Joel Osteen Podcast - Balanced Books | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: January 21, 2026

God wants to balance the broken pieces of our lives. He knows how to bring you out better than you were before. Make God’s Word your priority this year with our 2026 Today’s Word Daily Devotional. Filled with Scripture, encouragement, and prayers, our January offer will help you stay rooted in the truth and strength of God’s promises.https://bit.ly/3KT1zAm 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 for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It's 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.

I'd like to start with something funny. And I heard about this 84-year-old woman. she went on a blind date with a 93-year-old man. When she returned home to her daughter's house, and she seemed kind of upset, and her daughter asked her what was wrong. She said, I had to slap him three times. She said, you mean he tried to get fresh?

She said, no, I thought he was dead. 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 balanced books. This is an accounting term. It means to make up from loss. When account is low or when there's a deficit, when you balance the books, you add revenue to equal it out. You have to first determine how much the account is behind. You take all the losses, all the deficits, total them up.

Then you know how much you need to add. When the books are properly balanced, no one can tell there's ever been a loss. There is no deficit. In the same way, God is promised he will balance the books in our lives. We all go through things that put us at a deficit, an unfair situation, a rough childhood, A friend betrayed us. We lost a loved one. If nothing changed, we would be out of balance. We would go through life with more loss thinking, man, I must have got the short end of the stick. God must have had a good plan for my life. A young lady told me recently how she's had six

miscarriages, hasn't been able to carry the baby. And with big tears running down her cheeks, she said, Joel, I don't understand it. I want to have a baby so badly. life is not always fair, but God is fair. He will add up all the losses, the disappointment, the heartache, the tears, and he will pay you back. Hebrews 10 says, God is a just God. He will repay the compensation owed us. He will settle the cases of his people. God knows what you're owed. You are not going to live in a deficit mode. You may go through seasons, where you're out of balance, a loss, a disappointment? Something doesn't make sense.

But don't worry, your time is coming. God is going to settle your case. He's seen every tear you shed. Every person that's done you wrong, every injustice. Nobody else may know, but God knows. And he is not going to leave you out of balance. You are not going to end up in the red, lonely, disappointed, at a disadvantage. that's all temporary.

The creator of the universe is adding up all the deficits. You may have gone through things you don't understand. You could easily live discouraged with a chip on your shoulder. Get your passion back. God is saying, I'm about to balance your books. Compensation is coming. Healing is coming. Vindication is coming.

Promotion is headed your way. I can look back in my own life and see times where God balanced my books. When I was growing up, we had church in a small run-down building that used to be a feed store. It had holes in the floor where you could sweep the hay and feed out. We cleaned it up and put some plywood down and put temporary chairs in it. For 13 years, that's where we had church. Over time, that area of town started to go downhill. It wasn't kept up very well.

We lived about 30 minutes away. And most of my schoolmates went to the neighborhood church. It was a big brick building, had a huge pipe organ, stained glass, very prestigious, very beautiful. And because we were in this feed store, certain people I knew saw us as being second class, thinking, ah, they can't afford a place to have church. They have to meet in that old rundown building. I would hear them kind of laughing, making fun, and they were good people.

I know they didn't mean anything by it. but they dismissed us. They saw us as less than. They're not up to par. Well, fast forward 30 years, we're no longer in a rundown feed store. God has blessed us with the former compact center.

The premier facility in our city in the most prestigious part of town. That was God balancing the books. God bringing justice. When I was growing up, it never bothered me that people made fun. In fact, I never

even paid attention to it, but God does pay attention. He is keeping the records of who's trying to push you down, who's trying to discredit you. He's adding up all the deficits, and at the right time, he's going to balance your books. Some of the things God is going to pay you back for isn't because of wrongs done to you, but because of what your parents had to put up with, because of injustices to those that went before you. See, my father never saw the level of influence that God's blessed me with. And I say that very humbly. I recognize that I am reaping from the life my father lived. This is God balancing the books in our family. There are people in your family line. They kept doing the right thing when the wrong thing was happening. They gave, they served, they honored God, but they never saw total justice. Get ready. Like with me, God is going to bless you. to make up for what should have been there. God is not going to leave your family out of balance.

