“Okay, here are the rules,” Marty
said. “You can do whatever you want, wherever you want,whenever you want until
someone tells you no.”
Those were our instructions on
our first visit to our friends’ lake house. Marty and his wife, Lynn, who enjoy
entertaining, give their guests lots of freedom to enjoy themselves. When we
noticed the sailboat next to the paddleboat next to the pontoon boat, we knew
we were in for a fun afternoon.
Marty told us no only once—when
he saw that we were about to feed the swans that swam up next to us. He knew
that if the birds were fed once, they would become aggressive if they didn’t
get fed the next time.
Adam and Eve lived in the most
beautiful locale, and they too had lots of freedom. However, when God said no,
they resisted (Gen. 3). He told them not to eat from a certain tree, but they
thought they knew better.
Adam and Eve would have kept good
company with a lot of us. Sometimes we can’t understand why our heavenly Father
says no. When that happens, He can help us to adjust our thinking. We need to
realize that even as He denies us, He’s saying to our hearts, “You can trust
Me. I know what is best.”
God may
deny our request, but He will never disappoint our trust. (RBC)
