Joel Osteen Podcast - A Magnet for Blessings

Episode Date: December 19, 2018

In this exciting message, Joel will teach from the powerful passage in Deuteronomy 28 which explains that when you walk in God’s ways and make pleasing Him your highest priority, then His blessings will chase you down and overtake you.----Visit https://joelosteen.com to receive daily updates and encouragement from Joel Osteen.----Have you followed Joel Osteen on Instagram? https://instagram.com/joelosteen. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of the Joel Osteen Podcast ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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See you. Hi, this is Joel. On Wednesdays, we bring you the best of. I hope you enjoy the podcast. God bless you. It's always a joy to come into your homes. And 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. And thank you again for coming out today. And I like to start with something funny. I heard about this airplane that was about to crash. There were four passengers, but only three parachutes. The first passenger said, I'm a leading heart surgeon.

My patients need me. Took the first parachute and jumped. The second passenger said, I'm a rocket scientist. One of the smartest men alive. My country needs me. He took the second parachute and jumped. The third passenger, Pope John Paul,

said to the fourth passenger, a 10-year-old boy scout, son, I'm old and frail. I don't have much time left. You take the last parachute. The Boy Scout said, don't worry about it, sir. There are still two parachutes left. You see the smartest man alive, he just jumped out with my backpack. Hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 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 being a magnet for blessings. When you honor God with your life, when you keep him first place, God puts something on you

called a commanded blessing. The commanded blessing is like a magnet. It attracts good breaks, the right people, contracts, ideas, resources, influence. You don't have to go after these things. trying to make it happen in your own strength, just your own talent, hoping that life works out. All you've got to do is keep honoring God and the right people will find you. The right opportunities will come across your path. The favor, the wisdom, the vindication will track you down. Why, you become a magnet for God's goodness. You may have seen on the news these heat-seeking missiles.

The military programs a target into the computer and fires the mission. missile off. It can travel thousands of miles. The intended target can be flying in the air, zigzagging here and there trying to lose it. Doesn't have a chance. That heat-seeking missile follows it everywhere it goes and eventually overtakes it and accomplishes its purpose. In the same way, when you keep God first place, just like that heat-seeking missile finding a target, God will send blessings that chase you down. Favor that overtakes you. Out of nowhere, a good break.

Suddenly your health improves. Suddenly you're able to pay your house off. Unexpectedly, a dream comes to pass. That's not a lucky break. That's not a coincidence. That's the commanded blessing on your life. Like a magnet, you're attracting the goodness of God. That's what it says in Deuteronomy chapter 28.

when you walk in God's ways, you make pleasing Him your highest priority, all these blessings will chase you down and overtake you. One translation says, you will become a magnet for blessings. That means because you're honoring God right now, something is attracted to you. Not fear, sickness, depression, bad breaks, no like a heat-seeking missile, favor is tracking you down. promotion is headed your way. Divine connections are searching you out. You're attracting the goodness of God. Now, you may be facing an illness,

but instead of thinking, well, I'm never going to get well, you should see the medical report. No, your attitude should be healing is looking for me. Restoration is tracking me down. You're struggling in your finances. Not I'll never get out of debt. I'll never accomplish my dreams. No, abundance is looking for me.

favor is in my future. Good breaks are tracking me down. You're single. Not, I'll never get married. I'm too old. It's been too long. No, the right person is looking for me. Divine connections are tracking me down. They're already in my future like a magnet. I'm drawing them in. When I look back over my life, most of the favor, most of the good breaks, I didn't go after them. They came to me. I was simply honoring God. I was. being my best and God did more than I could ask or think. I never thought I could get up in front of people and minister. I spent 17 years behind the scenes here at Lakewood doing the television production. And I'm not bragging, but during those 17 years, I was faithful. I gave it my all. I made my father look the best I possibly could. Go the extra mile to make sure the lighting was perfect. camera angles were just right. I would even go over to my parents' house every Saturday night and pick out a suit and a tie for my father to wear the next day on television.

My mother would say, Joel, Daddy's a grown man. You don't need to come over every week. He can pick out his own clothes. Problem is, I had seen what my father picked out before. Let's just say he liked a lot of color. I wanted that broadcast to be perfect. I wasn't looking for this position. I was content where I was behind the scenes.

