Joel Osteen Podcast - When God Moves Fast | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: June 15, 2025

There are some moments that God has prepared to do a quick work in your life. If you’ll keep believing, His sudden favor 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.Experience the joy of beginning each day in peace, purpose, and faith. Our June offer will help you strengthen your morning routine. Request3-Minute Mornings and watch what happens when you give God the start of your day, https://bit.ly/3Yza9Ie! 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, 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. I heard about this pastor. He found a small box hidden in his wife's closet. He opened it up. There were six eggs and a thousand one dollar bills. He asked his wife about it. She explained how every time he preached a bad sermon,

she put an egg in the box. After 35 years of ministering, he felt pretty good about himself. Only six bad sermons. He then asked what the thousand dollars was. She said, every time I got a dozen eggs, I sold them for a dollar. 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 when God moves.

fast. We all have things we're believing for and dreams to come to pass, problems to turn around, we're being our best, doing the right thing, but we don't see anything improving. And the scripture says it's through faith and patience that we receive the promise. Sometimes God takes us little by little. The promise is going to happen over time, a process where our character is developed and we're learning to trust him. But that's not the only way God works. He has these moments of favor where he's going to do things fast, a sudden turn around, a speedy recovery, a quick worry. You didn't see any sign of it. You just going along, being faithful, God stepped in and hit fast forward. He accelerated what you were believing for.

You thought it would take years to pay your house off, but one contract, one phone call, and it happened in a fraction of the time. or it looked like a long road to recovery in your health, long road to overcome that addiction, but suddenly things changed in your favor. You defied the odds. That wasn't luck. That was the God who moves fast,

speeding up what should have taken years. See, the same God that will take you little by little at times will accelerate things. You can't explain it. Does it make sense? But suddenly he thrust you ahead. And all the circumstances may say it's going to take a long time to get out of that legal problem for your child to get back on course to meet the right person.

What you can't see is God has already lined up these moments where he's going to do a quick work where suddenly you meet the right person, suddenly the problem resolves, suddenly your child comes back home. When you're in a waiting season, you don't see anything improving. It's easy to get discouraged. feel like God is forgotten about you. No, stay in faith. Your time is coming. God sees you doing the right thing when it's hard.

He sees you being your best, even though you've been overlooked. He hears you thanking him, even though you feel stuck. You are showing God that you trust him. We all go through these waiting seasons, but here's the good news. Those seasons are not permanent. There is a harvest season coming. coming, a time where God will make things happen fast, a sudden shift. You couldn't make it happen. It's the hand of God speeding things up, moving you into your purpose. And the right attitude is,

God, I'm going to trust you in the waiting seasons when you're taking me little by little. But Lord, I believe you have these acceleration moments, these times where you'll do a quick work, a sudden breakthrough that thrust me into my destiny. This is what happened with Elijah. The Israelites got off course and started worshipping other gods. The king of Israel, Ahab, married a woman from Phoenicia. They worship the God, Bell. They believe bail controlled the weather, rain, clouds, and sun.

God sent Elisha to King Ahab. Chapter 17, he said, as the Lord God of Israel lives, there will be no rain and no dew on the ground for years. Since they had forsaken Jehovah, there was going to be a drought. Of course, water was a necessity in that area for their crops, for their animals. That's how they survived. God told Elijah to not go back home, but to go to the brook Cherath and live there. It's significant that Elijah was in a drought caused by us.

