Joel Osteen Podcast - Something's Cooking | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: April 28, 2024

It's easy to take matters into our own hands when we feel we've been waiting for too long. But faith without patience can make you miss the best things God has prepared for you. At the appointed time, He will give you blessings that will catapult you ahead.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.Your words have the power to change your life. When youSpeak the Blessing,you wake up dreams and unleash divine favor. Our April offer will show you the keys to speaking faith-filled words that invite the transformation you are looking for. Request your copy today, https://bit.ly/3TSkDQU.   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.

So great to have you with us today. And as we enter into this spring season, just let it be a time of new beginnings, letting go with the old, getting ready for the new things God's going to do. And just really believe you're going to come into a blooming and a blossoming season in Jesus' name. But God bless you and enjoy the podcast. God bless you. It's great to be with you today. I hope you stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media. And you can come visit us in people. person. We'd love to have you be a part of one of our services. I'd like to start with something funny, and I heard about this five-year-old boy. He wasn't feeling well, so he had to stay home from church with the babysitter while his family attended. It was Palm Sunday. When his parents returned home, his mom told how the church passed out palm branches to the congregation, and people laid them down on the floor, and Jesus came walking down the aisle. The little boy said, wouldn't you know it? The one Sunday I don't go, and Jesus shows up. Say it like you mean it.

This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess, my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be the same.

In Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about something's cooking. We all have things that we're waiting. on. It's easy to be frustrated. Why is this taking so long? I thought I'd be married by now. I thought I'd be over this illness. I thought I'd be further in my career. When we don't see anything happening, it's tempting to take matters into our own hands and try to force doors to open and manipulate a situation, live striving and straining. But the scripture says through faith and patience, we inherit the promises.

And it's good to have faith, but without patience, you can miss God's best. One of the most important things I've learned is to trust God's timing. Sometimes the reason it's taking longer is because what God has in store is much better than what we have in mind. We think we're falling behind and everyone's passing us up and I should be further along. But God has blessings that will catapult you ahead. Jesus told his disciples, I'm going away to prepare a place for you. God has some prepared blessings for you, things he's already lined up. Good breaks, the right people, healing.

At the appointed time, you'll come into blessings favor greater than you've ever imagined. Isaiah said, they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. waiting on the Lord is waiting in faith. I don't see anything happening, but God, I believe you're working behind the scenes. It's waiting in peace. You could be frustrated over your job, worried about your health. Your attitude is, God, I trust you.

I know you're in control. You already have a solution. I'm going to be still and know that you are God. It's waiting from a place of rest. You could be trying to force things. make that door open, manipulate that co-worker, but you step back and let God fight your battles. You trust him to open the doors,

to bring the right people, to vindicate you. You do your best and then rest. You know he's already prepared what you need. So you stay in peace knowing that at the right time, you'll step in to a prepared blessing. John 21, Peter was very discouraged. Jesus had been crucified. Now he and the other disciples were without their leader.

They believed Jesus was the Messiah. They gave up their life to follow him. They never dreamed it would turn out this way. They were so disappointed, wondering what they were going to do next. Well, Peter went back to what he had done before he met Jesus, to fishing. He was at the Sea of Galilee, and he and a few disciples got in a boat and fished all night. They didn't catch anything. They were already disappointed.

Now on top of that, they were frustrated. They had worked and strained, put out the net again and again. Surely this time we'll catch something. Once again, the net was empty. Early the next morning, they were close to the shore. Jesus was standing on the beach. They couldn't tell who he was. He asked them if they had caught anything.

