Blessings Finding You

0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.160 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:06.360 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:09.040 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.760 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:00:11.800 --> 0:00:14.880 for God's very best in your life. God bless you. 0:00:15.000 --> 0:00:17.759 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:00:17.760 --> 0:00:20.080 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:00:20.120 --> 0:00:23.800 daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can 0:00:23.840 --> 0:00:25.880 come visit us in person. We'd love to have you 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:28.200 be a part of one of our services. But I'd 0:00:28.280 --> 0:00:30.720 like to start with something funny and I heard about 0:00:30.720 --> 0:00:33.920 this group of school children. They were in the cafeteria 0:00:34.040 --> 0:00:37.920 line at their Catholic elementary school. The start of the line, 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:40.720 there was a big bowl of apples. A nun had 0:00:40.720 --> 0:00:44.640 written a note. It said, take only one. God is watching. 0:00:45.440 --> 0:00:47.319 At the end of the line there was a big 0:00:47.360 --> 0:00:50.400 bowl of chocolate chip cookies. One of the children had 0:00:50.440 --> 0:00:53.480 written a note. It said take all you want. God 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:56.960 is watching. The apples. Say it like you mean it. 0:00:57.360 --> 0:01:00.280 This is my Bible. I am what it says. I am, 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:02.840 I have what it says I have, I can do 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:05.520 what it says I can do today. I will be 0:01:05.600 --> 0:01:09.520 taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind 0:01:09.640 --> 0:01:12.959 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:17.880 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:22.080 to talk to you today about blessings finding you. It's 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:25.320 easy to worry about the future. How can I accomplish 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:28.240 my dreams? And what if I don't get that good breaker, 0:01:28.480 --> 0:01:30.720 what if my health goes down or I don't meet 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:34.600 the right person. Creates all this pressure where we have 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:38.720 to make things happening. We live striving and straining, trying 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:41.640 to force this door to open, make this person like 0:01:41.760 --> 0:01:45.480 us turn this problem around. When Jesus was talking to 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:49.440 people like this in Matthew chapter six, they were very 0:01:49.480 --> 0:01:52.080 worried about the food, the clothing, how they were going 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:54.640 to make it. He said to them in verse thirty three, 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:59.320 don't worry about those things. Your heavenly Father knows all 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:03.040 that you need. He was saying, God has already planned 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:05.880 your future. He knows what it's going to take to 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:08.880 get you to your destiny. You're not doing life on 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:11.959 your own. It's not just up to you. The most time, 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:16.000 God is ordering your steps. And Jesus gave us the key. 0:02:16.080 --> 0:02:19.840 In verse thirty three, he said, seek first the Kingdom 0:02:19.840 --> 0:02:24.079 of God and his righteousness, and all these things will 0:02:24.080 --> 0:02:27.320 be added unto you. He was saying, in effect, you 0:02:27.360 --> 0:02:31.320 don't have to spend your life seeking the blessing, seeking provision, 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:35.480 seeking approval, seeking the right people. That's going to lead 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:39.040 to frustration. There's a better way to live. If you'll 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:43.000 seek God, then the blessings will seek you. There's a 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:47.200 reversal when you keep God first place. That takes the 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:49.919 pressure off. Now it's not up to you to make 0:02:49.960 --> 0:02:54.120 it all happen. That's God's responsibility. He will add all 0:02:54.160 --> 0:02:58.720 these things. But if we don't understand this, it brings stress, tension. 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:01.400 Hey man, I got to get his promotion and I 0:03:01.440 --> 0:03:03.480 got to win over this cowork. I got to fix 0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:06.880 this problem. And sure, we have to use our gifts, 0:03:07.200 --> 0:03:10.560 be determined, take steps of faith. But you don't have 0:03:10.639 --> 0:03:13.840 to live with that pressure. You can stay in peace 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:18.480 knowing that because you're honoring God, he's arranging the good breaks, 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:22.400 he's lining up the right people. He's scheduling the healing, 0:03:22.639 --> 0:03:25.880 the turnaround. You don't have to find it, it's gonna find. 0:03:25.960 --> 0:03:30.200 You don't spend your life chasing the blessing. Chase God, 0:03:30.560 --> 0:03:34.240 and the blessings will chase you. But