Joel Osteen Podcast - God Remembers You | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: October 5, 2023

It’s easy to feel forgotten or insignificant when we're still waiting for our dreams to come to pass. But the Scripture says God never forgets us. He sees every struggle and trial, and He's working to lead you into victory. 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 visit JoelOsteen.com/GiveHope 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 enjoyed 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 is always our joy to come into your homes.

We love you. We know God has great things in store. He rewards people that seek after him. And I believe that's you and you here as well. And if you're ever in our area, come by and see us. I promise you, we'll make you feel right at home. But thanks for tuning in today. I'd like to start with something funny each week. And I heard about these three ministers. They were out in a boat fishing one day. And one of them

said, we never get to let our hair down. Let's each tell the area that we struggle in the most, our greatest sin, so we can pray for each other. The first minister said, well, I hate to admit this, but I've got a big problem with gambling. Sometimes I sneak out at night and go gamble. The second minister said, I've got a big problem with cheating. I hardly ever. pay my taxes. The third minister just sat there quietly. They waited and waited and waited. He wouldn't budge. They said, listen, we are not leaving to you tell us your greatest sin. He said, all right, my greatest struggle is with gossiping, and I can't wait to get off this boat. All right. Hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am.

I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I'm. Today, I'm a 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 how God remembers you. It's easy in life to feel forgotten, or at least to feel insignificant, like our hopes and dreams don't really matter.

We all go through seasons where we're not seeing any progress, no new doors are opening, No breaks are coming our way. Just more of the same, month after month, even year after year. And so often we lose our enthusiasm. We get discouraged and we drag through life thinking nobody's interested. This is never going to change. Had a man tell me recently, Joel, I've been praying about a situation for years, but I don't see anything happening.

What was he saying? I feel forgotten. Another lady told how she had been in an abusive relationship. She was so beaten down, she couldn't even look at me. With her head down, she said, I don't feel like I matter anymore. Let me ask you, have you ever felt forgotten? Have you ever prayed and prayed, but it seemed like God was on vacation? Have you ever had those seasons when everybody around you is being blessed?

But you're not seeing any good breaks. Seems like you've been left out. Or maybe you're in a relationship. You're married, but you feel all alone. you have a smile on the outside, but on the inside, you're empty. Nobody knows, and it seems like nobody cares. It's easy to feel forgotten. But there's a great promise in Isaiah 49.15.

God said, I will never forget you. I have carved you into the palm of my hand. The good news today is you are not forgotten. You may have had that sickness for years. It looks like it's never going to change. but God knows every lonely night. He sees every tear you've ever shed. He's got you carved into the palm of his hand.

You are not forgotten. Maybe you have a dream in your heart, but every time you try, seems like one door after another closes. Looks like it's never going to happen. Looks like it's over. But no, God has not forgotten about you. In fact, even right now,

he's working in your life, arranging the right people, the right breaks, the right opportunities. and at just the right time in your due season, you're going to see that dream come to fulfillment. Maybe you're a parent. You're raising your children. You're making all kinds of sacrifices

so their dreams can come to pass. But know this. God has not forgotten about your dreams. He has not forgotten about the goals that you put on hold so your children can go further. He sees those sacrifices. He's saying, I'm not only going to help your children succeed, but I'm going to help you

fulfill the desires of your own heart. I want you to get your hopes up today. Put your shoulders back, hold your head up high. People may forget you, but God will never forget about you. People may do you wrong. People may betray you. People may leave you when you need them the most. But God is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. When life deals you a tough blow, when you pray, but the heavens are silent,

when it's taken longer than you think, you need to remind yourself of this promise. God has not forgotten about me. He has not forgotten about my hopes and dreams. He's not forgotten about the unfair things I've been through. He's promised he'll pay me back double. He's not forgotten about my years of sacrificing, my years of giving, my years of serving. All those seeds that you've sown, it's just a matter of time before you reap your harvest. You remember that famous song by Nat King Cold, Unforgettable?