They told him no. He said, throw your nets on the other side of the beach. boat and you'll catch plenty of fish. When they did, they caught so many fish that they couldn't put them all in. At that moment, John recognized Jesus. He said to Peter, it's the Lord. Peter jumped out of the boat and swam to the shore. Jesus had a charcoal fire burning and fish grilling on it. He said in verse 12, come and have some breakfast with me. There's a principle here. What they couldn't catch, Jesus was already cooking. What they were so frustrated over, working all night, toiling, straining, no fish, God already had on the grill. This was a prepared blessing. Not raw fish. Not I'll help you

find what you're looking for. No, I'm going to cook the fish for you. It's going to be better than you've imagined. Like these disciples, you may have worked hard and done your best, but you hadn't caught anything. You haven't caught your healing, so to speak. Caught. Caught you. Caught you. Caught. Caught you. Caught. the right person, caught the good break in your business. You fished all night, but your nets are empty. Can I encourage you what you didn't catch? God is already cooking. He not only knows where all the fish are, but he's grilling your fish. While you're stressed thinking it's never going to happen, he's seasoning your fish. While the medical report says, you're not going to get well, he's putting more charcoal on the fire. While thoughts are telling you, you'll never get out of death.

Never break that addiction. Never see your family restored. Hang on a minute. I smell something. I smell fire burning. I smell some fish grilling. Something's cooking. You're about to taste and see that the Lord is good.

You're going to come into a prepared blessing. You've been working, straining, striving. But what you're laboring over, God is already grilling. It may be taking longer than you thought. You don't see anything happening. my encouragement is let him cook. God knows what he's doing. When the fish are ready, when it's just right, he'll call you. See, God is a master chef. He doesn't use a microwave. He wasn't on the beach microwaving some frozen fish. Come on in, disciples. I've cooked you a cheap version of what you're

trying to catch. Twelve fish fillets for $1.99. They've been frozen 14 years. I'm going to microwave it right out of then. No, God doesn't cook like Victoria. I mean, he doesn't use a microwave. I couldn't resist. But I'm not going to look at her. God doesn't use a microwave. God doesn't cut any

corners. He's not going to give you a microwave blessing, a lesser version, an imitation. That's good enough. No, God uses the real thing. The charcoal, the fire, that takes longer than a microwave. It seems like a delay to us, but if you could see behind the scenes, God's seasoning your blessing.

He's flavoring your promise. He's making sure it's the exact right temperature. Don't be in a hurry. Let him cook. He's up to something. You haven't met the right person? Let him cook. Your health hasn't turned around. Let him cook. Your business seems stuck. Let him cook. God has not forgotten about you. He sees you doing the right thing. working hard, praying, believing. You're passing the test. You can't see it yet, but something's cooking. What you're believing for has already been caught, clean, seasoned.

It's on the grill. When we were trying to buy property to build a new sanctuary, twice that property was sold out from under us. I was fishing, doing my best, taking steps of faith. I thought I caught 100 acres. I had a big fish on the line, but twice that fish, away. Like Peter, I caught nothing. I was disappointed. I didn't see how we could grow. All that time, I was worried the compact center was sitting right here waiting for us.

God had already caught the fish. He was in the process of cleaning it, moving out the old tenants, lining up the council members to support us. My nets were empty. What I couldn't see was God was already grilling the fish. All I had to do was let him cook. Stay in peace and at the appointed time he called our name. Joel, come have some breakfast. I've got what you're looking for. It wasn't just a piece of property, but a prepared blessing, a facility already built. You know what this building is? Grilled fish. But there were plenty of times, you know, I couldn't sleep. We're never going to find a place. I didn't realize God was seasoning the fish. What if it doesn't work out? We're going to be stuck. God was putting more charcoal on

the fire, making sure it was just the right temperature. Now when my nets come up empty and things aren't happening on my time table, I've learned this principle. Let him cook. God's up to something. You don't have to strain, strive, try to manipulate. All that's going to do is wear you out. Do your best. Take steps of faith, but don't try to force things to work out. If it's not the right time, all your effort can't make it happen. It's going to frust you. It's going to frustration. you. You can't open a door that God is closed. In the same way, when it's the right time, all the forces of darkness cannot stop what God has for you. Peter had fished all night and caught nothing. He was a professional fisherman. They had huge nets they were throwing out. You would have

thought they'd caught something, at least a couple fish here and there. But God was making a point. all of our own efforts, striving, straining, that doesn't bring the blessing. And yes, we can reach a certain level by working hard, and that's good, but what God has for you is much greater than you can accomplish on your own. There will be times that your nets are empty. You're doing the right thing, not catching anything. You haven't caught a good break, caught a promotion, caught a divine connection.

