When God Says ‘Not Yet’

But Joseph said to his brothers, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:19–20

This is a powerful statement, made by a man whose own brothers sold him into slavery, who was punished for a crime he did not commit, and who was ultimately left to rot in prison for years. Throughout Joseph’s story, there are multiple moments when it feels like God is about to rescue him, about to pull him out of trouble, only for Joseph to fall into an even deeper place of despair.

While imprisoned and completely innocent, Joseph interprets the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants, clearly giving God all the glory: “Interpreting dreams is God’s business.” One of those men is released from prison just as Joseph said he would be, yet he forgets Joseph entirely. Not for a few days or weeks, but for TWO more years… So how is Joseph able, years later, to speak so confidently about the goodness of God that resulted from such deep suffering?

I want to share a story of my own, one that reflects how God shows up for us in much the same way He showed up for Joseph. Often, it’s not in the way we expect, and rarely on the timeline we want. Several years ago, Jason and I were in the middle of our first custody battle with his ex-wife. It had been grueling to get as far as we had, but we finally reached what looked like a hopeful agreement, one that would bring the kids closer to us and simplify the chaos and constant travel that defined the early years of our marriage.

We were prepared to move forward, agreeing to all the conditions (even some that felt incredibly imbalanced) because we believed the benefits would outweigh our concerns. Around that same time, I was driving and listening to a sermon by Andy Stanley called “Pay Attention to the Tension.” He encouraged listeners to pause and examine feelings of unease or internal “red flags” before making decisions. As I listened, the tension I had been suppressing suddenly spoke loudly. I had genuine fears about some of the parameters we were being asked to accept and how they could impact our very new marriage. Yes, it was incredibly important to create stability and peace for the kids, but we couldn’t do that effectively if our own relationship became disconnected or conflicted.

I shared the sermon and my concerns with Jason, and we prayed. It’s hard to fully explain the complexity of the decision we were facing, but we truly believed the kids needed to be closer to us, especially given the violence they were experiencing away from our home. Yet in prayer, God clearly guided us not to move forward. He assured us of His presence and grace, but He made it clear: it was not yet time. Friends, that decision was incredibly hard.

When we told our attorney we couldn’t agree to the final piece of the negotiation, she actually paused and asked me to stop talking so she could confirm directly with Jason that this was what he truly wanted. It meant the kids would not move closer. They wouldn’t be in our school system. And our already chaotic schedules would continue for an unknown length of time.

But in that decision, God moved in unexpected ways. He normalized schedules, created healthier rhythms, and gave us more meaningful time with both the kids and each other. He also established boundaries that helped protect us from the constant instability we had been navigating. Three years later, as the unhealthy situation continued for the kids, we returned to court. It was no easier than the first time, but during those three years, our marriage had grown stronger. We had leaned into both personal and marital counseling and continued growing closer to God and to one another. And then God moved—in His time. As a result, so much good came from the time before, during, and after we were finally awarded full custody.

I wish I could say those years were easy, but they weren’t. There were significant challenges for all of us, including the kids. But there was also growth… growth in faith, in maturity, and in our ability to parent from a place of health and unity. God used that waiting to prepare us for the responsibility He was about to entrust to us. I imagine Joseph in a similar way, knowing he had faithfully interpreted both servants’ dreams, watching one of them walk free, and then waiting… and waiting… two more years…seven hundred and thirty days in a prison cell, with nothing to do but either lean away from God, or lean into Him.

So when Joseph is finally called before Pharaoh and asked to interpret his dreams, his response is simple and humble: “It is beyond my power to do this, but God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.” From that moment, Joseph becomes second-in-command in all of Egypt. He flourishes as a leader and is eventually reunited with the very brothers who betrayed him. And instead of responding with anger or revenge, he declares, “What you intended for evil, God intended for good.”

Friends, God is good, All the time. And All the time, God is good. He rarely works on our timeline, but He always works on the right one. We may not understand His delays, but we can trust His heart. We can lean into Him, commit to obedience, and allow growth to happen in the waiting. Sometimes we get the gift of seeing why God waited. Other times, it may never fully make sense to us. But this I know: God is always at work behind the scenes… for our good and for the gift of eternity He has promised us.