Joel Osteen Podcast - Being Pruned So You Can Bloom | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: March 14, 2024

In life, just as we experience seasons of growth, sometimes we're going to experience pruning seasons. The key is to remember that the difficulty is only temporary. If you'll stay in faith, the pruning season will come to an end and you'll step into a new season of growth and favor. Believe big! Believe for more! Our March offer,This Time Next Year: Believe Big Journal, combines faith-building stories from Scripture with space to record your own reflections of the amazing things God is doing in your life. Be reminded each day that the God who breathed life into you is a more-than-enough God! Request your copy now, https://bit.ly/3IebX0B.   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.

Great to have you on the podcast today. Victoria and I are praying for you and just believing for God's very best. I believe that this month is going to be an amazing month for you and your family. Keep that expectation in your heart and see what God will do. Well, God bless you. It is always our joy to come into your homes. We love you. We know God has great things in store for each one of you.

And if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you, we'll make you feel right. home, but thanks for tuning in. Thanks again for coming out today. I'd like to start with something funny. One day, Adam, was feeling very lonely. God said, Adam, I'm going to make you a companion. It's going to be called a woman. This person will cook for you, wash your clothes. She will bear you children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night. She will not nag you. She will agree with every decision you make. And if you do have a disagreement, she will be the first to admit that she's wrong.

Adam said, wow, God, what will a woman like this cost? God said, an arm and a leg. Adam said, what can I get for a rib? And the rest is history. All right. How come all the ladies are clapping? 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 pruned so you can bloom.

Life is full of different seasons. There are growing seasons where we're seeing increase and promotion. We're making all kinds of progress. We know God's hand of favor is a problem. upon us. But the truth is, if we stayed in that season, it wouldn't be healthy. Just like a plant, if you don't prune it at the proper time, it won't experience any new growth. It will always be limited and not reach its full potential. And it's the same principle in life. If we're going to become everything God's created us to be, just as we have growing seasons, we're going to have

pruning seasons. There will be times when it feels like everything is being cut back. You lost your biggest client, a good friend moved to another state, a family member did you wrong. It's easy to be discouraged and think, why is this happening to me? Why did this person leave? Why did I get laid off? No, you have to realize you're in a pruning season. That loss, that disappointment was never meant to work against you. it was meant to work for you. And if you will stay in faith, that season will come to an end. And you will come into a season of new growth, new opportunity, new friendships.

You are being pruned for one reason so you can bloom, so you can blossom, so you can spread your wings. You may be in a slow season right now. You haven't had a good break in a long time. Or perhaps you went through a disappointment, something unfair as a way. happen. It seems like you've taken steps backwards. You could easily just settle there and think too bad. I tried. I gave it my best. No, this is not the time to settle. This is not the time to be discouraged. This is the time to get ready for increase. Get ready for God's favor. That pruning season has put you in

position for new growth. Your attitude should be, yes, I went through a loss. Yes, it was difficult. But I know this season is not permanent, it's only temporary. God is still in control. He's fighting my battles. He's directing my steps. He is my vindicator. So I'm not going to live life discouraged. I'm excited about my future. I know I'm being pruned so I can bloom. I have a friend that I used to play baseball with many years ago. He was always the star player, the best one on the team. He would lead the league and hitting and fielding. His dream was to play professional baseball. And one summer, he was invited to play on this highly competitive team that traveled around the country. It's a very prestigious thing. You had to be extremely talented. He accepted and played that year

and did exceptionally well. But some of the team members were jealous of him. And they started spreading lies and stirring up all kinds of trouble. And the next season, the coach, even though, he really liked the young man, he believed those rumors, and he did not invite him back to play. My friend was devastated. He knew it was all politics. He tried to get on with another team, but it was too late. They were already full. And for the first time, he didn't have a team to play on that summer. He missed the whole season. No games, no opportunities. It was definitely a time of pruning. He could have sat back and thought, too bad for me. This is so unfair. No, instead, he would go to the batting cages every day and practice his hitting. He would have friends go

