Rivers in the Desert

0:00:00.920 --> 0:00:02.600 Victorian, and I believe in you're going to have a 0:00:02.640 --> 0:00:06.200 blessed summer. Praying for you guys every day, and thanks 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:09.000 for being with us today. Hey, I'm excited. Victoria's got 0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:11.280 a new book out. It's called Grace to Go, and 0:00:11.400 --> 0:00:14.480 I know it's going to bless you. I'm excited because 0:00:14.480 --> 0:00:17.640 in this book you will see how you are strengthened, 0:00:17.960 --> 0:00:21.040 that you are prepared and you are ready for anything 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:23.919 that's in front of you. You are grace to go. 0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:28.240 Enjoy today's message. God bless you. It's great to be 0:00:28.360 --> 0:00:30.920 with you today. And I hope you'll stay connected with 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:34.440 us during the week through our daily podcast, YouTube channel, 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:37.440 social media, and you can come visit us in person. 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:39.440 We'd love to have you be a part of one 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:42.320 of our services. Not let's just talk with something funny. 0:00:42.320 --> 0:00:44.800 And I heard about this pastor that was in the 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:48.000 lobby after the service greeting people and he saw a 0:00:48.000 --> 0:00:50.240 man that he hadn't seen in a long long time, 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:53.360 pulled him aside and said, sir, you need to join 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:55.960 the Army of the Lord. Man said, what are you 0:00:56.040 --> 0:00:58.640 talking about. I'm in the Army of the Lord. The 0:00:58.680 --> 0:01:01.240 pastor said, well, how come I see you on Christmas. 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:04.960 In Easter, the men whispered back, I'm in the secret Service, 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:09.920 say like you mean it. This is my Bible. I 0:01:09.959 --> 0:01:12.399 am what it says. I am. I have what it 0:01:12.440 --> 0:01:15.080 says I have. I can do what it says I 0:01:15.120 --> 0:01:18.319 can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:23.080 I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:01:23.440 --> 0:01:27.120 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:30.880 bless you who want to talk to you today about 0:01:31.040 --> 0:01:35.039 rivers in the desert. We all go through dry seasons 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:38.680 and times we don't see any growth, and our relationships 0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:42.560 feel stagnant. Our health is not improving. We're doing the 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:45.640 right thing, but it's like we're in a famine, a 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:49.800 bearing place. It's easy to get tired and lose our passion. 0:01:50.440 --> 0:01:53.080 And this is the way the Israelites felt. They had 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:56.880 been exiled to Babylon for seventy years. They're forced to 0:01:56.960 --> 0:02:00.480 leave Jerusalem. Now God brought them out and they were 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:03.840 headed back home. But in the desert there was no water. 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:07.680 Even though they were free, they were in this desolate 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:11.040 place parts it would take weeks to make it home. 0:02:11.440 --> 0:02:14.600 Look like this was the end. But God said in 0:02:14.680 --> 0:02:19.000 Isaiah forty one. When the needy search for water and 0:02:19.080 --> 0:02:23.040 there is none, and their tongues are parts with thirst, 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:26.800 I the Lord God will answer them. I will not 0:02:26.960 --> 0:02:31.240 forsake them. When you're in a dry season, you're searching 0:02:31.320 --> 0:02:34.600 for water but there is none. You believing for your 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:38.919 healing but not getting better, hoping to accomplish a dream, 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:42.560 but doors keep closing. Praying to meet the right person, 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:46.760 but you're still lonely. When you're thirsty, you can't seem 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:50.000 to quench it. God makes this promise. I will not 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:54.400 forsake you. I see what's happening, and I will answer you. 0:02:55.360 --> 0:02:58.720 He knows what you're going through. Those times you feel 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:02.640 left out, going the extra mile but not getting the credit. 0:03:03.320 --> 0:03:06.240 You see doors opening for others, but you're still struggling. 0:03:06.919 --> 0:03:10.480 God sees that baron place, and he's coming to do 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:14.520 something about it. When you can't find water, you're on 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:19.680 God's mind. That desert, that barren season is not permanent. 0:03:20.400 --> 0:03:24.440 Thought will whisper. You'll always be lonely, always be addicted, 0:03:24.919 --> 0:03:29.720 always not have enough. No water is coming, healing is coming, 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:34.240 freedom is coming, the spouse is coming, Victory is coming. 