Leave it Alone

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Every month, bark Box brings dogs and 0:01:09.040 --> 0:01:12.759 their humans together with original toys and delicious treatment sign 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:15.240 up now at BarkBox dot com slash iHeart. 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:19.920 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:23.080 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:25.800 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:01:25.840 --> 0:01:28.480 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:32.280 for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:35.080 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.640 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:41.720 daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can 0:01:41.760 --> 0:01:44.200 come visit us in person. We'd love to have you 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:46.560 be a part of one of our services. So I 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:48.960 like to start with something funny, and I heard about 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:52.240 this middle aged woman. She had a heart attack on 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:54.720 the operating table. She asked God if this was it. 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:58.880 God said, no, you have forty more years a phone recovery. 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:01.760 She decided to stay the hospital and have a facelift 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:05.720 and tummy tuck, life of suction and extreme makeover. Two 0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:08.280 months later, as she was leaving the hospital, she was 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:10.920 hit by a car and killed. She got to Heaven, 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:13.440 said God, I thought you said I had forty more years. 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:18.160 He said, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. They are 0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:21.280 so cornat, But here we go. This is my Bible. 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:23.840 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:26.320 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:02:26.360 --> 0:02:29.160 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:33.200 of God. I'll boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:36.520 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:40.880 Jesus's name, God bless you. I want to talk to 0:02:40.880 --> 0:02:45.280 you today about leave it alone. We all have situations 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:48.520 that we're believing will change. A child is off course, 0:02:48.960 --> 0:02:52.480 someone's not treating us right, a door is closed. We 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:55.480 feel this pressure to fix it. I've got to straighten 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:58.519 this person out. I got to force this door to open. 0:02:58.880 --> 0:03:01.799 I got to make this problem and resolve. We take 0:03:01.880 --> 0:03:05.040 matters into our own hands, and we strive and strain 0:03:05.160 --> 0:03:09.440 and often end up frustrating. We have good intentions, we 0:03:09.480 --> 0:03:12.320 want to do our part, but there are times when 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:15.000 the best thing you can do is leave it alone. 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:18.400 You have to be still and know that He is God. 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:22.040 That battle is not yours. The battle is the Lord's. 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:26.080 Some things you can't fix no matter how hard you try, 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:29.760 how much pressure you put, how many favors you call in, 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:33.280 it's not going to change. If you keep forcing it, 0:03:33.840 --> 0:03:37.600 manipulating things, trying to convince this person to do right, 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:40.960 it's not only going to bring more stress, but you're 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:45.680 making matters worse. You're going to do more damage than good. Well, Jul, 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:48.680 I'm trying to use my faith. Sometimes it takes more 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:51.640 faith to do nothing than it does to get it 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:54.760 all stirred up. Takes more faith to leave it alone 0:03:55.160 --> 0:03:57.360 than it does to try to force it to happen. 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:02.280 But there will be this urgency, this underlying pressure, telling 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.840 you you have to do something. You have to defend yourself. 