Night Seasons

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It's time 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:02.200 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:04.840 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:07.119 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:01:07.120 --> 0:01:10.280 and career. Make it count with Purdue Global Produce Online 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:14.920 University for working adults. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:28.360 --> 0:01:30.840 Well, God bless you, and it's a joy to come 0:01:30.840 --> 0:01:33.600 into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, 0:01:33.680 --> 0:01:36.560 please stop by be a part of one of our services. 0:01:36.720 --> 0:01:39.119 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:42.240 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:45.280 about this pastor. He found a dead mule on the 0:01:45.400 --> 0:01:48.640 church grounds. He called the health department and they said 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:52.680 they couldn't pick it up without authorization from the mayor. Well, 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:55.160 the mayor was known to be rude and hard to 0:01:55.160 --> 0:01:58.640 get along with. When the pastor called, the mayor didn't 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:02.600 disappoint He started at ranning and raving. Finally said, why 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:05.280 are you even calling me? Isn't it your job to 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:09.160 bury the dead? The pastor asked God for the right response. 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:12.040 He said, yes, Mayor, it is my job to bury 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:15.000 the dead. But I always like to notify the next 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:19.240 of ken. First, say it like you mean it. This 0:02:19.360 --> 0:02:21.880 is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:24.640 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:24.800 --> 0:02:27.200 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:31.040 taught the word of God. I'll boldly confess. My mind 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:34.240 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:34.320 --> 0:02:39.160 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:42.639 to talk to you today about night seasons. We all 0:02:42.680 --> 0:02:46.680 go through times that we don't understand. We're praying and believing, 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:50.320 but our health isn't improving, our finances haven't turned around. 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:55.120 We still haven't met the right person. We can feel alone, forgotten, 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:58.519 like it's never going to change. It's a night season 0:03:00.000 --> 0:03:03.880 eight seasons. You can't see what God is doing, doesn't 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:07.800 look like anything is happening, But God is working behind 0:03:07.840 --> 0:03:11.639 the scenes. He does his greatest work in the dark. 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:15.440 We don't see anything changing. We're still dealing with the 0:03:15.480 --> 0:03:20.040 same problem. But God hasn't forgotten about you. In the 0:03:20.120 --> 0:03:24.000 dark times, when life feels unfair, you have to remind 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:28.280 yourself that God is still in control. Just because you 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:31.960 don't see anything doesn't mean that God is not working. 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:35.800 He doesn't always show you what he's up to, and 0:03:35.880 --> 0:03:38.240 it's easy to trust him when you're getting good breaks, 0:03:38.400 --> 0:03:41.120 things are going great, but you have to learn to 0:03:41.160 --> 0:03:44.880 trust him in the night seasons, when things aren't going 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:48.720 your way. You don't see anything happening. The heroes of 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:52.440 faith all went through these night seasons. David, as a 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:56.640 young man, defeated Goliath. It was a great victory. But 0:03:56.800 --> 0:04:01.080 after that he spent years running from King Saul, having 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:04.880 to hide in caves, sleep in the desert. I'm sure 0:04:04.960 --> 0:04:08.400 he prayed God delivered me from Saul. This is not right, 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:12.320 but it was like the heavens were silent. God didn't 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:16.200 change it. Saul was wrong. It was unfair to David. 0:04:16.800 --> 0:04:20.320 But the night seasons are a time of testing, a 0:04:20.400 --> 0:04:24.720 time of proving. Are we going to get negative, live discouraged, 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:28.240 or are we going to say? God, I don't understand it. 