Keep Digging

0:00:00.920 --> 0:00:03.800 Hi, this is Joelan Victoria. Thanks so much for listening 0:00:03.880 --> 0:00:07.440 to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. We 0:00:07.560 --> 0:00:11.400 believe you're going to have an awesome twenty twenty four, healthy, productive, 0:00:11.560 --> 0:00:15.680 and favor filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. Oh, 0:00:15.680 --> 0:00:18.160 God bless you. It's great to be with you today, 0:00:18.239 --> 0:00:20.720 and I hope you'll stay connected with us during the 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:24.520 week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, and social media, 0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:27.560 and you can come visit us in person. We'd love 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:29.800 to have you be a part of one of our services. 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:32.519 I'd like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:35.360 about these three men that were out in the wilderness 0:00:35.360 --> 0:00:38.159 and they came upon this violent, raging river and they 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:41.520 needed to get to the other side. The first man prayed, God, 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:44.400 please give me the strength to make it across, and poof, 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:47.040 God gave him big arms, big legs, and he is 0:00:47.080 --> 0:00:50.440 able to swim across in two hours. The next man prayed, God, 0:00:50.440 --> 0:00:52.720 please give me the strength and the tools to make 0:00:52.760 --> 0:00:55.600 it across, and poof, God gave him a boat. He 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:58.400 was able to row across in thirty minutes. The next 0:00:58.400 --> 0:01:01.120 man prayed, God, please give me the strength, the tools, 0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:04.479 and the intelligence to make it across, and poof God 0:01:04.520 --> 0:01:08.000 turned him into a woman. She looked at the map 0:01:08.080 --> 0:01:12.880 hike five minutes upstream and walked across the bridge, and 0:01:12.959 --> 0:01:16.720 all the ladies said, Amen, here we go, guys. This 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:19.360 is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:01:19.800 --> 0:01:22.040 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:24.760 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:01:24.840 --> 0:01:28.679 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:01:28.760 --> 0:01:32.080 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:37.320 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:40.760 to talk to you today about keep digging. We all 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:43.600 have dreams God has put in our heart and promises 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:48.560 we're standing on. But along the way there will be detours, delays, 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:52.440 people that do us wrong. We're working hard, but we 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:56.480 didn't get the promotion. They manipulated things. The contract didn't 0:01:56.520 --> 0:01:59.960 go through. It's easy to get discouraged and give up 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:03.440 on what we're believing for. But sometimes you have to 0:02:03.480 --> 0:02:06.720 go through closed doors before you get to open doors. 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:10.359 You have to pass through injustice and things that are 0:02:10.360 --> 0:02:13.880 not fair. You didn't get what you deserve. They left 0:02:13.919 --> 0:02:16.960 you out. That doesn't mean God is not going to 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:20.000 do what he said, It's all a part of his plan. 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:24.000 People may do you wrong, keep doing the right thing. 0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:28.239 God sees you being the bigger person. He sees you 0:02:28.360 --> 0:02:31.840 forgiving when they don't deserve it. He sees you trusting 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:35.440 him when you could be bitter. You are passing the task, 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:39.120 or you worked hard, but the contract didn't go through. 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:43.760 The door closed. It had to close. God has something 0:02:43.800 --> 0:02:48.080 bigger that would have limited your destiny. Wasn't the enemy. 0:02:48.440 --> 0:02:51.680 It was the hand of God protecting you from getting 0:02:51.720 --> 0:02:55.320 satisfied with less. And if you'll stay in faith and 0:02:55.720 --> 0:02:59.160 not get stuck in blame and what wasn't fair? Who 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:03.239 hurt me? Let it go? That didn't stop your destiny. 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:07.000 God is taking you to an abundant place, to something 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:11.600 bigger than you've ever imagined, with the right people, people 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:15.520 that love you, that celebrates you, people that are ordained 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:19.840 for your purpose. That's why those others walked away. What's 0:03:19.919 --> 0:03:22.919 it because something is wrong with you? It's because God 0:03:23.000 --> 0:03:27.600 has someone better. He's not gonna let you miss your destiny. Now, 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:31.000 quit trying to convince someone to stay that wants to leave. 