I wonder how 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:39.560 many of us are trying to do God's job. We're striving, straining, manipulating, 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:43.560 or take the pressure off. Let God be God. He 0:03:43.680 --> 0:03:47.360 knows what's best for you. He's already written every day 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:50.640 of your life in his book. He knows what you need, 0:03:51.120 --> 0:03:54.080 who you need, when you need it, and how to 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:57.120 get it to you. He'll open doors that you could 0:03:57.160 --> 0:04:01.800 never open. He'll bring people you never imagine. He'll put 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:06.800 you in rooms where you weren't qualified, opportunity, resources, influences 0:04:07.120 --> 0:04:11.320 far beyond what you had in mind. God's dream for 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:15.320 your life is much bigger than your own. Where He's 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:19.600 taken you you could never accomplish by yourself. Just your 0:04:19.640 --> 0:04:24.000 own efforts, your talent, your hard work. That's all good. 0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:28.040 But God is going to add things that exceed your expectations, 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:31.880 that boggle your mind, that thrust you where no one 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:35.320 in your family has gone. And it says seek first 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:40.120 the Kingdom and his righteousness. That means his way of 0:04:40.200 --> 0:04:44.560 doing things. God's kingdom, in one sense, is opposite of 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:48.080 what we naturally think. He said to bless your enemies, 0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:51.000 be good to those that do you wrong. I don't 0:04:51.000 --> 0:04:53.960 want to bless them. I want to get revenged. Forgive 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:56.360 those that hurt you. I don't want to forgive. I 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:59.720 want to hold a gridge. No, seek first the kingdom. 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:02.440 If you want God to add, you have to do 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:06.960 it his way. It means walking by faith and not 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:10.760 by sight. You may have a situation where you don't 0:05:10.800 --> 0:05:14.320 see how it could work out. The odds are against you. 0:05:14.320 --> 0:05:18.320 You could be worried, discouraged. Instead, God, I don't see 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:20.880 a way, but I know you have a way. You 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:23.720 being for me is more than what's trying to stop me. 0:05:24.320 --> 0:05:28.680 That's seeking the kingdom. Being faithful at work, doing the 0:05:28.760 --> 0:05:33.039 right thing when no one is watching, Integrity, excellence, that's 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:38.120 God's way. Trusting when you don't understand a good attitude 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:41.280 when life's not fair, biting your tongue when you want 0:05:41.320 --> 0:05:45.440 to tell someone off, putting down your carnal desires. That's 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:49.720 not just being disciplined. That's seeking the kingdom. That's doing 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:53.440 it God's way. That's what puts you in position for 0:05:53.560 --> 0:05:57.120 God to add all these things. But sometimes we hear 0:05:57.160 --> 0:05:59.560 we need to seek God. We think, Okay, I got 0:05:59.560 --> 0:06:01.120 to pray to you two hours in the morning. I 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:02.560 got to read my Bible more. I got come to 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:04.920 church more. And that's all good. That's part of it. 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:09.680 But you can honor God in your everyday life, having 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:13.839 a faith filled attitude, treating people with respect, kind to 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:18.720 your family, being excellent at work. That's his righteousness. That's 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:22.080 God's way of doing things. When you live like that, 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:26.200 you are seeking God. That means blessings are seeking you. 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:29.880 We see this in the life of David. He was 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:33.039 a teenager out in the shepherd's fields taking care of 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:35.920 his father's sheep. He was the youngest of eight brothers, 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:39.400 and he got stuck with the leftover job out there 0:06:39.440 --> 0:06:43.760 in the desert, lonely, boring, no future to speak of. 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:48.720 And David had big dreams. He could sense the greatness 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:52.400 that God put in him. But he was at a disadvantage. 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:54.920 Some of his brothers were in the military, they had 0:06:54.960 --> 0:06:58.880 prestigious positions. Well, David could have slacked off and taken 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:01.560 the easy way out. I don't care about the sheep, 0:07:01.960 --> 0:07:05.080 big deal. If we lose a few, nobody's gonna know. Oh, 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:08.600 David was a person of excellence. He did the right 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:11.800 thing when no one was watching. He cared for those 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:15.160 sheep night and day, made sure they had food and water. 