Blessed in the Dark Places

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See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.800 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.880 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:38.679 leave Inspire. 0:01:39.040 --> 0:01:41.919 Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week. 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:45.240 We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:58.920 Enjoy the message now. 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:01.440 God bless you. It's always a joy to come into 0:02:01.480 --> 0:02:04.400 your homes and if you're ever in our area, please 0:02:04.440 --> 0:02:06.920 stop by and be a part of one of our services. 0:02:07.040 --> 0:02:09.800 These are the finest people in all of Houston, Texas 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:12.520 right here at Lakewood. We'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:15.160 But thank you for tuning in, and thank you again 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:17.360 for coming out today. And I like to start with 0:02:17.440 --> 0:02:20.480 something funny. And I heard about this minister. He bought 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:24.160 a new horse. He trained it to respond to praise 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:29.120 the Lord meaning giddy up, and Hallelujah meaning woe. Every 0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:31.760 time he said praise the Lord, the horse took off running. 0:02:32.120 --> 0:02:35.040 When he said woe, it would quickly stop. One day 0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:38.240 he was out riding, the horse got spooked and took 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:43.000 off straight toward the cliff, running full speed. In the panic, 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:45.520 he couldn't remember what he trained the horse to respond to. 0:02:46.040 --> 0:02:50.360 He said, Bless God, Glory, Amen. Nothing happened. At the 0:02:50.440 --> 0:02:53.720 last second, he shouted Hallelujah. The horse came to a 0:02:53.760 --> 0:02:57.000 screeching hawk just inches before the edge of the cliff. 0:02:57.320 --> 0:03:00.760 He breathed a sigh of relief and said, Praise the Lord. Lord. 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:04.480 Hold up your Bible, say it like you mean it. 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:07.600 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:10.280 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:12.800 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:16.519 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:19.680 is alert, my heart is recepted. I will never be 0:03:19.760 --> 0:03:24.720 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:28.560 to talk to you today about blessed in the dark places. 0:03:29.320 --> 0:03:32.840 We all go through situations in life that we don't understand. 0:03:33.560 --> 0:03:37.560 Company was downsizing and we got laid off. A friend 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:40.480 walked out of her relationship. Now we're having to start 0:03:40.560 --> 0:03:44.280 all over. A young lady I met last week. She 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:47.320 had been pregnant for five months with her first child. 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:51.880 She was so excited, already decorated the baby's room, but 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:55.680 something went wrong and she had a miscarriage. She looked 0:03:55.680 --> 0:04:00.240 like she was numb, no expression, a dark place. In 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:03.600 nineteen eighty one, my family thought we'd be celebrating the 0:04:03.680 --> 0:04:08.560 Christmas holidays, looking forward to fun and fellowship. Instead, we 0:04:08.720 --> 0:04:12.320 learned that my mother was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. 0:04:12.600 --> 0:04:16.000 It's a very somber Christmas. All of us at some 0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:20.400 time will go through dark places. A loss, a sickness, 0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:23.599 a divorce, a child that broke your heart. It's easy 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:26.200 to get discouraged, give up on your dreams and just 0:04:26.279 --> 0:04:31.040 settle there. But God uses the dark places. They are 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:34.520 all a part of his divine plan. Think of it 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:38.520 like a seed. A seed cannot germinate in the light. 0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:41.839 As long as the seed stays up on a shelf, 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:44.680 it will never become what it was created to be. 0:04:45.160 --> 0:04:48.200 You have to plant the seed in the soil, in 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:51.680 the dark place, so that what's on the inside will 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:55.360 come to life. In the same way, there are seeds 0:04:55.440 --> 0:05:00.640 in you, dreams, goals, talent, potential that that will only 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:03.560 come to life in a dark place. And if you 0:05:03.600 --> 0:05:07.839 study the scripture, every person that did something significant went 0:05:07.920 --> 0:05:11.799 through one of these dark places. Moses made a mistake 0:05:11.880 --> 0:05:14.960 and killed a man. He spent forty years on the 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:18.760 backside of the desert alone, feeling like he had blown it. 