other people's poor choices. He had to leave his home and hide by the brook because someone else did wrong. Sometimes other people's actions have caused us trouble. We're in a drought because they wouldn't do right. Look at how good God is. God told Elijah to go to the brook and he would command the ravens to feed him there. Even though there was no food, no provision, every morning these ravens brought food in their beaks and dropped it off to him. This was delivery before DoorDash. This was God taking care of his people. I always thought the ravens were the food

that the birds came like quail in the desert where the Israelites ate the quail. Well, Elijah would eat the ravens, but this was different. The ravens weren't the meal. They brought food to him. When you honor God, he will take care of you. other people may have put you at a disadvantage they made choices that cause you trouble and heartache

now you're in a drought don't worry god will have the ravens find you he'll provide in a supernatural way you keep doing the right thing keep honoring him when others are compromising taking the easy way out worshiping other gods they're not going to stop your destiny people are not your source god is your source He controls the universe. If he has to have birds bring you food, so to speak, unusual provision, uncommon opportunity, he knows how to take care of you. When Elijah declared this drought, he didn't have time to prepare for it. He couldn't run down to Costco, stock up his shelves. This was a surprise to him, an unexpected storm. When you face things that you didn't see coming, stay in peace. God has you cover. He's going to send ravens your way. He's going to have the provision

come to you. David said, I was young and now I'm old, and I've never once seen the righteous forsaken. When you honor God, you are connected to a supply line that will never run dry. The economy is not your source. Your company, your boss, sure, we're grateful for employment, but they're not your source. Your 401k, your stocks, no, God is your source. He makes streams in the desert. He brought a coin out of a fish for Peter. He brought water out of a rock, manna in the desert. He knows how to take care of you. And this drought went on, not for a month, not for a year, but for three and a half years. You never read where Elijah complained. God, why did this happen? He wanted to be out ministering, but forming miracles, but he's hiding by the brook. Eventually, he moved to a widow's house where she took

care of him. He's in a waiting season, a holding pattern. He's not seeing the promise. He's just being sustained. What you do in the waiting seasons will determine whether you get stuck there or you see God step in and accelerate things. Sitting in that drought, no sign of things changing. Elijah said in verse 41, I hear the sound of an abundance of rain. He heard something in his spirit that contradicted what he saw with his eyes. All the circumstances says there's no rain. You're in a drought.

Everything is dead. But faith is believing what you're hearing and not what you're seeing. God will speak things to your heart, but there's no sign of it. All the circumstances say, you're not going to get well, but inside you hear. I am restoring health back to you. Your business may be slow. You don't see how you can get ahead,

but inside you here, you will lend and not borrow. It looks like your child's never going to get back on course, but that still small voice says, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Now the key is don't let what you see talk you out of what you've heard.

You have to believe what God promised you and not what the circumstances are telling you. Elijah went on top of Mount Carmel and began to thank God for rain that was coming, thanking him for something that he couldn't see. He asked his assistant to go to the other side of the mountain to look and see if there were any signs of rain. He came back, no, Elijah, not a cloud in the sky.

It's perfectly clear. Elijah didn't say, man, I must have heard God wrong. I don't think this drought will ever end. And we kept believing. He kept praying. He told the assistant to go check again. He went out and came back with the same negative report six times. Nothing has changed.

Elijah could have let the facts talk him out of it. No sign of rain. Been this way a long time. But he had the assistant go check again. On the seventh time, he said, this time Elijah, I saw a little cloud in the sky just about the size of a man's hand. That's all Elijah needed.

A little sign, a little breakthrough. He told King Ahab, you better get in your chariot and get down this mountain as fast as you can. There's about to be an abundance of rain. Verse 45, the message translation says, things happen fast. The sky grew black with clouds. There was a mighty rainstorm.

Was it like these clouds rolled in over a few days? the weather got a little overcast, more cloudy. Over time, this big storm, no, things happened fast. These clouds didn't drift in. They formed overhead. One moment it was sunny and blue. The next moment, there was an abundance of rain.

