God's Got This

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It's time 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:02.200 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:04.840 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:07.119 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:01:07.120 --> 0:01:10.280 and career. Make a count with Purdue Global produce online 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:14.920 university for working adults. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:19.240 Welcome to the Jiell Loustine Podcast. Help leu's continue to 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:22.240 share the message of hope with those all over the world. 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:26.240 Visit Joeloustin dot com slash give hope to give a 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:33.680 gift today. 0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:41.480 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.320 your homes and if you're ever in our area, please 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:47.000 stop buying and be a part of one of our services. 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:49.720 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:52.880 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:56.240 about this ninety two year old man. He wasn't feeling 0:01:56.320 --> 0:01:58.960 up to par, so we went to the doctor. A 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:01.280 few days later. The doctor saw him out in the 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:05.000 park with a beautiful young lady by his side. He 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:08.160 seemed as happy as condemned. The doctor said, Wow, you 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:11.800 sure are feeling a lot better, aren't you. He said, yes, doctor, 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:15.080 I'm just following your orders. You said get a hot 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:18.919 mama and stay cheerful. The doctor said, I didn't say that. 0:02:19.200 --> 0:02:21.760 I said you got a heart murmur. Be careful man. 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:25.720 He heard what he wanted to hear. But say like 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:28.520 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:31.200 it says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:34.400 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:02:34.560 --> 0:02:37.520 I will be taught the word of God. I'll boldly 0:02:37.600 --> 0:02:41.880 confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:46.160 will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:50.239 I want to talk to you today about God's got this. 0:02:51.320 --> 0:02:54.600 We all have things that come against us. It's easy 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:58.120 to live up tight, wondering how it's going to work out. 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:01.320 What if the medical report isn't good, What if my 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:04.679 finances don't get better, what if my child doesn't get 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:08.040 accepted in that school. We tried to figure it out. 0:03:08.440 --> 0:03:11.840 We've done our best, but we don't see anything changing. 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:16.600 And if we're not careful, we'll live worried, discouraged, not 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:20.520 expecting it to get better. But there's a simple phrase 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:23.800 you have to keep down in your spirit. God's got this. 0:03:24.760 --> 0:03:29.040 He's on the throne, he sees what's happening. He already 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:32.400 has the solution. You don't have to figure it out. 0:03:33.000 --> 0:03:36.640 There may not be a logical answer in the natural. 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:40.160 You don't see a way that's okay. We serve a 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:43.760 supernatural God. He has ways to do it we've never 0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:47.200 thought of. And instead of trying to force it to happen, 0:03:47.680 --> 0:03:51.640 living up tight, you have to let go and let God. 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:54.880 When you turn it over to him and say God, 0:03:55.280 --> 0:03:59.000 I know you've got this. I know you're in control. 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:02.800 Not only need will you feel the heaviness, the weight 0:04:02.920 --> 0:04:05.960 lift off of you, but God will make things happen 0:04:06.240 --> 0:04:09.400 that you couldn't make happen. And some of the things 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:13.080 that are frustrating you now causing you to lose sleep, 0:04:13.520 --> 0:04:16.440 that would all change if you would have this new 0:04:16.520 --> 0:04:22.320 perspective that God's got this. Sometimes we're trying to play God. 