13 May Broken Hallelujah: When God’s “No” Is Still His Goodness
The Testimonies We Don’t Always Tell
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 NIV
We love stories that end in joy.
The kind where the waiting is rewarded, the prayer is answered, and the promise is fulfilled.
We celebrate the woman who finally had the baby, the man who finally got the job, and the couple who finally got married. And we should.
But what about the stories that don’t end that way?
What about the woman who never became a mother… and still found purpose?
What about the person whose long-awaited “yes” never came, yet they chose to stay faithful?
This is a reflection on both.
A story about hope fulfilled, and hope surrendered.
And how, in both, God is still good.
When the Movie Feels Like a Mirror: Watching “Broken Hallelujah”
A few weeks ago, I watched a Nigerian film called Broken Hallelujah. I’m a Nollywood girl through and through, so when I saw a new faith film from my favourite actresses, I had to tune in.
The story follows a woman who was barren for close to a decade. A faithful woman of God. A woman who loved the church, served alongside her husband in ministry, and built a beautiful life, except for the one thing her heart ached for: a child.
Year after year, she believed.
Year after year, nothing happened.
The movie beautifully portrayed the pain, the broken faith, the marital strain, and the quiet heartbreak of waiting on God for something so good, so deeply longed for. And then, God answered. Not just with one child, but triplets.
The ending was powerful. It was what we often call a “happy ending.”
And it was deeply moving.
But what happened the next day in class is what truly shifted something in me.
When the Prophecies Don’t Come True
In my Christian counselling class, my lecturer shared her personal testimony. Her story echoed the movie, but with a very different ending.
She, too, was barren for many years. She had received countless prophetic words about motherhood. One in particular stood out: a word that she would conceive a baby girl before the year ended.
So she planned. She believed. She took pregnancy tests month after month.
But by the end of the year… nothing.
And to make matters worse, she had gone up for prayer with three other women. All of them fell pregnant shortly after. Except her.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 NIV
Her hope became heavy. She grew bitter. Angry. She stopped going to church, stopped praying, and stopped serving.
And yet, God was still pursuing her.
The Divine Question That Demands a Response
As she processed the disappointment with the Lord, something unexpected happened. God asked her a question:
“Would you be willing to surrender this one thing you desire most, so you can become who I’ve truly called you to be?”
She couldn’t answer immediately.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24 NIV
To let go of something so precious—something so longed for—is no small ask. But eventually… she said yes, just like the disciples.
She let go—not of the desire completely—but of the expectation. She placed it on the altar. Not as a bargaining chip, but as a sacrifice of trust.
And in that surrender, God revealed her real assignment.
Called to Mother Nations
God had called her not just to mother one child, but to mother many. Through her work as a Christian counsellor, she began healing marriages, guiding women, leading hurting people to Jesus, and helping the broken find freedom.
“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child… because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord. Isaiah 54:1 NIV
She is now a spiritual mother to many. Her “yes” to God’s will bore fruit far beyond anything she could have imagined.
Her story reminded me that we serve a God who gives purpose, even when He doesn’t give us what we asked for.
Two Stories. One God. No Less Faithful.
So here I was, reflecting on these two stories
One ends with triplets.
One ends with a purpose beyond expectation.
And both are valid.
Both are beautiful.
Both are testimonies of a God who writes different endings for different people, but is never less faithful in any of them.
Do I Love God More Than the Thing I’m Praying For?
This reflection confronted me.
How many times have I measured God’s goodness based on what I received from Him?
How often do I come to Him with a prayer list, but not with the humility to ask:
“Lord, what do You want for my life?”
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 NIV
We love this verse. But “delight” doesn’t mean manipulating God into saying yes. It means coming so close to Him that His desires become our own.
That’s a harder kind of faith.
But it’s the one that sustains.
The Testimonies We Need to Hear More Of
I love the stories of “God did it!”
But we also need to hear:
“God didn’t do it the way I thought, but I trust Him anyway.”
These are the testimonies that anchor people. That disciple heart. That reminds us faith is not about outcomes, it’s about obedience.
Even if He does not… Daniel 3:18 NIV
This kind of faith isn’t built on the fire being quenched.
It’s built on the God who walks with us in it.
What If His “No” Is an Invitation Into Something Greater?
We must ask ourselves:
Are we surrendered enough to live out God’s story, even if it doesn’t look like our dream?
Because sometimes, the greatest act of faith isn’t waiting for the door to open.
It’s choosing to be content with where He’s placed you now.
Watch the Film + Reflect For Yourself
🎥 Watch Broken Hallelujah here: [https://youtu.be/modAD9y-9Tw?si=-VrcWl21_n78risE]
📖 Reflect on these questions:
What is one desire I’ve been struggling to surrender to God?
Have I asked Him what His desire is for my life?
Am I willing to follow, even if the path looks different from what I hoped?
Whether God gives us what we’re waiting for or calls us into something different, He is still good. Still faithful. Still enough.
Let’s build a faith that loves Him more than the things we’re asking Him for.
A faith that says, “Even if not… You are still worthy.”
Hi, I’m Chola Tshilanga! A passionate content creator and digital expert using her gift of writing to help others live a more intentional life in God while fulfilling their purpose, using God’s word as a compass.
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