It's As Good As Done

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:34.240 Hi, this is Joel today. Our son Jonathan is going 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:35.200 to be sharing with you. 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:37.760 I hope you enjoy the podcast. 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:46.240 Tonight. 0:01:46.360 --> 0:01:49.600 I want to share from the thought it's as good 0:01:49.640 --> 0:01:55.480 as done. There are times we find ourselves in uncertain situations, 0:01:56.080 --> 0:01:58.880 days when life can feel so out of our control. 0:01:59.560 --> 0:02:02.080 Moments when we're not sure if it's ever going to 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:05.080 work out, Are we going to meet the right person? 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:08.200 Do we have what it takes? Will we make it 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:12.799 through this challenge? We can let the uncertainty of tomorrow 0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:16.520 keep us from making the most of today. But the 0:02:16.560 --> 0:02:20.239 good news is God has already gone ahead of us. 0:02:20.680 --> 0:02:25.000 He's already lined up the right people, the right opportunities, 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:29.160 the right resources in your future. He's already worked out 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:33.359 what we're worried about. He had the solution before we 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:38.040 even have the problem. He's not dealing with uncertainty. He's 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:41.320 not trying to figure it out. He said in Isaiah, 0:02:41.520 --> 0:02:45.440 I am God from the very beginning, telling you what 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:46.640 the ending will be. 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:50.160 I've said it, and I'll certainly do it. 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:54.720 I've planned it, so it's as good as done. What 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:58.160 God has spoken over your life is not an if, 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:02.840 it's not a made. It's as good as done. From 0:03:02.919 --> 0:03:06.680 the very beginning, He set the end in place. He 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:11.639 ordered your days, worked out the details, orchestrated everything that 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:16.000 you need to come to pass at exactly the right time. 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:20.079 When you live from the perspective that what God planned 0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:23.360 is as good as done, you won't worry about whether 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:27.239 you're enough. You won't stress about the things you don't have. 0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:31.840 You won't fight for victory. You'll fight from it, knowing 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:36.000 God has already won that battle. He's already made away. 0:03:36.440 --> 0:03:40.320 He's already seen you through. Every enemy has been defeated, 0:03:40.800 --> 0:03:45.600 every obstacle has been overcome, every stronghold has been broken. 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:48.880 You may not see it yet, but if God said it, 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:52.720 we can know deep down it's as good as done. 0:03:54.440 --> 0:03:58.680 In Genesis, God said to Abraham, I have made you 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:03.200 a father of many nations. But at that time Abraham 0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:06.520 didn't have a single child. It might have seemed like 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:10.280 God was making a mistake. He didn't look like a 0:04:10.360 --> 0:04:13.920 father of nations. He and his wife were too old. 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:19.039 In Abraham's eyes, it seemed impossible. But God doesn't see 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:22.200 things the way that we do, just one day at 0:04:22.240 --> 0:04:25.640 a time. He's the God who was, who is, and 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:28.599 who is to come. When he looks at your life, 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:31.120 he sees it from start to finish. 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:33.000 He doesn't just know where you are. 0:04:33.600 --> 0:04:36.600 He knows where you've been, and he knows where you're going. 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:40.160 Abraham didn't see it yet, but when God says. 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:41.839 Something it's as good as done. 0:04:42.279 --> 0:04:44.680 It's only a matter of time before he brings it 0:04:44.720 --> 0:04:49.600 to pass. Against all odds, Abraham had a child at 0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:52.760 one hundred years old and went on to become a 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:57.320 father of nations. There are times we know God's promise, 0:04:57.880 --> 0:05:00.640 But in the moment it looks like the furthest thing 0:05:00.720 --> 0:05:04.159 from the truth. We don't see how it could ever happen. 