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:31.400 It's not fair, but I trust you. I know you're 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:33.920 not just the god of the daytime, but you're the 0:04:33.920 --> 0:04:38.320 God of the night seasons. In the scripture, Ruth lost 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:41.279 her husband at an early age. He was killed in 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:46.080 a battle. She was devastated, heartbroken. She could have given 0:04:46.160 --> 0:04:50.039 up on life, lived in self pity, but she understood 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:54.359 this principle. The night seasons are not the end. The 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:58.839 bad breaks, the disappointments, the loss, the sickness, that's simply 0:04:58.960 --> 0:05:03.400 another step on the way to your destiny. The Psalmist said, 0:05:03.760 --> 0:05:07.800 weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:12.279 the morning. Your story doesn't end in the night. The 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:18.200 night is temporary, The sickness is temporary, the loneliness temporary. 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:22.520 That addiction, it's only temporary. Ruth went on to meet 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:26.240 another man. They fell in love, got married, had a baby. 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:30.799 Her story didn't end in the dark. When things aren't 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:34.000 working out, you feel like you're going the wrong direction. 0:05:34.360 --> 0:05:38.279 God's not changing it. Don't get discouraged. It's just a 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:42.760 night season. It's not permanent. It's not how your story ends. 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:47.279 You may not see anything happening, but God is at work. 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:51.760 Dare to trust him. Keep moving forward in faith, keep believing. 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:54.800 It's just a matter of time before the morning breaks. 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:59.400 Forth Job went through a night's season. Everything was going great. 0:05:59.839 --> 0:06:03.920 He was happy, healthy, successful, and life took a sudden 0:06:04.000 --> 0:06:07.960 turn out of nowhere. He came down with an illness 0:06:08.000 --> 0:06:11.599 and had bulls all over his body. It's very painful. 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:16.000 He lost his business, lost his family. His whole world 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:20.360 was turned upside down. And what's interesting is Job was 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:23.599 a good man. He loved God. He was a person 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:27.599 of excellence and integrity. This would make more sense if 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:32.000 he was a compromiser, making wrong choices, not honoring God. 0:06:32.520 --> 0:06:36.039 But the scripture says rain falls on the just and 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:40.520 the unjust. Just because you're a good person doesn't mean 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:43.800 you're not going to have some night seasons. And you 0:06:43.880 --> 0:06:47.600 may be in a difficult time now, it doesn't necessarily 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:51.160 mean you've done something wrong. God's not pleased with you. 0:06:51.160 --> 0:06:54.440 You don't have his favor. It's just life. You're getting 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:59.440 some rain. Without the rain, we couldn't grow. God wouldn't 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:01.839 have allowed that if it was going to keep you 0:07:01.920 --> 0:07:05.159 from your destiny. He has you in the palm of 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:09.480 his hand. He's closely watching you. You may feel like 0:07:09.520 --> 0:07:13.440 you're in the fire, but God controls the thermostat. He 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.200 won't let it be more than you can handle it. Now, 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:18.840 quit telling yourself. I'll never make it through this, Joe, 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:22.800 I'll never get well, never accomplish my dream. Now, it's 0:07:22.920 --> 0:07:25.920 just a night season. It's not a surprise to God. 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:30.760 He already has the solution. The breakthrough is headed your way. 0:07:31.160 --> 0:07:33.480 But Job did what many of us do in the 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:38.080 difficult times. He focused on the problem, magnified what was wrong, 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:41.800 and let it overwhelm him. He said in chapter seven, 0:07:42.320 --> 0:07:46.560 I will never again experience pleasure. I have been assigned 0:07:46.600 --> 0:07:51.400 to long, weary nights of misery. He was saying, this 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:54.680 is permanent. This is how my story ends. I've been 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:58.960 assigned to nights of misery. We do an event called 0:07:58.960 --> 0:08:01.720 a night