0:07:15.640 --> 0:07:18.880 He'd fight off wild animals, killed a lion and a 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:22.120 bear with his bare hands just to protect the sheep. 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:26.200 All that time that David was going to extra mile 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:30.080 doing the right thing when it was hard, being his best, 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:33.840 when he wasn't getting any credit. He wasn't just being 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:37.640 a good son, a good employee. He was honoring God. 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:41.440 That was a time of testing, a time of proving. 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:46.280 People may not be watching, but God is watching. Maybe 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:49.280 nobody is telling you. Thank you. You're not getting the 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:52.360 credit you deserve, but you keep doing the right thing. 0:07:53.000 --> 0:07:55.800 You keep showing up on time, doing more than you 0:07:55.880 --> 0:07:59.440 have to. People may not see it, but God sees it. 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:03.960 He's the one that matters. He's keeping the records. You're 0:08:04.000 --> 0:08:07.920 not just being faithful, you're seeking God. You're doing things 0:08:07.960 --> 0:08:11.520 his way. That's what puts you in position for him 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:14.920 to add all these things. Promotion doesn't come from people, 0:08:15.200 --> 0:08:19.160 It comes from the Lord. David kept a good attitude 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:24.160 in a difficult situation. He didn't complain. Get better. Out 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:26.840 in the fields is where he wrote some of the psalms. 0:08:27.400 --> 0:08:30.040 When he got up in the morning. He could have thought, oh, man, 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:33.840 another day with the stinking sheep. I'm so tired of 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:37.000 feeding them, cleaning up their ways. Why don't my brothers 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:39.600 have to help me. He had plenty of reasons to 0:08:39.679 --> 0:08:44.080 complain and live sour, but David made the decision he 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:47.480 was going to do things God's way. Maybe that's where 0:08:47.520 --> 0:08:49.960 he wrote song one eighteen, This is the day the 0:08:50.000 --> 0:08:52.920 Lord has made. I'm all rejoice and be glad in it. 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:56.720 Perhaps he wrote song five out there early in the morning, 0:08:56.880 --> 0:09:00.079 you will hear my song of praise. Maybe it was Songs' 0:09:00.120 --> 0:09:03.800 sixty three. Oh God, you are my God, and earnestly 0:09:04.080 --> 0:09:07.880 I seek after you. He had this attitude of praise, 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:13.000 thanksgiving right out in the desert when it was lonely, unfair, 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:15.720 when he didn't see a way out. But he's still 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:19.600 full of praise. He's still caring for the sheep with excellence. 0:09:19.960 --> 0:09:24.560 He's still being faithful and consistent. Well, David thought that 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:28.280 the shepherds feels were his destiny. In the natural, there 0:09:28.440 --> 0:09:32.280 wasn't any way out. But when you seek God, blessings 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:36.319 start seeking you. God will add things that you couldn't add. 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:38.960 He'll speak to people to be good to you that 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:43.080 you've never met. God told the prophet Samuel traveled to 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:45.679 the city of Bethlehem to the house of a man 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:49.000 named Jesse, for I've chosen one of his sons to 0:09:49.080 --> 0:09:52.439 be the next king of Israel. Here David is out 0:09:52.440 --> 0:09:57.319 in the fields, just minding his own business, another ordinary day, 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:02.359 being faithful, serving with excellence, doing more than what was required. 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.160 But as he was seeking God, what he couldn't see 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:10.680 was Samuel was seeking him. Something was headed his way 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:13.920 that would change the course of his life. Many of 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:17.840 you are like David. You go the extra mile. You 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:21.560 take care of your family with kindness and compassion. Even 0:10:21.600 --> 0:10:25.720 when you're tired, you still shine at work. You give 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:29.280 it your best. You serve at church, in your community, 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:32.800 always being a blessing. It may seem like your stock 0:10:33.480 --> 0:10:37.160 reached limits, no way to go higher. But God has 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:41.600 some blessings seeking you right now. Things you can't see, 0:10:41.880 --> 0:10:45.040 you couldn't plan. There was no sign of it. But 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:49.040 your Samuel is about to show up. Healing is pursuing you. 0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:54.280 The right person, the door opening, the breakthrough in your business. 