Latest / Jo Watson: Unfiltered Faith / When God Says No
Transcript
- Jo Watson: Welcome back to Unfiltered Faith. I'm Joe Watson, and it's time to breathe. Time to slow down. Time to let your shoulders drop, and time to step into the sanctuary. Not the sanctuary we're all so familiar with, but the one that God is building inside you. I am so grateful you're here. Whether you're listening on your morning drive, sitting in your quiet place, Or just trying to make it through another day. Thank you for being here. This is the space where we bring our hardest questions into the presence of God without filters, without pretending, without spiritual performance, just sanctuary, just honesty, just us and Jesus. Today's episode. Carries a weight many believers know but rarely speak aloud. The ache of praying, believing, waiting, and still hearing God say no. So if you've ever felt disappointed with God, if you've ever wondered why the miracle didn't come, if you've ever wrestled with trusting Him when His answer broke your heart, this episode is for you. You. So before we go deeper, I want to read a letter from one of our listeners, a letter that speaks for so many who are quietly hurting in their faith. This is what our listener wrote. Dear unfiltered faith, what do you do when you prayed, believed, waited, and God still said no? When the miracle never came, the Relationship wasn't restored or the door stayed closed? How do you keep trusting God when his answer breaks your heart? Can you be disappointed with God and still have faith? What if God says no and you don't understand why? Signed, what do you do when God says no? First, thank you for your honesty. Your question is sacred, your pain is real, and your faith, even in disappointment, is not weak, it's human. Let me say this clearly. Yes, you can be disappointed with God and still have faith. The Bible is full of people who loved God deeply and And still wrestled with his decisions. In Psalms thirteen one, David said, How long, Lord, will you forget me forever? And Job cried out in confusion, yet refused to curse God. In Second Corinthians twelve eight, Paul begged three times for the thorn to be removed, and God still said no. Even in Matthew twenty six thirty nine, Jesus prayed, Let this cup pass from me, and the Father said no. A no from God is not rejection, it is not punishment, and it is not abandonment. Sometimes God's no is protection, sometimes it is redirection, sometimes it is preparation. And sometimes painfully it is just a mystery. But hear me, a no from God does not mean that God stopped being good. It means God is being God. And God's goodness is not measured by how often he says yes, but it is measured by how faithfully he stays with you when he says yes. Let me say to everyone listening who has felt the sting of unanswered prayers: you are not less spiritual. You are not less favored. You are not less seen. Sometimes faith is not about shouting victory. Sometimes faith is whispering through tears, like Job when he said, Though he slay me. Yet will I trust him. Sometimes faith is choosing to stay when you don't understand. Sometimes faith is worshiping with a cracked voice. Sometimes is walking with God in the dark, believing He still knows the way. Scripture gives us this anchor in Psalms thirty-four eighteen, where it says The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. If your heart is crushed, you can rest assured God is not far. He is closest. I want to stop and pray right here for you and anyone feeling the weight of an unanswered prayer or unanswered. A prayer that has left you with disappointment because your answer is no. Let's pray. Father in heaven, for every listener carrying disappointment, for every heart that feels bruised by your no, for every soul wrestling with unanswered prayers, wrap them in your presence. Teach us that your no is never the end of the story. Heal the places where hope has cracked. Restore the places where trust has thinned and remind us that your love is not defined by outcomes, but by your nearness and your faithfulness. Lord, give us courage to believe again, the strength to wait again, and the peace to rest in what we cannot yet see. In Christ Jesus' name. Finally, God is not finished. The no you received is not a closed chapter, it is a divine pivot. Where you thought the story ended, God is rewriting the next scene. Where you felt denied, God is preparing you for a deeper yes. Where you felt abandoned, God is drawing you into intimacy. And you will see his goodness again. You will feel his presence again. And you will trust without trembling again. And when the next door opens, you will understand why this one had to stay shut. Thank you for joining me today on Unfiltered Faith. If you are struggling with a burden that feels too heavy for you to bear, this episode is not a substitution for professional therapy or pastoral care. Please get the help that you need. And if you are walking through a season of disappointment, remember this: God's no is never the end. It's the beginning of a different kind of miracle. Until next time, may your faith be honest, your hope be steady, and your hope and heart find sanctuary in the one who never leaves. And may you remember, we are family, this is unfiltered faith. God is moving, so stay ready, and to God be the glory.