13 Sept 2026
When God says "not yet" | Esther 5
Welcome to Be Bold for Jesus Ministries
Our mission is to equip believers to live boldly for Christ with discernment, obedience, and unwavering trust in God, especially during seasons of waiting, uncertainty, and unanswered questions. Led by Lee Arnold and Jaclyn Arnold, Be Bold for Jesus Ministries teaches God's Word with clarity and conviction, helping believers trust God's timing even when His plan isn't yet visible.
Today's Message
“When God Says, ‘NOT YET’”
What Is God Doing While You Wait?
Lee Arnold Live
Scripture: Esther 5:1-14
Have you ever known exactly what God wanted you to do, yet felt like the timing wasn't right?
Esther found herself in precisely that situation.
After three days of fasting and prayer, Esther courageously walked into the king's court, risking her life to save her people. She had prepared. She had prayed. She had committed herself fully to God's purpose.
The king extended the golden scepter.
The door was open.
The opportunity had arrived.
Yet surprisingly, Esther didn't immediately make her request. Twice the king asked what she wanted. Twice Esther waited.
Why?
Because sometimes faith means moving forward.
And sometimes faith means waiting for God's perfect timing.
What Esther couldn't see was that while she was waiting, God was working behind the scenes, arranging circumstances that would change everything.
Key Takeaways
• Faith requires both courage and patience
• Obedience means trusting God's timing, not just His direction
• While you are waiting, God is working
• God's silence does not mean God's absence
• Wisdom knows the difference between waiting and fear
• Bitterness can blind us to God's blessings
• Pride prepares its own destruction
• Humility invites God's favor
• We are responsible for obedience, not outcomes
• God is always working behind the scenes, even when we cannot see it
Today's Reminder
Esther couldn't control the king.
She couldn't control the scepter.
She couldn't control the outcome.
She could only control her obedience.
Sometimes that's exactly where God calls us to live.
There comes a point when you've prayed.
You've prepared.
You've sought wise counsel.
You've searched the Scriptures.
And then you simply trust God with what only He can do.
But there's another challenge:
Sometimes God says, "Not yet."
And waiting can be just as difficult as stepping out in faith.
The danger is assuming that because we don't see movement, nothing is happening.
But Esther chapter 5 reminds us:
While You Are Waiting, God Is Working.
Esther couldn't see what God was preparing.
Mordecai couldn't see it.
Haman certainly couldn't see it.
But God was arranging every detail perfectly.
Three Powerful Lessons from Esther 5
1. Courage Takes the First Step
Esther entered the king's court despite the risk.
Faith does what God asks us to do and trusts God with the results.
2. While You Are Waiting, God Is Working
Sometimes God's answer is not "No."
Sometimes it's simply:
"Not yet."
God's timing is often accomplishing things we cannot see.
3. Pride and Bitterness Are Dangerous
Haman had wealth, power, influence, and privilege.
Yet one man robbed him of all his joy.
Bitterness magnified the one thing wrong in his life until he lost sight of everything that was right.
Questions for Reflection
• Is God calling me to GO, but I've been calling fear "patience"?
• Is God calling me to WAIT, but I'm trying to force my own timing?
• Is there a "Mordecai" in my life that I'm allowing to steal my joy?
• Have pride or bitterness taken root in my heart?
• Am I trusting God's timing as much as I trust His promises?
