Joel Osteen - Blessing In The Difficulty

0:00None of us like problems and things that come against us, people that are not fair, trouble at work. It's easy to get discouraged and lose our passion. Why is this happening? But God won't allow a difficulty unless He has a purpose for it. He may not have sent the trouble, but He knows how to use it to your advantage. On the other side of every problem is promotion. The difficulty feels like a setback, but really it's a set up for God to do something new in your life. When God wanted to promote David, bring him out of the shepherd's fields. What did He do? Send him a good break, a friend to help him out, open a new door, no God sent him a problem. Goliath was standing before David, a giant twice his size. David could have thought, God, you said I was going to do great things. You said, you'd show me favor. Why am I facing this giant? David understood with that problem came promotion.

1:00On the other side of that difficulty was a new level of his destiny. You have to go through it to get to it. Some promotion only comes through adversity, through closed doors, through things that are not fair. David went out and defeated Goliath, and instantly his life changed. New doors opened, he had respect, influence, favor that he'd never seen. What took David to the throne? A problem. Don't complain about the problem. You can't reach your potential without problems. When you understand that the problem doesn't come by itself, that there is promotion in every problem, then you'll keep a good attitude. God, I don't like this problem. I'm uncomfortable, but I know you're in control, you're ordering my steps. Now I'm not just going to come out, I'm going to come out stronger, promoted better than I was before. Sometimes the promotion is you developed a greater trust in God.

2:02You learned that you can make it through things that you thought would take you under. You saw the faithfulness of God. You felt him sustaining you, strengthening you, making ways where you didn't see a way. Your faith grew, your spiritual muscles got stronger, your character was developed. Every time you come through a challenge, that's fuel for your faith. God is preparing you for greater things. The next time you face a problem like that, you'll think, this is no big deal. I've seen God take me through this in the past, and I know He'll take me through it this time. See, I've learned the bigger the problem, the bigger your destiny, the bigger the challenge, the bigger the promotion. God doesn't send big problems to people with small futures. God didn't give David a normal-sized problem. He didn't face someone, his height, with his training, his experience. Goliath stood nine feet tall. He was the champion of the Philistine Army.

3:04The tip of his spear weighed 15 pounds. The scripture says he wore gold leggings. He was ahead of his time. That's where my brother Paul got that idea. Would you, I've got big problems. This sickness looks permanent. My child is way off course. These people at work are holding me down. The size of your problem is an indication of the size of your future. The enemy wouldn't be fighting you so hard if he didn't know something amazing was in front of you. Don't be discouraged because you have big challenges. Have a new perspective. That means God has something big in your future. Big breakthroughs, big opportunities, big victories. If you could see the promotion on the other side of those problems, if you could see the healing, the favor, the fulfillment, you wouldn't be discouraged. You would go through that difficulty in faith, praising when you could be complaining, thanking God that he's fighting your battles,

4:05knowing that it's all a setup for new levels of your destiny. Are you stressed over a problem? Losing sleep over a difficulty? When in fact, God allowed it so he can show his favor in a greater way. Without Goliath, David would have never taken the throne. The problem served the purpose. God knows what he's doing. He hasn't allowed anything in your life that he's not going to use for your good. It may not be good. It may not be fair. I'm not saying we're going to like it. I'm saying to trust him, that there is a blessing disguised in that difficulty, that there is promotion attached to that problem. I know at the time we can't see it. All we know is a bad break, it's a disappointment. They treated me wrong, the door closed, the medical report wasn't good. God is not through working. You don't know what he's up to right now. You keep doing the right thing,

5:07having an attitude of faith, and your time is coming. You're going to see the faithfulness of God. You're going to look back and say, wow, God, if I had not had that problem, I wouldn't be where I am. If that door had not closed, if those people had not done me wrong, I wouldn't have seen the blessing and the favor that you've shown me. Few years after I started ministering, the church began to grow, and we needed a larger auditorium. My father said he would never move the church. We looked for property around the original location. We found a hundred acre tract of land right up the freeway, about two miles away, seemed perfect. For the big sign that said for sale, we talked to the owner and told him we wanted to purchase it. He said that it had been on the market for 20 years, and he'd never had one offer. I thought, wow, God, you saved this property just for us. We were so excited. He told us we could do our soil samples and preliminary drawings while we got the contract drawn up.

6:11A couple of months later, we went to sign the contract. We had an eight o'clock appointment. We arrived at 7.45. His secretary came out and said, sorry, the owner sold the property last night. I couldn't believe it. Didn't keep his word. I was so discouraged. I went home and told Victoria. She said, listen here, Joel, that means God has something better. We're gonna trust him. He hadn't brought us this far to leave us. She started preaching one of my messages. I didn't wanna hear that. I wanted her to be depressed with me. Misery loves company. It's good to have friends that pull you up and not join you into feet. Few months later, we found another large tract of land. This seemed even better. Had more access to it. With the owners found out, they told the people that owned the property on one side. They called and said they wanted to donate 10 acres to us. Now I knew it was God. People were giving us property.