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:38.040 Here's the beauty. God doesn't have to bring you out 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:40.800 of the desert to bless you. He doesn't have to 0:03:40.840 --> 0:03:44.800 take you to another location, change your job, give you 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:48.280 a different medical team. No, he can bless you in 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:51.960 the desert. He went on to say, I will open 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:56.200 rivers in the desolate heights. I will make fountains in 0:03:56.240 --> 0:04:00.960 the valleys the wilderness, pools of water and streams in 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:04.360 the barren places. But Joe, I'm in the desert, man. 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:07.560 That's why I'm discouraged. God makes rivers in the desert. 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:11.520 You're right where God works. There's a river coming, a 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:15.000 flow of his favor is on the way. Well, I'm 0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:19.440 stuck in this valley. It's low place, overlooked, left out. 0:04:20.040 --> 0:04:23.360 God makes fountains in the valleys. He's about to cause 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:27.440 something to suddenly spring up, a good break. Your child 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:31.039 turns around, your health improves. I feel like I'm in 0:04:31.080 --> 0:04:35.760 the wilderness, lost, no direction, kind of tired, feel overwhelmed. 0:04:36.279 --> 0:04:40.280 God sees you. He knows the struggles. He said, I'm 0:04:40.320 --> 0:04:44.840 gonna make pools in the wilderness. Refreshing is coming, an 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:51.040 anointing of ease, doors opening, clear direction, supernatural strength, so 0:04:51.120 --> 0:04:54.159 you can step into your purpose. But Joel I'm in 0:04:54.200 --> 0:04:58.200 a barren place, no fruit, no productivity. They say I 0:04:58.240 --> 0:05:00.719 can't have a baby. I can't ain't give birth to 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:04.919 my dreams. Being barren is not how your story ends. 0:05:05.279 --> 0:05:09.080 God makes streams in the barren places. God is going 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:14.680 to bring opportunity, resources, healing. So even in the barren places, 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:18.240 you'll be blessed. Even though experts say you're barren, you 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:21.520 can't have that baby. It doesn't come from people. It 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:26.400 comes from God. He's gonna take what looks desolate, dry, 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:30.599 no growth, and cause it to bloom, to blossom, from 0:05:30.680 --> 0:05:34.640 barren to bountiful. Look at the words God uses when 0:05:34.640 --> 0:05:43.120 we're in dry seasons, when we're thirsty, we can't find water, rivers, fountains, pools, streams. 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:47.240 What's significant is none of these things are found typically 0:05:47.240 --> 0:05:52.839 in a desert. Rivers and deserts don't go together. Fountains, springs, pools, 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:56.640 you don't expect them there. God is saying, when you're 0:05:56.680 --> 0:05:59.960 in the desert, I'm going to bring you unexpected blad. 0:06:00.960 --> 0:06:05.320 You're going to see fountains in the desert. Fountains means 0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:08.839 a new source springing up. You didn't see it coming. 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:12.640 The medical report was the same month after month, the 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:16.080 treatment didn't seem to be helping. Then God created a 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:19.760 fountain in the valley. Good health sprung off. Suddenly, there 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:24.040 was no explanation, nothing you did change. You were in 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:27.640 that dry place, just being your best, trusting God was 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:30.880 in control, and he gave you water in the desert, 0:06:31.040 --> 0:06:35.800 a fountain of healing. Maybe in your business things were stagnant. 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:39.080 You got passed over for the contract and turned down 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:42.520 for the promotion, and no thoughts tell you, too old man, 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:45.400 it's too late, too many people in front of you. 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:49.080 In one sense, that was all true. There was no water, 0:06:49.760 --> 0:06:53.720 no good options. Then out of nowhere, a fountain sprung up, 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:58.279 a good break, a phone call, a contract. Now you're 0:06:58.360 --> 0:07:01.560 flourishing in the desert. You have an abundance in what 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:04.839 used to be a barren place. God knows how to 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:08.279 quench your thirst. He knows how to bring water to 0:07:08.440 --> 0:07:13.440 difficult places where it's not likely, not natural. You don't 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:15.720 go to the desert and say, man, let's go see 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.680 the fountains out there, Let's go hang out in the pool, 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:22.960 let's go swim in the streams. Water and deserts are opposite. 