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:23.200 But in that dark place, something was happening. On the inside. 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:29.200 It was getting him prepared. He was developing patience, humility, confidence. 0:05:30.000 --> 0:05:33.080 Without the dark place, he would have never held up 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:36.600 the rod and parted the Red sea. The dark place 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:41.240 is a prerequisite to stepping into the fullness of your destiny. 0:05:42.400 --> 0:05:45.640 Esther was an orphan, a young lady that had lost 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:50.480 both of her parents. She felt alone, forgotten a dark place, 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:54.440 but God used her to help save the people of Israel. 0:05:55.440 --> 0:05:59.520 Elijah was so depressed he wanted to die a dark place. 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:03.080 Yet he's one of the heroes of faith. Or David. 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:06.320 He had an affair with a married woman, had her 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:11.360 husband killed. For one year, he was broken, sick, guilty, 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:15.440 yet he's called a man after God's own heart. God 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:19.120 doesn't send the difficulties, but he will use anything that 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:22.840 comes into our lives. In those dark places is where 0:06:22.920 --> 0:06:27.320 we really grow. That's where our character is developed. We 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:32.400 learned to trust, to persevere. Our spiritual muscles are getting stronger. 0:06:33.200 --> 0:06:37.359 In the dark places, you pray more, You draw closer 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:40.640 to God, You get quiet and listen to what He's saying. 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:46.200 In those dark places, you reevaluate your priorities. You spend 0:06:46.200 --> 0:06:49.440 time with your family. You have a new appreciation for 0:06:49.520 --> 0:06:52.400 what God has given you. A friend of mine was 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:55.279 told that he was going to lose his vision. He 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:58.200 had some kind of infection, and he had a surgery 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:02.000 and wasn't supposed to see to the operation. But it 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:04.880 wasn't what the doctors expected and they were able to 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:09.200 correct it. His vision is perfectly clear now. Every morning 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:12.880 when he wakes up, he spends the first fifteen minutes 0:07:13.200 --> 0:07:17.200 staring at the sunrise, staring at the flowers staring at 0:07:17.200 --> 0:07:20.400 his children. You may not realize it, but in the 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:25.080 dark places you're being blessed. Something's happening on the inside. 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:28.800 It's helping you to realign your vision. And when you 0:07:28.880 --> 0:07:33.520 go through enough dark places, you don't complain about small things. 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:37.040 You don't get upset because you didn't get your parking spot. 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:40.320 You don't lose your joy because you got stuck in traffic. 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:44.200 You're not offended because a coworker was rude to you. 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:47.480 You've been through too much to let that sour you. You 0:07:47.240 --> 0:07:50.800 got a backbone made of steal. A person said to 0:07:50.840 --> 0:07:53.080 me the other day, Joel, I heard SO and SO 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:55.760 was talking about you, and I'm so sorry. They were 0:07:55.800 --> 0:07:59.440 saying that. They meant well, they were being kind. But 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:02.480 I thought to myself, you don't have to feel sorry 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:06.120 for me. I buried my father, I saw my mother 0:08:06.280 --> 0:08:09.800 fight through terminal cancer. I learned how to minister when 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.680 every voice told me I couldn't do it. I believe 0:08:12.760 --> 0:08:16.240 for this place, when the odds were against us, if 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:18.920 I could make it through that, I could make it 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:24.720 through somebody not liking me. But you know, really, really, 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:26.960 that's just like a little gnat that you got to 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:30.960 flick away. When you go through a few dark places, 0:08:31.040 --> 0:08:34.839 it toughens you up. The dark places are what have 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:38.440 made me into who I am today. I liked the 0:08:38.480 --> 0:08:42.080 good times a lot better. I prefer everything going my way. 