Joel Osteen Podcast - Your Set Time is Coming

Episode Date: June 3, 2020

God has established a set time to bring your dreams to pass. Instead of becoming frustrated with how long it's taking, wait with expectancy.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 visit JoelOsteen.com/GiveHope 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 downloading our podcast. We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll leave inspired. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. Enjoy the message.

Well, God bless you. Always a joy to come into your homes. We love you. We know God has great things in store for each one of 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 we'll make you feel right. at home. But thanks so much for tuning in today. And thank you again for coming out. I like to start with something funny each week. And one day up in heaven, God said to the men, I want you to form two

lines. One line is for the men who were the head of the house. And the other line is for the men who let the woman be the head of the house. The line where the woman ran the house was 100 miles long. There was only one man in the other line. God said, men, I'm ashamed to you. I created you to be the head. Only one man stood up to make me proud. He turned to him and said, son, tell him, how did you manage to be the only one in this line? He looked kind of confused and said, I don't know. My wife told me to stand here. All right. Hold up your Bible. 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 how your set time is coming. So often we wonder why something is taking so long. We prayed, we believed, but we don't see anything happening. We get discouraged and start thinking that it's never going to happen. But here's what I've learned. the moment God puts the promise in your heart, the moment the dream took root, at that same moment God established a set time to bring it to pass. He will not give you a promise without appointing

a specific time to fulfill it. When we understand this, it takes away the frustration. We don't get discouraged because we don't see anything happening. We know the set time is coming. We don't give up because it's taken a long time. We know the set time is the right time. We don't believe the lies that it's never going to happen. We know the truth. The moment the promise took root, God established the set time.

As long as we stay in faith, as long as we keep believing, nothing can stop that set time. Maybe you're standing on the promise that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. You know down deep, that's for you. It's taken root in your spirit.

But when you look at your family, it doesn't look like it's ever going to happen. The more you pray, it seems like the worst they do. If you just look at it in the natural, you'll get discouraged, possibly give up on the promise. But you've got to remind yourself of this truth. God has already set a time for each of your family members to come to know him. He already established it the moment you prayed. You don't have to know when it is. You just have to keep believing knowing that it is on its way.

Friends, in your future, there is a set time for you to accomplish dreams. There is a set time for you to meet the right people. There is a set time for you to come out of debt. A set time for problems to turn around. That's what it says in Abaca. The vision is for an appointed time. Though it tarry, wait earnestly for it, it will surely come. One translation says, it won't be one set.

second late. That tells me we don't have to live frustrated because it's not happening on our timetable. I don't have to be discouraged thinking I'm missing out. I'm getting too old. I'm never going to get to where I'm supposed to be. No, if you'll stay in faith, those promises won't be one second late. Maybe you're single and you have a desire to get married. Well, know this. The person that God has picked out for you to meet, they're not going to be one second late. You're going to meet them at the exact right time. It's already been set. The creator of the universe has ordained it. When is the set time? It's the right time. It's when God knows that it's best for you. If you're like me, you want everything right now. God, I want it fast. God, I'm in a hurry. God, I don't want to be left out. That's not always

the best. Sometimes it's because we're not ready. We're not prepared. And as we wait with the right attitude, we grow, we mature, we develop. Or sometimes it's not us. It's the other person. The one God has ordained for you is not ready. God is still doing a work on them. If you were to meet them right now, it wouldn't work out. Trust God's timing. He knows what's best. When he gave you the promise, he established the exact right time. And when those lies come saying it's never going to happen, you're never going to meet anybody. You're never going to get well. You're never going to have an exceedingly abundantly above and beyond decade. No, don't believe the never lies. Our attitude should be, I may not see a way, but I know God has a way. He's the one that put the promise in me. He gave me the

dream, and I know he's already established a set time to bring it to pass. It's already on my calendar. It's already been set in my future. So I'm not going to get discouraged. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to wait for it earnestly in faith, knowing that it is on its way. And it's not going to be a year late, a month late, a week late, a day late, a minute late. It's not going to be one second late. It's going to happen at the exact right time.

You don't know your set time could be tonight. Your set time could be tomorrow. You could meet the person of your dreams this week. You could see your health turn around this month. You could come totally out of debt this year. Many of you have been faithful. You've stood on those promises. A year, five years, 20 years, you need to get ready.