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:08.440 Don't let them get away with it. You have to 0:04:08.520 --> 0:04:11.760 manipulate things so you can get that promotion. You have 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:14.680 to make your loved one do what's right. Don't fall 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:18.760 into that trap. After you've prayed, you believe you've done 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:21.440 what you can, you have to take your hands off 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:24.960 of it. God, I trust you, I know you've got this. 0:04:25.560 --> 0:04:29.080 You're working all things for my good God. While I'm waiting, 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:31.760 I'm going to stay in peace. I'm gonna be still 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:35.200 and let you do what only you can do. And 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:38.159 this was hard for me because I'm a doer. My 0:04:38.240 --> 0:04:41.279 personality type is not to sit back if I have 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:45.279 a problem, a goal, a dream. I'm gonna find six solutions, 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:48.880 call three experts, line up four options, come up with 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:52.000 the strategy, the plan. That's all in the first half 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:54.400 of the day. The next half I'm gonna really work. 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:58.800 I believe in being on the offensive, taking steps of faith, 0:04:59.360 --> 0:05:03.520 but I've learned some things only God can change. The 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:06.360 more you try to force it, the more frustrated you're 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:10.280 going to be. The Psalmist said, unless the Lord builds 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:14.080 the house, we labor in vain. How many of us 0:05:14.120 --> 0:05:18.560 are laboring in vain, constantly struggling, always trying to force 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:22.440 things to happen, trying to change our spouse, convince this 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:25.560 coworker to like us, and harping on our kids to 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:29.359 get back on course. It's like we're running uphill with 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:32.880 leg weights on. Everything's a burden. But if we're not 0:05:32.960 --> 0:05:36.279 putting forth all this effort trying to make it work out, 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:39.840 you can kind of feel guilty. I got this problem, Joe, 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:42.920 I got to do something. But it says in Hebrews, 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:47.520 those who have believed entre into rest. It's okay to 0:05:47.600 --> 0:05:50.440 leave it alone. You don't have to make it happen 0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:54.880 in your own efforts. Give yourself permission to rest, to 0:05:55.000 --> 0:05:58.599 not worry about it, not strive, not come up with 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:02.640 twelve solutions. You've done your part. Now take your hands off. 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:06.400 It's not gonna happen just by your might, by your power, 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:09.200 by your intellect. It's going to be the hand of God. 0:06:10.080 --> 0:06:13.120 You don't have to force the favor. You don't have 0:06:13.200 --> 0:06:17.400 to beat down doors, make your business grow, make yourself 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:20.960 get well, pay somebody back for doing you wrong, Prove 0:06:21.040 --> 0:06:23.960 to them who you are. All that's gonna do is 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:28.520 drain your energy, take your joy, still, your creativity. God 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:32.279 is saying to you today, leave it alone. Trust me 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:35.520 to handle it. I'm gonna bring the right person. I'm 0:06:35.560 --> 0:06:39.000 gonna turn your business around. I'm gonna change that child. 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:42.159 I'm gonna restore your health. I'm gonna give you that 0:06:42.279 --> 0:06:45.800 baby you've been dreaming about. When you turn it over 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:48.800 to God, it takes the pressure off. You don't have 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:51.320 to figure it all out. You don't have to strive 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.839 and strength. It's not up to you to make it 0:06:53.880 --> 0:06:57.279 all happen. You can live in peace knowing that God's 0:06:57.279 --> 0:07:01.640 got this. Jesus told a parable in Matthew thirteen. A 0:07:01.720 --> 0:07:05.520 farmer went out and planted wheat in his field. He 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:08.919 did the right thing, he sewed good seed. He was 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:12.000 expecting the wheat to come up and have a great harvest, 0:07:12.280 --> 0:07:15.000 like he'd seen year after year. But in a few 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:17.680 months he not only saw the wheat, but there were 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:21.440 weeds coming up everywhere. When the workers saw it, they 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:24.720 were puzzled. He said to the farmer, what happened. You 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.960 didn't sew this, We saw you plant good seeds. Didn't 0:07:27.960 --> 