When God Says No

We wrestle with closed doors, delayed answers, and a God who seems late yet proves faithful, moving from personal job rejections to seven biblical stories about timing, obedience, and surrender. The message is simple and hard: comfort is small, transformation is better.

• Windy Monday opener and church visit
• Job search, integrity, and calling beyond money
• Rejection as redirection from finance roles
• When God says no to protect and guide
• Abraham and the discipline of waiting
• Joseph’s pit-to-palace purpose
• Israel’s king and the trap of comparison
• David’s good desire and God’s different plan
• Martha, Lazarus, and resurrection power
• Paul’s thorn and sufficient grace
• Gethsemane and the way of surrender
• From craving comfort to seeking transformation
• Prayer for trust, submission, and clarity
• Closing resources and encouragement

Check out the website, www.forchministry.com. Get you a copy of the book. It’s out on Amazon. It’s called Discernment, a Wake Up Call for a Generationally Cursed Society.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Hello. We would like to welcome you to the Food for Thought Face with my husband, your host, B-Rob. So without further ado, here's B-Rob.

Windy Monday And Church Recap

Jobs, Integrity, And Calling

Finance Rejections As God’s Redirection

When God Says No

Abraham And The Discipline Of Waiting

Joseph: Setbacks As Setup

Israel’s King And The Trap Of Comparison

David’s Good Desire, God’s Different Plan

Martha, Lazarus, And Resurrection Power

Paul’s Thorn And Sufficient Grace

Gethsemane And The Way Of Surrender

From Comfort To Transformation

Prayer Of Trust And Submission

Closing And Resources

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Hey guys, it's B-Rob, it's the Food for Thought Faithcast, and it is a brand new week. It is Monday. It is Monday, February the 23rd, and let me tell you, the wind has been howling for the past 24 hours. And you know, when I was in the business of financing cars, there was nothing worse of a business killer than the wind. Cold wind. It could be raining outside, women will come out. It can be hot outside, women will come out. But that wind, that wind, that hair get to blowing. No, dog. Nope. Ain't no southern woman coming out in that. Unless she's riding on a motorcycle, you know what I'm saying? But anyway, um, it's Monday morning. It's good to be here. It's good to be here on the podcast. Had a good Sunday. Went to uh Parkway Baptist Church yesterday, and it was pretty good. It was pretty good. It was pretty good. We're gonna talk about some new seasons, and um I want to. I've been I wake up every morning and I'm still on Indeed, even though uh I have found a business opportunity that I like and I'm taking and I went and got took my life insurance exam and all that. But I mean I always, you know, I'm I'm always open for opportunities. I mean, I'm a businessman and that that's the way it's always been, and and I'm looking, you know, I'm I'm looking at this point in my life for uh integrity more so than money, uh happiness, a career more so than a job. Um jobs are a dime a dozen. I can do anybody's job. I can do a job is a job is a job, but a career and a mindset and um making letting money make money for you is a totally different um outlook of life. And and a lot of times we can look at the Bible and we can use things out of the Bible. I mean, I guess I have the Indeed app, so it it tells me what jobs come available in the CSRA, and they have my resume, so AI, you know, they'll tell you, oh yeah, this is perfect for you. So, you know, last month when I was searching and coming back from all the uh the health issues and all that, and kind of closing up shop on the uh business I was doing and bringing everything to a closure, which I also I mean I'll still play play music, but I'm just not gonna play bars where people are partying and getting drunk. So with that said, I uh applied to go come back out of retirement for finance and the automobile dealerships, and I applied at three different places and had interviews and everything sounded good and a little history. I was probably one of the top paid finance people for a long time in the area, not because I was lying, cheating, and stealing, it was because I was good at my job. Good with numbers, good with talking to banks and corporations and had good relationships, integrity. I kept my integrity. Okay. But with that said, I argued with God to get out of that business because I was basically a slave. When I was not there, things happened. I had to be there all the time, I missed my kids growing up. Yada, yada, yada. Y'all have heard this story before in older podcasts. But long story short, is I went and applied to do these things again because I knew that I could do them. And I didn't get any of the jobs, which was kind of uh punch in the gut because I thought in my head I could go anywhere and work anywhere and do that anywhere, and I had a good enough reputation to where anybody would hire me. And I've had people tell me that my whole career, and I never had a problem getting a job in finance or as a sales manager, but I didn't get it, and I I didn't understand why I was being turned down for all these jobs, and a lot of times we don't understand the reasons for what God does. And I can I'm gonna give you examples throughout the whole Bible, and the even more punch of a gut is now a month's gone by, and these same dealerships have put out the same ads, so whoever they hired over me obviously has not worked out, and nobody has called me. So obviously that is not something God wants me doing anymore. And I I I would pray, ask for a sign, and the sign would be rejection. And guys, when God says no, when what we want isn't what we need, and I'm not necessarily saying I wanted that, but I did want to quit struggling financially, even though this might be a hardship that God is teaching me a blessing through. So I just want to ask you a question. Have you ever prayed for something and God didn't answer it the way you expected it? The job didn't come. That's one example that I just showed you of my own personal testimony. Or maybe that relationship ended. Or maybe that healing didn't happen, or a door