0:10:54.520 --> 0:10:57.880 You couldn't find it. It's going to find you. Something 0:10:57.960 --> 0:11:02.199 better than you ever dream. God sees you doing the 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:06.400 right thing when it's hard. He sees your consistency day 0:11:06.480 --> 0:11:10.880 after day, being good to people, sacrificing your time and energy. 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:16.120 He sees you being excellent, staying holy and pure, refusing 0:11:16.160 --> 0:11:20.400 to compromise. God has a Samuel come in a surprise, 0:11:20.800 --> 0:11:25.480 something unexpected. Suddenly, the right person is knocking on your door. 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:28.880 That's not a lucky break, that's the blessing seeking you. 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:33.280 Because you're doing things God's way, his favor is going 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:37.480 to find you. Samuel showed up at Jesse's house, David's father, 0:11:37.600 --> 0:11:41.400 and asked to see the sons, and Jesse brought seven 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:44.280 of them out. Sam You'll looked at them, studied, No, 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:48.679 it's not any of these. Can imagine. He's a little confused, thought, 0:11:48.679 --> 0:11:50.679 did I come to the right house? Did I hear 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:54.600 God wrong? Jesse spoke up, said, I do have one 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:59.000 more son, but he's the youngest, he's small, he didn't 0:11:59.040 --> 0:12:02.360 have any experience. I'm sure it's not him. People may 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:05.800 discount you, try to make you feel like you're not enough. 0:12:06.480 --> 0:12:11.000 You're not tall enough, talented enough, attractive enough, funny enough. 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:14.480 The good news is you're not dependent on what people 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:18.400 think about you. They don't determine your destiny. They may 0:12:18.440 --> 0:12:21.240 push you down, but God knows how to lift you up. 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:24.959 They may overlook you, but God knows how to make 0:12:25.000 --> 0:12:28.320 you be seen. He'll promote you in front of the 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:31.400 people that are trying to discredit you. He'll prepare a 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:34.920 table in the presence of your enemies. Now quite worrying 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:37.800 about who's not for you? Who looks down on you? 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:41.480 Why won't they give me any credit? No, your time 0:12:41.600 --> 0:12:45.400 is coming, Samuel is on the way. You keep pursuing God, 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:49.760 doing things his way, and the blessings will chase you down. 0:12:50.360 --> 0:12:53.720 What you couldn't make happen will come to you. You 0:12:53.760 --> 0:12:58.080 didn't have to strain, manipulate. Force is going to fall 0:12:58.120 --> 0:13:02.480 into your hands. David wasn't out in the fields coming 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:05.680 up with a campaign strategy how he could get elected. 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:09.640 He didn't go to different villages passing out flowers, holding 0:13:09.720 --> 0:13:12.800 town halls making a case how he'd be a great king. 0:13:13.520 --> 0:13:16.640 He didn't go after the throne. He went after God, 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:23.359 faithfulness and excellence, integrity, praising, and the throne came to him. 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:26.439 You don't have to make it all happen, God said 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:30.800 all these things he will add. What God is about 0:13:30.800 --> 0:13:34.400 to add is something you didn't see coming. You didn't 0:13:34.400 --> 0:13:36.880 work for it, you didn't earn it, you didn't have 0:13:36.920 --> 0:13:40.880 the experience. It's the goodness of God thrusting you into 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:46.360 your purpose. Now here's the key. Stay consistent. Every day 0:13:46.400 --> 0:13:49.440 you do the right thing. Samuel is a little closer. 0:13:50.040 --> 0:13:53.840 You're passing the tesk. David had to prove to God 0:13:54.160 --> 0:13:56.840 that he would take care of those sheep before God 0:13:56.880 --> 0:13:59.760 would let him take care of his people. If he 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:02.880 had slacked off with the sheep and didn't keep them fed, 0:14:03.440 --> 0:14:07.240 let wild animals harm them, God would have never trusted 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:11.000 him to take care of the Israelites. Be your best 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:14.319 where you are. Don't wait for Samuel to show up. 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:17.439 Then you'll have a good attitude. Then you'll be faithful. 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:21.160 Then you'll let your talent shine. The way to honor 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:25.400 God is to shine where you are. Excel at your workplace. 