The Blessing And The Burden

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See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:34.360 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:37.160 our podcast and thanks for supporting your ministry. 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:39.640 If you enjoyed today's MESSI, why don't you be a 0:01:39.680 --> 0:01:41.199 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.240 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:51.960 your line. God bless you and welcome. Thanks for letting 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:54.200 us come into your homes. And if you're ever in 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:56.760 this area, please stop buying be a part of one 0:01:56.760 --> 0:01:59.440 of our services. I promise you. We'll make you feel 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:01.840 right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in. 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:04.680 I like to start with something funny. And I heard 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:08.000 about this husband and wife. They'd been arguing. Now they 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:11.080 were giving each other the silent treatment. The man had 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:13.320 to get up early the next day and catch a flight, 0:02:13.400 --> 0:02:16.480 and he needed his wife to wake him up. Not 0:02:16.639 --> 0:02:19.600 wanting to break the silence, he left a note on 0:02:19.639 --> 0:02:22.560 her bed that said, please wake me up at five am. 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:25.480 The next day, he got up at eight o'clock missed 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:27.560 his flight. He is so upset that I'm going to 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:29.200 go and find out why she didn't wake me up. 0:02:29.400 --> 0:02:31.360 There was a note on his side of the bed. 0:02:31.480 --> 0:02:35.880 It said, wake up. It's five. Hold up your Bible. 0:02:36.160 --> 0:02:38.680 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:41.280 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:43.600 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:46.240 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:50.200 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:54.400 heart is recepted. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:57.960 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:02:58.000 --> 0:03:02.080 about the blessing and the birth burden we all love. 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:05.120 When a dream comes to pass. We get the promotion, 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:08.800 we move into the new house, we meet the right person. 0:03:09.120 --> 0:03:12.919 We know that's the favor of God. But with every 0:03:12.960 --> 0:03:18.400 blessing comes a burden. Life is full of contradictions. It's 0:03:18.440 --> 0:03:21.440 a blessing to move into that bigger house. It's a 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:24.760 burden to have more to clean. It's a blessing to 0:03:24.800 --> 0:03:27.320 have that baby. It's a burden to get up in 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:30.240 the middle of the night. It's a blessing to marry 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:33.160 that beautiful girl. It's a burden to not have any 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:39.360 more money. God bless me with a large ministry, with opportunity, 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:43.880 with influence. But with this big blessing came big burdens, 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:48.360 more critics, more opposition, more funds to raise, more responsibility. 0:03:48.920 --> 0:03:52.600 The mistake we make is we want the blessing without 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:56.560 the burden. That's not reality. They come as a package. 0:03:57.040 --> 0:04:00.520 The key is to learn to enjoy the blessing while 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:04.120 the burden is still there. Some burdens are not going 0:04:04.200 --> 0:04:07.400 to go away. Not being negative, but you'll never get 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:11.000 to a place where you're problem free. Nobody's talking about you, 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:15.120 no conflict, no traffic, no bills. If you're always trying 0:04:15.120 --> 0:04:19.120 to pray away the burdens, you'll be frustrated. God wouldn't 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:22.279 have given you the blessing if you couldn't handle the burden. 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:26.160 It all boils down to what are we focusing on? Well, Joel, 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:28.719 when my baby gets out of diapers, when they're not 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:32.400 so much work, then I'll be happy again. That child 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:35.960 is a gift from God. Some people would give anything 0:04:36.160 --> 0:04:39.279 to have a baby like yours. Don't stay focused on 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:42.640 the burden and miss the blessing. Or when these people 0:04:42.640 --> 0:04:45.839 stop talking about me, then I won't be upset. The 0:04:45.920 --> 0:04:49.720 reason they're talking about you is because you're making a difference. 