Joel Osteen Podcast - A Turnaround Is Coming | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: July 22, 2024

Nothing can stop what God has purposed for your life. He’s going to take what was meant for your harm and turn it to your advantage.  Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love. To give visitJoelOsteen.com/GiveHope.God wants to release His goodness and favor over you. Now is your time to break free from stress and walk fully in His blessing. Our July offer, 55 Ways to Be Blessed and Not Stressed, gives short, powerful readings packed with God’s promises! Request your copy today,  https://bit.ly/4cxwUAz 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.

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks so much for listening to the podcast, and thanks for supporting the ministry. We believe you're going to have an awesome 2024, healthy, productive, and favor-filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. God bless you. It's great to be with you today, and I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired.

I like to start with something funny and I heard about this elderly woman. She came to church one Sunday morning and a friendly usherer met her at the back door and asked where she'd like to sit. She said, I want to sit on the very front row. He said, oh, no, ma'am, you don't want to sit there. Our pastor is very boring.

He'll put you to sleep. Let me find you another seat. She looked appalled. She said, sir, do you know who I am? He said, no, ma'am. She said, I am the pastor's mother. He hung his head in embarrassment. Finally looked up and said,

Ma'am, do you know who I am? She said, no. He said, thank God. 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. you. I want to talk to you today about a turnaround is coming. We all face situations that look like they'll never change. It's easy to get discouraged and accept that it's never going to work out. But God said in Zeppaniah 3, I will turn things around for my people. He's a

turnaround God. He turns barren wounds into babies. He turns red seas into dry pathways. He turns five loaves and two fish into dinner for thousands. He turns skin filled with leprosy into skin as clear as a little baby. When thoughts tell you, your situation is permanent, you'll never get out of this problem, never get well, never see your family restored.

No, get ready, a turnaround is coming. God is about to turn sickness into health, turn addictions into freedom, turn lack into abundance, turn struggle, turn struggle in the ease. You're coming in to a turnaround season. You're going to see the hand of God do things that are unusual, uncommon, out of the ordinary.

This is what Zachariah said. God has turned my mountains into mole hills. Mountains represent obstacles, things that look permanent, like it's immovable. Depression can be a mountain. Feels like you'll always struggle with it. A mountain can be people, at work that are not for you. They have more seniority. What can you do about it? Or how about a mountain of

debt, lack, can't get ahead? It's been in your family for years. This is a new day. That mountain is about to be turned to a mole hill. God is about to flatten some things out. He's about to remove some obstacles. What used to hold you back is not going to limit you anymore. People that weren't for you, suddenly they're out of your path. You didn't have to do it. God turned it. That mountain of loneliness, not having anyone in life to love,

it's about to become a mole hill. The right person is going to find you. A divine connection. Somebody better than you've imagined. Now, you have to receive this by faith. This won't do you any good if you think, this is not for me, Joel. My situation could never turn around.

You don't know what I'm facing. you can cancel out what God wants to do by doubt, by negative thinking. Why don't you be a believer and not a doubter? Why don't you get an agreement with God and say, God, I believe what you promise, that a turnaround is coming. In my health, in my finances, my relationships, my career. Whatever you think is permanent, that you could never get past, you need to see that mountain being turned into a mole hill.

David in the scripture, he went through a lot of opposition, lonely nights, betrayals. King Saul was trying to kill him. His little baby was sick and didn't make it. There were plenty of things that could have stopped his destiny. But he said in Psalm 30, God, you have turned my mourning into dancing. You've turned my sorrow into joy. He could have lived bitter, discouraged, looking in the rearview mirror, but he understood. but he understood we serve a turnaround God.

And yes, you may have seasons of mourning. Times you go through loss, disappointments, things that are not fair, but that's not how your story ends. A turnaround is coming. God is going to take what was meant for harm and turn it to your advantage. He's not going to stop all the difficulties.

He won't keep you from every mountain, but he did promise he would turn the sorrow into joy. He'll turn the mountain into a mole hill. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy is coming in the morning. You have to get your fire back. The disappointments, the loss, what you're up against didn't stop your purpose. God is still in control. He didn't bring you this far to leave you.

