WHEN GOD SAYS "NO"

February 12, 2026

 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” ¹⁸ And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

¹⁹ Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

In every generation God has His choosen people to carry out His will. He puts the attributes they will need to carry out the task. God chose Abraham and Isaac instead of Abraham and Ishamael. Ishmael was the son of Hagar (the bondwoman). Although he was Abrahsm's first born he would not be the heir because he came from Sarah's carnal plan! The key here is found in Galatians 4:23 & 30:

Galatians 4:23

But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

Galatians 4:30

Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”

Isaac, was a type of the glorious liberty of Christ. When there was a conflict brought to the Apostles of whether the new Gentile Christians should be circumcised Paul said in Galatians 5:1-3:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. ² Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. ³ And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

Keep the whole law! How do we do that?! It's only with the transformed mind and body of the born again experience that we can do anything praise worthy. And even then it's because we become new creations and He works through us. I'm so glad I was born during the New Covenent!

It's hard to get our own wants and needs out of our heads. We rarely understand when our wants and needs aren't fulfilled. God is looking through the scope of eternity...the long game. And because He is able to do that we should understand that in His infinite wisdom, He really does know what's best for us. Also, when we adhere to His will it benefits those we love too It's a win win win! It benefits God, us, and those we love!

My goal is to be God's friend by believing what He says. It's impossible to go wrong if we do this!-LG

James 2:23

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

Honey, when God says "No", it's because He has something better for us...[always]!-M. Cagle