← Joel Osteen Podcast
Joel Osteen Podcast
Recognizing The Goodness Of God | Joel Osteen
00:30:54
Just like the sun radiates heat God radiates goodness.
Loading summary
Transcript15 lines
- [00:00]
A
Ready to rack to school and save big. Get to your Nordstrom rack store today for thousands of deals from just $20. Cause I wanna look fresh.
- [00:09]
B
How did I not know rack has Adidas? I got a new backpack.
- [00:13]
A
Score. Everyone's favorite denim sneakers, boots and activewear from Nike, Levi's, Steve Madden, Madewell and free people. Great brands, great prices. Everyone's got a reason to rack. Shop Nordstrom Rack and make it the best school year ever. Are you ready to get spicy?
- [00:33]
B
These Doritos Golden Sriracha aren't that spicy.
- [00:37]
A
Sriracha sounds pretty spicy to me.
- [00:41]
B
A little spicy but also tangy and sweet.
- [00:44]
A
Maybe it's time to turn up the heat or turn it down.
- [00:49]
B
It's time for something that's not too spicy. Try Doritos Golden Sriracha.
- [00:53]
A
Spicy but not too spicy. Between vacations, errands and everyday summer chaos, sticking to your health goals can be tough. Luckily, Thrive Market does the hard work for you. We're the online healthy grocery store that cuts out the junk ingredients and delivers high quality groceries right to your door. From low sugar beach snacks to organic grill night staples, no matter your health goal, we make shopping healthy a breeze. Go to thrivemarket.com podcast for 30% off your first order and a free $60 gift.
- [01:29]
B
Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry.
- [01:34]
A
If you enjoyed today's min, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend.
- [01:39]
B
We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes. We love you know God has great things in store for you. If you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in. Thank you again for coming out today. I like to start with something funny and I heard about this man named Bubba. He lived way out in the country and he had this stray dog that kept showing up at his house. His wife said, bubba, you need to put the dog in the truck and take him down the road and let him out in the woods. That's where he lives. And so Bubba loaded him up, took him a mile down the road. When Bubba got back home, the dog was running up the driveway, practically beat him back. He put him back in the truck and drove him further away. Came back home 30 minutes later the dog was coming up the driveway. His wife said, bubba, you got to put him in the truck and drive him way out and take him around in circles and get him all mixed up. So Bubba put him in the truck, drove an hour away and crisscrossed those country roads that he'd never driven on before. Two hours later, he called his wife from the truck on the cell phone. Said, hey, has the dog made it back yet? She said, yep, the dog is walking down the driveway. He said, do you mind? Put him on the line. I need directions. Hold up your Bibles. Say it like you mean it. This is, I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus name, God bless you. I want to talk to you today about the goodness of God. Just like the sun radiates heat, God radiates goodness. It's not just what he does, it's who he is. God's very nature is good. And it's important that we recognize God's goodness. When my father went to be with the Lord, the critics told us that Lakewood would never make it. But we didn't go under. We went over. Today we are stronger than ever. That's the goodness of God. The medical report said my mother had a few weeks to live. That was over 30 years ago. Today my mom is alive and healthy. The goodness of God. I walked into a jewelry store and met Victoria. The goodness of God. Our children are healthy. The goodness of God. I don't look like my brother Paul. The goodness of God. That's his mercy, too. The scripture says every good gift comes from our Father in heaven, large or small. You're in a crowded parking lot. A car backs out, you get a front row space. The goodness of God. You're going through a difficult time. A friend stops by out of the blue, cheers you up. The goodness of God. I was in the mall the other day buying some tennis shoes. A lady came up that I'd never met. She said, do you have a coupon? I said, no, I don't. She said, here, take this. I have an extra one. It's 40% off. That wasn't just a lucky break. That's the goodness of our God. The scripture talks about how God was in their midst, but they knew him not too many times. God's working in our lives, showing us favor, protecting us, sending us healing. But we don't recognize God's goodness. Don't take things for granted. It wasn't a coincidence that you met your spouse and fell in love with God. Was directing your steps. Wasn't a lucky break that you got that job. It was God's hand of favor. The fact that your children are strong and healthy is not just good fortune. That's God being good to you. All through the day, we should be saying, thank you, Lord, for your goodness. Thank you for my health, thank you for my spouse. Thank you for the opportunity that you've given me. Some of you, if it had not been for the goodness of God, you wouldn't be alive today. If it had not been for God's goodness, you'd still be addicted. But look at you now. You're