Joel Osteen Podcast - Overcoming Discouragement | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: November 28, 2024

In life, there will always be opportunities to feel discouraged. The key is to stay in faith, knowing that on the other side of that difficulty, there is a new level of your destiny. 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 refresh how you experience time in His Word! In this brand-new book, you’ll find 12 powerful lenses that will transform the way you read your Bible. Let our November offer show you How to Read Your Bible & Enjoy It https://bit.ly/4f5GjAY.  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. It's a joy to come into your homes. We love you. We know God has great things in store for you. 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 this. We'll make you feel right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in. Thanks again for coming out today. I like to start with something funny.

And I heard about this young man. He was talking to God. He said, God, what's a million years like to you? God said, son, a million years to me is like one second to you. He said, well, God, what's a million dollars like to you? God said, a million dollars to me is like one penny to you. He thought about it. Finally got his nerve up and said, God, would you give me a penny?

God said, sure, just a second. All right, hold up your Bibles. 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. to you today about overcoming

discouragement. One of the tests that we all have to face in life on a regular basis is the test of not getting discouraged. No matter how successful you are or how many victories you've had in the past, sooner or later there will be an opportunity

to get discouraged. Now, I see too many people that have let life wear them down. They used to have a spring in their step. They used to go out each day with excitement, but now they've allowed this heaviness to come on them. Just like a dark cloud,

it follows them everywhere they go. And unless they learn this principle of how to pass the discouragement test, it'll keep them from God's best. And this is what happened to the people of Israel. They were headed toward the promised land, but the scripture says

they became discouraged along the way. What's interesting is God is the one that was leading them. It's not that they weren't being led the right way, the problem is they didn't handle the discouragement the right way. And a lot of times we think, well, I'm discouraged because of where I am. I'm discouraged because of these problems. No, God is directing our steps as well. He's given us the strength to be where we are with a good attitude.

And when that discouraging spirit comes knocking on the door, you don't have to answer. Just say, no thanks. I'm going to keep my joy. I know God is in control of my life. He's going to get me to where I'm supposed to be. It says they became discouraged along the way. In other words, it didn't happen all at once. Little by little they got worn down. And they were good people that loved the Lord. They had seen great victories in the past. Down deep, they knew they were headed toward the promised land. But over time, they lost their passion for life. Finally, they said, forget it. Let's just go back to Egypt. It's never going to work. What happened? They didn't pass. They didn't. the discouragement test. In life, we're going to face all the same type of situations. On the way to

our destiny, there will be opposition. It may take longer than we'd hoped. It may be more difficult than we thought. It's easy to get discouraged and think it's never going to work out. I'm tired of believing for this child to turn around. I'm tired of treating these people right that are treating me wrong. I'm tired of tithing my income. No, you have to realize, on the other side, of that discouragement is a new level of your destiny. When you pass the test, there will always be promotion. And if we're going to become everything God's created us to be, we've got to dig our heels in and say, I have come too far to stop now. It may be tough. It may be taken a long time. I may not understand it, but I do know this. My God is still on the throne and what he promised

he will bring to pass. You've got to have a made-up mind, a resolve. A resolve. You've got to have a made-up mind, a resolve that no matter what comes your way, no matter how long it takes or impossible it looks, you are in it for the long haul. You're not going to lose your passing. You're going to pass these discouragement tests. You may be in a difficult season right now. You have plenty of reasons that you could be sour and live down and discouraged. Perhaps you're struggling in your finances or you don't feel well physically. Maybe your relationship is giving you trouble. It'd be easy to settle there and think, you know what, forget it. It's not going to work out. No, God sent you here today to breathe new life into your spirit. He's saying where you are is simply a test. If you will shake

off the discouragement, shake off the self-pity, and get a fresh new vision for your life, then where you are is not where you're going to stay. It may be difficult, but God has armed you with strength for every battle. It may be taken a long time, but know this. It may be taken a long time, but know this. you are closer than you think. Your victory is already on the way. Galatian 6 puts it like this. Don't get tired of doing what's right. For in due season, you will reap if you just don't give up. For many of you, like the people of Israel, you are right next door to your promised land. Your due season is right around the corner. That breakthrough, that dream coming to pass, meeting the right person, overcoming that obstacle, God has always.