0:03:31.760 --> 0:03:34.839 Convince him that you're good enough, attractive enough, They really 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:38.440 should like you. They are not for you. The people 0:03:38.520 --> 0:03:40.840 God is lined up. You can't get rid of them. 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:44.800 They'll treat you like a queen, like a king. But 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:47.640 if you don't understand it, the people that walked away, 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:52.760 the disappointments, the injustice that it had to happen, then 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:56.920 you'll live frustrated, bitter over who leave, discourage over what 0:03:57.000 --> 0:04:01.120 didn't work out. No, God is ordering your step. None 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:03.839 of that has stopped what He has in store. It's 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:08.160 setting you up for the fullness of your destiny. Genesis, 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:11.120 chapter twenty six. There was a famine in the land, 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:14.000 and Isaac was looking for food for his family and 0:04:14.320 --> 0:04:17.520 pasture for his flocks. He traveled to a city called 0:04:17.520 --> 0:04:21.240 Girard was ruled by the Philistines. He was planning on 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:24.279 going further, but God spoke to him and said, do 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:27.440 not go down to Egypt. Stay in this land, and 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:30.800 I will bless you, and I will multiply your descendants 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:35.320 as the stars into heavens. God gave him this incredible promise, 0:04:35.920 --> 0:04:40.000 but it didn't come without opposition. In frustration, he was 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:43.320 tempting for Isaac to leave, get out of the famine, 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:47.320 go down to Egypt for greener pastors, but Isaac obeyed. 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:50.680 He did the right thing when it wasn't easy. He 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:52.520 set up camp there, and he went out and he 0:04:52.600 --> 0:04:56.760 planted his fields, digging row after row, acres and acres, 0:04:57.000 --> 0:05:00.479 sowing the seeds. Philistines looked at him like he was 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:04.240 not all there, no water, no way to grow things. 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:07.640 Looked like he was wasting his time. But that same 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:13.520 year he reaped one hundredfold returns supernatural provision. Well, they 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:18.040 couldn't understand. How could he grow crops into famine. Instead 0:05:18.080 --> 0:05:21.480 of being happy for him, they were jealous. They started 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:25.280 talking and stirring up trouble, making his life miserable. The 0:05:25.400 --> 0:05:28.640 king finally told him, you have to leave here. You've 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:33.440 become too powerful for us. You can imagine how disappointed 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:37.200 Isaac must have been. He'd seen all that favor and 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:40.240 now he was forced out, had to pack up his 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:45.320 whole camp, move his family, his livestock, leave behind all 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:48.320 the fields he had poured so much time and energy into. 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:53.040 Wasn't fair. He hadn't done anything wrong. He was because 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:57.440 of small minded, jealous people. But here's the key. You 0:05:57.520 --> 0:06:01.280 can be in God's will and have opposition. You can 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:04.919 be obedient like Isaac. You're doing the right thing. You 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:08.159 stayed in the land. You have that promise in your heart. 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:12.840 But doors have closed. There's jealousy, people have come against you. 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:16.560 It's easy to get discouraged. Why didn't this work out? 0:06:16.839 --> 0:06:21.000 They did me wrong. But everything is serving God's plan. 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:24.359 You can't see it right now, but it's moving you 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:28.240 closer to your promised land. Keep doing the right thing 0:06:28.680 --> 0:06:31.800 when the wrong thing happens, keep taking the high road, 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:37.040 keep believing, keep praying, keep trusting. God is still ordering 0:06:37.080 --> 0:06:40.800 your steps. Isaac had to move from that high place 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:44.760 down to the valley of Gerard. I'm sure he looked 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:47.240 up and thought, man, that's where I used to be, 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:50.559 That's where I was so blessed. But look at me now, 0:06:50.720 --> 0:06:54.400 stuck in this valley, in this low place. But God 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:57.040 is not just the god of the mountains. He's the 0:06:57.040 --> 0:06:59.880 god of the valleys. The only way to go to 0:06:59.880 --> 0:07:03.120 a higher mountain is to come down and go through 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:06.840 the valley. Don't get discouraged by the valley. It's a 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:10.240 set up. The valley is leading you to something greater. 