hit him balls so he could improve his fielding skills. He stayed in shape knowing that he was being pruned so he could bloom. That next season, a professional baseball scout saw him out on the field practicing and noticed how talented he was. That That scout said to his coaches, I want to let that young man try out for our minor league baseball team. He tried out and made the team. Long story short, he went on to play professional baseball, had a very long and successful career. What am I saying? When you go through a loss, when somebody does you wrong, when it feels like you've taken steps backwards,

don't sit around and sock, don't live life defeated, stay in faith. you may not realize it, but you're in a good position. You're being pruned, not so you can stay there, not so you can come out the same. No, you're being pruned so you can go to a new level. You're being pruned so you can see new growth and experience new opportunities and discover new potential. I had a gentleman tell me just last week how his business partner of 21 years decided to leave. He was so upset. They were having to devise. They were having to devise. Divide the business, divide the client list, divide the assets. He'd convinced himself that his best days were behind him.

He told how his partner was so talented, such a gifted communicator. He led all the company in sales. He didn't think he could make it without him. But I told him what I'm telling you, you're being pruned not because it's over, not because it's not going to work out. No, you're being pruned because God knows there's more in you. He knows what you're capable of, and if he didn't take them away, it would keep you from rising higher. If you will stay in faith, you're going to come into new growth.

You're going to discover talent that you didn't know you had. You're going to blossom with a greater confidence. We have to realize sometimes God will remove a person because they become a crutch. they're keeping us from spreading our wings. When somebody leaves your life, don't be discouraged. Your destiny is not tied to the people that walked away. You have everything you need. You are equipped.

You are empowered. You have the seed of Almighty God. It may be uncomfortable. It may be a little difficult, but it's going to cause you to stretch and blossom in ways you'd never imagine. It's like how a mother eagle teaches the baby eglets to fly. When they're small, they stay in the nest, where it's warm and soft and

comfortable. The dad goes out and gets the food and brings it back. All day long, the little eglets just sing and play without a care in the world. But when they get a little older, the mother eagle will grab one of the eglets by her claws and take it way, way up in the air. And the little Eagle it loves soaring in the air with his mother, seeing all the beautiful sights, not having to do one thing. But about that time, the Mama Eagle drops the baby. It starts heading toward the ground 90 miles per hour. I'm sure that baby eagle thinks, mother, have you lost your mind? Are you trying to kill me? Don't you love me anymore? Have you abandoned me? Right before the little eagle it hits the ground, the mother swoops in and grabs it. The little baby says, oh, thank you so much. much mother. Now take me back to the nest where it's warm and comfortable. I don't have this stress. I don't have all these challenges. What does the mother eagle do? Takes it right back up in the air and drops it again and again and again until finally that little eagle it begins to flap its wings. It discovers something on the side that he didn't know he had and he starts flapping and

flapping and before long he knows how to fly. He's soaring all through the air saying to him, self, this is what I was created to be. In the same way, sometimes in life, it feels like God has dropped us. Feels like we've been abandoned. We think, I've never had so many problems. Why did this business partner leave? Why did this person lie about me? Why did I go through this loss? God, I was so much more comfortable before. No, God has not abandoned you. He's not going to let you hit the ground. He's got his eyes on you. He is closely watching. He knows before long, like that little eaglet, you're going to start stretching your faith. You're going to step into a new confidence. You're going to discover wings that you didn't know you had. You're going to overcome

obstacles that looked insurmountable. It seems like you took a step backwards. You went through a loss. It was uncomfortable. But because you stayed in faith, That pruning led to blooming. Now you're stronger. You're more confident. Increase is coming. Favor is coming. New doors are opening.

It was meant to harm you, but God used it to increase you. When you really understand this principle, that pruning leads to blooming, then you won't get discouraged when somebody walks away or you suffer a disappointment. You go through a setback. No, you realize it's positioning you for. increase. I read about this executive. He had worked at a large home improvement company for many years. Over 30 years, he had helped build that company from ground up. They had retail stores all over the country. Now he was in senior management. But one day they had this corporate restructuring and he was informed that they no longer needed him. Of course, he was disappointed. He didn't think