That's what I'm saying today. You are unforgettable to our God. You matter to him. He has carved you into the palm of his hand. When God looks at you, all he can say is that's my masterpiece. That child makes me proud. That young person brings a smile to my face. That single parent mom, she brings joy to my spirit.

And our attitude should be, I am not going to dragged through life, negative, defeated, feeling alone, left out, forgotten. I know God remembers me. I talked to a lady one time. She was here in town for cancer treatment there at the medical center. She was from a smaller city and she was very nervous about the treatment to begin with. And she was nervous about being in a large city all by herself. She was going to have to be here for at least three months. In the first couple of weeks, she felt so alone. Nobody to touch. talked to like she had been forgotten. And her dream was to come

to one of our services. She always watches us on television, but she didn't know anybody. She didn't have a ride. Also, she had special medical needs that made it even more difficult to travel. But one day, in the cafeteria line there at the hospital,

she overheard the couple behind her talking about how they come out to Lakewood each weekend. And just in passing, she said, boy, I sure like watching it on television. That couple said, how about this? We'll come by and pick you up this Sunday and bring you to a service. That was a dream come true.

She was thrilled. They brought her. She told how when she walked in, all she could do is weep and weep. The greeters gave her a hug at the door. And when they found out she was a visitor, they brought her down and sat her on the very front row. She was so excited. She told me afterwards, Joel, I got to sit right by your brother Paul.

I apologized. She said, you're right. He's not near as good looking as you are. She didn't say that, but I know she was thinking it. But what was that? God remembering her, having the right people at the right place, letting her know she was not forgotten. Here's how Lakewood people are. They said,

we'll come by and get you every Sunday as long as you're in town. For three months, she attended our services. Friends, you are not forgotten. I think about Joseph. He was betrayed by his brothers. He was falsely accused by a lady and spent 13 years in prison for something he didn't do. I'm sure he must have felt God's forgotten about me.

Look how my life has turned out. I thought I had a dream, thought I had a promise, I must have been wrong. No, those times when things aren't going our way, those are seasons of testing. What are we made of? What kind of attitude are we going to have? Are we going to get negative, bitter, blame God,

or are we going to stay in faith, knowing that God has us in the palm of his hand? Joseph had a gift of interpreting dreams. And one day in the prison, he interpreted the dream of one of his cellmates. He told Pharaoh's butler that this butler was going to get out in three days' time. He said, listen, I've done you a favor by interpreted in this dream.

Do me a favor. When you get out, tell Fahler. about me. Sure enough, the butler got out three days later, but wouldn't you know it, he forgot all about Joseph. And sometimes the people that owe you the most will forget about you the quickest. But don't worry, don't get discouraged. Just because they forgot about you, doesn't mean God forgot about you. It wasn't long after that that Joseph got out. He got promoted. I love what he said. What was meant for my harm, God used to my advantage. When you're in those difficulties, Doesn't look like it's ever going to change.

Keep reminding yourself, God has not forgotten about me. Several years ago, our little niece Savannah was spending the weekend with us. Little Savannah was probably about seven years old at that time. This is my sister April's daughter. On Sundays, Victoria and I take different cars to church. I come a little bit earlier.

And in the middle of the song service, I leaned over to Victoria and said, where is Savannah sitting? She said, I don't know. Where did you put her? I said, I didn't put her anywhere. I didn't bring her. You brought her. Her eyes got real big. She said, no, Joel.

I thought you brought her. My heart sunk. We left my little niece at home all by herself. My mind began to race. All these crazy thoughts. I just watched the movie the week before, Home Alone. I didn't know if she was there hollering and screaming. I didn't know if she'd left and gone to the neighbors.

I didn't know if she'd be scarred for life. Here I'm in the middle of a service, trying to look spiritual, trying to appear holy. On the inside, I'm in a total panic. I can already see the headlines. Pastor arrested. Leaving child home alone. We didn't know whether we should call the police or what.

