No, but…!

Does God say no to His children? Does He say no to their sincere, heartfelt desires to honor and bless Him? Does He say no to even the man after his own heart? Yes! In the reading this morning, we see God say no to David.

In the text, we find David does not like the idea of the Ark of God residing in a tent while he lives in a cedar palace. So, David summons Nathan, the prophet, and says in so many words, “I have an idea…I want to build a house for God!” Interestingly, this idea comes to David after the Lord God gives him rest from his enemies. While David has time on his hands during this season of rest, he gets his eyes on the superficial. He is too enamored with his cedar palace and feels guilty that God is living in a tent. Interesting! Notice God’s response to David in 2 Samuel 7:7 (NLT): I have never asked… “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”

God is pretty direct with David. Through the prophet Nathan, God says no. Then God says, “But…” In other words, it is “No, but…” But what? God redirects David’s attention from the superficial, such as cedar buildings, etc., and puts it on the reason for David being king in the first place. God has called out a people for His name—a people He has chosen for all time. God then establishes a covenant, a dynasty of kings, through David. Of course, there are overtones of the Messiah who will come through this line and who, too, will one day sit on David’s throne. In other words, God gets David’s eyes off of buildings and onto the work of God already in progress—building a dynasty through which God will bless the peoples of the earth. 

What was David’s response to God’s no? Did he throw a fit because he didn’t get his way? Did he get offended because his sincere, heartfelt idea was tabled? No! David humbled himself and received a blessing; he received the bigger picture God had in mind. 

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! (2 Samuel 7:18–19, ESV)

David was humbled and grateful for God’s goodness, which he saw only through God saying no! Wow! Who would have ever thought a no could sound so good? 

Believers, we don’t see the whole picture. Often, too, at times in life, we can get our eyes on the superficial while we think we are being spiritual. Our hearts can get off track, thinking we want to bless God when, in reality, we are focused on ourselves. So what does God do? He says, “No, but…” God directs our eyes to the eternal picture, and there is a blessing to receive in His saying no if we humble ourselves. May our response to God when He says no resemble David’s response. 

For you are God, O Sovereign LORD. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. (2 Samuel 7:28, NLT)


Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17.


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