There are some set times in your future where suddenly God is going to thrust you to a new level. Suddenly you're going to get the breaks you're praying about. Suddenly you meet the right people. What happened? you hit one of your set times. You came into your due season. But the truth is, in life, we all have to wait. It's through faith and patience that we inherit the promises. The key is to learn to wait the right way. Not discouraged, upset, negative. It's never going to happen. No, the right way to wait is with expectancy. In other words, I know my set time is coming. I'm not going to live, worried, and upset, wondering why it had

hasn't happened yet. No, I know God has ordained it. It's already in my future. And I believe it could happen today. I could get a good break this week. My child could come back home this month. I know there are set times in my future. Well, you say, Joel, what if I get my hopes up like that each day and it doesn't happen? Then I'll go to bed another night disappointed. No, turn it around. Your attitude should be. Father, I want to thank you. Now I know I'm one day closer to see in that set time come to pass. You remember when God promised Abraham and Sarah

that they were going to have a child in the natural they were much too old. In fact, when they heard it, they both kind of laughed and thought, that's impossible. Can you imagine us having a baby? God must have heard what they were saying because he said in Genesis 1814, is there anything too hard for me?

At the appointed time, I will return and give Sarah a son. Notice there was an appointed time for something supernatural to happen. According to the laws of nature, Sarah couldn't have a baby. She was nearly 80 years old.

She had already gone through the change of life. But friends, God is not limited by the laws of nature or the laws of medicine or the laws of science. It may look impossible for you to ever get out of death or for you to ever leave a legacy of faith and victory

for your family. Maybe you come from generations of lack, mediocrity, addictions. In the natural, it looks impossible. But God is saying, is there anything too hard for me? I've already appointed a time. I've already made arrangements to thrust you to a new level. I've already lined up and exceedingly abundantly above and beyond decade. The moment the promise took root, God set that in your future. It's up ahead of you right now. It may look like you could never get well. All the medical reports say, impossible, hopeless, no way. But God is saying, I supersede those laws.

I'm not limited by the laws of medicine. I've already appointed a time to turn your health around. I've already set the date for your breakthrough. Now, you've got to get in agreement with God and get your joy back. Get your vision back. There is something great in your future. you would not be alive unless God had another victory ahead of you. The dreams he's placed in your heart.

The situations you're believing to turn around, God has already set the time for it to come to pass. It's already on your calendar, already been written in your book. And you've got to get up each morning and say, Father, I want to thank you that my set time is coming. I know the moment I prayed, you established it. I may not be able to see it.

It may look impossible, but I'm not going to get discouraged. I'm going to dig my heels in and keep pressing forward knowing that my appointed time is on its way. It's interesting how God said, I will return and give Sarah a son. And in a sense, we know that God never leaves us. But between the time we pray and the time we see the answer, that's what's called the trial of our faith. In other words, God will step back and say, all right, let me see what they're made of. Let me see how much they trust me. Are they going to get discouraged and give up because it's taken a long time?

Are they going to start complaining thinking it's not going to happen? Or are they going to be like those fanatical people at Lakewood and believe that there's nothing too hard for me and just keep praising me and keep thanking me, acting like it's going to happen, talking like it's going to happen, talking like it's going to happen, thinking like it's going to happen? Friends, it's that attitude of faith that allows God to bring the set times to pass. It says in Genesis 21, 2, Sarah conceived and bore a son, notice when it happened at the set time. When you understand that God has already set the time, you won't be frustrated because things don't happen on your timetable. You know God has established the right time. But I see too many people that give up on their drive. But I see too many people

that give up on their dreams and they abort the promises God's placed in their heart because it's not happening as fast as they would like and they've gone through setbacks and things hadn't worked out. But if you can just keep reminding yourself, God has already set the time and it's not going to be one second late, then that will give you the faith to keep pressing forward. And some of you have been standing on a promise for a long time. You've been praying, believing, working hard, being your best.

Let me tell you, you've passed the test. You've proven to God that you're faithful, and God is going to do for you what he did for Sarah. He's going to return and visit your house and bring those promises to pass. God is going to reward your faithfulness, your obedience, your trust in him. That's what happened to a young lady, I know. She worked part-time as a receptionist at this big film studio in California. Deep down, her dream was to touch people all over the world through movies. That was the promise God birthed in.

her spirit. She went to college and studied this, got her degree. But in spite of her education, this was the only job she could find a temporary position. And she worked for three years part-time, was only called in when one of the regular employees couldn't be there. But she didn't get discouraged. She understood this principle that her set time was coming. She never complained. She didn't slack off because it was temporary. Every time she was there, she got, gave it her best, went out of her way to be kind and friendly, did more than she had to do. And at one point, the main receptionist went on maternity leave. That opened the door for her to be hired full time. Several years later, the man in charge of the studio, the CEO of the company,

said, I really like that young lady. I want her to be one of my assistants. That led to promotion after promotion. Today, seven years later, that young girl that started off part-time, as a receptionist is now the vice president of one of the largest most influential film studios in the world. She decides which movies will be produced. What happened? She came in to her set time. Here's what I want you to see. She had plenty of opportunities along the way to get discouraged. She could have settled where she was and thought, oh, great, just my luck. I've got all this education and all I can find is a temporary job. It's just not meant. to be. Friends, it's easy to abort dreams. But if you will stay in faith and just keep being the best

right where you are like this young lady, you will come in to your due season. The dream God put in your heart is for an appointed time. The scripture says, though it's taken a long time, wait for it earnestly. What does that mean? Stay passionate. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep hoping. keep being your best each day. When you do that, you're passing the test. You're getting one day closer to seeing the promise come to pass. I think about the Apostle Paul. God put the promise in his heart that he was going to stand before Caesar.