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:14.040 God wouldn't have moved you out of that place of blessing. 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:17.640 He wouldn't have let them force you out unless He 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:21.080 has bigger things in your future. None of us like 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:23.880 to go through the valley, but keep the right perspective. 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:27.480 It's a sign that God is up to something. In 0:07:27.520 --> 0:07:31.160 the valley of Gerar, there were wells that Abraham had 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:35.720 dug many years earlier, Isaac's father, when the Philistines had 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:38.520 stopped up those wells filled them with rocks and dirt. 0:07:39.160 --> 0:07:42.520 Having water was extremely valuable out there in the desert, 0:07:42.920 --> 0:07:46.000 the only way to survive. So Isaac and his men 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:49.600 went out and redubbed the wells that belonged to his father. 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:53.800 When the local shepherds saw the water and how the 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:57.240 well was flowing again, they realized what they had been missing. 0:07:57.720 --> 0:08:00.680 They said to Isaac, what are you doing here? This 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:04.440 is our water. This well belongs to us here it 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:07.920 had been there for years, clogged up. They did nothing 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:11.200 with it. Isaac did all the work. It belonged to 0:08:11.240 --> 0:08:14.040 his family in the first place. But there was all 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:17.720 this strife and contention. Isaac could have put up a 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:22.680 big fight, engaged in conflict. Instead he took the high road. 0:08:23.120 --> 0:08:26.480 He said, fine, you can have the well. He walked away. 0:08:27.720 --> 0:08:30.440 There are times you need to dig your heels in 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:35.000 and fight, stand your ground. But there are also times 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:38.520 you have to be the bigger person and let someone 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:42.080 else be right, even though you know they're wrong. You 0:08:42.200 --> 0:08:45.440 have to release it. Have the attitude God. They're not 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:49.080 taking it from me, I'm giving it to them. Sow 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:52.959 it as a seed. Otherwise you can become bitter. That 0:08:53.080 --> 0:08:57.360 wasn't fair. I'm going to pay them back. Let it go. 0:08:57.360 --> 0:09:02.480 God sees when you're taking advantage of when people manipulate things, 0:09:02.840 --> 0:09:06.560 they're dishonest. But you choose to move on knowing that 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:10.360 he's your vindicator. You choose to let it go, knowing 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:13.920 that he'll make it up to you. God will vindicate 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:18.400 you better than you can vindicate yourself. I believe in 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:22.000 holding on to your dreams, but sometimes we're holding on 0:09:22.360 --> 0:09:25.400 to the way we think it's going to happen. That's 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:28.559 my well, I worked hard. I should get the credit, 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:33.200 the promotion, the contract. Maybe it's not working out because 0:09:33.240 --> 0:09:38.040 God has something bigger. Maybe there's strife and contention because 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:41.400 God is stirring things up to keep you from settling 0:09:41.480 --> 0:09:45.640 for less. God will never let something be taken away 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:50.040 unless he has something greater coming. Will you walk away 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:53.440 from it? So you can see a bigger blessing. It's 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:56.280 not about them being wrong. I can't let them get 0:09:56.280 --> 0:09:59.600 away with this. It's about you being the bigger person. 