closed instead of opened. You see, sometimes we think we know what we need, but Scripture shows us over and over and over and over again and again and again that God sees a bigger picture than we see. Today I'm gonna walk you through seven moments where man wanted one thing kind of like a lot of our testimonies, but God had other plans, or God had other timing. Um, example number one, we're gonna start with Abraham. And um, this is gonna feel like when delay feels like denial. You see what I'm saying? This is all about obedience and timing. And you'll find this story in Genesis 15, 21. You see what he wanted, he wanted a son immediately. You see what God did was something totally different. You see, God waited 25 years. And if you look at verse chapter 21 in Genesis verse 2, it says, For Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son in his old age. At the set time of which God had spoken to him. You see, the key to that is at the set time of which God had spoken to him. You see, we can look at our own lives and say, hey, yeah, we want a marriage right now, or we want a child right now, or we want our business to take off right now, or you want some kind of clarity about your calling. I mean, I'm 51 years old and I'm wanting clarity about my calling, and all I can do is what God tells me to do daily, and then look back months later and go, I see why God did that. It's called discernment, it's called vision. You see, God says, wait. You see, how often do we try to manufacture God's promise? You gotta ask yourself, are you trying to produce something God promised instead of trusting Him to deliver it on His timing? Are you trying to create something that are you setting yourself up for letdown? The key questions is are you? You see? The great author in the sky to deliver, deliver what he needs to deliver. You see, God's delays are not his denials, they are developmental seasons for the gifts and the blessings that he has coming for you. Number two example would be Joseph. You see, that's gonna be in Genesis chapters 37 through 50. You see, Joseph wanted out of slavery, Joseph wanted out of prison, but God left him there for years. If you look at Genesis 50, verse 20, it says, But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good. You see, Joseph went from a dream to the pit, to slavery, to prison, then to the palace. A modern day comparison would be that you were faithful, but yet you got laid off. I know a lot about that in the past season, in the past year. You were obedient, but the relationship failed. Some of you guys may know about that. You did the right thing, but you got overlooked. Man, that just hit kind of home. I did the right thing, I went through the interview process, I went through the modern computer process instead of just walking in or making a phone call to some so-called friends and that sort of thing. I trusted that process and I got overlooked. You see, but I know that process is not going to be linear as we think. You see, God often builds purpose and hides them in seasons. Ask yourself, what if the setback that you think you're in is actually God positioning you? Huh? Let's move to number four. And here we're talking about the people of Israel. Israel, the lineage. God's talking about the people, not a country. You see, the people of Israel wanted what everyone else had. In 1 Samuel chapter 8, they wanted a king like other nations. They begged for a king. And then God tried to tell them that the king will burden them. The king's gonna put them in slavery. The king is going to do many a things, tax them, things that kings do. 1 Samuel chapter 8, verse 7 says, They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me. That I should not reign over them. That's God speaking. Now use it in modern day comparison. You may be single and look at everybody else and say, Everyone else is married. You may be single, or you may be married, newly married, living in an apartment and saying everybody else is buying a home. Or you may be starting out in your career and looking at everybody else, saying, Everyone else is successful. Or it may even get deeper than that. You may even compare yourself to other children of God and say everyone else is walking better in their faith but me. Or even the opposite and say everyone else is walking away from faith. You see, comparison is not a good thing. Comparison brings forth desire. And desire is in fact what it is. It makes us desire things God never assigned to us. Because you're comparing your life to somebody else's. That'd be like comparing your testimony to my testimony, even though we walk two different paths, to get to the same place is comparison. And it only leads down a wrong road. You see, Israel wanted to look impressive, but see, God values what is obedient. So ask yourself, are you asking for something because God said so, or because the culture did, or society, or your friends, or the TV? So, number five, we're coming to David now. Second Samuel chapter seven, David wanted to build God a temple. He desired to build God a temple. It was noble, it was good. But guess what God said? Nope. Nope, your son will build it. Imagine being told that by your father. When you try to do something good for your father. And he says, No, my grandchild will build it. Punch in the gut, right? Because you wanted to do it. Key words is you wanted. So look at 2 Samuel chapter 7, verses 12 and 13. It says, I will set up thy seed after thee. He shall build a house for my name. But God gives David something bigger, a covenant, a lineage, the Messiah. Do you see? Do you see? He didn't see at that point. But you see. And that's why we have these stories, so that you can see. You see, if you look at a modern day comparison, maybe you wanted to launch the ministry. Maybe you wanted that job promotion. Or maybe you desired that opportunity. But God said no. Not because it was a bad opportunity, not because it was a bad thought, not because it was a bad desire, not because it was a bad thing at all, but because it wasn't yours to have at that time. So ask yourself, can you trust God even when he chooses someone else at the time that you wanted him to choose you? Can you still trust in him? Will there still be obedience