Joel Osteen Podcast - It's Not What You Think | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: March 2, 2025

It’s not what we think. God is up to something that we can’t see. The things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal. God is doing things behind the scenes that are going to defy the odds. Your time is coming.Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love. To give visitJoelOsteen.com/GiveHope.God wants to bless you abundantly! It’s time to embrace His promises, stop settling for less,  and step into the overflow. Our March offer will show you how to shift your mindset so that your heart aligns with God's Word and you walk confidently into the abundant life He has for you, https://bit.ly/4jIaL7a. 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. God bless you. It's great to be with you today. And I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can come visit us in person.

We'd love to have you be a part of one of our services. I like to start with something funny. And I heard about this 92-year-old man that wasn't feeling up to par. So he went to the doctor. A few days later, the doctor saw him walking in the park with this beautiful young lady by his side. He seemed as happy as can be. The doctor said, wow, you sure are feeling a lot better, aren't you? He said, yes, doctor, I'm just following your orders.

You said, get a hot mama and stay cheerful. The doctor said, I didn't say that. I said, you got a heart murmur. be careful. He heard what he wanted to hear, but here we go, y'all. 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 it's not what you think. We all have a lot of have situations that look like they're not going to work out. We can't accomplish our dreams.

No doors have opened. We took the fertility treatments. We can't have a baby. Our child will never get back on course. We'll never meet the right person. All the facts say it's not going to happen. But what we can't see is what God is doing behind the scenes. We don't know what he's already lined up. We look at things in the natural, but God is supernatural. And it may seem like your dream has died. You did your best, but you've had setbacks. People didn't support you. Now you've accepted that it's not meant to be, but it's not what you think.

God has some twists coming, some surprises, where suddenly things come back to life. Doors open, you never dream would open. It may look like your health will never improve. The medical report says you won't get well, but it's not what you think. there's another report that says God is restoring health back to you. That sickness is not how your story ends. Or perhaps it looks like your child will always be off course. Running with the wrong crowd, it's not what you think. God has his hand on your child. He has him framed in. Like Jonah, when he tried to go the wrong direction, God had a well waiting for him to take him back to his purpose. Your child may run, but he can

can't get away. God's arm is not too short to save. There's a shift coming where God suddenly changes your child's course and brings him back into his destiny. Or maybe it looks like you'll always struggle in your finances. Have lack, not enough. That's how it's been in your family for years. Seems like it's going to continue to the next generation. No, it's not what you think. Abundance is coming. Overflow is coming. God. is going to give you the power to get wealth. What you touch will prosper and succeed. You're the difference maker. You're the one to break the generational limitation and to start a generational blessing. Now don't be discouraged by what's not happening, but what looks impossible, the dream

seems dead. Part of faith is believing when there's no evidence, trusting when all the circumstances say there's no chance. The scripture says the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal. What you can see, the dream that looks dead, the relationship that's too far gone, the addiction that's never going to change, those things are not permanent. One translation says they are subject to change. What God promised you is still on the way, but the enemy will work overtime, telling you all the reasons it's not going to happen. It's too late. You're too old. You would have met somebody by now. Your health would have improved a little bit. Don't believe those lies.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. God is going to do things in your life where there's no evidence, no sign of it happening. All the facts say the dream will never come to pass. The evidence says you're not going to get well. never meet the right person. Don't be moved by what you see. It's not what you think. God is working in ways you can't perceive. He's doing things behind the scenes that are going to defy the odds. His ways are higher and better than our ways. And if you can see it, it doesn't take faith. Faith kicks in when there's no evidence. If you'll keep believing, keep trusting, God will do things you never saw coming.

things that exceed your expectations that leave you in amazement of his goodness. This is what happened with Jacob. His father was Abraham. Abraham was the one God promised that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They'd always walk in his blessing and favor.

Well, Jacob had a son named Joseph. This was his youngest son. He was especially proud of Joseph. He had other children. But the scripture says Jacob loved Joseph more than any of the other sons because he was born to him in his old age. And of course, it's not good to play favorites with our children, but Jacob did. He gave Joseph a special coat of many colors. It represented the favor and blessing on his life.