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:03.080 So God can promote you, so he can prepare a 0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:07.160 table in the presence of your enemies. If you'll take 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:10.959 that high road and not let the injustice, the betrayal, 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:14.840 the conflict cause you to live in strife and tension, 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:18.439 there will come a time where all those who were 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:23.120 against you will see you promoted, honored, living a blessed, 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:28.200 victorious life. God is preparing that table, not for a 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:31.360 private dinner, not just you and him, but in the 0:10:31.400 --> 0:10:35.440 presence of your enemies, for a public display. But we 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:40.200 spend too much time trying to protect, to defend this 0:10:40.240 --> 0:10:42.360 is my right. You're not going to get the best 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:47.160 of me, not realizing it's a setup. God has something better. 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:52.120 There's contention and strife because it's not supposed to be yours. 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:56.439 You're upset with people. They manipulated things, they weren't fair. 0:10:57.240 --> 0:11:01.040 But God was the one closing the door. The longer 0:11:01.080 --> 0:11:04.040 I live, the more I've learned to trust His ways, 0:11:04.360 --> 0:11:07.560 to stay in peace, to let God fight my battles. 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:12.120 If Isaac would have been stubborn, contentious. This is my 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:15.200 father's well. You want to fight, man, you gotta fight. 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:18.880 He would have lived in constant strife, had to worry 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:21.960 about the Philistines attacking him. There would have been so 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:26.960 much stress and heartache. Sometimes you have to suffer the wrong. 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:31.880 Let them have the contract, the position, the funds. Quit 0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:34.440 trying to hold on to things where you don't have 0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:37.760 the favor the support that you used to. That's a 0:11:37.800 --> 0:11:43.040 sign seasons are changing. You're not being weak by walking away. 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:46.200 It takes a strong person to take the high road. 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:49.880 You're not losing letting them get the best of you. 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:53.560 It's not over. You can't see it yet, but God 0:11:53.600 --> 0:11:57.960 has taking you somewhere greater. Joel, it's not right I 0:11:58.120 --> 0:12:02.840 redub those wells. Work for this contract, this position, this property. 0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:06.280 I deserve it. But here's the key. That well is 0:12:06.320 --> 0:12:09.800 not your source. God is your source. He has ways 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:13.360 to promote you that you've never thought of. The reason 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:16.880 Isaac could walk away from the well is he knew 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:20.680 he wasn't walking away from the source. If you think 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:23.760 the blessing is on the location, then you'll fight over things. 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:26.640 You'll go down to Egypt during the famine because man, 0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:29.640 there's no water here. But when you know, the source 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:32.440 is not the well, not the job, not the economy, 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:36.280 not who likes you. The source is the most high God. 0:12:36.400 --> 0:12:40.719 He made streams in the desert. He gave Isaac one 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:45.760 hundredfold harvest in a famine, he took five loves, two fish, 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:49.200 and fed thousands. When you walk away from that well 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:54.120 strife and contention, you let someone else be right even 0:12:54.120 --> 0:12:57.199 though you know they're wrong. You're not walking away from 0:12:57.240 --> 0:13:01.040 the blessing. You're walking into a blessing. You're gonna see 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:05.680 a new level of your destiny. Verse twenty says Isaac 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:09.720 named that well argument because the people quarreled with him. 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:12.880 He took the highroad and left that place and went 0:13:12.920 --> 0:13:15.960 to the other side of the valley, far away so 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:18.679 he wouldn't have to deal with those people. He found 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:22.360 another well that belonged to his father, clogged up, not 0:13:22.559 --> 0:13:26.920 used in years, nobody within miles. He redug that well, 0:13:27.520 --> 0:13:31.040 spent weeks, he and his men working hard. They finally 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:34.800 got it unclogged and got the well flowing again. Right 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:38.520 on Q. Here came some more philistines, Here came some 0:13:38.600 --> 0:13:41.800 more shepherds, and what are you doing here? These are 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:46.080 our wells. They belonged to us. I'm sure Isaac thought, 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:49.240 come on, not again, are you kidding me? He could 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:52.680 have argued, put his foot down, said not this time. 