When God Says No, Part 1

On the inside for women during the life we sees a dream, an ideal objective.

Sometimes the dream is from God, sometimes not. But when it's not of God, it won't come to fulfillment and it's hard to determine which is which you have friends who will say go for the Lord is with only to have the Lord show you later on.

It's not his plan. Kids are behaving career is moving forward but nothing appears to threaten our plans. What happens when the bottom drops out where is God when we come to an impasse. Does he know or even care when were disappointed today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll continues our study on David's remarkable life were about to learn some difficult lessons. Along with this Old Testament leader on what to do when God says no you walk with the Lord for any length of time. You understand the disappointment that comes when God says no to some desire or wish that you might have. This is especially true when you feel that it was the Lord's will that you have it.

At those times it's easy to miss the larger purpose and plan that God is working out in our lives is David experienced God's mysterious no way back in ancient days when he passionately wanted to build a house of worship and praise for the ark of the covenant would rest David's response frankly is nothing short of incredible. We learn about that responses we turn our Bibles to second Samuel chapter 7 will begin our reading with verse one second Samuel seven verse one came about when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given them rest on every side from all his enemies that the king said to Nathan, the prophet see now I dwell in the house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains. Nathan said to the king would do all that is in your mind for the Lord is with you, but in the same night. The word of the Lord came to Nathan saying go and say to my servant David thus says the Lord, are you the one who should build me a house to dwell in for I've not dwelt in the house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt even to this day, but I've been moving about in it can't even in the tabernacle wherever I've gone with all the sons of Israel that I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, why have you not built me a house of cedar. Now therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be ruler over my people Israel. Verse 12 when your days are complete, and you lie down with your fathers. I will raise up your descendents after you who will come forth from you and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but my loving kindness shall not depart from him as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you, your house and your kingdom shall endure before me forever. Your throne shall be established forever in accordance with all these words in all this vision so Nathan spoke to David, then David, the king went in and set before the Lord, and he said, who will Lord God and what is my house that you have brought me this far and yet this was insignificant in your eyes will Lord God for you a smoke and also of the house of your servant concerning the distant future, and this is the custom of Man O Lord God again. What more can David say to you, for you know your servant, O Lord God for the sake of your word and according to your own heart.

You have done all this greatness to let your servant know.

For this reason you are there is none like you and there is no God besides, according to all that we have heard Insight for living to dig deeper into the Bible which is sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to inside world.org/studies now Chuck describes what to do when God says no.

There's a line that is taken from an old hymn, the him unfortunately is not in our present hymnal but is in many of the old ones entitled security at its the him but begins more secure is no one ever than the loved ones of the Savior, not John Starr on high, abiding, nor the burden home nest hiding, but the line that is of interest to me as it relates to this message is the one that reads what he takes or what he gives us shows the father's love so precious how it is easy for us to sing what he gives us shows the father's love, but it is hard for us to sing in reality what he takes shows the father's love.

We think of love is something that one gives to another and it is often love is something is an expression involved in taking something that would not be best. The choir sang a song entitled children of the heavenly father as I listened to it. There kept ringing back to me. The final strain which said, though he giveth, or he'd take it God.

His children never forsake it is the loving purpose solely to preserve them pure and holy. What that is saying obviously is that in expressing his love to us. He takes from us things that would not cultivate completely. His plan of purity and holiness for us. Now however you wish to put it. I want to talk about the whole problem of broken dreams the whole area of pursuing something that we felt was the plan of God or the will of God for our lives, only to have it stopped and have the father say in so many ways. That's not my plan. That's a good that's a noble purpose. In fact, it's a great resolve. But it's not my plan for you that's hard to hear. As I say that I remember a young lady who came to me in a former pastorate when I was in Texas and she had come to the Dallas area after being raised in Chicago. She was a registered nurse. It was not difficult for her to find employment in that city. But there was more than employment that brought her she had fallen in love with the young man who was in Dallas seminary, and he was studying for ministry. She was hoping in the days ahead for their romance to flourish and for marriage to occur as they arrived on the scene and I met both of them. It was obvious that they had all the compatible traits to become a happy husband and wife and we began to talk about that they were engaged in plans for marriage were set a date was determined and we were involved in Council for several occasions, only to find in the middle of it hurt to hear from him that he did not have peace. In pursuing that romance. Now the romance was pure there was a walk with God on both parts. They personally desired very much for God's will, he felt it was not his love the Lord's plan and she had no such inclination and he broke it off and that was a disillusioned young woman. In fact, it was a matter of of weeks before she made plans to leave and go back to her home in Chicago and she left broken hearted Christian young woman who had all the hopes and dreams and the high resolve of a godly Christian home that would be started within a matter of weeks very difficult time.