of hope. If Job would have been touring, 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:04.880 he would have called it a night of misery. Do 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:07.200 not make a light of what he faced, because it 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:11.000 was serious. But the mistake he made was thinking it 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:15.600 was permanent. What you're going through may be difficult, but 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:19.280 the good news is you are going through it. It's 0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:23.640 not your final destination. It's a night season, not a 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:28.600 night lifetime. In Job's darkest hour, when he was the 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:32.320 most discouraged, God said to him, I will fill your 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:35.880 mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:39.920 God was saying, Job, it looks bad. You don't understand it, 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:43.720 but don't worry. It's not permanent. It's just a season. 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:48.000 I'm about to fill your mouth with laughter. God is 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:51.319 saying to you what he said to Job. Life may 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:54.720 not have been fair, but you're not going to live discouraged, 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:59.800 overwhelmed by problems, burdened down by illnesses. Joy is coming, 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:04.600 Health is coming, breakthroughs are coming, Promotion is coming. God 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:08.400 is about to fill your mouth with laughter. That means 0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:13.120 God's going to do something so unusual, so extraordinary. You'll 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:16.560 be so amazed all you can do is laugh. Your 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:19.840 mourning is going to be turned to dancing. Your sorrow 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:23.360 turned to joy. This is what happened with Job. He 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:26.439 didn't just make it through the ninth season, but God 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:30.200 restored back to him double what he lost. He came 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:32.920 out with twice the cattle, twice, the sheep, twice, the 0:09:32.960 --> 0:09:36.920 business he felt twice as healthy. God always makes the 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:40.720 enemy pay for bringing the trouble. If you'll stay in faith, 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:43.560 you won't just come out, You will come out better 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:48.600 than you were before. The scripture says after this Job 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:52.679 lived one hundred and forty years and saw four generations. 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:56.640 Then he died an old man, having lived a long, 0:09:57.000 --> 0:10:00.240 good life. When we think of Job, we usually think 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:03.520 all the pain, all the suffering. The truth is that 0:10:03.720 --> 0:10:07.800 was just one season. You may be in a dark time, 0:10:08.080 --> 0:10:10.760 but like Job, you're going to come through it and 0:10:10.840 --> 0:10:14.760 still live a long, blessed life. It says after this 0:10:15.440 --> 0:10:18.320 job lived one hundred and forty years. After what after 0:10:18.360 --> 0:10:23.280 the ninth season? That means after the loss, after the disappointment, 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:26.880 after the divorce, after the sickness, there are still many 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:30.920 great days up ahead. My father went through a night season. 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:34.720 He was married at a very young age, and unfortunately 0:10:34.880 --> 0:10:39.040 the marriage didn't work out. He was devastated. He resigned 0:10:39.040 --> 0:10:43.000 from his church and got out of the ministry. Denominational 0:10:43.080 --> 0:10:46.880 leaders told him that he would never pastor again. People 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:50.520 said he was finished. The good news is people don't 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:56.600 determine your destiny. God does. Two years later he got 0:10:56.640 --> 0:10:59.960 back in the ministry and he ended up marrying my mother. 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:04.080 They had five children, were married for almost fifty years. 0:11:04.440 --> 0:11:08.280 Then they started Lakewood. He pastored here forty years, touching 0:11:08.320 --> 0:11:13.920 the world. This all happened after the divorce, after the disappointment. 0:11:14.520 --> 0:11:17.080 He thought that would sour the rest of his life, 0:11:17.480 --> 0:11:20.160 but it was just a season. He went on to 0:11:20.200 --> 0:11:23.800 live a long, blessed, faith filled life. Don't let the 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:27.160 night seasons convince you that you've seen your best days. 