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:54.600 God has blessed you with influence. With that blessing comes opposition. 0:04:54.800 --> 0:04:57.200 It's a part of the package. Don't be frustrated by it. 0:04:57.920 --> 0:05:00.479 If I didn't have to deal with these coworkers take 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:03.479 all my time and energy, then I wouldn't be stressed out. 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:07.680 You prayed for a promotion. God entered your prayer gave 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:11.200 you a management position. Don't pray for a bigger blessing. 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:14.760 If you're going to complain about a bigger burden. The 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:18.479 problem is you're focused on the burden. You need to 0:05:18.560 --> 0:05:23.279 change your perspective. Start looking for what's right, seeing what's good. 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:26.520 You have the grace to be where you are with 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:30.719 a good attitude, not sour discourage. Why is this taking 0:05:30.760 --> 0:05:34.600 so long? No, enjoy where you are on the way 0:05:34.720 --> 0:05:38.440 to where you're going. Life is a journey. After you 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:42.280 accomplish this goal, there'll be another mountain to climb, another 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:45.600 set of burdens to deal with. Don't get so caught 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:48.600 up in where you're going that you missed the beauty 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:52.840 of this moment. Enjoy the season that you're in. If 0:05:52.839 --> 0:05:55.919 we're not careful, we won't enjoy our teams. We're in 0:05:55.960 --> 0:05:58.719 a hurry to get out of school. We won't enjoy 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:02.159 our twenties, stressed out, trying to find a job, trying 0:06:02.160 --> 0:06:05.240 to meet the right person. We won't enjoy our thirties. 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.599 We're pressured raising these kids, trying to be good parents. 0:06:09.000 --> 0:06:12.240 We won't enjoy our forties. We're trying to get into management, 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:16.600 get that promotion, make sure we have savings. At some point, 0:06:16.800 --> 0:06:19.359 you have to put your foot down and say, this 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:22.240 is the day the Lord has made. I'm going to 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:26.400 enjoy where I am right now. I may have a 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:30.120 few burdens, I know it's because I have big blessings. 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:33.120 It's because God has been good to me. See, you 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:36.040 could be in one of the best seasons of your 0:06:36.120 --> 0:06:39.920 life and not realize it because you're focused on what 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:43.320 you don't like, on how long it's taking on somebody 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:47.320 that's not doing right. Instead of enjoying the blessing, you're 0:06:47.400 --> 0:06:50.680 letting the burdens weigh you down. My brother Paul was 0:06:50.720 --> 0:06:53.480 the chief of surgery in a hospital in Little Rock 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:57.680 for many years. At one point, he and his wife, Jennifer, 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:01.279 had three children under the age of six. Paul was 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:04.120 working eighty hours a week at the hospital and then 0:07:04.160 --> 0:07:06.160 he had come home and have babies to deal with, 0:07:06.640 --> 0:07:09.480 diapers to change, and kids waking up in the middle 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:13.080 of the night. It's very stressed out. One day, an 0:07:13.160 --> 0:07:16.720 elderly patient that he had known for many years came 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:20.000 in for a checkup, and she had recently lost her 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:23.840 husband of over fifty years. Paul was in a hurry 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:27.240 that day, as usual, running late to the next appointment. 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:30.400 He rushed through her exam, trying to make up for 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:34.280 lost time. Just as he was about to leave, she 0:07:34.480 --> 0:07:36.480 asked if she could speak to him for a moment. 