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:26.000 We're trying to make our boss promote us and make 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:29.919 ourselves get well and make the contract go through. But 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:33.960 as long as we're trying to force it, live in frustrated, worried, 0:04:34.200 --> 0:04:38.040 then God steps back. But when you take your hands 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:42.000 off and say God, I know you've got this, I'm 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:45.160 not going to worry about my finances. I'm not going 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:48.200 to live up tight because of the medical report. I'm 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:50.919 not going to be frustrated because I haven't met the 0:04:51.000 --> 0:04:55.120 right person. God, I trust your timing and I trust 0:04:55.160 --> 0:04:59.760 your ways. My life is in your hands. God never 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:04.320 that we wouldn't have difficulties, but he did promise he 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:07.520 would give us strength for every battle. He would take 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:11.320 what was meant for harm and use to our advantage. 0:05:11.520 --> 0:05:14.760 You may have a good reason to worry about something 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:19.520 in your health, your finances, a dream, you've done everything 0:05:19.560 --> 0:05:22.480 you can, doesn't look like it's going to work out. 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:27.520 Stay in faith. God is saying I've got this. I'm 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:31.360 working behind the scenes. I'm in the process of turning 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:34.760 it around. It's just a matter of time before you 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:38.880 see things change in your favor. Now live out of 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:42.599 a place of peace, a place of trust. It may 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:46.000 not happen the way you thought, but God's ways are 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:49.400 better than our ways. God knows what's best for you. 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:53.680 He's got this. In the Scripture, a young man named 0:05:53.760 --> 0:05:58.719 Daniel worked for King Darius. The king loved Daniel. Daniel 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:01.800 was so good at what he did. The king was 0:06:01.839 --> 0:06:04.919 going to put Daniel in charge of his whole empire. 0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:09.080 But when the other leaders heard this, they were jealous. 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:12.279 They came up with a plan to get rid of Daniel. 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:17.080 When you excel, when your gifts come out in great ways, 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:22.520 don't be surprised if people get jealous. Everyone is not 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:25.839 going to celebrate you. Some people will try to find 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:29.520 fault and hold you back. The good news is people 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:34.560 don't determine your destiny. God does. Keep being your best 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:39.479 and let God fight your battles. Don't get distracted trying 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:42.520 to prove to them who you are. God will be 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:46.680 your vindicator. God will take care of your enemies. These 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:50.839 people that were against Daniel tried to manipulate the king. 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:55.400 They said, King, you're so great. We've written a decree 0:06:55.920 --> 0:06:59.520 that for the next thirty days no one can pray 0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:03.280 to any one accept you. If they do, they'll be 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:07.240 thrown into a lion's den. They did this because they 0:07:07.279 --> 0:07:11.800 knew Daniel prayed to Jehovah. They convinced the king to 0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:16.320 sign this decree, but that didn't change Daniel. Three times 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:19.840 a day, just like normal, he knelt down on his knees, 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:23.320 opened his windows, and prayed to the God of Abraham, 0:07:23.480 --> 0:07:26.600 the god of Isaac, the god of Jacob. They ran 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:30.160 back and told the king this god, Daniel, one of 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:33.840 the captives from the tribe of Judah, is defying your order. 