Joel Osteen Podcast - The Lion & The Lamb | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: October 26, 2025

Your assignment is too important to get sidetracked fighting battles that don’t matter. There is a time to fight and a time to stay at peace and trust God to vindicate you. No matter how long it’s been or how impossible it seems,God can still turn your story around.This October, we’re offering a powerful devotional to help you renew your hope, rise in strength, and believe for more. RequestTurnaround today andget ready for your comeback!https://bit.ly/3IoICUP 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. Well, 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 or YouTube channel and social media. And you can come visit us in person.

We'd love for you to be a part of one of our services. I like to start with something funny, and in Texas, we're known for everything being bigger. There was this Texan farmer that loved to brag about the size of his ranch. He was in England and met this English farmer. He asked him how big his ranch was, knowing that he'd probably ask about his. The Englishman said, my ranch is 35 acres. How big is yours? The Texan said, let's just put it this way.

If I got in my truck at sunrise and started driving across my, property at sunset, I'd still be on my ranch. The Englishman said, yeah, I used to have a truck like that. 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 the lion and the lamb. On the inside of each one of us is both. There's a lion.

It's there to protect, to defend, to conquer. The lion is courageous and aggressive and helps us accomplish our dreams. There's also a lamb in us. It's there to stay in peace, to overlook offenses, to not respond to every circumstance, to let God fight our battles. And we see this with Jesus. He was called the lion of the tribe of Judah. As the lion, he overturned the tables in the temple and ran people out that were doing wrong.

As the lion, he spoke strongly to the Pharisees, the religious leaders who had impure motives, called them hypocrites, said they had dead men's bones. He was also called the Lamb of God. As the Lamb, he didn't respond to his critics. when they brought him before Pilate, all these false accusations, the scripture says he answered them not a word. He didn't defend himself. On the way to the cross, the soldiers and others mocked him, made fun. Hey, if you're so great, if you're really the king, why don't you come down and save yourself? He said, I could have called 10,000 angels to rescue me, but he didn't do it. He had a purpose to fulfill. He knew it was all a part of God's plan.

It's not, are you a lion or are you a lamb, you're both. The key is knowing which one is supposed to come out. Ecclesiastes says there is a time and season for every purpose. There is a time for war and a time for peace, a time to fight and a time to hold back. You won't reach your destiny being all lion, fighting all the time, or be an all lamb, retreating all the time. And some people are good at being the lion. You look at them wrong and they'll roar. They love arguing, getting even, speaking their mind. They're easily offended. Always trying to pay people back. Someone cuts them off in traffic. They're trying to catch them. They'll drive five miles past their exit because they want to show them. Here's something important. You're not supposed to fight every battle. Many of the things that come against us are simply distractions. It's the enemy trying to waste your time, your energy, your emotions, getting you engaged in conflict that doesn't matter. When someone does us wrong, they say hurtful things, that line naturally comes out.

Here I am. Let me go to work. I'm ready to roar. You have to ask yourself, if you win that battle, what's it going to accomplish? Is it between you and your destiny? Is it going to move you forward? or is it just going to feed your ego and make you feel good because you prove to them who you are? That's a distraction. Your time is too valuable. Your assignment too important to get sidetracked fighting battles that don't matter. You're not just a lion. There's a lamb in you. The lamb stays in peace. The lamb is not annoyed by the negative chatter. The lamb knows how to walk away from conflict. And in the life of Jesus, he was the lamb many more times than he was the lion. I wonder if the reason we get stressed, frustrated, can't seem to make progress, is we're

letting the lion dominate. We're always trying to defend and prove and control. I've got to convince this person to like me and show them that I'm okay. But some people, no matter what you do, are not going to be for you. If you do convince them, two more will come along that don't like you. It's a trap where you always have to live in this fight mode. Look what they said. And my boss left me out.

And I got caught in traffic again. Everything's a fight. Do yourself a favor. Let the lamb come out. Let God fight your battles. Well, Joel, they're talking about me. They're making me look bad. Can I encourage you?