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:39.160 He thought it was going to be a medical question, 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:42.760 some big health issue, but she said, doctor Paul, I 0:07:42.880 --> 0:07:46.360 just want to know how were you doing. Paul was 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:49.800 kind of taken aback, and he apologized for being in 0:07:49.840 --> 0:07:53.679 such a hurry and explained how things were very hectic 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:56.320 at home with the little babies and how he'd been 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:59.680 swamped at the office. He said, I'm just a little 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:04.119 straight right now. It's a very difficult season. I wish 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:06.760 I had more time. I can't wait to get through it. 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:10.280 He knew she had lost her husband, and being polite, 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:13.160 he asked her how she was doing it, if there 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:17.320 was anything she wished for. Her eyes lit up. She said, oh, 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:21.000 doctor Paul, I'd give anything to be where you are 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:24.320 as a young parent. I'd give anything to hear the 0:08:24.360 --> 0:08:27.520 pitter patter of my children running through the house again. 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:30.520 I'd love to be able to change a diaper, to 0:08:30.640 --> 0:08:33.600 rock them back to sleep. How I longed for those days. 0:08:34.320 --> 0:08:36.559 She looked Paul in the eyes and said, one day, 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:39.839 you're going to miss the very thing you're trying to 0:08:39.920 --> 0:08:43.800 hurry through. Paul left that day with a new perspective. 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:46.360 He couldn't wait to get home to change a diaper. 0:08:46.920 --> 0:08:49.160 He looked forward to getting up in the middle of 0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:52.480 the night and rocking his children back to sleep. What 0:08:52.640 --> 0:08:56.800 happened He went from focusing on the burdens to focusing 0:08:56.840 --> 0:08:59.439 on the blessings. Are you trying to hurry through a 0:08:59.559 --> 0:09:04.400 season focused on what you don't like? Upset? Frustrated? There's 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:08.040 a blessing in that season. God wouldn't have you there 0:09:08.400 --> 0:09:11.240 if there wasn't something good. If you would do like 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:15.920 Paul and change your perspective instead of focusing on the burdens, 0:09:16.120 --> 0:09:19.920 start focusing on the blessing, then you'll enjoy your life 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:23.760 and not just endure it. I heard about this college student. 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:27.320 She wrote her parents a letter said, dear mom and dad, 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:31.520 there was a riot on campus. From the smoke I inhaled. 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:36.000 I developed a life threatening lung disease. At the hospital, 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:39.000 I met a parking lot attendant. We fell in love. 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:43.120 Our baby is on the way after one month when 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:45.839 he gets off of probation. I'm going to drop out 0:09:45.840 --> 0:09:49.160 of college. We're going to move to Alaska and get married, 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:52.920 signed your loving daughter. At the bottom, there was a 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:56.120 ps it said none of this is true, but I 0:09:56.160 --> 0:10:01.319 did fail chemistry. She ordered to make sure her parents 0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:06.520 had the right perspective. Could it be the things that 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:10.520 are bothering you, stealing your joy. In the big picture, 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:14.160 it's not as bad as you think. You've magnified it 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:17.080 made it bigger than it really is. You need to 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:20.760 shift your focus from the burdens to the blessing, from 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:23.360 what you don't have to what you do have, from 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:26.840 what's wrong in your life to what's right in your life. 0:10:27.040 --> 0:10:30.320 Maybe you're at a challenging time at work. Instead of 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:34.160 complaining focusing on the burden, the right attitude is, Lord, 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:37.320 I'm grateful to have this job. I know people that 0:10:37.360 --> 0:10:41.680 are unemployed. Father, thank you for blessing me with this opportunity. 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:45.040 Instead of complaining about your spouse focusing on what you 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:48.200 don't like, Lord, thank you for blessing me with my spouse. 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:50.760 They're not perfect. They have some flaws, so do I. 