Well, this didn't set well with his brothers. Every time they saw Joseph wearing that coat, it made them more jealous, more sour toward him. On top of that, God gave Joseph a dream of people bowing down before him and him rising up into great leadership. This made his brothers hate him even more. Well, Jacob knew the promise that God gave his grandfather. Now with this dream, he believed his son Joseph would be instrumental in that promise coming to pass.

He knew God's hand was on him. Well, Joseph's brothers traveled to another city to find pastures for their first. flocks. After a few weeks, Jacob asked Joseph to go check on them. He left home, headed that way. When the brothers saw him in the distance, their eyes lit up. They thought, great, this is our big chance to get rid of him. They were fed up with him being the favorite, getting all that attention. What's interesting is Joseph didn't make himself the favorite. He couldn't choose when he was born. He didn't make his father like him more. made him the favorite. When God favors you, sometimes other people can't handle it. Family members get

jealous. Co-workers try to discredit you. Don't take it personally. It's not you they don't like. It's the favor God put on you. It's the blessing on your life. The good news is they can't stop your destiny. They can't override what God is purpose for you. You don't have to fight with them, try to win them over, live upset because they're not for you, just run your race, focus on what God's called you to do, and he will take care of the jealous, critical, negative people that try to push you down. When Joseph arrived, the first thing his brothers did was to take his coat of many colors off.

They thought they were taking his favor. But the favor is not on what you have. The favor is on you. And people may take your coat, so to speak, but they can't take your favor. They threw Joseph into a pit. They were going to leave him there to die, and they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming. Instead, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. These brothers knew how much their father loved Joseph.

They didn't know what they're going to tell him. They decided to kill a goat. They took the blood and smeared it all over Joseph's robe, so it looked like he'd been harmed. They went back their father, dad. We found this robe. Isn't it Joseph's? Jacob took it and said in disbelief. Yes, it is. A wild animal must have attacked him and torn him to pieces. Verse 34 says, Jacob tore his clothes and put on sacklaw. He mourned deeply for his son. His family tried to comfort him, but it was no use. He said, I will die in mourning for my son. so heartbroken, so despondent, he didn't think he could go on, was not only losing his son,

but it was also losing the promise that Joseph represented. Jacob believed that Joseph was destined to bring about what God told Abraham, that their seed would be blessed for generations. Now it looked like the dream was dead. The promise was over. Jacob had the evidence a bloody robe. I can imagine that robe over in the corner of his room. He knows he needs to move on, but he can't get rid of it.

It's too painful. And month after month, it goes over, mourns and weeps. God, why did this happen? We all have times where it looks like something that's died in our life. A dream has died. Relationship is over. In our health, our finances, what we were believing for didn't work out. Like Jacob, it's easy to get stuck in mourning.

thinking that God let us down, but you don't know what he's doing behind the scenes. It looks like it's over, but God is working in ways that you can't comprehend right now. Things are going to happen that you didn't see coming. Trust him when you don't understand. There will be twist, turns, things that don't make sense, but God knows what he's doing. He's working it all out for your good. See, Joseph's brothers were mean, hateful, jealous. But the truth is, they were all a part of God's plan. They had to be that way to get Joseph to Egypt. We don't like when people do us wrong.

Friend betrays us. We go through bad breaks. But you have to realize God uses these things to move us into our purpose. Not just the good breaks, not just the coat of many colors. We love the favor. The favor. open doors, but God also uses closed doors, disappointments, people that walk away. It's all serving his plan. In those difficult times, it's tempting to get stuck. Like Jacob in mourning, thinking the dream is dead, the promise is over. And we have the evidence, the bloody robe, but it's not over until God says it's over. Joseph was a slave in a foreign land, didn't speak the language. held against his will, lied about, put in prison,

overlooked, but he kept being his best year after year, doing the right thing in a difficult situation. God will always give you the grace for every place that he takes you. You have the power to shine in every season that you find yourself in. It may be winter now, gloomy,

gone through loss. God has equipped you with the strength, the courage, the determination, to not just drag through it, but to excel in it. You have to know your steps are being ordered in the good times and in the tough times. That God is with you when you're wearing that coat of many colors, and he's with you when you find yourself in a pit, betrayed, lonely. 22 years had passed, and by now Jacob had accepted that his son was gone. The dream had died.