It seems like a setback, but really it's a set up for God to show out in a greater way. Zephaniah went on to say, when God turns it around, everything you've lost will be restored. Instead of shame, he will give you honor. Burdens you've carried will be lifted. Verse 19 says, he will get rid of all those that have made your life miserable. He will heal the sick. He will bring home the prodigals. You will be respected wherever you go. You need to get this down in your spirit. It's turnaround time. What's limited you in the past is not going to limit you anymore. When I look back over my life, I can see the God of the turnaround. My mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, no treatment that they could give her. It was Christmas of 1981. We were expecting

to have a fun time with the family, altogether joyful. Instead, it was a time of weeping. I had never seen my mother sick a day in her life. Now she was frail, skin yellow, very weak, She was only 46 years old. We did what I'm asking you to do. We said, Father, this looks impossible to us, but we know you're a turnaround God. You can turn this mountain into a molehill. The scripture says, the moment you pray,

the tide of the battle turns. Something supernatural happens when you pray in faith. The turnaround God goes to work. Miracles are set in motion. Angels are disper, Favor is released. Don't just think about your problems. Don't just worry, live stressed.

Go to God in prayer. Ask him to turn it around. Ask him to heal you, to free you, to favor you, to bring that dream to pass, to move that mountain. Not begging him. Oh, God, please, you've got to do it.

No, go to him in faith. Father, I know you're bigger than this cancer. You're stronger than this opposition. You're more powerful than this addiction. I'm asking you to make a way where I don't see a way. Here's the key. Once you pray, believe that it's already done. You may not see it with your physical eyes.

Most of the time, it doesn't happen instantly. There's a period from when you pray to when the answer will show up. That's a test of your faith. And thoughts will say, nothing happened. It's not going to work out. This turnaround thing is not for you. don't believe those lies. In the unseen realm, the turnaround is already in motion.

What God promised is already en route. Instead of going downhill, like the medical report said about my mother, she started getting better, defying the odds. Her skin went back to a normal color. She got her energy back. She gained her weight back. Today, 41 years later, she's still healthy and whole. What was that?

The turnaround God. We can say with David, God has turned our sorrow into joy. He's turned our mourning into dancing. You may have situations that look permanent. All the circumstances say it'll never work out. It's been too long. The odds are against you. God is not limited by what limits us.

We're natural. He's supernatural. He's saying to you today, a turnaround is coming. he's going to turn that sickness into hell like it did for my mother. He's going to turn that loneliness into companionship. He's going to turn that child that's off course back into his purpose. He's going to turn those people that are against you, suddenly they're going to be for you. He's going to turn that dream that looks too far gone into a reality.

This is a turnaround day. You're going to see mountains turned into mold hills. What was meant to stop you is going to be turned to push you into your destiny. When we were trying to acquire this place, the former compact center, we needed 10 votes from the city council members. We worked for a year and a half convincing the council members. We had exactly 10, just what we needed. But two days before the main vote, one of the council members, who was for us, received so much pressure from the other side, he decided to be out of town for the vote.

That was like a no vote without him being there. We wouldn't get the facility. We couldn't believe it. It was the last moment. We'd worked all this time and now we were one vote shy. I went to visit with a young Jewish council member that had been against us the whole time. I thought I have nothing to lose.

When I walked in his office, he said, Joel, I've changed my mind. I'm going to vote for you. I nearly passed out. He told how there was an older Jewish woman that he knew growing up. He always had great respect for her, but he hadn't spoken with her in over 20 years. She called him the day before and told him in no uncertain terms that he was to vote for Lakewood having the compact center. He changed his mind. His vote gave us the facility.

God knows how to turn people that are against you and cause them to be for you. I had worked on him with everything I had, giving him my best speeches, trying to convince him. What I couldn't do in two years, God had a woman I had never met, change his mind in a five-minute phone call. When God is ready to turn it around, no person can stop him. No sickness, no addiction, no trouble. What God has purpose for your life will come to pass. When you face these situations that seem permanent, you've done all you can and the door hasn't opened. The person hasn't changed.