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:29.840 Be compassionate with your family, Be generous with your time 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:33.160 and resources. Get up in the morning and thank God 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:37.040 for his goodness. Stay full of praise. That's seeking God 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:41.920 doing things his way. That's when blessings will come seeking you. 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.800 When I look back over my life. Many of the 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:49.120 important moments when I was thrust to a new level 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:52.280 weren't things that I was going after. I was simply 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:56.520 honoring God, like David, in the shepherd's field, so to speak, 0:14:56.720 --> 0:14:59.440 just being my best where I was, And suddenly the 0:14:59.440 --> 0:15:03.280 Samuel s showed up. In my early twenties, I went 0:15:03.320 --> 0:15:06.120 to a jewelry store to buy battery for my watch. 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:09.160 I walked in and here came Samuel walking. I mean, 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:12.760 here came Victoria walking towards me, the most beautiful girl 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:15.960 I'd ever seen. Now. I don't know if God spoke 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:18.480 to her to come wait on me, or she is 0:15:18.560 --> 0:15:22.360 just overwhelmed by my good looks, but she came right 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:25.600 over and started talking to me. I was there to 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:28.720 buy a battery for my watch. She ended up selling 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:31.360 me a whole new watch, and she's been taking my 0:15:31.440 --> 0:15:35.920 money ever since then. That was forty years ago. I 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:38.000 don't know how that can be. I'm only thirty nine, 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:43.080 but I could have never made that happen. But as 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:46.760 you honor God, he has the right people coming towards you. 0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:50.280 David said, I was young. Now I'm old, and I've 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:54.080 never once seen the righteous forsaken you don't have to 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:58.480 worry in make it all happen. Talk someone into liking you. 0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:02.400 Lower your staff because you may not meet anyone. No, 0:16:02.640 --> 0:16:05.920 keep honoring God and the right person will find you. 0:16:06.600 --> 0:16:10.120 Someone better than you can imagine that sees you as 0:16:10.160 --> 0:16:14.000 the gift that you are. They're already en route. Your 0:16:14.080 --> 0:16:17.240 steps and their steps are being ordered by the Lord. 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:21.920 What God has purpose, nothing can stop. One Sunday morning, 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:24.640 when my father was pastoring, I was running through the 0:16:24.640 --> 0:16:28.160 front lobby up the stairs to the TV area. Service 0:16:28.240 --> 0:16:31.080 was about to start. A man came around the corner 0:16:31.360 --> 0:16:35.000 and said, Joel, my cousin has a construction permit for 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:38.800 the last full power television station in Houston. He wants 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:41.360 you to have it. I never dreamed we'd have a 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:45.480 television station that wasn't even on my radar. I didn't 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:48.720 go after it. It came to me. We put the 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:52.680 station on the air. A few years later we sold it. 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:56.440 It was those funds that helped us renovate the Compact Center. 0:16:57.200 --> 0:16:59.880 God knows what you're going to need, and he knows 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:03.640 how to bring it to you. When my father passed, 0:17:03.880 --> 0:17:06.840 I was working behind the scenes. I never thought i'd 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:11.240 be a minister suddenly this door opened. I didn't pursue it. 0:17:11.480 --> 0:17:15.120 It pursued me. I was planning on doing television production 0:17:15.240 --> 0:17:18.000 the rest of my life. But God is going to 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:22.520 add things that surprise you, cause you to bloom and blossom. 