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:54.320 But Lord, I'm grateful that I have somebody in my 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:58.079 life to love. If you stay focused on the burdens, 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:01.440 on what you don't like, over time, it's going to 0:11:01.520 --> 0:11:06.560 sour your relationship. A mature person knows how to enjoy 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:10.680 the blessing while the burden is still there. Don't put 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:14.000 your life on hold waiting for everything to be perfect. 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:16.360 Then you're going to be happy. Then you're going to 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:19.360 start being your best. The way to pass the test 0:11:19.800 --> 0:11:22.200 is to be your best right where you are, in 0:11:22.240 --> 0:11:25.160 the midst of the difficulty, when you're not being treated, 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:30.200 right when the medical report wasn't good. Friends, life is 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:33.640 flying by. We have no guaranteed that we're going to 0:11:33.640 --> 0:11:37.120 be here tomorrow. Make the most of this day. There 0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:42.040 will always be something to deal with, something to worry about. People, traffic, opposition, 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:46.280 health issues. If you stay focused on your burdens, you 0:11:46.320 --> 0:11:49.520 won't enjoy your blessings. In the Book of Luke, an 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:53.360 angel appeared to a young lady named Mary. He said, Mary, 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:56.320 you are highly favored of God. You're going to have 0:11:56.360 --> 0:12:00.320 a baby without knowing a man. He will be the Messiah. 0:12:00.480 --> 0:12:04.120 You couldn't get any more favored. You've just been told 0:12:04.440 --> 0:12:07.120 you're going to give birth to the savior of the world. 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:11.760 Mary was blessed, but with that blessing came a burden, 0:12:12.280 --> 0:12:19.679 a contradiction. She was favored, but misunderstood, favored and controversial, 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:25.040 Favored but talked about. Everywhere she went, people whispered, there's 0:12:25.080 --> 0:12:28.240 that young lady. She says she's having a baby without 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:32.040 a man. Yeah, right, we've heard that before. On one hand, 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:36.240 she was excited, couldn't believe it was happening. On the other, 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:40.720 her life was much more complicated. She had to tell 0:12:40.720 --> 0:12:45.000 her fiance what happened. I can imagine. She said, Joseph, Honey, 0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:48.640 when you have a moment, we need to talk. He says, fine, 0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:51.640 let's talk right now. She said, well, I don't really 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:54.679 know how to tell you this, but somebody stopped by 0:12:54.679 --> 0:12:57.720 the house the other day and now I'm pregnant. It's 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:01.000 not what you think. It's all good, faithful, but I'm 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:03.920 going to have a baby. After she picked Joseph up 0:13:03.960 --> 0:13:07.680 off the floor, he said, I'll tell you what. We'll 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:11.280 just call off the wedding. I won't tell anybody I 0:13:11.360 --> 0:13:15.720 want embarrassia. Let's just go our separate ways. Here's my point. 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:20.680 You can be favored and have complicated situations, favored but 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:24.840 talked about, favored but frustrated. Don't let the fact that 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:29.960 you have difficulties, opposition, things you don't understand, make you 0:13:30.040 --> 0:13:33.400 think that you don't have God's blessing. It's just the opposite. 0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:36.320 The fact that those things are coming against you is 0:13:36.360 --> 0:13:39.600 a sign that you are favored. You are blessed. That's 0:13:39.600 --> 0:13:43.440 why you have some burdens. It's a part of the package. Now, 0:13:43.480 --> 0:13:46.839 Mary could have stayed focused on the burden and tried 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:49.840 to prove to people that she was faithful, tried to 0:13:49.880 --> 0:13:53.600 protect her reputation, live stressed out. She didn't do that. 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:57.640 She accepted the burden as a part of God's plan. 0:13:58.480 --> 0:14:02.120 She knew with this big burden comes a big blessing. 