0:07:31.560 make sense, he said in verse twenty eight. An enemy 0:07:31.680 --> 0:07:35.480 came in at night and planted these weeds. Wasn't the 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:39.200 farmer's fault he had to sleep? Was it like he 0:07:39.320 --> 0:07:42.840 was lazy? He did the right thing, but still the 0:07:42.880 --> 0:07:47.560 wrong thing happened. Just because you have difficulties doesn't mean 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:50.920 you've done something wrong. You may have sown good seed. 0:07:51.440 --> 0:07:55.160 You've been faithful, You honor God, you give, you serve, 0:07:55.240 --> 0:07:57.960 you go the extra mile. But now you have some 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:01.080 weeds popping up in your field, things you didn't sow. 0:08:01.800 --> 0:08:05.040 You don't understand it. You raised your child right, but 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:08.720 he's gotten off. Course. You could blame yourself. What did 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:12.160 I do wrong? You didn't do anything wrong. The enemy 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:15.280 came in at night and sowd some weeds. Have you 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:19.280 worked hard in your business. You've got there early, stayed late, 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:22.120 You've done more than you have to. But you had 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:26.119 a setback. You lost a client, a competitor moved close, 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:29.800 took some of your business. You could be frustrated, wondering 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:33.480 why this happened. It's just a weed. The good news 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:37.000 is the reason you have weeds is because the enemy 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:40.200 knows you're going to have a great harvest. He wouldn't 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:43.040 have snuck in at night and planted the weeds if 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:47.400 he didn't know. Abundance is coming, healing is coming, promotion 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:51.200 is coming, the right people are coming. Don't get discouraged 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:54.440 over the weeds. That's a sign that something amazing is 0:08:54.480 --> 0:08:57.680 in your future. When Joel, I's doing the right thing. 0:08:57.800 --> 0:09:01.080 But this door closed. These people did me wrong. I 0:09:01.160 --> 0:09:04.560 came down with this illness. Why did this happen? Have 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:07.880 a new perspective. The enemy would not have wasted his 0:09:08.040 --> 0:09:12.160 time sowing weeds into your field if you weren't destined 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:15.920 for greater things, destined for new levels, destined to take 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:19.920 your family where they've never been. When the workers saw 0:09:19.960 --> 0:09:23.280 all the weeds, they asked the farmer, should we go 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:26.600 pull up these weeds. He said, no, if you pull 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:29.960 up the weeds, you're going to damage the weed. Let 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:33.280 them grow together and when the harvest is ready, then 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:37.280 they'll be separated. The workers wanted to fix the problem. 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:40.840 They wanted to help get rid of these weeds. But 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:45.240 this farmer said, leave it alone. You didn't sow the weed. 0:09:45.600 --> 0:09:48.120 You don't have to pull up the weed. If they 0:09:48.120 --> 0:09:51.040 would have been stubborn, We're not gonna let these weeds stay. 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:54.480 We're going to fix this problem. If they'd taken matters 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:57.240 into their own hands, they would have ruined the harvest. 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:01.080 I can imagine the farmer seeing the those weeds every day. 0:10:01.559 --> 0:10:05.160 That had to have bothered him. I don't like these weeds. 0:10:05.600 --> 0:10:07.959 Things are out of order. People are going to think 0:10:08.000 --> 0:10:11.120 I'm lazy. I'm not a good farmer. I need to 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:14.600 make this right. He had to fight. The temptation to 0:10:14.600 --> 0:10:17.760 pull up the weeds was something he could have done. 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:21.440 He had the ability to correct the problem, but he 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:25.520 knew it would have damaged his harvest. It takes faith 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:28.920 to leave it alone. When you take your hands off 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:31.720 and not pull up what you know you can fix, 0:10:32.120 --> 0:10:34.440 but you let God take care of it. That's not 0:10:34.520 --> 0:10:37.679 a lack of faith. That's great faith. When you can 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:41.320 say God, I trust you with my weeds, I trust 0:10:41.400 --> 0:10:44.400 you with things I don't understand. Not going to get 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:46.959 in a hurry and try to fix things that will 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:50.440 damage my harvest. I'm going to leave it alone. That's 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:55.160 a powerful position. Maybe today there are weeds in your life, 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:58.880 things you don't understand. You know you didn't sow it. 