Cover Image: When God Says "No"

When God Says "No"

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Member Reviews

This book was a breath of fresh air. It's an easy read, but each chapter has a lot of wisdom that have changed my perspective about how I thought about God. It's really hard to desperately pray for something only for God to say "no". Reading this book made me realize that I wasn't alone with my struggles and with this feeling of disappointment in God. But while reading this book I realized that I have misunderstood God. He is not angry or punishing me. God's heart breaks for me and with me when I am hurting. He is almighty and he has a better plan for me than I will ever have. I felt God's love so much while reading this book that I cried a few times.

Whenever you feel alone, whenever you feel like you're lost in life, whenever God tells you "no", pick up this book ! You will not regret it.
Thank you Miss Thompson, for giving me hope

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This book came at perfect timing. "You need surgery. You're back to square one." Were not the words I wanted to hear after much prayer and being on meds for six months and that at one point seem to have worked. I wanted to throw a tantrum, and tears escaped me as I drove home. But then words from this gem began to jump out from my memory. Though present examples of the author's friends were touching, it was the biblical people used throughout the book that kept speaking to me. Paul reciting 'Your grace is sufficient', David singing God's praises even when he wanted to build the temple himself. The list goes on and honestly if I hadn't been half way through the book I may have had a shouting match with God. I know he is able to heal but sometimes we have to accept when he has other plans for us. So I surrender and am holding on to faith as I wait to see what God has in store.

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My thoughts on the book throughout my time reading:

0% I loved "When God Says Wait" so I thought I's give this a try too
4%- I love the way the author starts with her own take on a Bible story. it really makes the character come to life as we imagine what they were thinking
4%- Next, we get a practical kind of explanation of the story
6%- Real life anecdote of the topic
11%- Then we get a personal application and Scripture. the author has such way with words that are touching and real. The chapter ends with further Scripture study, journal prompts, and a prayer prompt.

**Who says No, matters.

15%"My apologies for searing your eyeballs with my attitude." 😂😂

21%- **Your pain will still happen, but you can lean on God, he still loves you even when he says no

39%- She does such a good job of speaking truth (that we need to hear, possibly not want to hear) in love
94%"There can be life after no, but you have to choose to live it.
100%- I loved this book. It's so good for focusing on God in your difficulties instead of focusing on yourself and your problems. The author writes these kinds of books very well!

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Elizabeth Laing Thompson is the author of several women's Bible devotionals. Although not as well known as someone like Lysa Terkeurst, I think that Thompson has the same warm, transparent writing style. In "When God Says No", Thompson encourages her readers to understand the wisdom of God's plan. Throughout her book, she uses personal anecdotes and many Bible verses/passages to illustrate her points. I have enjoyed all of Thompson's books I've read so far, and this one was enjoyable as well!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

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Somehow Elizabeth Laing was yet again able to write a Christian book that made me laugh, cry, and look at scriptures in the bible in a new light, even scriptures I have read hundreds of times! In each chapter she paints a beautiful picture of people in the bible who have been told “No” with a vision we can understand in modern age. I extremely love that at the end of each chapter there is a self reflection, because a good Christian author doesn’t just share their experience and inspiration but question the readers and challenge their faith further. I completely recommend this book whether you’ve had times of small or big ‘no’s’ you will not be disappointed!

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Reading this book was like sitting down with a good friend for a heart-to-heart over coffee. The author has a way of taking familiar bible stories and characters and bringing them to life. This helps me see my story in their story. The book is an easy read, but each chapter has pearls of wisdom which have changed my perspective abouthow I thought about God and how God thinks about me during my seasons of "no".

I had so many "aha" moments while reading this book. There have been times that I have misunderstood the heart of God. He is not angry or punishingme. God's heart breaks for me and with me when I am hurting. Also, when I can't rejoice in life, I can still rejoice in who God is and how much He loves me.

Elizabeth Laing Thompson writes as one who has walked this road, grappled with all the feelings and hard questions and came out on the other side closer to God. The personal stories shared throughout the book helped me see that there is hope on the other side of "no". God is still working and my story isn't over.

This book was an encouragement to me. If you or someone you know is going through a season of "no" pick up a copy... reading it will encourage your soul.