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:08.040 There may be a thousand reasons we think it's impossible. 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:09.160 But like with. 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:12.800 Abraham, we have to know what God said is already 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:16.400 on the way. He's not debating whether or not to 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:19.560 do it. He's not trying to make up his mind. 0:05:19.880 --> 0:05:23.640 He designed your destiny before you were ever born. He 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:27.479 already has the right pieces in place. That dream that 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:30.279 he put in your heart, it's as good as done. 0:05:30.720 --> 0:05:34.400 That provision you're praying for, it's as good as done. 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:38.760 That promise that you're standing on, it's as good as done. 0:05:39.279 --> 0:05:43.000 That's the kind of God that we serve. His word 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:46.520 is more than just text on a page. It's more 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:50.200 certain than the sun rise. If he said it, then 0:05:50.240 --> 0:05:53.239 he'll certainly do it. We don't have to beg God 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:55.360 try to convince him. 0:05:55.560 --> 0:05:59.920 What he ordained is not an option. Your future is 0:06:00.160 --> 0:06:01.320 not dependent. 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:04.320 On what you can make happen, what background you come from, 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:09.440 or what people think. God's ways are greater than ours. 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:15.400 It's by his power, his might, and his favor that 0:06:15.480 --> 0:06:17.719 what he planned comes to pass. 0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:20.440 When we know that, it takes. 0:06:20.160 --> 0:06:23.520 The pressure off. We don't have to figure it all out. 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:27.280 It doesn't have to make sense right now. God will 0:06:27.320 --> 0:06:31.400 open the door. God will defy the odds. He said, 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:34.680 My plans for you are good to give you an 0:06:34.880 --> 0:06:40.080 expected end. Your life is not subject to luck or chance. 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:44.400 You're not going to come to some random end. God 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:47.839 has a purpose for you, and his plans are good. 0:06:48.320 --> 0:06:52.400 When the creator of the universe sets the end, there 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:55.560 is nothing that could stand in the way. Not sickness, 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:59.120 not a bad break, not a person who left. You 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:03.960 can live in confidence knowing what God has determined is 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:07.320 already on the way. It can't be undone. 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:09.159 A few years ago, we. 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:12.240 Were invited to have lunch with this pretty well known actor, 0:07:13.000 --> 0:07:15.960 and before we ate, he brought us into a room 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:20.360 with this huge glass wall overlooking a valley. There were 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:24.600 probably one hundred index cards stuck to the glass. He 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:28.120 explained that he was producing a movie and each index 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:33.120 card represented a different scene. He would study them, rearrange 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:36.720 the order, add and remove certain ones until he felt 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:40.480 the story was just right. He talked about how the 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:44.920 schedule could change. The destinations and locations had to be 0:07:44.960 --> 0:07:48.120 worked out the budget needed to be met. There were 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:53.120 thousands of details to consider. It seems so complicated, so 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:56.800 we asked him, how do you even know where to start? 0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:01.239 He said, Oh, that's the easy part. There's this phrase 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:05.440 in the movie industry that says, know your ending. You 0:08:05.560 --> 0:08:08.880 start with how you want the movie to end. You 0:08:09.080 --> 0:08:12.960 establish your final scene, and then fill in the details. 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.600 When you know your ending, you know what you're working toward. 