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:45.080 But it wasn't the good times that brought out the 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:48.560 best in me. It was the lonely nights, the times 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:50.319 I didn't think I could do it on my own, 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:53.440 the times that I didn't see away. That's when I 0:08:53.520 --> 0:08:56.680 really learned how to pray. That's when I developed an 0:08:56.800 --> 0:09:00.720 unshakable confidence in God. That's when my faith was stretched 0:09:00.920 --> 0:09:04.839 and increased. Don't complain about the dark times. There are 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:09.120 blessings in the dark places. God is doing something that 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:13.080 can only happen in the fire of affliction. When my 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:15.520 father died, I was trying to learn how to minister. 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:17.800 I was so nervous to get up in front of people. 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:20.960 There were many nights after dinner I would go to 0:09:21.000 --> 0:09:24.200 my closet to pray. Victoria would come looking for me, 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:27.040 ask the children, where's dad, and she would find me 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:30.920 in their praying. The fact is I never prayed like 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:33.960 that in the good times. I never went out of 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:36.560 my way to draw closer to God when everything was 0:09:36.640 --> 0:09:40.559 going my way. It was the dark places that helped 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:44.160 me to really develop my spiritual muscles. And even though 0:09:44.240 --> 0:09:46.880 I didn't like what I was going through, I didn't 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:51.000 like having to stretch, I was uncomfortable, I wouldn't change it. 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:55.520 It made me better. God uses the dark places. When 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:59.920 Joseph was falsely accused and put in prison for thirteen years, 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:04.599 the scripture says, as he sat in those chains of iron, 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:09.280 his soul entered into that iron. He developed a strength, 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:13.160 a perseverance that he could not get any other way. 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:16.800 There are some things you can only learn in the 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:20.680 dark places. Quick complaining about what you're going through. Who 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:23.800 hurts you, how bad it was. It may be uncomfortable, 0:10:24.160 --> 0:10:27.640 you may not like it, but it's working for you. 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:31.520 You're getting stronger. It's developing something that you could only 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:35.959 get in the dark. You cannot reach your highest potential 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:40.360 being in the light all the time, no adversity, no problems, 0:10:40.400 --> 0:10:44.160 nobody coming against you. That sounds good, but it will 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:49.000 stunt your growth. David said, God enlarged me in my 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:52.920 times of distress. He wasn't enlarged in the good times. 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:57.360 He was enlarged when things weren't going his way. As 0:10:57.400 --> 0:10:59.920 a teenager, he wanted to be out having fun with 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:03.440 his friends, but he got stuck taking care of his 0:11:03.520 --> 0:11:08.079 father's sheep. Month after month, he was out there alone, 0:11:08.559 --> 0:11:11.480 nobody to talk to. Didn't look like he could ever 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:15.880 accomplish his dreams. But those years in the lonely shepherd's 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:20.080 fields are what helped prepare him to become a champion. 