The question comes and we always think in terms of categories on which one has sand or why did God change his mind or such things as if he led them in this direction or what reason did he have to to give her no peace are to give him no peace, and to give her a sense of complete direction in pursuing what was his plan. How can you fit it all together and call that love. A love that takes.

Though he never forsakes he takes from his children. Well, it's illustrated beautifully in the life of David and second Samuel chapter 7 and it is so perfectly designed for the subject. We we will see a number of analogies throughout the study together and second Samuel, when I cracked my Bible open to this chapter in recent days. I I thought what a unique setting in which David found himself being a man of war. Oh, very courageous warrior. He was often involved in battle and unrest. However, there's a there's an interlude that's very calm and quiet. His life is like a great job over tour that moves from one passionate strain to another one movement to another owner to pause in the middle and the water settles. It is a very quiet period of time where David is alone in the interlude in verses one, two and three. There's peace. It says it came about when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest on every side, something first of all, there was domestic peace is like offertory this morning, Connie St. all is well all is well. David good assignment written over the heart above his fireplace. Shalom all this piece all is well. The kids were playing in the room surrounded the house of the wife was happy. David was a piece in his heart there was an interlude of quietness is perhaps he set beside the fire one evening and watched it crackling began to muse and meditate. Those are some of the best times in life. The brief interludes, quiet times. Furthermore, there was a national rest.

See verse one God gave him rest on every side from all his enemies until you David didn't know that very often the age-old battle with the Philistines was now settled in quiet, at least for a while.

There was no giant on the scene shouting out blasphemies that there was no movement, no strategy that you could hear the. The old chariots as they were bringing the battle implements up close to Jerusalem. None of that there was peace. It's a beautiful scene. The best word is interlude David as he begins to reflect upon look the peaceful time in the lovely home in which he's living, lined with cedar beautiful home began to envision a dream first to he said to his close companion Nathan. By the way, it's the first mention of Nathan the prophet in all the Bible is a confidant of David. He's the man later who pointed the finger in chapter 12 David and said you are the man you the center's close friend is a prophet. He's a counselor. So David calls a man and he says to Nathan see now I dwell in the house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains and Nathan responds and says do all that is in your mind for the Lord is with you. Well, that's a good friend good friends encourage and there are times in which you are so you see a need, and you think I am the one that should meet that need. David had that happen.

Remember we look at the ark of God as he brought it in the area and he had in mind a place to build this idea he was going to build a permanent residence in which to house the furniture of the tabernacle, God had never dwelt in the permanent house.

David said if it isn't fitting that the king should live in this lovely cedar dwelling and the ark should be a little tent out there I will build a house for God build a temple that was his resolve.

I want to emphasize it was nothing of a know of an ulterior motive.

He had no selfish ambition had no desire to make a name for himself as a matter fact he wanted to exalt the name of God in building this house couple thoughts run through my mind as I see first the first three verses. First of all, it is during the interludes of life that we sees a dream, an ideal objective.

Some of you in a quiet moment of your life realize God's calling me for the ministry.

Others of you said I am to pursue a nursing career and you're in that pursuit right now some of you saw some great resolving some great design in your minds eye, and you said it's to the mission field to go. Maybe it happened in the camp that maybe it happened in the in the quietness of your own bedroom after a church service. One evening we went to bed. You could go to sleep and you turn through the Scriptures and you landed on some things and began to make sense, and you begin to put the lights together and before long they stretched out a direct arrow toward some ideal objective and you said that's it.

You know those last few nights of the When you take a little little sender and you toss it on the fire and you say that's my great resolve what I believe of all the people that did that for the mission field had gone with millions on the mission field tonight that are not there right now. Great great goals and dreams.

That's my commitment. That's where I'm going in the interlude of life that those things happen to slow down to hear his voice, let me add this other thought this in my mind.

Sometimes the dream is from God.

Sometime it's not that both are noble. Both are great results. Both are ideals, but when it's not of God, it won't come to fulfillment and it's hard to determine which is which. It's very hard. In fact, you have friends like Nathan who will say go do all in your mind for the Lord is with you, only to have the Lord show you later on. It's not his plan and that's exactly what happened with the divine response hey it comes through Nathan, but it's just as clear as if it had come directly to David that very night verse four. It came about the same night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan saying go and say to my servant David thus says the Lord, are you the one who should build me a house to dwell in.