0:08:17.160 --> 0:08:20.920 Your character has a goal, your story has a purpose, 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:26.200 he said. In fact, most movies don't even shoot in sequence. 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:31.040 Often you'll shoot the final scene long before the beginning. 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:33.079 That phrase, know. 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:36.480 Your ending has always stuck with me. I thought that 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:41.560 was so fascinating. What if we knew our ending? What 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:45.240 if we knew there was victory ahead? What if we 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:48.600 knew that situation that we were so worried about was 0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:51.960 going to be okay? What if we knew that struggle 0:08:52.320 --> 0:08:53.400 was only temporary? 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:56.640 Wouldn't it change the way we live? Wouldn't we have 0:08:56.840 --> 0:08:57.880 so much peace? 0:08:58.960 --> 0:09:03.920 The truth is long before Hollywood ever said it. God said, 0:09:04.320 --> 0:09:07.560 I declare the end from the beginning, and. 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:09.400 My purpose will stand. 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:13.800 He was saying, I wrote your story, and I know 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:17.800 your ending. When God planned out your life. He started 0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:22.600 with your final scene. Your ending has already been established. 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:24.000 And the good news is. 0:09:24.200 --> 0:09:26.080 You don't end in defeat. 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:31.040 You don't end in heartache, you don't end in failure. 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:34.079 Your story ends in victory. 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:38.640 God said, he always causes us to triumph. You end 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:41.800 as more than a conqueror, as the head and not 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:46.200 the tale, as a person of destiny. It's time that 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:47.600 we know our ending. 0:09:48.040 --> 0:09:49.000 We don't have to go. 0:09:48.960 --> 0:09:53.280 Through life wondering if we've seen our best days, questioning 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:56.600 if we have what it takes. We can live confident 0:09:56.960 --> 0:10:00.720 knowing our future has been written by an awe who 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:05.120 loves us. You might think that sounds great, and I 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:08.400 want to believe it, but where I am right now. 0:10:08.320 --> 0:10:09.800 Just doesn't seem to line up. 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:12.920 That scholarship that I really needed. 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:13.680 Didn't go through. 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:18.440 This medical report hasn't seemed to change that person that 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:19.679 I thought was the one. 0:10:20.440 --> 0:10:21.360 It didn't end well. 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:26.680 God didn't say we wouldn't face challenges. He didn't say 0:10:26.720 --> 0:10:30.040 there wouldn't be difficult situations, or even that we would 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:34.040 understand it all. What he promised is that his plan 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:38.880 and purpose would prevail. You might find yourself dealing with 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:43.400 some very real hardships. But that doesn't mean God isn't 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:47.480 directing your steps. You haven't stepped out of his plan. 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:51.880 Like in any movie, a single scene on its own 0:10:51.960 --> 0:10:58.240 doesn't make sense. There's conflict, setbacks, obstacles to overcome. If 0:10:58.280 --> 0:11:02.880 we isolate just those moments, the story doesn't work. That's 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:06.680 not what the author intended. At times, it may seem 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:10.880 like the characters even further from their goal. We might think, 0:11:11.559 --> 0:11:15.040 how could Rocky win the title we just saw him lose? 0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:19.320 How could Nemo make it home? He doesn't even know 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:23.360 where he is. You're telling me they're making a Black 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:27.640 Panther two. I thought he just got snapped away. We 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:31.120 can't get so focused on only one scene that we 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:33.920 lose track of what it's building too. We have to 0:11:34.040 --> 0:11:40.120 keep our ending in mind. Imagine what Joseph thought when 0:11:40.120 --> 0:11:43.360 God gave him the dream that he would rule a nation, 0:11:43.960 --> 0:11:48.880 and his brothers got so jealous they sold him into slavery. 