You may have situations where, like Elijah, all the circumstances says, you're not going to get well. You're just like you were a year ago. You're not going to get out of dead or break the addiction. nothing has changed. You're still single, still have that child break in your heart, still no closer to your dream. Can I encourage you things are going to happen fast? You can't see it coming. There's no sign of it happening. That doesn't mean God is not going to do it. He's going to accelerate the

process. He doesn't have to have clouds blow in. The sky get dark, a traditional way. It's going to be supernatural, something you can't explain, a sudden breakthrough, a quick work. 2003, the Houston City Council voted for Lakewood to have this facility, the former compact center. It was more than we could imagine a dream come true. But while we were still celebrating, the company that owns all the property around this building filed a federal lawsuit to try to keep us from moving in. They said, we've been. We've been. We've been, we've violated the deed restrictions. Our attorneys told us that it could be tied up in the courts for up to 10 years and that there was no guarantee that we would win. The longer they waited, the worse it was for

us. There was no reason for them to try to work it out. We had a building that we couldn't do anything with. I'd already told the congregation that it was ours and people had given funds and I'd wake up in the night thought saying, Joel, you're going to look like a fool. What if you don't win the lawsuit? What if that building sits there for years? We tried to reach out to the other side, but they didn't want to talk. A month went by, two months, three months, no word. We had this promise in our spirit. We heard abundance of rain, but we didn't see any clouds. No sign of things improving. These are tests. Are you going to give up because the clouds haven't formed? Let the next negative reports talk you out of it, there will always be people that try to discourage you

and tell you how it's not going to work out. It's too big. It's too late. The report too bad. You're not qualified. Tune all that out. Don't let them talk you out of what God put in your heart. They didn't hear what you heard. Don't expect them to understand. You have to walk by faith and not by what you see. Let what you heard in your spirit. overrule what you see with your eyes. Just because there are no clouds in the sky doesn't mean God is not working. Just because your assistant came in, your cousin, your friend, the expert, and said, it's not going to happen. It's still sunny and blue. You'll never get the building, never get well, never meet the right person. They're telling you what they see, but what they can't see is what God is about to do.

what God has coming is not going to be natural. It's not going to make sense. It's not something you can put on paper, calculate, plan. God is supernatural. He can bring rain without clouds, healing without medicine, abundance without the training. One day I received a call from our attorneys saying that the other side wanted to meet. Our attorney said it was probably a distraction just to bring

confusion and we shouldn't talk with them, but something down in my spirit said to do it. I knew we were supposed to meet. The CEO of the company walked in and he came right up to me. He said, Joel, I watch you on television every week and my son-in-law is a youth pastor. I wasn't expecting that. I thought he's going to say, we don't want you here. We're going to fight you every step of the way. But God is working behind the scenes, lining up the people you need, the breaks you need, the favor you need. What he has purpose for your life, no person can stop. No company, no lawsuit, no sickness, no addiction. God has the final say. We sat down and met that day and about four hours later, he told his attorneys, drop the lawsuit and let them have

the building. Not only that, they leased us 9,000 covered parking spaces. look like it was going to be tied up for years, but things happened fast. God accelerated the process. You don't know what God is up to in your life. Problems that look like they'll take years to resolve and dreams that seem like it'll take a lifetime. No, get ready, acceleration is coming. God is going to speed things up. A sudden shift, a breakthrough, a healing, a turnaround that you couldn't plan. You couldn't explain it. You couldn't explain it. It's the God who moves fast. And yes, I realize there are waiting seasons

and these times where God takes us little by little and we don't see anything improving. But that's not how your story ends. God has already lined up these acceleration moments where he'll do in a fraction of the time what should have taken years. If you're in one of those waiting seasons, my challenge is wait in faith.

wait knowing that God controls time, that he can do things fast. You're not falling behind. One touch of God's favor will put you 50 years down the road. When you know this, there's an expectancy. You're thanking him for what's coming. You're believing that something good is going to happen. That's what causes God to go to work. But the enemy would love for us to miss these acceleration moments because we talk ourselves out of it. we let other people discourage us. If Elijah would have listened to his assistant and let that negative take root, he wouldn't have seen the abundance.

