NOVEMBER 13, 2012
Did
You Say No?
Read: Genesis 3:1-7
Of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall
not eat. —Genesis
2:17
“Okay,
here are the rules,” Marty said. “You can do whateveryou
want, wherever you want, whenever you want
until someone tells
you no.”
Those
were our instructions on our first visit to our friends’ lake
house. Marty and
his wife, Lynn, who enjoy entertaining, give their
guests lots of freedom to
enjoy themselves. When we noticed the
sailboat next to the paddleboat next to
the pontoon boat, we knew
we were in for a fun afternoon.
Marty
told us no only once—when he saw that we were about to
feed the swans that swam
up next to us. He knew that if the birds
were fed once, they would become
aggressive if they didn’t get fed
the next time.
Adam
and Eve lived in the most beautiful locale, and they too had
lots of freedom.
However, when God said no, they resisted (Gen. 3).
He told them not to eat from
a certain tree, but they thought they
knew better.
Adam
and Eve would have kept good company with a lot of us.
Sometimes we can’t
understand why our heavenly Father says no.
When that happens, He can help us
to adjust our thinking. We need
to realize that even as He denies us, He’s
saying to our hearts, “You
can trust Me. I know what is best.”
I may not always understand
The way that You may lead,
But, Lord, in faith I’ll clasp Your hand
And trust You for each need. —Dean
God may deny our request,
but He will never disappoint our trust.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