Paul believed it, and at that moment, God set a time for it to happen. But Paul went through many adversities and disappointments and setbacks. It didn't look like it was going to happen. In fact, one time Paul was on a boat, out in the ocean and this huge storm arose. For 21 days, the storm battered the boat back and forth. They thought they were going to die. It got so bad, the captain had them throw all the cargo overboard

to try to keep the ship from sinking. Paul could have gotten depressed, thinking, well, I thought God gave me the promise that I was going to stand before Caesar. It doesn't look like it's going to happen. No, Paul knew this truth. My set time is coming. I can't die in this storm. God has something else for me to do.

He stayed in faith. That boat eventually fell apart and they had to swim to dry ground. On this little island, Paul reached down to pick up some wood for a fire and a poisonous snake bit him on the arm. The natives expected him to swell up,

get sick, and die. They'd seen it happen again and again. But Paul simply shook the snake off and went about his business. His attitude was, no big deal. This snake can't stop my destiny. This shipwreck can't defeat me. I've got an appointed time. God is already ordained it. Now I'm not going to let a few setbacks and bumps in the road caused me to give up. My future is in God's hands and he has already set the time for me to stand before Caesar.

Sure enough, one day Paul did just what God said. He stood before Caesar. He came in to his set time. Many of you have a dream in your heart, a promise that you're standing on. But it seems like everything has come against you. Disappointments, bad breaks, setbacks. You could easily get discouraged. You could easily settle where you are. But you've got to learn to do like Paul and just keep shaking it off. You go through a disappointment, no big deal.

God's still in control. Shake it off. Somebody lies about you. They don't control your destiny. God does. Shake it off. You get a bad bad. break, one door closes, God's going to open up another door. Shake it off. The medical report

doesn't look good. Don't dwell on it night and day. Shake it all. You may get knocked down, but God has already set a time for you to get back up again. I received a letter this week from a gentleman that was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney. He had one kidney removed and they ran test to see if it was in his lymph nose to see if it had spread. Those tests came back positive. The cancer had indeed spread. The doctors gave him the grim news that he had less than two years to live. He was respectful, but he said, doctors, I don't believe I'm finished just yet. I've got something else to do. They said, sir, you're in denial. You need to accept it and learn to deal with it. He went to another very well-known hospital for a second opinion. He took all of his charts

and records and the doctors studied it and said, yes, looks like they were right, looks like the cancer has spread. He asked the doctors to run some new test. A week or so later, they came back in amazement. And they said, we've never seen this before. The old tests clearly show that you have cancer, but these new tests show there's no trace of cancer in your body. That was five years ago.

He is still as healthy as can be, still going strong. What happened? He came in to his set time. God visited his house and did what medical science could be. not do. Let me tell you, if it's not your time to go, you're not going to go. God has the final say, down deep in here, like that man, you will feel the promise. I can't die yet. I've got something else to do. It may not look good. Like Paul, the snake may be poisonous, but I'm going to shake it off. I know a set time is coming. I know the God of the breakthrough is about to visit my house.

Some of you need to get ready. Your set time is closer than you think. You're about to see God open up the doors you've been praying about. You're about to meet the person that you've been dreaming about. God is about to thrust you to a new level. Like Sarah, God is going to return and visit your house. Here's why. It's because you've been faithful. You've passed the test.

You've done the right thing when the wrong thing was happening. Now your set time is coming. Friends, this is not the time to get down and discouraged. This is not the time to let your own. thoughts talk you out of it, start thinking it's never going to happen, I'm getting too old, I'm never going to accomplish my dreams. No, the scripture says, don't get tired of doing what's right, for in due season you will reap if you just don't give up. You've got to keep reminding yourself, my due season is on its way. God has already established it. He's already set the time in my future.