If he would have let his own thoughts discourage him and reason it out, man, there's no clouds, this drought's never going to end. We wouldn't be talking about it. God works where there's faith. Like Elijah, many of you have been faithful in the drought, doing the right thing when nothing's improving, thanking God when you don't see any sign of it, you are on the verge of acceleration. God is about to speed up what should have taken years. Promotion you weren't qualified for.

Your business is thrust to a new level. Your health suddenly turns around. You can't explain it. It's divine acceleration. It's the God who moves fast. This is what Isaiah said in chapter 60. the least of you will become 1,000, the smallest a mighty nation. This is talking about increase, abundance, God exceeding our expectations. But it doesn't say this will happen over a lifetime, normal growth, ordinary promotions. Goes on to say, when it's your time, I will do this quickly. God is saying, I have these moments that I've ordained for you where I'm going to quickly. make things happen. You can't reach the fullness of your destiny with just ordinary breaks.

Gradual promotion, usual increase. So God says at the right time, if you'll just keep being faithful, you're going to come into these seasons of acceleration. Moments were like Elijah. You look up and say, wow, that happened fast. There were just no clouds in the sky. My assistant told me six times. Now out of nowhere, abundance of rain. From drought to a downpour in a moment's time. Look like this building would be tied up for 10 years, but in four hours it was resolved.

What you're facing, your health, your family, your finances, may look like it'll always limit you, but you don't know what God is up to. You can't see what he's planning behind the scenes. stay in faith in the drought seasons. Those times of waiting when he's taking you little by little. Isaiah said, when your time comes, God will do it quickly. The least of you will become a thousand.

That's acceleration. That's God speeding up things to thrust you into your purpose. I received an email from a lady and she and her husband had three children when she gave birth to her fourth child, a beautiful baby girl. They noticed early on that she wasn't developing like the other children. She barely talked. Other than an occasional mommy, she never said a word. Friends and family were concerned.

They told these parents she might be special needs. You need to have her tested, but this mother didn't want to hear that. Her other children were high achievers, excelling in school. She kept putting it off. Finally, it came time to start preschool. and four and a half years old, she was tested and had the speaking ability of a 12-month old baby. Parents were devastated. The mother told how she was paralyzed with fear. They were in a drought month after month, year after year, and now it was confirmed by the experts, not just

slower than normal, but a serious problem. These parents could have fallen apart. God, why did it happen? Instead, all through the day, they kept thanking God that he was working. They kept thanking him that their little girl would be able to speak. They kept praise music going on throughout their house. They never missed our services on television. When you're in a drought, it's important what you're feeding yourself. You don't need to hear all the negativity and the naysayers, how it's not going to work out. You need to feed your faith. Feed yourself. You hope. Meditate on what God says about your situation. When you believe all things are possible. This little girl was enrolled in special education for speech that new school year.

And August went by, nothing happened. Couldn't say a word, September, no better October, November. Like Elijah, they were praying, believing, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. No sign of things improving. They just kept thanking God he was working. In April of that next year, she suddenly began to talk. Wasn't gradual, wasn't little by little. All at once, she started speaking like she had been doing it for years. The teachers were baffled. They told the parents that she didn't need speech intervention any longer.

My friend Hokalani is here on the front row. She just finished her sophomore year. She's excelling in school. Beautiful Hokalani. That's so awesome. Let me tell you, friends, God knows how to do things fast. He has these acceleration moments. What should have taken years will happen in a fraction of the time.

When you're not seeing anything happening, no clouds in the sky, that's when you have to dig down deep. Say, God, I am not moved but what I see. I believe what I've heard in my spirit, the abundance of rain, healing for my child, freedom from this addiction, this baby I'm dreaming about. when you keep believing and thanking God, despite how long it's taking, that's when God can step in with these acceleration moments. Where you go from a drought to a downpour. Like Elijah, things will happen fast. This is what Joseph did. He was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. And even though he had done nothing wrong, he found himself in a foreign land held against his will.

