Not Yet: Learning to Walk in the Timing of Heaven

Introduction

The world worships speed. From the moment we wake up, we are pressured to move faster, produce more, and never stop. We live under the tyranny of the urgent. But YHWH does not operate on man’s clock. His Spirit does not rush, does not panic, and does not scramble. The Ruach HaKodesh moves like a steady hand guiding history — never early, never late, but always on time.

This is why the words of Yeshua in John 2:4 have become an anchor for my soul:

“Yeshua said to her, ‘Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.’” (John 2:4, NKJV)

At the wedding in Cana, the wine had run out. To Mary, the moment was urgent, but Yeshua’s response was startling: “My hour has not yet come.” He was teaching us something most of us resist — the holy weight of not yet.

The Weight of “Not Yet”

“Not yet” is one of the hardest answers for us to accept. We want doors to open instantly, healing to manifest immediately, ministries and visions to be fulfilled on our schedule. But Yeshua shows us the difference between man’s urgency and Heaven’s timing.

The Greek word used in John 2:4 is hōra, meaning not just “hour” but an appointed season or divinely fixed moment. He was declaring that the Father had already set the precise moment for Him to act — and no human pressure could move Him off it.

This is not passivity. This is power under submission. Yeshua could have acted at once, but He would not step outside the Father’s kairos (the divinely chosen moment). And when the moment did come, water didn’t gradually turn into wine — it instantly became the best wine ever served.

That is the power of waiting on Heaven’s hour.

Rabbits Burn Out, Turtles Endure

Creation itself testifies to this truth. If you look closely, the rabbit and the turtle are living parables.

The Rabbit – Speed Without Endurance

Rabbits are frantic, darting creatures. Always running, always burning energy. In the wild, most survive only a year or two. They flash bright but fade quickly. This mirrors believers who cannot embrace “not yet” — sprinting into opportunities, panicking under pressure, exhausting themselves in the process.

Daniel warned of this tactic in the last days:

“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.” (Daniel 7:25, NKJV)

That word persecute carries the meaning of “wear down” or “wear out.” Satan’s strategy is to keep believers running until they collapse.

The Turtle – Steadfast Endurance

Now look at the turtle. It doesn’t panic or sprint. Step by step, slow in the eyes of the world, yet built for longevity. Box turtles live 40–50 years, sea turtles can reach 100, and giant tortoises often exceed 150 years. The turtle outlasts the rabbit every time.

This reflects Isaiah 40:31:

“But those who wait on YHWH shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”

The Hebrew word for “wait” is qavah — to bind together, to be entwined, to braid into YHWH’s timing. It is not passive sitting but patient endurance that strengthens.

This is not laziness or apathy. It is the pace of endurance — the turtle’s pace — that finishes the race.

The Parable Everyone Knows

Even man’s fables echo this truth. In The Tortoise and the Hare, the rabbit mocks the turtle, sprints ahead, and collapses in distraction. The turtle simply continues and wins.

Paul captured this same principle:

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24, NKJV)

And again:

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Yeshua, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1–2)

The race is not won by speed, but by endurance. The rabbit mistakes activity for victory. The turtle knows that faithfulness is what carries you across the finish line.

The Pattern of “Not Yet” in Scripture

Yeshua’s words at Cana were not isolated. Over and over, Scripture shows that Heaven sets divine appointments.

• Yeshua at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:6–8): His brothers pressed Him to go public, but He replied, “My time has not yet fully come.” Man’s timing is always open, but Heaven’s timing is exact.
• David Anointed but Not Yet King (1 Samuel 16, 26:11): Though anointed, David refused to seize Saul’s throne. He waited for YHWH’s promotion, not man’s opportunity.
• Habakkuk and the Vision (Habakkuk 2:3): The vision is “for an appointed time.” The Hebrew word moed — the same as YHWH’s feasts — means a set, divine appointment.
• Israel in the Wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2): Promised the land, but delayed until Egypt was stripped out of their hearts. 