That's a test. are you going to get discouraged, try to make it happen all in your own effort? Or are you going to recognize something's cooking. God is doing something you can't see. He has some fish on the grill. He's already caught what you're believing for. Instead of being thrust it on, why is this taking so long? Let him cook. Our attitude should be, God, I trust you. I trust your timing. I trust your ways. I don't have to understand what you're doing. I'm going to in faith, knowing that my fish are on the grill, knowing that you have prepared blessings in store for me. There's a young woman in the scripture named Rachel. She and her sister Leah were both

married to Jacob. When Jacob saw Rachel, it was love at first sight. She was very beautiful. But their father tricked Jacob into marrying Leah first, the oldest daughter. Jacob had to work seven more years to marry Rachel. She had already been through this long delay. disappointments. Finally, she got married. She always wanted children. That was her dream, but for some reason she couldn't conceive. Year after year went by, and she was still barren. Her sister Leah was just the opposite. She had one son after another, four boys, strong, handsome. Rachel was so upset, she became jealous of Leah. She tried to manipulate things and take matters into her own hands. Leah's son had some mandrakes. That was a plant believed to help with fertility. They would make this potion to aid in conception.

Rachel asked her sister Leah for her son's mandrakes, but Leah wouldn't have anything to do with it. There was stripe and division because Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. She said in verse 15, you've already taken my husband. I'm not going to give you my son's mandrakes. This was like an episode of love island. Rachel said, if you'll give me the mandrakes, I'll let Jacob be with you tonight. Leah wanted the baby so badly, she agreed. That evening, when she saw Jacob coming in from harvesting grain, after a long day of work, she ran out to meet him, said in verse 16, you have to come with me, I've hired you with my son's mandrax. That night, Leah conceived and gave birth to a fifth son.

she went on to have two more children. Seven children in seven years. The whole time, Rachel was barren. Her nets were empty. She strived, manipulated, deceived. None of that weren't. What she couldn't see was God had the fire on. There were fish on the grill. What she was trying to catch, God was already cooking. He had a son in her future. The reason it was taken so long was it was no ordinary child. The scripture says God remembered Rachel. She conceived and gave birth to a son that she named Joseph. Joseph was the one that would save the Israelites during the famine. He was the one that God raised up to become the prime minister of Egypt, to control all the food supply in the most powerful nation of that day. So he could be good to his

family and continue on what God started. The principle is when it's taken longer than it should, it's because God has something bigger, something better. I was trying to catch a hundred acres. God gave me a whole building on the main freeway. Rachel was just hoping to have a baby, but she gave birth to a deliver to someone we'd be talking about thousands of years later. one thing we can learn from Rachel is you don't have to connive and manipulate, be jealous of people, try to force things to work out. You don't need their mandrakes. You don't need what someone else has. God has your fish already on the grill. It may be taken longer than you thought. It's because God's seasoning it. He's flavoring it, marinating it, removing the bones, getting it exactly like he wants. Yes, it's been a

a long time, but I smell something. I smell fire burning. I smell charcoal in the air. I smell some fish grilling. Do you hear that? I hear God calling your name. He's saying, you're about to come into a prepared blessing. Doors open and you never dream would open. The right person showing up. Healing, restoration. Don't get discouraged because your net was empty. You didn't catch what you hoped to catch. You didn't get that promotion. The medical report hasn't changed. Like Rachel, you haven't conceived yet. Can I tell you something's cooking?

The scripture says God remembered Rachel. God has not forgotten you. He has seen every unfair situation, every lonely night, every heartache. That is not how your story ends. There are prepared blessings that you're going to walk into. Now, in the meantime, let him cook. Psalm 37 says, don't be impatient for the Lord to act. Keep traveling steadily along his path, and in due season, he will honor you with every blessing.

