Joel Osteen Podcast - Divine Interruptions | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: September 12, 2024

Sometimes God allows delay in order to protect us. If that door closed, it's because He has something better on the way. 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 still works miraclestoday just as He did in Scripture! InMiracles Happen, you’ll find stories of 30 miracles from the Bible plus 5 modern-day miracles. Let our September offer stir your faith and increase your expectation—your miracle is on the way!Request your copy today,https://bit.ly/3SVZvsb.   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. Well, God bless you. Always a joy to come into your homes. We love you. We know God has great things in store. 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 at home. But thanks so much for you. tuning in and thanks for coming out again today. I'd like to start with something funny each week and I heard about this husband and wife. They were driving down the road and they saw a sign that said Nacadoches 40 miles ahead. They begin to argue over how to correctly pronounce the name

Nacadoches. The husband got so upset. He finally said when we get to the town, I'm going to stop and prove that I'm right. They drove silently for the next 30 minutes. When they got there, he pulled in to the first fast food restaurant he could find. They both marched up to the counter. He said to the young lady working behind it, my wife and I have been arguing for the last 30 minutes. Would you please tell us very slowly and very clearly how to pronounce the name of this place? The young lady's eyes got real big. She leaned over the counter and said, Burger King. Hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 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 divine interruptions. We all have times when our plans don't work out. We get delayed, interrupted, inconvenienced. It's easy to to get frustrated and fight against everything that doesn't go our way. But I've learned every interruption is not bad. Every closed door doesn't mean I'm doing something wrong. Every delay doesn't mean we're not where we're supposed to be. There's something called a divine interruption where God on purpose will delay us to protect

us from an accident. On purpose, he will close a door because it's not his best. sometimes God will allow us to be inconvenienced so we can help someone else in need. We have to be willing to go through bad breaks so we can be at the right place to do what God wants us to do. The next time you're interrupted, delayed, inconvenienced, instead of thinking, this is a pain, this is getting me off schedule, no, have a new perspective. This could be a divine interruption. This could be God protecting me.

or this could be God bringing somebody across my path that I should minister hope and healing to. The other day, Victoria couldn't find her credit card. She had been out running errands, and when she got home, she noticed it wasn't in her purse. She started looking and looking. She went out to the car thinking it may have fallen out. She checked all of her pockets

and ended out emptying out her whole purse and still couldn't find it. She had used it a few hours earlier at a store. She called that place, and they looked around, and they didn't have it either. After looking for quite some time, she decided to call the credit card company and cancel it. So she dialed the 1-800 number,

and a young lady answered and asked for her name and social security number. Victoria gave it to her, and when she did, there was a long, long pause on the phone. Victoria thought something was wrong. Maybe she got disconnected. She said, are you still there? The line was perfectly silent.

finally the young lady said I know I'm not supposed to do this but I get the daily devotionals from your ministry every morning my husband and I have been having marriage problems and I was just about to leave him but this phone call lets me know that God is still in control

and I'm supposed to stick with it Victoria spent the next 30 minutes encouraging her praying for her filling her full of hope what's interesting just as Victoria was about to hang up the phone, she moved her purse there on the counter where she was standing and noticed something fell to the floor.

She picked it up and it was her credit card. It had been there the whole time, but it was just like God had kept that hidden from her. Friends, God can hide things on purpose to get us where he wants us to be. He can cause us to not find the car keys, so we'll be delayed and spared from an accident. he can cause you to miss an exit on the freeway

or to overlook something at the office and have to go back so you'll be at the right place at the right time. It may not always be for you're good it may be for somebody else's good. God allowed Victoria to be inconvenienced for a reason so she could minister hope to a young lady in need. That was a divine interruption. What am I saying? Don't get frustrated

when your plans don't work out. Don't get upset. When you get interrupted, God is in complete control. He's directing every one of your steps. You may never know how God used you. It may be just a smile you gave someone that all of a sudden brightened their day. Or maybe you just held the door open for a stranger. All the sudden, they felt God's love. I remember when our son Jonathan was about five years old,

this would have been maybe 10 years ago, we loved to go to this certain Mexican food restaurant. It was close to the house, and we'd run a house. and we'd run up there from time to time. One day we were really hungry and really looking forward to going. But when we got there, a company was having a big party and the place was packed.