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:53.679 That scene on its own doesn't make sense. It doesn't 0:11:53.720 --> 0:11:57.439 seem fair. He could have thought, maybe I didn't hear 0:11:57.520 --> 0:12:01.840 from God, Maybe it wasn't me to be Maybe. 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:03.280 That was just my own ambition. 0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:07.880 But Joseph must have known this truth, He must have 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:11.240 understood it was just one scene. He had to have 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:15.320 been convinced the end was set and what God planned 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:19.000 is as good as done. Even in his lowest moment, 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:22.280 we don't read of a single instance where he worried 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:27.440 or complained. He just kept doing the right thing, honoring God, 0:12:27.960 --> 0:12:32.680 living in integrity that takes faith. Will we keep a 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:35.640 good attitude even in a scene that doesn't make sense. 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:40.240 Will we stay passionate even when the door closes? Will 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:43.160 we keep being our best even when we're not getting 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:46.840 the credit. It was that kind of character that caused 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:51.080 Joseph to get noticed, and in one moment, God brought 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:55.680 him from the prison to the palace. Through a single interaction, 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:58.640 he was put in charge of an entire nation. 0:12:59.240 --> 0:13:00.560 God redeemed it all. 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:05.000 He made up for every bad break, every unfair situation, 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:10.480 every disappointment. To the people watching, this probably didn't make sense. 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:15.840 How did this prisoner become a ruler? Just like there 0:13:15.840 --> 0:13:20.240 are some scenes with trials we don't understand, God has 0:13:20.360 --> 0:13:24.920 others with blessings that we can't explain. He's written moments 0:13:24.960 --> 0:13:29.800 of favor, healing, promotion that will astound you. He has 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:34.120 breakthrough abundance and freedom in your future. He's the God 0:13:34.160 --> 0:13:38.040 who declared the end from the beginning. He's already worked 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:40.960 out ways to be good to you. Don't fall apart 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:44.880 after a single scene. God has already determined how to 0:13:44.920 --> 0:13:47.240 get you to where you're meant to be. You may 0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:51.440 find yourself in a scene of depression, or financial trouble 0:13:51.880 --> 0:13:56.840 or divorce. Remember that's not your ending. God wouldn't have 0:13:56.880 --> 0:13:59.559 allowed something to happen if it would keep you from 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:03.960 your deskers. Don't roll the credits where God has written redemption. 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:06.880 He works all things out for good. 0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:09.559 Sometimes we panic in the first act. 0:14:10.160 --> 0:14:13.439 We think we failed too many times, we've been hurt 0:14:13.440 --> 0:14:16.040 too badly, we didn't get off to the right star. 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:19.920 We make mistakes and think it's over. But don't let 0:14:20.160 --> 0:14:25.280 one bad scene ruin your story. Remember who the author is. 0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:28.760 God would not have permitted something to happen if he 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:32.160 hadn't already worked it for good. You haven't made too 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:36.240 many mistakes. You haven't seen your best days. That's set 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:40.920 back is not final, That struggle is not forever. God 0:14:40.960 --> 0:14:45.120 brought Joseph from the prison to the palace. He can 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:49.280 bring you from unemployed to in charge. From single to 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:54.880 happily Mary from addicted to abundantly free. When we're convinced 0:14:55.080 --> 0:14:59.000 we haven't expected end, we won't despair when it doesn't 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:02.600 make sense. We'll keep a good attitude even when it's difficult. 