It wasn't going to happen. There's a great famine in the land. Jacob sent his other sons, the ones that threw Joseph into a pit, to Egypt to try to buy food. If not, they couldn't survive. These brothers showed up at the palace. What they didn't know was their brother Joseph was now the prime minister of Egypt and in charge of all the food supply. They thought they were getting rid of him, but in fact, God was using them to move Joseph into his purpose. And those people that tried to push you down, discredit you, leave you out, don't be bitter toward

them. God uses everything. Some of them, you don't like what happened, but you couldn't become who you were created to be without them. They thought they threw you into a pit, but really, they threw you into your destiny. God used them to position you for the greater things he has in store. When these brothers finally realized it was Joseph, they need. nearly passed out. They bowed down low before him. Years earlier, Joseph was down in the pit and the

brothers were up. Now Joseph was up and the brothers were down. Keep doing the right thing and the tables will turn. You will see the plan of God unfold in your life, vindication, promotion, influence that could have never happened without all the stops along the way. Joseph gave them food and said in verse 9, hurry home and tell our father that God has made me the master of all of Egypt. Have him come here with all the family and the flocks and herds and you will live by me in the best land and I will take care of you. The brothers headed back home. You can imagine the excitement and what was going through their mind.

The scripture says when the jubilant brothers arrived at Jacob's home, they shouted Joseph is alive, and in fact, he's the ruler over all of Egypt. Jacob had been in mourning for 22 years, discouraged over a dream that died, thinking the promise would never come to pass. All that time, God was working behind the scenes. Things were happening that he couldn't comprehend. He had the bloody road. He had the evidence that his son had been killed, but it's not what he thought.

His dream was still alive. You may have promises that you've given up on. Dreams that look like they've died and all the facts say it's not going to happen. It's too late. Problem too big. You missed your chance. Can I encourage you? Your dream is still alive.

What God starts, he's going to finish. Sometimes we give up. We get discouraged and let the evidence talk us out of it. But God doesn't give up. like with Jacob, your jubilant caravan is on the way. Your time is coming. We've been indoors for a night, but joy comes in the morning. God has some surprises for you, some twist that you didn't see coming.

You thought you'd live lonely after that breakup. You've already accepted that dream is dead. No, Joseph is still alive. The right person is going to find you. You thought your health would continue going downhill. that sickness would limit your life. It's not what you think. Joseph is still alive.

Healing is coming. A supernatural turnaround. Or that dream seems like it's over. You wanted to start your business or write the book, moving to that nicer neighborhood. You tried. Doors closed. You didn't have the funds.

What you thought was dead is still alive. God is about to do a new thing, unexpected, uncommon, you didn't see it coming. A surprise. When God told Abraham and Sarah that they were going to have a baby, they were both way too old. Logically speaking, it was impossible. But the scripture says they considered not the weakness of Abraham's body, nor the deadness of Sarah's womb. Sarah's womb had been barren for 70 years. She hadn't been able to have a baby. It was dead. They didn't deny that, but they didn't let the deadness of that wound talk them out of what God could do. They understood this principle that it's not what we think.

God is up to something we can't see. We all have these things that kind of look dead like it's over. A child that's too far off course. That sickness is too big. The dream too great. It's not possible. Now, the key is don't focus on the deadness of what you have. focus on the greatness of our God. He flung stars into space. He spoke worlds into existence.

Nothing too difficult for him. Yes, we have situations that look impossible, but we know God can do the impossible. Even though we have a bloody coat, the evidence that looks the opposite, we dare to believe that Joseph is still alive, that what God promised will still come to pass. It's interesting that the brothers killed the goat and put the blood on Joseph's robe. They created these circumstances to try to trick their father and deceive him into believing that Joseph was dead. That's the same way the enemy is. He'll give you circumstances that look real. All the facts may say that sickness will end your life.