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:24.000 When he went out and defeated Goliath, people called him 0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:28.199 an overnight success. But the fact is it didn't happen overnight. 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:32.160 It happened because he went through the dark places with 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:35.760 a good attitude. When he didn't get his way, when 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.800 he didn't understand it, when he felt like God had 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:42.960 forsaken him, he just kept doing the right thing. David 0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:47.559 understood this principle. His attitude was God, this is a 0:11:47.679 --> 0:11:50.760 dark place now. I may not see it, but I 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:54.000 believe that it's working for my good. I believe I'm 0:11:54.000 --> 0:11:59.439 getting stronger, developing character, patience, learning to trust. At the 0:11:59.520 --> 0:12:01.920 right time, he not only came out, but he came 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:06.040 out increased, promoted, better than he was before. It's not 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:10.560 a coincidence that David said, the Lord is my shepherd. 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:14.280 I shall not want. He makes me lie down in 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:18.800 green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters, and 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:22.520 though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, 0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:25.840 I will fear no evil. David was saying, in effect, 0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:29.880 the same God that leads me to the green pastures, 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:33.240 the same God that leads me beside the still waters, 0:12:33.800 --> 0:12:37.280 is the same God that leads me through the valley. 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:40.840 We can all trust him in the green pastures, that's easy. 0:12:41.360 --> 0:12:44.800 We can trust him beside the still waters. I'm asking 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:48.960 you to trust him even in the dark valleys. He 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:53.560 hasn't left you. You may feel alone, forgotten. Life hasn't 0:12:53.600 --> 0:12:56.360 turned out the way you wanted, but God is still 0:12:56.600 --> 0:12:59.920 leading you. The dark places are all a part of 0:13:00.160 --> 0:13:03.240 the plan to make you into who you were created 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:06.640 to be. It may not be easy, you may not 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:11.800 understand it. But faith is trusting God when life doesn't 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:15.760 make sense. Dare to believe that He's blessing you even 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:18.640 in the dark places. That what's meant for your harm 0:13:19.120 --> 0:13:22.440 He's going to use to your advantage. David went on 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:25.959 to say, after you go through the valley after the 0:13:26.080 --> 0:13:30.800 dark places, God will anoint your head with oil. He'll 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:34.160 prepare a table before you. In the presence of your enemies, 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:38.160 your cup will run over. Notice, you've got to go 0:13:38.280 --> 0:13:41.640 through the valley to get to the table that's already 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:44.720 set before you. You've got to go through the loneliness, 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:49.320 through the betrayal, through the sickness, to get to the fresh, annoying, 0:13:49.880 --> 0:13:53.160 the new beginning. You've got to go through the shepherd's 0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:57.000 fields doing the right thing when the wrong thing is happening, 0:13:57.640 --> 0:14:01.600 through the struggle, the lack the day before you come 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:06.040 to your cup that runs over. Now too often we 0:14:06.080 --> 0:14:10.160 want the overflow and not the valley. God give me 0:14:10.160 --> 0:14:13.920 more favor, more resources, more influence, God says, okay, fine, 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:16.800 but you've got to be willing to go through the 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:20.840 valley with me. In the dark times is where we 0:14:21.080 --> 0:14:24.960 prove to God what we're really made of. Can God 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:29.239 trust you with more favor, with more influence, with more resources. 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:33.120 You have to be faithful in the shepherd's fields when 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:36.720 you're not getting your way, when it's lonely with Joel. 0:14:36.760 --> 0:14:38.720 I don't like my boss. That's why I show up 0:14:38.760 --> 0:14:41.320 late to work. He doesn't treat me right. That's why 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:45.080 I slack off. No, if you're not faithful in the wilderness. 