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:05.600 We'll keep being our best because we know what God 0:15:05.640 --> 0:15:13.800 has planned is as good as done. Before Jesus went 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:16.800 to the Cross, he planned to have the Passover meal 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:20.200 with his disciples, what we now call the Last Supper, 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:24.160 so he sent Peter and John ahead to make arrangements. 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:27.000 They asked, where do you want us to go, and 0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:29.880 he said, as soon as you enter the city, a 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:34.000 man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow 0:15:34.120 --> 0:15:37.240 him back to his house and ask the owner of 0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:40.040 the home about a guest room where we can have 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:44.000 a meal. The owner will take you upstairs to a 0:15:44.120 --> 0:15:48.120 large room that is already set up. Maybe that's just me, 0:15:48.280 --> 0:15:53.040 but that sounds very specific. He didn't just give them 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:56.880 an address. All these details had to come together at 0:15:56.920 --> 0:15:59.920 exactly the right time. If Peter and John would have 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:02.320 been late, they would have missed the man they were 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:05.600 supposed to meet. If he didn't have the water jug, 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:09.040 they wouldn't have known who to follow. If the owner 0:16:09.120 --> 0:16:11.960 hadn't been home, the room wouldn't have been prepared. 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:14.240 They were in the right place. 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:18.040 At the right time, with the right person, and everything 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:22.120 worked out just as Jesus had said. The Disciples didn't 0:16:22.160 --> 0:16:25.960 have to figure out what was available. I can imagine 0:16:25.960 --> 0:16:28.520 how difficult it could have been to find a location 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:32.040 during this busy week, but they were led right to 0:16:32.280 --> 0:16:36.320 the house. They didn't have to persuade the owner convince 0:16:36.440 --> 0:16:39.240 him to let them use the room. No, he wanted 0:16:39.280 --> 0:16:41.800 to give it to them. They didn't even have to 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:45.400 set the table. The Bible says, the floor was swept 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:48.480 and the room was furnished. All they had to do 0:16:49.200 --> 0:16:54.600 was follow Jesus's instructions. Everything that they needed had already 0:16:54.680 --> 0:16:59.560 been prepared for them. How often do we stress about 0:16:59.600 --> 0:17:03.240 our day inner plans when God has already made us 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:07.840 a reservation. How much do we worry about problems He 0:17:07.920 --> 0:17:12.399 already has the solution to. Like with the disciples, everything 0:17:12.440 --> 0:17:16.760 that you need has already been prepared for you. God 0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:20.200 wasn't just directing their steps, he was directing the steps 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:22.960 of those around them. The man with the water jug 0:17:23.160 --> 0:17:26.240 was exactly where they needed him to be. The owner 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:28.520 of the home was waiting to be good to them. 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:32.639 Someone had already cleaned the room. In the same way, 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:37.000 God has lined up divine connections in your future. He 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:39.639 has people that will go out of their way to 0:17:39.720 --> 0:17:42.320 be good to you. You don't have to convince them 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:45.119 to like you. You don't have to try to manipulate 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:48.320 the situation. You don't have to force the door open. 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:51.359 They might not even know it yet, but they're expecting you. 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:55.480 God has made the reservation. It's all taken care of. 0:17:56.359 --> 0:18:01.440 The tables already set. When I went to my freshman orientation, 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:03.520 I was a little bit nervous. 0:18:04.119 --> 0:18:06.280 I had been homeschooled most of my life. 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:11.040 Now Here I was in another city, at this big university. 0:18:11.400 --> 0:18:14.200 It was all new to me. I didn't know anyone yet. 