ESOCS Devotional 16 June 2026 – Wait For Your Time
MEMORY VERSE: “Then Jesus said unto them, my time is not yet come…” John 7:6
TEXT: JOHN 7:1-13
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” 12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
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Every vision, purpose, mission, and assignment under heaven will always require a waiting time. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” To jump out of the waiting time is to waste in life and destiny. Any egg that refuses to be incubated by the mother hen and decides to roll out cannot be hatched to become a cock or hen; neither can it be useful (eaten) as an egg; it becomes rotten and stinks, thus a waste.
The brethren of Jesus tried talking Him into showing Himself to the world, instead of secretly doing the wonders when it was not yet time: “His brethren therefore said unto him, depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world” (John 7:3-4). Notice that it was his brethren that championed this course, they were not strangers; these were people very close to him.
It is imperative we state here that most of the people that will talk you into a thing when it is not yet time are fellow brethren, church members, friend, and relatives. Church members must be very careful on how they lead others into temptation and forcing them into what God has not proposed for their life. There are instances where people have been encouraged by fellow members in church to open either their own ministry, church or branch; some of them give the assurance of joining them once they take the step. Some push themselves to the pulpit, prophetic platform or music podium. They often crash because they are called or it is not yet time to begin.
Jesus had a perfect understanding of this and their whole intention; hence, His reply: “… for my time is not yet full come” (John 7:5). The realization of when your time is fully come is one of the things that would enable you become patient, begin at the right time, and successfully fulfil your purpose in life. If you show up when it is not yet your time, the world will consume you. Don’t forget waiting time is not a waste of life.
Reflections
- Don’t be carried away by the songs of the sycophants around you.
- The voice of men in not always the voice of God; be guided.
Prayer
- Lord, thank you for opening my eyes to your word. Grant me the grace not to be in hurry.
- Give me the wisdom to discern and wait for my appointed time, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Further Reading: Exodus 12:37-end; 2 Kings 5:1-19; John 7:1-13; Revelation 12:1-6
ESOCS Devotional 16 June 2026