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.680 You wouldn't be alive unless God had something amazing up 0:11:30.720 --> 0:11:34.040 in front of you. But in the dark times, it's 0:11:34.040 --> 0:11:37.200 easy to talk about the difficulties, talk about how bad 0:11:37.240 --> 0:11:41.400 life is treating us like job, exaggerate our problems. All 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:44.199 that's going to do is make you more discourage, more defeated. 0:11:44.360 --> 0:11:48.199 Take your joy instead of complaining. One of the best 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:51.960 things you can say is all is well. When you 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:54.960 say all is well, what you're really saying is God 0:11:55.000 --> 0:12:00.160 it's still on the throne. I'm not going to live upset, bitter, guilty, 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:03.600 being a night season, but I know this too shall pass. 0:12:03.960 --> 0:12:07.400 All is well. Somebody says, well, I thought the medical 0:12:07.440 --> 0:12:10.880 report wasn't good. Yes, that's true, but all is well. 0:12:11.200 --> 0:12:14.480 God is restoring health back into me. Your child is 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:17.760 still of course, yes, but I'm not worried. All is well. 0:12:17.880 --> 0:12:21.720 As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joel. 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:24.760 How can you say all is well when you went 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:27.880 through a breakup, you lost a loved one, you still 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:30.840 haven't met the right person. The way you can say 0:12:30.840 --> 0:12:35.160 it is because you know the night season is only temporary. 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:38.920 You know joy is coming, you know what was meant 0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:41.960 for harm. God is turning to your advantage. You know 0:12:42.160 --> 0:12:46.160 after this is a long, blessed, faith filled life. Now, 0:12:46.480 --> 0:12:51.080 don't talk yourself into being miserable. We all have night seasons, 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:54.800 things we don't understand. Keep a report of victory coming 0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:57.800 out of your mouth. If you're going to magnify something, 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:02.840 don't magnify your problems. Magnify your God. Talk about his greatness, 0:13:02.880 --> 0:13:07.520 talk about his favor. And yes, you may have big challenges, 0:13:07.679 --> 0:13:09.920 but can I tell you we serve a big God. 0:13:10.800 --> 0:13:14.760 The sickness may seem impossible. God can do the impossible. 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:19.240 That obstacle may look permanent. One touch of God's favor 0:13:19.400 --> 0:13:23.360 will thrust you to a next level. Quit worrying. God 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:27.680 is saying all is well in your finances, all is 0:13:27.720 --> 0:13:31.720 well in your health, all is well in your family, 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:35.640 all is well. It may be night right now, but 0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:39.080 morning is coming. You're going to see what God was 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:43.160 doing behind the scenes. And every day you stay in faith, 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:47.240 every day you keep a good attitude despite the darkness, 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:50.959 you are passing the test. That night's season will come 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:55.240 to an end. The Psalm is said, when darkness overtakes 0:13:55.280 --> 0:13:59.280 the righteous light will come bursting in. It's going to 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:04.640 happen suddenly, unexpectedly. You didn't see it coming. You woke 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:07.520 up and it was still dark. Nothing had changed. Then 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.840 suddenly you get the break you kneed. Suddenly your health 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:14.120 turns around. Suddenly you meet the right person. The light 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:18.240 will come bursting in. Moses went through a night's season 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:21.920 as a young man. He made a mistake and killed 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:25.880 someone that was mistreating a Hebrew slave. He knew he 0:14:26.040 --> 0:14:29.040 was called to deliver the Israelites, but he got out 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:32.160 of God's timing and tried to do it on his own. 0:14:32.920 --> 0:14:36.320 He had to flee for his life. He spent forty 0:14:36.440 --> 0:14:40.200 years on the backside of the desert in hiding. He 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:44.960 felt alone, forgotten, and it was his fault. Every voice said, 