
working for me a much greater good. "For our light
affliction, which is but for a moment, is working
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory," affirmed Paul (2 Corinthians 4:17).
When the Lord says "No", we should learn to give
thanks to Him. We are confident He sees something
better for us than what we have requested.
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