You're going to come into blessings that you didn't work for. For good breaks that you didn't deserve, doors will open that should have never opened. It wasn't because of anything you did. That's God paying your family back for what they were owed. This is what happened with the Israelites. They had been in slavery for 10 generations. They were mistreated.

taken advantage of, forced to work long hours, given these quotas that were impossible to meet. After 430 years, God brought them out of slavery. They could have left, and that in itself would have been a great miracle. They were finally free. But they didn't leave empty-handed with their heads down in shame. They had worked 430 years without pay. They were owed a whole lot. God said, all right, it's time.

to balance the books. On their way out, God calls them to have favor with their captors. The same people that had mistreated them for years, the same ones that had looked down on them, made their lives miserable. Suddenly they had a change of heart, and they gave the Israelites their gold, their silver, their clothing. The Israelites left their pushing willbarrows full of treasures.

That was God balancing the books, paying them back for those 430 years. God sees every deficit. He sees every wrong done to you and your family. He knows what you're owed. There will be a day, like with the Israelites, God says, enough is enough. It's time to balance your books.

He's promised he will compensate you. Now, quit worrying about what you lost. Who did you wrong? Who put you at a disadvantage? Who's not giving you the credit? God saw what happened. And he's saying it's payback time. You're coming out not empty-handed, not look down on, not seen his second class.

You're coming out promoted, vindicated, respected with abundance, favor that you didn't deserve. Blessings chasing you down. That's the God of justice paying you back for what you were owed. Young man told me recently how he was raised in a very negative environment. His father wasn't in his life. His mother was never around. She had a lot of issues of her own. He couldn't understand why he had been dealt that hand.

Why he was put at such a disadvantage. I told him what I'm telling you. Life may not be fair, but God saw what happened and he's going to make it up to you. Here's the whole key. You can't go around with a chip on your shoulder thinking about what mama didn't give you, what daddy didn't give you.

God knew what your parents weren't going to be. be able to give you. It didn't stop his plan. If you will stay in faith, God will balance your books. If you didn't get as much in one area, he is a God of justice. He'll give you more in another area to make up for it. You may feel like you got shortchanged in life. You didn't have a good childhood. You're dealing with an illness. Your boss doesn't give you any credit. Don't worry, God sees what you're owed. He's keeping the records. He's keeping the records. He's dealing. He may not be able to give you another childhood. He may not be able to bring a loved one back that you lost, but he can make the rest of your life so rewarding, so fulfilling. You don't even think about what you

didn't get. Balance books means you're not living from a place of deficit. You're not living from a place of loss, always thinking about what you're lacking. When my dad went to be with the Lord in 1999, I lost one of my best friends. I'd worked with him for 17 years and we'd travel the world together. But today, even though I miss my father, even though I would love for him to be here, God has blessed me in so many other areas. I'm not living from a place of deficit. You sure, that first year, the loss was extra heavy. I was a little out of balance. But then God began to bring new gifts out of me, open new doors, cause things to fall into place.

What was happening? He was balancing my books. Maybe somebody walked out of a relationship and broke your heart. Don't live bitter. Don't give up on life. That is not the end. You may be out of balance right now. That loss

is extra heavy, but God saw the hurt. He saw the betrayal. And like with me, God is going to pay you back. He's going to bring somebody better into your life than you've ever even imagined. Or maybe a dream didn't work out. You didn't get the scholarship. The medical report wasn't good. Now you have to take a whole other round of treatment. In these tough times, when life doesn't seem fair, you have to keep reminding yourself that he is a just

God. He sees what you're going through and you are not going to live from a place of deficit. All through the day. Lord, I want to thank you that you're balancing my books. Lord, I believe that payback is coming. Healing is coming. Vindication is on the way. This is what allows God to pay you back for what you are owed. Not going around discouraged, blaming others in self-pity. The hand you've been dealt may not have been fair,

but it is not a surprise to God. He already has a way to settle your case. every time you're tempted to worry, just turn it around and thank him that payback is on the way. Thank him that you too are going to live from a place of no loss. I talked to a lady recently and she had been married for 14 years, has beautiful children, life was good. But one day out of the blue, her husband informed her he was leaving for another woman. She was totally blindsided, didn't see it coming and very devastated.