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:48.240 How can God trust you to be faithful in the 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:52.840 promised land? Have a new perspective. The dark places are 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:58.240 opportunities to grow. You're not thereby accident. If God wasn't 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:00.480 going to use that for your good, he would have 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:04.400 never allowed it. You may not understand it, it may 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:07.720 not make sense, but God knows what he's doing past 0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:10.840 that test. This is what I had to do when 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:12.760 my father went to be with the Lord. It was 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:16.000 a dark place. And sometimes when you go through a loss, 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:18.680 it's easy to get discourage and kind of feel like 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:21.400 that God lets you down, there won't be any more 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:26.440 good days. But I've learned anytime something is dying in 0:15:26.480 --> 0:15:30.280 your life, something else is coming to life. It looks 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:33.600 like the end, but God has a new beginning. A 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:37.960 friend betrayed you walked away, that relationship died. At the 0:15:38.000 --> 0:15:41.960 same time, God is birthing a new relationship. He's got 0:15:41.960 --> 0:15:45.640 another friend already destined to come across your path. You 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:50.360 lost a position, a client, an opportunity that may have died, 0:15:50.720 --> 0:15:54.400 but God's already lined up a new position, a new opportunity, 0:15:54.760 --> 0:15:59.000 a new level. And if you'll go through the valley trusting, 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:03.680 believe knowing that God is still in control. Then you'll 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:07.080 come in to the table that's already prepared for you, 0:16:07.400 --> 0:16:10.600 to the fresh anointing to increase to where your cup 0:16:10.680 --> 0:16:13.960 runs over. Friend of mine I used to play baseball 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:17.920 with many years ago, was the star player on the team. 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:21.800 He always led the league and hitting and fielding, and 0:16:21.840 --> 0:16:25.400 his dream was to play professional baseball. And during the 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:28.800 summer he was invited to play on this highly competitive 0:16:28.840 --> 0:16:32.240 team that traveled around the nation. Was a big honor. 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:35.840 You had to be extremely talented. He played that year 0:16:35.880 --> 0:16:39.480 and did exceptionally well, but some of the players were 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:44.960 jealous of him. They started spreading lies and rumors about him. 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:48.200 The next year, the coach, even though he liked him 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:51.880 very much, he believed these rumors and didn't invite him 0:16:51.920 --> 0:16:55.680 back to play. My friend was very discouraged. He tried 0:16:55.720 --> 0:16:58.720 to get on several other teams, but there was no place. 0:16:58.760 --> 0:17:01.560 They were already full and for the first time that 0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:04.920 summer he didn't have anywhere to play. He missed the 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:10.119 whole season, no games, no opportunities, a dark place. He 0:17:10.160 --> 0:17:14.520 didn't understand it. It wasn't fair, but he didn't get bitter. 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:17.320 He knew the same God that led him to the 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:21.040 green pastures and the still waters was now leading him 0:17:21.320 --> 0:17:24.560 through the valley. Every night he would go up to 0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:28.520 the batting cages and keep improving his skills. He kept 0:17:28.560 --> 0:17:32.879 working out, lifting weight, staying in shape. No games, not 0:17:33.000 --> 0:17:37.000 treated right. But he knew on the other side of 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:41.520 that valley was the table already prepared for him. You 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:45.680 gotta go through it to get to it. Don't get 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:48.600 stuck in your valley. Don't get bitter and lose your 0:17:48.640 --> 0:17:51.800 passion with Joel. I don't understand why this has happened 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:55.119 to me. They laid me off after all these years. 