He's falsely accused, put in prison. It's one bad break after another. He was in a drought, a long waiting season. He could have been bitter, but he just kept trusting God, believing that he was still in control. One night, the Pharaoh, the leader of the nation, had a dream that he didn't understand. They said, there's a prisoner named Joseph that can interpret dreams. The scripture says that Joseph was brought quickly to the palace. one moment he's in prison, another ordinary day, going about his business, the next moment

he's standing before the Pharaoh. He interpreted the dream and the Pharaoh was so impressed, he made Joseph the prime minister second in command only to him. If you would have told Joseph sitting in the prison, after all the unfair things, people betraying him, being lied about, that tomorrow you're going to be the prime minister. You're not only going to be out of this prison dressed in a royal robe, but you're going to have the pharaoh's ring, representing the authority to do whatever you please. Joseph would have probably said, you lost your mind.

That's not possible. But God can make things happen fast. Joseph didn't have to go through a trial, be vindicated by a jury. He didn't have to run for office. have people elect him, God knows how to accelerate your dreams, how to speed things up. What should have taken years he can do in a fraction of time. You don't know what God is about to do for you.

Like Joseph, you've been faithful. You kept a good attitude in the waiting seasons when God was taking you little by little. You didn't see much progress. You didn't complain. You didn't give up on your dream. You passed the test. Now, God has some of these acceleration moments for you. Don't believe those lies that you're stuck where you are.

It's going to take your whole lifetime to get out of debt, get well, meet the right person. No, God is going to do things fast. You can't explain it. It wasn't your skill, your intellect, your hard work. It was the goodness of God. Like Isaiah said, taking you from one to one thousand, the smallest to a mind. the smallest to a mighty nation. How's this going to happen?

God said when it's your time, I'm going to do it quickly. From a drought to a downpour and there weren't any clouds. Don't worry if you don't see any sign. Just keep believing what you heard in your spirit. Healing, freedom, abundance, children serving God. I believe and declare it's going to happen fast. God is about to surprise you. sudden breakthroughs, speedy recovery, acceleration that catapults you into your destiny.

In Jesus' name, and if you receive it, can you say amen today? 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 go to the website or text the number on the screen, but I hope you get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place. It's easy to let the day get away from us before the day even starts. The first few minutes of your morning are more powerful than you might think. Life moves really fast sometimes, and it can be easy to begin each day by zeroing in on your problems. But here's the truth. How you start the day can determine what kind of day it's going to be. I'd love to send you my devotional three-minute mornings, start your day the blessed way. Three minutes doesn't seem like a lot of time. But when you put God

first place and get your mind going in the right direction is setting the tone for a blessed, productive day. It's filled with inspiration and encouragement to help you begin each day with a fresh attitude, grateful that you're alive. It's amazing what happens when you take three minutes and speak blessings over your life and declaring God's favor. Three-minute mornings is our gift to 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 new devotional, Three Minute Mornings. Start Your Day in Faith. This powerful book will open the pathways to experience God's presence and peace in your life. And there, you will find energy, assurance, and wisdom to face your day. The Bible promises that God is a rewarder of those

who diligently seek him. So as you pause for only three minutes and take in his wonderful promises in this book, you will be positioning yourself to receive all the amazing things that God has in store for you. Please request your copy today and watch anxiety turn to divine answers, weakness to strength, problems to renewed possibilities. frustrations to God's favor. Yes, only three minutes will transform your entire day. From the time I was a little boy, my parents taught me the value of starting the day off in faith. Three minute mornings will help you do just that.

Victoria and I pray for you every day, for God's very best. We want to thank you for your prayer and support. You're 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 our YouTube channel and the 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 Three Minute Mornings. Start your day in faith. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888. 567 Joel. For an additional donation this month, we are also offering the Faith and Freedom bundle. You'll receive an additional devotional filled with daily wisdom to guide you in living with favor, focus, and freedom.

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