The wait was 45 minutes. I couldn't believe it. I'd never seen a wait at that little restaurant. We left there so disappointed. We didn't have time to wait. We decided to go to a little hamburger place down the road. I'd only been to this other place once or twice before.

When we went in, there were maybe 10 small tables. I noticed a gentleman sitting at the very front table by himself. He was dressed very nicely. As I passed by, I just naturally smiled and said, hello, didn't think any more about it, just went on about my business. A few days later, I received a letter in the mail from him. He told how he was at the lowest point of his life. Everything had gone wrong. The bottom had fallen out. He was not a religious person. He never went to church. He never prayed. But that morning, he said, God, if you're real and you still have a plan for my life, I'm asking you to give me some kind of sign.

He said, Joel, when your eyes met mine, it was like oil was being poured all over me. I felt a love that I'd never felt before. He left that day with a new sense of purpose, knowing that God still had something great in his future. You never know how God can use a smile, a kind world. A simple God bless you. I realize now that restaurant being crowded wasn't a mistake. Victoria not finding the credit card wasn't an accident. Those were divine interruptions.

That was the hand of God directing our steps, putting us in position to help someone else in need. When you get inconvenience, delayed, interrupted, it's easy to get frustrated and think, I can't believe this is happening. I'm going to be late. I can't find the car keys. I can't find the credit card. No, here's what I've learned. It's not all about me. It's not all about what I want. My plans. It's about advancing the kingdom. It's about impacting others.

Sometimes God's going to interrupt our plans so we can be a blessing to somebody else. So we can meet and need. So we can lift somebody's spirits. God uses people. And it's up to you and me to not get so stressed and so frustrated that we can meet and need. So we can lift somebody's spirits. God uses people. It's up to you and me to not get so stressed and so frustrated that we miss the opportunities God brings across our path. God is counting on us

to let our light shine and make a difference wherever we go. It's interesting. Many of the miracles Jesus performed happened when he was interrupted. Walking down the street, a blind man hollered out. Jesus, have mercy.

Come over and heal me. Jesus didn't see. say, don't you know I'm the son of God? I'm important. I've got a lot to do. No, Jesus stopped what he was doing, went out of his way, and healed the man. Jesus was willing to be inconvenience to help other people in need. On his way to Galilee, a man came up and said, sir, my daughter is very close to death. Please come to my city. Jesus said, I'll come. At the wedding in Canaan, Jesus was enjoying the reception, no doubt enjoying being with his friend. then his mother came up and said, Jesus, there's a problem. We've run out of wine. Can't you do something about it?

The very first miracle Jesus ever performed, turning water into wine, happened because he was interrupted. Jesus didn't have the attitude. I wish you'd leave me alone. I've got these plans. I'm trying to get out of Galilee. Would y'all quit stopping me? No, Jesus understood inconveniences, interruptions, delays that was all a part of his divine destiny. I know what young lady that left the service one day, driving home on the freeway, and she had a flat tire. She was delayed. She was inconvenienced. But it just so happened, a young man came driving along, whom she had never met before. He stopped and changed the tire. Today, they've been happily married for many, many years. She thanks God every day for that flat tire. She thanks God for that interruption. You never know. God may use you in an amazing way to help somebody.