0:07:23.600 --> 0:07:28.360 The desert is hot, dry, bearing but God does things 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:32.200 out of the ordinary. He's not limited to the natural. 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:36.200 When you're in the desert, God says, because you're my child, 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:39.840 because you've called on my name, I'm not gonna leave 0:07:39.880 --> 0:07:42.560 you in a dry price. I'm gonna make rivers in 0:07:42.600 --> 0:07:45.960 your desert. I'm gonna create streams in your barren place. 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:49.960 I'm gonna make pools in your wilderness where you should 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:54.120 dry up, you should be overcome. God is saying, I'm 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:58.520 gonna cause you to flourish, to prosper, to excel despite 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:01.960 what comes against you. You may be in a desert 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:06.240 today and looks like it's never gonna change, bearing and lonely. 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:10.080 A child is weighing you down, or business seems stuck. 0:08:10.760 --> 0:08:14.640 God has heard your crime, He sees what you're going through, 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:18.080 and he will not forsake you. It's dry now, but 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:24.120 get ready. Water is coming, rivers, streams, fountains, pools, Not 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:27.600 a little trickle, not a few drops here and there, 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:31.560 but a flood of God's goodness. Rivers in the desert, 0:08:32.120 --> 0:08:37.960 not one, but multiple fountains in the valley. Good breaks 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:41.520 springing up, came out of nowhere. A fountain is a 0:08:41.559 --> 0:08:45.360 new source of blessings, something that wasn't there before, a 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:50.559 new relationship, new position, a new baby, a new standard 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:54.080 for your family. How did this happen? You should have 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:58.360 been stuff limited bearing, But God stepped in and made 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:01.800 rivers in the desert. That's what God did for Moses. 0:09:01.840 --> 0:09:05.760 You remember he brought water out of a rock. God 0:09:05.880 --> 0:09:08.240 knows how to provide for you. When you're in a 0:09:08.360 --> 0:09:12.480 dry season, you're searching for water but you can't find anything. 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:17.240 You're parted, you're thirsty, You'll be tempted to get discouraged. 0:09:17.960 --> 0:09:20.679 I don't think I'll get out of this difficulty so 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:23.400 much for my dream. No doors are opening. I don't 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:25.720 think this problem will ever turn around in my health. 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:29.200 Don't believe those lies. When you're in a dry season. 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:33.800 Keep looking for water, keep declaring God's promises, keep thanking 0:09:33.880 --> 0:09:37.800 him that it's changing, keep expecting fountains to spring out. 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:42.200 See the scripture says these people were searching for water 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:48.679 but finding none. There's a difference when you're searching, believing, trusting, 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:53.960 but nothing's happening. Verse your negative and passive, and it's 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:57.800 not gonna work out. And I'm too late. It's too barren. 0:09:57.920 --> 0:10:01.960 Everything about my environment is dead. The scripture says, those 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:06.640 who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled. There 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:11.640 needs to be a thirst, a faith, an expectancy that says, 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:15.960 this desert is not where my story ends. Yes, it's hot, 0:10:16.400 --> 0:10:20.280 it's dry. I don't see anything improving. But God, I 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:23.880 know you have water coming. You make rivers in the desert, 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:28.240 You make fountains in the valleys. Let faith rise up, 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:32.560 and you'll see God do unusual things, things you can't explain. 0:10:33.600 --> 0:10:36.360 How can you have a fountain in the desert. How 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.760 can there be streams in barren places? How could you 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:42.360 have that baby when the expert said you were barren. 