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:48.960 too bad, you blew it. You're a failure. But God 0:14:49.040 --> 0:14:52.720 doesn't waste anything that we go through. He uses it 0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:56.720 to get us prepared for our destiny. In those years 0:14:56.760 --> 0:15:00.320 out in the desert, Moses couldn't see what God was 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:04.160 doing behind the scenes, but God was making him and 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:07.880 molding him. He thought he was finished, but God was 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:12.200 using that time to develop his character. He was getting 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:17.320 him prepared for his comeback. Like Moses, you may have 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:20.720 made mistakes that have put you in a night season. 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:24.920 Something was delayed, You had to take a detour. You're 0:15:24.960 --> 0:15:27.760 not where you thought you would be. Now you think 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:31.080 you have to settle there and never accomplish what God 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:34.320 put in your heart. You may not realize it, but 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:38.320 right now God is getting you prepared for your comeback. 0:15:38.960 --> 0:15:42.800 What he started he's going to finish. He's already taken 0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:47.680 into account every wrong term, every mistake, every bad break. 0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:51.000 It may look like the end to you. The truth 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:55.640 is it's just a temporary delay. It's a time of testing, 0:15:56.040 --> 0:15:59.920 a time of proving where your character is being developed. 0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:04.520 God is working in you, polishing off the rough edges. 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:08.680 He's getting you prepared for where he's taken you. Forty 0:16:08.800 --> 0:16:11.880 years later, God came back and said, all right, Moses, 0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:15.640 now I'm ready for you to deliver my people. The 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:19.680 scripture says Moses was the most humble man in all 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:25.040 the land. In that night season, Moses changed. He learned 0:16:25.080 --> 0:16:27.920 to wait on God, to listen to his voice, to 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:31.640 walk in humility. He came up higher in his character 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:37.680 in the difficult times. Stay pliable, stay open, say God, 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:41.560 make me and mold me. Show me where I need 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:46.160 to change. You grow in the tough times. Even physically, 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:50.280 you grow at night when you're asleep, in the same 0:16:50.360 --> 0:16:53.480 way when you're in a night season. You may not 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:58.200 like it, but it's working for you. You're getting stronger. You 0:16:58.320 --> 0:17:01.160 have to be prepared for where God has taken you. 0:17:02.120 --> 0:17:05.440 Moses couldn't handle it the first time he made a mistake, 0:17:05.840 --> 0:17:09.520 had to run. God didn't write him off, he didn't 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:14.000 cancel his destiny. He used the night season to refine him. 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:18.200 When Saul was chasing David through the desert, there were 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:22.399 several opportunities for David to kill Saul. He could have 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:26.080 taken his life, gotten rid of his problem. David wouldn't 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:29.919 do it. He knew Saul had been anointed by God. 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:33.320 He told his men, I'm not going to harm what 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:38.240 God has anointed. After he passed these tests, after David 0:17:38.320 --> 0:17:40.840 showed God what he was made of a man of 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:45.280 character and integrity, God took care of Saul and David 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:49.000 was made the king in the night seasons. If you 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:52.880 will pass these tests, change where you need to change, 0:17:53.240 --> 0:17:56.600 deal with the areas God's bringing to life. Prove to 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:59.240 him that you'll do the right thing when it's hard. 