Devotionals for the Heart: The story of Noah's Ark taught me about doors

When God Says No
A devotional by Colette Lawrence

“The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.”—Genesis 7:16 (NIV)

Recently, I heard something that struck a chord deep within me.

It was a familiar Bible verse for me (Genesis 7:16), but particularly the latter part of verse 16 resonated with me: “Then the Lord shut him in.” This is a passage I have read plenty of times before, yet this time I believe I needed to hear a message that I had not previously associated with this verse. God spoke to my heart immediately and drew my eyes to something I had never observed before.

In this Bible story about Noah’s Ark, the Lord gave Noah clear instructions on what to do: Enter the ark with his family and bring certain types of animals with him (Genesis 7:13-16). If you are like me, you can sometimes focus solely on what God didn’t do and how long we have had to wait on Him. This causes us to be focused more on our feelings than the facts and then we miss the lesson.

What hit me was that it was God who closed the door of the ark after Noah and his family and the animals were safely inside this refuge. I found that there is great significance in the fact that it was God who shut Noah in, not anyone else. This is what I’ve learned from this Bible verse and our modern-day life: God closes doors! Sometimes, we believe that it was the enemy closing the door on our dreams for our future. But I learned that as long as we believe in God and are walking in faith with Jesus Christ then it is God who allows those doors to be closed.

But what’s on the inside of that closed door? God’s provision. And that’s what He is drawing our attention to. When our focus is only on what He kept from us, we miss the fact that when He closes the door—or more than one door—all that you and I need is already on the inside with us. The provision we need and the answer we need is behind that closed door; we just don’t see it, or think it could be there, but it is. Even more important than that, could it be that the door was closed for our protection? And could it be that the closed door doesn’t mean it would never be open, just not now?

Sometimes, God says “no” in response to our prayers for an opportunity we believe we deserved, a door we think should have been opened, a relationship He should have healed, the finances He should have provided, or the home we shouldn’t have lost. You name it! But could it be that there is a set time for us to receive blessings from God? Perhaps we have to go through this period of difficulty so that when He opens the door, we know without the shadow of a doubt that He did it?

For the time while Noah was locked inside the ark, he was not alone. God was with Him, and He is with you as well. Now, what can we do when it looks like God is missing, when it seems as if He hasn’t heard our cry and He has denied our prayer requests? We have the choice to focus on God and on everything else that He has provided for us. We can trust that God knows our needs before we do (Matthew 6:8) and He will always provide for us (Philippians 4:19).

If, in closing the door, God has already given us all we need, why then are we so focused on what isn’t happening for us instead of looking at the love of our Heavenly Father, who knows what we need? God knows best about the timing of that need, and in His Sovereignty, He’s made preparations and provisions for us until the set time when He grants us the desires of our hearts according to His will. Satan (the enemy of our souls) wants us to miss all that God has done. He wants us to forget all the provisions that God has made in our lives. The devil wants us to doubt that God will ever come through for us again.

Let’s change our focus and our gaze and look instead to the One who says in Ephesians 3:20 (NIV), “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” God wants the absolute best for us! When He is saying No to our requests, look behind the closed door and see what He has already given you.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help us to see You clearly in the midst of all that is happening that causes us to doubt You. Help us to see that a “no” from You isn’t a bad thing; it's what is best for us. Turn our gaze to You, Lord, and cause us to rejoice in You, for You are good all the time! Thank You, God, for being on time with your answers to all our prayer requests. Help us to praise Your Name forever! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “The Benediction” by Anthony Brown & Group Therapy. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Colette Lawrence is an empowered woman who inspires women to be who they were created to be. Her core message is empowerment. She is an author, certified life coach, podcast host, and trainer with the Maxwell Leadership team. 

Colette believes that an empowered woman empowers others and is powerful in knowing who she is and what she can accomplish. Colette is on a mission to impact the lives of the women assigned to her, whether she is their coach or trainer or shares a word that will transform their lives.

Colette utilizes her Christian principles as the base of all her engagements. She is passionate about fulfilling her life purpose of empowering women to know who they are, rebuild their confidence, and use their voices as tools to uplift themselves and others.

​​She is the founder of the M.E.E. Movement L.L.C., a faith-based empowerment ministry business that helps women of faith rebuild their confidence and use their voice to walk in their purpose through life coaching, mentoring, and empowerment speaking. Colette believes in using the gifts God has given her to help women be who God has called them to be and ultimately fulfill the purpose for which they were created. She lives by Romans 8:28 (NIV), that promises, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

A native of Jamaica, Colette resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is the mother of two beautiful young women, a son-in-love, and two grandsons. Colette enjoys reading, writing, watching good movies, and chatting with her daughters and friends.

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Connect with Colette:
Blog: https://www.colettemarie.online/blog
Website: https://www.colettemarie.online/
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2367935
Email: Colettemarieonline@gmail.com