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:56.960 Something inside of him, that still small voice, said let 0:13:57.040 --> 0:14:00.640 it go. He told his men at him, have it 0:14:01.120 --> 0:14:06.280 another disappointment. He named that well opposition here. He had 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:08.760 this promise from God. If you'll stay in this land, 0:14:08.920 --> 0:14:12.720 I'll bless you, I'll multiply your descendants. I can hear 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:16.720 him saying, God, where are you? I did what you asked, 0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:20.200 but I was kicked out by the Philistine king. Had 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:24.080 to walk away from that great harvest. These shepherds took 0:14:24.080 --> 0:14:28.080 the well I worked for. Now the second well is gone. 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:31.600 It was a test. Well number one didn't work out. 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:35.160 Well number two didn't work out. Isaac could have put 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:39.040 his shovel up. Then we're done. Let's go down to Egypt. 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:42.120 It's never gonna happen here. Right when he was about 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:45.840 to give up, God whispered Isaac, dig one more, well, 0:14:46.440 --> 0:14:49.960 try it one more time. He had to make this decision. 0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:53.720 Was he too discouraged, too tired? Or was he going 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:57.920 to keep digging? You may be where Isaac was, You've 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:02.880 been through disappointments came against you. There was strife and division, 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:06.080 but you took the high road. You knew what God 0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:10.160 promised you. But every time you dig something up, the 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:13.760 wells keep getting taken away. You attempted to settle where 0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:16.920 you are and think it's not meant to be. God 0:15:17.000 --> 0:15:19.720 is saying to you what he said to Isaac, dig 0:15:19.760 --> 0:15:24.960 one more well. Your story doesn't end in defeat, in injustice, 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:29.840 in being overlooked. Those clogged wells, the bad breaks are 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:34.040 setting you up for well number three. Isaac picked up 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:37.120 his shovel, traveled to a different part of the valley, 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:41.720 and he redug one more well that belonged to his father. 0:15:42.400 --> 0:15:46.640 The water came gushing out stronger than ever. This time 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:51.760 nobody bothered him, No shepherd showed up, no conflict, no strife. 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:56.240 The scripture says he named this place Rahobath, for he 0:15:56.360 --> 0:15:59.920 said God has brought me to a wide open space. 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:07.880 Rahobath means abundance, overflow, more than enough. But notice the progression. 0:16:08.320 --> 0:16:11.480 Before he could get to Rahobath, the well of favor, 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:14.880 he had to go through the well of argument, deal 0:16:14.960 --> 0:16:18.040 with strife and conflict. He had to go through Well 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:22.080 number two, the well of opposition, people coming against him, 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:25.160 things that weren't fair. He had to deal with the 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:28.720 disappointment of that king that forced him out of his harvest. 0:16:29.400 --> 0:16:32.880 Could have put his shovel up, settled for mediocrity, but 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:37.160 he kept on digging. Maybe, like Isaac, you did your best, 0:16:37.600 --> 0:16:41.400 but a dream hasn't worked out, a relationship failed, you 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:44.640 got passed over for the promotion. Now you put your 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:48.440 shovel down, you think it's not meant to be. God 0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:51.600 is not finished with you. You had to go through 0:16:51.640 --> 0:16:55.360 well number one. The doors had to close, the people 0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:58.320 had to walk away. You had to go through Well 0:16:58.400 --> 0:17:02.520 number two. Being justice had to happen, the project had 0:17:02.560 --> 0:17:06.000 to be delayed. The good news is Well number three 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:10.560 is coming. God has a rehobath for you. He has 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:13.960 beauty for the ashes. He's gonna pay you back double 