The medical report hasn't improved. You feel like we did. It was too late. You've run out of options. Now get ready. A turnaround is coming. What God started, he's going to finish. There's not a mountain you face that he can't turn into a mole hill.

There's not a person that's against you that he can't change their mind. You don't have to convince people. You do your part and leave the rest to God. That supervisor that's not treating you right, you keep doing the right thing and let God deal with them. The scripture says God can turn the heart of a king. God knows how to turn people to be for you. He can cause them to want to be good to you.

A friend of mine had a problem with his visa. He's from Europe, came to the United States for work. He went to the office to get it extended. The man at the counter was very rude and unhelpful, like my friend was bothering him. The man took his paperwork, barely even read it, and said it will be five years before this is approved. My friend pleaded with him, asked if there's any thing he could do to make it happen faster. The man got more upset. Said they were all backed up.

This was the policy. There's nothing more he could do about it. my friend left very discouraged. There were no good options. He couldn't operate his business without the paperwork. Two weeks later, there was a call from that government office saying that his paperwork had been approved and was ready to be picked up. He rushed down there, believing for the best, in the back of his mind thinking it was a mistake. When he walked in, the man that was so rude was holding the paperwork. My friend thanked him and said, wow, this is so. a great surprise. I thought it was going to take much longer. The men said gruffly, it should have,

but ever since I met you, I can't get you off my mind. I wake up thinking about you. I eat breakfast thinking about you. I come to work thinking about you. Just take the paperwork and go so I can have some peace. God knows how to turn people around. They may not like you, but they will help you fulfill your purpose. Luke chapter 7, Jesus had just left Capernean and was headed to the city of name. His disciples and a large group of people were following him. When he arrived at the city, a funeral procession was coming toward him. They were on their way to bury this young boy.

His mother was a widow. She had already buried her husband. Now she was about to bury her son. He was her only child. You can imagine the sorrow, the pain she was done. dealing with. In those days, her son represented her security. That's how she would be taking care of. Now her support for her later years was gone. Verse 13 says, when Jesus saw her, his heart broke. God sees when you're hurting. He sees when you're lonely. You feel overwhelmed like you can't go on.

He's moved with compassion. And Jesus went over to the woman and said, don't cry. He was saying, you're weeping now, but I'm about to turn things around. This pain is not permanent. This sorrow is not how your story ends. He walked over to the coffin. The pallbearers set it down. They didn't know what was happening. Jesus spoke to the little boy.

Said, young man, wake up. The little boy sat up in the coffin, begin to look around. Jesus went over, picked him up, and handed him to his mother alive and well. She went from great sorrow. to great joy. From great mourning to great rejoicing. From being depressed, distraught, not knowing how she could go on, but then the God of the turnaround stepped in. Now she's still weeping, but these are no longer tears of sadness.

They are tears of joy. Sometimes life gets tough. You shed tears from hurts, from a bad medical report, from a child that breaks your heart, from dreams that don't work out. There will be times of mourning, but what I want you to see is that's not the end. We serve a turnaround God. Like with this woman, he's going to step in and turn the sorrow to joy, turn the brokenness to wholeness, turn the mourning into dancing. Imagine this solemn funeral procession on their way to the burial grounds, all the weeping, mourning, everyone's stepping out of the way respectfully.

then Jesus meets the woman, raises the little boy. They don't continue on to the cemetery. They don't keep going to the burial plot. They turn around and go back into the city. People start asking, why are you back so soon? Why didn't you bury him? They answer, there's no need. We had a turnaround. Something unexpectedly changed in our favor. We all have these situations at times that look dead, dreams we've given up on. promises it seemed like it's too late. God is saying, I'm going to bring dead things back to life. There are going to be turnarounds that leave you in all.

You left defeated, but you're going to come back victorious. You thought your business was dead. God's about to surprise you. Increase is coming. Favor is coming. New clients are coming. You thought you'd have to live with that sickness, just manage that depression.

