Imagine what would happen if a parent removed every obstacle from a child’s path, prevented all discomfort and complied with every whim. What a child that parenting would produce! He would play with fire when he was two, rot his teeth with candy at seven, maim himself with cars at sixteen and squander the family fortune by twenty.

In much the same way as a wise parent, God our heavenly father knows that we don’t always know what is good for us. He loves us too much to allow us to have easy lives. He says “yes” to enough of our requests to keep us from being discouraged, and “no” to enough requests to keep us from turning into spoiled brats! When God says “no,” he hasn’t rejected us; he knows what is best for us and is doing it for our good.