already put it on his schedule. He's already set the time and the date to make it happen. So now is not the time to get discouraged. Now more than ever is the time to be a believer. It's the time to stay in faith. And the scripture says, lift up your head and the king of glory will come in. If you want God to come in and show you his favor, you've got to lift up your head. That's where your help comes from. The psalmist said, I don't look to the mountains for help. I look to the God who made the mountains. We cannot go through life looking down, thinking about our problems, dwelling on how bad it is, reliving every negative thing that's happened and expect to have God's best. You've got to lift up your head. Get a fresh new vision for your life. There are

greater victories in your future than you have experienced in your past. But as long as we're looking down, wondering why it's not working and why it's taken so long, that's going to keep us from rising higher. David said in Psalm 3 that God is the glory and the lifter of our heads. Sometimes circumstances try to convince us to keep our heads down. Got too many problems. I'm tired of dealing with it. It's just not worth it. No, God is saying today, your head's been down long enough. I'm the glory and the lifter of your head. You know what that word glory means? It means favor. One translation says, heavy favor. The enemy tries to weigh us down with heavy burdens, convince us to look down, stay focused on our difficulties. Before long, that discouragement is like a heavy weight that we're dragging around.

But if you'll let God be the glory and the lifter of your head and work with them to shake off that discouragement, then the only thing that'll be heavy on you is the favor of God. Instead of being heavy with discouragement and depression and burdens, you'll be heavy with joy, heavy with favor, heavy with blessings, heavy with victory. He is the glory and the lifter of our heads. That means when we can't lift our heads in our own strength, when our circumstances have overwhelmed us, when the medical report knocks the wind out of us, when a relationship hits a major storm, and we can't lift our head on our own, that's when God will show up, as the glory and the lifter of our heads.

You know what God's doing today? Through my words, he's lifting your heads. He's breathing new life, new hope into your spirit. He's saying there are brighter days up ahead. David experienced this lifting power. He said in Psalm 40, God lifted me out of a horrible pit and set my feet on a rock and put a new song in my heart. There's some lifting going on today.

the creator of the universe is saying, if you put your trust in me and shake off the discouragement, then I'm going to lift you to places that you could not get to on your own. I'm going to lift you out of trouble into victory. I'm going to lift you out of sickness into health. I'm going to lift you out of lack into abundance. Or how about this? God will lift you out of unfair situations and give you beauty for ashes.

In those times where you feel like being discouraged, It's good to just look up and say, Father, I want to thank you that you're the glory and the lifter of my head. Father, you said you'd put a new song in my heart. You said you've armed me with strength for every battle. So I'm not going to drag around defeated and depressed. I'm going to get my joy back and start expecting your favor. That's what it says in Psalm 30. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy is coming in the morning.

Think about this. morning starts at 12.1 a.m. What's interesting is even though it's a new morning, at midnight, it's still dark. At 1 a.m. 2 a.m., 3 a.m. 4 a.m., still dark. Doesn't look like anything's happening. No, stay in faith. Joy is coming. You've entered into a new day. About 6 or 7 o'clock, you will suddenly see the sun break forth over the horizon. Things will start to brighten up. In other words, business will increase. Health will be restored.

dreams will come to pass. And in these discouraging seasons, you've got to remind yourself that the lifter of your head, the Most High God, has promised that joy is coming. And just because it's dark doesn't mean it's not on its way. You've entered into a new day. It's just a matter of time before you see the sun break forth. But I see too many people that have become discouraged along the way. They started out fine, but they hit some setbacks.

and instead of shaking it off and having a new vision, they let life wear them down and they lose their passion. They end up settling for less than God's best. In the scripture, there's a man like this. We don't know his name. He's simply called the man with the withered hand. That withered hand represents how life can wear us down. When something withers, it doesn't happen overnight.

It's a gradual process. We've had people send us flowers before, and we take them home and put them on our kitchen table. They're just as beautiful and colorful. They look like a picture of life. But after a week or two, little by little, they start to wither. We don't go in there and think, oh, wow, look, they're withering. No, it's so slow of a process.