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:18.960 for the unfair things. You haven't seen, heard or imagined 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:22.000 what God has in store. Now you have to do 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:27.280 your part, get your shovel out and keep digging, Keep believing, 0:17:27.800 --> 0:17:32.719 keep expecting, keep forgiving, keep taking steps of faith. You 0:17:32.800 --> 0:17:36.080 are closer than you think. You're on the verge of 0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:41.359 Well number three. Rehobeth a wide open space, a place 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:48.160 of abundance, fulfillment, divine connections, a victorious place. Isaac had 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:51.639 all this contention and strive people coming against him, and 0:17:52.160 --> 0:17:54.520 I'm sure he thought that's the way his life was 0:17:54.560 --> 0:17:57.440 always going to be. Seemed like a pattern of bad 0:17:57.520 --> 0:18:03.080 breaks and disappointments, forward two steps backwards. But when he 0:18:03.119 --> 0:18:06.960 got to Well number three, to Rehoba, the scripture says, 0:18:07.400 --> 0:18:11.800 the people left him alone. Nobody bothered him anymore. He 0:18:11.840 --> 0:18:15.520 lived in peace and enjoyed his family, and his flocks 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:19.080 and herds multiplied. He saw that promise come to pass. 0:18:19.880 --> 0:18:22.320 You may have had a lot of strife and conflict. 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:25.199 You always take the high road and try to be 0:18:25.280 --> 0:18:29.320 the bigger person. You're coming into a time where people 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:32.400 are not going to bother you anymore. The scripture says 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:35.600 it this way. The enemies you see today you will 0:18:35.600 --> 0:18:38.679 see no more. At Well number one, you had to 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:42.199 walk away. Well number two, you had to let people 0:18:42.240 --> 0:18:45.640 have what should have been yours. But Well number three, 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.680 God is going to take care of your enemies. He's 0:18:48.720 --> 0:18:52.399 going to push back forces that have hindered you. Well 0:18:52.520 --> 0:18:56.160 number three is when God promotes you in the presence 0:18:56.200 --> 0:19:00.000 of your enemies. God told the Israelites, I'm giving you 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:03.639 rest from your enemies. Yes, there are times we have 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:07.359 to be the bigger person, endure injustice. But there is 0:19:07.400 --> 0:19:11.200 a time where you will come to Rahobad, where God says, 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:14.760 no more fighting, no more struggle, no more dealing with 0:19:14.760 --> 0:19:18.199 those jerks, I mean those enemies. You're gonna have rest, peace, 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:26.399 joy fulfillment. Rahobah means why, open, spacious, abundance. As Isaac 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:29.800 looked out and saw the vast land and all the 0:19:29.840 --> 0:19:33.719 blessings in favor, I'm sure he thought, God, thank you 0:19:33.920 --> 0:19:37.120 for not letting me stay at well number one. Thank 0:19:37.160 --> 0:19:40.200 you for closing that door at well number two. Thank 0:19:40.240 --> 0:19:42.880 you for having that king get jealous and push me out. 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:48.760 He realized the injustice, the strife, the jealousy was a setup. 0:19:49.400 --> 0:19:53.000 He wasn't supposed to stay there. Had he been stubborn 0:19:53.480 --> 0:19:57.800 tried to force it, he would have lived in conflict, frustrated, 0:19:57.840 --> 0:20:00.679 and never seen the abundance that God had in store. 0:20:01.440 --> 0:20:04.840 I wonder if you're disappointed over things that you're going 0:20:04.920 --> 0:20:07.480 to look back and say, God, thank you that those 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:10.679 people didn't accept me, thank you that you didn't let 0:20:10.760 --> 0:20:13.640 me be comfortable at that job. Thank you that those 0:20:13.680 --> 0:20:17.440 people took the position that I deserve. When you come 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:21.720 into your Rehoboth, you won't think about the injustice, the betrayal, 0:20:21.880 --> 0:20:25.919 the delay. You'll be so overwhelmed. All you can say is, 0:20:25.960 --> 0:20:29.600 look what the Lord has done. We saw this here 0:20:29.600 --> 0:20:33.280 at Lakewood, trying to build a new sanctuary. Twice the 0:20:33.320 --> 0:20:36.520 property was sold out from under us. Well number one. 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:40.280 The owner didn't keep his word. He told me we 0:20:40.320 --> 0:20:43.600 could sign the contract later, but sold it to someone else. 0:20:44.200 --> 0:20:46.840 Well number two, same thing. That people sold it to 0:20:46.880 --> 0:20:49.919 others when they had agreed to sell it to us. 