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:38.160 The king was upset with himself. He knew they had 0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:41.320 manipulated him, but he couldn't go back on his word, 0:07:41.800 --> 0:07:45.120 so he had Daniel sent to the lion's den. What's 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:49.800 interesting is that whole night the king fasted for Daniel. 0:07:50.840 --> 0:07:54.560 When you're in difficult situations, God has people praying for 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:58.600 you that you don't know anything about. This king was 0:07:58.640 --> 0:08:01.880 supposed to be his enemy, but he was actually believing 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:06.600 for Daniel's safety. When they arrested Daniel and took him 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:12.480 to the lion's den, he wasn't afraid, worried, panicked. He 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:17.200 understood this principle. A little earlier. Daniel had seen his 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:23.120 friends Shadracknejak and Abednego, the Hebrew teenagers, get thrown into 0:08:23.160 --> 0:08:26.760 a fiery furnace and come out without the smell of smoke. 0:08:27.680 --> 0:08:31.840 Daniel's attitude was God's got this. I'm in the palm 0:08:31.880 --> 0:08:35.480 of his hand. Nothing can snatch me away. If it's 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:37.720 not my time to go, I'm not going to go, 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:42.360 he stayed in peace. The apostle Paul said, for me, 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:46.600 to live is Christ and to die is game. He 0:08:46.720 --> 0:08:49.280 was saying, in effect, if I live, I'm going to 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:52.319 give God praise, and if I don't live, I'm going 0:08:52.360 --> 0:08:56.120 to give God praise. Either way, I'm gonna stay in faith, 0:08:56.240 --> 0:09:01.840 knowing that God's got this. What you're facing may be bigger, stronger, 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:06.120 more powerful. But when you refuse to worry, when you 0:09:06.200 --> 0:09:10.000 refuse to live stressed out. Instead, you stay in peace, 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:13.840 thanking God that he's fighting your battles, knowing that he's 0:09:13.880 --> 0:09:18.240 in control. You are showing God by your actions that 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:22.880 you're trusting him. One evening, the authorities threw Daniel into 0:09:22.880 --> 0:09:26.280 the lions den. They expected him to be eaten in 0:09:26.320 --> 0:09:29.800 a few minutes. These were hungry lions, that's the way 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:34.520 it always happened. But God supernaturally closed the mouths of 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:38.680 the lions for some reason. They thought, I'm not hungry tonight. 0:09:39.480 --> 0:09:42.880 I don't feel like eating. One said, yeah, I'm full too, 0:09:42.960 --> 0:09:46.800 I've got indigestion. I'm going to bed. God made Daniel 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:51.959 unadvertizing to those lions, have you ever sat down to eat? 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:54.320 But when you look at the food. You think, Ah, 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:58.720 I'm not hungry for this. I used to love tuna sandwiches. 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:02.079 I would eat one every night. And a few years 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:04.800 after we were married, I'd had a virus for a 0:10:04.840 --> 0:10:07.760 day or so and I's just getting over it. Victoria, 0:10:08.040 --> 0:10:12.079 being nice, brought me a tuna sandwich. When I smelled 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:15.600 that tuna, almost threw out. Now, I thought that is 0:10:15.679 --> 0:10:18.480 the worst smelling food in all the world. Yet I 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:22.400 would eat one every day. I can imagine when these 0:10:22.640 --> 0:10:27.520 lions looked at Daniel, they were confused, thinking we should 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:31.200 eat this man. We like a good steak dinner. But 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:35.559 something is different tonight. We don't have our normal appetite. 0:10:36.200 --> 0:10:40.080 God knows how to make you unappetizing to the enemy. 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:46.720 What should normally take you out, What should normally defeat 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:50.960 you for some reason. It can't harm you, It can't 0:10:51.000 --> 0:10:54.679 stop your business, It can't take your health. There is 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:58.720 a bloodline God has put around you and your family. 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:04.680 He controls the universe, He controls the lions, He controls 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:08.760 the enemies. You're not at the mercy of random events, 0:11:09.280 --> 0:11:13.000 people wanting to do you wrong, bad breaks. God has 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:18.160 a hedge of protection around you. Nothing can happen without 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:22.560 his permission. That's why we don't have to live worried, uptight. 