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:45.840 How could my mother still be alive when she was 0:10:45.880 --> 0:10:49.840 told she had terminal cancer forty four years ago. How 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:54.080 could my father impact so many people when he was 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:57.760 the least of these. He came from poverty, He had 0:10:57.840 --> 0:11:02.080 no education to speak of, no training, no one to 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:06.160 encourage him. Yet at seventeen years old, he gave his 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:09.440 life to Christ, the first one in our family. What 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:14.120 happened in that barren place? A fountain sprung up, something 0:11:14.280 --> 0:11:18.520 uncommon out of the ordinarian Daddy went on to minister 0:11:18.640 --> 0:11:21.440 to people all over the world, started Lakewood with my 0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:24.920 mother passed it here almost forty years. What am I saying? 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:30.400 God specializes in bringing water to unusual places, things that 0:11:30.480 --> 0:11:33.480 you didn't see coming. I met a man in the 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:36.240 lobby a while back. He was in town to go 0:11:36.320 --> 0:11:39.200 to the medical center for treatment. He had cancer of 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:42.480 the vocal cords, and the doctors had treated him for 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:45.960 some time, trying to save his voice yet take care 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:49.880 of the cancer, and unfortunately they weren't successful, and they 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:52.640 were going to have to remove his vocal cords. Wouldn't 0:11:52.640 --> 0:11:55.560 be able to speak anymore. This has been a five 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:59.520 year battling. He'd prayed and stood in faith, but it 0:11:59.600 --> 0:12:02.640 hadn't out the way he had hoped. He was in 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:07.120 a desert season, a barn place, about to lose his voice. 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:11.000 But God says, when you're thirsty, when you're searching for 0:12:11.080 --> 0:12:14.480 water but you can't find it, I will not forsake you. 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:18.839 I hear your cries and I will answer you. God 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:22.040 is with you in the barren places. He's with you 0:12:22.120 --> 0:12:25.440 in the lonely nights and the hospital room, the times 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:28.080 you don't see how you can go on. And this man, 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:31.559 he had a good attitude and the natural he was disappointed, 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:34.679 but he still believed that God was in control, and 0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:38.520 we prayed that the surgery would go well there wouldn't 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:42.320 be any complications. Three weeks later, he came up to 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:44.760 me after the service and said, Joel, how are you? 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:48.160 I said, I'm doing great, but what happened? You didn't 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:50.960 have the surgery. He smiled real big and he said, yes, 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:54.160 I did have it, but I can still talk. The 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:59.200 doctors were baffled. They couldn't explain it. They removed ninety 0:12:59.240 --> 0:13:03.000 percent of his vocal cords. His main doctor said, in 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:06.640 his thirty years of practice, he'd never seen or heard 0:13:07.000 --> 0:13:09.800 of this ever happening. He wrote on his chart, there 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:13.559 is no medical explanation as so why you can speak. 0:13:14.559 --> 0:13:19.439 God knows how to make rivers in the desert, fountains 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:24.200 springing up in the valley, unexpected blessings, healing. You can't 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:29.320 explain promotion you didn't see coming. Your child suddenly turns around, 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:33.280 spreams in the barren places. You may be in a 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:37.719 dry place now. Your health, your finance is a relationship. 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:42.800 You're searching for water, doing what you can, but finding none. 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:45.599 I know thoughts whisper, Hey, this hou's always going to 0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:50.920 be for you, lonely, addicted, turmoil in your marriage. God 0:13:51.040 --> 0:13:53.600 is saying to you what he said to the Israelites. 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:57.280 I'm about to make rivers in your desert, pools in 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:01.439 that wilderness, a fountain in your valley. You're gonna go 0:14:01.559 --> 0:14:08.120 from dry, thirsty parts to blessed, promoted, healed, restored in 0:14:08.200 --> 0:14:11.000 those barren places. You need to keep these words down 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:20.000 in your spirit. Rivers, fountains, streams, pools. These indicate refreshing, favor, 0:14:20.720 --> 0:14:25.840 new opportunities, lack turn too abundance, struggle turned to ease, 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:31.280 addicted turn to freedom, lonely to great relationships, not enough 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:35.240 to more than enough. Now instead of having a desert mentality, 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:39.480 a bearing mindset, I'll never get out of this famine. 