Sometimes, the greatest blessings from God come not in what He gives us, but in what He withholds. In our desire to achieve or possess, it’s easy to overlook the wisdom behind God’s refusals.
In Numbers 7, we see how God orchestrated specific offerings, but also how He instructed that the Kohathites should not receive certain portions. While this may seem like a deprivation, it was part of His larger plan for their service and sanctification. Similarly, in Acts 7, Stephen mentions how God did not allow David build the temple, despite his great intentions, and deep desire to do so. These instances show that God’s provision may not always align with our expectations of what should be given to us.
The beauty of God’s provision often lies in the things He chooses not to give. His decisions weren’t motivated by meanness or a desire to withhold good things. Instead, God’s wisdom is shown in how He restricts certain desires, knowing they don’t fit into His ultimate plan, and will not aid our consecration unto Him. Just as the Levites were given specific roles that excluded them from others, and David was stopped from building the temple, God’s refusals often guide us toward a greater purpose that we may not fully understand at the time.
We must learn to trust that God’s provision sometimes comes in His “no.” His boundaries are always set for our good, even when they seem restrictive. By trusting God in the things we are not given, we grow in faith, knowing that He is guiding us toward a plan far greater than we could have ever imagined. May we find peace in His refusals, understanding that they are an integral part of His provision.
Do this: Thank God for every time He has said no.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know that it is hard when You say no to what I want. Please open my eyes to see that ‘no’ from You is an act of love and mercy to me.
Todays’s reading
Numbers 7
When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle…
Acts 7:23-47
“When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.