it was fair at all. But instead of sitting around thinking about what he lost, he began to dream of new ideas and dream up new opportunities, really dream a new dream. And one day, he got a group of his friends together, and they started a new home improvement company. They called it the Home Depot. As you know, it was successful. They have stores all over the world. Here's my point. What he thought was his greatest setback turned out to be his greatest opportunity. Without that adversity, without that layoff, he would have never stepped into the fullness of his God-given destiny. And sometimes what we think is the worst thing that could happen. One day we'll look back and say, wow, if it were not for that

challenge, I would have never had this new opportunity. Pruning always leads to blooming. Here's the key. You can't get bitter. You can't get stuck in a rut and think, oh, this is as good as it gets. No, stay in faith. Stay focused on your possibilities. Stay focused on God's promises. When one dream dies, learn to do like that man. Dream another dream. Some of you today, you've went through a loss. You've just about settled in your mind. This is as good as it gets.

I want you to have a new perspective. You're in a pruning season. That means God is positioning you for increase. He's getting ready to take you to a higher level, but you've got to get in agreement with him. Start looking for new opportunities, new ideas, new friendships. Don't drag through the day expecting the worst. Start expecting increase, favor, promotion. I've discovered God will never take something away without putting you in a position

to receive something new. And what you think may be the worst thing that could have happened could turn out to be one of the best. It's like this man I heard about, his boat capsized in the middle of this huge storm. And he ended up stranded on a deserted island all by him. himself. Week after week went by, and he was so miserable, so distraught, barely even making it. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, he was out getting some food in the woods one day, and when he came back, he noticed the little hut that he had built somehow had caught on fire. As he watched his hut burn up, it was like pouring salt on his wounds. He was so upset. He threw his food down, sat on the ground, said, God, is just not fair.

In a couple of hours, he noticed a boat coming toward the island. He couldn't believe it. It was the Coast Guard. He was finally about to be rescued. He ran out and gave the captain a big hug. Said, sir, how in the world did you find me? I've been out here stranded alone week after week. The captain said, we saw the smoke coming from the fire that you built.

You may feel like your huts on fire today, but you don't know. That may be the very thing God uses. to promote you. Why don't you have a bigger vision? Instead of getting down and discouraged, why don't you believe that somehow, some way, God's going to use that to your advantage.

When my father went to be with the Lord, my hut was on fire. I never dreamed it would launch me into what I'm doing today. Twice we tried to buy property to build a new sanctuary on, but both times it was unfairly sold out from under us.

Our hut was on fire. I was convinced that was the devil stealing our property. Now I know that was God closing the door because we were thinking too small. God had something much bigger, much better in store. What am I saying? When life throws us a curve, usually we just look at the surface. We think, wow, I lost my job. This is terrible.

Wow, they lied about me and I didn't make the team. No, we can't see the big picture. we don't know what God is up to. It may look like the worst thing that could have ever happened, but God is still in complete control. He has you in the palm of his hand. And if you will stay in faith, somehow, some way, God is going to use that to your advantage.

I'm asking you today, when you go through these pruning seasons where something doesn't work out, you suffer a loss, don't sit around and suck, don't get bitter, don't start complacent, no, turn it around. Get ready for increase. Get ready for favor. Get ready for the new doors God is about to open. I think about the three Hebrew teenagers, Shadrach, Mejerk, and Abindigo.

They went through a time of pruning. They were thrown into the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter than normal. Should have instantly killed them. It should have been the end. But have you ever noticed they went into the fire bound. Their hands and feet were tied with cords. But the scripture says, not only did the fire not harm them, but they came out loose. In other words, the only thing the fire burned up were the cords that were holding them back. The fire didn't harm their clothes, didn't sing their hair, didn't melt their cell phones. All that fire destroyed were the chains that were restricting them.

when you go through a pruning season where you feel like you're in the fire, business has gone down to nothing, somebody did you wrong, just remember when you come out of that fire, you're not going to be harmed. All that challenge is going to do is burn up the things that are holding you back. It's going to burn up limited mindsets. It's going to burn up limited thinking. It's going to burn up fear and insecurity. It's not going to harm you. It's going to free you. It's going to free you. you. It's going to loose you into a new level of God's goodness. Our family went through the fire in 1981 when my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Didn't look like we would make it. But thank God, that fire didn't destroy us. It just destroyed the doubt and unbelief. We came out knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God can do the impossible. I went through the fire in 1999 when my father went to be with the Lord. I didn't think I could get up. here in minister? I was afraid, insecure, intimidated. But when I came out of that fire, it didn't destroy me. It destroyed my limitations. It destroyed the fear, the insecurity.