after that? We come to the next one. Let's talk about Martha and how God doesn't show up on her time. You see, in John chapter 11, she wanted Jesus to come and heal Lazarus when he was sick before death. But Jesus basically blew her off and waited. If you look at John 11, twenty-five, verse twenty five, it says, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. You see, from Martha's perspective, Jesus was late. But from an eternity lens, from a heavenly perspective, Jesus was about to reveal a resurrection power that no one had ever seen. You see, in modern comparison, you could look and say, I prayed for healing. I prayed for reconciliation, I prayed for rescue, but heaven was silent. God did not listen. I've heard people say that all the time. Why doesn't God listen to me? But let me ask you a question. Do you only trust God as a healer? Do you only trust God as a healer? Or do you trust Him also as a as someone who can resurrect? Moving along, let's talk about Paul. You see, in 2 Corinthians verse 12, 7, and 9, you see, Paul wanted his thorn removed. But God gives him grace instead of removal. If you look at 2 Corinthians 12, 9, it says, My grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness. And you can look at modern comparisons. Look at chronic illness, mental health battles, financial pressure mounting up, and temptation is being advertised on every billboard, on every computer screen, every phone screen, and every TV screen. It's being projected. You see, sometimes God does not remove it. Because we he needs to show us that we need to be dependent on him instead of this world. He has to show us that our weakness can produce obedience and a deeper intimacy and relationship with him. So last but not least, we're gonna look at um Jesus. In Matthew chapter twenty-six. But see, he chose surrender, something a lot of us would not do. We have to be taught a lesson. If you look at Matthew 26, verse 39, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. You see, Jesus was the ultimate model. Because modern Christianity, and I don't even like to use the word Christianity, and we can get into that in another podcast, but modern Christianity often teaches if you pray hard enough, you'll get it, which is false, false teachings. Prayer works, obviously, but you have to have submission and obedience before you can have outcome. So prayer, submission, obedience, repentance, all that stuff aligns before you can have any outcome. My question for you today is: are you following God or are you negotiating with God? What are you doing? You see, we can look back. Abraham wanted a child. God wanted to build a nation. Joseph wanted freedom. God wanted influence. Israel wanted a king, but see, God wanted obedience from the children of Israel. David wanted to build a house for God, but God just wanted covenants with David. Martha wanted healing, but God wanted to reveal that he is powerful enough to resurrect the dead. Paul wanted relief, but God gave him grace instead. Jesus wanted the cup removed, but God brought redemption to the whole world. You see, a lot of times we just want comfort. But God wants transformation. So let's look at this and challenge ourselves. What are you praying right now that you're frustrated with? What are you praying about right now that you may be frustrated with? So let's challenge ourselves. Instead of asking, why, God, haven't you done this? Let's just flip it. Let's change it. Let's tweak it a little bit and ask God, what are you doing through me? Through this? What are you doing in me? How are you shaping me in this? You see, guys, because sometimes the greatest miracle is not God changing your situation that you do not like, but it's God changing you. You see, sometimes we look back and the future proves the past because God's plan is always perfect, even though we do not see it. Like I said, because sometimes the greatest miracle is not changing a situation that we are in that we do not like, but it's God creating a testimony and changing you so that others may see that transformation. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear Father, we come to you today, Lord. We thank you. Lord, we thank you for your grace. I like to always say we thank you for your lessons and blessings because that is exactly what we are talking about today. God, even though we know that we may not know what you were doing at that time. And we cannot see the future, Lord, and how you work, but you already know because you are the author, the great author in the sky, Lord. You have already written the book, and we thank you for putting our names in the book as children of God, Lord. Lord, we pray that we may ask the question of how we can be used by you, Lord. Not the question of why won't you give me what I need right then, but help us to understand. Help us to understand and guide us through your process, Lord, so that we can be better children of God, Lord. Lord, I pray that this week we may be able to have understanding and rejoice in everything that we go through, knowing that you are preparing us for a better future, for a better place, for a better eternity with you, Lord. Lord, I pray for everybody that's listening. I pray that they may know you, they may seek you, and they may have a better relationship and a better understanding of who you are and why you do the things you do, Lord. We love you, we praise you. It's in your Son Jesus' holy, heavenly name, we pray these things. Amen and hallelujah. Well, guys, that's it for today. Don't forget, check out the website, www.forchministry.com. Get you a copy of the book. It's out on Amazon. It's called Discernment, a Wake Up Call for a Generationally Cursed Society. I think you will like it. It's not your typical run-of-the-mill Christian book, but it will make you think and hopefully give you a little bit of conviction of what is going on, an explanation of why things look the way they look on the surface in reality today. Because we are at we are always and have been in a spiritual war, and the Bible gives us plenty of armor of God to put on for these times. So, guys, remember God loves you. I love you. And if you don't have a relationship with Christ, I'm gonna pray for you, and you better get right.