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:27.800 We're in a controlled environment. When the Hebrew teenagers were 0:11:27.800 --> 0:11:31.040 about to be thrown into the fiery furnace because they 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:34.480 wouldn't bow down to the king's golden idol, they said, 0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:39.360 we know our God will deliver us, but even if 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:43.000 he doesn't, we're still not going to bow down. They 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:48.160 weren't panicked, they weren't upset bitter. They knew they were 0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:52.400 in a controlled environment. They were saying, like Paul, if 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.840 we live, we're going to give God praise. If we 0:11:55.880 --> 0:11:58.520 don't live, we're going to go to heaven and still 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:02.520 give God praise. They stayed in faith, knowing that God 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:06.199 has the final sayings. And yes, at some point we're 0:12:06.240 --> 0:12:08.760 all going to die, but I've made up my mind. 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:15.880 I'm going to die in faith. I'm going to die believing, expecting, trusting, praising, 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:20.080 smiling with a good attitude, knowing that God is in 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:24.800 complete control. Nothing can snatch you out of his hands. 0:12:25.320 --> 0:12:29.640 The number of your days he will fulfill in life 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:33.280 and in death. We have to know God's got this. 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:39.240 In the lions Den that night, Daniel wasn't uptight on edge. 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:42.360 Think it. I've made it this far, but any moment 0:12:42.400 --> 0:12:46.400 these lions could turn on me. Animals can sense when 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:50.480 you're afraid. They know when you're scared of them. But 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:54.839 when you'll calm, you have your shoulders back, you're confident, 0:12:55.120 --> 0:12:59.480 they know you're the authority. We go hiking in the mountains, 0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:03.040 sometimes they tell you, if you see a bear, don't 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:08.000 take off running, don't panic, don't lose your poise, be still, 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:13.680 be calm, carry yourself with a quiet confidence. In the 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:17.800 same way, when you face enemies in life, the enemy 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:21.320 of sickness, the enemy of addiction, the enemy of debt. 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:25.800 Those enemies can sense when you're afraid of them. They'll 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:29.920 take more ground. That's why the scripture says, give no 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:34.040 place to the enemy. But when they see you standing strong, 0:13:34.760 --> 0:13:38.880 thanking God, when you could be complaining, being good to people, 0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:42.720 when you could be bitter at peace, when you could 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:46.760 be panic, you are sending a message to those enemies 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:50.840 that says loud and clear, you have no power over me. 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:55.320 You cannot stop me. My God is in control. And 0:13:55.400 --> 0:13:59.320 if he before me, who dare be against me? I 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:04.040 can imagine Daniel, instead of worrying, he found a nice 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:09.000 soft piece of grass, laid down, fell asleep. Early the 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:12.240 next morning, the king came running out to the lions 0:14:12.320 --> 0:14:16.560 den to see what happened. The scripture says he called 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:22.000 out in anguish Daniel, servant of the Living God, was 0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:26.960 the God you constantly worship able to save you. Notice 0:14:27.120 --> 0:14:31.120 how he addressed Daniel. Daniel was in there because he 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:34.840 was worshiping a different God, yet the king called him 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:39.120 Daniel's son of the Living God. Even the king knew 