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:43.080 I'll always be thirsty. Turn it around, Lord, I know 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:46.400 you make rivers in the desert. I may be in 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:49.240 a valley, But Lord, I thank you that a fountain 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:52.120 is about to spring up, something that I didn't see coming. 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:57.400 Streams in my barren places. See Verse nineteen says God 0:14:57.440 --> 0:15:01.680 will open rivers in the desolate heights. One translation says 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:05.080 in the high places. The higher you go up a mountain, 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:09.520 the more desolate it is less greenery, less vegetation. We 0:15:09.560 --> 0:15:12.880 all know a river doesn't flow up a mountain, a 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:16.520 river flows down. But God is saying, I'm going to 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:20.080 bring rivers to the desolate heights. I'm going to cause 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:25.040 water to flow to unexpected places. Water flowing up when 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:28.200 it should go down. It's going to defy the odds. 0:15:28.640 --> 0:15:33.040 Water flowing to areas that don't make sense. See, sometimes 0:15:33.120 --> 0:15:38.760 we're doing good. God's blessed you health, family, success. You're 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:42.600 in that high place, but in some area there can 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:47.040 be bearing this a dry season. I talked to a 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:50.920 very well known person last week and called from another city, 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:53.760 and seems like he's on top of the world, but 0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:56.760 he has a child that's estranged and won't talk to him. 0:15:57.160 --> 0:16:01.160 It's breaking his heart. We've all seen God's blessing in 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:05.200 certain areas and we're grateful for what he's done. But 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:08.160 just because you're in a high place, does it mean 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:11.320 you're not going to have some desolate areas areas we 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:15.280 need favor, we need breakthrough. We can't do it on 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:18.880 our own. We've used our talent, our influence, our connections, 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:23.000 but this famine won't go away. Don't worry. God is 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:26.280 going to have water flow up to you. He makes 0:16:26.400 --> 0:16:29.520 fountains in the valley, but when you're on the mountain, 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:33.640 he'll send water up the hill. Water you can't explain 0:16:33.880 --> 0:16:38.280 coming up that mountain. God knows how to quench your thirst. 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:42.280 He knows how to turn your child around, how to 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:44.960 cause you to talk without all of your vocal cords, 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:47.960 how to promote you when you weren't next in line, 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:50.920 how to take you from the shepherd's fields with only 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:54.720 a slingshot and put you in the palace. You may 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:58.479 have been in that dry place a long time, praying, believing, 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:02.200 doing the right thing. I encourage you. Water is about 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:05.680 to flow to you. It's going to be unexpected, out 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:09.639 of the ordinary. You can't explain it. Water flowing up 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:14.879 the hill. Isaiah said, God will open rivers in the 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:18.040 desolate heights. It's like when you open a door to 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:21.480 let something out. This implies that what God has for 0:17:21.560 --> 0:17:25.040 you is already in place. He's about to open a 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:29.920 door and release the river with your blessings, your healing, 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:35.159 your freedom. Palm says God has blessings stored up for 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:39.480 the righteous. There are blessings that already have your name 0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:44.119 on them. The healing, the baby, the business, the ministry, 0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:48.439 the freedom, the spouse. When God opens the door and 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:53.199 releases those blessings, that river will flow upstream if it 0:17:53.280 --> 0:17:57.240 has to, that fountain will suddenly spring up. You didn't 0:17:57.240 --> 0:18:00.880 see it coming. That's a stored up blessing. God has 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:04.159 to quench your thirst to cause you to flourish in 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:08.320 the famine, to blossom in the barren season, to prosper 0:18:08.600 --> 0:18:12.120 in the wilderness. I don't believe the thoughts that, hey, 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:16.480 the drought is permanent, Water is coming, pools are coming, 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:20.359 fountains about to spring up, rivers flowing up a mountain. 