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:02.400 The enemy came in at night. You could live worried 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:05.200 and feel this pressure to pull up the weeds and 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:10.800 fix the problem, change this person, manipulate this situation. There's 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:13.440 an urgency saying do it now. These weeds aren't right. 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:17.400 God is saying be still and let me take care 0:11:17.440 --> 0:11:20.719 of it. That's not your battle. You didn't sow it. 0:11:20.840 --> 0:11:23.600 You don't have to pull it up. One of the 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:27.400 greatest tests will ever face is to be still and 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:30.720 know that he is God, to leave things in his hands. 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:34.880 One critical thing said in this parable is if you 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.720 don't leave it alone, you're going to damage the harvest. 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:44.000 Doing it your way, forcing things, manipulating, striving, you may 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:47.400 get something done, but it will be less than God's best. 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:50.880 You have to know at the right time, when your 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:54.040 harvest is ready. God will take care of your weeds. 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:58.240 He'll turn your child around. He'll vindicate you in front 0:11:58.280 --> 0:12:01.800 of your enemies. He'll promote you to levels you never 0:12:01.880 --> 0:12:05.600 saw coming. There are a couple of situations I'm praying 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:09.040 about now, believing that they will turn around. There's this 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:13.000 underlying pressure, this feeling that, Joey, you need to make 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:17.120 a decision right now. You better take action. If you delay, 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:20.559 it's gonna get worse. The enemy would love to get 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:23.120 us all worked up to where you're in a hurry. 0:12:23.640 --> 0:12:27.240 There's this urgency. You have to do something now. Come 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:30.760 on their weeds, popping up your child, your finances, your hell. 0:12:31.080 --> 0:12:34.480 Sometimes we hear that phrase do something less, you do nothing. 0:12:35.160 --> 0:12:38.680 That's not always good advice. Sometimes the best thing to 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:42.000 do is nothing. You don't have to fix it today. 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:45.640 You don't have to decide this minute. You're not supposed 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:48.360 to pull up the weeds right now. Take all that 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:52.200 pressure off. It's very freeing when you say, God, my 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:55.120 life is in your hands. I trust you to take 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:58.040 care of my weeds. I'm not gonna take matters into 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:01.480 my own hands. I know you're fighting my battles. I'm 0:13:01.480 --> 0:13:05.000 gonna be still and know that you are God. When 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:07.920 my father had a big decision to make something that 0:13:08.000 --> 0:13:10.920 was concerning him, maybe a problem where he didn't see 0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:14.440 a solution. Instead of being pressured to make a move, 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:17.520 he told how he'd put that problem up on a 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:21.320 shelf and pray about it. Every voice would say, what 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:24.000 are you gonna do? You have to decide now? He 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:27.080 would say, no, I'm gonna wait on the Lord. This 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:29.880 is not my battle. He's taking care of my weeds. 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:34.080 Over time, he would see those situations work themselves out. 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:37.840 Are there some things you need to put on a shelf? 