God can vindicate you better than you can vindicate yourself. if you will say in peace, God said he will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. He will promote you in front of the people that are trying to push you down. And yes, we need the lion. There are times we need to fight, but most of the things that come against us are petty, little things that seem big to us. They misunderstand me. They said things that weren't true.

This is not fair. I know it's hurtful. None of us like it, but it's, but it's not. it's not going to keep you from your purpose. When Jesus hung on the cross and refused to have the angels come rescue him, he was saying, in effect, to reach your destiny, you're going to have to put up with some things. You're going to have to be the bigger person and overlook some insults and not defend yourself every time, not have to have the last word. Now spend your energy roaring, trying to straighten people out. You're going to have to let that lamb come out.

and let God fight your battles. Put your reputation in his hands. You have to trust the purpose of God for your life that what he's doing doesn't need you to correct everything along the way. Straighten every person out and fix this one over here, control that one over there. Your line is going to have a nervous breakdown. He told me to tell you, give me a day off, there's a lamb in you that's ready to rise up. The Lamb is a place of peace. The Lamb is knowing that God is your vindicator, that nothing can stop what He is purpose for your life. When you're in peace, you're in a position of power.

Seems like being loud, forceful, aggressive. That's power. But sometimes that's showing weakness. We're trying to roar to hide our insecurity. Why don't you be still and you'll know that He is God? And it's interesting out of all the animals, that God could have compared us to, there's the lion and the lamb. The lamb is one of the most peaceful, calm, unbothered animals you could find.

You've never seen a nervous lamb, an upset lamb, a lamb arguing and they're fighting. Lamb is just go out and graze, enjoy the pastors, enjoy the day. One reason is because they know they have a shepherd. They're confident that someone is watching over them and keeping the watch. wild animals away, providing for them, leading them to food and water. So they stay in peace. And sometimes we're trying to make it all happen on our own. We've got to find the food, so to speak, the opportunity and kick the door open. We've got to convince these people to like us and keep the harm away. Here's what we're missing. It's not just up to us. We have a shepherd.

We have a defender, a provider, a vindicator, a waymaker, a healer, a healer. deliver. But if you live in a fight mode, thinking the lion always has to rise up, you won't be able to say with David, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. One translation says, I have everything I need. It's a powerful way to live, knowing that as a lamb, we have a shepherd watching over us. We don't have to connive, manipulate, defend. We can live in peace, knowing that the good shepherd is in control of our life. Victoria and I were in Colorado a while back riding four-wheeler's and we're out in the national forest

and it was very beautiful. We came around this corner and there were hundreds of sheep on the path. There wasn't any way for us to get around. And we stopped our four-wheelers and sat there a few minutes, but they never budged. I decided I was going to try to scare them away. I drove right up to him, maybe 20 feet away. and I put the machine in neutral and revved the engine as loud as it would go.

Full throttle. Felt like the ground was shaking. I was watching so closely. Do you know not one sheep ever turned and looked? Not one paid any attention. They acted like I wasn't even there. I learned a lesson that day. Sheep are stubborn.

Sheep are not going to lose their peace. We need to take a lesson from them. Be more stubborn when it comes to greg. giving away your peace. Next time someone revs their engine at you, so to speak, tries to get you upset, offended, just ignore it and carry on. If you let them upset you and what they said ruined your day and the delay soures your morning, you're giving away your power. You need your joy and your peace to have a productive day. No one can take that from you. You have to give it away. you're in control of your peace. You can't control what other people do and what they say,

how they treat you, but you can control how you respond. I know sometimes we do have to confront and the lion needs to roar, but most of the time the lamb needs to come out. If that battle is not between you and your destiny, ignore it and move on. This is what David did. As a teenager, He was working in the shepherd's fields, and his father asked him to take lunch to his brothers. They were in the army in another city. When his older brother, Eliab, saw David. He said in front of all the soldiers, what are you doing here, David? And what did you do with those few sheep you're supposed to be taking care of?