Noah turnaround is coming. me. God's about to do something out of the ordinary, something supernatural. Like these people, you're going to be in awe, amazed at the greatness of our God. I met a man that was very healthy, had a great family, successful career, but in his mid-50s, he had what appeared to be a massive stroke and was left brain dead. His family was so distraught. The neurosurgeon was a close friend to the family and the leading expert. He said, unfortunately, there's nothing we could do. There was no brain activity.

He was on a breathing machine that was keeping him alive. Family made arrangements to have his organs donated. They said their goodbyes. They were told once they took out the tube, he would stop breathing on his own in a couple of minutes. They removed the life support. The family waited for him to pass, but he kept breathing on his own.

The doctor said that wasn't. completely uncommon. He was just a matter of time. So the family went home and started making plans for the funeral. A few hours later, the nurse frantically called and said, you have to get up here. He woke up. He's talking. He wants something to eat. The doctors had no explanation. Today, he's totally fine. God has the final say. And yes, at some point, I know we're all going to pass, but it's not over until God says it's over. They went from making plans

for a funeral to making plans for dinner that night. From great sorrow to great joy. We serve a turnaround God. You may have gone through disappointments, a rough childhood, the pandemic set you back. Now you feel

that heaviness, lost your passion. You think this is all you have to look forward to? No, there's a turnaround coming. Something unexpected that's going to change in your favor. This is what happened with a young lady in the scripture named Ruth. Her husband was killed. She never dreamed she would be a widow at such a young age. You can imagine the heartache, the sadness. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, was a widow as well. She moved back with Naomi to Bethlehem to help take care of her. Every morning, Ruth would go out

into the fields and pick up leftover wheat that the workers had missed. This is how she and Naomi survived. They were barely making it. They had no income. They were heartbroken. It looked like lack, struggle, loneliness was all Ruth had to look forward to. But one morning, the owner of the field noticed Ruth. He told his workers to leave handfuls on purpose for Ruth. He didn't speak to Ruth. he spoke to someone to be good to Ruth. You don't know who God is speaking to right now to be good to you. You don't think you have the connections. You feel stuck alone. God is speaking to people about you. You're going to come into these handfuls on purpose. Now Ruth had more wheat than she could use. Wasn't a struggle. She gathered it up in a fraction of the time. And if this story stopped here,

it'd be a great story. God took care of Ruth. But when God turns things around, he pays you back for what wasn't fair. He brings you out better. The owner of that field fell in love with Ruth. They ended up getting married. Now she didn't have to work in the fields. She owned the fields. God turned the lack into abundance, turned her loneliness, being a widow at a young age, to marrying a successful, godly man. They have had a baby that they named Obed. Obed had a son that he named Jesse. Jesse had a son he named David. Ruth was the great grandmother of the greatest king that ever lived. God knows how to turn sorrow into joy, how to turn mourning into dancing. You may have been through loss, things that weren't fair, you could easily live discouraged, thinking you've seen your best days, if you only knew what God was up to.

He has turnarounds in your future that are so awesome, you won't think about what you've lost. You'll be so blessed, so happy, so fulfilled. You don't look back. You keep moving forward in faith, filled with gratitude, thanking God for what he's done. I talked to a single parent mother. She was struggling to make ends meet, working two jobs, long hours. She felt bad that she couldn't be there with her children. on top of that, she had no time for herself to date or have any kind of social life.

It looked like that's the way it would always be. She couldn't see anything changing. But just because you don't see it doesn't mean that God is not up to something. You don't know who he's speaking to about you, what he's lining up to come your way. You keep being faithful and like Ruth, you're going to come in to handfuls on purpose. blessings, healing, relationships that you didn't see coming. One day a neighbor invited this young lady and her children over for dinner. She had only met this couple one time.

At dinner that night, they told her what a great mother she was, how she was such a hard worker. Then they said, we want to do something to make your life a little easier. They handed her the keys to a brand new car. She didn't see that coming. and she couldn't believe it. She was able to sell her car, pay off her debts, not have to work so much.

