Have you ever noticed the differences in the word, ‘no’? Sometimes we can seem to hear… ‘maybe’ in the intonation. Other times it seems to be ‘NO!!!’. A ‘later’ may also be inferred. Then again, it may all be a function of the focus, context. What is it we are wanting, needing that we sense a ‘qualification’ to a ‘No’ when it is the Lord’s?
I do believe that God’s ‘No’s’ are distinctively different from the human source of the ‘no’. We err if we attribute a qualification when the speaker is God. Remember His Word and instruction?
“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No.’ For whatever is more
than these is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37, NKJV)
“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by
earth or by an other oath, but let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’
be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” (James 5:12 ESV)
No qualification, no equivocation. I sometimes think that our problem in distinguishing is because we are attributing human ‘relative-ism‘ which is never God’s way. Also remember God’s word about Himself:
“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My
ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts
than your thoughts.'” (Isaiah 55:5-9 NKJV)
Bottom line really becomes – Is the Lord, Lord over ALL your life or only what you permit? Do you TRUST the Lord in all things about your life? If you use the old ‘is it me or is it God’ excuse – that doesn’t work. I think we all know that our actions are our responsibility and we will always experience a ‘check’ in our spirit when we aren’t following the Lord’s path.
What is you are ‘wrong’? If you ignored your check/intuition and realize your error; repent and ask for forgiveness but also find the path out of where you are. Compounding never is a wise option. And yes, we all do this but hopefully we also grow and don’t repeat the behavior – whether it is to do something we didn’t or did something we shouldn’t have. If what you want you still believe is for you, then go to the Lord and find His reasons – He never hides this. And perhaps… it is a ‘later’, not now. But for now – no.