else, or God may use that interruption in an amazing way to do something in your own life. Friend told recently how he was in the market for a new car. He'd been up at the dealership earlier in the week looking around. One evening he came home and was later than usual. It's really looking forward to eating dinner and spending time with his family. He just heated up his food and was about to sit down to eat. And his daughter handed him the telephone and said, Dad, it's the man from the car dealership. Well, he had all. He had all. He had all, he had already decided the car he was looking at was too small. It wasn't going to work. Plus, he was tired and hungry. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to a salesman. He's very polite,

and he took the phone, said, I'm sorry, I don't have time to talk, and the car's not going to work. Maybe I'll come back some other time. The salesman wouldn't let him go. He just kept talking and talking going on and on. As I said, my friend's polite, but he finally said, listen, I've got to go. I want to eat my dinner. The salesman said, no, just a second. Don't you want to talk to my sales manager? My friend thought, no, I don't want to talk to you the manager. I want to eat my dinner. But he said, Joel, I heard something rising up in me and I just blurted out, sure, I'd love to talk to the manager. He said, I couldn't believe it. I don't know why I said it. The manager got on the phone and said, I saw you when you were in the other day and I couldn't

figure out where I knew you from. Then when I saw you Sunday at Lakewood, I realized we go to church together. I want to get you any car you'd like, and I'll give it to you at my cost. That manager worked with him over the next month. They found a car in another state, some kind of special deal, had a few hundred miles on it. He ended up buying it for nearly 30% off the list price. Saved him thousands and thousands of dollars. Sometimes that divine interruption is not so you can help somebody else, but so God can show you, Ephesians 320, exceedingly abundantly above and beyond. The next time you get interrupted, delayed, inconvenience,

don't you dare start complaining. You don't know what God is up to. The steps and the stops of a good person are ordered by the Lord. That delay was not an accident. That interruption is not a mistake. I heard somebody say, God's delays are always deliberate. In other words, there's a reason for every closed door. There's a reason a promise has not yet come to pass. Many times God will close a door because we're

thinking too small. He has something much greater in store. I remember when we were trying to buy property to build a new sanctuary on, twice the property we found was sold out from under us. It was unfair. We were disappointed. But six months later, we got word that this place was coming available. Just as God opens door, doors, God will close doors. On purpose, he will delay things when he knows it's not his best. It's interesting in the scripture when Lazarus was very sick. His two sisters, Mary and Martha, they were all good friends with Jesus. They sent word for Jesus to come to their home and pray for their brother. Jesus was in another city and a day went by and Jesus didn't show up. I'm sure Mary and Martha said to the person they sent, did you tell him? Does he

know it's us? Does he understand how sick Lazarus really is? The messenger said, yes, I told him. I explained it. He heard me very clearly. Another day went by. Still, Jesus didn't show up. Mary and Martha thought, what is the deal? We thought we were his friends. How could he do this to us?

Eventually, Lazarus, their brother, died. Wouldn't you know it about that time, Jesus finally showed up. Sometimes that's the way we feel. It looks like it's too late. when they saw him, they said, Jesus, if you would have been here sooner, our brother would not have died. What took you so long? You know how the story ends. Jesus spoke to Lazarus and he came back to life. But what I want you to see is they were praying that Jesus would come and heal their brother. But Jesus wasn't thinking about a healing. He was thinking about a resurrection.

A healing would have been okay, but what Jesus had in mind was something greater. when you go through a delay, what looks like a disappointment, always remember God is still on the throne, and he's thinking of something greater. We didn't get the property we wanted to build a new sanctuary on. We waited and waited. It looked like God showed up too late. But no, God didn't bring a healing.

He brought a resurrection. He gave us this place more than we can even ask or think. What you're praying about may not be coming to pass. maybe you've been standing on those promises a long time, but it seems like the house will never sell. The marriage will never turn around. The dream will never come to pass. Now, you've got to remember God's delays are always deliberate.

It's because he's planning something greater. The scripture says in John 11, verse 6, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. One translation says, he sat down. Don't you know that was the opposite response Mary and Martha were looking for? Jesus, don't sit down when we need you the most. In other words, God, don't sit down when my finances are this low.

