What if the Answer is No?

What if you pray for healing, and the answer is no?  What if you pray for the treatment to work, and the answer is no?  What if you pray for a baby this month, and the answer is no?  What if you pray, and the answer is no?

Is God still good?  Is he still in control?  Is He still faithful?  Is He still loving?

I love hearing about those times when people pray and God’s answer is yes.  Those times when they look for the tumor and it’s gone.  Those times when all seems lost and the miraculous happens.  Those times when death seems certain and life begins again.  Upon hearing those stories, we celebrate.  We smile and laugh.  We sing.  We talk of God’s goodness and His provision.  We tell anyone and everyone who will listen.

But what if the answer is no?

Can we still celebrate?  Can we still talk of God’s goodness and provision?  Can we speak of God’s love?

In the last week, I know of friends and family members who have been told no.  There will be no miraculous healing.  The treatment will not work.  There will be no baby this month.

Is God still good?  Can we still praise Him?

I don’t understand why some people get the ‘yes’ while others receive ‘no’.  God is God, and I am not.  He doesn’t owe me an explanation.  This is where that faith and trust come in.

So in the midst of my pain and disappointment, I stand in faith, trusting that God is still good.  And that He will give strength, comfort, and peace to all of us who have to live with a ‘no’.