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:26.240 He's put gifts in you that you haven't tapped into yet. 0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:30.520 A few years after i'd been pastoring, Victoria encouraged me 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:32.840 to write a book. Victoria, I don't know how to 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:35.119 write a book. I don't know what to say. I 0:17:35.119 --> 0:17:38.200 don't even know where to begin. But an executive from 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:41.560 one of the largest publishing companies in the world was 0:17:41.600 --> 0:17:44.879 walking to the subway in New York going home, and 0:17:44.920 --> 0:17:47.600 he saw my name on a sign. He didn't know 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:50.840 who I was. He'd never heard of me, but he 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:54.080 told me. Something told me that I was to sign 0:17:54.240 --> 0:17:57.080 you for a book deal. He went looked us up 0:17:57.119 --> 0:18:00.960 research it offered us a contract. I have books in 0:18:01.080 --> 0:18:04.040 many languages all over the world. I could have never 0:18:04.119 --> 0:18:08.000 made that happen. I couldn't have planned it. I couldn't 0:18:08.000 --> 0:18:10.200 have won his favorite didn't even know him. This was 0:18:10.240 --> 0:18:14.560 the hand of God causing blessings to see those who 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:17.399 seek him. One more, how about when we needed a 0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:21.359 larger auditorium. I was trying to build, but things kept 0:18:21.520 --> 0:18:24.880 falling through. Well, A friend called that I hadn't spoken 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:28.280 to in years, and he said, Joel, you need to 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:31.920 get the compact center. The Rockets basketball team is about 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:35.399 to move out. I didn't go after this building. I 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:38.600 didn't know anything about it. It came to us. What 0:18:38.640 --> 0:18:41.920 am I saying? You don't have to strive and strain 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:46.480 try to make everything happen. You're trying to do God's job. 0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:50.399 That's going to bring frustration. You don't have to figure 0:18:50.440 --> 0:18:54.000 it all out. Your job is to keep God first place, 0:18:54.560 --> 0:18:58.280 keep doing things his way. As you seek him. He's 0:18:58.320 --> 0:19:01.080 going to have the blessings seek you. The right people, 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:05.280 the contracts, the healing, the open doors is gonna track 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:09.359 you down. The scripture says no good thing will God 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:13.960 withhold When you walk up rightly. That's you. You're walking 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:18.440 up rightly. You're committed, faithful, being good to people. God 0:19:18.560 --> 0:19:21.720 is not going to withhold anything you need to get 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:26.119 you to your destiny. Samuel came and annointed to David 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:29.879 as king, a very powerful moment, but David didn't go 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:32.840 to the throne. He went back to the shepherd's fields. 0:19:33.280 --> 0:19:35.760 One day, his father asked him to take lunch to 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:38.960 his brothers that were in the army in another city. 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:42.679 David could have thought, Dad, I'm not an errand boy, 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:45.919 I'm not gonna take them lunch. That's beneath me. You 0:19:45.960 --> 0:19:49.040 saw him annoint me King. I made for bigger things 0:19:49.080 --> 0:19:52.920 than that. He could have dismissed it went on his way. 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:56.840 But David wasn't too big to do a small thing. 0:19:57.760 --> 0:20:01.119 He knew, as you're serving others, you are serving God. 0:20:02.040 --> 0:20:05.159 He took the lunch. That's when he heard Goliath tauning 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:10.680 the Israelites. As David walked in obedience in small things, 0:20:10.680 --> 0:20:14.040 in what seemed insignificant, it was leading him to a 0:20:14.080 --> 0:20:17.720 big thing. He would have never met Goliath had he 0:20:17.800 --> 0:20:20.720 not been faithful to do the simple task that his 0:20:20.800 --> 0:20:26.080 father asked. Don't discount small acts of obedience, doing simple 0:20:26.160 --> 0:20:29.520 things that may seem beneath you. Joe, I got more 0:20:29.560 --> 0:20:33.480 training than this. I'm more qualified, more experienced. Don't ask 0:20:33.560 --> 0:20:36.200 me to take care of the sheep. Find somebody else 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:39.119 to take them lunch. You don't know what's going to 0:20:39.200 --> 0:20:43.159 be waiting for you. There are some Goliath, some destiny 0:20:43.200 --> 0:20:47.679 moments that are hidden in small acts of obedience. I 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:50.439 used to pick out my father's suit and tie to 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:53.520 wear on television each Sunday. I'd go over to his 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:56.879 house every Saturday evening and I'd write it down he 0:20:56.920 --> 0:20:59.119 wore this and that, and keep the record. My mom 0:20:59.160 --> 0:21:02.360 would say, he's seventy years old, he can pick out 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:05.280 his own clothes. But I had seen what my father 0:21:05.320 --> 0:21:08.920 would wear. I wanted to look good, but I never 0:21:09.000 --> 0:21:11.680 dream one day I would be picking out a suit 0:21:11.720 --> 0:21:15.520 and tie for me to wear on television. Being obedient 0:21:15.680 --> 0:21:19.520 in small things is showing God he can trust you 0:21:19.640 --> 0:21:24.320 with big things. David took lunch to his brothers honoring 0:21:24.359 --> 0:21:27.919 God doing a small thing, and Goliath showed up a 0:21:27.960 --> 0:21:32.359 big thing that forever changed David's life, a destiny moment 0:21:32.640 --> 0:21:37.240 where he became a national hero. Hebrews says that God 