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:17.080 I was just hoping to fit in, and I believed 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:19.720 it would work out, but that didn't stop me from 0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:23.560 feeling kind of anxious. During the first session, I was 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:27.560 sitting in an auditorium with about five thousand other students 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:31.280 and I get this text from my mom. I read 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:34.680 it and it says, you should find someone named Charlie. 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:36.720 I just met his mom, and he sounds like a 0:18:36.840 --> 0:18:37.359 nice guy. 0:18:38.840 --> 0:18:41.719 So I looked around the room and thought, Mom, I 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:45.680 love you, but there are five thousand other people here. 0:18:46.240 --> 0:18:48.960 I'm sure he sounds nice, but I am not going 0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:53.000 to be able to find someone named Charlie. That's impossible. 0:18:53.760 --> 0:18:56.560 A few hours went by and I get another text 0:18:56.560 --> 0:18:57.120 from my mom. 0:18:57.720 --> 0:19:00.200 Did you find Charlie? 0:19:00.640 --> 0:19:03.760 I thought, I know you're just trying to help, but 0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:05.800 you can't see how crowded it is. 0:19:06.400 --> 0:19:07.840 Plus I'm in college now. 0:19:08.119 --> 0:19:10.399 I have to play it cool. I can't just go 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:14.040 down the road and ask everyone if their name's Charlie. 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:17.840 Eventually we broke out into smaller groups based on our major. 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:20.920 We were led into another room in a different building. 0:19:21.440 --> 0:19:24.240 It had been a long day and the last thing 0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:28.240 on my mind was finding someone named Charlie. But about 0:19:28.280 --> 0:19:32.199 halfway through that next session, I glanced over at the 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:33.040 folder of the. 0:19:33.000 --> 0:19:34.080 Guy sitting next to me. 0:19:34.760 --> 0:19:37.480 It had this sticker on the top with his name 0:19:37.560 --> 0:19:40.159 on it, and it just so happened to be the 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:46.479 exact last name. My mom texted me, Comma Charles. I 0:19:46.520 --> 0:19:50.160 could not believe it. There were thousands of people at 0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:53.760 this orientation and we just so happened to be sitting 0:19:53.880 --> 0:19:56.600 next to each other. I must have read that name 0:19:56.960 --> 0:20:00.239 thirty times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. At 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:03.360 the end of the presentation, I said, I don't mean 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:06.400 to be weird, but is your name Charlie? I think 0:20:06.440 --> 0:20:10.280 my mom met your mom. And before he could, even 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:14.720 before I could even finish, he said, wait, are you Jonathan? 0:20:15.640 --> 0:20:19.720 My mom texted me about you. I could not have 0:20:19.880 --> 0:20:22.960 found him even if I was looking. But when God 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:28.359 brings someone across your path, you can't miss them. I 0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:31.959 thought it was impossible, but Charlie ended up being one 0:20:32.000 --> 0:20:33.800 of the best friends I made at school. 0:20:34.440 --> 0:20:36.320 And some people may say that was. 0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:39.200 Luck or a coincidence, but I know that was the 0:20:39.240 --> 0:20:43.080 same God who set the table for the disciples, saving 0:20:43.119 --> 0:20:46.280 a seat for me. He lined up the right person 0:20:46.600 --> 0:20:49.560 at the right time, directed our steps, and gave me 0:20:49.640 --> 0:20:51.480 a friend when I needed one. 0:20:51.520 --> 0:20:53.680 It was all part of his plan. 0:20:54.480 --> 0:20:57.280 There were two things that I learned that day, One 0:20:57.320 --> 0:21:01.399 that my mom is always right, and two that we 0:21:01.440 --> 0:21:04.000 don't have to worry about figuring it all out on 0:21:04.040 --> 0:21:07.520 our own. We don't have to stress about every detail. 0:21:08.119 --> 0:21:11.440 There may be places that seemed new or unfamiliar to us, 0:21:11.800 --> 0:21:15.920 but God was there long before we ever arrived. When 0:21:15.920 --> 0:21:19.000 we look back at our lives. We can recognize his 0:21:19.080 --> 0:21:22.480 plan on display. We see the moments we were in 0:21:22.560 --> 0:21:25.480 the right place at the right time, The day the 0:21:25.560 --> 0:21:28.880 house went on sale, just as you called, the day 0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:32.280 your dream job came looking for you, The moment you 0:21:32.320 --> 0:21:36.399 met that person and fell in love. That wasn't a coincidence. 0:21:36.640 --> 0:21:39.640 That's the God who planned your days, the one who 0:21:39.720 --> 0:21:41.200 determined your end. 0:21:41.680 --> 0:21:42.680 He has a man. 0:21:42.560 --> 0:21:45.160 With a water jug to lead you to your destination. 