If you'll keep traveling steadily, everything that has your name on it is coming in. The spouse, the baby, the healing, the business, the contract, the freedom. When thoughts whisper, you'll never get out of debt. Everyone in your family struggles. No thanks. I can smell the fish. Something's cooking. You'll never meet the right person. Yes, my net was empty, but I know God's already caught him. You've had this sickness a long time. I don't see how you'll ever get well. No, I know a secret. While I'm waiting, God is cooking. The scripture says, healing is the children's bread. Healing is in the oven. Freedom is in the oven. Promotion is in the oven. Don't fight the weight. Let him cook.

Wait knowing that God is working on what you're concerned about. He's already caught what you thought you missed. Trust his timing. If it hasn't happened yet, it wasn't supposed to happen. God has an appointed time to bring the promise to pass. Rachel was bearing all those years. If Joseph would have been born earlier, he wouldn't have fulfilled his divine purpose. God is strategic.

He does everything for a reason. There's nothing random, haphazard. He knows what you need and when you're going to need it. It's interesting, two years before we needed a larger auditorium, the Rockets basketball team tried to move out of this facility, but the city voted no. They didn't approve the construction of a new facility and wouldn't let them out of their lease.

If that vote would have passed at that time, we wouldn't have been in position to try to acquire the building. him. We didn't need it then. But God controls everything. And sometimes he'll delay things, close a door, cause someone to walk away. We may not recognize it then, but it's all serving his plan. You can stay in peace knowing that he's ordering your steps. David said it this way, God, my times are in your hands. He was saying, I'm not going to be frustrated by the delays. I'm not going to be sour when my nets are empty. Not going to live discouraged because I'm not further along. I know something's cooking. I know fish are already on the grill that there are prepared blessings. And when you know that

God's in control, that your times are in his hands, when your nets come up empty, he's already caught what you need. This takes all the pressure off. You don't have to strive and strain. Got to make this door open, convince these people to like me, and work hard, work hard, to earn their approval. I got to manipulate this situation at work to get the upper hand. That's going to wear you out. That's being a Rachel conniving, deceiving, jealous. Life's too short to live that way. Come back to a place of peace. You don't have to catch everything. You don't have to make it happen all in your own strength. God has exactly what you need for each season that you're in. Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.

You keep God first place and he'll add everything you need. You honor him and he'll grill your fish. He'll catch what you can't catch. The psalmist said, no good thing will he withhold when you walk up rightly. The key is don't seek the blessing, seek the bless horse. Keep him first place and the blessings will seek you. When Peter recognized it was Jesus on the shore, he immediately jumped into the water and swam to the beach. They were in the middle of gathering a net breaking load of fish. So many fish, they couldn't pull it all in.

But Peter showed by his actions he was more interested in the Savior than success. He wasn't focused on the blessing. He was focused on the bless or. He knew where the source of all good things come from, our Father in heaven. He left the boat and went to Jesus. I've seen from the time I was a little boy, when you honor God, he will always honor you. The grilled fish is not the goal. The goal is to fulfill your purpose, to end your life hearing, well done, good and faithful servant.

But Rachel was barren for all those years. Plus, she had to wait another seven years to get married because her father was dishonest. She had all these delays, detours, disappointments. they come to us all. We worked hard, but our nets were empty. Did the right thing, but other people were unfair. Now we've caught nothing.

That's not the end of your story. Those are tests. Through faith and patience, you inherit the promises. You have the faith. My question is, do you have the patience? Psalm 106 says, the Israelites did not wait for God's plan to unfold. It's taken longer than they thought.

they got discouraged, gave up on their dreams. Don't let that be you. Keep traveling steadily, believing, trusting, knowing that something's cooking. It's taking longer because it's going to be better than you imagine. Ruth chapter 4 says that Rachel is the one from whom the whole nation of Israel descended. Think about it. This barren woman, jealous of her sister, thinking she was at a disadvantage that God had forgotten about her when in fact she would be the one that would birth the nations her son would be the one who would save the nation who knows what god is cooking for you who knows what's on that grill right now things you couldn't catch you never thought it would happen it's been too long like rachel you're barren in your business barren in relationships