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:05.800 Here's the whole key. She was okay with it. She 0:14:05.840 --> 0:14:10.160 didn't get upset, she didn't live worried. She stayed in peace, 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:13.960 kept doing the right thing, running her race, and God 0:14:14.000 --> 0:14:17.679 brought the promise to pass. But Mary's life would have 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:21.480 been a lot easier if the angel had not appeared 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:24.280 to her. She wouldn't have had to deal with the opposition, 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:28.480 the ridicule, the stress, but she would have never reached 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:33.240 the fullness of her destiny. Sometimes God will ask us 0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:36.520 to do things that are difficult. It's much easier to 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:39.600 stay in our comfort zone and you play it safe. 0:14:39.760 --> 0:14:42.480 But God loves you too much to let you miss 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:47.520 your destiny. He's saying today you are highly favored. I'm 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:50.320 going to take you further than you can imagine. I'm 0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:53.160 going to open doors that no man can shut. Now 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:57.560 you can handle the blessing, that's easy. The question is 0:14:57.600 --> 0:15:00.720 can you handle the burden. Will you do Mary and 0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:04.560 keep a good attitude, knowing that that difficulty is a 0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:08.280 part of the package. Will you keep yourself encouraged and 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:13.080 not be frustrated by the process. What's interesting is Mary 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:16.200 never asked to have this baby. She never prayed that 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:19.480 she would be the one to carry Jesus. She was 0:15:19.760 --> 0:15:23.120 not looking for fame, for notoriety. She was happy with 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:26.720 who she was. She was about to get married, making 0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:29.880 wedding plans, calling her girlfriends. It was one of the 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:33.720 most exciting times of her life. Right in the middle, 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:38.400 she was interrupted. Her plans were put on hal Now 0:15:38.440 --> 0:15:41.640 she has to tell friends and family members something's come up. 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:46.280 The wedding is off. It went from being a very celebratory, 0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:50.840 exciting time to be in a very stressful, discouraging time. 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:55.200 But she never read where Mary complained. She never said God, 0:15:55.240 --> 0:15:59.000 why is this happening to me? At one point, it 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:02.160 almost seemed like the burden was bigger than the blessing. 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:06.560 She's having a baby, but nobody knows whose the child is. 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:10.120 They didn't hear the angel. All they know is this 0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:13.480 young girl is supposed to be a virgin, but now 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:16.200 she's pregnant, she's about to have a child. That said 0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:18.920 one thing to them. She's not telling the truth. She 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:23.800 hasn't been faithful. It was a heavy burden to carry, 0:16:23.920 --> 0:16:28.760 having your reputation tarness, having your wedding called off, having 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:34.600 to make excuses to family friends, your fiance was embarrassing, humiliating. 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:38.120 It would have been different if Mary would have prayed, God, 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:41.040 please let me have this baby, but she didn't do that. 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:46.360 The reason God chose Mary is because he knew he 0:16:46.360 --> 0:16:50.920 could trust her. He knew she would carry that burden 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:55.520 with a good attitude, without complaining, without having a chip 0:16:55.560 --> 0:16:58.440 on her shoulder. As God was searching for who it 0:16:58.480 --> 0:17:01.560 would be, no doubt he came across other ladies, and 0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:04.679 this one and this one. But when he came to marry, 0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:08.480 he said, there's somebody I can count on to be 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:13.320 uncomfortable for a season to carry out my purpose. There's 0:17:13.359 --> 0:17:16.560 somebody I can trust to not understand what I'm doing, 0:17:17.119 --> 0:17:20.320 to have her plans interrupted, to have her life not 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:24.680 make sense temporarily, so I can bring about the Messiah. 