0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:42.240 You feel this pressure to figure out things where there's 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:46.240 no good solution, come up with strategies, change things that 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:50.280 only God can change. That's not your job. And sometimes 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:54.520 there's no logical solution. God is going to supernaturally turn 0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:57.680 it around. If we take matters into our own hands, 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:01.920 we're going to be frustrated. Too often we're fighting battles 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:05.000 that were not supposed to fight. We're trying to pull 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:08.600 up weeds. When God said he'd be our gardener, he 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:12.000 will take care of the weeds. He has many advantages. 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:15.880 One is he knows when the harvest is ready. If 0:14:15.880 --> 0:14:18.520 you pull it up too soon, that will lessen what 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:22.400 God has for you. This parable ends by saying, when 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:26.760 it's the right time, the farmer who represents God will 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:30.560 separate the weeds from the harvest. He'll bundle up all 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:34.080 the weeds and throw them into a fire if you'll 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:36.880 leave the weeds alone. And then at the right time, 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:41.160 you're gonna see some smoking weeds, things that have hindered you. 0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:45.760 I didn't say you're gonna smoke weed, things that somebody 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:49.480 got their word from the Lord. You're gonna see some 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:53.600 smoking weeds, things that have hindered you, people that tried 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:57.360 to stop you close doors. All those weeds are gonna 0:14:57.400 --> 0:15:00.880 go up and smoke. God is gonna turn things around 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:04.200 and make ways where you don't see away. Here's the key. 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:08.920 The reason God is waiting to deal with those weeds 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:12.080 is because your harvest is going to be greater than 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:15.720 you thought. God could have pulled that weed earlier, but 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:19.600 he has something bigger than you've imagined. The question is 0:15:20.040 --> 0:15:23.120 will you trust Him with your weeds. It's tempting to 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:25.320 take matters into our own hands. I got to pull 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:28.720 up this weed. Oh you prayed, you believe you've done 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:32.440 what you can. God is saying, leave it alone, let 0:15:32.480 --> 0:15:35.720 me take care of it. When God brought the Israelites 0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:39.440 out of slavery, they started toward the Promised Land, but 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:43.320 the Pharaoh changed his mind and came chasing after them 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:47.560 with six hundred of his strongest warriors and fastest chariots. 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:50.880 The Israelites could see them coming way off in the distance. 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:53.400 They were at a dead end at the Red Sea, 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:57.880 and nowhere to go. They begin to panic. So afraid 0:15:57.960 --> 0:16:01.000 and distraught they ran. The motion is to get a plan, 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:04.160 They said, we have to do something right now. They're 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:07.080 gonna be here by nightfall. We have a few hours 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:10.000 to come up with a strategy. They felt this pressure, 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:13.720 this urgency. They were on the verge of being recaptured. 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:17.720 Moses said in Exodus fourteen, here's what the Lord says. 0:16:17.760 --> 0:16:22.000 Our strategy is stand still and you will see the 0:16:22.040 --> 0:16:26.040 salvation of the Lord. Hold your peace, remain at rest, 0:16:26.320 --> 0:16:30.160 for the Lord himself will fight for you. I'm sure 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:32.960 they looked at him and said, Moses, are you kidding us? 0:16:33.680 --> 0:16:37.920 These powerful warriors are quickly approaching. You're telling us your 0:16:37.960 --> 0:16:42.360 strategy is to do nothing, leave it alone. Can you 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:45.640 go back and get a second opinion. Moses said, no, 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:48.400 we didn't sow this weed. We don't have to pull 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:52.000 up this weed. This is not our battle. Proverb says, 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:55.280 don't say I'll get even for the wrong. Wait for 