0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:23.440 God doesn't have to bring you out of that desert. 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:26.399 He's going to bring you water in the desert. Something 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:29.400 that doesn't make sense where you know, it's the hand 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:33.480 of God doing what only he can do. That's what happened. 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:36.560 Second Kings, Chapter three. The people of Judah had been 0:18:36.600 --> 0:18:40.200 traveling through the wilderness for seven days on their way 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.600 to battle an enemy army. When they ran out of water. 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:47.840 They took a longer route than expected, and now nothing 0:18:47.880 --> 0:18:51.159 to drink for them or their animals. Verse ten. One 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:53.320 of the leaders said, what are we going to do? 0:18:54.160 --> 0:18:56.520 Has God brought us out here to let the enemy 0:18:56.600 --> 0:19:00.800 defeat us. They were discouraged, thinking we're in the desert. 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:06.040 We miscalculated, didn't bring enough water. Now we're stuffed. King 0:19:06.160 --> 0:19:09.840 Jehasifat called for the prophet Elishah said, we're going to 0:19:09.880 --> 0:19:13.560 see what the Lord says when you're in a desert place. 0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:17.160 Don't do like that one leader and complain talk about 0:19:17.200 --> 0:19:19.960 how bad it is. God, why did this happen? Do 0:19:20.160 --> 0:19:23.760 like Jehasifat, go to God and ask him to help you. 0:19:24.880 --> 0:19:28.640 Elisha said in verse sixteen, this is what the Lord says. 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:32.959 You will see neither wind nor rain, but this valley 0:19:33.119 --> 0:19:36.720 will be filled with water. You can imagine what they thought. 0:19:37.000 --> 0:19:40.080 Come on, Elisha, you're telling us we're gonna have all 0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:44.800 this water without any rain. That doesn't make sense. Where's 0:19:44.840 --> 0:19:48.800 it gonna come from. Where's the source? God is the source. 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:52.879 He controls the universe. He may not do it a 0:19:52.920 --> 0:19:57.399 traditional way what you were expecting, what you've seen in 0:19:57.440 --> 0:20:00.960 the past. God knows how to bring water without rain. 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:04.320 He can make a river flow up a mountain. He 0:20:04.320 --> 0:20:07.479 healed my mother without medicine. There was no treatment at 0:20:07.480 --> 0:20:10.280 the time. He put me up here without the training 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:15.120 without the experience, that's water. Without rain, you can't calculate 0:20:15.320 --> 0:20:18.639 how God's going to do it. His ways are not 0:20:18.760 --> 0:20:21.479 our ways. They are higher and better than our ways. 0:20:22.240 --> 0:20:25.159 The next morning, the men woke up, looked off in 0:20:25.240 --> 0:20:29.200 the distance, and they see all this water coming into 0:20:29.240 --> 0:20:33.440 the valley. Didn't rain, There wasn't a big heat wave 0:20:33.560 --> 0:20:36.280 to melt the snow. This was the hand of God 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:40.159 making streams in the desert. Not only that, when the 0:20:40.320 --> 0:20:43.760 enemy army came to attack the people of Judah, they 0:20:43.800 --> 0:20:46.920 saw the water with the sun hitting it. They thought 0:20:46.960 --> 0:20:50.080 it was blood that the people had already been defeated, 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:53.920 so they rushed in to gather the spoils had their 0:20:53.960 --> 0:20:57.960 guard down. Much to their surprise, Jehosaphat and his men 0:20:58.200 --> 0:21:02.080 were standing there, strong and ready to go. They easily 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:05.200 defeated the enemy and went on to fulfill their purpose. 0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:09.200 Now you may be like Jehosaphat in a dry valley. 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:13.000 Things didn't turn out the way you thought. You had 0:21:13.080 --> 0:21:16.600 good intentions, but doing the right thing, there's no water 0:21:16.720 --> 0:21:19.960 in that valley. You don't have the resources. You didn't 0:21:20.000 --> 0:21:23.040 get that scholarship. The experts say you can't have a 0:21:23.080 --> 0:21:26.399 baby when you're in a barren season. You have to 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:30.280 remind yourself that God has ways to bring water that 0:21:30.359 --> 0:21:34.399 you can't see. He can make a fountain suddenly spring up. 0:21:34.960 --> 0:21:38.239 He can cause water to flow to your valley with 0:21:38.359 --> 0:21:42.479 no rain, no sign of it, no clouds, no storm 0:21:42.480 --> 0:21:45.760 will joy man. I'm discouraged because I don't see anything happening. 0:21:46.359 --> 0:21:50.000 That doesn't mean that God is not working. He's heard 0:21:50.040 --> 0:21:53.440 your cry and he's promised He's not going to leave 0:21:53.480 --> 0:21:56.879 you thirsty. If he has to, he'll cause water to 0:21:56.960 --> 0:22:01.760 flow up the mountain and unexpected blessing, good breaks. You 0:22:01.840 --> 0:22:05.359 didn't see coming, the right people knocking on your door. 0:22:05.600 --> 0:22:07.960 You didn't have to go to them, the water flowed 0:22:08.000 --> 0:22:11.560 to you. I know this couple that own a scrap 0:22:11.680 --> 0:22:16.280 metal business, and they're very generous and always supporting the ministry. 