7:12We went to close on the hundred acres and the same thing happened. They sold it the day before. I thought, God, this is a big problem. There are no more large tracts of land. We're stuck. We have no room to grow. I didn't see any options, but just because we run out of options, doesn't mean God has run out of options. He won't let you get in a problem that he can't bring you out of. The reason it's not working out your way is because God has something better. Six months later, a friend called, hadn't spoken to him in a long time. He said, Joel, the Houston Rockets basketball team is moving out of the compact center. You should try to get that for your church. When I heard that, something came alive on the inside. I called the mayor. He was a friend of my parents. I was so nervous. I told him what I wanted. Didn't know how he would respond. He said, Joel, I think Lakewood, having the compact center would be great for our city.

8:14I nearly passed out. Things fell into place. Three years later, we had the building. Never dreamed we could be here. This was far beyond what I had in mind. Sometimes God closes doors because you're thinking too small. He doesn't let your plans work out because he has much bigger plans. You were hoping to get that new position, move up one notch. God is about to catapult you ahead. You're believing to feel a little bit better. God's going to heal you completely. You're hoping your child will just stay out of trouble. God's going to use him to do great things, to leave his mark. And don't be discouraged because you're still in the problem. Things aren't improving. Doors are closing. People aren't changing. Those lies will start whispering. It's never going to get better. You'll never get well. Never break this addiction. Never accomplish that dream. No, that problem didn't show up alone. That problem came with a purpose.

9:16With a promotion, with a blessing. You keep honoring God and you're going to come out of the problem into the promotion, out of the sickness, into health, out of trouble, into peace, out of struggle, into freedom, out of lack, into abundance. The enemy sent it to harm you, but God has already turned it to your advantage. Now don't get tired of doing the right thing. Don't let doubt what's not happening, what's not fair, talk you out of the promotion. Keep believing, keep praying, keep expecting. You're on the verge of seeing God show out in your life. That problem is not permanent. The problem is a sign that promotion is coming. You're about to see breakthroughs, restoration, dreams coming to pass, divine connections. God said in Psalm 50, trust me in times of trouble, and I will rescue you and you will give me glory.

10:19He didn't say trust me and I'll keep you from trouble. Trust me and you will have any difficulties. He said trust me when you're in trouble. Trust me when things don't make sense. Trust me when the medical report is not good. Trust me when a loved one doesn't make it. If you'll trust him, God says I will rescue you and you will give me glory. God is not going to leave you in trouble, leave you in heartache, leave you in dysfunction. That is not how your story ends. Don't believe the lies that say it's permanent. God sees what you're going through and he's about to rescue you. He's about to turn things around, change that have held you back or be in broken. Difficulties, it looked like they'll never improve. You're about to see a suddenly, a breakthrough, a healing, a promotion. It's going to be unusual, uncommon. You couldn't make it happen. You will know it's the hand of God.

11:22When my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1981, she was in a time of great trouble. She had a big problem, but in that trouble, she chose to trust God. She believed that he could restore help back into her. Instead of being depressed, worrying all day, she would go through the house quoting scriptures. Father, thank you that the number of my days you will fulfill, that I will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord. Against all odds, with no medical treatment available, God rescued her from that trouble. He made a way where we didn't see a way. For the last 40 years, she's been giving God glory. That big problem came with a big promotion. Her story of healing has helped people around the world. She's 88 years old now, still praying for people every week. The enemy would have been smarter to leave her alone, but God will make the enemy pay.

12:23What was meant for your harm, he'll turn it to your advantage. Says he will rescue you and you will give him great glory. The reason you'll give him glory is because when he brings you out, it will be better than you've ever imagined. I wanted to buy property to build a new auditorium. God gave us an auditorium that was already built. On the busiest freeway in our city, you may be facing a problem today. My encouragement is that problem didn't come along. There is promotion attached to it. God has the final say, trust him, not to just make it through, not just survive, but have a new perspective. Father, I know this problem means I'm about to see a new level of my destiny. Lord, I believe I trust you in this time of trouble. See, I would have never seen the compact sinner without those doors closing. You could say the compact sinner was attached to a problem.

13:26My mother would have never impacted so many people without that challenge in her hell. David would have never become keen without Goliath. Who knows where that problem is leading you? You've had some closed doors? Things haven't worked out. Who knows what doors God is about to open? You have some giants facing a sickness, set back in your business, a person walked out of your life. Who knows what kind of favor blessings, fulfillment is headed your way? The setback is a set up for God to show out in your life. Now, trust him in the trouble. Not when you get out, the test is when you're in it. Nothing looks like it's going to change. That's when you have to dig down deep, say, God, I don't like it. But I know this problem is not here by itself, that there is promotion on the other side. So Lord, help me to believe, help me to stay in faith.