He tried to belittle David and make him feel small. Here, David had done a good deed and traveled all day. He could have been offended. I'm sure the lion rose up. His emotion said, let him have it. But he wouldn't do it. The scripture says, David turned and walked away. He had to calm the lion down and let the lamb rise up. And to be the lamb, you have to swallow your pride. You can't let your ego get the best of you. You have to rule your spirit, rule your emotions. A lot of times we want to rule other people, control how we're treating. and control what they say, their opinion. We can't control those things. What you can control is your own

spirit. You get to choose the lion or the lamb. Your emotions will choose the lion. They'll want to engage, payback, defend. That's not always the right choice. If you're the lion all the time, you'll get distracted fighting battles that don't matter. What's significant is a few minutes later, David heard Goliath taunting the Israelites. He came out on the side of the mountain and shouted all these threats. The soldiers, they all ran and hid, not David. The lion rose up. He said, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? Had David not walked away from Eliaab, he would have never seen Goliath. Had he engaged in a battle that didn't matter, let that petty comment get him uptight, off track.

He would have missed the real battle he was supposed to fight. Don't spend your time fighting petty things. The enemy will try to bait you into conflict and trick you into being offended, thinking I need to pay them back. They're missing with the wrong person. Do like David. Turn and walk away. There are enough real battles that you need to fight.

There are Goliaths God has put in all of our patience. God has put in all of our paths. Giants, we're going to defeat that will take us to a new level. But if you're fighting the petty things, you'll never get to Goliath. David asked, what is the reward for defeating this giant?

What is the prize for taking him out? David was smart. He wasn't going to fight him for no reason. They said, whoever defeats Goliath will get King Saul's daughter in marriage, and he and his family won't have to pay taxes anymore. Well, David was a shepherd. He came from a low-income family, looked like they would always struggle. This was an opportunity to change his family line, a destiny moment.

With this one victory, he could go from an ordinary citizen to royalty. There were great spoils. As he was contemplating all this, he said at one point, is there not a cause? He was saying, I have a good reason to fight this battle. Number one, Goliath is coming against the Lord God of Israel. That's the main thing. I'm going to fight for my faith. And number two, there's a great reward, not just for David, but for his family. One way you know it's a battle you're supposed to fight is when it's not just about you, but it's making the world a better place. It's making your family better. You're fighting for justice, for the oppressed, for the downtrodden. David, fighting Elieb, there were no spoils. That would have just been for David's ego to try to prove to

Elieb who he was. You don't have anything to prove. Why are you fighting battles trying to convince someone to like you? You don't need that. It's a distraction. David went out to face Goliath. He looked at him in the eyes and said, Goliath, this day, I will defeat you and feed your head to the birds of the air. That lion rose up. He went out with courage to defend the people of Israel and to stand up for Jehovah. He slung that rock and knocked Goliath to the ground unconscious. There are times the lion has to roar. You have to be strong, courageous, and go after what God put in your heart. It's not being a lamb all the time or being a lion all the time. It's knowing the seasons. pay attention to what you're giving your energy to.

Most of the time, we need to live as the lamb. Ignore the negative comments. Overlook the offenses. Forgive the driver that cut you off. You're never going to see them again. Why are you letting that ruin your day? I was in the Costco parking lot on a Saturday not long ago, and there were four times as many cars as there were spaces.

and I dropped Victoria off and I was going to park and wait in the car. And after driving around forever, I finally saw this lady coming out with her kids and start to get in her car. She had 27 carts. I knew he was going to take two hours to unload, but I was just happy to get that spot. She got everything unloaded and took the carts back one by one. I found that one person that puts everything back. She finally backed out and I was about to pull in and here comes this jerk.

I mean, this other person, I was blocked by her for a second. He darts in from the wrong direction and takes the spot that I've been waiting for for three weeks. It's funny how the lamb can go into hiding. All I felt was the lion saying honk, shake your fist, let them know you. Sometimes it's just a test. Can you keep the lying down in the petty things of life? Can you rule your spirit, control your emotions when other people do, you wrong. I thought to myself, I'll give you my parking space, but I'm not going to give you my

peace. I'm going to stay calm. I'm going to overlook it. Life is too short to let little things upset us. If you'll pass these small tests, the parking lot, the neighbor that offends, the coworker that leaves you out, then you'll get to your Goliaths, the battles that really matters, the ones where God will empower you to bring down a giant, to step up to a new level. of your destiny. When we were trying to acquire this place, the former compact center, our main competitor was the company

that owned all the buildings around here, 11 high rises. And it was David versus Goliath. I'd just been the pastor for three years. And I was young and knew to all this. I should have been intimidated. I thought there's no way. There's so much bigger.