Don't sit down when my problems are this big. Your mind may be telling you it's over, it's too late, it's never going to happen. Now, you've got to know, just like with Mary and Martha, the reason for the delay. The reason God sat down, so to speak, is because he's planning something. something greater. You're thinking of a healing. He's thinking of a resurrection. We were thinking of building a new building. God was thinking about giving us a new facility that was already built. You may be thinking how I can just survive, but God's thinking how you can thrive. I heard Paul Krautz tells something very interesting. He's the founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

They're the largest Christian network in the world. They have hundreds of stations in America. By satellite, their signal goes into every country. Back in the early 70s and 80s, Trinity had a couple of dozen local independent stations. They were carried on the cable systems like you would see today. But in 1985, a law was about to be voted on that would not require the cable systems to carry every local channel anymore. In other words, independent stations like Trinity would certainly be dropped for more national sports and entertainment programming. Paul Crouch and his team prayed and believed and they lobbied

and talked to the government. In their mind, it was the greatest attack Trinity had ever faced. But in spite of all their efforts, the law passed and Trinity was dropped from the cable systems. That means nearly 80% of their potential viewers could not see them anymore. The value of their stations went down to a fraction of what it was before. But whenever you face a closed door, like Mary and Martha, it seems like your dream has died, looks like God has sat down, the worst thing in the world could have happened. No, that's a sure sign that God is up to something big. You may be thinking of a healing, but God's thinking of a resurrection.

Year after year, Paul Krauth just kept doing what he knew he was called to do, buying station after station. These other owners of independent stations, since they couldn't be seen on cable anymore, they were unloading their stations left and right. Before long, Trinity had purchased hundreds of stations at a greatly reduced price. What those other owners didn't realize was seven years later, in 1992, the law would be reversed. Over night, Trinity was placed on hundreds of cable systems. Their coverage and their value increased by at least 10 times. Looking back now, they realized that was a divine delay so God could do something extraordinary.

Had that must carry law not gone away for seven years, they would have never been able to acquire so many stations at such a greatly reduced price. What's interesting is at first, they were so disappointed. God, how could this happen? God, why did it go away? God, why is it taking so long? See, they were thinking of a healing,

but God was thinking of a resurrection. What God did was exceedingly. abundantly above and beyond. It would take billions of dollars to purchase those stations today. But God opened up a window of opportunity disguised as a disappointment. It looked like their greatest setback, but actually it was the hand of God orchestrating it all, and it turned out to be their greatest opportunity, their greatest blessing.

And some of you have prayed, you believe. Nothing's going your way. but let me encourage you, God's delays are deliberate. Just because you don't see anything happening doesn't mean God is not working. That delay, that disappointment, that interruption may look like your greatest attack. But if you will stay in faith and just keep doing what you know to do, being your best each day, I believe one day you'll look back and see how God used it for your greatest opportunity. It's a very freeing way to live, knowing that the creator of the universe is drawn.

directing our steps. Every disappointment, every delay, every interruption, the most high God is orchestrating it all. He's in complete control, and he promises that all things are going to work together for your good. The other day, a relative of mine was on a ladder, taking down a large mirror off of his bedroom wall. This gentleman is in his late 70s, still very active and very healthy, but his family had some young men coming over the next day to take it down, but he didn't want to wait. When he got the mirror off the wall, it was much heavier than he thought, and he lost his balance and started to fall backwards. He was able to throw the mirror off to the side, so it didn't come crashing down on him. But when he fell, he hit the dresser and broke his jaw

and bruised his ribs. They took him to the emergency room to be cared for. At the hospital, It just so happened that the doctors discovered that this main artery in his neck feeding his brain was 98% clogged. Another 2% and he would have had a massive stroke and probably not have led. The doctor said, sir, you're a walking time bomb. You've got to let me do a surgery on you and he had the operation. It's perfectly fine today. Here's my point. had he not fallen, had he not been interrupted, had he not been delayed, he would have never

known how great a danger he was in. See, every setback is not the enemy. Every delay is not a mistake. Every disappointment is not an accident. When you live with this confidence that the creator of the universe is directing your steps, then you know even a disappointment is going to ultimately work out for your good. Even a fall somehow, some way, God will still use that to your advantage. You know God's delays are deliberate. If something's