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:59.000 the Lord to handle the matter. If you'll wait, God 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:02.680 will vindicate you better than you can vindicate yourself. His 0:17:02.800 --> 0:17:07.480 solution is better than your solution. Hold your peace, remain 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:11.000 at rest. You may not see anything happening, but God 0:17:11.080 --> 0:17:14.159 is up to something. Now, as these two million people 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:17.840 were camped at the Red Sea, the scripture says, the 0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:21.160 Angel of the Lord, who had been leading the Israelites, 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:25.639 moved to a position behind them. This thick cloud that 0:17:25.800 --> 0:17:29.399 was leading them also moved behind them. It was between 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:33.800 the Israelites camp and the Pharaohs camp. Now, Pharaoh's army 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:38.320 couldn't see the Israelites. God had them hidden. The cloud 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:41.280 was so thick they couldn't travel through it. They didn't 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:44.359 know where they were. It looked like the Israelites were 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:47.560 running out of time. But God knows how to hide you. 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:51.199 He knows how to confuse your enemies. One minute, the 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:53.639 Israelites were right in front of them, the next moment 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:57.520 they've disappeared that's when Moses raised the rod and the 0:17:57.560 --> 0:18:01.920 water's parted. The Israelites walked through on dry ground. At 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:06.040 that point the cloud lifted. Thero's army came chasing. There 0:18:06.080 --> 0:18:08.760 they are, but when they got in the sea, the 0:18:08.840 --> 0:18:12.399 water's closed back up and they all drown. What am 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:15.800 I saying? God knows how to take care of your weeds. 0:18:16.440 --> 0:18:19.400 If you will stand still, you will see Him show 0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:22.600 out in your life. And I'm not saying be passive. 0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:26.199 We need to pray, believe, do what you can. But 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:28.639 there comes a time where you have to turn it 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:32.320 over to God. Quit worrying about it, Quit trying to 0:18:32.359 --> 0:18:36.240 make it happen, make people like you, make the door open, 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:40.520 make the business turn around, leave it alone. If you 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:42.879 try to do it in your own strength, it's going 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:47.760 to be laboring in vain, a lot of work, frustration, disappointment. 0:18:48.400 --> 0:18:52.320 Won't fall into that trap. God is in control. He 0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:55.719 sees what you're going through. He knows who's not treating 0:18:55.760 --> 0:18:59.320 you right. The doors that haven't opened, the child that's 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:03.320 breaking your heart had medical report that's not good. These 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:07.000 are things that only God can change. It takes all 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:09.720 the pressure off to say God, I'm turning it over 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:12.960 to you. I'm gonna quit trying to force it, not 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:15.959 gonna take matters into my own hands. God, I trust 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:19.400 you with my life. A friend of mine raised his 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:23.400 family in church, and they're great people, faithful and loving. 0:19:24.080 --> 0:19:27.399 Their children were involved in the kids programs where they lived, 0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:31.120 and they went to the camps and volunteered in their teams. 0:19:31.680 --> 0:19:35.320 These parents did everything right, looked like a model family. 0:19:36.040 --> 0:19:38.840 But in college, the son got involved with the wrong 0:19:38.920 --> 0:19:43.320 people and started making bad decisions. He ended up dropping 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:47.520 out on drugs, getting into all kinds of trouble. He 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:50.200 got to the point where he'd barely even see his family. 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:54.160 This friend of mine, like any parent, was doing everything 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:56.840 he could to try to convince his son to get 0:19:56.880 --> 0:19:59.920 back on track, and he had had so many heeded 0:20:00.320 --> 0:20:03.359 conversations where he had let him have it and try 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:06.920 to get through his stubbornness. But he realized the more 0:20:06.960 --> 0:20:09.919 he did that, the worse at God he was trying 0:20:09.920 --> 0:20:13.520 to help. He had good intentions, but he was damaging 0:20:13.560 --> 0:20:17.960 the relationship further. He finally did what this farmer had 0:20:18.000 --> 0:20:20.800 to do. He said, God, I'm gonna leave it alone. 