I may not be able to see it. It may look impossible, but I know my future is in God's hands, and if God said it, he will do it. What he promised, he will bring to pass. I heard T.D. Jakes telling about a major turning point in his life. Most of you know Bishop Jakes. He's a great minister and a good friend of ours. He told how years ago, he had a dream to touch people all over the world. He knew that God was going to use him in a great way. But at that time, he was pastoring a small church in West Virginia. He prayed and believed and asked God to open up bigger doors, but nothing seemed to be happening. For years, he would go across the U.S., speaking to a couple hundred people here and there,

but nothing like he had in his heart. And this went on year after year, and he didn't see any signs of growth. But he didn't start complaining. He didn't get discouraged. He just kept being his best right where he was doing what God called him to do. do. One day he went and spoke at a church conference in Tulsa. The pastor of that church had a television program. After the conference, the pastor decided to edit down the highlights from the three or four conference speakers, just maybe four or five minutes each one, and put them on his

weekly television program. When the broadcast aired, it just so happened that Paul Crouch, the founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, was flipping through the channels. And he came across this man that he had never seen, Bishop Jake's. He was so impressed, so stirred by it. Paul Krautz told his staff, I don't know who that man was, but I want you to find him and tell him, I want him to have his own program on our network. That one moment, that one good break was the turning point in Bishop Jake's ministry. He went from ministering to a couple hundred people to ministering to millions all over the world.

He came in to his set time. But I think about all the events that had to get perfectly lined up in order for that to happen. Bishop Jakes had to be speaking at the right church. The pastor had to have a television program. Paul Crouch had to be flipping through the channels at the exact right time. If he had been five minutes later, if he'd gone to make a sandwich, if he'd gone to take a telephone call, it would not have happened. What am I saying?

God is working behind the scenes in our lives, whether we can see anything happening or not. That was not a lucky break. That was not just a coincidence. That was Almighty God, the creator of the universe, getting everything lined up. And at the right moment, at the appointed time, it all came together. In the same way, God is getting everything lined up for you. You may not see it. Everything may be the same.

just like it's been the last 10 years, but all the sudden, in a split second, it's going to come together. God is going to visit your house and bring a set time across your path. And when it's your due season, no person can stop it. When it's your appointed time, all the forces of darkness cannot keep it from happening. Suddenly your business will take off. Suddenly you'll get the break you need. Suddenly your health will turn around.

Some of you right now, you're about to walk in to one of your appointed. times. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep being your very best. Your set time is closer than you think. I was reading about a young man that set out to swim across the English Channel. This was many years ago. It had never been done before. The channel is 23 miles long. It takes between 12 and 14 hours to swim. It's extremely dangerous. The water temperature is very cold. The current is strong. Not only that, there are sharks and jellyfish, other things to deal with. Several people had attempted this before. They had not only not been successful,

but they had lost their lives in trying. This young man started out. He was in great shape, so determined. He swam an hour and two hours, three hours, four hours, five hours, and he began to get tired. He was in great pain, but he wanted it so badly, he just kept on keeping on. Late in the day, an unusually thick fog rolled in.

to where he could barely see in front of him. He swam hour after hour in this heavy fog. He lost sight of the other side, and he began to slowly get discouraged. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. He was so cold, and he didn't even know where he was, so he decided to quit, and he gave up. There was a little boat traveling beside him.

He crawled into it. And as they rode to the other side, much to his amazement, he discovered he was less than 50 yards from the shore, less than 50 yards from making history. Had he known he was so close, he would have never given up so soon. Like this young man,

many of you are much closer than you think. Right around the corner, you're going to see the situation turn around. You're going to get the breaks that you've been praying about. You're going to see your health begin to improve. The most difficult time is always right before the victory. and things may be a little foggy in your life today. You look out and you don't see anything good in your future.

It doesn't look like it's ever going to work out. You're tired. You've done your best, but you're ready to just call it quits. But let me challenge you, don't give up 50 yards before your destiny. Your appointed time is coming. It's right up ahead of you. Now you've got to dig your hills in, get your second wind, and say, I've come too far to stop now.

God is in complete control. He's brought me through in the past, and I know he'll bring me through again. I'm going to keep pressing forward, knowing that my due season is on his way. If you do that, God promises it won't be one second late. And friends, we all have to wait, but let's wait the right way with expectancy. Let's wait knowing that the appointed time has already been established. Many of you have been standing on a promise for a long time. You need to get ready.

God is about to do for you what he did for Sarah. He's going to show up in your life in amazing ways. You're about to come into one of your set times. Let me just declare this over you. In your future, you're going to come in to a set time of promotion, a set time of supernatural opportunities, a set time where you meet the right people, a set time where your health is restored,

a set time where you accomplish your goals, a set time where you fulfill, every God-given dream. I believe it. I declare it over each one of you in the name of Jesus. And if you receive it, can you say amen and amen? Amen. Well, 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. 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 do amazing things in your life. Thank you for listening to the Joel

Osteen podcast. Help us continue to share the message of hope with those all over the world. Visit Joel Osteen.com slash give hope to give a gift today. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time.