free, you're clean, you're helping others. If it had not been for God's goodness, you could have had a nervous breakdown with all you've been through. But look at you now. You're peaceful, you're beautiful, you're strong, you're confident, you're happy, you're victorious. I don't know about you, but I'm going to thank God for his goodness. I'm going to recognize his hand of favor. I'm going to see the excellence extraordinary in what seems ordinary. The fact that I can walk is the goodness of God. The fact that I can see, I can think clearly. I have health, I have opportunity, I have family. That's not just fate. That's the creator of the universe breathing in our direction. Now, let's don't be like the people back then and have God's goodness all around us. Yet we don't realize it. We take it for granted. No. Any good thing that happens. Thank you, Lord, for your goodness. There's this man that I really wanted to meet. He works in the television industry and he's very influential in me. I've had this desire for a long time, and I believed that God would bring our paths together. Year after year have gone by and didn't look like anything was happening. No kind of connection. A couple of months ago, I called a lady that I know out of state, and we were talking about a project. She said, joel, I'd love to help you. Do you mind if I take this to my business partner? It just so happened her business partner was this man I'd been hoping to meet. Recently I spent the whole day with him in his home. That's not a lucky break. That's the goodness of God. Right now, God is going before you, lining up the right people, the right breaks. He's arranging things in your favor. You need to be on the lookout for God's goodness. Our attitude should be, I can't wait to see what God's going to do today. Anything good that happens, be quick to give God the credit. May not be something big, just something small. You all of a sudden have a good idea. Lord, thank you for that idea. I know it came from you. You get finished with the project at work sooner than you expected. Lord, thank you for your goodness. See, God is constantly working, showing us his goodness, but too many times we don't recognize it. We're waiting for the big spectacular things. We're waiting for the red seas to part. And yes, that happens from time to time. But if you'll have the right perspective, you'll see the goodness of God even in simple things. The other day, Victoria put on some eggs to boil. She wanted hard boiled eggs and she had to leave. And she asked me to turn them off. And I said I would, but I got busy doing a whole bunch of other things, talking on the phone. Two hours later, out of the blue, I'm on a conversation. The thought comes to my mind, turn off the eggs. I ran into the kitchen as fast as I could and the whole place was in smoke and no more water in the pan. She wanted hard boiled eggs. I can promise you these eggs were hard boiled. You could have used them for baseballs. But no telling what would have happened. If I'd have waited a couple of more hours, the whole place could have burned down. Well, you say, Joel, that's just your mind bringing that thought back to your memory. No big deal. Nothing special about that. That may be the way you choose to see it, but I choose to see it as the goodness of my God. I know the creator of the universe is directing our steps. He said his plans for us are for good and not evil. Whenever something good happens, I'm going to give God thanks. When I see favor, thank you, Lord. When I'm reminded of something I need to do, thank you, Lord. When somebody lets me in on the freeway, thank you, Lord. When the temperature comes below 100, thank you, Lord. When I'm protected, thank you, Lord. When I see the breakthrough, thank you, Lord. Get in the habit of thanking God for his goodness. Moses said, God, show me your glory. God said, in effect, okay, Moses, I'll show it to you. But you can't see my face. The way you'll know that I've been there is, you will see my goodness. Whenever something good happens, large or small, God is saying, that's a Sign of my presence. If you're seeing good, you're seeing God. I'm convinced we see God all day long, but many times we don't recognize it. A few weeks ago, I was outside my house standing under a big oak tree, talking with some people. You know how here in Houston there's been a drought? Hardly any rain, and the trees are very stressed. After we got through talking, we walked away. About 10 seconds later, this big branch fell right where we were standing. If we'd have still been there, we'd all be in the hospital. What caused us to walk away at just the right time? That wasn't a lucky break. That was the goodness of God directing our steps. You say, joel, I had an accident this week. I totaled my car. Must not work for me. No. If it had not been for God's goodness, you could have lost more than your car. You could have lost your life. You could be in the hospital, have the right perspective. Thank God for his hand of protection. Years ago, Victoria and I were on a large boat with my parents and some friends of theirs. And these friends were driving the boat. And our son Jonathan was just a little baby, less than a year old. And we had him in a carrier sitting on the side bench