0:20:21.440 --> 0:20:25.240 I can't change him. Only you can. He and his wife. 0:20:25.240 --> 0:20:29.720 They kept praying, believing, declaring God's promises, but they quit 0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:32.560 trying to force him to change and make him do 0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:36.240 what's right. As a parent, he kind of felt like 0:20:36.280 --> 0:20:39.040 he had failed. He tried to be a good example, 0:20:39.680 --> 0:20:43.040 tried to guide and teach his son. He never dreamed 0:20:43.080 --> 0:20:46.359 it would turn out like this. But sometimes the enemy 0:20:46.480 --> 0:20:49.359 comes in at night and sow's a weed. There are 0:20:49.400 --> 0:20:52.439 things that don't make sense, that are not fair. The 0:20:52.480 --> 0:20:55.760 good news is that's not how your story ends. The 0:20:55.960 --> 0:20:59.800 enemy doesn't have the final say. He made sow some seed, 0:21:00.800 --> 0:21:04.199 but that does not stop your harvest. There is a 0:21:04.280 --> 0:21:07.040 day coming when those weeds are going to be pulled. 0:21:07.720 --> 0:21:10.760 God is faithful, He sees you doing the right thing. 0:21:11.320 --> 0:21:14.959 Years went by and they didn't see anything improving. Nothing 0:21:15.040 --> 0:21:18.000 was getting any better, but they just kept loving their sons, 0:21:18.600 --> 0:21:21.760 encouraging him. They sent him to rehab again and again. 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:25.560 Not long ago, he was watching her service on television. 0:21:25.840 --> 0:21:28.520 He called his father and said, Dad, I just prayed 0:21:28.520 --> 0:21:31.080 that prayer with Joel at the end of the program. 0:21:31.280 --> 0:21:35.400 I'm turning my life back over to God. These parents 0:21:35.720 --> 0:21:39.640 never saw it coming. We all have these times where 0:21:39.680 --> 0:21:43.000 we find weeds, things popping up that we didn't sew 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:46.720 we were being our best, doing the right thing, and 0:21:46.760 --> 0:21:51.479 how there's opposition, conflict at work, situation in our health, 0:21:51.640 --> 0:21:55.320 set back in our finances. It's easy to get frustrated. 0:21:55.720 --> 0:21:58.760 Try to straighten people out, try to force the door 0:21:58.760 --> 0:22:02.920 to open, defend ourself against what was said. That's when 0:22:02.960 --> 0:22:06.439 you have to hold your peace, remain at rest, and 0:22:06.520 --> 0:22:10.959 let God fight that battle. Sometimes the best strategy is 0:22:11.000 --> 0:22:14.760 to do nothing, leave it alone. It can also be 0:22:14.840 --> 0:22:18.640 the hardest strategy. We want to fix things, we want 0:22:18.640 --> 0:22:21.960 to vindicate ourselves, We want to push that door open, 0:22:22.600 --> 0:22:25.520 but you have to stand still to see the salvation 0:22:25.680 --> 0:22:28.880 of the Lord. If you'll not take matters into your 0:22:28.880 --> 0:22:31.800 own hands, you'll see God do things that you could 0:22:31.840 --> 0:22:35.480 never do. A couple of years after I started ministering, 0:22:35.880 --> 0:22:38.800 the church began to grow and more and more people 0:22:38.840 --> 0:22:41.840 were watching on television, and I was amazed at what 0:22:41.960 --> 0:22:44.840 all was happening. I'd been behind the scenes all those 0:22:44.920 --> 0:22:46.960 years and I didn't even know this was in me. 0:22:47.720 --> 0:22:51.960 But with greater influence came more opposition. There were several 0:22:52.359 --> 0:22:56.359 very well known people with large followings that didn't like 0:22:56.440 --> 0:22:59.040 my message of hope and They came out against me 0:22:59.240 --> 0:23:03.960 very strongly, wrote articles and talked about me at their meetings, 0:23:03.960 --> 0:23:07.560 and much of what they were saying wasn't accurate. Human 0:23:07.640 --> 0:23:09.480 nature is. You want to get in there and set 0:23:09.520 --> 0:23:12.119 the record straight. I thought, let me tell you who 0:23:12.200 --> 0:23:15.560 I am. I'm not gonna let you mischaracterize me. But 0:23:15.720 --> 0:23:18.840 deep down I could hear a still small voice saying, 0:23:18.880 --> 0:23:22.840 no joy, leave it alone. They don't control your destiny. 0:23:22.960 --> 0:23:26.159 They're just a weed. But the enemy would love to 0:23:26.160 --> 0:23:30.840 get us distracted fighting battles that don't matter. You don't 0:23:30.840 --> 0:23:34.320 have time to waste responding to people that are never 0:23:34.359 --> 0:23:37.560 going to be for you. Some people are determined to 0:23:37.640 --> 0:23:41.200 misunderstand you. They don't like the favor on your life. 