0:22:16.920 --> 0:22:20.159 They had a desire to build an orphanage overseas, but 0:22:20.800 --> 0:22:23.520 is going to cost way more than they had and 0:22:23.560 --> 0:22:26.159 even though it was over their head, they dared to 0:22:26.200 --> 0:22:29.800 pray bold prayers and ask God to help them, and 0:22:29.880 --> 0:22:32.160 they were blessed in many ways. God had been good 0:22:32.160 --> 0:22:35.000 to them. But when it came to this dream, they 0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:38.600 were in a barren place. They didn't have the funds. 0:22:38.880 --> 0:22:41.680 Logically speaking, they would never have enough. Even if their 0:22:41.840 --> 0:22:44.439 business had a banner year, it would still not be 0:22:44.520 --> 0:22:47.679 what they needed. But God is not limited by what 0:22:47.800 --> 0:22:52.480 you don't have. He's supernatural. He brings water without rain. 0:22:53.040 --> 0:22:55.439 He caused a man to talk without most of his 0:22:55.560 --> 0:22:58.800 vocal cores. Don't put God in a box, or you 0:22:58.800 --> 0:23:01.600 could talk to yourself out of but a better attitude 0:23:01.720 --> 0:23:04.199 is God. I don't see a way, but I know 0:23:04.320 --> 0:23:07.680 you have a way. You make rivers in the desert. 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:11.560 And one day this man bought a huge supply of old, 0:23:11.800 --> 0:23:17.080 discarded batteries. It's hundreds of truckloads car batteries, motorcycle batteries, 0:23:17.080 --> 0:23:20.400 and they were piled up several stories high a football 0:23:20.440 --> 0:23:23.639 field long. One night, he had a dream and he 0:23:23.680 --> 0:23:27.800 saw this certain battery, very distinct looking. When he woke up, 0:23:27.840 --> 0:23:31.479 something said to him, there's treasure in that battery. He 0:23:31.560 --> 0:23:33.840 was intrigued by it, and he and his son went 0:23:33.880 --> 0:23:36.879 out and started digging through the batteries, and much to 0:23:36.920 --> 0:23:39.960 his surprise, he found that same battery that he saw 0:23:39.960 --> 0:23:43.200 on his dream. He took it to a local expert 0:23:43.240 --> 0:23:46.479 and asked him to examine it and He said, it's nothing, 0:23:47.040 --> 0:23:50.560 just an old World War II motorcycle battery. It's probably 0:23:50.600 --> 0:23:54.200 worth two cents. The man wasn't convinced. He asked him 0:23:54.240 --> 0:23:57.359 to open it up and look inside. When he did, 0:23:57.680 --> 0:24:01.040 he found that it wasn't made of lead, but of silver. 0:24:01.920 --> 0:24:05.200 These were batteries that the Germans tested to see if 0:24:05.200 --> 0:24:08.919 the silver would withstand the cold better than lead. The 0:24:09.000 --> 0:24:12.199 expert said, I was wrong. This isn't worth a couple cents. 0:24:12.359 --> 0:24:16.560 It's worth hundreds of dollars. It's full of silver. This 0:24:16.640 --> 0:24:19.919 man had tens of thousands of those batteries powered up. 0:24:20.000 --> 0:24:22.639 He's like he won the lottery. He went on to 0:24:22.720 --> 0:24:27.520 build that orphanage. What am I saying? God knows how 0:24:27.520 --> 0:24:31.080 to make rivers in the desert, fountains springing up in 0:24:31.119 --> 0:24:35.280 a valley and unexpected source. You didn't see it coming, 0:24:36.320 --> 0:24:38.800 Like my friends. You may have a big dream, but 0:24:39.000 --> 0:24:42.560 you don't have the resources. God knows how to quench 0:24:42.560 --> 0:24:46.040 your thirst. He has ways you've never thought of. One 0:24:46.119 --> 0:24:49.119 touch of his favor. You'll come out of that drought 0:24:49.200 --> 0:24:52.400 into abundance. From not enough to more than an hour 0:24:53.400 --> 0:24:57.000 numbers twenty one. The Israelites were traveling through the desert. 0:24:57.440 --> 0:25:00.920 In the middle of this drought. They were and thirsty, 0:25:00.960 --> 0:25:03.680 and just when they thought they couldn't go on, they 0:25:03.680 --> 0:25:07.320 came to this well. They were so excited, thinking that 0:25:07.440 --> 0:25:10.240 they finally were gonna get some water, and they rushed 0:25:10.280 --> 0:25:13.760 over to it. But the well was dry, hadn't been 0:25:13.880 --> 0:25:17.800 used in years. God told the people together around and 0:25:17.840 --> 0:25:21.719 he would give them water. Verse seventeen says the people 0:25:21.800 --> 0:25:26.280 begin to sing, spring up, Oh well. They were singing 0:25:26.400 --> 0:25:30.560 over a well, thanking God that water was coming when 0:25:30.600 --> 0:25:33.760 there was no sign of it. Wasn't long after that 0:25:34.080 --> 0:25:37.520 to the well began to gush forth with water. When 0:25:37.520 --> 0:25:40.879 you're in a dry season, it's easy to complain. I 0:25:41.000 --> 0:25:44.360 never get good breaks. My health is not gonna change. 0:25:45.000 --> 0:25:47.120 I wish God would give me some of those batteries. 0:25:47.200 --> 0:25:50.640 Join all I have Aurdura cells. Try a new approach. 0:25:51.240 --> 0:25:54.840 Spring up, Oh well, God, let the water flow in 0:25:54.920 --> 0:25:58.679 my life. You have to sing before the well opens up. 0:26:00.080 --> 0:26:02.320 You may be in a dry season now, but that 0:26:02.440 --> 0:26:05.800 is not where your story ends. God is not going 0:26:05.840 --> 0:26:09.280 to leave you thirsty. He sees what you're dealing with. 0:26:09.920 --> 0:26:13.960 He knows how long it's been, how you persevered, You've 0:26:14.000 --> 0:26:17.560 done the right thing, even when you felt overlook, water 0:26:17.840 --> 0:26:21.440 is coming. God is about to send streams in your 0:26:21.480 --> 0:26:25.560 barren place, a fountain in that valley, a new sense 0:26:25.600 --> 0:26:30.240 of joy and favor and opportunity, water flowing up the mountain. 