0:21:45.760 --> 0:21:48.480 He has a Charlie for you to sit by. He 0:21:48.600 --> 0:21:52.199 has a room prepared and the table swept. Why not 0:21:52.400 --> 0:21:56.600 dare to trust him? Instead of losing sleep over how 0:21:56.640 --> 0:21:59.040 it's going to work out, why not thank him that 0:21:59.119 --> 0:22:03.639 he already had the solution. Instead of living frustrated because 0:22:03.640 --> 0:22:06.760 it hasn't happened yet, why not praise him that it's 0:22:06.800 --> 0:22:11.840 as good as done. What's interesting about Joseph's story is 0:22:11.880 --> 0:22:16.000 that God not only had the right people and opportunities 0:22:16.040 --> 0:22:19.639 in place to bring his dream to pass, but he 0:22:19.800 --> 0:22:23.520 had the solution to every problem he would face along 0:22:23.520 --> 0:22:23.880 the way. 0:22:24.480 --> 0:22:26.200 He had already worked out. 0:22:26.280 --> 0:22:31.640 Every difficult situation, provided a way through every challenge. When 0:22:31.640 --> 0:22:34.480 his brothers became jealous, they threw him into a well 0:22:34.840 --> 0:22:38.040 and left him to die. It was only because they 0:22:38.160 --> 0:22:42.080 noticed a caravan of merchants on their way to Egypt 0:22:42.359 --> 0:22:46.160 that they decided to sell him instead. In those days, 0:22:46.640 --> 0:22:51.639 travel like that took time. There were people, supplies, animals 0:22:51.640 --> 0:22:55.159 to care for. These merchants may have been on the 0:22:55.280 --> 0:23:00.560 road for weeks or even months before they ever reached Joseph, 0:23:00.840 --> 0:23:04.520 but somehow they showed up at exactly the right time. 0:23:05.080 --> 0:23:09.280 God sent the solution before Joseph even had the problem. 0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:12.920 When these merchants left home, he may not have even 0:23:12.960 --> 0:23:17.199 had the dream, let alone the obstacle, but God was 0:23:17.240 --> 0:23:21.320 already making a way. He sent a caravan across a 0:23:21.359 --> 0:23:23.320 desert to rescue him. 0:23:23.600 --> 0:23:25.200 In Isaiah sixty. 0:23:24.880 --> 0:23:30.080 Five, God said, before you call, I will answer. It's 0:23:30.080 --> 0:23:33.760 not just the dreams and opportunities that have been determined. 0:23:34.119 --> 0:23:38.600 There are solutions and deliverances that have already been arranged. 0:23:39.000 --> 0:23:41.680 God is answering prayers we haven't. 0:23:41.359 --> 0:23:46.439 Even prayed yet, fighting battles we haven't even seen, taken 0:23:46.480 --> 0:23:48.439 care of things we don't even know about. 0:23:49.160 --> 0:23:50.840 If He's already worked out. 0:23:50.720 --> 0:23:55.320 Situations in our future, how much more can we trust 0:23:55.760 --> 0:23:58.960 that he'll take care of us today, that he'll provide 0:23:59.000 --> 0:24:02.960 the rent money, that he'll restore that relationship, that he'll 0:24:03.040 --> 0:24:07.800 keep us safe. God is so good. Before we even ask, 0:24:07.880 --> 0:24:11.760 he sends the answer, we need your caravan is on 0:24:11.840 --> 0:24:17.200 the way. I read a story about a mother who 0:24:17.240 --> 0:24:19.640 was in a car accident with her two young children. 0:24:19.960 --> 0:24:23.399 As they were going across a high bridge. Another driver 0:24:23.520 --> 0:24:27.520 lost control and actually caused their car to collide with 0:24:27.680 --> 0:24:29.440 the barrier and get pushed. 0:24:29.160 --> 0:24:30.199 Through the guardrail. 0:24:30.480 --> 0:24:34.600 When the emergency teams arrived, halfway off the bridge swaying 0:24:34.680 --> 0:24:37.760 back and forth, they needed to cut through the metal 0:24:38.040 --> 0:24:41.280 to get this mother and her children out safely, but 0:24:41.400 --> 0:24:44.399 every time they tried, they had to stop because the 0:24:44.440 --> 0:24:48.840 car was so unstable they couldn't risk them falling. The 0:24:48.920 --> 0:24:51.840 officers didn't know what to do, and they weren't even 0:24:51.920 --> 0:24:55.200 sure if there was enough time for outside help to arrive. 0:24:56.119 --> 0:24:59.600 Then this man in a Navy uniform came walking up 0:24:59.640 --> 0:25:02.640 through the stop traffic. He said, I think I might 0:25:02.640 --> 0:25:05.800 be able to help. My team and I are transporting 0:25:05.840 --> 0:25:09.760 a specialized forklift that can extend and rotate to reach 0:25:09.800 --> 0:25:13.720 specific angles normal machinery can't. We were supposed to have 0:25:13.800 --> 0:25:17.600 already reached our destination, but we were delayed leaving this morning. 0:25:18.200 --> 0:25:21.720 The officer couldn't believe it. He asked how long it 0:25:21.720 --> 0:25:24.040 would take to get it there, and while he was 0:25:24.080 --> 0:25:26.960 saying that it was already pulling up, they were able 0:25:27.040 --> 0:25:30.960 to use that forklift to stabilize the car and save 0:25:31.119 --> 0:25:35.119 all three lives. It turns out there were only three 0:25:35.280 --> 0:25:39.359 forklifts like this in the entire world, and one of 0:25:39.359 --> 0:25:43.760 them happened to be stuck in that traffic. That's the 0:25:43.800 --> 0:25:48.359 God who says, before you call, I will answer. Before 0:25:48.400 --> 0:25:52.360 you have the problem, I'll send the solution. If I've 0:25:52.400 --> 0:25:54.879 said it, I'll do it. And if I've planned it, 0:25:54.880 --> 0:25:59.320 it's as good as done. Since I'm usually at church 0:25:59.400 --> 0:26:03.520 on Sunday during football season, I record most of the 0:26:03.560 --> 0:26:06.680 Texans games to watch later when I get home. As 0:26:06.720 --> 0:26:09.160 soon as I know the game starts, my phone goes 0:26:09.200 --> 0:26:12.560 on airplane mode. I don't talk to certain people, I 0:26:12.600 --> 0:26:16.639 don't go specific places. I do whatever it takes to 0:26:16.720 --> 0:26:18.600 keep from accidentally learning the score. 