Lift Up Your Eyes | Victoria Osteen

Summary

Joel Osteen Podcast Summary

Episode: Lift Up Your Eyes | Victoria Osteen
Host: Joel Osteen
Guest: Victoria Osteen
Release Date: February 15, 2025
Platform: SiriusXM

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Introduction

In the Lift Up Your Eyes episode of the Joel Osteen Daily Podcast, Victoria Osteen shares an inspiring message centered on faith, perseverance, and the importance of focusing on God's promises rather than current challenges. The episode delves into biblical teachings, personal anecdotes, and practical advice to encourage listeners to elevate their perspectives and trust in divine timing.

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Main Themes and Discussions

1. The Power of Perspective

Victoria emphasizes the significance of shifting our focus from present problems to God's promises. She illustrates this with the story of Abraham, highlighting how lifting one's eyes can reveal God's broader plan.

“We have to set our eyes on the promises. That's how we're going to rise above where we are right now.”
— Victoria Osteen [04:15]

2. Abraham's Journey of Faith

Victoria recounts Abraham's faith journey from Genesis, emphasizing his bold decision to leave his father's house and his unwavering trust in God's guidance, even when circumstances seemed unfavorable.

“God wanted him to lift his eyes so he could see beyond the dust and the dirt and begin to see his destiny unfold.”
— Victoria Osteen [05:40]

3. Understanding the Process of Growth

Using the metaphor of lemon trees still maturing, Victoria explains that personal growth and the fulfillment of God's promises often occur gradually. She encourages patience and faith during transitional periods.

“You may not look like you wanna look, but you're in process. You are becoming everything God wants you to be.”
— Victoria Osteen [07:30]

4. Overcoming Comparison and Envy

Victoria warns against comparing one's journey to others', reminding listeners that appearances can be deceiving. She underscores the value of holding onto one's unique promises despite external circumstances.

“Someone else may look like they have paradise, but don't forget you have the promise.”
— Victoria Osteen [08:50]

5. Embracing Challenges as Opportunities

Highlighting Abraham’s multiple tests of faith, Victoria encourages embracing life's challenges as they build character and deepen one's relationship with God.

“The process is what builds your strength. The process is what develops you.”
— Victoria Osteen [09:20]

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Key Insights

• Lift Your Eyes: The central message is to elevate one's perspective beyond immediate hardships to see and trust in God's larger plan.

• Faith in Action: Trusting God requires active faith, demonstrated through decisions and actions that align with divine promises.

• Progressive Fulfillment: God's promises unfold over time, and believers should remain patient and steadfast, understanding that fulfillment is part of a divine timeline.

• Personal Growth: Challenges and transitions are integral to personal development and preparing individuals for the fulfillment of their destinies.

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Conclusion

Victoria Osteen concludes the episode by reaffirming God's faithfulness and the importance of maintaining faith through every phase of life's journey. She inspires listeners to remain committed to their faith, assuring them that their perseverance will lead to the realization of God's promises.

“If you continue the process, you will become just like Abraham. And you will see God's faithfulness.”
— Victoria Osteen [10:25]

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Additional Highlights

• Biblical References: The episode draws extensively from the Book of Genesis, particularly Abraham's story, to illustrate the principles of faith and promise.

• Personal Anecdotes: Victoria shares personal stories, such as the one about her lemon trees, to make biblical teachings relatable and applicable to everyday life.

• Encouragement to Share: Both Joel and Victoria encourage listeners to share the podcast with friends, spreading the message of faith and inspiration.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “We can't set our eyes on the problems. We have to set our eyes on the promises.”
  — Victoria Osteen [04:00]

• “Abraham didn't despise the process. He proved God to be faithful and true.”
  — Victoria Osteen [09:10]

• “You are his light in all the world.”
  — Victoria Osteen [02:50]

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Takeaways for Listeners

• Elevate Your Perspective: Regularly remind yourself to focus on God's promises rather than current struggles.

• Trust the Process: Understand that personal growth and the fulfillment of dreams take time and perseverance.

• Embrace Faith: Actively demonstrate your faith through decisions that align with divine guidance, even when outcomes are not immediately visible.

• Stay Encouraged: Recognize that challenges are opportunities for strengthening faith and character.