She'd been a stay-at-home mom, hadn't been in the workforce for over 10 years. She didn't know what she's going to do and how she would be able to raise her children. Two weeks later, while she was still numb, still trying to take it in, an old girlfriend from high school contacted her. They hadn't talked in 20 years. This girlfriend said, I'm starting a new business, and out of nowhere, your name came to mind. I'm wondering if you'd be interested in business. being my business partner.

This lady told how she's going through a divorce and she didn't have extra funds to invest into a business. Her girlfriend said, I don't need any funds. I have all the money. I just want you to work with me in this business. That company totally took off. Today this lady is extremely blessed. She has more than enough

to take care of her family. Friends, God knows how to balance your books. He didn't promise that unfair things would never happen, but he did promise he will compensate you for what you're owed. He's already lined up the right people to search you out. He can make things happen that you could never make happen. You may have gone through a disappointment, a bad break. Somebody did you wrong. Get ready. Payback is coming. Vindication is on the way. There was a young lady in the scripture

named Leah. She and her sister Rachel were both married to Jacob. Rachel was much more beautiful, so Jacob didn't give Leah much time or attention. I'm sure Leah felt inferior, not good enough, at a disadvantage. But the scripture says, because Leah was unloved, God let her have a baby while Rachel was still childless. Leah went on to have four sons before Rachel had one baby. Back in those days, having a son was a big deal. God was saying, Leah, since your husband is not treating you right, since you didn't get the beautiful looks like your sister, I'm going to balance your books and give you something that will cause

Jacob to notice you. I'm going to let you have children before your sister. What am I saying? God shows special favor to people that are seen as having a disadvantage. You may think somebody else got all the good breaks, good childhood, good looks, good personality, don't worry, your time is coming. God has some advantages for you that are going to cause you to stand out. You are not going to live always being in the shadow of somebody more beautiful, more talented, more successful. God's going to cause you to shine. You're going to excel.

You're going to be known. You're going to leave your mark. and what you think you didn't get in looks, in personality, in your upbringing, God is going to make it up for you. He's going to balance your books. And like with Leah, those times when people try to make you feel inferior, make you feel small, try to discredit you, that does not go unnoticed. God sees every injustice. He hears every negative comment. He sees every tear. The scripture says a little bird, a spirit. A spirit. A spirit. A spirit. Pharaoh cannot fall to the ground without God knowing about it. How much more does God see everything that happens to you? You're his child, his most prized possession.

When somebody does you wrong, God takes it personally. He doesn't sit back and think, well, I wish they wouldn't do that. No, that's when God gets up and goes to work. Just like as parents, if we see somebody mistreat our children, we go overboard to make things right. one time when our daughter Alexander was about four years old, just a little girl, I just bought her an ice cream cone and we walked out of the shop and there were some friends there that we stopped to talk to. There were a bunch of little children playing there on the sidewalk, running, having fun as they were eating their ice cream cones. As I was talking to my friends,

I noticed out of the corner of my eye this one little boy, about 10 years old, he was playing very rough. I thought to myself, he needs to be careful. because that's my little girl over there, and I don't want her to get hurt. He didn't mean to, but accidentally he bumped into Alexandra really hard, caused her to drop her ice cream cone on the ground. And that was okay until he started making fun of her and teasing her and saying, ha, ha, now you don't have any ice cream.

Alexandra came right over to me. She knew Daddy would make things right. And we went back into the ice cream store. And normally I would get her one scoop. She is four years old, but I said, this time, we're going to get you three scoops, so you're going to have more than anybody else. It was so funny. She went out of that store, found that little boy, and started waving that ice cream, just like that. She got that from Victoria.

I'm telling you that. It's just like she was saying, look what you did. You caused me to get three times what I had before. See, that little boy, he may have meant it for harm, but at a little bit of harm. as her father, I'm in it for good. That's the way your heavenly father is. Somebody does you wrong. You go through an unfair situation. God sees it. Here's the beauty.