barren in your health, that barrenness is not the end. Your baby is coming. Your healing is coming. Your breakthrough is coming. Not something ordinary, not something average, but a Joseph uncommon, unusual, grilled fish, a prepared blessing that catapult you into your destiny. Back in the 1980s, my father wanted to build a new sanctuary. We needed a larger building, but every time he tried to proceed, he didn't feel good about it. Something would come up and delay it. He'd get his faith back up and announced to the congregation. Then he'd change his mind. This happened again and again. He saw these other pastors that were much younger than him, building these beautiful sanctuaries. Thoughts told him,

you're getting too old. You'll never build again. Just not meant to be it. It seemed like it was the truth. Years went by, no building, no plans. Nothing had changed. But when it's not the right time, you're not going to feel a peace. There will be an unrest. No matter how hard you try, the door's not going to open. Timing is critical. You can do the right thing at the wrong time and it not work out. And the reason your nets may be empty is not because there aren't any fish, but it's not the right time. The fish are there. Jesus told Peter to throw his nets on the other side of the boat. They caught so many fish that the nets begin to break. They couldn't handle it. God not only knows where all the fish are, but he controls the fish.

You may have fished all night and caught nothing, but at the right time, the fish will find you. You won't have to go after them. They'll come to you. 1986, Houston was in the worst recession our city had ever seen. There was that big oil bust and the price of oil dropped so low. there were more bankruptcies and foreclosures than ever. People going out of business left and right. That's when my father felt peace to build. He knew it was the right time. Logically speaking, it was the worst time. But God's ways are not our ways. And sometimes God will let the odds be against you in a greater way on purpose. So when he does it, it will be a bigger miracle.

My father announced to the congregation that we were going to build this new 8,000-seat sanctuary. Should have cost $30 million back then, but things were so depressed. The price of steel, concrete, electrical, we built the sanctuary debt-free for $6 million. The reason God had that delay was because he had something better in store. What am I saying? God can see things that we can't see. he knows what's coming, what you're going to need, where you need to be, and when you need to be there. Trust his timing. Don't fight the delays. Let him cook. He knows what's best for you. He has some of these

prepared blessings in store. You may have been waiting for a long time. You haven't caught anything. Your nets came up empty. Can I encourage you again? Something's cooking. God's already grilling what you couldn't catch. He already has what you need. It's just a matter of time before you hear him calling your name, opening the door, bringing the healing, the right person, the breakthrough. Now do your part and wait for his plan to unfold. The reason it's taking longer is it's grilled fish. It's better than you've imagined.

If you'll do this, I believe and declare you're about to come in to a prepared blessing. favor, healing, promotion that catapult you ahead. Like Rachel, your baby is coming. Like Peter, abundance is coming. Like my father, your dream is coming. In Jesus' name. And 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. When God created the world, he did it specifically with you in mind.

He used his words. He spoke everything into existence. Light, oceans and dry land, plants, sun and stars, animals, man and woman. Your words have that same creative power. If you want to know what you're going to be like five years from now, listen to what you're saying about yourself. You are prophesying your future. Too often, we don't realize we're defeating ourselves with our words. I'll never get healthy. I'm not attractive. This dream's impossible. Instead of limiting your future,

why don't you start blessing your future? If you'll change your words, you can change your world. I have a new book called Speak the Blessing. It will help you to speak positive, faith-filled words. There are declarations in it that you can make over your family, your health, your finances, and your future. When you get your words aligned with what God says, you'll see his favor in greater words. ways. As our thank you for your gift of any amount to the ministry this month, we want to send you Speak the Blessing. Send your words in the direction you want your life to go. You can begin to enjoy a life filled with freedom, joy, health, success, and creativity as you discover the authority and power of speaking God's Word. Yes, Speak the Blessing will unlock life-changing possibilities

that are unlimited. When you declare what God says about you, I'm strong, I'm healthy, I'm favored, you are blessing your life. I hope you'll request your copy today. Remember, you can watch the services live online every Sunday, download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, listen on SiriusXM.

We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. Be sure to request your copy of Speak the Blessing today. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888, 67, Joel.