0:26:19.480 --> 0:26:21.680 As soon as I get home, I turn. 0:26:21.520 --> 0:26:23.640 The game on and watch the whole thing from beginning 0:26:23.680 --> 0:26:27.119 to end. But my dad gets home a bit later 0:26:27.200 --> 0:26:29.760 than I do, and most of the time he'll sit 0:26:29.840 --> 0:26:31.720 down to watch the second half with me. 0:26:32.560 --> 0:26:34.679 The thing is, he's not as. 0:26:34.600 --> 0:26:39.240 Dedicated as I am. He doesn't orient his entire afternoon 0:26:39.440 --> 0:26:42.639 around dodging the score to a football game. Most of 0:26:42.680 --> 0:26:45.200 the time he's already looked it up and knows that 0:26:45.280 --> 0:26:49.400 we won that particular game. So when I'm getting all 0:26:49.440 --> 0:26:53.200 worked up yelling at the TV, He's usually sitting. 0:26:52.920 --> 0:26:55.760 Back in his chair, relax, just taking it in. 0:26:56.680 --> 0:26:59.480 I might get frustrated at a certain call, but he 0:26:59.520 --> 0:27:02.800 doesn't even get bothered. I might be anxious when it 0:27:02.840 --> 0:27:07.080 comes down to the last play, but he's not even worried. Why. 0:27:07.760 --> 0:27:11.480 He knows the end is set. He's convinced of the outcome. 0:27:12.119 --> 0:27:15.400 We could be down forty points, but all he's thinking 0:27:15.760 --> 0:27:18.240 is this is going to be a good comeback. In 0:27:18.320 --> 0:27:22.840 his mind, the victory is already won, that triumph is 0:27:22.880 --> 0:27:23.760 as good as done. 0:27:24.280 --> 0:27:28.320 He's just enjoying the journey. And that's how we can live. 0:27:29.320 --> 0:27:32.440 I'm not saying we have to have the exact score 0:27:32.960 --> 0:27:36.680 and every detailed statistic, but we can know the one 0:27:36.720 --> 0:27:39.800 who does. God has declared. 0:27:39.320 --> 0:27:41.120 The end from the beginning. 0:27:41.760 --> 0:27:47.120 He's authored each day, your future has been written. He's 0:27:47.160 --> 0:27:52.600 already orchestrated every solution, every opportunity, every person to come 0:27:52.640 --> 0:27:56.080 in place at just the right time. Stop trying to 0:27:56.119 --> 0:27:59.639 figure it all out. Live from that place of peace. 0:28:00.600 --> 0:28:03.199 We can't focus on what God has called us to 0:28:03.240 --> 0:28:07.720 do when we're busy worrying about what he's already done. 0:28:07.760 --> 0:28:11.000 I'm asking us to live from that place of peace, 0:28:11.640 --> 0:28:15.320 to trust that he's already worked it out, that he's 0:28:15.400 --> 0:28:19.840 already won that battle, that what he planned is not uncertain, 0:28:20.320 --> 0:28:26.240 but it's as good as done. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, 0:28:26.440 --> 0:28:30.400 thank you that you are here with us tonight. Lord, 0:28:30.440 --> 0:28:34.919 would you remind us just how in control you are, 0:28:34.960 --> 0:28:39.280 just how much the details of our lives matter to you. God. 0:28:39.320 --> 0:28:42.320 I pray that we would begin to see our present 0:28:42.400 --> 0:28:46.440 and future situations the way you do. Lord, Help us 0:28:46.480 --> 0:28:50.040 to trust you where there is worry. God, I pray 0:28:50.080 --> 0:28:53.440 that you would bring peace where there's fear. Lord, I 0:28:53.520 --> 0:28:57.800 pray that you would bring courage where there's uncertainty. God, 0:28:57.840 --> 0:29:01.040 I pray that you would be our guide. We ask 0:29:01.520 --> 0:29:06.360 for your strength, your wisdom, your protection this week. Thank 0:29:06.400 --> 0:29:09.360 you that you are fighting our battles. Thank you that 0:29:09.440 --> 0:29:12.880 you're making a way. Thank you in advance for what 0:29:13.000 --> 0:29:16.320 you've already said in the days ahead of us. We 0:29:16.480 --> 0:29:19.800 love you and it's in your name we pray Amen. 0:29:21.080 --> 0:29:24.520 Thank you for listening to the Jolos Dean podcast. Help 0:29:24.600 --> 0:29:27.360 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:27.440 --> 0:29:31.320 all over the world. Visit jolosdein dot com slash give 0:29:31.440 --> 0:29:33.120 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:34.400 --> 0:29:37.320 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:37.320 --> 0:29:40.680 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:40.760 --> 0:29:43.960 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:44.160 --> 0:29:46.600 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:46.680 --> 0:29:47.240 next time. 0:29:54.160 --> 0:29:56.680 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:56.720 --> 0:30:00.480 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:30:00.520 --> 0:30:03.760 been ill equipped to help. That is until now join 0:30:03.840 --> 0:30:06.920 yourly fifty thousand people just like you who've enrolled in 0:30:06.960 --> 0:30:10.080 the Mental Health Coach training program and become equipped to 0:30:10.160 --> 0:30:13.040 help for a limited time. 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