0:17:25.119 --> 0:17:28.480 We talk a lot about us trusting God and believing 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:32.159 that He's in control. That's important. But my question today 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:36.280 is can God trust you? Can He count on you 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:39.960 to be uncomfortable for a season, to go through things 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:43.040 you don't understand, to have it take longer than you thought. 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:46.080 Yet you still have an attitude of faith. You still 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:48.639 have a smile on your face. You still come to church, 0:17:48.960 --> 0:17:53.040 You're still good to other people like job. Your attitude 0:17:53.160 --> 0:17:55.320 is though he slay me, yet will I trust him? 0:17:56.400 --> 0:18:00.400 The burdens you have to carry, the child that's difficult, raise, 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:03.639 the trouble at work. When God laid out the plan 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:08.160 for mankind, he passed over this one and another and another. 0:18:08.840 --> 0:18:11.840 When he came to you, he said, like Mary, I 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:15.240 can trust them. I know what they're made of. They're 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:18.760 not weak, they're not complainers, they don't try to figure 0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:22.040 everything out. I can count on them to bring about 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:26.840 my purpose. When you face difficulties, the burden seems heavy, 0:18:27.080 --> 0:18:30.280 you didn't ask for it. Keep the right perspective. It's 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:34.520 because God can trust you. Well, Joel, why am I 0:18:34.560 --> 0:18:37.159 having to raise this child? This heart? This is not 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:39.399 what I had planned in life. Do you know how 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:42.600 many people God passed over before he got to you. 0:18:43.080 --> 0:18:46.920 He chose you because you can handle it. You're strong, 0:18:47.440 --> 0:18:51.399 you're tenacious, You're filled with can do power. Other people 0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:55.080 would have given up, complainers would have gotten bitter, some 0:18:55.160 --> 0:18:57.760 would have a chip on their shoulder. But God looked 0:18:57.760 --> 0:19:00.560 at you and said, I can count on them. Put 0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:03.479 your shoulders back, hold your head up high. If it 0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:07.080 was easy, anybody would do it. If you were ordinary, 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:11.560 you wouldn't have an extraordinary challenge. If you were average, 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:15.679 you wouldn't be facing Goliath. The reason the burden is 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:19.560 so big is because you were big. You're a giant killer, 0:19:19.880 --> 0:19:22.720 You're a history maker. You are destined to leave your 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:27.840 mark on this generation. For seventeen years, I worked behind 0:19:27.880 --> 0:19:31.760 the scenes at Lakewood doing the television production, and when 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:34.280 my father went to be with the Lord in nineteen 0:19:34.359 --> 0:19:38.119 ninety nine, even though I'd never ministered before, I knew 0:19:38.320 --> 0:19:40.760 I was supposed to step up and pasture the church. 0:19:41.400 --> 0:19:43.520 I didn't ask for it, but I couldn't get away 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:46.360 from it. I felt it so strongly, so I started 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:50.360 ministering most weekends. And it was difficult enough learning how 0:19:50.359 --> 0:19:52.720 to prepare a message and getting up in front of 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:56.960 people in one sense. I was comfortable knowing that most 0:19:57.040 --> 0:20:01.280 everybody at the church was very behind me, parents, very loyal, 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:03.679 and when I'd get up to speak, they had cheer 0:20:03.720 --> 0:20:07.000 and cheer. But we never dreamed the church would grow 0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:11.359 and people started watching all over on television and networks 0:20:11.400 --> 0:20:14.400 put the program on. In a few years, I looked 0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:18.239 up and everybody wasn't cheering. Beyond critics had come out 0:20:18.280 --> 0:20:22.000 of the woodwork and opposition people writing articles saying we 0:20:22.000 --> 0:20:25.679 were anything but good. I thought, God, this is not 0:20:25.760 --> 0:20:29.280 what I signed up for. I was minding my own business, 0:20:29.480 --> 0:20:32.520 happy behind the scenes when nobody knew my name. That 0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:36.120 was a lot easier, less stressful. Now I had these 0:20:36.480 --> 0:20:40.040 bigger burdens to deal with. Over the years, I had 0:20:40.119 --> 0:20:43.400 learned to trust God and believe that He's in control. 