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:54.320 I was tempted to be discouraged. Wasn't fair, But we 0:20:54.400 --> 0:20:58.320 made this decision. God, We're gonna trust you. We're not 0:20:58.359 --> 0:21:01.720 gonna live bitter. We're not how gonna quit dreaming. We 0:21:01.840 --> 0:21:04.879 know this setback is a sign that you have something 0:21:04.920 --> 0:21:09.480 greater coming. Six months later, we came into Well number three, 0:21:09.760 --> 0:21:14.000 the Compact Center. You are sitting in Rahoba, a wide, 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:19.719 an open space. God doing more than we could ever imagine. Now. 0:21:20.080 --> 0:21:22.879 I thank god that man didn't keep his word. I 0:21:22.920 --> 0:21:26.240 thank god that company found another buyer. I didn't like 0:21:26.280 --> 0:21:29.080 it at the time, but I can see now it 0:21:29.200 --> 0:21:31.840 was all a part of God's plan to take us 0:21:31.880 --> 0:21:35.680 to the fullness of our destiny. Maybe today you've been 0:21:35.720 --> 0:21:39.919 through things you don't understand. You honor God, you do 0:21:40.040 --> 0:21:43.520 your best, but things haven't worked. Out doors have closed. 0:21:43.880 --> 0:21:47.159 You were passed over for that promotion. It's tempting to 0:21:47.200 --> 0:21:50.960 settle there. But if Isaac was here, he would tell 0:21:51.000 --> 0:21:55.440 you get your shovel out, dig one more well. You've 0:21:55.480 --> 0:21:59.800 seen opposition, you've seen conflict, But Well number three is raho, 0:22:00.760 --> 0:22:05.199 the blessing, the favor, the victory houses. You didn't build 0:22:05.640 --> 0:22:10.520 a compact center already built vineyards. You didn't plan divine 0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:15.320 connections people that are better than you've imagined. Rahobath is 0:22:15.480 --> 0:22:20.120 rest from your enemies, God shutting down the opposition, where 0:22:20.119 --> 0:22:23.320 you can live in peace and enjoy the blessing on 0:22:23.359 --> 0:22:28.159 your life. Verse twenty two says the Philistines did not 0:22:28.440 --> 0:22:32.760 contend for well number three. They fought for well number one. 0:22:33.359 --> 0:22:35.760 They weren't gonna let Isaac have it. They fought for 0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:39.800 well number two. There was resistance and opposition. I'm sure 0:22:39.920 --> 0:22:43.280 Thoughts told Isaac, You're always going to struggle. You'll always 0:22:43.359 --> 0:22:48.359 have trouble, conflict injustice. Don't believe those lies. That's well 0:22:48.440 --> 0:22:51.880 number one, people trying to stop you. Well number two 0:22:52.200 --> 0:22:56.240 opposition holding your back, But well number three, they will 0:22:56.280 --> 0:23:01.320 not contend. You will not have strive division conflict. The 0:23:01.359 --> 0:23:06.080 scripture says God will rebuke the devour for you. You 0:23:06.119 --> 0:23:08.760 won't have to do it. When you come to Rahoba, 0:23:08.840 --> 0:23:12.000 God will push back what's trying to stop you. There 0:23:12.040 --> 0:23:15.720 will be a supernatural ease, a grace to enjoy the 0:23:15.760 --> 0:23:20.600 blessing on your line. Nineteen fifties, my father was pastoring 0:23:20.640 --> 0:23:23.840 a successful church and it was growing. They had just 0:23:23.880 --> 0:23:27.800 built a new sanctuary in life was good when my 0:23:27.880 --> 0:23:30.760 sister Lisa was born with something like cerebral pauls in. 0:23:31.600 --> 0:23:34.960 My father was taught back then that God didn't do miracles. 0:23:35.160 --> 0:23:38.199 Just to accept it. It was a bad break. He 0:23:38.240 --> 0:23:40.840 went to a hotel for several days to be alone, 0:23:40.880 --> 0:23:43.439 and he read his Bible like he was reading it 0:23:43.480 --> 0:23:46.600 for the first time. He saw how Jesus went around 0:23:46.720 --> 0:23:50.119 healing people and how he could do the impossible. He 0:23:50.200 --> 0:23:53.560 came back and shared this message of faith and victory 0:23:53.800 --> 0:23:56.919 with his church. He thought they'd all be excited, but 0:23:57.560 --> 0:24:00.840 it didn't fit in their tradition. Some of the people 0:24:01.080 --> 0:24:04.840 turned against my father and started stirring up trouble and 0:24:04.880 --> 0:24:08.040 getting others to oppose him, and there was so much 0:24:08.080 --> 0:24:11.720 strife and division. My father knew he needed to leave. 0:24:12.480 --> 0:24:15.040 He could have stayed there and fought with them, tried 0:24:15.080 --> 0:24:17.840 to prove he was right, but he took the high road. 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:22.000 He was disappointed. My mother had lifelong friends that never 0:24:22.040 --> 0:24:26.480 spoke to her again. He could live bitter settled there. Instead, 0:24:26.960 --> 0:24:30.800 he got his shovel out and started digging. Mother's Day 0:24:30.920 --> 0:24:34.520 nineteen fifty nine, he and my mother started Lakewood in 0:24:34.560 --> 0:24:38.440 an abandoned feed store with ninety people. The critics said 0:24:38.560 --> 0:24:42.040 it would never last, but sixty five years later today 0:24:42.359 --> 0:24:47.960 we're still going strong. But my father didn't like getting 0:24:48.000 --> 0:24:52.439 pushed out. That injustice wasn't fair. But when you look back, 0:24:52.560 --> 0:24:54.760 you can see it was all the hand of God. 0:24:55.440 --> 0:24:58.480 He wasn't supposed to stay at well number one. He 0:24:58.520 --> 0:25:01.520 had worked for it, he deserves it, but God used 0:25:01.520 --> 0:25:05.439 strife and conflict to move him out. Those ninety people 0:25:05.560 --> 0:25:08.760 grew to thousands and thousands. But he would have never 0:25:08.840 --> 0:25:13.400 seen Rahobath, the wide and spacious place without going through 0:25:13.440 --> 0:25:17.040 the opposition, things that were not fair. There will be 0:25:17.119 --> 0:25:20.280 these times in life that you don't understand, it don't 0:25:20.320 --> 0:25:23.960 make sense. You'll be tempted to fight, to prove, to 0:25:24.040 --> 0:25:28.840 hold on. But sometimes