0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:43.120 something was different about Daniel. When he saw Daniel come 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:48.440 walking toward him unharmed, passing the lions, the king couldn't 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:52.640 believe it. He was overjoyed. Verse twenty three says not 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:57.120 a scratch was found on Daniel because he trusted in 0:14:57.240 --> 0:15:01.480 his God. Amazing things happen, and when you stay in 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:06.640 faith and trust God. God not only protected Daniel, but 0:15:06.760 --> 0:15:11.040 the king ordered the men that conspired against Daniel to 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:15.600 be arrested and thrown into the same lions den. But 0:15:15.720 --> 0:15:19.560 they didn't have the same outcome. Before they hit the ground, 0:15:19.680 --> 0:15:23.600 the hungry lions tore them apart. The king issued a 0:15:23.640 --> 0:15:27.720 new decree. It said, from now on, everyone in my 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:32.440 kingdom should worship the God of Daniel. He rescues his people. 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:37.840 He's the living God. But here's the key. God doesn't 0:15:37.840 --> 0:15:42.720 deliver us from every difficulty. Most of the time, he 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:47.720 takes us through the difficulty. Daniel's faith didn't keep him 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:51.240 out of the lion's den, but his faith did make 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:54.680 him lion proof. That's what brought him out of the 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:59.640 lion's den. But if Daniel, if those teenagers had been 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:03.400 worse read panic negative, maybe there would have been a 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:07.000 different outcome. Maybe we wouldn't be talking about them today. 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:11.840 I'm asking you to quit worrying about what you're facing. 0:16:12.600 --> 0:16:15.680 Quit losing sleep over that child that's not doing right. 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:19.880 Quit being upset because somebody did you wrong. Your dream 0:16:19.920 --> 0:16:23.440 hasn't come to pass yet. Can I tell you God's 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:27.080 got this like he did for Daniel. He's going to 0:16:27.160 --> 0:16:30.040 make a way where you don't see away, like he 0:16:30.120 --> 0:16:33.320 did for the Hebrew teenagers. God's going to protect you, 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:36.960 favor you, get you to where you're supposed to be. 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:42.160 David said, though I walk through the valley of the 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.840 shadow of Death, I will fear no evil. God is 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:48.840 not just with you on the mountaintops. He's with you 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:52.640 in the valleys when you're going through things. He knows 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:57.160 what you're up against. The scripture says God is concerned 0:16:57.480 --> 0:17:02.040 about what concerns you. Sparrow doesn't fall to the ground 0:17:02.360 --> 0:17:05.840 without God knowing about it. How much more is God 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:10.800 concerned about what's happening in your life? Trusting live from 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:14.199 a place of peace. This is a decision we have 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:17.800 to make on a daily basis, because every day there's 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:20.960 something to worry about. There's some reason to get upset 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:25.320 all through the day. Keep this phrase close to your heart. 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:30.080 God's got this. He's concerned about me. He's working in 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:33.399 my life. He's bigger than my enemies. He's lining up 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:37.280 the right people, He's arranging things in my favor. That 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:41.439 attitude of faith is what allows God to do amazing things. 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:45.760 Four years ago, when our son Jonathan was going off 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:49.800 to college for his freshman year. As parents, we were 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:52.240 concerned about how it was all going to work out. 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:54.919 Would he meet the right people, would he get the 0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:59.760 right classes. Because we travel a lot, our children were homeschooled, 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:02.840 so he wasn't going to college with a bunch of friends. 