Across every example, the thread is clear: Heaven’s timeline rules. “Not yet” is not denial — it is preparation, protection, and positioning.

False Urgency – The Enemy’s Trap

Satan cannot cancel YHWH’s purposes, but he can push us out of alignment through false urgency. Daniel foresaw this when he said the enemy would attempt to “change times” (Daniel 7:25). This is more than calendars — it is the manipulation of how we perceive time itself.

How False Urgency Manifests

1. Pressure to Perform – the lie that if you don’t release your ministry or message now, you’ve failed Elohim.
2. Fear of Missing Out – the thought that if you don’t seize every opportunity, you’ll be left behind.
3. Confusing Deadlines with Kairos – man’s deadlines scream “hurry,” but Heaven’s kairos is fixed.
4. Noise and Distraction – endless news, prophecies, and headlines that spin you in circles but bear no fruit.

Paul warned the Thessalonians against this:

“We ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled… as though the day of Messiah had come. Let no one deceive you by any means.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–3, NKJV)

False urgency produces chaos. True steadfastness produces clarity.

The Sabbath – Heaven’s Answer to Urgency

YHWH built an antidote into creation: the Sabbath. Every seventh day is His command to stop, rest, and remember who runs the universe. Sabbath destroys false urgency by teaching us that even when we cease, His purposes continue.

This is why satan hates Sabbath rest — because those who know how to wait cannot be manipulated.

The Freedom of “Not Yet”

When YHWH says “not yet,” it is not rejection. It is mercy. It is protection. It is preparation. It is positioning.

• Waiting Protects – Sometimes “not yet” shields you from an assignment that would crush you too soon. (Psalm 31:15)
• Waiting Prepares – Yeshua spent 30 years in obscurity before 3 years of ministry. Paul disappeared to Arabia before writing epistles. Moses lived 40 years in the desert before leading Israel out. Preparation seasons are where roots grow deep.
• Waiting Positions – Esther was placed in the palace long before her kairos moment. “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Embracing “not yet” brings freedom:

• Freedom from comparison.
• Freedom from striving.
• Freedom from fear.
• Freedom from burnout.

Paul declared:

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Yeshua Messiah.” (Philippians 1:6, NKJV)

Completion is guaranteed.

A Charge to the Remnant

This word is not for the complacent. It is for the remnant — the ones who burn to be found faithful. The Spirit of YHWH is saying:

Do not despise the turtle’s pace.

The world will mock you for moving too slow. Religious voices will pressure you to run ahead. False prophets will scream, “Hurry, hurry, or you’ll miss it!” But the Spirit says: “My hour has not yet come. Wait for Me. Walk with Me. Be anchored in My timing.”

Paul’s testimony was not that he ran the fastest, but that he finished:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7, NKJV)

The call is not to sprint and collapse but to endure and finish. The race belongs to those who never stop moving forward in obedience.

A Final Word of Warning and Hope

Do not let the enemy wear you out with false urgency. Do not let comparison rob your peace. Do not let distraction steal your focus.

Instead, embrace the holy weight of not yet. Bind yourself to YHWH’s timing. Trust that every delay is preparation. Believe that every pause is protection. Know that every waiting season is positioning you for maximum fruitfulness.

Because when Heaven’s hour finally strikes, it will not be gradual or late. It will come in an instant, bearing the mark of the Father’s glory.

Water will become wine. Promises will manifest. Visions will speak. And the remnant will be ready.

Conclusion

The Spirit does not run like a rabbit. He walks like a turtle. Slow in the eyes of the world, but steady. Unimpressive to man, but unstoppable in power.

The “not yet” is not the denial of your calling — it is the seal of Elohim over your assignment. He is shaping, strengthening, and aligning every detail so that when the moment comes, your obedience will bear eternal fruit.

So to the remnant: stay steadfast. Do not be shaken by urgency. Do not be deceived by speed. Do not grow weary in waiting.

Because the miracle is coming. And when it does, it will be better wine than anything poured before.

Trust the “not yet.”