God never brings you out the same. He'll always bring you out better. Isaiah said, because you got a double dose of trouble, your inheritance in the land will be double and your joy will go on forever. Don't complain about the disappointment. It puts you in position. to receive double. That setback, that bad break, it may look like a setback, but really it is a set up for God to show out in a greater way. God is about to balance your books. People that have been against you, some of them for years, tried to push you down, treat you condescending. Things are about to change. They're going to see God's favor on your life. They're going to treat you with

the respect and the honor that you deserve. When the Israelites were in slavery, Moses told Pharaoh again and again to let the people go, but Pharaoh wouldn't listen. He didn't respect Moses. He thought, who are you, Moses, to tell me what to do? I'm the Pharaoh. I'm the leader around here. I'm wearing this royal robe. I live in the palance. Moses, you're a shepherd. You don't have any credentials. You're not successful. You live out in the desert. you've been wearing those same clothes for 40 years. You're nothing compared to me. He dismissed Moses, saw him as secondary.

This happened over and over. Every time Moses went back to tell him that another plague was coming, Pharaoh didn't even give him the time of day. He thought, oh man, here comes that crazy guy, Moses again, trying to tell me what to do. What's interesting is after the last plague, when Pharaoh finally decided to let the people go, they not only gave the Israelites their gold and silver.

Pharaoh said in Exodus chapter 12, Moses, take your flocks, your herds, all your people, you can leave, but one thing, give me your blessing before you go. Now, instead of looking down on Moses, instead of seeing him as second class, he recognizes God's hand on Moses' life. He sees the honor, the influence, the anointing, so much so, He asked Moses to bless him. Part of God balancing your books is people that don't respect you. People that discredit, try to push you down.

They're going to have a change of heart and see God's hand of blessing and favor on your life. They're going to ask for your blessing. The scripture says, God can turn the heart of a king. God knows how to change people. You don't have to play up to someone. try to convince them to like you, let them control you and manipulate you, just keep running your race, be in your best, walking in your anointing, honoring God, and God will turn the hearts of those that are against you. It may not happen overnight. It may take years, but God will balance your books.

There will be a day like with Moses when he saw the person that disrespected him the most. The Pharaoh that wouldn't even look him in the eyes is now asking for his blessing. Says in Proverbs, when you honor God, he'll make even your enemies be at peace with you. Don't be upset when people do you wrong. You go through an unfair situation. Just keep honoring God. And one day, they'll ask for your blessing. One translation says your enemies will end up shaking your hand.

I met a man in the lobby a while back. and he was a pastor in another state. And he told how he was our biggest critic. He used to tell his congregation not to watch. He wrote articles against us, very outspoken. But a couple of years ago, he went through a major health crisis. He had to resign from his church. Didn't know if he was going to make it.

And one night, flipping through the channels, he came across our program. He watched us for the first time. He said, Joel, I haven't turned you off since. now I'm your biggest supporter. I tell everybody to watch you. You help me make it through the most difficult time of my life. He gave me a big hug and said,

will you pray for me? Had to think about it for a little while, but this is what the scripture says. When you honor God, he'll balance your books. He'll cause your enemies to shake your hand. Instead of criticizing you, they'll end up celebrating you. In the New Testament, no one was more opposed to the church than

Saul. Saul was having believers arrested and put in prison. When Stephen was stoned to death for being a follower of Christ, Saul was right there giving his approval. One day Saul was on the road to Damascus with letters in hand to arrest believers. But in the middle of his journey, a bright light shined down from heaven knocked him flat on his back. He became blind. He couldn't see it. They had to lead him into Damascus. For three days, he was so distraught, he went without food and water. One night, he saw a vision of a man named Ananias praying for him. Once again, his eyes became open he could see. Well, Ananias was one of the main believers.

Think about what God did. Saul is sitting there blind. The one who has the answer to his prayer is the one he came to arrest. He was Ananias's biggest critic. Now he needs what Anonias has. Instead of wanting to persecute Ananias, he's saying, please, go see if Ananias will come pray for me. You may have people like Saul in your life.