0:26:30.560 --> 0:26:34.320 Things you can't explain now. All through the day, keep 0:26:34.520 --> 0:26:38.119 singing to that promise, thanking God that he's working, knowing 0:26:38.160 --> 0:26:40.920 that he will not forsake you. If you'll do this, 0:26:41.280 --> 0:26:45.320 I believe and declare that dry season is coming to 0:26:45.359 --> 0:26:51.520 an end. God is about to surprise you water without rain, healing, promotion, 0:26:52.000 --> 0:26:57.560 favor the right people, a flood of God's goodness in Jesus' name, 0:26:58.200 --> 0:27:02.240 And if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd 0:27:02.280 --> 0:27:04.919 like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:27:04.960 --> 0:27:08.320 Lord of your life. What'd you pray with me? Just say, 0:27:08.359 --> 0:27:13.000 Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. 0:27:13.600 --> 0:27:16.920 I make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed 0:27:16.920 --> 0:27:20.640 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd 0:27:20.640 --> 0:27:22.840 love to send you some free information on your new 0:27:22.880 --> 0:27:25.280 walk with the Lord. You can go to the website 0:27:25.359 --> 0:27:27.840 or text the number on the screen. But I hope 0:27:27.840 --> 0:27:30.920 you'll get into a good Bible based church and keep 0:27:31.000 --> 0:27:35.720 God first place. Sometimes in life, people don't choose us. 0:27:36.160 --> 0:27:39.000 We've all felt overlooked and like we're not good enough. 0:27:39.359 --> 0:27:42.440 It's easy to live inferior, thinking we don't measure up. 0:27:43.080 --> 0:27:45.520 People may have left you out. The good news is 0:27:45.800 --> 0:27:49.119 God has chosen you. He's the one that matters. And 0:27:49.160 --> 0:27:52.760 in my new book Chosen, your life is marked for distinction. 0:27:53.320 --> 0:27:57.000 You'll discover before you were born, God not only knew you, 0:27:57.280 --> 0:28:00.720 but he handpicked you and placed to calling on your lie. 0:28:01.119 --> 0:28:05.160 You are equipped and empowered to fulfill your destiny. When 0:28:05.200 --> 0:28:08.879 you understand that you're chosen, fear and doubt can't stay. 0:28:09.280 --> 0:28:12.040 You live with a baldness to step into the greatness 0:28:12.080 --> 0:28:14.240 God put in you. I love to send you by 0:28:14.320 --> 0:28:17.640 new book Chosen, plus the Chosen T shirt from our 0:28:17.680 --> 0:28:18.919 friends at Copperfit. 0:28:19.680 --> 0:28:22.080 As our way of saying thank you for your gift 0:28:22.119 --> 0:28:24.760 of any amount this month, we would like to send 0:28:24.760 --> 0:28:28.639 you a copy of Joel's book Chosen. Your life is 0:28:28.720 --> 0:28:33.040 marked for distinction. In the scriptures, Jesus encouraged us by 0:28:33.080 --> 0:28:37.840 saying you didn't choose me, I chose you. This powerful 0:28:37.880 --> 0:28:41.040 guide will help you discover the abundant life you were 0:28:41.080 --> 0:28:44.479 designed to live as a child of God. You have 0:28:44.560 --> 0:28:48.600 a calling, a purpose, a destiny still to be fulfilled. 0:28:48.880 --> 0:28:51.760 When you request your copy, we also want to send 0:28:51.840 --> 0:28:55.440 you our exclusive Chosen T shirt from Copperfit that will 0:28:55.480 --> 0:28:59.520 remind you that you've been chosen by Almighty God every 0:28:59.560 --> 0:29:03.760 time wear it. Please request these gifts today and discover 0:29:03.880 --> 0:29:07.400 that God is moving on your behalf. Your next days 0:29:07.560 --> 0:29:09.600 are going to be your best days. 0:29:10.120 --> 0:29:13.360 You're not average, You're not ordinary. You've been chosen by 0:29:13.440 --> 0:29:16.280 Almighty God. Betoy and I want you to know how 0:29:16.360 --> 0:29:18.800 much we love you. We pray for you and your 0:29:18.840 --> 0:29:22.000 family every day, and thanks so much for your prayer 0:29:22.160 --> 0:29:26.160 and support. Your generosity is helping people all over the world. 0:29:26.480 --> 0:29:29.240 Now special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners 0:29:29.360 --> 0:29:32.040 for your monthly gifts. If you're not a partner, I 0:29:32.080 --> 0:29:35.520 hope you'll consider becoming one. Remember you can watch the 0:29:35.600 --> 0:29:40.760 services online live every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, 0:29:41.080 --> 0:29:45.280 watch on YouTube, the new Joelosting Network, social media, listen 0:29:45.360 --> 0:29:49.640 on Serious ExM. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired until 0:29:49.680 --> 0:29:51.959 we see you next time. May the Lord bless you 0:29:52.120 --> 0:29:52.840 and keep you. 0:29:53.760 --> 0:29:57.200 Be sure to request your copy of Chosen Your life 0:29:57.280 --> 0:30:01.040 is marked for distinction, plus our exclusive chosen T shirt 0:30:01.080 --> 0:30:05.600 from Copperfit. Visit joelostein dot com or call eight eight 0:30:05.600 --> 0:30:10.160 eight five six seven Joel for an additional donation. This month, 0:30:10.320 --> 0:30:13.840 we are also offering the NLT Large Print Thin Line 0:30:13.920 --> 0:30:17.960 Reference Bible. This Bible also enables you to connect through 0:30:18.000 --> 0:30:21.680 your smartphone or tablet to a vast, powerpacked array of 0:30:21.720 --> 0:30:27.240 study notes, devotionals, interactive maps, videos, and worship music. You 0:30:27.320 --> 0:30:31.200 can request these inspiring resources by calling eight eight eight 0:30:31.520 --> 0:30:35.640 five six seven Joel or logging on to jolostein dot 0:30:35.680 --> 0:30:40.960 com today. Call or click anytime, twenty four hours a day. Yes, 0:30:41.360 --> 0:30:44.760 God has chosen you for a reason, for a purpose. 0:30:45.240 --> 0:30:46.880 Request your copies today