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Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a motivational guide for anyone seeking to deepen their faith and overcome obstacles by maintaining a positive and promise-focused outlook. Victoria Osteen effectively combines biblical wisdom with practical life lessons, offering listeners both inspiration and actionable steps to enhance their spiritual journey.

Transcript

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[Joel Osteen]

Hi, this is Joel in Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry.

[Victoria Osteen]

If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend?

[Joel Osteen]

We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life.

[Victoria Osteen]

Your faith is amazing. Go out and tell people about this saving power of Jesus Christ. Amen. And that he can do what no one else can do. You are his light in all the world. You see, we're all on this journey of faith together. And if we're gonna experience the fullness of God's promises, we're going to have to develop the ability to see beyond where we are right now. See, it's so easy to get stuck in a problem. It's so easy to see what didn't work out, what didn't happen, the mistakes we've made, maybe what someone else did to us. And then we think, what's our next step, God? How are we going to get out of this? It becomes difficult to see the next step sometimes. But when we take our eyes off of the circumstances, off of the problems that are trying to weigh us down and hold us back. That's when we can put our eyes on the promises of God, not the problems. We can't set our eyes on the problems. We have to set our eyes on the promises. That's how we're going to rise above where we are right now. We have to look beyond where we are and lift our eyes. In the book of Genesis, Abraham was called by God to go on a journey of faith with him. He spoke to Abraham and said, leave your father's house. Abraham did. The Bible says he believed God, and it was credited with unto him as righteousness. He left his father's land. He took his family and his nephew Lot, and they went on this journey. But there was a point in his journey where Lot, his nephew, and himself had acquired so many possessions that they had to part ways. The land could not sustain both of them. So Abraham looked at Lot and said, you pick first. Which way do you want to go? What direction do you want to go? Lot, I'm giving you first choice. Well, Lot looked around and he found a place that he thought would be perfect for he and his family. The Bible calls it was east. It was towards the Jordan. It was lush in foliage. It was a city that was bustling. It was places of opportunity. So Lot chose that part of the land. When Abraham looked the other direction, what he saw was dirt. He saw was dust. No development, just land. And he thought to himself, wow, what in the world have I gotten myself into? But you see, it was at that point that God spoke to Abraham and he said, abraham, lift up your eyes now. Lift up your eyes now. Look out as far as you can see from the north, the south, the east, and the west. He said, what you can see, the land that you can see, I will give it to you. I will give it to you. You see, it was this point that Abraham had to lift his eyes. I love that phrase, lift your eyes. Because this lifted eyes became the theme of Abraham's life. You see, God knew that Abraham could easily get his eyes on the wrong thing. He could have easily said, why didn't I choose first? Why did he get the best? Now I'm just stuck in the dirt and the dust, and he's over there prospering. Why did I make that mistake? But see, God wanted him to lift his eyes so he could see beyond the dust and the dirt and begin to see his destiny unfold, Begin to see what God wanted to do in his life. Do you know the name Lot means veil? And when he Separated from Lot, it was as if God lifted the veil from his eyes and he was able to see God in new ways. You see, God wanted to reveal himself to Abraham in unseen ways. You see, it may have looked like Lot got paradise, but Abraham, he got the promise. And you do, too. You have the promises of God. In fact, the veil has been lifted from your eyes. It has been torn in two by the power of Christ. And God wants to show you along this journey things you haven't seen before. He wants to reveal himself in powerful ways. You see, when God spoke to Abraham and told him that he was going to be a father of many nations, said Abraham, I want to show you this land that I'm taking you. I want you to inhabit it. I want you to possess it. I'm going to make your seed great, and I'm going to bless people all over the earth. His name was Abram. God hadn't changed his name yet to the father of many Nations. He was just Abram, a man that was believing God going on this journey of faith. In fact, he didn't look anything like what God was saying about him. But God's promises are spoken in the unseen realm. God's promises are spoken, but not seen yet. That's why the bell was lifted, so that Abraham could see into the supernatural realm. So Abraham could get a glimpse of what God wanted to do. He wanted to take the veil off of Abraham's eyes so that he could see what God was doing. You see, God's promises are progressive. They unfold in his timing. They may not be seen yet, but it's only a matter of time until God gets you to where you need to be. Until you start looking like God says you're gonna look. Until you start having what God says you're going to have. It's progressive and it's in God's timing. I have these beautiful lemon trees in my backyard. I have two of them, and they're full of fruit right now. And a friend of mine, we were in my backyard, and we happened to be walking by the lemon trees. And she stopped and she paused for a minute because they're beautiful, full of fruit. And she said, those are the most amazing lime trees I have ever. And I started to laugh, and I said, those aren't lime trees. Those are lemon trees. She said, those are lime trees. They look like limes to me. And I said, oh, okay. I said, the fruit on those trees are still in process. They're not finished yet. They don't look right now the way they're going to look. They're green now. Yeah, they look like limes, but they're gonna turn yellow in just a matter of time. You see, Hebrews 11 says, we inherit the promises of God through faith and patience. You, just like those lemons, are in process. You are becoming everything God wants you to be. You may not look like you wanna look.