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This compassionate new book by Elizabeth Laing Thompson is an excellent scripture-based resource for enduring the hard times when we do not understand how the Lord could say no. No to healing chronic illness, no to preventing the death of a loved one, no to getting a new job, no to having a child, or any other need or dream. This will be a new go-to guide for me, as there have been times this book would have been very helpful in my walk with the Lord. This is the kind of book that one might purchase extra copies of, one for their own shelf and additional copies to gift.

The author writes with empathy for all situations. She shares her own experiences as well as those of others with grace, dignity, and honesty. Appropriate scripture is referenced throughout and is comforting and encouraging. Woven throughout is God’s unconditional love, with a special emphasis in one chapter. Others that I found that hit home through personal circumstances are the need for surrender, when a hard situation is not removed, and when a hard situation is a consequence of my sin.

Preceding each chapter is a story of a person in scripture who could be associated with the topic of the chapter. These include Moses, Miriam, Naomi, Paul, and Jesus. The meat of the chapter includes more detailed information about that person and how they handled their situation. Some include a brief experience of the author or friend of the author and how it affected them, a scripture reading to learn more about the Bible person or their situation, a prayer prompt, also from scripture, and questions that can assist in journaling if the reader chooses.

The author shows the reality of life in a broken world and real-life, biblical solutions. She expresses care for each reader even as she points to the Lord, the One who is intimately involved with our situations, and encourages having a close friend or prayer partner. It can be read and understood by many who are grieving. She discusses anger, denial, and open communication with God, and shows that we can still worship and praise God for our blessings. If I could suggest anything, it might be truths of how one can believe in the Lord as our loving heavenly Father for those whose earthly father was absent or abusive.

My favorite sections are the one emphasizing the God’s unconditional love and the one showing what surrender is through the person of Jesus Christ. My heart soared at the author’s words, “Gethsemane is the reason I am in love with Jesus. . . the reason I worship Him. And the reason I finally trust Him enough to say, though the saying is hard, “Your will be done.”” I highly recommend this to anyone who is working through the Lord saying No to their hard situation, as well as Christian counselors, pastors, lay people, and friends of the hurting. If the hurting person is unable to read at this time, carry these gentle messages to them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.

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I have really enjoyed reading this book, “When God Says No”. The author, Elizabeth Laing Thompson, goes through many stories from the Bible. She tells of Moses, Paul and Cain just to name a few. She brings these stories from the Bible to life in her own words and backs it up with scripture references. This is a great way to do an in depth study of the Bible while reading this book. It can be hard to hear “no” from God. Wouldn’t it be easier to hear “yes” all of the time? But when you read this book, you will understand a little bit better of how hearing “no” is not the end of the world. I highly recommend reading this book and have your Bible nearby to look up the scriptures noted in the book. You will not be disappointed. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions in this review are my own.

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I love the author's writing style. Everything comes to life; the joy, the sorrow and God's unending mercy and love. Her perspective helped me see so many different ways to view "No" and helps me to not limit what God can do. To trust and know that He will be there for me through it all; the good and the bad, to cry and laugh with me and strengthen me when I am falling apart. This book has helped me to see all the wonderful things God has given and has planned for us. I recommend this book to anyone who feels that God is saying "No".

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#BookReview: WHEN GOD SAYS “NO” by Elizabeth Laing Thompson from Shiloh Run Press

What is your first reaction when somebody tells you "No"? It's hard to accept a No for sure. In life, rejections happen. We pray and it seems like God didn't hear us. It's hard hearing a No especially if we want it badly.

Through the personal experiences of the different people in the Bible - Moses to Jesus -, this book sheds light on the various "No" from God and how they dealt with them. I learned that God is still in control even when He says No. God knows what is best for all of us. He knows what we need before we even need it. It's easy to be in despair and disbelief but we just have to continue to trust in the goodness and mercy of God. It was an interesting and enlightening read! 4.5 stars

Thank you for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

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When God Says No by Elizabeth Laing Thompson is an outstanding book. Elizabeth is married to a pastor. She is a writer, speaker and a minister. She wrote this book to address the many times people get a no from God. These times can be so disappointing and filled with questions like why did this happen and where are you God? God never leaves us in these times and really does walk through these times. She is candid and honest about the nos she has received from God. She shares about people in the Bible that have heard God's no and how they have coped. She helps the reader look beyond and know God is more and God is there and God is still God. The book is so real and personal. God is there for us in these times. We can grow through these times. He is a caring God even when we do not feel it. She has journal prompts at the end of the chapters. This book is a great resource for pastors, counselors, an any Christian. Thank you to the publisher, the author for allowing me to read and review this book. It will be a great help for many people. I appreciate Elizabeth's honesty in this book.

