«A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps» (Proverbs 16:9).
Abby, a friend’s daughter, is starting to say her first words. Right now, her favorite word is «no.» Her mom, Lyuba, is raising her to be bilingual and speaks Russian to her. Thus, every time Abby doesn’t want something, she says with her high-pitched little voice and her huge brown eyes wide open: «Nyet!’
«Abby, do you want more juice?»
«Nyet.»
«Abby, shall we read another story?»
«Nyet.»
«Abby, do you want to eat lentils?»
«Nyeeeettttttt!»
One day, as I spent the afternoon with Lyuba and her family, I was gratified to notice how fast her daughter was growing up. Saying «no» is a necessary skill for adult life. So, like paparazzi, I took a lot of pictures of her to commemorate this developmental milestone. I must confess that when it is God who says «no» to me, I don’t think it’s that nice. I definitely don’t take my cell phone out of my purse to capture the «magic» of the moment (maybe I should . . .).
Every «no» from God is the door that leads us to a larger «yes.» Of course, at the moment, it doesn’t seem that way. However, we must trust that they will come; not based on circumstances, but on God’s character. «A frustrating ‘no’ may be paving the way for a coming ‘yes.’ After all, we have a loving Father who knows things we don’t know. And sometimes, He needs to ‘ruin’ our plans in order to carry out His plans,» wrote Alicia Bruxvoort. We do not need to understand how God is working for us to accept His will. All that is necessary is for us to trust that He loves us. «When we remember who God is, we can more easily accept what He is doing, even if He says ‘No,’ » she added.
God’s «yes» may be different from what we hoped for; we may be surprised or understand only in heaven, but I am convinced that one day, we will review the story of our lives and notice that each «no» deserved a photo because it led us closer to Him who is the ‘Yes» and the «Amen.»
Dear Jesus, when You say «no, » You do it for my own good.
When I don’t understand what’s going on, please help me to trust that You love me; anchor my expectations to who You are and not to what I can see.
#WomensDevotional
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.