You can barely tell that they're losing a little color, a little vibrancy, getting a little more dull. You can't really tell it. But then after a few weeks, they're totally withered. If we're not careful, that's what can happen to us in life. We start out passionate about our dreams. We're excited about our marriage. We're going to do something great in life.

But then we hit some setbacks. Somebody does us wrong. Or we have a sickness that we never thought we'd have to deal with. We make a mistake and now we're very hard on ourselves. We don't realize it, but little by little, life has withered us. We've lost our passion. And it's interesting what Jesus said to the man. He didn't say, sir, I'm sorry that you have a withered hand.

I'm sorry that life hasn't treated you fair. I'm sorry you can't do what other people can do. No, Jesus asked him to do something that almost could seem cruel, something that the man had never done before. He looked at him and said, sir, stretch forth your hand. The man had to make a decision. Could he do what he had never done before?

Don't you know there was a battle taken place in his mind? There were strongholds that had been there for years that had convinced him he would never get better. He could have made plenty of excuses. Jesus, what do you mean? I can't stretch out my hand. I was born this way. Was it my fault? Life hasn't treated me fair. No, this man must have been coming to Lakewood. He knew he wasn't a victim. He was a victor. He did not make any excuses. He dared to take a step of faith and he stretched forth his hand. The scripture says, immediately he was made whole.

Life may have withered you in some area. Along the way, you got discouraged, and now you've given up on the dream of having a happy family, the dream of being healthy and whole again, the dream of getting out of debt, paying off your house. You've got plenty of excuses, Joel, this is the way it's always been. I've made too many mistakes. I come from the wrong family.

No, those are strongholds that will keep you from God's best. and God is saying to us what he said to this man, stretch forth your hand. That means believe you can go places that you've never been before. Stretch into a new way of thinking. Stretch into a bigger vision. Where you are is not where God wants you to stay.

And just because it hasn't happened in the past doesn't mean that it cannot happen in the future. If you'll get an agreement with God and stretch forth your hand, so to speak, then God has new sense. seasons of promotion and increase coming your way. One time I was in my backyard talking to a man that helps me with my landscaping. It was the middle of wintertime and the grass was very brown.

It looked really bad like it was totally dead. I commented to the man about how bad the grass looked and how dead it was. He said, well, Joel, it doesn't look very good. But the truth is, the grass is not really dead. It's just not in season. in the springtime, this same grass will be just as lush and green as it can be. That's the way it is in life. Sometimes our circumstances look dead.

It may look like a dream is dead, a marriage is dead, a promise is dead. You have to realize it's not really dead. It's just not in season. It's coming back. New seasons of growth are coming. New health, new relationships, new opportunities. What am I saying? Just because something looks dead, don't write it off.

Our God is a God of new beginnings. When we go through these disappointments, these setbacks, instead of getting all down and discouraged and giving up, we should have the attitude, may not look good. Looks like it's over, but I know the truth. It's not really dead. It's just not in season. I'm in wintertime, but I know springtime is coming,

so I'm going to lift up my head and get ready for the new things God is about to do. If we're going to overcome discouragement, we've got to learn how to transition into the different seasons of life. There's a lady in the scripture named Naomi. She didn't do this very well. She failed to realize that just because a season is over doesn't mean that your life is over. Often we want a certain season to last forever. That may not be how God has it planned. We have to be open enough and be willing to adapt and adjust when these things.

changes come and not get bitter when something happens that we don't like or we don't understand. Of course, no one likes to go through changes or loss or disappointment, but it's all a part of life. In those difficult seasons, you have to remind yourself that God is still on the throne, and even though the grass looks dead, it doesn't mean that it's not going to be green once again. And it's interesting. The name Naomi actually means my joy. So every time someone said, hello, Naomi, they were saying, hello, my joy. Good morning, Naomi, good morning, my joy.

Naomi was going along just great. Life was good, the grass was green. But over time, she went through a series of losses. Her husband died. Later, her two sons were killed in battle. Of course, it's difficult to go through a loss, and there's a proper time for grieving, but you have to make sure

you don't let a season of mourning turn into a lifetime of mourning. Naomi made the mistake of letting the bitterness, the discouragement get on the inside. She didn't think the grass would ever be green again. And she actually changed her name to Mara. Mara means sorrow.