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:46.520 I realize now, and I say this humbly, just to 0:20:46.560 --> 0:20:50.560 make this point. God chose me not just because I 0:20:50.600 --> 0:20:54.800 trusted him, but because he could trust me. And so 0:20:55.200 --> 0:20:58.960 when you face tough times and things you don't understand, 0:20:59.080 --> 0:21:04.119 the pressure seems strong, Remember that's not random. God chose 0:21:04.200 --> 0:21:07.800 you because he knows you have what it tasks. He 0:21:07.880 --> 0:21:11.760 knows you're not average. He passed over people with less faith, 0:21:12.240 --> 0:21:16.399 less strength, less tenacity. He chose you on purpose. He 0:21:16.520 --> 0:21:19.919 knew when the going got tough, you'd get going. He 0:21:20.000 --> 0:21:22.440 knew when it was all said and done, you'd still 0:21:22.480 --> 0:21:26.200 be standing strong. He knew you wouldn't let the critics 0:21:26.200 --> 0:21:28.840 talk you out of it. He knew you would have 0:21:28.880 --> 0:21:31.840 a merry spirit, a spirit that said, I may not 0:21:32.000 --> 0:21:35.960 understand it, it may not seem fair, I may be uncomfortable, 0:21:36.080 --> 0:21:39.800 but bring it on, let it happen. I am well able. God. 0:21:40.000 --> 0:21:42.800 I not only trust you, but you can trust me. 0:21:44.080 --> 0:21:47.240 Our attitude should be God. You can trust me to 0:21:47.320 --> 0:21:50.520 stay faithful when I don't feel like it. You can 0:21:50.560 --> 0:21:53.160 trust me to do the right thing when the wrong 0:21:53.200 --> 0:21:56.080 thing is happening. You can trust me like Paul and 0:21:56.160 --> 0:22:00.600 Silas to sing praises in a midnight hour. Trust me, 0:22:00.720 --> 0:22:04.040 like Esther, to not compromise even though my life's on 0:22:04.080 --> 0:22:07.119 the line. You can trust me like David to face 0:22:07.160 --> 0:22:10.840 Goliath without fear. You can trust me, like Abraham and 0:22:10.920 --> 0:22:15.040 Sarah to believe even when it seems impossible. Now I 0:22:15.080 --> 0:22:18.800 know today I'm looking at people that not only trust God, 0:22:18.880 --> 0:22:22.119 but can I tell you? God can trust you. He 0:22:22.240 --> 0:22:26.240 hand picks you given your grace for every season, strength 0:22:26.280 --> 0:22:29.919 for every battle. And sometimes when the burden seems heavy 0:22:30.440 --> 0:22:33.600 you didn't ask for it doesn't seem fair. You have 0:22:33.680 --> 0:22:37.240 to keep reminding yourself the reason it's you and not 0:22:37.400 --> 0:22:40.960 somebody else is because God can count on you. You 0:22:41.119 --> 0:22:44.120 have what it takes. Now I've learned, the bigger the burden, 0:22:44.359 --> 0:22:48.440 the bigger the blessing. Like Mary, people may be making fine, 0:22:48.560 --> 0:22:52.000 making light, but don't worry. Your time is coming. The 0:22:52.040 --> 0:22:55.400 baby is on wrap. The promise is headed you away. 0:22:55.680 --> 0:22:58.320 When you give birth to that promise, you're gonna forget 0:22:58.359 --> 0:23:01.720 all about the burden. Blessing God has come in your 0:23:01.760 --> 0:23:07.200 way will far overshadow anything that you've been through. Looking 0:23:07.240 --> 0:23:10.639 back in my own life now, sixteen years later, having 0:23:10.720 --> 0:23:16.080 outlasted the critics, overcome the opposition, seeing God promote established 0:23:16.080 --> 0:23:18.160 take me where I've never dreamed, I can tell your 0:23:18.160 --> 0:23:21.760 first hand it was well worthy. The blessing, the joy, 0:23:21.920 --> 0:23:28.120 the fulfillment that comes from simply staying faithful, enduring hardships, 0:23:28.760 --> 0:23:32.640 passing the test is more rewarding than you can imagine. 0:23:33.119 --> 0:23:36.480 You'll be able to say, like Paul, these light afflictions 0:23:36.520 --> 0:23:39.480 were for a moment, but they worked in me and 0:23:39.600 --> 0:23:43.359 eternal weight of glory. If Mary were here today, she 0:23:43.400 --> 0:23:45.840 would tell you it was a heavy burden to carry 0:23:45.840 --> 0:23:49.520 the Messiah, but it was well worth it. The burdens 0:23:49.560 --> 0:23:52.840 you're having to endure. One day you'll look back and say, 0:23:52.960 --> 0:23:55.960 I wouldn't change a thing. I didn't like it. I 0:23:56.080 --> 0:24:00.720 was uncomfortable, but God used it to propel me into destiny. 0:24:01.160 --> 0:24:03.679 Yes it was a heavy burden, but it brought me 0:24:04.119 --> 0:24:07.719 into a heavy blessing. This is what happened with David. 0:24:08.440 --> 0:24:10.880 He was anointed to be the next king of Israel, 0:24:11.480 --> 0:24:14.639 chosen by the prophet Samuel to lead God's people, and 0:24:15.280 --> 0:24:18.280 he went out and defeated Goliath and overnight became a 0:24:18.400 --> 0:24:22.879 national hero. He was highly favored, but with that big 0:24:22.920 --> 0:24:27.400 blessing came his share of burdens. King Saul was jealous 0:24:27.400 --> 0:24:31.040 of him, spent months chasing David through the desert, trying 0:24:31.080 --> 0:24:34.400 to kill him. David could have said, God, I thought 0:24:34.440 --> 0:24:37.320 you anointed me to be king. You didn't tell me 0:24:37.440 --> 0:24:41.040 with this blessing came this burden. You didn't tell me 0:24:41.080 --> 0:24:43.920 that even though I was doing the right thing, this 0:24:44.040 --> 0:24:47.080 man that's supposed to be my friend would make it 0:24:47.119 --> 0:24:50.800 his life mission to try to keep me off the throne. 