They've been against you for years. Maybe not that vocal, but they're condescending. They try to push you down. Don't worry, payback is coming. God is your vindicator. You keep taking the high road. Keep doing the right thing. One day, God will cause them to need what you have.

They'll come to you asking for your help, your blessing, your favor. Ananias said, God, I'm not going to go pray for Saul. That means killing people. This is a setup. They're going to arrest me. God said, no, Ananias, it's not what you think. I've changed things. Saul, I'm going to use him in a great way.

Ananias went and prayed for his greatest enemy. He did good to someone who had spent years, years doing bad to him. This is a test we all must pass. Will you be good to the Saul's in your life when you have what they need? Will you show them favor even though they've been mistreating you? If you want God to balance your books, you have to be the bigger person and bless those who have cursed you. In their time of need, don't withhold what you have. Don't say, well, too bad, Saul, I'm glad you're blind. now maybe you'll leave me alone. No, do good to those that persecute you. Ananias went over and prayed for Saul after he did. His eyes were open. And of course, Saul became the Apostle Paul who wrote over half of the New Testament.

But when people come against us, unfair situations happen, it's easy to get upset, try to pay somebody back or prove to them who we are. No, don't waste your emotional energy on the Saul's in your life. Wait for you. for God to do it his way. God sees every injustice. He hears every negative comment. He's adding up all the deficits, all the wrongs, and at the right time,

God will make things happen. You could never make happen. He'll cause people to need what you have. Friends, your time is coming. You are not going to live in a deficit mode. Like Isaiah said, you may have gone through a double dose of trouble, but get ready for a double dose of blessing.

blessing. The God of justice is saying, it's payback time. I believe and declare, God is about to balance your books. Promotion is coming. Healing is coming. Vindication is coming. Because you honor God, even your enemies are going to be at peace with you. In Jesus' name. And 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 your places that you've never dreamed. It's a new year. Time to see the impossible become possible. It's a new year. Life

setbacks are about to become God's set-ups for new opportunity. It's a new year. Cherished dreams will become unexpected reality. The start of the new year is the perfect time to reset your focus, release disappointments of the past, and get ready for the new things God has in store. Every January, we create a new 365-day devotional calendar. I'd love to send it to you. Each day is filled with inspiration, scripture, and uplifting declarations to fuel your faith. When you begin the day thanking God for what He's done and speaking victory over your future, you're positioning yourself for a blessed favor-filled year. Amazing things happen when you keep God first place.

As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this first month of the year, we would like to send you a copy of our brand new 365 Day 2026, DeVotional Calendar. Do you want to overcome your most pressing challenges in 2026? Do you want to see your life take off in new directions of influence, favor, and provision in the year ahead? With this daily encouragement, you'll not only smile at your day, you'll be reminded that God is smiling on your entire life. Each day will be a fresh new day. Turn discouragement to encouragement, frustration to fulfillment, anxiety to overcoming.

Start each morning knowing that it's God's desire to turn what seems like an ordinary life into extraordinary favor, strength, and opportunities. Using this devotional calendar is as easy as one, two, three, one, wake up with an expectancy in your heart. Two, reflect on the daily scripture verse and devotional from Joel. Three, capture the Lord's promises to you on journaling lines for writing and reflection.

2026 is going to be one of your best years ever. We're going to help you stay in faith so you can see the goodness of God in new ways. Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day. We want to thank you for your prayer and support. Your generosity is impacting lives around the world. A 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, live every Sunday morning,

download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, or the new Joel Osteen Network 24 hours a day. Of course, listen live on Sirius XM as well. But until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of the 2026 devotional calendar, available this month by simply visiting us at Joel O'Ste's. stein.com or calling 888-567, Joel. Also, no matter what season you're in, joy, sorrow, waiting, growth. God wants to speak into each and every moment. God's word for every season is a guided

journal series designed to help you slow down, write out scripture, and reflect on its truth, one verse at a time. As you engage with His Word, you'll discover fresh strength, deeper peace, encouragement for every step of your journey. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567, Joel, or logging on to joelosteen.com today. Call or click anytime, 24 hours a day. Request these resources today.