When somebody said, hey, Naomi, she said, don't call me that. Don't you know what I've been through? I don't have any joy. I don't have any hope. Call me by my new name, Mara. Now when they said, hello, Mara, they were reminding her of her pain and misery. Her attitude was, all my dreams have been shattered. I'm never going to be happy again. Just leave me in my trouble and heartache. Now, when you go through a loss, a disappointment, an unfair situation, you have to make sure that you don't let life change your name. I know people.

at one time they were happy, positive, hopeful, but over time they've let life with them. They didn't handle the different transitions into seasons well, and now they've let life change their name. But here's how good God is. If you'll get your joy back, if you'll shake off the discouragement, if you'll lift up your head, you will discover that just because a season is over,

it does not mean that your life is over. Naomi went through all this loss, and she moved back to her, original hometown with her daughter-in-law, Ruth. One day, Ruth met a man, fell in love and got married, and eventually Ruth had this baby boy. By now, Naomi was an old woman way up there in years. But when she saw that little baby boy, something lit up on the inside. She felt a new sense of purpose, a new sense of destiny. And as she was holding the baby, something amazing happened. milk begin to be produced in her body.

The scripture says this older woman way up in her senior years was able to nurse the little baby. Naomi was just as happy and fulfilled as can be. What am I saying? Just because a good season is over doesn't mean God doesn't have another good season coming. You wouldn't be alive if God didn't have a purpose for you. And you may have been through a disappointment, a good season. season may be over, but if you'll shake it off and keep moving forward, you're going to come in to another good season. God is going to reveal to you a new purpose with new friends, with new opportunities.

Once you discover your purpose, your milk will begin to flow. It doesn't matter if you're 30 or you're 50 or you're 95, God still has something for you to do. But some of you are here today. Kind of like Naomi, and you've gone through a great disappointment. Something unfair has happened. you basically thought, you know what, I'm done. I'm just going to go home, give up on life, give up on my family, give up on my dreams. No, understand. There's another Ruth out there that needs you. There's a baby boy that's counting on you.

Don't let life change your name. Get your enthusiasm back. You wouldn't be breathing unless God had an assignment for you to do. Something for you to accomplish. Somebody needs what you have. He heard this young lady talking. and she'd been in an accident where she lost both of her legs and she was so distraught and so depressed,

she didn't think she had any reason to be alive. She didn't see anything good in her future. But I loved what she did. She would quote Jeremiah 29-11 and say, God, even though I don't see any reason for me to be alive, I know you have a plan for my life. And I know it's good to give me a future and to hope. And if you ever find yourself overwhelmed

and you don't see anything good in your future, I would encourage you to do like her and just get in agreement with God and say, God, I know you've got a good plan, you've got a purpose for me, you've got brighter days up ahead. Sometimes when we're in one of these discouraging tests, it seems like God is silent.

We pray and we don't hear anything. We read the scripture and feels like God is a million miles away. But think about this. When you're in school taking a test, The teacher never talks during the test. They stand up at the front of the room, very quietly, just watching all the students taking the exam. If the test is on Friday, during the week, they will talk. During the week, they'll get you prepared.

They'll show you what to study, explain the concepts, and make sure you know exactly what's on the exam. Monday through Thursday, they'll be there to answer all the questions, to make sure that you understand. they'll even stay after school if they need to. They'll go overboard to make sure that you're prepared for Friday. But on Friday during the test, the teacher will just stand back very quietly and watch you take the exam. They know that you have the information that you need. They know you're prepared, you're ready.

Now, all you've got to do is put into practice what you've learned. Well, in the same way with God, when it seems like he's silent and we don't hear anything, we don't feel anything, it doesn't mean that God has left you. Doesn't mean that God is not concerned. He's right there with you during the test. The silence means that God has you prepared. He wouldn't have given you the test unless he knew you were ready. So often we think just the opposite. When God is silent, we think, oh man, God's mad at me. I must have been doing something wrong because I don't hear anything. I don't feel anything. No, God being silent is not a sign that he's forsaken you. you, it's a sign that he has great confidence in you. He knows you've got what it takes. He knows

you're going to come through that test victoriously or he would not have permitted it. Now here's the key. During the test, don't get discouraged, fall apart, have a chip on your shoulder. No, put into practice what you've learned. Stay in faith. Keep being good to people. Keep coming to church. Keep blessing others. Stay in that attitude of faith. If you do that, just like Naomi, you're going to come into a new season of your life. Your milk will begin to flow. In other words, God will bring things out of you that you didn't even know what's in you. He'll give you supernatural ability that'll take your places you've never dreamed of.