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:07.200 He'd never been in a large classroom setting. This particular 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:11.480 college has forty thousand students could have been overwhelming, but 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:15.040 Victoria really wanted him to meet somebody right at the 0:18:15.080 --> 0:18:17.600 start so he could have a friend or two. And 0:18:17.640 --> 0:18:21.600 she was up at the parents' orientation on campus. She 0:18:21.720 --> 0:18:25.040 met this lady and found out that her son was 0:18:25.080 --> 0:18:29.119 in the communications department like Jonathan. She seemed like a 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:33.600 nice lady, like great people. So Victoria texted Jonathan he 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:37.679 was in the student's orientation. It said, try to find 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:41.399 a guy named Charlie. I just met his mother. I 0:18:41.440 --> 0:18:44.800 think you'll like him. Well. Jonathan read the text and thought, 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:49.720 there are several thousand people in communications, hundreds of this 0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:53.720 room alone. How could I ever find him? The next session, 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:57.280 Jonathan walked in and sat down in a random chair. 0:18:57.760 --> 0:19:01.080 The room was packed full of students. At one point, 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:04.960 the instructor told them to take a minute and meet somebody. 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:08.400 Jonathan naturally turned to the guy sitting right next to him. 0:19:08.720 --> 0:19:11.480 Out of the corner of his eye on a notebook, 0:19:11.640 --> 0:19:14.080 he could see a small name written at the bottom. 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:19.040 It said Charlie. He looked at him and said, I 0:19:19.080 --> 0:19:22.680 think my mother texted me about you. Are you Charlie? 0:19:23.240 --> 0:19:25.760 He looked puzzled and he said, yes, that means you 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:30.480 must be Jonathan. My mother texted me about you. Out 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:34.720 of thousands of students. It just so happened they were 0:19:34.760 --> 0:19:37.760 sitting next to each other. You know what God was 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:42.040 saying to us as parents, I've got this, I'm in control. 0:19:42.280 --> 0:19:45.879 I'm going to watch after your children. Jonathan and Charlie 0:19:45.880 --> 0:19:49.640 became good friends, and recently they sat by each other 0:19:49.720 --> 0:19:54.160 at school. One last time as they graduated together, Charlie 0:19:54.160 --> 0:19:59.320 told Jonathan, let's finish like we started side by side. 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:03.879 Are you worrying about your children? Stressed out over your job, 0:20:04.600 --> 0:20:07.720 discourage because of a disappointment, thinking it's not going to 0:20:07.760 --> 0:20:11.440 work out. Come back to that place of peace. God's 0:20:11.480 --> 0:20:15.760 got this. He's directing your steps. He's bringing the right 0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:20.040 people across your path, in your children's path. He has 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:24.320 beauty for the ashes right now. He's working behind the 0:20:24.359 --> 0:20:27.840 scenes in your life. Dare to trust him. Dared to 0:20:27.920 --> 0:20:32.639 believe when we worry, we tie the hands of Almighty God. 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:36.879 We all face situations that are bigger than us. A 0:20:36.920 --> 0:20:40.480 bad medical report, you lost a major client, trouble in 0:20:40.520 --> 0:20:43.960 a relationship. It's easy to think of all the reasons 0:20:44.000 --> 0:20:46.520 why it's not going to work out. That's when you 0:20:46.640 --> 0:20:50.800 have to dig your heels in and switch over into faith. No, God, 0:20:50.840 --> 0:20:54.600 I know you've got this. Thank you for protecting my children, 0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:57.679 Thank you for fighting my battles. Thank you for healing 0:20:57.720 --> 0:21:01.399 my bodies. When you're tempted to worry, turn it around 0:21:01.560 --> 0:21:05.679 and thank God that he's working. Daniel could have said, God, 0:21:06.119 --> 0:21:08.879 I was doing the right thing, I was being my best. 0:21:08.960 --> 0:21:12.800 Why did this happen to me? But sometimes God will 0:21:12.840 --> 0:21:17.879 allow difficult situations just to prove to you that he's God. 0:21:18.680 --> 0:21:21.160 He could have kept Daniel out of the lions den. 0:21:21.720 --> 0:21:24.639 He could have stopped the Hebrew teenagers from going into 0:21:24.680 --> 0:21:29.439 the fiery furnaces. But God allows these things to not 0:21:29.560 --> 0:21:33.240 only show you, but to show others that he's God. 