0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:57.720 They broke my heart. I'm dealing with this sickness. I 0:17:57.840 --> 0:18:00.800 just don't If you're always trying to figure it out, 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:05.400 you're going to get stuck. Think about this. In punctuation, 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:11.280 an exclamation point is simply a question mark straightened out. 0:18:11.960 --> 0:18:15.320 If you want God to take your question marks, the 0:18:15.320 --> 0:18:19.359 things you don't understand, and turn them into an exclamation point, 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:25.359 you have to trust them in those dark places where 0:18:25.359 --> 0:18:29.000 it wasn't fair, instead of wondering why did this happen 0:18:29.000 --> 0:18:31.840 to me? No, turn it around, God, I know you're 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:35.439 still on the throne. I may not understand this, but 0:18:35.520 --> 0:18:38.679 I believe on the other side of this valley is 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:42.480 my exclamation point, the table that's already prepared for me, 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:45.600 the fresh annoying, the right people, the new beginning, the 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:49.480 new level. If you'll go through the dark valleys like that, 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:53.320 you will come in to those exclamation points. You'll see 0:18:53.359 --> 0:18:57.480 God amaze you with his goodness. When my father died, 0:18:57.600 --> 0:19:00.800 I had a lot of question marks. The church make it? 0:19:01.760 --> 0:19:04.760 Could I really get up here? And minister, would anybody 0:19:04.840 --> 0:19:08.480 listen to me? And over time, one by one, as 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:11.840 I stayed in faith, went through the dark valleys with 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:16.720 a good attitude, I saw question marks turned into exclamation points. 0:19:17.359 --> 0:19:20.560 Would the church make it? Yes? And here's a compact 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:24.920 center to hold all the people. Exclamation point, would anybody 0:19:24.960 --> 0:19:28.920 listen to me? Yes? And here are some number one books, 0:19:29.280 --> 0:19:32.000 here are networks that will carry your program. Here's a 0:19:32.040 --> 0:19:37.439 serious XM radio channel. Exclamation point, one after another after another. 0:19:38.400 --> 0:19:41.320 You may be in a dark place right now. You 0:19:41.359 --> 0:19:45.080 went through a breakup, somebody broke your heart. You're hurting 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:48.760 your lonely, wondering if you'll ever be happy again. I 0:19:48.800 --> 0:19:52.720 can tell you firsthand, I am a living witness. If 0:19:52.720 --> 0:19:56.840 you will keep honoring God moving forward. God will bring 0:19:56.920 --> 0:20:02.919 somebody into your life better than you ever imagine, somebody kinder, friendlier, 0:20:03.760 --> 0:20:06.840 that will treat you like a queen, like a king. 0:20:07.880 --> 0:20:11.520 You won't even miss that person that left you. God 0:20:11.640 --> 0:20:16.320 has an exclamation point waiting on you. Maybe in your 0:20:16.359 --> 0:20:19.480 health it's a dark place. You don't see how you're 0:20:19.520 --> 0:20:21.440 going to make it. The medical report is not good. 0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:25.640 Stay in faith. Like my mother diagnosed with terminal cancer. 0:20:25.960 --> 0:20:29.199 Thirty three years later, she is still healthy and strong 0:20:29.359 --> 0:20:33.720 and listen, that's great. But here's the exclamation point. Every 0:20:33.760 --> 0:20:36.720 week my mother goes up to the medical center to 0:20:36.800 --> 0:20:40.000 pray for other people that are sick. That's God making 0:20:40.040 --> 0:20:43.879 the enemy pain. Or perhaps it's in your finances, a 0:20:43.960 --> 0:20:47.000 dark place. You had a bad break, a disappointment, lost 0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:49.760 to client. You're wondering, is it ever going to get 0:20:49.800 --> 0:20:53.400 any better? Yes. On the other side of the valley 0:20:53.960 --> 0:20:57.720 is your cup that runs over increase abundance, a new 0:20:57.800 --> 0:21:00.960 level of your destiny. They have been in the valley 0:21:01.000 --> 0:21:03.439 for a long time. You need to get ready. This 0:21:03.520 --> 0:21:06.800 is a new day. You're about to see the breakthrough. 0:21:07.200 --> 0:21:10.720 You're about to see the overflow. That problem is about 0:21:10.800 --> 0:21:14.720 to turn around, don't quit believing. God didn't bring you 0:21:14.800 --> 0:21:18.600 this far to leave you. He has an exclamation point 0:21:18.880 --> 0:21:21.880 come in your way. This is what my friend did, 0:21:21.920 --> 0:21:25.720 the one that played baseball. One day, he was out practicing, 0:21:26.000 --> 0:21:29.360 minding his own business. What he didn't know was there 0:21:29.440 --> 0:21:32.720 was a scout from a professional team up in the stands. 