And I know right now, some of you are in this discouragement test. You feel the weight of the heaviness. You're tired. You don't feel like fighting. Life is just about to wither you another notch. but today is a new day. God is breathing new hope into your heart, new vision into your spirit. Now you've got to do your part and lift up your head.

Yes, it may be difficult, but you've come too far to stop now. The grass may look dead, but you know the truth. It's not dead. It's just not in season. Springtime is coming. New opportunities are in your future. And if you will pass the discouragement test, you'll step into a new level of destiny. Just like in school, when you pass the test, you graduate to the next level. You don't

keep passing the test and stay in the fourth grade for 22 years. No, you go to the fifth grade, to junior high, to high school, to college. Same way with God. If you'll just keep shaking off the discouragement, shaking off the self-pity, being your best, pressing forward, God will keep taking you higher and higher, giving you more of his favor, bringing more opportunity, more fulfillment, more influence. Understand, if the enemy can't keep you discouraged, you have taken away one of his greatest weapons.

When things don't go you away and you should get negative, bitter, complaining, down, but instead you shake it all, you lift up your head, you put on a new attitude, you expect God's favor. You do that and you'll give the enemy a nervous breakdown. He doesn't know what to do with people like that. And here's the thing.

You may have gotten discouraged along the way, but the good news is you can get encouraged along the way. Life may have withered you a little bit, but God has a way of rejuvenating and restoring what looked dead. He's the glory and the lifter of our heads. By faith today, let him lift your head. Stop looking down. Look up from where you are. Get a fresh new vision. If you do that, God will do what he puts.

promised David there in Psalm 40. He'll lift you out of a pit. He'll set your feet on a rock. He'll put a new song in your heart. You won't drag through life defeated and depressed. No, you'll soar through life, full of joy, full of faith, full of victory. And I know some of you have struggled with discouragement, depression, heaviness. I want to speak words of faith over you today. I declare right now in the name of Jesus that spirit of discouragement is broken off of your life. I declare that spirit of heaviness, that spirit of depression is broken off of you, off of your family, off of your future. It will no longer have any effect on you.

I declare it and I believe it in the name of Jesus. And if you receive it, can you say amen today? We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus. I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. Wash me clean.

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. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have.

I can do this. This is the first Bible that my parents gave me. I was six years old. They taught me the importance of believe in what God says about you and letting that determine your self-image. Now, how through the scripture you can learn to handle challenges and pursue your dreams. Some people tell me that the Bible's not practical for them, how they don't understand it. We've created a new resource called How to Read Your Bible and Enjoy it. It provides 12 distinct lenses that will help you see the Bible with fresh eyes

so you can discover the hidden treasures that increase your faith, practical truths that will help you in your everyday life. When you tap into the power of God's Word, there's no limit to where he'll take you. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any size to the ministry this month, Joel would like to send you this inspiring new resource. Sometimes reading the Bible can feel confusing, out of touch, or even produce more fear than faith. But now, with this new resource, how to read your Bible and enjoy it, it will make the Word of God come alive in new ways.

You'll discover fresh inspiration on every page of your Bible. The 12 lenses give you the power to see the scripture in a whole new light. When you experience the right way to approach God's Word, it will ignite renewed passion in your life. When you get God's Word down in you, it brings life and victory. This has a great Bible reading plan, plus introductions to each book. It'll help you enjoy reading the Bible. Thanks so much for being a part of the ministry. Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day,

and we appreciate your prayers and support. Remember, you can watch the services online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, or we have a new Joel Osteen Television Network 24 hours a day, and, of course, Sirius XM as well. Until we see you next next. time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of how to read your Bible and enjoy it. Today, visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888-567 Joel. Call or click anytime, 24 hours a day.