About a year later, she met this executive from a large company. Today she's happily married. Her children are flourishing. I saw them after a service. She said, I never dreamed I could be this blessed, this fulfilled. That's the God of a turnaround.

You may be in a season of struggle, season of hardship, where you're working long hours, doing your best to provide, but nothing is improving. You don't see how it will ever change. God is watching you. He sees your sacrifice. He sees you go in the extra mile. You're going to come in to these turnaround moments where God is going to turn the struggle

into ease, turn the lack into abundance, turn the sorrow into joy, turn the injustice what you didn't get, what wasn't. wasn't fair into fulfillment, into purpose, into a blessed, satisfied life. I was at an amusement park with my children one time, and we were in line for this very popular ride. It was all single file at first, but when you got close to the front, you go into this room that's about 20 feet by 20 feet and wait. We were the first ones in the room, so we walked toward the front. Other people started coming in and maneuvering their ways around us, mainly kids and I'm more laid back and I wasn't going to get in there and stand my ground,

fight to stay in the front. So we ended up at the very back of the room. In a few minutes, a lady came out, stood at the front and told what was going on, gave instructions about the ride. There were two big doors up at the front. That's where everyone had crowded up to. We were standing at the doors where you come in. She said, okay, we're ready to go. Everyone turn around and go back out. The same door. you came in. All of the sudden, instead of being at the back of the line, we were at the front. You may feel like you're falling behind.

Everyone's getting ahead of you. You had bad breaks. People are manipulating things. Don't worry, a turnaround is coming. God knows how to take you from the back to the front, from being overlooked to standing out, from working in those fields like Ruth to owning those fields. you are coming in to a turnaround season. Things you couldn't make happen, the turnaround God is about to make happen.

Even right now, he's turning sickness into hell. It's turning borrowing into lending, turning sorrows into joy, turning addictions into freedom. What's hindered you in the past is not permanent. That trouble at work is about to turn. That child that's off course is about to turn. that depression you've been dealing with is about to turn around. This is a new day. Forces that have held you back are being broken.

I believe and declare what Zephaniah prophesied. Everything you've lost will be restored. Instead of shame, you will have honor. Burdens you've carried are being lifted. People that have hindered you are being moved out of the way. The sick are being healed. The prodigals are coming home. you will be respected everywhere you go.

It's turnaround time in Jesus' name. If you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to give 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. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born.

again. We'd love to send you some information on your new walk with the Lord. Just text the number on the screen, or you can go to the website. I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place. Sometimes the stresses of life can feel like you're just getting by. God wants to bless us, but how do you move from barely enough to just enough to more than enough? We all face difficulties and people that are hard to deal with. You can't eliminate all the stress, but if you'll handle it the right way, you don't have to live stressed out.

Much of our frustration is we're trying to control things that we can't control, letting things stress us that don't have to. I'd love to send you my new book, 55 ways to be blessed and not stress. I'll show you practical things you can do to live more peaceful and enjoy each day. You can move from stressed to blessed and fully realize God's goodness, favor, and blessings. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount to the ministry this month,

Joel and Victoria would like to send you this powerful, life-transforming resource, 55 ways to be blessed and not stressed. With this book, you'll not just see one pathway forward, but 55 powerful, life-changing ways to kill the stress and give life to a life-fetched. of blessing. These 55 promises will open God's floodgates and release double the impact of his divine direction, opportunity, and blessing every day. Now expect, declare, and receive a blessed, not stressed, over the top outpouring in your life. How much time are you spending worried, upset, and frustrated? Life is too short to live stressed. If you'll make some simple adjustments,

you can live blessed and not stressed. Victoria and I want you to know we're praying for you, that you'll experience peace and joy and see your dreams come to pass. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Your generosity is impacting lives all over the world. Remember, you can watch the services online Sunday mornings, download our daily podcast, listen on SiriusXM, YouTube, social media. But until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of 55 ways to be blessed. and not stressed today. Visit joel ostein.com

or call 888-567 Joel.