The experts say, you've gone as far as you can. There's been bad breaks, delays, betrayals. You have good evidence that what you've dreamed about is dead. What God promised is not possible now. You're right where Jacob was. When you have that bloody robe, you have to realize it's not what you think. That's not a true representation of what's coming. That's the enemy trying to deceive you into giving up on what you're believing for.

Don't be moved by what you see. You can't see Joseph in Egypt. You don't know that he's not only. only alive, but he's being promoted and put in position to save you and your family. That it's going to be better than you've imagined. I received a letter from a woman that had been married for 40 years, and she found out her husband was having an affair. He tried to make things right. They went to counseling, tried therapy, but nothing helped. There was so much hurt, so much unforgiveness, they got a divorce. She never imagined that her life. She never imagined that her life. She was,

life would turn out this way. She's so heartbroken. She had this bloody robe, this evidence. Her marriage was over. A friend invited her to Lakewood. She told her ex-husband and he asked if he could come too. That Saturday, the day before, they had a big argument on the phone. Nothing had changed. Picked her up Sunday morning. On the way to church, they had another big argument. She almost got out of the car. They walked in the building and we're going to sit up top, and they told an usher it was their first time. He said, follow me, and he took them down to the second row, right up front. They're very moved by the service. When it was over, they were walking out this side entrance by the platform, and I came out of a small room right when she was coming around the corner,

and we literally bumped into each other. I kind of laughed. I'm so sorry. her husband said, we came to church today because we're hurting. We just got divorced after 47 years, and I could see tears swelling up in his eyes. I told them how God is a God of restoration and how it's not over until God says it's over. I don't know why I'm crying. It wasn't me, but all the evidence said that they were done, unfaithful, can't forgive, division.

but what they didn't know was Joseph was still alive. They had the bloody robe, the circumstances that said it was over, but God knows how to breathe life back into your dreams and freshness into your marriage and passion into your spirit. Don't let the robe fool you. God is working behind the scenes. What are the chances that we would bump into each other? You know, thousands of people leaving the building,

but God was ordering their steps, bringing into alignment what he had purposed. We prayed together that day. Chains of unforgiveness were broken in their mind. Strong holes came off their spirit. God began to restore the love, the passion, the joy. A few months later, they got remarried. They became some of our great volunteers.

That was over 15 years ago. Today their marriage is stronger than ever. Is there something in your life that looks dead? something God promised you, but you've given up on. It's too late. You've been too hurt, made too many mistakes. You have that bloody robe. All the circumstances say it's not going to happen. What if you knew that robe wasn't the truth, that it was all trying to deceive you into living discouraged, bitter over what didn't work out, thinking that you missed your chance when in fact Joseph is still alive. What God promised you is still alive. What God promised you is still.

going to happen. When Jacob heard about Joseph, the scripture says the spirit of Jacob revived. 22 years, Jacob was in mourning, doubting, defeated, not knowing his son was alive in Egypt. Don't be like him. Don't go years upset over what hasn't happened, discouraged over who hurt you, thinking that your dream is dead. It's not what you think. Get your passion back. Get your fire back. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Quit focusing on what you can see. Get rid of that bloody robe. It's not telling you the truth. The lies that say you'll never get well. Never break the addiction. Your marriage is done. No, God is still working. He has some surprises coming your way. Some twist where suddenly doors open, suddenly problems turn around, where Joseph shows up.

You say like Jacob, my son is still alive. That means I'm going to get healthy again. I'm going to see my children excelling. My marriage is going to flourish. I'm going to reach my highest potential. It was a young woman named Sarah. She went to the grocery store to pick up a few items. When she got back in her car and sat in the driver's seat,

she heard a loud noise and felt something hit the back of her head. She thought she'd been shot. She reached up and felt what seemed like her brain's coming out. she initially passed out. When she woke up, she sat there motionless for over an hour holding the back of her head, trying to keep her brains in.