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:44.200 They don't like the fact that you're happy, that you're blessed, 0:23:44.359 --> 0:23:48.879 you're successful. Don't spend your valuable time dealing with a weed. 0:23:49.800 --> 0:23:52.600 The enemy wouldn't have sown the weed if he didn't 0:23:52.600 --> 0:23:56.199 know you were a world changer, a history maker, a 0:23:56.320 --> 0:24:00.880 giant killer. Ignore the weeds, don't read the comment, don't 0:24:00.960 --> 0:24:03.960 dwell on what they said. If I had not done 0:24:04.000 --> 0:24:06.520 what I'm asking you to do and leave it alone, 0:24:06.960 --> 0:24:09.480 I wouldn't be up here today. If I'd have tried 0:24:09.520 --> 0:24:13.440 to straighten everyone out, convince every critic to change their mind, 0:24:13.880 --> 0:24:16.480 make them like me, I wouldn't have had the energy, 0:24:17.080 --> 0:24:20.800 the creativity, the anointing to do what God's called me 0:24:20.840 --> 0:24:25.760 to do. It's interesting now years later, those that were 0:24:25.840 --> 0:24:29.120 so vocal against me and had such a big platform, 0:24:29.640 --> 0:24:33.960 they're no longer around. They had issues and made choices 0:24:34.000 --> 0:24:37.000 that have caused things to fall apart. It's too bad, 0:24:37.480 --> 0:24:42.040 sort of. But my point is. My point is you're 0:24:42.040 --> 0:24:45.560 not supposed to fight every battle. You won't reach your 0:24:45.600 --> 0:24:49.760 destiny dealing with all the weeds. When the enemy comes 0:24:49.760 --> 0:24:52.679 in at night and sows weed in your good soil. 0:24:52.960 --> 0:24:57.080 Things in arn't fair. You don't understand, don't panic, don't 0:24:57.080 --> 0:25:00.760 get upset. Let God deal with the weeds. Life is 0:25:00.800 --> 0:25:05.399 too short, your time too valuable, your assignment too important 0:25:05.640 --> 0:25:09.000 to spend it on things that don't matter. Are there 0:25:09.040 --> 0:25:12.760 some things today that you know you need to leave alone? 0:25:12.800 --> 0:25:17.480 You're striving, trying to force it, living stress, nothing's changing. 0:25:17.920 --> 0:25:19.919 Why don't you come back to a place of peace. 0:25:20.560 --> 0:25:24.320 You have to give yourself permission to rest. This takes 0:25:24.359 --> 0:25:27.680 all the pressure off that urgency that makes you feel 0:25:27.720 --> 0:25:30.280 like it's up to you to keep the world rotating, 0:25:30.720 --> 0:25:35.440 making everything happen. God's in control. You keep honoring him, 0:25:35.720 --> 0:25:38.960 being your best, and God will take care of your weeds. 0:25:39.160 --> 0:25:42.240 He'll bring the right people, He'll open the right doors. 0:25:42.440 --> 0:25:45.440 He'll turn your child around. He hasn't brought you this 0:25:45.640 --> 0:25:49.920 far to leave you. Those weeds are not stopping your harvest. 0:25:50.040 --> 0:25:53.880 They're a distraction to try to steal your peace. Get 0:25:53.920 --> 0:25:57.879 your live all worked up, frustrated, bitter, Try a new strategy. 0:25:58.280 --> 0:26:01.479 Leave it alone. You can go out of here today 0:26:01.920 --> 0:26:04.879 a lot freer with that load lifted off of you. 0:26:05.359 --> 0:26:09.160 Knowing that pulling weeds is not your job. Making everything 0:26:09.200 --> 0:26:12.439 work out is not your assignment. You don't have to 0:26:12.560 --> 0:26:16.280 force the favor. When your harvest is ready, all the 0:26:16.320 --> 0:26:19.840 forces of darkness cannot stop what God has for you. 0:26:20.359 --> 0:26:23.919 The reason it's taken longer is because your harvest is 0:26:23.960 --> 0:26:27.280 bigger than you think. What God has for you is 0:26:27.320 --> 0:26:31.000 going to supersede what you have in mind. The question 0:26:31.280 --> 0:26:34.560 is will you trust Him while you're waiting? Will you 0:26:34.640 --> 0:26:37.680 be still and let him fight your battles? If you'll 0:26:37.720 --> 0:26:41.920 leave it alone, I believe and declare like with the Israelites. 0:26:42.359 --> 0:26:47.160 God is going to deliver you from powerful enemies, sickness, addictions, 0:26:47.240 --> 0:26:51.280 debt people. He's about to turn your child around, break 0:26:51.359 --> 0:26:54.959 strongholds that have held your family back. Freedom is coming, 0:26:55.119 --> 0:26:59.400 Wholeness is coming, Abundance is coming, the fullness of your 0:26:59.440 --> 0:27:03.560 destiny in Jesus' name, And if you receive it, can 0:27:03.600 --> 0:27:08.680 you say amen? I'd like to give you an opportunity 0:27:08.760 --> 0:27:11.679 to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you 0:27:11.720 --> 0:27:15.639 pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of 0:27:15.680 --> 0:27:19.399 my sins, Come into my heart. I make you my 0:27:19.520 --> 0:27:22.879 Lord and Savior. If you've prayed that simple prayer, we 0:27:22.960 --> 0:27:25.600 believe you got born again. We'd love to send you 0:27:25.760 --> 0:27:28.679 some information on your new walk with the Lord. You 0:27:28.720 --> 0:27:30.720 can text the number on the screen or go to 0:27:30.800 --> 0:27:33.400 the website. But I hope you'll get into a good 0:27:33.520 --> 0:27:38.080 Bible based church and keep God first place. Thanks so 0:27:38.160 --> 0:27:41.520 much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe 0:27:41.680 --> 0:27:44.399 so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you 0:27:44.480 --> 0:27:47.280 encouraged and inspired all through the week. Help us to 0:27:47.320 --> 0:27:49.680 continue to share the message of hope with those all 0:27:49.720 --> 0:27:53.040 around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com or click the 0:27:53.119 --> 0:27:56.159 link in the description to partner with us today. We 0:27:56.240 --> 0:27:58.679 hope you'll share this message with a friend and be 0:27:58.760 --> 0:28:01.840 sure to follow us on social media. We're praying for you. 0:28:02.119 --> 0:28:04.879 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:28:04.960 --> 0:28:05.440 next time. 0:28:07.560 --> 0:28:10.280 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:28:10.359 --> 0:28:12.400 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:28:12.400 --> 0:28:15.119 in taxes? 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