But when my father went to be with the Lord, this opportunity came looking for me. Never planned on doing it, but it chased me down. God's dream for your life is so much bigger than your own. If you will keep being your best right where you are, you will come into favor, promotion, opportunity, bigger than you ever imagined. You won't have to go after it,

it will come to you. Because you're honoring God, like a magnet, you'll draw it in. When I was in my early 20s, I walked into a jewelry store and met Victoria for the first time. Like a magnet, she couldn't keep her hands off of me. This is my side of the story anyway, but we went out on our first date and had so much fun. Actually, here at the Compact Center, the next week she invited me to come to our house and have dinner. and we laughed and had a great time. I called her the next day at work to thank her, but she was busy and not able to talk. Called her that evening at home and she wasn't there. Called her the next day and the next and the next and the next, but she was always either busy, not available, but for some

reason she couldn't talk. Finally, I got the message. She's avoiding me. She doesn't want to see me. I thought that's fine. I won't call her anymore. About two weeks later, I was sitting in a little diner eating breakfast early one morning all by myself, and Victoria comes walking in. She saw my car out in the parking lot. She came and sat at the table and said, Joe, I'm so sorry, I keep missing all of your calls. She came back to her senses and came looking for me. She ate breakfast and then made me pay for it. But friends, God has the right people in your future. When you honor God like a magnet, the person God, God's design for you, the right one will come across your path.

You don't have to worry. You don't have to play games and try to convince somebody to like you. If they don't like you, let them go. If they don't celebrate you and see you as a gift, a treasure, as one of a kind, move forward. Don't hang on to things that are not attracted to you. The right one will not be able to live without you. the one God designed will think you're the greatest thing in the world. You keep being your best right where you are honoring God

and God will do for you what he did for me. He'll cause you to be at the right place, at the right time. Those divine connections will come across your path. But what God has planned for you is much bigger than anything you've ever dreamed of. If God were to show you right now where he's taking you, the favor, the promotion, the influence, it would boggle your mind. You may think like I did that you're not the most qualified. You don't have the personality, the talent.

That's okay. It's not going to happen just because of your talent, your personality, your hard work. It's going to happen because of the commanded blessing on your life. God's anointing on you is more important than your talent, your education, than what family you come from. You can have less talent, but with the favor of God, you will go further than people that have much more talent.

You may not see how this can happen. Doesn't seem possible. You don't have to figure it out. If you'll just keep being your best right where you are, getting to work on time, doing more than you have to, being a person of excellence and integrity, the right people will find you. The right opportunities will track you down. Now, don't be frustrated if it doesn't happen on your time. table. You've got to pass some tests. You've got to prove to God that you'll be faithful right where you are.

If you're not faithful in the wilderness, how can God trust you to be faithful in the promised land? You've got to keep a good attitude when you're not getting your way. You've got to be your best when you're not getting any credit. Do the right thing when it's difficult. That's when your character is being developed. If you will pass these tests, you can be certain God will get you to where you're supposed to be. The right people are in your future, the right opportunities, the good breaks, the wisdom, the contracts, the houses. God said, no good thing will he withhold because you walk uprightly. I've learned one touch of God's favor can take you in a split second further than you could go in your whole lifetime on your own. Quit thinking, oh, I'm getting behind. I'll never

accomplish my dreams. No, God has explosive blessings in your future. He has blessings that will thrust you years and years ahead. You say, Joel, this all sounds good, but I don't really have the talent. I don't know the right people. I don't have the money. That's okay. God does. He's already lined up everything you need. There are good breaks right now that have your name on it. There are contracts, buildings, businesses that have your name on it. There are ideas, inventions, books, movies, songs that have your name on it. As you keep honoring God being your best like that magnet, you're going to draw in what already has your name on it. When is this going to happen at the exact right time? If it hasn't happened yet, don't get discouraged. God knows what he's

doing. If it would have happened earlier, it wouldn't have been the best time. just keep being faithful right where you are and keep living with this attitude that something good is coming your way when you do that like a magnet you're going to draw in what already has your name on it there's healing with your name on it you single people there's a husband a wife with your name on it some of you couples are believing to have a child there's a baby with your name on it god has already chosen them to be yours you pastors leaders you you You need a larger auditorium. There's a new sanctuary with your name on it.

There's a business with your name on it. There's a number one movie with your name on it. There's an invention that will touch the world with your name on it. Now here's the whole key. You don't have to seek the blessing. Seek God and the blessings will seek after you. This is where we miss it very often. We think, I got to get this promotion.

I got to meet this person. I got to get my career going faster, Joel. And yes, we have to use our talent, be determined, take steps of faith. But you can stay in peace. You can live at rest, knowing that because you're honoring God, the right people will find you. The right opportunities will track you down. Proverbs 13 says, the wealth of the ungodly will eventually find its way into the hands of the righteous, for whom it has been laid up for.

Notice, because you're the righteous, there's something God has laid up for you. And the good news is, at the right time, eventually it's going to find you. That means right now something's looking for you, not defeat, struggle, lack, you are the righteous, favor is looking for you. Good breaks are looking for you.