by the outside rail of the boat. And we were just enjoying the beautiful boat ride, the ocean, talking, laughing, visiting. Victoria was minding her own business when something said to her so strongly, you need to move Jonathan from the side to the center of the boat and hold onto him. She didn't say a word. She just went over and picked him up and took him to the center of the boat. About a minute later, the boat hit a huge wave just right and everything and everyone went flying. If he would have still been by the outside rail, he certainly would have been thrown overboard. All we could say was, thank you, Lord, for your goodness. We recognize God's hand of protection. When something good happens, you're seeing God. Make sure you thank him for it. Make sure you give him the credit. Some of you don't think that God's doing anything in your life, but I'm convinced God is constantly showing us his goodness. My question is, are you recognizing it? Look around this week. Be more aware. The scripture said, oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. If you're going to taste God's goodness, you have to realize that every good break, every time you were protected, every door that opened, every advantage that you've had, that's God working in your life. Don't take it for granted. It's like this man I heard about. He was driving around a crowded parking lot, trying to get a space, going around and around. He got so frustrated. He finally said, God, if you'll give me a parking spot, I church every Sunday, right? Then immediately, a car backed out. He pulled in. He said, never mind, God. I just found one. That's the way we are. A lot of times we forget that every good thing comes from God. God is the one that caused the, quote, lucky break. God calls you to be there at the right place at the right time. How many times have we all said, well, wow, that car almost hit me. Another split second and I'd have had an accident. That's not a coincidence. That's the goodness of God. Make sure you thank him for it. I have these friends that have two sons. When their oldest son was a little baby, they would put him in the bed with them at night, right in between them, and let him sleep there. They'd done this for many months. One night, they were all sleeping in the bed, just like normal. And this young man, my friend, he was suddenly awakened by a bright, bright light. He thought it must be lightning outside. He'd never seen anything that bright. He laid in the bed, just looking up, and he saw these sparkles on the ceiling, kind of like stars that were twinkling. And he was kind of dazed, like he was dreaming. For some reason, he reached over to check on his little baby, and the baby wasn't there. Somehow the baby had worked his way down to the end of the bed by their feet and fallen off. And he was caught in the covers, face down, jumped up and got the baby. He was totally blue, barely breathing. They gave him cpr, and the paramedics rushed in. And long story short, the baby was fine. Today he's a teenager, healthy and whole. But here's my point. Had my friend not been awakened by that bright light, child wouldn't have made it. What's interesting is there wasn't any lightning outside. There wasn't any storm. Friends, that's the kind of God we serve. He's a good God. He's a caring God. He's watching after you and your family. Every one of you can look back and see the times God protected you, spared you from an accident, gave you a promotion, caused you to be at the right place at the right time. Ever get tired of thanking God for his goodness? Remember your victories. Tell your children. Tell your neighbors. Tell your friends. Keep bragging on the goodness of God. I've learned the more you brag on God's goodness, the more of God's goodness you're going to see. When you go around saying, let me tell you what God did for me. Let me tell you how God healed my mother of cancer. Let me tell you how God protected our son on that boat. Let me tell you how God gave us this beautiful facility. The psalmist said, I recall the many miracles God has done for me. I cannot stop thinking about them. They are constantly in my thoughts. Too many times today, instead of remembering our victories, we're remembering our defeats, our failures, our disappointments. You've got to switch over and do like the psalmist and start remembering the times God protected you, the times God showed you favor, the times God made a way when it looked like there was no way. That's going to cause faith to rise in your hearts. You'll know if God did it for you back then, he can certainly do it for you right now. When the people of Israel were headed toward the promised Land, the scripture talks about how God sent them dew in the desert. And in the morning, when the sunlight hit the dew, it formed manna, something like bread. Now, you wouldn't think there would be dew in the desert. It's hot, dry, hardly any growth. But that's the goodness of God. He sent dew in the desert, and that dew brought them their provision. Sometimes in life you may feel like you're in the desert. In other words, business is slow, medical report isn't good, you feel lonely. But be encouraged. Today, the God we serve, how to bring dew in the desert, he knows how to take care of you even when it doesn't