Now I know I can do all things through Christ. If God be for me, who dare be against me? Our ministry went through the fire in 2002 when we were trying to acquire this new facility, the former compact center. Three years and two lawsuits. later, we came out strong, confident, well able. It was meant to destroy us, but it did just the opposite. All that fire burned up were our restrictions. It burned up our limited thinking. Now we know nothing can stand against our God. No obstacle is too big for him. You may be in the fire right now, but the good news, you're going to come out of that loosed in your thinking, loose in your finances, loose in your health.

That fire is going to burn up little dreams and little goals. It's going to burn up fear, intimidation, depression. It was meant to destroy you, but it's going to backfire. God's going to use it to destroy everything that's holding you back. You may be in that pruning season, but you know the truth. You're coming into a blooming season. You're coming into a season of new growth. That's what David said in Psalm 4-1.

God, you have. have enlarged me in my time of distress. In difficult times, instead of thinking about how bad it is and how unfair it was, let's learn to do like David and say, God, thank you that you're enlarging me. I'm growing. I'm gaining wisdom, strength, confidence. This setback looks like a stumbling block, but God, I know you're going to use it as a stepping stone. And I'm not going to come out the same. I'm going to come out enlarged with a bigger vision. with a new determination, with a greater confidence in you. You may have lost your hut in the fire.

You lost a job, lost a relationship. But know this, God's going to cause the right people to see the smoke. He's going to open up new doors. He's going to bring new friendships. He's going to give new ideas. One day, you're going to look back like this man and say, wow, what I thought was the worst thing turned out to be one of the best things. Here's what I've learned.

the hotter the fire, the more uncomfortable it is, the more unfair it gets, the closer you are to your victory. It's just like a woman having a baby. The greater the pain, the closer she is to giving birth. Like those Hebrew teenagers, you may feel like the fire has been turned up in your life. All kinds of things are coming against you, in your family, your relationships, your business, your health, your career. but that simply means you are close to giving birth to the new thing God wants to do. You're going to see that relationship that you thought was dead, come back to life and be better than you ever even dreamed of. You're going to see that legal situation that's bogged you down for years, totally resolved in your favor. You're going to see that business that struggled and struggled begin to take off and really flourish like it should.

you've been through the pruning season, but because you stayed faithful and obedient, God is going to blossom you in ways you've never imagined. You're going to blossom in your health. You're going to blossom in your finances. You're going to blossom in your career. You're going to blossom in your thinking. God said in Isaiah, behold, I am doing a new thing. Can you not perceive it?

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some new things. I'm ready for new levels of victory. I'm ready for new opportunities. I'm ready for new ideas. I can feel it in my spirit. Something is about to break loose. Some of you have been discouraged and fought depression for a long time. But I want to declare that season is coming to an end and joy is about to break loose. Some of you have struggled in your finances, just barely making it. But that season of struggle is coming to an end and abundance is about. about to break loose? God is going to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings you cannot contain. Maybe you've struggled with the sickness year after year. Healing and wholeness is about to break loose. Perhaps you've just been bound by an addiction. Freedom is about to break loose. Maybe you

just need a good break. Well, God's favor is about to break loose. Ideas, promotion, new levels of victory. I love what it says in Psalm 112. When darkness overtakes the righteous, light will come bursting in. When you go through a pruning season, you need to get ready, not for more of the same, not for more lack, more sickness, more mediocrity, no, get ready for the light to come bursting in. What does that mean? A sudden turnaround, a supernatural breakthrough, an unexpected promotion, a divine connection. Notice it doesn't say that the light is going to come trickling in, barely going to get there, it says it's going to come bursting in. Like a flood, God's goodness is going to overtake you. I want you to get ready for some of these