We were at the other campus 30 minutes away from our home, and we finally got in touch with my brother-in-law, Kevin. He lives close, and he ran to my house as quickly as possible. When he got there, there was little Savannah sitting at the back door, just as peaceful as can be. Had a smile on her face, not the least bit worried, not the least bit upset. First thing

she said to Kevin was, I knew you would remember me. She was saying, I knew it's just a matter of time for somebody showed up. I asked her later, Savannah, weren't you worried, weren't you afraid, weren't you upset? She said, no, Uncle Jojo, my mother has left me before.

I thought that's where I get it from, April. But I thought, if We could just have that same kind of childlike faith. When we feel alone, when we feel forgotten, when things aren't going our way, instead of getting negative, bitter, into self-pity, no, shake that off and say like little Savannah, I'm not worried. I know God remembers me.

I know it's just a matter of time before he shows up and turns it around. That phrase, God remembers you, is found 73 times in the scripture. It doesn't just mean that God doesn't forget about you. It's more significant than that. When God remembers you, it means he's going to overwhelm you with his favor. He is going to surprise you with his goodness. When God remembers you, it means he is going to show up and show out like you've never seen before. That's what happened to a young lady in the Bible.

Her name was Rachel. She wanted to have a child so badly. She tried and tried, but just couldn't consider. see. Her womb was barren. And back in those days, a woman was really looked down on if she couldn't give her husband a child. It was like it not only brought shame to her, but it brought shame to her husband. Year after year went by and Rachel felt so alone, so empty, like she was less than she was supposed to be. To make matters worse, her sister Leah kept having baby after baby. It was like rubbing salt in the womb. But one day something happened that turned

everything around. The scripture says that God remembered Rachel. Isn't it interesting? It doesn't say that Rachel remembered God. And of course, it's good when we reach out to God when we remember him, but it's even more significant when God remembers you. God is so merciful when we don't feel like we have any more strength to believe. When we prayed so much, we can't pray any longer. when we've gotten so discouraged, we just give up on the promise and think it's not meant to be. That's exactly where Rachel was. But notice what happened. God remembered her and answered her plea and gave her a child.

Friends, when God remembers you, it doesn't matter how long it's been that way. Doesn't matter how impossible it looks. God is going to turn it around. You may feel like Rachel today, alone, forgotten, empty. Maybe you've given up on a dream. you've already accepted the fact that you're never going to be able to have a child. You're never going to go back to college like you wanted to.

You're never going to be successful in your finances, in your marriage. You've written it off. But understand, just because you write it off doesn't mean God writes it off. God remembers not only you, he remembers the dream he put on the inside. He remembers the goals, the promises, your deepest desires.

You may have already said, I'll just forget about it. But God says, no, no, no. I remember it. I'm the one that put the dream in you, and I still have a way to bring it to pass. I heard about this lady. She was about to lose her house. She had been laid off and couldn't make her payments and eventually it was foreclosed on. And now the bank was about to put it up for auction. She had already accepted the fact that it was over, that that chapter in her life was through. She was doing her best to deal with it. But down deep, she was very heartbroken. That's where she had raised her children.

She was a single parent mother. I'm sure she felt kind of like Rachel. Alone, forgotten, like nobody really cares. And just to get some kind of closure, she went to the auction where they were selling off these homes, including her own. While she was there, all she could do is weep and weep,

seeing her house up there on the docket to be auctioned off. And while she was weeping, a lady close by noticed something was wrong, and came up and asked her what was going on. She explained how she had lost her job and now her home was about to be sold. The lady asked which home was it. She pointed to it.

When it came time for this home to be auctioned off, the lady bid on it and bid on it and bid on it. She eventually won the bid. And now she owned the house of her new friend. She turned to her and said, I came here to buy my son a house. But I realize now, God sent me here to buy your house.

and I want to give it back to you. Think about this. That lady came in their heartbroken. She was expecting to say goodbye, expecting to see it gone, but God had other plans. He made a way when it looked like there was no way. What was that?

God remembering her. Some of you today, you have written off dreams. You've given up on promises that you know God's put in your heart. But God is saying he has not forgotten about you. He still has a way to turn that situation around. Even if you were to lose your house, you don't know. God can send somebody to buy it and give it back to you. He can bring you a new house. If you were to lose your job, God can give you a better job with better benefits, making better money.

