His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!” He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”’
(2 Samuel 12:21-23 NIV)
Because of David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his indirect killing of her husband Uriah, the son that Bathsheba had borne David died at a young age. Even though the Lord told David that the boy was going to die, David still pleaded with God, fasted and even lay on the ground at night to get God to change His mind. However, when the boy died, David did the contrary. “Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate” (2 Samuel 12:20). This behaviour baffled his attendants, but as David explained, there was nothing he could do to bring his son back. Sometimes, we, too, may find ourselves doing everything that we can to get God to change His mind about a particular matter, but when He doesn’t, we simply need to accept His answer and move on. He knows best.
When God says, “No” we need to accept His answer and move on.
Rising with the Son 