look good. When the Israelites got up each morning and went outside, their provision, their food was at the doorsteps. They didn't have to go way, way out to get it. The provision came to them. They didn't ask for it. They didn't have to struggle to get it. They didn't have to buy it. It was simply the goodness of God. Just like with them. God has dew in the desert for every one of his children. If you will be faithful where you are and honor God with your life, there will be blessings that you don't have to go after. They will come after you. You didn't ask for it, you didn't struggle for it. You didn't deserve it, you didn't earn it. It's simply the goodness of God. I look up and think, how in the world did I get to where I am? I'm not the most talented, not the most qualified. I've done my best to Be faithful to make the most with what God has given me. But I can tell you, God has sent me due in the desert. The fact is, you can only go so high in your own strength. You can reach a certain level with your education, your talent, your ability. But it's the goodness of God that will open doors you could not open on your own. The goodness of God will cause the right people to notice you. The goodness of God will take you places you never dreamed of. I know every one of you could say, like me, that God's given you favor, promotion, increase. He's made things happen for you that you could not make happen by yourself. It wasn't just your talent, your ability, your hard work, although that's important. But this was simply the goodness of God. It was God's favor giving you what you didn't have to struggle for. That's what it says in Psalm 44, verse 3 in the Message translation, talking about the Israelites. We didn't have to work for the land. It was your gift. You gave it to us. Smiling. Notice how good God is. He doesn't just give it to you, he does it with a smile. He takes pleasure in seeing you succeed. It's what happened to a young lady in the scripture named Ruth. She was out in the fields working, gathering up leftover wheat, minding her own business. God calls the owner of that field, a man named Boaz, to notice Ruth. You don't know who God is going to cause to notice you. God can cause people to be good to you. He can cause that manager to give you a promotion. He can cause a friend to show you favor. God controls the whole universe. He caused Boaz to notice Ruth. And Boaz told his workers to leave wheat on the ground on purpose for Ruth. In other words, leave her provision so she doesn't have to struggle for it. Ruth came in to do in the desert. The provision came to her. She didn't ask for it. She didn't have to work for it. She didn't have to. She didn't earn it. She didn't even know who Boaz was. It was simply the goodness of God. You may think that you've reached your limits. You've gone as far as you can go in your own natural ability. And that may be true, but you don't know what God is up to. You don't know who God is speaking to right now about you. You don't know who's about to show you favor. You don't know the amazing breaks that God has coming. Your way. Don't sit back and think, oh, I've seen my best days. No, God has dew in your desert. He has promotion, increase, opportunity that you didn't ask for, you didn't have to go after. You couldn't have made it happen in your own strength. It's simply the goodness of God. I was reading about this salesman, he was going door to door selling vacuum cleaners. That's what he did for a living. He knocked on this one door and a young man answered and he went into his two minute sales pitch. The young man said, I don't need a vacuum cleaner, I need a kidney. I'm waiting for a transplant. There were over 500 people in line in front of him. The salesman said, I'm sorry to have bothered you, and he walked away. As he was leaving, something said to him very strongly, you need to donate who one of your kidneys to this young man. I sent you here for a reason, not to sell a vacuum cleaner, but to give him his health back. All of a sudden he had a strong desire to donate that kidney. On the front lawn of that young man's house, he called his wife. The salesman did. She said, fine. He called his father. He said, fine. The salesman went back to the door, knocked on it, told the young man, I want to give you one of my kidneys. Let's go to the doctor. He came in to do in the desert. He didn't have to go after it. It came to him, friends, God knows what you need and he knows how to get it to you. Just so happened, that salesman was the perfect match. He donated the kidney and today both men are healthy and strong. You don't know, somebody may come knocking on your door disguised as a salesman, but they're going to end up being the answer to your prayer. They're going to show you favor. God's going to cause them to be good to you. Now you need to get your hopes up. You may think you've reached your limits, gone as far as you can go in your own natural ability. That's okay. God is saying, I've got something bigger coming your way. I've got dew in the desert, blessings that you don't have to go after. They're going to come after you. God is saying, I'm going to cause people to notice you. I'm going to cause people to be good to you. I'm going to cause opportunity to come knocking on your door, get your hopes up, believe for it. David said, what would have happened to me if I had not believed That I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living. I know this couple. They bought a small home in this neighborhood. They were very happy. God had blessed them. They were doing their best to honor God and enjoy in life. The husband is a coach and the wife is an accountant. They have two beautiful children. In their careers, they had reached their limits. Didn't look like they could rise any higher. But one day a developer knocked on their door. This man, he told how he wanted to buy their house and 12 others around them and put in this big shopping center. They weren't interested in selling. They said, no, thanks. We love our house and we love this neighborhood. We're not interested. He said, you haven't even let me make the offer yet. He offered them over 20 times what they paid for their house. It's funny, when they heard that, they said, you know what? We never really did like our house. It's amazing how quickly they became unattached to that neighborhood. They sold their property. God has blessed them more than they could ever imagine. That's due in the desert. God's goodness coming to you. You say, joel, this is never going to happen to me. Especially in this economy, with this stock market, with all the unemployment. No. It says in Isaiah 60, verse 2, darkness will cover the earth, and dense darkness, the people. Kind of where we are today. A lot of doom, gloom, pessimism. But it goes on to say, the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will be seen on you. This means when it gets dark, when people are discouraged, when the news reports are gloomy, God is saying, get ready. That's when I'm going to show you my glory. It says, his goodness will be seen on you. In other words, God wants to make you an example. He wants your friends, relatives, co workers to look at you and say, what is it with them? They're always so happy, they're so blessed. They're so peaceful, so successful. That young man that received the kidney, that was God's goodness seen on him. The couple that sold their house for a large profit, that was the favor of God displayed in their life. Psalm 112 says, when darkness overtakes the godly, the light will come bursting in. Notice, not trickling in, not barely making it. Not little by little. No, it says, it will come bursting in. That means suddenly you'll see God's goodness. Suddenly you'll be promoted. Suddenly the answer comes, an unexpected knock on the door, and there's the kidney you've been waiting for. Suddenly you can pay your house Off. Friends, our God is. Is the God of the suddenlies. Now I know some of you have been in difficult times. But I can sense in my spirit the light is about to come bursting in. Get ready for the goodness of God in a new way. Get ready for breakthroughs. Get ready for promotion. Get ready for restoration. You may have had that problem a long, long time. But do you know today it could turn around. That child may have been off course for many years, but today he could come back home. Suddenly things can change. God wants his glory to be seen on you. God doesn't want us to be average, mediocre, barely making it. God wants you to stand out in the crowd. He wants you to be so blessed that everyone around you can see his goodness on you. That's what the scripture says our life is praise to God. In other words, God's goodness is on us so strongly whenever we go somewhere, we don't even have to say anything. But you're so blessed. You radiate so much joy, so much peace, so much victory that your life, just your presence is giving God praise. Every one of you has seen God's goodness in the past. Remember if God did it for you back then, he can do it for you right now. He has dew in your desert provision that is going to come seeking you out. Now my encouragement is three things. Expect God's goodness. Get up every day looking for God's favor. Number two, recognize God's goodness. There are no coincidences, no lucky breaks. It's the goodness of God. And number three, always thank God for his goodness whenever something good happens, large or small. Lord, thank you for that parking spot. Lord, thank you for that idea. Lord, thank you for sending me dew in my desert. Have a grateful spirit if you do this. I believe and declare you're going to come into more of God's goodness. Those blessings are going to come after you. The light is going to come bursting in. God is going to open up supernatural doors. He's going to turn negative situations around. He's going to bring the right people across your path. And you need to get ready. Something big is coming your way. You're going to fulfill your God given destiny. Because the goodness of God is on your life. Come on. If you believe it. Can you give the Lord another shout of praise today? We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. Friends if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take you places you've never dreamed of. It's easy to get stuck in life because of fear and lack of confidence or we've been through disappointments. But I'm excited about Victoria's new book, Grace to Go. It'll help you move past what's holding you back and step into new levels of your destiny.