Hold your place here and turned to a parallel in first Chronicles chapter 17 is the same experience written by another pin that puts it more directly first Chronicles 17 verse three in verse four it came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan saying go and tell David my servant, thus says the Lord, you shall not build a house for me to dwell in. There is a hard answer to it to to get back to the king. Nathan hears it from God. That night he is just said before he went to bed that night. The Lord be with you, David, let's make plans starting tomorrow. Let's think it through and let's map out the kind of temple we got a bill for the Lord, and may God be honored and it only to have that very night in the middle of the night vision given by the Lord saying no way no way that's also hard to convey. During my days in seminary years ago we had a young man in our class who could not preach were the two that he was a very sincere well-meaning fine young man, certainly born again. Certainly desirous of serving the Lord, but he could not communicate when he stood up to preach dullness wrapped all around everything he said and he didn't even realize it. Somebody had encouraged him to pursue the ministry and he was going at it hook line and sinker. Even though he couldn't breach now about the third year of our four year course. We began to take a course entitled homiletics, which is the study of the skill of preaching the art of preaching the whole area of pulpit ministry in communicating and as we said in the class. We wanted so much for there to be a supernatural breakthrough in the fella somehow began to preach, so that we could at least stay awake and enjoy what he had to say, but it never came toward the end of that year, it became obvious that the prof was going to have to tell this young man. You don't have it you just don't have it. Not hard to do not understand from a friend who was a friend of the prof that this is the way it happened. It is classic.

The young man was called in the office and he said in front of the prof, the propaganda work around the whole story so that the fellow would get it and the more you talk the more convinced the fellow became that he should be preaching. He said I have the gift of preaching, and I should be preaching and finally the prof got a great thought that he said will son no one has the gift of listening to you.

Maybe you have the gift of preaching, but nobody has the gift of listening that I've heard. Now that's another way of saying you're not listening to the right voice. You see, it isn't God's plan that everybody build the temple a great resolve a great message a great plan, a great deal, but it's not God's plan.

How tell you when you have to face that it is tough to bear were not dealing with sin. Now go back to second Samuel seven and I want you to see in the refusal of the request. God's affirmation of David look for example at several verses take verse eight. Therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep that you should be ruler over my people Israel right now that's clear, David. I've appointed you to be a king, not a builder of the temple.

You have been given the gifts of doing the work of a king not gifted you for that not to build a temple verse 12 when your days are complete in July down with her father's. I will raise up your descendents after you who will or from you and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Chuck Swindoll has much more to tell us about this Old Testament seen he's teaching from second Samuel seven and he titled today's message when God says no were midway through this dramatic story, so all urge you to join us again tomorrow when our study continues on Insight for living and remember every sermon Chuck presents on this program is complemented by online study notes. This allows you to jot down your own thoughts online or you can print out the document as a permanent reference tool. We call this free resource searching the Scriptures and you can dive right in. By going to inside world.org/studies.

Chuck is also written a full-length biography on David.

It includes an entire chapter on the message you heard today. In fact, there are 24 chapters in all and many of Chuck's readers have told us he makes biblical characters like David come to life to purchase a copy go directly to inside.org/office give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8880.

The title of the book is David a man of passion and destiny. We are deeply grateful for all those who have given generously to help Insight for living meet its fiscal goal because of those who support this ministry were able to bring Chuck's teaching to your station every day plus Insight for living is heard around the world. Other languages you can join this effort to make disciples in all 195 countries of the world by giving a donation if you prefer to give over the phone.

Give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or you can get online by going to inside.org/in March, 20, 23 Insight for living ministries is hosting an unforgettable journey to Israel carefully planned to deepen your understanding of the Bible and draw you closer to God hears Chuck Swindoll for thousands of years. No place is more meaningful to God's children in the land of Israel. The rugged landscape reminds us to find you and God alone. The fertile valleys invite us to follow our ship Jerusalem's position at the very center of the world announces the good news of Christ's every nation and now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll and Insight for living ministry March 5 through the 16th 2023.

Every time I visited the holy land of returned home with the refreshed part for God and a renewed vision for the world really. I mean it every time. So I want you to have the same life changing experience to learn more, go to inside.org/events call this number 1-888-447-0444 Insight for living ministries toward Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend Bill Meyer. Wishing you a relaxing time with family and friends as we celebrate Independence Day.

Join us again tomorrow when Chuck Swindoll continues to explain what to do when God says no on Insight for living in the preceding message when God says no was copyrighted in 1978, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved. Why duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited