Today, we’ll look at how sometimes God says no or “not yet.” Saturday mornings are an excellent time for my daughter to bond as we cook breakfast together. She’s only two years old, so she is usually regulated to grabbing utensils and staring at me while I cook everything. She’s also on duty to make sure the cats don’t get too close and eat the cooked food we take out.
Jeremiah 1:5 — “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Something happens every week without fail. At some point during the process of cooking, my daughter comes up to me, grabs my leg, looks up at me with puppy dog eyes, and ask, “Is it done yet?” And I always have to tell her, ‘not yet’ every single time. It usually doesn’t go over well with her because she doesn’t want to wait. She can smell it, see it, and probably taste it. She knows that I’m currently cooking because I tell her what I’m doing, but she still has to ask, and I give her the same answer.
When God Says No
Sometimes I think this is how we treat God while He’s currently working out something for us. We can see it, feel it, and probably touch it. We’ve been working hard for “x” amount of time, and we are ready for whatever God has for us next, but God looks at us and says, “not yet.” And like my daughter, regardless of the answer, we can ask over and over again. And like the patient, loving father we know God to be, He doesn’t scold us or lash out in anger. He tells us, “not yet.”
I want to say that I’ve responded well in these situations, but that would be a lie.
I’ve lashed out and thrown temper tantrums just like my two-year-old daughter. I’ve tried to go ahead and make things happen through my strength and resources. It always failed because I was not ready, or maybe there was something else that needed to get resolved.
He Knows What’s Best
When my daughter is asking if the food is done, and she’s hungry, lashing out in anger, I could give her the half-cooked sausage or bacon and give her a stomach ache at the same time. But as her father, and loving parent, I know what’s best for her in this situation.
We need to exercise patience and faith that God knows best for us. The problem is we sometimes think we know better and want God to work within our timeline and plan. When God gives us a dream or vision, we like to exercise our modifications to His plan. You can imagine all the red marks over God’s plan for our lives because we think we know better. The scripture tells us that God knew when we were in our mother’s womb, and He’s ordered our footsteps.
Patience is also one of the Fruits of the Spirits (Gal. 5:22-23) that needs to be exercised.
So while you’re working, praying, and living life, don’t lose heart or give in to the frustration. Sometimes God’s saying ‘not yet’ and to ‘hold on a little bit longer.’ It may feel like a no or something harsh, but He’s only letting us know that He’s got it under control and to give Him a little bit more time.
Author: David
For more reading materials on How to Have Faith Even When God Says No, see below:
It is hard to remain patient when I think it’s time for God to do something, or act on my prayers. I’ve often thought myself to be patient, but frequently He needs to teach me to rely on him more, and to be willing to wait.
The year 2019 started off well for my wife and myself. We got to visit relatives in the Denver area in May, take our youngest two grandkids on a surprise trip to Great Wolf Lodge and “The North Pole” in June, and celebrate my 80th birthday in July. But August brought changes to our plans when I began experiencing weakness and fatigue. By mid November we knew my body was fighting cancer, and in December there was a nine- hour surgery to remove the cancerous tissue. It was not our plan for 2019.
Now I’m involved in aggressive radiation treatments for six weeks to (hopefully) eradicate any remaining cancer. After that I can expect a recovery period of from 6 weeks to six months. I’m ready for it to be done and to feel better, but He Knows Best. I still need to learn more patience. I guess this is a life-long lesson for me to learn. But I do believe his plans are better than mine. He only expects me to be obedient…. and patient!
Thanks for sharing your personal story GA hope & pray 2020 is a blessed year for u and family
Thanks much for the article. I’m not going to get into particulars about my life here. I’ve found that works much better with a circle of intimate Christians, friends, and sometimes family. I just want to thank you for writing this and praise God for sitting me down to read it. It was what I needed for such a time as this so to speak. God’s spirit is here among us working, teaching, guiding, and protecting. We but need to acknowledge that and humble ourselves before Him. Eyes will be opening all over the place is what I believe if we, the Christian church just follow His guiding. Bye for now and God is blessing.