- [29:15]
A
My heart for this book is that you will discover the courage, the gifts and the faith that God has put in you so that you can see your dreams come to pass. It's not too late. The obstacles are not too big. The grace of God equips you to go beyond your comfort zone and overcome what looks impossible. You are stronger than you think. You are not alone. You are Graced to Go as our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this month we'll send you Victoria Osteen's brand new book Graced to Go. Step onto the bigger, bolder life that belongs to you. This inspiring resource will help you break through fear, insecurity or regret and activate the faith to move forward. Each chapter will stir your spirit, renew your perspective and empower you to live boldly. You don't have to wait for perfect conditions. God's grace meets you where you are and propels you into a future full of purpose and peace. With an additional gift, we'll send you the Grace to Go Bold bundle featuring Grace to Go by Victoria Osteen and Pray Bold by Joel Osteen. These two powerful books will stir your faith, break hesitation and help you believe big again. Grace is power. When you receive it by faith, it enables you to take the next step so you can become all you were created to be.
- [30:40]
B
Victoria and I are so grateful to spend this time with you. We pray for you and your family every day. Thank you so much for your prayer and support. Your generosity is helping people around the world. Special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners for your monthly gifts. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Remember, you can watch the services online every Sunday morning. Download our daily podcast watch on YouTube, the new Joel Osteen Network Social media of course. Listen on SiriusXM247. We'll help you stay encouraged and inspired. If you're a pastor, we'd like to invite you to our Pastors gathering. We'd be honored to spend the day with you here at Lakewood. We'll share some of the things we've learned, insights and behind the scenes be a time of inspiration and encouragement. We'd love to meet you.
- [31:30]
A
These two powerful books will stir your faith, break hesitation and help you believe big again. Be sure to request your copy of these powerful resources today for an additional donation. This month we are also offering the NLT Large Print Thinline Reference Bible. This bible also enables you to connect through your smartphone or tablet to a vast, power packed array of study notes, devotionals, interactive maps, videos, worship music. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567-JOEL or logging on to jolostein.com today. Call or click anytime 24 hours a day. Start fresh. Step forward. You are graced to go request your copies today. Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of angie and one thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. Because with every fix, update and renovation it becomes a little more your own. So you need all your jobs done well. For nearly 30 years, Angie has helped millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter, from plumbing to electrical roof repair to deco upgrades. So leave it to the pros who will get your jobs done well. Hire high quality pros@angie.com I've never felt like this before. It's like you just get me. I feel like my true self with you. Does that sound crazy? And it doesn't hurt that you're gorgeous. Okay, that's it. I'm taking you home with me. I mean, you can't find shoes this good just anywhere. Find a shoe for every you from brands you love like Birkenstock, Nike, Adidas and more at your dsw store or dsw.com.