Men walked by and noticed something was wrong, called 911. The police showed up, asked her to open the door, but she said she couldn't because she had been shot and was holding her brains in. They broke the window open

and discovered a can of Pillsbury biscuits had exploded the dough had shot out and hit the back of her head. The enemy always tells you the worst case scenarios. Can I encourage you? It's not what you think. I have to wonder if she was blonde, but let's not go there.

That bloody robe says that Joseph is dead. It's not what you think. That door that closed. Look like your dream died. It's not what you think. that person that walked away, thoughts tell you you'll always be lonely, it's not what you think. That medical report says it's all downhill from here. God is working in your life right now.

Nothing can override his plan. And yes, there will be things we don't understand. Seasons of silence where we don't see things working out, that's when you have to trust him. Not be moved by what you don't see, be moved by what you know that God is. is faithful that he has not brought you this far to leave you. But you, oh man, I got the bloody robe or medical report's not good. I didn't get the scholarship. My finances. Stay in peace. Your dream is not dead. God didn't run out of options. He's not in heaven scratching his hand thinking, oh man, they threw Joseph into a pit. They ruined my plan. God knew everything

that was going to happen. He's already lined up what you need. Here's the key. It's in the unseen realm. There's no evidence of it right now. It may look just the opposite. Don't worry, a twist is coming. A surprise. Joseph is still alive. God is still going to bring the past what he promised.

Now, like Abraham and Sarah, don't focus on the deadness of what you have. Quit believe in the lies. It's over. It's too late. All the facts say it's not going to happen. Well, I believe and declare what you thought was dead. is about to show up. Dreams coming back to life. Relationships restored, hell turning around. Children back

on course. Like Jacob, your spirit is going to be revived as you see the greatness of our God. In Jesus' name, if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart, I make you my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. You can text the number on the screen or go to the website. But I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place.

We all carry a mental picture of what our life can be. Is yours limited? Do you picture yourself stuck, inadequate? Defeated. Are you willing to change your mindset in order to experience a life of blessing and abundance? We all have a picture in our mind of our self, our family, our future. And if that picture is negative, you see yourself at a disadvantage, your problem's too big, it's going to limit your life. My new book, The Abundance Mindset, will help you see yourself the right way. If you'll change those negative pictures, start seeing yourself blessed, healthy, rise,

high or accomplishing dreams, then things will begin to shift in your favor. You have to see it on the inside before it'll come to pass on the outside. We'll send you the Mindset Journal too. These tools will help you get your inner vision in the right place so you can move into the favor and blessing that God has for you. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this month, we would like to send you a copy of Joel's book, The Abundance Mindset, and this inspiring mindset journal.

Joel shares powerful scriptures and encouraging thoughts about how to move from barely enough to more than enough, how to be someone else's miracle and experience miracles in your own life. As you make the book and journal a part of your daily walk, you'll be built up every day regarding how to tap into God's favor and blessing, how not to talk yourself out of the dreams and opportunities he has already prepared for you, How to experience life to the fullest.

Request your copies today and begin to see a new mental picture of yourself that will lead to new measures of blessing, favor, promotion, and abundance. Let's go into 2025 with an abundant mindset. I believe you're going to see the goodness of God in new ways. Victoria and I want you to know we pray for you and your family every day. For God's very best, we want to thank you for your prayer and support. you are impacting people all over the world. A special thank you to our Champion of Hope Partners

for your monthly support. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Remember, you can watch the services online every Sunday morning. Download our daily podcast, listen on Sirius XM, watch on YouTube, also the new Joel Osteen Network, streaming on television 24 hours a day. Until we see you again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of the Abundance Mindset Book and Mindset Journal today. Visit Joelosteen.com or call 888-567 Joel.

For an additional donation this month, we are also offering His Goodness, Abundance Bowl. You can request this inspiring resource by calling 888-567 Joel or logging on to Joeloste.com today. If you've never been to Lakewood, we have a great opportunity. We call it Homecoming Weekend. We'd love to meet you and your family. You can see the building and attend one of the services. It's a great time to be a part of the Lakewood family. Looking forward to seeing you homecoming weekend.