But that lion rose up on the inside. I don't like, conflict. I'm more easy going, but there was a fire in my spirit. I knew this was supposed to be ours. And at one point, the company offered us a large sum to just go away, just go build your own building somewhere else. That didn't faze me. Never entered my mind. There is a lying in you to accomplish your assignment, a supernatural power to outlast opposition, a favor to overcome. They tried to intimidate, but that line kept rising up, roaring back. You know it's a battle you're supposed to fight when there are great spoils.

This wasn't petty. This was purpose. This was a place for us to give hope to the world, to lift the fall and to help people become who they were created to be. While we were in that almost two-year battles, one of the main business leaders here in town said in public, it'll be a cold day in hell before Lakewood gets the compact center. The person that told me thought that I'd be upset and offended. This man was so influential. That may set us back.

The truth is, that never bothered me. I never paid it any attention. I knew that man doesn't control our destiny. He can't stop the purposes of God. You know what? He was a distraction. I didn't have time to waste responding to what he said. His opinion didn't make us or break us.

The lamb rose up. Ignore it, Joel. Overlook it. Move on. What am I saying? You can have both the lion and the lamb working at the same time. The lion was fighting for the compact center. We will not let go of what God promised.

The lamb was ignoring the naysayers, not giving energy to the doubters, staying in peace despite the critics. A mark of maturity is when you know, when the lamb needs to come out and when the lion needs to arise. Both are necessary for your destiny. The mistake we can make is letting the lion come out for petty things, things that are not impacting your purpose. It's aggravations, delays, offenses. You can't get rid of all that. Jesus said, stop allowing yourself to get upset. Don't go the next 20 years letting the same things

frustrates you. Same co-worker, get on your nerves, same traffic to stress you out. Change your approach. There's a land in you. If you'll handle it the right way, you can stay in peace. I like to ride my bike, and there's this 10-mile path that I take and goes by the bayou and by a bunch of woods. At times, I'll come into these large patches of gnats, thousands and thousands. I've learned to always wear glasses. Even if, you're a lot of you. Even if, if I'm riding at dusk and I don't have my sunglasses on, I'll wear a clear pair because the gnats will get in your eyes. They're so small you can't see them to avoid them. All of a sudden, you're in this big patch. There have been times where I didn't have my glasses and they'd get

in my contacts, couldn't see, and have to pull over. And I've learned that you have to keep your mouth closed or you'll swallow the gnats. If you're talking or breathing out of your mouth, You know, they'll get inside and cause irritation. You start coughing. But I thought about how it's the same principle in life. We all have to deal with gnats. Little things that can bother, irritate, cause us to get offended. You can't avoid it. It's just part of life. Number one, if you don't keep your glasses on, so to speak, your vision will get distorted. You'll lose your focus and get distracted. That little gnat got in my eye, had to get off my bike. try to clean my contact out in the middle of nowhere. Little offenses, little irritations can cloud

your vision and keep you from enjoying the day. When the gnats come, number two, keep your mouth closed. Well, Joel, they were rude to me. No offense. They're a gnat. Just flip it off. Don't respond. Don't complain. I said flip it off, not flip them off. Flip it off. Don't go tell three friends what they did. Zip it up and keep going. You can't get away from all the gnats. Some seasons, they're worse than others, but they don't have to sour your day. When you know how to deal with it and

the lamb comes out, not the lion, and you ignore it. You overlook it and you let God fight those battles. One reason David was a champion, he understood the lion and the lamb. He knew which one was needed for each season.

