Not Yet

 I recently came across a post with an intriguing question: how can you tell the difference between when God says ‘no’ and when he says ‘not yet’? This question flows from the popular saying that God’s response to prayer is either yes, no or not yet. I suppose, in the moment, you can’t, unless He clearly articulates it like he does to Paul when He makes it clear that He will not remove the thorn in Paul’s flesh. In most cases, however, we only know after the fact. It’s only when we look back at what we thought was rejection that we realize that it’s not that it wasn’t meant for us, it just wasn’t meant for us in that season of our lives.

I’m pretty sure Joseph was gutted to be forgotten when he clearly made his case to be remembered and freed. “’But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.’ The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him” (Genesis 40:14-15,23). In this moment, Joseph must have felt as though God had said ‘no’ to his request for freedom, but when the cupbearer remembered him two years later it became evident that it wasn’t a ‘no’.

God had said ‘not yet’ to his plea to be free two years prior because God didn’t want him to just be free, He wanted him to freely live out his dream. Had he been freed then, he would be a ‘free slave’ as he was, but in God’s good time, he was freed to be Pharaoh's second-in-charge. Joseph didn’t know this at the moment – it’s only when looking back that he realized that God purposely delayed his freedom. This is why he will later say to his brothers who sold him into slavery “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).

Joseph’s story teaches us that God’s delays are not without purpose, but they are so that the best possible result can be achieved. We must remember that God makes everything beautiful in its time. The beauty of the things God has planned for us is linked to the season in which we experience them. Consider the prodigal son. Having shares in an estate surely is a good thing, but experiencing his share outside of its rightful season was detrimental for this young man. Having his share of the estate during his season of immaturity made an ugly experience of a beautiful thing. Such is the case when we fail to heed to God’s ‘not yet’. We jump the gun and end up with an Ishmael who interrupts our laughter when Isaac finally comes.

"God has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:11 

I’ve had similar realizations of ‘not yet’ moments, one as recent as last week. After not hearing back from a particular institution, I concluded that I was rejected. I spent a long time trying to process my disappointment and was now at a place where I had accepted it. To my surprise, I got word that the entire process had been halted until the new year. I was in awe. It wasn’t a ‘no’, it was a perfect ‘not yet’ because while processing, I had realised that I would have struggled with this duty seeing how stretched I already was this year. God really knew best to say ‘not yet’.

It's a pity I need to be reminded every so often to trust God – to trust His ‘yes’, His ‘not yet’ and even His ‘no’. It’s a pity because His every ‘no’ has proven to be for my protection, His every ‘not yet’ for my growth, and His every ‘yes’ for my good and His glory. I pray I get better at trusting God’s every response to my prayers.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." 1 John 5:14