0:24:50.960 --> 0:24:54.840 That was all a part of God's plan. God handpicked 0:24:55.000 --> 0:24:59.000 David because he knew he could trust him. Other people 0:24:59.040 --> 0:25:02.840 would have gotten bitter, discouraged, tried to take revenge. Not David. 0:25:03.359 --> 0:25:06.520 He wasn't a complainer. He knew he had grace for 0:25:06.640 --> 0:25:10.280 every season. He kept doing the right thing and at 0:25:10.320 --> 0:25:13.600 the right time. God took care of Saul, and David 0:25:13.640 --> 0:25:17.120 took the throne. And it's easy to handle the blessing. 0:25:17.880 --> 0:25:21.119 We love giving birth to the dream, we love taking 0:25:21.160 --> 0:25:24.679 the throne. But God is looking for people who cannot 0:25:24.720 --> 0:25:28.000 only handle the blessing, but who can handle the burden. 0:25:28.600 --> 0:25:31.400 People who won't give up because they had a bad break. 0:25:31.880 --> 0:25:35.160 They came down with an illness. The business didn't make it. 0:25:35.520 --> 0:25:39.400 You wouldn't have that opposition if you weren't highly favored 0:25:40.119 --> 0:25:42.800 that Saul wouldn't be trying to stop you. If you 0:25:42.840 --> 0:25:46.359 didn't have royalty in your blood. The enemy wouldn't be 0:25:46.400 --> 0:25:50.440 working overtime, if you weren't about to take the throne. 0:25:50.720 --> 0:25:54.440 Don't get discouraged by the burden. Keep doing the right thing. 0:25:54.800 --> 0:25:58.600 The blessing is coming, The baby's coming. The promise is coming. 0:25:58.640 --> 0:26:01.719 The health is coming, is on the way. Here's what 0:26:01.760 --> 0:26:06.240 I'm saying. I know God can trust you with the blessing. 0:26:06.920 --> 0:26:10.359 Make sure he can trust you with the burden. Paul 0:26:10.400 --> 0:26:14.200 said this, A wide door of opportunity is open to me, 0:26:14.680 --> 0:26:19.280 and there are many adversaries. With every wide door, there 0:26:19.280 --> 0:26:23.560 will be plenty of opposition. Instead of being discouraged by it, 0:26:24.000 --> 0:26:27.239 you can be encouraged knowing that that's a sign that 0:26:27.359 --> 0:26:30.880 new doors are opening, breakthroughs are headed your way. Favor 0:26:31.000 --> 0:26:34.400 is in your future. Our attitude should be I am 0:26:34.520 --> 0:26:36.880 in it to win it. I Am not gonna get 0:26:36.920 --> 0:26:40.040 discouraged because it's taken longer than I thought. I'm not 0:26:40.119 --> 0:26:43.080 gonna give up because people have come against me. I'm 0:26:43.080 --> 0:26:46.760 not gonna live frustrated because I'm disappointed. I'm lonely. I've 0:26:46.760 --> 0:26:49.639 had some tough times. No, I know I've been armed 0:26:49.640 --> 0:26:52.439 with strength for this battle. I know the forces that 0:26:52.480 --> 0:26:55.080 are for me are greater than the forces that are 0:26:55.119 --> 0:26:59.400 against me. Like Mary, you may be carrying a burden 0:26:59.640 --> 0:27:03.680 that you and ask for. Remember it's because God can 0:27:03.760 --> 0:27:08.200 trust you. Keep the right perspective. You are highly favored. 0:27:08.560 --> 0:27:12.280 Your time is coming. The burden you're having to endure 0:27:12.680 --> 0:27:15.880 is going to pel in comparison to the blessing, God 0:27:15.960 --> 0:27:19.920 is about to release. I believe and declare, you're going 0:27:19.960 --> 0:27:22.760 to give birth to promises that are going to take 0:27:22.800 --> 0:27:26.200 you further than you've imagined. God is going to propel 0:27:26.320 --> 0:27:30.119 you where you could not go on your own. Like David, 0:27:30.320 --> 0:27:34.159 You're going to outlast the opposition, take your throne and 0:27:34.240 --> 0:27:38.320 become everything God's created you to be. In Jesus' name, 0:27:38.680 --> 0:27:43.280 If you receive it today, can you say amen. We 0:27:43.400 --> 0:27:46.280 never like to close our broadcast without giving you an 0:27:46.320 --> 0:27:49.960 opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would 0:27:49.960 --> 0:27:54.479 you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent 0:27:54.520 --> 0:27:59.080 of my sins, Come into my heart. I make you 0:27:59.160 --> 0:28:03.320 my Lord, and say friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:28:03.560 --> 0:28:06.320 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:28:06.320 --> 0:28:09.639 Bible based church, keep God first place. He's going to 0:28:09.680 --> 0:28:12.159 take you where you've never dreamed. Thanks so much for 0:28:12.280 --> 0:28:15.600 listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you 0:28:15.640 --> 0:28:18.800 can receive the latest podcast to keep you encouraged and 0:28:18.880 --> 0:28:20.280 inspired all through the week. 0:28:20.440 --> 0:28:22.680 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:28:22.680 --> 0:28:24.119 with those all around the world. 0:28:24.480 --> 0:28:27.240 Visit Joelosting dot com or click the link in the 0:28:27.280 --> 0:28:29.480 description to partner with us today. 0:28:29.720 --> 0:28:32.159 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:28:32.240 --> 0:28:35.040 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:28:35.119 --> 0:28:38.240 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:28:38.240 --> 0:28:39.080 see you next time. 0:28:41.400 --> 0:28:44.160 Did you know you can be happier in joying watermelon? 0:28:44.280 --> 0:28:47.520 Eighty two percent of consumers agree eating watermelon boosts their 0:28:47.560 --> 0:28:52.560 mood savor. 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