No is not a four-letter word, but it certainly feels like one.
It’s one thing to feel God’s love when life goes your way, but what happens to your faith when life doesn’t go as you had planned…
when all you can see is desert, and the Promised Land seems like empty promise?
when prayers go unanswered and dreams unfulfilled?
when the sick stay sick and the dead do not rise?
No one wants to hear “no” from God. Some nos are smaller, their pain short-lived; others are huge, their consequences life-altering—but every no leaves its mark. If we don’t fight for our faith, we risk losing our heads, our hope, and even our heart for God.
When God Says, “No” will remind you Who God is and how He loves you. It will help you to discover hope when life feels hopeless and new dreams when old ones have died. It will guide you through complex emotions like doubt and guilt, bitterness and regret. And author Elizabeth Laing Thompson will be the friend who helps you find courage to step into life on the other side of no—perhaps a different life than the one you had imagined, but still, a life worth living. A life with meaning and joy. And that’s no small thing.
Reviews:
“We’ve all experienced seasons when we’re waiting on an answer from God. And when that answer comes back ‘no,’ it can be devastating. Elizabeth has not only captured the feelings that follow hearing ‘no,’ but she’s also led us on a trail of hope to help us untangle our disappointment and, through it, learn to love and trust God even more.”
–Davey Blackburn, Founder of Nothing is Wasted Ministries, Host of The Nothing is Wasted Podcast
“Elizabeth’s writing is a close friend offering you a warm hug and a word you didn’t know you needed. We’ve all had our prayers met with this hard word—no. What Elizabeth does so beautifully is take well-worn pages of scripture and points out times when the answer was “no” and what we can learn from those moments. I found my eyes opened to many areas that I have now offered up to God in surrender of my own “nos” through reading her personal stories. She guides the reader back to the heart of God and reminds us of His trustworthy, immutable character that we can always stand on no matter what we are facing.”
–Rebecca Dotson George, speaker, writer, and host of the Do the Thing Movement podcast
“I am so thankful that Elizabeth is the friend we need to help us understand that God says ‘no,’ and that it is okay, and we in turn will be okay. In When God Says, ‘No’ she helps us grasp that we don’t need to fully understand the why but we can navigate the loss, disappointment, and the journey together. We don’t have to try to figure it out alone. With this new book, we can walk in an understanding of His unending love and care for us. Elizabeth brings us into Bible stories that help us feel understood, and she loves us through our own circumstances, like the best of friends.”
–Jeanette Tapley, host of It’s Time For Coffee Podcast
“If we follow God for long enough, eventually He will close a door we try to open or answer one of our prayers with a clear ‘no.’ It’s never easy to navigate these seasons. When God Says ‘No’ does not oversimplify the life of obedience, but offers wisdom and hope to anyone struggling under the weight of a divine redirection or refusal. Elizabeth’s stories remind us that we are not alone, and that even God’s ‘no’ can lead us deeper into His love.”
–Carrie Stephens, author of Holy Guacamole
“She did it again! Elizabeth Thompson is such a witty and brilliant writer, she makes me want to throw a party! And this book, oh goodness, so timely and precious. I hear from readers all the time who are hurt and broken by a ‘no.’ He is a good Father. He just is. And good fathers are often misunderstood as harsh or cruel, when all they were doing was trying to protect. Elizabeth offers a precious perspective that will bring the brokenhearted to a place of safety in the arms of a God named Love.”