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[Victoria Osteen]

You may not be where you wanna be. But don't devalue your journey. Don't start thinking that the journey isn't worth it. The process is what builds your strength. The process is what develops you. The process is what makes you become what God's called you to be. You see, Abraham didn't despise the process. He proved God to be faithful and true. Abraham went from test to test to test of his faith. He went through challenges. He didn't even have his Promised Child Till he was 100 years old. But he saw the character of God. You see, someone else may look like they have paradise, but don't forget you have the promise. You're in the process. And you are becoming everything God wants you to be. If you find yourself consumed with a problem today, you're going through a transition in your life. You're wondering, how is this going to work out? It's time. It's time. It's time to lift your eyes from the problem and set your eyes on the promises. You got to realize, beyond this place is greater heights, greater victories, greater strength, greater anointing. It is time to shift your perspective to God's promises. Listen, I believe if you won't get stuck, if you won't settle where you are, if you'll continue the process, you will become just like Abraham. And you will see God's faithfulness. You will see his provision, you will see his promises. And you will become everything that God intended you to be. Amen. He's a faithful God. He's a faithful God.

[Joel Osteen]

When was the last time you asked God to do something that seemed impossible? If you only pray small, ordinary prayers, you live a small, ordinary life. I have a new book called Pray Bold. I'll challenge you to stretch your faith and believe for the big things God puts in your heart. Victoria and I used to have season tickets to watch the Rockets play basketball here. We never dreamed it could be ours. But when they moved out, somehow we had the faith to pray a bold prayer. God made things happen that we could never make happen. It's the same for you. Who knows what God will do in your life? If you'll dare to Pray Bold. Ask him for your dreams. Ask for your healing. Ask for your freedom. That's when God will show up and do more than you could ever imagine.

[Joel Osteen's Assistant]

As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this month we would like to send you a copy of Joel's brand new book, Pray Bold. Dare to Ask and Believe Big. Joel shares that when we pray, we can tap into God's creative awesome power, something bigger than we have ever imagined. God doesn't want us to just pray in our comfort zones. No. God loves when we pray big. Believe big. Expect him to do the unexpected. There are inspiring stories from the Bible, from history, and personal testimonies of people who dared to believe God in extraordinary ways. You'll learn how to practically expand your prayers and watch your life move from the common to the extraordinary, from less than to overflowing. Be sure to request your copy of Pray bold today. Visit jolostein.com or call us toll free.

[Joel Osteen]

God has put dreams in your heart, things he's whispered in the night that seem impossible. But as you pray these bold prayers, you're going to see the goodness of God in ways you've never seen. Victoria and I are believing you're going to have a great 2025. We pray for you and your family every day for God's very best. We want to thank you for your prayer and your support. You're impacting people all over the world.

[Joel Osteen's Assistant]

Be sure to request your copy of Pray bold today, visit joelostein.com or call us toll free. Finally, elevate your personal time with God by requesting the My Time With God collection. This beautiful collection contains the Pray Bold new release plus the new Living Translation, one year chronological Study Bible and a beautiful glass mug and throw blanket based around the inspiring scripture from Psalm 4610. Be still and know that I am God. You can learn more about this unique new gift collection by calling 888-567-JOEL or logging on to Joel Osteen.com today.

[Joel Osteen]

Remember, you can watch the services online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, listen on Sirius XM, watch on YouTube, and now the new Joel Osteen Network, streaming on television 24 hours a day. If you've never been to Lakewood, we have a great opportunity. We call it Homecoming Weekend. We'd love to meet you and your family. You can see the building and attend one of the services. It's a great time to be a part of the Lakewood family. Looking forward to seeing you Homecoming Weekend.

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