0:21:33.320 --> 0:21:36.080 This man was there to watch another player, but when 0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:39.320 he saw how talented my friend was, he called him 0:21:39.320 --> 0:21:41.240 over and said, I want you to try out for 0:21:41.320 --> 0:21:44.960 our team. That's God putting you at the right place 0:21:45.119 --> 0:21:47.719 at the right time. God knows how to get you 0:21:47.760 --> 0:21:51.560 to your destiny. He tried out, made the team, played 0:21:51.600 --> 0:21:54.200 a couple years in minor league baseball, then he got 0:21:54.240 --> 0:21:56.720 bumped up, went to the major leagues, went on to 0:21:56.760 --> 0:22:01.520 have a long successful professional baseball cap. But think about 0:22:01.560 --> 0:22:04.880 early on those other guys. They tried to stop him 0:22:04.920 --> 0:22:09.960 by spreading rumors. But people don't determine your destiny. God does. 0:22:10.560 --> 0:22:13.960 A bad break can't stop you. Rumors can't stop you. 0:22:14.800 --> 0:22:19.280 Injustice can't stop you. God has the final say. And 0:22:19.320 --> 0:22:22.399 if you'll go through the dark places with the right attitude, 0:22:22.880 --> 0:22:26.720 you'll see exclamation points come in your way. The surpassing 0:22:26.800 --> 0:22:31.159 greatness of God's favor. In the scripture, when Jesus had 0:22:31.200 --> 0:22:34.359 the little boy's lunch, five loaves of bread and two fish, 0:22:34.640 --> 0:22:37.760 it's about to feed the thousands. He lifted them up 0:22:37.840 --> 0:22:41.560 and gave thanks. Then it says he broke the bread 0:22:42.040 --> 0:22:46.760 and it multiplied. Notice the blessing was in the breaking. 0:22:47.640 --> 0:22:51.440 The more he broke it, the more it multiplied. There 0:22:51.480 --> 0:22:56.000 are times that we all feel broken, broken dreams, broken promises, 0:22:56.080 --> 0:22:59.920 a broken heart. The young lady that lost her baby, 0:23:00.440 --> 0:23:03.600 as she told me, big tears ran down her beautiful face. 0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:07.119 She said, Joel, I wanted this baby more than anything else. 0:23:08.000 --> 0:23:11.280 When you feel broken, you go through a disappointment. Don't 0:23:11.320 --> 0:23:15.160 get better, don't give up on your dreams. The brokenness 0:23:15.320 --> 0:23:18.520 is not the end. It's a sign that God is 0:23:18.560 --> 0:23:22.600 about to multiply. That's what David said. God enlarged me 0:23:22.720 --> 0:23:26.600 in my distress, in that brokenness. It may have been 0:23:26.640 --> 0:23:29.239 meant to stop you, but God's going to use it 0:23:29.280 --> 0:23:33.840 to increase you. The loss, the disappointment, the person that 0:23:33.880 --> 0:23:37.200 didn't keep their word. They thought they were hindering you, 0:23:37.600 --> 0:23:40.040 but in fact they were setting you up for God 0:23:40.080 --> 0:23:43.560 to multiply. You may have gone through more than your 0:23:43.640 --> 0:23:47.199 share of bad breaks. But take heart, the more broken 0:23:47.280 --> 0:23:50.600 you are, the more God's going to increase. The bigger 0:23:50.640 --> 0:23:55.000 the disappointment, the bigger the blessing. God has beauty for 0:23:55.080 --> 0:24:01.840 your ashes, joy for the morning. The brokenness is only temporary. Now, 0:24:01.880 --> 0:24:05.879 don't settle in the valley. Don't get comfortable there. The 0:24:06.000 --> 0:24:09.600 valley is not your home. The shepherd is leading you 0:24:09.960 --> 0:24:14.320 through the valley. On the other side there are new beginnings, 0:24:14.800 --> 0:24:19.520 fullness of joy, great relationships, health and wholeness, dreams coming 0:24:19.560 --> 0:24:23.800 to pass. Jesus said in John chapter twelve. Unless a 0:24:23.880 --> 0:24:27.520 kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it 0:24:27.560 --> 0:24:31.600 will remain alone. But if it dies, it will produce 0:24:31.920 --> 0:24:35.480 much fruit. He was using an example of a seed. 0:24:36.200 --> 0:24:39.200 You can have a seed on your desk for a lifetime, 0:24:39.560 --> 0:24:42.960 won't do any good until you plant it. As long 0:24:43.000 --> 0:24:46.040 as it's where it's comfortable, it doesn't have to stretch 0:24:46.160 --> 0:24:50.360 deal with adversity. Then its potential will remain locked up 0:24:50.440 --> 0:24:55.080 on the inside. Only after it's planet it goes through 0:24:55.119 --> 0:24:59.720 a process of germination. The outer shell breaks off new growth. 0:25:00.760 --> 0:25:04.679 That's when it will blossom and produce much fruit. The 0:25:04.760 --> 0:25:08.000 problem with some people is They want the fruit, but 0:25:08.040 --> 0:25:10.520 they don't want to go through the process. They don't 0:25:10.560 --> 0:25:13.199 want to be uncomfortable. They don't want to stretch and 0:25:13.280 --> 0:25:17.719 have to deal with adversity, betrayal, opposition. But without the 0:25:17.840 --> 0:25:22.720 dark place, your potential will not be fully released. The 0:25:22.840 --> 0:25:26.360 seed can't germinate in the light. Now. I'm sure if 0:25:26.359 --> 0:25:28.600 you were to ask the seed, it would say, I 0:25:28.640 --> 0:25:31.879 don't want to go in the dirt. It's dark, it's lonely, 0:25:31.920 --> 0:25:34.639 it's uncomfortable. I don't want people walking on top of me. 0:25:35.520 --> 0:25:39.040 It looks like it's buried, like it's the end. But 0:25:39.119 --> 0:25:43.600 what the seed doesn't realize is it's not buried. It's planet. 