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This book is full packed with learning about how Bible characters and actual people take no for an answer. The stories shared are relatable and very touching that each chapter makes me emotional. This strengthened my belief in God. The author has gifts of wisdom and writing skills, she knows what matters most to people. Insights provided in this book helped me to be joyful even though things doesn't go my way. I love everything she said in this book. Congratulations Elizabeth, you will surely touch the heart of many people especially us, women!

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When God Says No, is the third book written by Elizabeth Laing Thompson in a series of novels about God’s responses to us - Wait, Go and No. Each book can be read individually but do have similar structure, overlapping stories and connection, for example in When God Says Wait the book begins with the story of Miriam and this story concludes in When God Says No.

In a conversational manner Elizabeth invites you in to discuss a sensitive and difficult topic - “no”; when we don’t get the green light, when the door doesn’t open, when our prayers feel unheard and when our expectations are not met. Instead of wallowing, turning from God or blaming everything and everyone - Elizabeth provides Bibical insight, personal testimony and reflection questions for readers to use to get to the other side of no. Elizabeth doesn’t dismiss the pain “no’s” cause, and doesn’t pretend to understand the impact “no” has on each individual but she reminds us to remember who God, His deep love for us and how much we are each seen and known by Him.

Each chapter begins with a beautiful vignette of a Bibical character who was told “no”. Each story has some interpretation by Elizabeth but is presented in such a way that the tale comes to life revealing a different perspective to see the “no” situation in and how to think differently about God’s role in it.

When God Says No will help you to discover hope when life feels hopeless, good in what feels bad, and new dreams when old ones have died. This is a book for everyone, because we’ve all been told “no” at some point in our life.

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How are you dealing with disappointments? With God's "No"?
Author of multiple books Elizabeth Laing Thompson presents her third book that starts with the title "When God Says ...". It is entitled "When God Says "No". Facing Disappointment and Denial without Losing Heart, Losing Hope, or Losing Your Head" and was published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. The book contains eleven chapters, e.g., "When God Says, "No"", "When You Need to Embrace Vulnerability", or "When You Don't Get Your Dream" that are introduced by vignettes of an event in the life of a biblical character. She presents in chapter 1 who God is, which is highly important when we struggle with the fact that God said "No". I also appreciated her statement about humble people in chapter 4: "Humble people make passionate, repeated pleas, but they still show respect for God’s wisdom and ways. Respectful people acknowledge that God knows things we do not and that He has the right to say no. Reverent people find a way to accept the fact that, even though not knowing can be difficult and confusing, we may never understand all the reasons behind God’s answers" (p. 84) which can be a challenge to the readers as it is to me.
Elizabeth's goal is that the readers answer the following questions which she states in her video about the book: "Can we negotiate with God when we don't like the answer he is giving us? What are we allowed to say? How are we allowed to pray? Abraham bargained God down, ... What about the No when it is really a firm No?" She draws examples from the Bible, her personal life and family in order to help readers to deal with disappointments. In order to help readers to get more engaged with the text she included a section entitled "More To Know" at the end of each chapter with three parts: 1) For Further Study, 2) Prayer Prompt, and 3) Journaling Prompt". The book also contains some footnotes which can used for reference or for digging deeper. I highly recommend this book to Christ-followers who struggle with God's "No"s in their lives as well as for others who are at their side.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#WhenGodSaysNo #WhenGodSaysNoBook #NetGalley

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"When God Says ‘No’” was such a timely read for me! I enjoyed Elizabeth's style of writing, how she brought Bible stories to life while speaking courage to my soul. Real life examples helped me remember that I'm not alone, and that God is still writing my story. In my current season of navigating a "no", this book was both encouraging and refreshing. I highly recommend it!

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This is a powerful book that everybody needs to read. It is full of helpful advice and reminds us that God is in control of everything. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

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What made this book so powerful was the wording behind it. Thompson did an amazing job at bringing this book and her advice to life!

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I'm sure this will be perfect for some but it wasn't my cup of tea.
Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it has no bearing on the rating I gave it.

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