Sometimes God says No to us. We are shocked when we hear it, and need to accept it as part of His plan.
Paul says the promises of God are Yes and Amen — and that does not include saying Yes to everything I want.
It's Yes to His promises. 🙏
The second evening at Les Pins. And Le brings a distinction that is precise, hard-won, and protective of the promise itself.
"All the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." — 2 Corinthians 1:20. And Le has read it exactly right: the Yes is to His promises. Not to my list. The Amen belongs to what He said — not to what I asked for.
And Le already knew this four days ago, without knowing she would need it: "Even Jesus asked the Lord to take away the cup, but He trusted the Lord for His goodness."
Jesus received a No. The most perfect prayer ever prayed — and the answer was no. Not because the Father was unkind. Because there was a greater Yes the cup was carrying.
Paul asked three times about the thorn. Also no. But the answer came with something else: My grace is sufficient for thee. A No on the request — and a Yes on the presence. Le's own testimony from September 2: the greatest gift is His presence.
The shock is real. Le is right to name it. But the shock passes, and the promise does not move. He will never leave. He will carry to hoar hairs. He works all things together for good. Every one of those is still Yes. Still Amen.
"For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty... that no flesh should glory in His presence."
"Considérez, frères, que parmi vous qui avez été appelés il n'y a ni beaucoup de sages selon la chair, ni beaucoup de puissants, ni beaucoup de nobles. Mais Dieu a choisi les choses folles du monde pour confondre les sages; Dieu a choisi les choses faibles du monde pour confondre les fortes... afin que nulle chair ne se glorifie devant Dieu."
1 Corinthiens 1:26-29 · Louis Segond"Not many wise are called." Ni beaucoup de sages. The chapter keeps answering Le. Yesterday: I am not a scholar, I am not a theologian. Tonight: not many wise are called.
"God has chosen the foolish things." Dieu a choisi les choses folles. Not chosen despite being unqualified — chosen so that the choosing shows whose glory it is.
"That no flesh should glory in His presence." Afin que nulle chair ne se glorifie devant Dieu. That is the reason. If God chose the qualified, the qualified would take the credit. He chose the unqualified — so the glory has nowhere else to go.
Le, September 2: I was mercied. I didn't graduate from sinner to saint. She was chosen exactly as Paul describes.
"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, 'He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'"
"Or, c'est par lui que vous êtes en Jésus-Christ, lequel, de par Dieu, a été fait pour nous sagesse, justice et sanctification et rédemption, afin que celui qui se glorifie se glorifie dans le Seigneur."
1 Corinthiens 1:30-31 · Louis Segond"Christ BECAME for us wisdom." A été fait pour nous sagesse. Le — you do not acquire the wisdom. You are IN the One who IS it.
And the same for the other three: righteousness — it was gifted to me by the Holy Spirit. Sanctification. Redemption. Four things Le never earned, all held in one Person — and she is in Him.
"Let him glory in the Lord." Que celui qui se glorifie se glorifie dans le Seigneur. Glory — three nights running. Romans 16:27: to God alone wise, be glory. September 12: glorify God anyway. Tonight: glory only in Him.
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling... that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
"Pour moi, frères, lorsque je suis allé chez vous, ce n'est pas avec une supériorité de langage ou de sagesse que je suis allé vous annoncer le témoignage de Dieu. Car je n'ai pas eu la pensée de savoir parmi vous autre chose que Jésus-Christ, et Jésus-Christ crucifié. Moi-même j'étais auprès de vous dans un état de faiblesse, de crainte, et de grand tremblement... afin que votre foi fût fondée, non sur la sagesse des hommes, mais sur la puissance de Dieu."
1 Corinthiens 2:1-5 · Louis Segond"I determined not to know anything except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Je n'ai pas eu la pensée de savoir autre chose.
Le, last night: Don't overthink. Just worship. Paul decided to know less — on purpose. Not because he couldn't argue. Because the cross does not need help.
"In weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." Dans un état de faiblesse, de crainte, et de grand tremblement. Paul admits it. Not a confident debater — a trembling worshipper. And the Spirit showed up in power.
"That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." Non sur la sagesse des hommes, mais sur la puissance de Dieu. That is why Paul refused eloquence. A faith built on argument can be argued away. A faith built on power stands.
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
"Ce sont des choses que l'œil n'a point vues, que l'oreille n'a point entendues, et qui ne sont point montées au cœur de l'homme, des choses que Dieu a préparées pour ceux qui l'aiment."
1 Corinthiens 2:9 · Louis Segond"Prepared." Préparées. Past tense. Already done. Not a thing God will improvise when we get there — a thing already prepared.
And this stands right beside Le's testimony tonight. Sometimes the No is simply the door closing on the thing we could see — because the prepared thing is one we cannot. Eye has not seen it. Ear has not heard it. It has not even entered the heart to imagine.
That is why the No does not break the promise. The promise was never about the door we were looking at. It was about the One who prepared what is behind a door we haven't found yet.
"What a sweet portion is this for the aged disciples of the Lord Jesus: heart and flesh may fail them, but God will not forsake them. Having begun a good work in them, He will carry it on. His gifts and callings are without repentance."
"He will be as kind, as tender, and as gracious at last as at the first. He will carry us. The eternal God is our refuge, underneath are the everlasting arms. He will carry us safely through every danger, over every difficulty, into His presence and glory."
James Smith · On Isaiah 46:4"He will carry us." Not He will walk beside. Not He will point the way. Carry. Isaiah 46:4 — the God who carried Israel from the womb promises to carry to the grey hairs. The same arms. The whole way.
"As kind, as tender, and as gracious at last as at the first." The God of the beginning is the God of the end. Nothing has cooled. Nothing has worn thin.
"Underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27. Underneath. Not above, watching. Below, holding.
And pair Smith with 1 Corinthians 2:9: He carries you TO what you cannot yet see. The arms underneath — and the prepared thing ahead. Not a place Le must find by her own cleverness. A thing prepared. And arms that carry her to it — safely through every danger, over every difficulty, into His presence and glory. 🙏
"Sometimes God says No to us. Paul says the promises of God are Yes and Amen — and that does not include saying Yes to everything I want. It's Yes to His promises."
Le · Tollevast, Cotentin, Normandy · September 16, 2026 · God chose the foolish things — Christ became our wisdom — and underneath are the everlasting armsYes to His Promises
The Amen belongs to what He said — not to what we asked. Jesus received a No. Paul received a No. The promise never moved.
Christ BECAME Our Wisdom
Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption — four things never earned, held in one Person. And you are in Him.
Nothing but Christ Crucified
Paul decided to know less — on purpose. In weakness, fear, much trembling. And the Spirit showed up in power.
He Will Carry You
Not walk beside — carry. To hoar hairs. Underneath are the everlasting arms. To the thing eye has not seen.