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:04.280 Give even though they hurt you then, like David, because 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:08.080 your character has been developed, God will bring you out 0:18:08.119 --> 0:18:10.760 of that night season and get you to where you're 0:18:10.800 --> 0:18:14.960 supposed to be. But some things we can only develop 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:19.080 in the dark. Without the night seasons, we wouldn't become 0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:23.080 all God created us to be. A caterpillar can be 0:18:23.160 --> 0:18:27.360 going along just fine. Everything is great, But down deep, 0:18:27.520 --> 0:18:31.800 something says, you're not supposed to crawl your whole life. 0:18:31.880 --> 0:18:35.400 You have more in you. He gets excited, thinking, yes, 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:38.280 that's right. Then he looks in the mirror and says, 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:42.199 what was I thinking. I'll never fly. I'm just a 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:47.600 glorified worm. That's impossible. But one day the caterpillar spins 0:18:47.640 --> 0:18:52.360 a cocoon around itself. He hangs upside down from a branch. 0:18:52.840 --> 0:18:57.320 It's dark. He can't move, he can't eat. If you 0:18:57.359 --> 0:18:59.600 were to ask him when he was in the cocoon, 0:19:00.119 --> 0:19:02.879 he would say, let me go back to where I was, 0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:06.080 Let me go back to being a caterpillar. I don't 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:10.280 like where I am. I'm uncomfortable. It's dark, it's lonely. 0:19:11.119 --> 0:19:15.000 What he doesn't realize is in the dark, a transformation 0:19:15.240 --> 0:19:19.040 is taking place. Before long, he starts feeling some wings. 0:19:19.560 --> 0:19:23.440 He gets the strength to push out of that cocoon. Now, 0:19:23.480 --> 0:19:26.760 instead of crawling on the ground, he's a beautiful butterfly, 0:19:27.160 --> 0:19:31.480 floating through the air like the caterpillar. None of us 0:19:31.720 --> 0:19:35.280 like the night seasons. We don't like being uncomfortable. We 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:39.240 don't see anything happening. But there are times that God 0:19:39.400 --> 0:19:43.600 incubates us. He takes us through the dark places, not 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:47.440 to make us miserable, but in the dark a transformation 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:52.000 is taking place. You're growing, You're being refined. You may 0:19:52.000 --> 0:19:54.840 not like it, but you have to keep reminding yourself. 0:19:55.080 --> 0:19:58.480 Your wings are developing. You're about to step up to 0:19:58.560 --> 0:20:03.119 a new level. No more crawling living in mediocrity. You 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:06.040 were made for higher things. You may be in a 0:20:06.160 --> 0:20:10.040 night season, but by faith, I can see your cocoons 0:20:10.040 --> 0:20:13.359 starting to open up. I can see a wing coming out. 0:20:14.000 --> 0:20:16.679 This is no time to be discouraged. You're on the 0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:20.760 verge of taking off. You're about to become a beautiful butterfly. 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:24.520 You're going to go places that you've never dreamed. Now, 0:20:25.000 --> 0:20:29.200 don't complain about the cocoon. It's dark, it's uncomfortable, I'm lonely. 0:20:29.760 --> 0:20:33.040 Keep a good attitude. It's all a part of the process. 0:20:33.400 --> 0:20:37.640 God has changing you from glory to glory. In the scripture, 0:20:38.240 --> 0:20:41.040 Jacob had not lived the right kind of life. He 0:20:41.160 --> 0:20:44.600 was dishonest, He cheated people, tricked his brother out of 0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:48.280 his birthright. You would think that God wouldn't have anything 0:20:48.320 --> 0:20:51.560 to do with him, But God doesn't write us off. 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:56.400 He keeps working with us, showing us his mercy. Jacob 0:20:56.480 --> 0:21:00.480 was traveling on a long journey through the desert. He 0:21:00.600 --> 0:21:05.280 was hot and tired, hungry. Nothing was going his way. 0:21:05.960 --> 0:21:09.000 He came to a place to spend the night. All 0:21:09.080 --> 0:21:12.480 he could find for a pillow was a rock. He 0:21:12.520 --> 0:21:16.720 was in a hard place, a lonely time, a night's season. 0:21:17.480 --> 0:21:20.480 I'm sure he thought that God had forgotten about him. 0:21:21.080 --> 0:21:24.800 He went to sleep that night, down on himself, discouraged, 0:21:25.040 --> 0:21:29.200 full of regrets. While he was sleeping, he had a dream. 0:21:29.960 --> 0:21:33.200 He saw the heavens open up. There was a huge 0:21:33.200 --> 0:21:36.720 staircase with angels going up and down. At the top, 0:21:36.800 --> 0:21:40.760 the Lord was standing there. He said, Jacob, the ground 0:21:40.880 --> 0:21:44.640 you are lying on belongs to you and your descendants. 