sudden outburst of God's favor, where suddenly your child gets back on the right track. Suddenly, you're able to pay your house off. Suddenly, you're free from that addiction. All the sudden, you go from pruning to blooming. A few years ago, we lost, one of the main networks that carried our Sunday morning broadcast. It was our biggest outlet at the time. The network was going to all news on Sunday mornings. And unfortunately, when they rearranged their schedule, it didn't include us. And it seemed very unfair. We'd been on this network for many years and built up a good audience. It felt like the worst thing in the world that could happen. It felt like our hut was on fire, like we had taken steps backwards. And even though I was disappointed on the

surface, I knew down deep, that setback was putting us in position for new growth. We were being pruned, but I didn't stop there. I was ready to bloom. Darkness had overtaken us, so to speak, but I was expecting the light to come bursting in. Several months later, we got a call from a much larger network. They had never run religious programming before, but they offered us a Sunday morning time slot. If that wasn't good enough, the cost was living.

less than half of that other network. What I thought was the worst thing, now I was thinking God that it had happened. What am I saying? Pruning seasons always position you for new growth. And it may be dark, but if you will stay in faith, God promises the light is going to come bursting in. And some of you right now, you are in a pruning season. Your hours have been cut back at the office or a relationship, even though you're doing your best. It's very stagnant. In your health you're praying and believing, but it continues to go downhill. You could easily be discouraged. You could easily live life sour. But I'm asking you to put on a new attitude. Start expecting to bloom. Start expecting the light to come bursting in. It may look like the worst thing

that could have ever happened, but God is still in complete control. Your hut may be on fire, but God's going to cause the right people to see the smoke. He's going to bring the right opportunities, the right connections. And what you thought was a setback, like God did for me, one day you're going to look back and say, wow, if it had not been for this challenge, I would have never seen God's goodness in such a great way. Remember, when you come out of that fire,

it's not going to harm you. It's just going to burn up your limitations. It's going to burn up the things that are holding you back. Like David, God is going to enlarge you in your times of distress. When you really understand this principle, that you're being pruned for one, reason so you can bloom, then no matter what comes against you, you won't get down and discouraged, you'll rise up in faith and overcome every obstacle. And some of you are in that

pruning season, but I want you to get ready, new growth is coming your way. New opportunities, new friendships, new levels of confidence, supernatural breakthroughs. I want to declare this over each one of you. Your finances are going to blossom. Your health is going to blossom. Your relationships are going to blossom. Your career is going to blossom. Your thinking is going to blossom. You are going to blossom into the fullness of what God has created you to be. I believe it and declare it in the name of Jesus. Do you receive that today? Can you give the Lord a 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 your places that you've never dreamed of

it starts with just a tiny seed from it tender bud sprout the miracle of new life blooms and thrives but how do you experience the same miraculous and extraordinary growth in your own life Sometimes our life is limited because we're believing too small. Faith is like a seed.

When you believe, all things are possible. That's when you'll see new growth, opportunity, and healing. We don't have to figure out how it's going to happen. All we have to do is believe. There may not be a way in the natural, but our God is supernatural. We'd like to send you our new, this time next year, Believe Big Journal. It'll help you to enlarge your vision and stretch your faith. Where would you like to be a year from now?

Who knows what God will do in 2024 if you'll take the limits off of him and believe for the great things he's placed in your heart? Azar thank you for your gift of any amount this month. We want to send you the this time next year, Believe Big Journal, along with our new Believe Tea. As you begin to believe big, you'll see God move in powerful ways.

The impossible made possible. Growth, provision, and new opportunities will burst forth above and beyond which you can ask or imagine. Also, for the first time ever, we want to present you with our new Believe T-shirt, created exclusively by our friends at CopperFit for the viewers and partners of Joe Lohsteen. We invite you to wear and declare what you are believing God for in 2024. It's a gift from Copperfit as they extend their support of the message of hope. Many of you have watched us a long time, but you've never been to Lakewood.

We have a perfect time. We're calling it Homecoming Weekend, April 13th and 14th. We'd love to meet you. I'll introduce you to my family. You can see the facility and enjoy a service. We'd be honored to have you. We'll make you feel right at home. Remember, you can watch the services live online every Sunday.

Download our podcast. Watch on YouTube. We'll keep you inspired and encouraged. Be sure to request your copy of This Time, next year, Believe Big Journal and the Copper Fit Believe T-shirt as our gift of thanks today. Visit joelowstein.com or call us toll-free.