Healing is looking for you. Influence is looking for you. Now, you may not have seen it yet, but don't get discouraged. Keep honoring God and he promises some of these eventuallys are going to track you down. This beautiful facility, the former compact center, you know what this is? And eventually, it was laid up for us. It had our name on it and at the right time it found us. This building was built back in the early 1970s. It was first called the summit. Then they changed the name to the compact center. But I,

believe if you would appeal back the names when it was built way back then, you looked underneath, you would have seen the name Lakewood Church. God had us in mind when they built it. Eventually, God said, all right, it's time to hand it over. Friends, there are some eventuallyes in your future. The great thing is, you don't have to go after them, just go after God. Keep him first place. Live a life of excellence and integrity. And God promises the eventulies, will find their way into your hands. This is what Jesus said. Seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added under you. Everything you need to fulfill your destiny has already been laid up for you. Now you just have to make pleasing God your highest priority. In other words, before you give in to temptation,

no, I'm going to please God and walk away. I want to fulfill my destiny. I want to come in to my eventually's. Before you tell that person off, no, I'm going to please God and keep my mouth closed. At the office, they're not treating you right. You feel like slacking off? No, I'm going to please God and keep being my best. I know I'm not working under people. I'm working under God. You live like that and all the forces of darkness cannot keep you from your destiny. The amazing thing about this building is I didn't go after it. It came to me. I tried to land twice and build a new sanctuary, but both times the property was sold out from under us. I thought we're stuck.

There's no more room. There's no way to grow. But one day, an old friend out of the blue unexpectedly called and said he wanted to talk to me about something. We had lunch. He said, Joel, the Houston Rockets basketball team is about to move out of the compact center. That would be a great facility for Lakewood.

when he said that, something came alive on the inside. I never dreamed we could have something this beautiful, the premier facility in the fourth largest city in America, the second busiest freeway in the nation. Just like with us, the eventually God has lined up for you are going to boggle your mind. It's going to be more than you can ask or think. God has not only already arranged them,

he's taken it one step further. He's already put your name on them. They've already been marked as a part of your divine destiny. What's your part? Worry, struggle, try to make it happen, manipulate this person. Maybe they'll do me a favor. You don't have to play up to people. I have to beg people, hope that they'll throw you a crumb here or there.

You are not a beggar. You are a child of the most high God. You have royal blood flowing through your veins. You are wearing a crown of favor. God has called you, equipped you, empowered you, chosen you, the creator of the universe. All you've got to do is keep honoring God and the blessings will find you. The right people will show up, the ones that want to help you. The good breaks, the businesses, the contracts will track you down.

One phone call. One person God has ordained to help you can change the course of your life. How is this going to happen? Just your talent? your ability, your hard work, that's part of it. But the main key is by honoring God. That's what puts you in a position for his blessings to overtake you. That's what makes you a magnet for his favor. And I know today, I'm looking at a lot of strong, powerful magnets. Some of you are very close to attracting what you've been praying and believing for. You've honored God. You've been faithful.

now God is about to release and eventually in your life. It's going to be bigger than you imagine. When you meet that person, they're going to be better for you than you ever dreamed of. You waited a long time, but when they show up, you're going to say you were well worth the way. Well, Joel, you're just getting everybody's hopes up today. You're right. You can't have faith if you don't first have hope. And some of you, some of you have gotten stuck in a rough.

God's been good to you. You've got a good family, a good job. You've seen God's blessings, but let me tell you, you haven't seen anything yet. You haven't touched the surface of what God has in store. Don't become complacent thinking that you've seen your best days. God never performs his greatest feats in our yesterdays. You may have seen God's goodness in the past, but it's nothing compared to what God is about to show you. Some of you are going to write a a book, a movie, a song that will touch the world. The idea will come to you. You don't have to go after it. Some of you are going to start a business that will become a global force. Some of you are going to have a ministry that will shake nations. Some of you will raise a child that will become a president, a world leader, a history maker. The eventually God has in your future are going to boggle your mind. It's like nothing you've seen before. God has raised. you up to take new ground for the kingdom to go where others have not gone dream big believe big pray big make room for God to do something new in your life if you would have told me years ago that

one day I would be ministering around the world and have books translated into different languages I would have thought not me I don't have anything to say but God knows what he's put in you the gifts the talents the potential you have seeds of greatness on the end of side. Because you're honoring God, he's going to open doors that no man can shut. He's going to bring talent out of you that you didn't know you had. He's going to connect you with the right people, present you with opportunities that will thrust you into a new level of your destiny. In 2004, we were holding one of our first Night of Hope events in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Earlier that year, I had written my first book, and it was doing really well.