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:38.640 When David defeated Goliath, a giant twice his size, it 0:21:38.760 --> 0:21:42.440 wasn't just so David could be promoted. So David could 0:21:42.480 --> 0:21:47.879 be honored. That victory was assigned to the Philistines, assigned 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:51.640 to all of their enemies, even assigned to the Israelites, 0:21:51.840 --> 0:21:55.240 that God was in control, his hand of favor and 0:21:55.359 --> 0:21:59.360 blessing was on them. Some of the battles God allows 0:21:59.359 --> 0:22:02.760 in your life are not just about you. It's to 0:22:02.840 --> 0:22:07.640 make a statement to the people around you. Nothing speaks 0:22:07.720 --> 0:22:12.080 any louder than when people see the favor on your life. 0:22:12.960 --> 0:22:16.680 When they see you overcoming obstacles that should have held 0:22:16.720 --> 0:22:21.360 you back, defeeding giants that were bigger, accomplishing dreams where 0:22:21.400 --> 0:22:25.560 you didn't have the expertise like the king with Daniel. 0:22:25.880 --> 0:22:29.480 They will know you serve the true and the living God. 0:22:30.680 --> 0:22:34.440 Not only that, when God brings us through the lion's dens, 0:22:34.800 --> 0:22:39.679 through the fiery furnaces. Those victories are like fuel to 0:22:39.880 --> 0:22:43.639 feed your faith. When you face other challenges, you'll know 0:22:44.119 --> 0:22:46.320 if God did it for me back, then he'll do 0:22:46.359 --> 0:22:50.600 it for me again. Don't get discouraged when you face 0:22:50.680 --> 0:22:54.280 things you don't understand, obstacles that are bigger than you. 0:22:54.760 --> 0:22:58.800 That's simply an opportunity for God to show you who 0:22:58.880 --> 0:23:02.760 he is. It's one thing to believe that God has power, 0:23:03.160 --> 0:23:06.800 believe that he can do the impossible. That's good. But 0:23:06.920 --> 0:23:10.160 God wants you to do more than just believe. He 0:23:10.200 --> 0:23:13.960 wants you to experience his power. He's going to show 0:23:14.000 --> 0:23:17.840 you his greatness, show you his favor. David had all 0:23:17.920 --> 0:23:21.680 kinds of things come against him, not just giants, armies, 0:23:21.960 --> 0:23:28.159 his own family. He had plenty of reasons to live worried, afraid, bitter, 0:23:28.920 --> 0:23:32.399 But he said in Psalm twenty seven, the Lord is 0:23:32.480 --> 0:23:36.520 my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The 0:23:36.600 --> 0:23:40.040 Lord protects me from danger? Why should I be afraid? 0:23:40.600 --> 0:23:44.000 When people come against me, they will stumble and fall. 0:23:44.480 --> 0:23:47.840 Though a mighty army surrounds me. My heart will know 0:23:48.000 --> 0:23:51.800 no fear. Even if they attack, I will remain confident. 0:23:52.800 --> 0:23:57.439 David lived with this attitude. God's got this. I'm not 0:23:57.480 --> 0:24:00.720 gonna be worried. I'm not gonna live upset. I know 0:24:00.800 --> 0:24:04.720 He's bigger than any obstacle that I'm facing, he said 0:24:04.760 --> 0:24:09.320 a little later. When trouble comes, God will hide me. 0:24:10.040 --> 0:24:13.600 He will place me out of reach, high on a rock. 0:24:14.680 --> 0:24:17.720 You may have enemies coming against you, but you have 0:24:17.800 --> 0:24:21.960 an advantage. God has placed you out of rich. They 0:24:22.000 --> 0:24:25.560 can't defeat you, They can't keep you from your destiny. 0:24:26.040 --> 0:24:30.800 Now do like David, remain confident, keep your peace. May 0:24:30.840 --> 0:24:33.960 feel like you're surrounded by an army. The truth is 0:24:34.280 --> 0:24:38.160 you are surrounded by God's favor. The forces that are 0:24:38.200 --> 0:24:41.520 for you are greater than the forces that are against you. 0:24:42.320 --> 0:24:46.159 David said, even if they attack, I won't get upset. 0:24:46.600 --> 0:24:50.520 Sickness may have attacked you, Addictions may have attacked, debt 0:24:50.640 --> 0:24:53.840 may have attacked That's a test. Are you going to 0:24:53.920 --> 0:24:57.360 get worried? Live in fear? What if it doesn't work out? 0:24:57.880 --> 0:25:01.399 Did you see the medical report forty thousand students? What 0:25:01.480 --> 0:25:04.280 if he doesn't meet the right people? Stay in peace, 0:25:04.880 --> 0:25:08.359 remain confident. God's done it for you in the past. 0:25:08.520 --> 0:25:10.720 He's going to do it for you again in the future. 0:25:11.760 --> 0:25:15.879 In a few verses, David said, I am confident I 0:25:15.920 --> 0:25:19.480 will see the goodness of God. After all he had 0:25:19.520 --> 0:25:22.720 been through. You would think he'd be negative. Worry God, 0:25:22.760 --> 0:25:26.159 where were you? He was just the opposite. I know 0:25:26.600 --> 0:25:30.000 I'll see God's goodness. In other words, I know God's 0:25:30.040 --> 0:25:33.840 got this. I talked to a lady recently. She had 0:25:33.880 --> 0:25:36.800 been through a divorce and she was carrying all the 0:25:36.880 --> 0:25:40.280 hurt and pain. She never dreamed her life would turn 0:25:40.320 --> 0:25:44.360 out like it had, and she was confused, discouraged, wondering 0:25:44.400 --> 0:25:48.480 why it had happened. One day, while driving in her car, 0:25:49.000 --> 0:25:52.479 she felt God say to her, I still have