God closes doors. He doesn't let 0:25:28.960 --> 0:25:32.480 Well number one work out or Well number two on purpose, 0:25:33.119 --> 0:25:36.919 because he has bigger things in store. Like my father, 0:25:37.560 --> 0:25:40.280 you may have to walk away from something that's not fair. 0:25:40.920 --> 0:25:43.719 You dug that well, it belonged to you, but they 0:25:43.800 --> 0:25:47.679 stirred up trouble. That's a test. God has taken you 0:25:47.760 --> 0:25:52.560 to Rahobath, to something bigger, more fulfilling. Don't settle there, 0:25:52.960 --> 0:25:57.040 get your shovel out and keep digging. God has not 0:25:57.200 --> 0:26:01.560 brought you this far to leave you seen the disappointments, 0:26:02.000 --> 0:26:06.440 the injustice, the lonely nights. That's not how your story ends. 0:26:06.760 --> 0:26:11.719 Rehobeth is coming a wide open space. Now, keep moving 0:26:11.800 --> 0:26:16.600 forward in faith, not frustrated, not bitter, Stay on that 0:26:16.720 --> 0:26:20.080 high road, knowing that God is in control, that it's 0:26:20.119 --> 0:26:23.720 all serving his plan. If you'll do this, I believe 0:26:23.840 --> 0:26:27.080 and declare you're going to come in to your Rehobeth. 0:26:27.640 --> 0:26:30.560 God is about to pay you back for the injustice, 0:26:30.920 --> 0:26:36.359 the bad breaks. You're going to have rest from your enemies, vindication, promotion, 0:26:36.800 --> 0:26:41.840 honor the fullness of your destiny in Jesus's name, and 0:26:41.920 --> 0:26:46.240 if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like 0:26:46.359 --> 0:26:49.080 to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord 0:26:49.080 --> 0:26:53.120 of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:26:53.640 --> 0:26:57.359 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:26:57.520 --> 0:27:00.720 make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed that 0:27:00.800 --> 0:27:04.280 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love 0:27:04.320 --> 0:27:06.920 to send you some free information on your new walk 0:27:06.960 --> 0:27:09.280 with the Lord. You can text the number on the 0:27:09.320 --> 0:27:12.320 screen or go to the website. But I hope you'll 0:27:12.320 --> 0:27:15.639 get into a good Bible based church and keep God 0:27:16.000 --> 0:27:16.679 first place. 0:27:17.800 --> 0:27:21.800 God has put a specific dream in your heart. Maybe 0:27:21.800 --> 0:27:25.520 it's a dream for a better career, a blessing that 0:27:25.640 --> 0:27:29.080 enables you to bless others, to be in a healthy 0:27:29.359 --> 0:27:33.800 loving relationship, to launch your own business or ministry endeavor. 0:27:34.600 --> 0:27:38.239 We all have dreams, but sometimes setbacks and opposition can 0:27:38.359 --> 0:27:41.000 rob us of our dreams. So how do you make 0:27:41.080 --> 0:27:42.320 your dreams a reality? 0:27:43.520 --> 0:27:45.960 One way you know it's a God given dream is 0:27:46.000 --> 0:27:48.879 you can't accomplish it on your own. We never thought 0:27:48.880 --> 0:27:52.159 we'd be having church in a former basketball arena. But 0:27:52.240 --> 0:27:54.560 this is what can happen when you take the limits 0:27:54.600 --> 0:27:55.200 off of God. 0:27:55.359 --> 0:27:57.880 When you believe what God put in your heart, that's 0:27:57.920 --> 0:28:00.880 when He steps in and makes ways. Well you never. 0:28:00.720 --> 0:28:02.359 Saw a ways. Now. I love to send you my 0:28:02.440 --> 0:28:05.879 newest book, It's Time to Dream Again. It'll help you 0:28:05.920 --> 0:28:08.560 to hold on to what God promised and now get 0:28:08.600 --> 0:28:11.920 discouraged by how impossible it looks or how long it's taken. 0:28:12.440 --> 0:28:15.520 You are closer than you think. God's working behind the 0:28:15.560 --> 0:28:18.760 scenes right now. Stay in faith. You're going to see 0:28:18.760 --> 0:28:21.520 the greatness of God. Bring your dreams to pass. 0:28:22.800 --> 0:28:25.119 As our way of saying thank you for your gift 0:28:25.160 --> 0:28:27.720 of any amount to the ministry this month, Joel and 0:28:27.840 --> 0:28:31.240 Victoria would like to send you this dream releasing life 0:28:31.280 --> 0:28:35.240 affirming book, It's time to Dream Again. You might sense 0:28:35.280 --> 0:28:37.919 that your dreams have been buried, but with this book 0:28:38.160 --> 0:28:40.960 you'll see that they are actually a hidden treasure just 0:28:41.080 --> 0:28:44.600 waiting to be uncovered and come to life. God's plan 0:28:44.720 --> 0:28:47.959 for you is significant. His dreams for you are beyond 0:28:48.040 --> 0:28:51.960 what you could imagine. Don't wait another day. It's time 0:28:52.040 --> 0:28:52.880 to dream again. 0:28:54.200 --> 0:28:57.040 This book will help you gain a fresh perspective for 0:28:57.120 --> 0:29:00.240 your dreams and to believe for everything God is put 0:29:00.240 --> 0:29:00.880 in your heart. 0:29:01.200 --> 0:29:04.160 Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day. 0:29:04.360 --> 0:29:07.200 Thank you so much for your prayer and support. Your 0:29:07.240 --> 0:29:11.120 generosity is making a difference around the world. Remember you 0:29:11.160 --> 0:29:15.280 can watch the services live online every Sunday, download the 0:29:15.320 --> 0:29:19.480 daily podcast our YouTube channel, listen on Serious XM. We 0:29:19.560 --> 0:29:22.920 will keep you encouraged and inspired, but until we meet again, 0:29:23.120 --> 0:29:25.120 may the Lord bless you and keep you. 0:29:26.000 --> 0:29:28.560 Be sure to request your copy of It's Time to 0:29:28.680 --> 0:29:32.960 Dream Again today. Visit Joelostein dot com or call eight 0:29:33.000 --> 0:29:35.240 eight eight five six seven job