If somebody were to walk out of your life, God can bring somebody better into your life. God remembers you. He remembers the dreams he's placed on the inside. He remembers. He remembers. He remembers the destiny you were created for. He remembers the assignment you've been given. People may try to push you down. Sometimes our circumstances will make us feel like we're alone and forgotten. But all through the day, we should go around saying, Father, thank you that you're remembering me. You're remembering your promises. You're remembering my dreams. You're remembering my destiny. I know this man that was out taking a hike through the woods and he got caught in a terrible snowstorm. This man was a good person. He was nice and kind, but he didn't really give God

the time of day. He's just living his own life, doing his own thing. In this storm, it got so bad that he lost all sense of direction. It was quickly getting dark. He wasn't an experienced hiker. He didn't have the proper gear. He was just out trying to get some exercise. He knew he couldn't survive out there all night in the cold. He began to get disoriented and sleepy. common conditions when your body starts to shut down because of the cold. He saw this small crevice in some rocks and he went over and laid down. He woke up the next morning as warm as toast. When he regained consciousness, much to his surprise,

there was this huge shaggy dog that had come in there and curled up next to him. That dog acted just like a heater. He didn't know where the dog had come from. There was no dog there the night before. but if it had not been for that shaggy dog, he wouldn't be alive today. Now that gentleman is outspoken about his faith. He has a ministry of his own. Everywhere he goes, he tells people what God has done for him. Friends, God knows your purpose. He knows what you were put here to do. Even when people don't give God the time of day, even when they just live for themselves, God has not forgotten the destiny he created

them for. I think about a young man in South Korea. He was dying. He had tuberculosis. One of his lungs had collapsed. He laid in his bed at home in so much pain just waiting to die. He began to call out to his different gods one by one. He cried out to this God, please help me. There was no answer. He called out to another God the same thing and again and again and again. Finally, in desperation, He said, if there's any God up there anywhere, I don't ask you to heal me. I just ask you to show me how to die. He was afraid to die. A few hours later, a young college student walking through the neighborhood felt what

she called an unexplainable love drawing her to his house. She went up to the door not even knowing really what she was doing. A lady answered. She said, I know this sounds very, very odd, but is there? anything I can pray with you about. It was the mother. She began to weep and weep. She said, yes, my son is on his deathbed. That lady went in. She prayed for the young man and that day that young man gave his life to Christ. To make a long story short, God supernaturally healed him. And today, many years later, he is the pastor of the largest church in the world.

Dr. Paul Youngie Cho has over 500,000 people in his church in South Korea. What am I saying? God has not forgotten about you. He knows the calling on your life. He knows what you are put here for. And you need to do everything you can in the natural. But what you cannot do, God is going to supernaturally arrange. I'm sure that young man felt alone and forgotten in all that pain and all that suffering.

But what he didn't realize was there was a creator that knew him before he was ever born. a God that had already purposed that he touched thousands. Sickness tried to stop him, but sickness is not too big for our God. What is it that you think God cannot do? Do you have a family member, a relative that you think is too far gone? Do you have a co-worker, a friend, a neighbor that you think is just too sarcastic, too cynical, too much of a partier? No, God has not written them off.

God remembers them. and when God remembers, supernatural things are going to happen. I want to breathe new life into your faith today. You may be here like that young man, feel like you'll never get well. You'll never get over that sickness. But no, we serve a God that is not limited to the natural. You have an assignment. You have a destiny to fulfill.

And no matter how bad it looks in the natural, no matter how many obstacles are in your path, God has not forgotten about you. He is not going to take away his calling on your life. You may be living far below where you're supposed to. You may be far away from where you know in your heart. God wants you. But you might as well get ready because the Most High God is not going to write you off.

And when God remembers you, all the forces of darkness cannot keep you from fulfilling your purpose. Sickness can't stop it. A disappointment can't stop it. another person can't stop it. God said he's going to lift you out of the pit, set your feet on a rock, and put a new song in your heart. You need to get you a fire back and start expecting to fulfill the dreams that you once had.