0:21:37.359 --> 0:21:41.320 is a rewarder of those that diligently seek after him. 0:21:41.560 --> 0:21:45.680 When you're seeking after God doing things his way, then 0:21:45.720 --> 0:21:50.520 you're on God's payroll. He's a rewarder. He'll compensate you 0:21:51.119 --> 0:21:53.919 when you do a small act of obedience. There's a 0:21:53.960 --> 0:21:58.400 reward when you forgive someone that doesn't deserve it. God 0:21:58.440 --> 0:22:01.240 will reward you when you get up in the morning 0:22:01.280 --> 0:22:03.639 and take time to thank God for the day and 0:22:03.960 --> 0:22:08.360 acknowledge his goodness. There's a reward when you stay faithful 0:22:08.400 --> 0:22:12.920 in the shepherd's field obscurity not getting the credit, but 0:22:12.960 --> 0:22:17.040 you keep being your best. God sees that he'll compensate you, 0:22:17.640 --> 0:22:20.520 and God knows how to pay you like no one else. 0:22:21.119 --> 0:22:25.880 He'll pay you with joy and wisdom, good health, great relationships. 0:22:27.000 --> 0:22:30.280 Sometimes we're on the wrong payrolls, we're working for the 0:22:30.280 --> 0:22:35.520 wrong boss. Maybe we're self employed, working for ourselves. I 0:22:35.560 --> 0:22:39.800 gotta strive, I gotta strain, I gotta work this thing out. 0:22:40.280 --> 0:22:43.440 The problem is we don't pay well. You'll barely get 0:22:43.480 --> 0:22:47.320 minimum wage out of that. Or we're letting our circumstances 0:22:47.359 --> 0:22:51.439 be the boss frustrated by what's not changing, upset with 0:22:51.480 --> 0:22:55.040 the neighbor, trying to set them straight that doesn't pay well. 0:22:55.920 --> 0:23:00.000 Maybe we're letting our feelings dictate our mood. People's approved 0:23:00.760 --> 0:23:03.560 what they said. Would they left me out? They said 0:23:03.600 --> 0:23:06.520 I'm too small. I got to prove them wrong. No, 0:23:06.640 --> 0:23:09.639 you need to change payrolls. You need to turn in 0:23:09.680 --> 0:23:15.960 your resignation. No more letting stress fear people's opinion, jealousy, 0:23:16.400 --> 0:23:20.080 be your boss, get on God's pay wrong, start doing 0:23:20.119 --> 0:23:24.720 things his way, seeking first his kingdom. Have you seen it? 0:23:24.760 --> 0:23:27.320 The first of the year, there's this list of the 0:23:27.359 --> 0:23:32.680 best companies to work for. Some have great benefits, beautiful facilities, 0:23:33.240 --> 0:23:38.560 retirement packages, extended vacation. That's all nice, But nobody can 0:23:38.600 --> 0:23:41.960 pay you like God can pay you the best payroll 0:23:42.320 --> 0:23:44.920 you could ever be on this the most high gods. 0:23:45.600 --> 0:23:49.800 Not just material things. But how about paying you with peace, hell, 0:23:50.080 --> 0:23:54.960 a sound mind? How about supernatural provision, protection and favor. 0:23:55.560 --> 0:23:58.080 I have to remind myself of this because it's easy 0:23:58.119 --> 0:24:01.760 to get on someone else's pay wrong, striving, trying to 0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:04.080 make this happening. Wonder what is gonna be like in 0:24:04.119 --> 0:24:06.080 ten years? How's this going to work out? What if 0:24:06.080 --> 0:24:10.120 that doesn't change? You can't control all that. Your future 0:24:10.280 --> 0:24:13.040 is in God's hands. You don't have to figure it 0:24:13.080 --> 0:24:15.800 all out. It's not up to you to get to 0:24:15.840 --> 0:24:19.000 your destiny, to open the right doors, to find the 0:24:19.080 --> 0:24:22.080 right people, to come up with the plan the strategy. 0:24:22.760 --> 0:24:26.440 Your job is to keep God first place, use your 0:24:26.480 --> 0:24:30.520 gifts and talents to honor him. Then he problemises he 0:24:30.560 --> 0:24:34.159 will add everything you need you don't have to add it. 0:24:34.520 --> 0:24:38.199 He's responsible to open the doors, bring the right people 0:24:38.640 --> 0:24:43.119 protect you. When you're on his payroll, you'll be well compensated. 0:24:43.600 --> 0:24:46.960 He'll take you further than you can imagine. But I 0:24:47.040 --> 0:24:50.960 wonder today if you need to change payrolls. Are you 0:24:51.119 --> 0:24:54.080 self employed trying to do it all on your own 0:24:54.240 --> 0:24:57.160 that's gonna wear you out. Are you trying to keep 0:24:57.200 --> 0:25:00.879 score outperform, prove who you are? You're going to go 0:25:00.960 --> 0:25:04.160 in debt. Dave Bremsey were here, he'd tell you, pay 0:25:04.200 --> 0:25:07.560 it off, get out of debt. That's dreaming the life 0:25:07.600 --> 0:25:11.000 out of you, trying to keep up with people's expectations, 0:25:11.440 --> 0:25:14.480 running a race you're not supposed to be in. David 0:25:14.520 --> 0:25:17.240 would have never made it to the throne if he'd 0:25:17.280 --> 0:25:19.800 been on the wrong pay wrong out in the fields. 0:25:19.800 --> 0:25:23.479 If he is bitter, competing with his brothers, trying to 0:25:23.520 --> 0:25:26.280 prove to his father who he was, he'd been stocked. 0:25:26.680 --> 0:25:29.800 His attitude was, I'm gonna do it God's way. I'm 0:25:29.840 --> 0:25:34.160 gonna seek first his kingdom. He started the morning thanking God. 0:25:34.840 --> 0:25:38.920 He excelled where he was faithful in small things, good 0:25:38.920 --> 0:25:42.120 attitude day after day, excellent when no one was watching 0:25:42.760 --> 0:25:46.240 the right time. Payday came. God took him from the 0:25:46.280 --> 0:25:51.120 background to the foreground, from being discounted to being in charge. 0:25:51.720 --> 0:25:54.280 Now make sure you stay on the right pay wrong, 0:25:54.800 --> 0:25:59.680 do it God's way. No more straining, striving, worrying. You're 0:25:59.720 --> 0:26:03.879 trying to do God's job. Take the pressure off. Today 0:26:03.920 --> 0:26:07.520 can be a turning point. Do your best and then rest. 0:26:07.920 --> 0:26:11.480 Then God promised he will add all of these things. 