not happening on your timetable, you can rest assured that it must be because God is planning something even bigger. Last year, Victoria and I went to Kenya, Africa, to visit my brother Paul and his wife, Jennifer. Paul was over there doing surgery on the less

fortunate people, operating in one of the charity hospitals. He'll spend six months over there this year. After our trip was over, they took us on a safari. They'd taken this same safari a couple years earlier. So they requested the same guide they had before. His name was Henry, a local Kenyan man, very knowledgeable, very friendly. When we got to the campgrounds, the safari club, the man in charge, the manager, he was a believer. We're about 200 employees working there. One evening after dinner, he asked if I would go spend. speak to his staff. And so I went over to a little room that they used as their chapel, and I

encouraged the people for a few minutes. And I saw Henry sitting out there just beaming from ear to ear, taking it all in. Early the next morning, before sunrise, as we were on the plains, looking at the animals, Henry was driving us around in the Jeep. He whispered in my ear, Joel, last night when you were speaking, I felt something so strong. Later, Paul asked the manager, if Henry was a believer. He said, no, he's one of the few staff members that have still just not taken that step of faith. The next day, we had to leave, and Henry and the manager drove us about 10 minutes away to a little airstrip. It's just a dirt runway out in the middle of nowhere. We had arranged for this small propeller plane to come pick us up and take us back to Nairobi. We got word that the plane

was right on time, and it should be there when we arrived about five minutes later. We got there, and the plane wasn't there yet. We got out and we were all talking in different groups. Ten minutes went by, no plane, 15 minutes, 30 minutes. So we called and asked where it was. The person said, well, it left a long, long time ago. It should be there any minute.

We don't know where it is. Another 30 minutes we waited. Another 45, another hour. Finally, they called us and said, where are you? The pilots landed a long time ago. They're looking for you. Come to find out, they had landed at the wrong airstrip. They were about 20 miles away.

Paul said, that is so odd, I spoke to them myself and specifically let them know we would be at this airstrip. We got on the plane about two hours later than we were scheduled. Victoria said, did you hear what happened to Henry? She began to explain how one of our staff members that was there with us, while we were in that two-hour delay, he spent that whole time visiting with Henry. His name was John, and John asked Henry about his relationship with the Lord. Henry said, well, I know a lot about Jesus, but I've never committed my life to him. John said, Henry, would you like to do it right now? He smiled real big.

With great confidence, he said, yes, I would. Right there on the African plains, with the sun setting majestically in the background, Henry committed his life to Christ. He couldn't wait to call his wife. She was so excited. She said, I have been praying for this moment for 17 years. It's a dream come true. Friends, that was a divine interruption. If that plane would have been there on time and we just loaded up and went about our way, John would have never had that two-hour window to visit with Henry. I believe God on purpose confused those pilots and had them go to the wrong airstrip. After all, Paul had checked and even double-checked, yet they still made a mistake. But what may look like a mistake to us, what may seem to be. like a disappointment doesn't mean that God is still not orchestrating it. You may never know why

something has happened to you, but you can rest assured God somewhere, some way is going to get some good out of it. His delays are always deliberate. I'm asking you today, when you get interrupted, delayed, don't get frustrated, don't get stressed out. Recognize that there are divine interruptions. Your steps and your stops have been ordered by the Lord. if what you're praying about has not come to pass just yet, then that very well may be because God is planning something greater. You're thinking of a healing. He's thinking of a resurrection.

Stay in faith. Keep believing. Your best days are still out in front of you. If you will have this right perspective and not let delays and interruptions frustrate you, then you will see God use you in amazing ways to help others. And you will see God do amazing things in your own life. rise higher and higher, accomplishing every dream, overcoming every obstacle, defeating every enemy. I believe and declare, you will become everything God created you to be, and you will have

everything God intended for you to have. Amen. Do you receive that 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 it. I make it. I make it. I may 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 out.