a 0:25:52.520 --> 0:25:55.879 good plan for your life. Let go of the old 0:25:56.280 --> 0:26:00.480 I've got this. At that moment, she made the decision 0:26:00.560 --> 0:26:04.080 to stop worrying, to stop being down on herself. She 0:26:04.240 --> 0:26:07.760 let it go all of a sudden. She told how 0:26:07.800 --> 0:26:10.760 this heavy weight lifted off of her. She got her 0:26:10.840 --> 0:26:15.280 joy back, her passion back. Now, new doors are starting 0:26:15.280 --> 0:26:20.080 to open, new relationships, new opportunities. She's starting to see 0:26:20.119 --> 0:26:24.120 the beauty for ashes. It all happened when she changed 0:26:24.160 --> 0:26:28.480 her perspective. It's something weighing you down today. Are you 0:26:28.560 --> 0:26:32.400 worried about a situation, frustrated by what didn't work out, 0:26:33.080 --> 0:26:35.920 or maybe down on yourself because you're not where you 0:26:36.040 --> 0:26:39.480 thought you would be. God is saying to you what 0:26:39.600 --> 0:26:42.960 he said to her. I've got this. It's not a 0:26:43.040 --> 0:26:47.320 surprise to me. I have new beginnings, I have healing, 0:26:47.800 --> 0:26:52.400 I have breakthroughs. I'm asking you to change your perspective. 0:26:53.040 --> 0:26:56.720 Switch over into faith. That situation at work that you're 0:26:56.760 --> 0:27:00.840 worried about. God's got it. That medical will that's keeping 0:27:00.880 --> 0:27:04.520 you up at night, living stressed is not making it 0:27:04.600 --> 0:27:08.320 any better. Be still and know that he is God. 0:27:08.800 --> 0:27:11.200 He has you in the palm of his hand. He's 0:27:11.240 --> 0:27:16.040 got this. And yes, you may have enemies coming against you, 0:27:16.280 --> 0:27:19.520 but like Daniel, God has placed you out of reach. 0:27:19.960 --> 0:27:23.080 He's made you lie in proof. Now all through the day, 0:27:23.280 --> 0:27:26.239 when you're tempted to worry, keep this phrase playing in 0:27:26.280 --> 0:27:29.840 your mind. God's got this. If you'll do this, I 0:27:29.960 --> 0:27:33.679 believe and declare You're going to see God's goodness in 0:27:33.760 --> 0:27:37.000 new ways. You're going to come out of the lion's dens, 0:27:37.320 --> 0:27:42.520 rise higher, accomplish dreams, and become everything God's created you 0:27:42.600 --> 0:27:46.080 to be. In Jesus' name, if you receive it, can 0:27:46.200 --> 0:27:49.879 you say him in today? I'd like to give you 0:27:49.920 --> 0:27:53.040 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:27:53.359 --> 0:27:58.120 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll 0:27:58.160 --> 0:28:03.040 repent of my sins, Come into my heart. I make 0:28:03.119 --> 0:28:07.600 you my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, 0:28:07.840 --> 0:28:10.760 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:28:10.840 --> 0:28:15.240 Bible based church, and keep God first place, Victoria, and 0:28:15.240 --> 0:28:17.800 I'll be right back to speak a blessing over you. 0:28:19.480 --> 0:28:22.439 Start each day off right by having Joel lead you 0:28:22.520 --> 0:28:26.000 intoclaring the truth of God's word over your life through 0:28:26.000 --> 0:28:29.399 this powerful thirty one day audio devotional Say So. 0:28:30.119 --> 0:28:32.200 If you're going to go to the next level, you've 0:28:32.200 --> 0:28:32.879 got to say so. 0:28:33.760 --> 0:28:36.639 Say so available this month as a Thank you for 0:28:36.720 --> 0:28:40.240 your support of Ourned Ministry. Declare the promises of God 0:28:40.400 --> 0:28:43.760 over your life today. When you speak words of faith 0:28:43.800 --> 0:28:47.080 and victory, you're setting the course for a victorious life. 0:28:47.120 --> 0:28:50.520 I've written thirty one promises, one for each day. Takes 0:28:50.600 --> 0:28:52.760 less than a minute. It's a great way to get 0:28:52.760 --> 0:28:55.760 the day started. Request this resource. It will help you 0:28:55.840 --> 0:28:57.800 become all God created you to be. 0:28:58.320 --> 0:29:02.280 Request your copy of Says Today at Joelosteing dot com 0:29:02.640 --> 0:29:05.560 or call eight eight eight five six seven Jolren. 0:29:06.800 --> 0:29:09.440 In all the years of listening to Joel, the message 0:29:09.440 --> 0:29:12.360 of joy has really impacted my life. He talks about 0:29:12.400 --> 0:29:15.000 how things happen that are not ideal, things that we 0:29:15.040 --> 0:29:18.080 don't plan for, but joy is found in us because 0:29:18.160 --> 0:29:20.400 Jesus is in us. I'm really grateful that to have 0:29:20.440 --> 0:29:23.200 access to the program to encourage and motivate me every day. 0:29:23.560 --> 0:29:27.280 Your support is making a difference. Thanks for partnering with us. 0:29:27.560 --> 0:29:31.479 Your prayers, your generosity is touching lives around the world. 0:29:31.960 --> 0:29:35.080 Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day. 0:29:35.280 --> 0:29:38.280 We're believing for God's very very best that you're going 0:29:38.360 --> 0:29:42.640 to see a bountiful, fruitful, prosperous year until we meet again. 0:29:42.920 --> 0:29:45.760 May the Lord bless you and keep you. Remember You're 0:29:45.760 --> 0:29:48.840 not average, You're not mediocre. 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