That night, there was a publisher from one of the largest publishing companies in the world walking by the garden on his way to the train station to go home. He saw all the people lined up to go into the arena. He'd seen people go into basketball games and concerts before. But he said he had never seen people that excited about going to a meeting. He asked people what was going on. They told him it was our night of hope. The next morning, first thing, he called his main literary,

agent and asked if she knew me, Joel Osteen. She said, I don't know him personally, but seen his book, seen him on television. He said, you need to find him because I'm going to publish his next book. She tracked me down, set up a meeting. He made an offer that boggled my mind, that I could not refused. That company pre-printed more copies of my book than any book they had ever published in the company's history. That's what happens when you simply honor God. He'll cause people to be at the right place, at the right time. You won't have to seek them out. They'll seek you out. Well, Joel, that's because you're on television. You had that book. You got all this gold. No, don't talk yourself out of it. Because you honor God, you have the same commanded

blessing on your life. Just like that heat seeking missile, finding a target. Right now, God has favor tracking you down. Good breaks are looking for you. Divine connections, the right people are in your future. When my father was alive, Victoria and I used to go to India with him a couple of times a year. One time we met this young pastor that came from an extremely poor family. They didn't have electricity or running water. They lived out in this open field, in this little hut that they had built. The man next door was very wealthy. He owned a huge farm, had thousands of cattle, all these different crops, and he would sell, milk and vegetables to the village people. But he was kind of greedy and charged more than he should.

Many people couldn't afford it. One day, about 10 of his cows got out and came over to the little hut where the pastor and his family lived. Having a cow was a big deal. You could have milk and other products to sell to people. The workers came and got those 10 cows, put them back in the owner's fence. The next day, the same 10 cows got out, came back over. This happened again and again and again. The owner got so frustrated, he told his workers, tell the pastor he can have those 10 cows, gave him to him as a gift. That pastor was so thrilled, he started selling milk and other dairy products to the people in the village, but he sold them for much less. Before long, people were lined up at his door. He was able to buy more cows. His business

kept growing so much so that that other owner came over and and said, you're putting me out of business. I can't compete with you. Why don't you take over my company? This pastor purchased his company for a fraction of its value. And today, he has a very successful company with several hundred employees. But it all started when those cows came looking for him and wouldn't go home. What is that? Like a magnet, he attracted the goodness of God. Now, you don't have to worry about how it's all going to work out. God knows how to have the cows find you. What has your name on it, the real estate, the good breaks, the businesses, the favor will eventually find this way into your hands.

Proverbs puts it this way. Trouble chases sinners, but blessings chase the righteous. You are the righteous. Right now, favor is chasing you. Promotion is chasing you. Healing is chasing you. cows are looking for you. Victory is coming your way. I don't ever say I'll never get out of debt, Joel. I'll never get married. I'll never be well again. You know what that's doing? Demagnetizing your magnet.

It's taken away the attraction power. I used to have a magnet when I was growing up that I played with when I was a little boy. One day I woke up and the magnet had no power. I had left it by something that had demagnetized it. Look the same, but it wouldn't attract anything. In the same way, when we dwell on negative, can't do it, not able to, never going to happen thoughts, that is demagnetizing our magnet. You are taking away its power to pull in what belongs to you. You know what I'm doing today? I'm helping you to turn up the power on your magnet. When you realize God has put a commanded blessing on your life, you go out each day with the attitude, that something good is going to happen to you, that's when God can do exceedingly, abundantly,

above and beyond. And every one of you can look back over your life and remember a time like I can where you unexpectedly saw God's favor. You didn't go after it. It came after you. God has done it in the past. The good news is he's not only going to do it again in the future, but what he's going to show you is going to pale in comparison to what you've seen in the future. The good news is he's going to show you is going to pale in past. God has explosive blessings coming your way. They are going to thrust you to a level greater than you've imagined. You're going to look back and say like I do, how in the world did I get here? I'm not the most qualified, the most talented. I don't have all the experience. You may not, but God does. He knows how to get you to where you're supposed to be. Now, I believe and declare today

because you're honoring God, because you're keeping him first place, the power of your magnet is being turned up. You're about to draw in good breaks, promotion, healing, favor, ideas, contracts, creativity. God is about to release what already has your name on it. You're not going to have to go after it. It's going to come after you. It's going to be bigger than you imagined. It's going to happen sooner than you thought. You're about to step into the fullness of your destiny and become everything God's created you to be. In Jesus' name, if you receive it, Can you say amen 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 that you've never dreamed.

Thank you for listening to the Joel Osteen podcast. Help us continue to share the message of hope with those all over the world. Visit joelosteen.com slash give hope to give a gift today. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time.

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