It may look like those dreams have died, but God can resurrect dead dreams. Those promises may have been pushed down by disappointment, by an unfair situation, by a sickness, but God has not forgotten about you. And when the most high remembrance, members, there is nothing that can keep you from your destiny. There was a little girl born into a very dysfunctional home.

She was abused and neglected. There was no consistency in this family. She'd never really felt what true love was all about. And in the natural, all the odds were against her. Didn't look like she would ever amount to much. It got so bad as a young girl, she asked the authorities if she could be removed from her own home. The judge studied it all, and he had her place.

in foster care. This young lady felt alone, confused, and forgotten. Several months later, she agreed to be a part of a special program. She would be adopted by a single parent mom, living in a small community dedicated to helping other foster care children. She began to excel in school. She became an honor student, a leader that the other children looked up to. One day she was invited, along with the other leaders that ran the foster care community there to be on a national talk show. On this program, the host asked her what are dreams and goals for the future were? This young lady said, my dream is to one day go to Harvard University so I can help others like so many people have helped me.

A few days later, she got a call from out of state. The lady said, I saw you on the program this week. I have a question for you, would you accept a scholarship to yell? University instead? The young lady agreed. Today she's headed to yell. What am I saying? No matter who's tried to push you down, no matter how many unfair things you've been through, God has not forgotten about you. He said he would be a father to the fatherless. When people do you wrong, your heavenly father will defend you. When you need a good break, your heavenly father will show your favor. When it looks impossible, your heavenly father.

will make a way where it looked like there was no way. Dr. Bill Henson was the pastor of the Methodist Church here in town for years, good friend of our family. He told how when his children were younger, he went out to pick up the newspaper one morning and he saw a baby owl lying on the ground. His kids ran out to look at it and they wanted to pick it up and hold it. But he cautioned them not to until he found out more about the little owl. He called a friend of his, a local veterinarian. He asked about how he should take care of it and any information on the owl. The veterinarian said, sometimes the strong winds can blow the owl out of the nest. Or sometimes the owl is just overconfident and tries to fly before it's able.

But he said, in any case, it's good you didn't try to pick it up. Dr. Henson said, why is that? He said, because if you go out and look up in the trees, there's a good chance you will see a mama owl looking down closely watching that baby owl. So, of course, they ran out there as fast as they could. They looked up, and sure enough, in the top of this pine tree, there was a large mama owl with these huge eyes staring directly down at them, just like she was ready to swoop in and protect that little baby. She was just standing on guard at attention.

The veterinarian went on to say, even if it means giving her own life, if something were to try to harm that baby owl, she would do everything she could to protect it. And the good news is, just like that mama owl, your heavenly father is looking down right now, closely watching over you. Sometimes in life, you may feel like the strong winds have knocked you down. At times you may feel like you're alone and forgotten.

But if you can just remember to look up, you'll see those heavenly eyes looking right back down at you. You'll see those eyes of love, those eyes of compassion, just waiting to rescue, to protect, to defend. I want you to have this confidence today that no matter where you are in life, no matter what comes against you, you are not alone, you are not forgotten, God remembers you. He remembers the dreams he's put on the inside. He remembers the promises you're holding on to. He remembers the sacrifices you've made. You are unforgettable to our God. When God remembers you, just like Rachel, supernatural things are going to happen. The dark clouds are going to give way to the sunshine.

The barren womb is going to conceive. The shaggy dog is going to keep you warm. Who knows, one phone call may lead you to a major university. If you'll stir your faith up and believe that God is watching over you, believe that nothing can keep you from your destiny,

then you're going to see God show up and show out in amazing ways. He is going to give you favor to accomplish your dreams. He's going to supernaturally heal your body. You're going to overcome every obstacle, defeat every enemy, and live that life of victory he has in store. Amen. Do you receive it 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 bye. Bible-based church, keep God first place. He's going to take your places you've never dreamed of. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. Help us to continue to share the message of hope with those all around the world. Visit joel osteen.com or click the link in the description to partner with us today. We hope you'll share this message with a friend and be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying for you.

I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time.