0:25:44.320 --> 0:25:47.560 It has the life of Almighty God on the inside 0:25:48.320 --> 0:25:52.480 those dark places. Even though it's uncomfortable, it's a critical 0:25:52.560 --> 0:25:56.480 part of the process. Over a period of time, as 0:25:56.520 --> 0:26:00.200 the seed germinates and grows, instead of just being one 0:26:00.280 --> 0:26:06.320 seed buried, it can become a beautiful flower, blossoming, producing 0:26:06.400 --> 0:26:09.520 much fruit. If you were to ask the seed after 0:26:09.560 --> 0:26:13.480 the process, it would say, I didn't like the dark place, 0:26:13.960 --> 0:26:17.399 but I realize now it was a blessing. Look what 0:26:17.480 --> 0:26:21.600 I've become, Look what I've blossomed into. We all go 0:26:21.720 --> 0:26:25.159 through these dark places, and it feels like at times 0:26:25.160 --> 0:26:28.000 we're buried. Thoughts will tell you, hey, you've seen your 0:26:28.000 --> 0:26:32.320 best days. That layoff ruins your career, that divorce, it 0:26:32.480 --> 0:26:35.119 just tainted your future. That sickness is going to be 0:26:35.160 --> 0:26:38.600 the end of you. No, have a new perspective. You're 0:26:38.640 --> 0:26:42.240 not buried. You're planet. If you would have never had 0:26:42.240 --> 0:26:45.440 the loss, the disappointment, the dark place, you would never 0:26:45.560 --> 0:26:50.960 discover what's on the inside. Like that seed, your potential 0:26:51.480 --> 0:26:54.239 is about to be released. You're not only going to 0:26:54.240 --> 0:26:58.919 come out, You're going to come out bearing much fruit, better, stronger, 0:26:59.119 --> 0:27:02.439 fully in blossoms. See, when my father went to be 0:27:02.480 --> 0:27:04.639 with the Lord, kind of felt like I was buried. 0:27:05.320 --> 0:27:08.760 I could feel that pressure. But in that dark place, 0:27:09.320 --> 0:27:13.439 when something was dying, something was being birthed new on 0:27:13.520 --> 0:27:17.520 the inside. That's when I discovered gifts and talents that 0:27:17.600 --> 0:27:20.360 I didn't know I had. I didn't like going through 0:27:20.400 --> 0:27:24.480 the process, but that's what caused me to blossom. None 0:27:24.520 --> 0:27:27.800 of us like to be planted. It's lonely, uncomfortable, But 0:27:27.920 --> 0:27:31.600 in the dark places, you have to remind yourself new 0:27:31.640 --> 0:27:34.840 growth is coming my way. Even though it feels like 0:27:34.960 --> 0:27:38.240 something is dying. Something else is coming to life. You're 0:27:38.240 --> 0:27:41.640 not buried, You're planted. When you come out, you're going 0:27:41.680 --> 0:27:44.959 to bear much fruit. Now. My challenge to us today 0:27:45.640 --> 0:27:49.640 is be willing to go through the process. Too many 0:27:49.640 --> 0:27:53.720 people get bitter discouraged, Joel. If God was good, how 0:27:53.760 --> 0:27:56.320 could he let this happen to me? You know, dare 0:27:56.359 --> 0:28:00.439 to trust him. God knows what he's doing. May be 0:28:00.520 --> 0:28:05.080 dirt all around you right now. It's uncomfortable. That dirt 0:28:05.119 --> 0:28:07.920 is not there to bury you. It's there to bring 0:28:07.960 --> 0:28:11.480 out the seeds of greatness on the inside. It's just 0:28:11.520 --> 0:28:15.040 a matter of time before you break out and blossom 0:28:15.080 --> 0:28:18.080 into who you were created to be. If you will 0:28:18.080 --> 0:28:21.840 go through these dark places with the right attitude, I 0:28:21.920 --> 0:28:25.240 believe and declare God is going to turn your question 0:28:25.400 --> 0:28:29.560 marks into exclamation points. You will go through every valley 0:28:29.800 --> 0:28:32.879 to the table prepared for you, to the fresh anointing 0:28:33.160 --> 0:28:36.600 to increase where your cup overflows. You will be able 0:28:36.600 --> 0:28:39.880 to say, like David, God enlarged me in my distress. 0:28:40.160 --> 0:28:44.320 He blessed me even in the dark places. In Jesus' name. 0:28:44.640 --> 0:28:47.320 If you receive it, can you say it then? Today? 0:28:48.760 --> 0:28:51.720 And we never like to close our broadcast without giving 0:28:51.760 --> 0:28:54.760 you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. 0:28:55.480 --> 0:29:00.239 Would you pray with me, just say, Lord, Jesus, pen 0:29:00.320 --> 0:29:04.920 of my sins, come into my heart. I make you 0:29:05.000 --> 0:29:09.400 my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:29:09.720 --> 0:29:12.320 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:29:12.320 --> 0:29:15.680 Bible based church. Keep God first place. He's going to 0:29:15.720 --> 0:29:17.680 take your places that you've never dreamed. 0:29:18.760 --> 0:29:22.200 Thank you for listening to the Joel Loustine podcast. Help 0:29:22.280 --> 0:29:25.000 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:25.120 --> 0:29:29.000 all over the world. Visit Joeloustine dot com slash give 0:29:29.080 --> 0:29:30.800 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:32.040 --> 0:29:34.960 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:35.000 --> 0:29:38.360 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:38.440 --> 0:29:41.640 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:41.840 --> 0:29:44.280 I know God's best is still ahead. 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