0:21:45.160 --> 0:21:48.280 I will protect you wherever you go. I will be 0:21:48.400 --> 0:21:52.280 with you continually until I give you everything that I 0:21:52.280 --> 0:21:56.280 have promised. When Jacob woke up. He couldn't believe what 0:21:56.359 --> 0:22:00.119 he had seen. He said, surely the Lord was in 0:22:00.119 --> 0:22:04.760 this place. What's interesting is he wasn't in the church, 0:22:05.040 --> 0:22:08.000 wasn't in a temple, wasn't in the synagogue. He was 0:22:08.040 --> 0:22:11.719 in the desert. God was showing us that he's the 0:22:11.760 --> 0:22:15.840 God of hard places, the God of lonely times, the 0:22:15.880 --> 0:22:20.760 God of night seasons. You may be in a difficulty now, 0:22:21.200 --> 0:22:25.000 fighting a battle in your health, dealing with depression, raising 0:22:25.080 --> 0:22:29.399 a special needs child, you feel alone, forgotten, discourage. God 0:22:29.600 --> 0:22:33.040 is right there with you. Like with Jacob, I believe 0:22:33.200 --> 0:22:36.280 the heavens are about to open up. God is going 0:22:36.320 --> 0:22:40.040 to make things happen that you couldn't make happen. You 0:22:40.200 --> 0:22:43.760 may be in a hard place, but you're not staying there. 0:22:44.520 --> 0:22:47.480 Your health is going to improve, You're going to break 0:22:47.520 --> 0:22:50.560 that addiction. The right people are going to show up. 0:22:50.840 --> 0:22:53.199 You're going to say, like him, the Lord was in 0:22:53.240 --> 0:22:56.720 this place. The Lord heal me from cancer, the Lord 0:22:56.760 --> 0:23:00.880 freed me from depression, The Lord bless my business. He's 0:23:00.960 --> 0:23:04.080 not going to stop until he's given you everything that 0:23:04.160 --> 0:23:08.920 he's promised. You've heard the phrase the night shift. That means, 0:23:09.000 --> 0:23:11.880 of course, people that work during the night. But think 0:23:11.920 --> 0:23:15.400 of it another way. In the night, things are going 0:23:15.440 --> 0:23:20.360 to shift. The scripture says God never sleeps. He doesn't 0:23:20.400 --> 0:23:23.639 just work the night shift, but he shifts things in 0:23:23.720 --> 0:23:26.840 the night. You may be in a night season. You 0:23:26.880 --> 0:23:29.399 don't see how it could work out. Don't worry. A 0:23:29.520 --> 0:23:32.760 night shift is coming. The God who works the night 0:23:32.840 --> 0:23:36.560 shift is going to shift things in your favor. There's 0:23:36.600 --> 0:23:39.159 going to be a shift in your health, a shift 0:23:39.200 --> 0:23:43.240 in your finances, a shift with that addiction. You think 0:23:43.280 --> 0:23:45.720 you're going to have it for years. It looks permanent. No, 0:23:45.840 --> 0:23:49.359 get ready for a night shift. This is what happened 0:23:49.359 --> 0:23:52.400 with Paul and Silas they were in prison for spreading 0:23:52.440 --> 0:23:56.240 the good news down in the deepest dungeons. Their feet 0:23:56.320 --> 0:24:00.000 were in chains. But at midnight, as they were seeing 0:24:00.080 --> 0:24:03.800 in praises to God, suddenly there was a great earthquake. 0:24:04.160 --> 0:24:07.399 The prison doors flung open, the chains came off their feet. 0:24:07.640 --> 0:24:11.560 They walked out as free men. What happened? God shifted 0:24:11.600 --> 0:24:15.280 the earth shifted the prison doors. When did it happen 0:24:15.560 --> 0:24:19.399 at midnight? It was a night shift from the God 0:24:19.520 --> 0:24:23.439 who works the night shift. Things that look permittent in 0:24:23.520 --> 0:24:28.320 your life, the addiction, the sickness, the panic attacks, the 0:24:28.440 --> 0:24:31.760 lack and struggle. Thoughts will tell you you'll always have to 0:24:31.800 --> 0:24:35.000 deal with that. Don't believe those lies. You're in a 0:24:35.160 --> 0:24:39.639 night season. That means you're in perfect position for a 0:24:39.840 --> 0:24:45.000 night shift. God specializes in shifting things in the dark 0:24:45.600 --> 0:24:48.680 instead of worrying all through the day. Lord, thank you 0:24:48.840 --> 0:24:51.679 for a night shift. Thank you that things are changing 0:24:51.760 --> 0:24:54.840 in my favor. It's dark now, but God, I believe 0:24:54.880 --> 0:24:59.160 what you said. Life is about to come bursting. In 0:24:59.280 --> 0:25:03.040 Genesis Chap Two, Adam was in the garden of Eden 0:25:03.160 --> 0:25:07.520 by himself. Life was good. He was naming the animals 0:25:07.560 --> 0:25:12.440 that God created, enjoying the crystal clear river, beautiful trees, 0:25:12.640 --> 0:25:17.040 delicious fruit. There were no problems, no sickness, no opposition. 0:25:17.640 --> 0:25:20.680 He didn't think it could get any better. But God 0:25:20.720 --> 0:25:24.440 didn't want him to live alone. Verse twenty one says 0:25:25.000 --> 0:25:30.080 God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. God 0:25:30.119 --> 0:25:33.800 put him in a night season. He took a rib 0:25:33.920 --> 0:25:37.159 from his side and used it to create a woman. 0:25:37.840 --> 0:25:41.720 When Adam woke up from this deep sleep and saw Eve, 0:25:42.320 --> 0:25:45.000 the first thing he said was, Wow, God, you have 0:25:45.080 --> 0:25:49.879 outdone yourself. But I'm sure at the time he didn't 0:25:49.960 --> 0:25:53.920 understand why God was putting him to sleep. He was happy, 0:25:54.160 --> 0:25:58.480 life was good. But some things we can only develop 0:25:58.600 --> 0:26:01.760 in the dark. If God didn't put us to sleep, 0:26:01.800 --> 0:26:04.720 so to speak, have us go through a night season, 0:26:05.080 --> 0:26:07.800 we would never see the fullness of what He has 0:26:07.880 --> 0:26:11.000 in store. You may feel like God has put you 0:26:11.080 --> 0:26:14.879 to sleep, things have slowed down. You're in a challenge. 0:26:14.920 --> 0:26:19.200 It's a night season. Be encouraged when you wake up 0:26:19.560 --> 0:26:22.360 and see what God has been up to. First thing 0:26:22.400 --> 0:26:25.560 you're going to say is, Wow, God, I never dreamed 0:26:25.600 --> 0:26:28.439 you'd take me here. I never dreamed we'd have the 0:26:28.480 --> 0:26:32.000 Compact Center. I never dreamed i'd be this healthy again. 