0:26:11.680 --> 0:26:14.679 If you'll do this, I believe and declare life with 0:26:14.840 --> 0:26:18.439 David Samuel is about to come looking for you. Things 0:26:18.440 --> 0:26:23.160 you couldn't make happen, good breaks, the right people, healing, freedom, 0:26:23.440 --> 0:26:27.840 the fullness of your destiny in Jesus's name, and if 0:26:27.880 --> 0:26:32.119 you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to 0:26:32.119 --> 0:26:34.840 give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of 0:26:34.880 --> 0:26:38.560 your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:26:39.359 --> 0:26:43.480 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:26:43.640 --> 0:26:46.960 make you my Lord and savior. If you've prayed that 0:26:47.040 --> 0:26:50.000 simple prayer, we believe you got born again and we'd 0:26:50.000 --> 0:26:52.480 love to send you some free information on your new 0:26:52.520 --> 0:26:54.840 walk with the Lord. You can text the number on 0:26:54.880 --> 0:26:57.600 the screen or go to the website. But I hope 0:26:57.640 --> 0:27:00.640 you'll get into a good Bible based church and keep 0:27:00.680 --> 0:27:05.040 God first place. It's easy to feel stuck in life, 0:27:05.200 --> 0:27:08.800 wondering why things aren't changing and worrying if it'll ever happen. 0:27:09.200 --> 0:27:11.480 But there's a better way to wait. I'd love to 0:27:11.520 --> 0:27:14.800 send you my new resource called Pray It Forward. This 0:27:14.840 --> 0:27:17.480 book is a collection of prayers and promises from the 0:27:17.520 --> 0:27:21.159 Scripture to help you pray boldly to strengthen your faith 0:27:21.600 --> 0:27:24.080 and while you're waiting. It's important to keep your mind 0:27:24.160 --> 0:27:27.760 filled with hope and expectancy. When you pray in faith, 0:27:28.080 --> 0:27:31.040 believe in what God promised. That's what moves the hands 0:27:31.080 --> 0:27:34.159 of God, and that's when you'll see doors open, healing 0:27:34.240 --> 0:27:37.640 begins to come, breakthroughs in your family. Don't let doubt 0:27:37.640 --> 0:27:39.960 hold you back. Pray it Forward. 0:27:40.040 --> 0:27:42.359 As our way of saying thank you for your gift 0:27:42.400 --> 0:27:45.159 of any amount, we'd love to send you a copy 0:27:45.200 --> 0:27:48.919 of Pray It Forward. Guided prayers for faith and breakthrough, 0:27:49.320 --> 0:27:53.080 inspired by real life answered prayers. Pray It Forward will 0:27:53.119 --> 0:27:56.480 help you speak God's promises over your life and over 0:27:56.560 --> 0:28:00.000 the people you love, trusting that when you ask in faith, 0:28:00.520 --> 0:28:03.639 God is already at work preparing victory ahead. 0:28:03.640 --> 0:28:04.480 Of you. 0:28:04.480 --> 0:28:07.600 You can take these prayers and scriptures and pray them forward. 0:28:08.040 --> 0:28:11.280 They'll build a momentum of faith that carries you past 0:28:11.320 --> 0:28:15.680 obstacles and into the promises God has spoken over your life. 0:28:16.040 --> 0:28:19.280 As you meditate on these truths, you won't be tossed 0:28:19.359 --> 0:28:24.800 back and forth by finances, health challenges, or relationship struggles. Instead, 0:28:25.119 --> 0:28:28.159 you'll be able to boldly pray with faith that is 0:28:28.160 --> 0:28:32.800 immovable and strong, and you'll be filled with peace, assurance, 0:28:33.040 --> 0:28:37.600 and joy. Don't let circumstances control your future. Pray the 0:28:37.680 --> 0:28:41.000 truth of God's word forward and faith, and watch the 0:28:41.080 --> 0:28:43.760 mountains in your life begin to move. 0:28:44.160 --> 0:28:47.080 When you pray the promises what God has spoken over 0:28:47.160 --> 0:28:50.320 your life. Those are powerful prayers, and that's when God 0:28:50.400 --> 0:28:53.320 shows up and does what only he can do. Thanks 0:28:53.360 --> 0:28:55.960 so much for being with us between. I pray for 0:28:56.080 --> 0:28:59.200 you and your family every day, and we appreciate your 0:28:59.240 --> 0:29:03.200 prayer and your generosity helps us take this message of 0:29:03.240 --> 0:29:06.320 hope to people around the world. Now special thank you 0:29:06.400 --> 0:29:08.800 to our champion of hope partners for all you do 0:29:08.920 --> 0:29:11.760 to make the ministry possible. If you're not a partner, 0:29:11.880 --> 0:29:14.680 I hope you'll consider becoming one. But until we meet 0:29:14.680 --> 0:29:17.160 again meid the Lord bless you and keep you. 0:29:18.040 --> 0:29:20.920 Be sure to request your copy of Pray It Forward 0:29:21.160 --> 0:29:25.120 Guided Prayers for Faith and Breakthrough, available this month by 0:29:25.160 --> 0:29:29.080 simply visiting us at Joelosteing dot com or call eight 0:29:29.120 --> 0:29:32.880 eight eight five six seven Joel. You can also receive 0:29:33.000 --> 0:29:36.600 the Pray It Forward Companion prayer journal, designed to help 0:29:36.640 --> 0:29:40.760 you engage in scripture, personalize faith filled prayers, and put 0:29:40.800 --> 0:29:44.640 God's promises into action. With an additional gift, you can 0:29:44.680 --> 0:29:48.560 receive the Pray It Forward Prayers Essential Collection that centers 0:29:48.600 --> 0:29:52.160 around a prayer bowl with scripture cards designed to help 0:29:52.200 --> 0:29:55.400 you physically release what's been weighing on your heart. This 0:29:55.560 --> 0:29:59.520 collection creates a powerful prayer rhythm for your life, helping 0:29:59.520 --> 0:30:03.600 you folks your thoughts, speak God's word boldly, and stay 0:30:03.680 --> 0:30:07.400 anchored in hope when circumstances try to shake you. You 0:30:07.480 --> 0:30:11.360 can request these inspiring resources by calling eight eight eight 0:30:11.640 --> 0:30:15.560 five six seven Joel or logging on to Joelostein dot 0:30:15.600 --> 0:30:19.400 com today call or click any time twenty four hours 0:30:19.440 --> 0:30:23.880 a day