He didn't try to be all lion. Treat everyone like a Goli. or all lamb, live passive and complacent. I wonder if you're roaring when you should be resting. You're fighting when you should be forgiving. You're troubled when you should be trusting. God didn't create us to live in a fight mode. There's a lamb inside you. When you let that lamb come out, you'll not only have more peace, but God will fight for you. He'll make things happen that you couldn't make happen. And David, eventually went to the palace to work for King Saul. He was his armor bear. He would also play the

heart for Saul when he was depressed. One day while he was playing, Saul through a spear and tried to kill David. He too was jealous. Everyone knew this young man that defeated Goliath. Whenever God starts to promote you, you have to pass the test of dealing with jealous people. Not everyone will celebrate you. Some will get critical. Try to push you down. discredit. It's tempting to let the lion come out, argue, prove, try to pay them back. That's not a time for the lion. That's a time for the lamb. Stay on the high road. Overlook the offense. Trying to change their mind is a distraction. Let it go and move on. When Saul through that sphere, David ducked and it missed him. Well, David could have picked it up and taken care of Saul. He had a good reason. This was

self-defense. David was powerful. He had killed a bear with his own hands, but David knew Saul was anointed as king. He wouldn't touch God's anointed. Like with his brother, David walked away. He passed the test. Saul chased him all through the desert. David wouldn't take revenge. He wouldn't harm Saul. Later, Saul was killed in a battle, and David became the king. But if David had taken matters into his own hands and tried to vindicate himself, he would have never fulfilled his purpose. There's a time for the lion and a time for the lamb. Both are necessary. Maybe today, you're being the lion, stressed, frustrated. The reason it's not changing is this is the time for the lamb, to stay in peace and to let God fight the battle. Ask yourself, what are the spoils?

If I win, what am I going to gain? if it's just to prove that they were wrong, doesn't move you toward your destiny, that's not worth fighting. That's a distraction. Be selective in how you spend your time and your energy. The enemy would love for us to go through life, frustrated and mad at our neighbor and stressed over the traffic,

letting petty things keep us from our purpose. Learn to be the land, to overlook, to ignore, to rise above. Then when the Goliath shows us, up obstacles that are blocking your purpose, dreams God put in you where you know there's a cause, let the lion roar, rise up in courage, in faith, in power, and pursue what God put in your heart. Take new ground for your family and for the kingdom. My prayer is that you will know the times and the seasons for both the lion and the land. As you listen to that still small voice, I believe and declare, like David, you're going to have the favor to defeat giants,

supernatural breakthroughs, and the grace to ignore the saws, to stay in peace, to outlast opposition, to reach the fullness of your destiny. 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. Are you in a situation where you feel lost, afraid, hopeless, where there seems to be no solutions, no answers. No way out. It's time for your turnaround. We all face situations that look like they'll never change. It's easy to get discouraged. I'd love to send you my book, Turn Around, How God Can Take You from a Setback to a Comeback, where you'll discover how God can turn sickness into health, lack into abundance, addictions into freedom. It'll inspire you to keep believing and have an expectancy for things to turn in your favor.

Recent weeks, we've been celebrating the incredible life of my mother. Her miraculous turnaround story of overcoming terminal cancer over 40 years ago, it's a testimony of the power of God's promises. Just because you don't see a way doesn't mean God doesn't have a way. Stay in faith. Your turnaround is on the way. 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 brand new book, Turnaround,

how God can take you from setback to comeback. Through biblical examples, real-life applications, and practical encouragement, you'll learn to see challenges through a faith-filled perspective. Each section highlights a faith turnaround point to help you see a positive change in your life. As you meditate on His promises, you'll begin to see your greatest challenges. Turnaround These power-packed life-transforming stories will shift your mindset, strengthen your faith, and turn your trials into triumphs. Request your copy today and see the turnaround and breakthrough you've been waiting for. God won't let you get in a problem that he can't bring you out of.

There are turnarounds in your future. Thanks so much for being with us today. Victoria and I pray for you and your family, and we sure appreciate your prayer and support. generosity is helping bring hope to people around the world. Special thank you to our champion of hope partners for your monthly gifts. 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, watch on YouTube, the new Joel Osteen network, social media. Of course you can listen to Sirius XM 24

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