0:26:32.680 --> 0:26:36.960 God has some wows in your future. Don't complain about 0:26:37.000 --> 0:26:40.040 the dark places. They are leading you to the amazing 0:26:40.160 --> 0:26:43.600 things God has in store. And you may not understand it, 0:26:43.840 --> 0:26:46.760 but God wouldn't have allowed it if he wasn't going 0:26:46.800 --> 0:26:50.679 to use it to your advantage. Right now, God is 0:26:50.760 --> 0:26:54.560 working behind the scenes. He sees what you're dealing with. 0:26:54.920 --> 0:26:59.040 He knows how you feel. He's saying the night seasons 0:26:59.160 --> 0:27:03.840 are not permanent. You may be in that cocoon. It's dark, uncomfortable, 0:27:04.200 --> 0:27:08.240 but He's making you and molding you. Your wings are developing. 0:27:08.520 --> 0:27:11.199 You're about to take off to a new level. I 0:27:11.280 --> 0:27:15.040 believe and declare you're about to see a night shift 0:27:15.520 --> 0:27:20.160 from sickness to health, from lack to abundance, from addictions 0:27:20.160 --> 0:27:23.320 to freedom. The light is going to come bursting in. 0:27:23.720 --> 0:27:27.680 Get ready's for some wows in Jesus' name. If you 0:27:27.760 --> 0:27:32.400 receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to give 0:27:32.440 --> 0:27:36.000 you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:27:36.520 --> 0:27:40.960 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:27:41.080 --> 0:27:46.040 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:27:46.080 --> 0:27:50.560 you my Lord and savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, 0:27:50.600 --> 0:27:53.160 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:27:53.240 --> 0:27:57.159 Bible based church, and keep God first place. Victorian, I 0:27:57.160 --> 0:27:59.600 will be right back to speak a blessing over you. 0:28:01.359 --> 0:28:03.800 As a thank you for your support of our ministry 0:28:03.840 --> 0:28:06.439 this month, Joel and Victoria, we'd like to send you 0:28:06.480 --> 0:28:10.000 a copy of Joel's new three message series, Victory in 0:28:10.040 --> 0:28:13.520 the Storm. In this new series, you'll learn you don't 0:28:13.600 --> 0:28:15.879 have to stay stuck in defeat when the winds and 0:28:15.960 --> 0:28:19.640 storms come. You have the power to stay strong regardless 0:28:19.640 --> 0:28:22.639 of what comes against you. God has victory for you 0:28:22.880 --> 0:28:27.040 in every situation. Request your copy of Victory in the 0:28:27.080 --> 0:28:31.000 Storm today at Joeloustin dot com or call eight eight 0:28:31.040 --> 0:28:32.919 eight five six seven Joel. 0:28:34.320 --> 0:28:36.879 We can't control everything that happens to us, but we 0:28:36.960 --> 0:28:40.440 can control how we respond in difficult times. We don't 0:28:40.480 --> 0:28:43.680 have to get upset. We can stay in peace, knowing 0:28:43.720 --> 0:28:46.440 that God promised all things are going to work out 0:28:46.520 --> 0:28:47.080 for our good. 0:28:47.480 --> 0:28:50.160 That difficulty is not going to defeat you, It's going 0:28:50.240 --> 0:28:53.280 to promote you. Request this resource. It will help you 0:28:53.360 --> 0:28:56.000 live the victorious life that belongs to you. 0:28:56.720 --> 0:28:58.560 Last year, my wife, when I were believing to purchase 0:28:58.600 --> 0:29:01.200 our first home together. We have no idea how this 0:29:01.320 --> 0:29:03.920 was going to happen or how God would provide the resources. 0:29:04.120 --> 0:29:06.280 And even though all the odds were stacked against us, 0:29:06.320 --> 0:29:08.760 we chose to believe God. And I'm so excited to 0:29:08.760 --> 0:29:11.040 report that we close on our first home and that 0:29:11.120 --> 0:29:13.360 that's the kind of faith this ministry teaches us to have. 0:29:13.560 --> 0:29:17.400 Every week, your support is changing lives. Thank you so 0:29:17.560 --> 0:29:20.680 much for your prayer and your generosity. If you'd like 0:29:20.760 --> 0:29:22.960 to partner with us to take hope around the world, 0:29:23.000 --> 0:29:24.560 we'd love to have you do it. Go to the 0:29:24.600 --> 0:29:27.560 website and find out how Victoria and I pray for 0:29:27.600 --> 0:29:30.680 you and your family every day. Twenty seventeen is going 0:29:30.760 --> 0:29:34.320 to be a blessed here for you. Keep believing, keep expecting. 0:29:34.680 --> 0:29:37.360 We just declare right now you're going to have a blessed, 0:29:37.520 --> 0:29:40.560 prosperous week. We love you very much. Until next time, 0:29:40.720 --> 0:29:41.440 God bless you. 0:29:42.640 --> 0:29:45.760 Become a Champion of Hope partner today at Joe Lustein 0:29:45.840 --> 0:29:48.000 dot com slash partner. 0:29:49.960 --> 0:29:53.800 Be a barbecue Hero with delicious ultra lownet carb Hero 0:29:54.000 --> 0:29:57.360 bread buns and tortillas, soft and fluffy, high in fiber, 0:29:57.440 --> 0:30:00.800 and with zero grams of sugar, end up to ten protein, 0:30:00.920 --> 0:30:03.680 coming in at under one hundred calories per serving. Oh 0:30:03.760 --> 0:30:07.440 and did I mention they taste like their mouthwatering traditional versions. 0:30:07.760 --> 0:30:10.720 It's enough to have the neighbors asking for seconds. 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