When God Says Yes, But Not Yet: Trusting the Call in the Waiting
There is a holy tension in following Christ that every man eventually encounters. It’s the tension between knowing you’ve been called and not yet walking in what was promised. You can feel it in your bones — the certainty of God’s “yes” — yet you still wake up day after day in the “not yet.” This space is not a mistake. It’s not a punishment. It’s not God changing His mind. It is the place where God builds you. It is the place where He transforms calling into character and promise into preparation.
Our culture despises waiting. We stream, scroll, and swipe for instant gratification. We drive through for fast food, track packages in real time, and expect results at the push of a button. Without realizing it, we start to treat God like Amazon Prime — expecting His promises to arrive overnight. But the Kingdom of God does not operate on our timelines. It runs on His eternal wisdom. And when He says “yes” but “not yet,” He is doing something far deeper than giving us what we asked for. He’s making us into the kind of men who can steward what we’ve been promised.
This series, “When God Says Yes, But Not Yet: Trusting the Call in the Waiting,” will walk you through the four essential stages of living in this tension. You will see that waiting seasons are weight-training seasons. You will discover that every biblical hero — David, Joseph, Moses, Abraham, Sarah, even Jesus Himself — experienced years of obscurity before stepping into public assignment. They were not buried; they were planted. They were not forgotten; they were being formed. And the same God who prepared them is preparing you.
Throughout these four teachings you will learn how to recognize your call and the gap that follows it, why God makes us wait, how to avoid the traps and shortcuts that sabotage destiny, and how to live faithfully in the in-between so that when your appointed time arrives, you are ready in heart, mind, and spirit. Each part is designed to take you deep — not only into Scripture but into your own heart. You’ll be challenged to examine your motives, surrender your timelines, and cultivate habits that will carry you through seasons of silence and uncertainty.
Isaiah 40:31 says “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” In the Hebrew, “hope” carries the meaning of waiting with expectancy — stretching your heart toward God’s promise while staying rooted in His presence. This is the heartbeat of our time together. As you read, pray, and reflect on each teaching, let the Holy Spirit renew your strength, deepen your roots, and anchor your faith.
The men who thrive in their calling are not the ones who race ahead. They are the ones who stay close to Jesus, who refuse shortcuts, who embrace preparation as part of their destiny. This series will call you to be one of those men. To trust God when you can’t see the outcome. To be faithful when no one is watching. To live as if the waiting is holy ground, because it is.
As you step into this teaching, open your heart to the possibility that your waiting is not wasted. Ask God to speak to you in the hidden places, to show you what He is forming in you, and to give you courage to stay steady until His appointed time. Because when God says “yes” but “not yet,” He is not holding out on you. He is holding you close, shaping you into someone who will not only receive the promise but carry it with integrity and strength.
Written by Daniel Glasco. Editorial assistance utilized where helpful.
