When God Says "No!"

So there’s a new addition to the Glazier household this week: a tiny puppy named Toby. There’s also a new most common word in the Glazier household: “No.” Toby’s cuteness and his zest for life are matched only by his lack of bowel control and his need to bite things (currently he is trying to eat the keyboard I am typing on).

We have used the word “no” in ways I never considered before. “No, don’t poop on my foot!” “No, don’t tear the book of John out of my Bible!” and “No, don’t bark at the microwave!” All these statements have been uttered in the last 24 hours, but I’m wondering how much of it is actually getting through.

It also makes me wonder how many “nos” God has told me recently and how much of it has gotten through. “No, don’t buy a new piece of electronics before you write out your tithe check!” “No, don’t sleep through another devotional time!” and “No, don’t bark at your wife!” All of these statements have been uttered to me by a still, small voice in the past few weeks, and I can’t say that I always did as I was told.

The thing is, I know what’s best for the dog. I know that if he bites through that power chord, it might be an electrifying experience for him, one that he probably would have liked to miss out on. But God knows what’s best for me. He knows that if I yell at my wife, it also might be an electrifying experience, but He would like us both to miss out on it.
Has God had to give you a firm “no” recently? What did He say and did it get through? Share it with us in Comments.