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Time Is On Your Side

Joel Osteen
August 30, 2020 31m 20s

About this sermon

Sometimes it can feel like we've lost time we can't get back. But God knows how to restore you. He's not just going to deliver you from the difficult season; He's going to make up for the time you lost.  Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love. To give visit  JoelOsteen.com/GiveHope . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Source: Joel Osteen

Transcript

0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.040 Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:06.560 comeback with Purdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:09.760 or military experiences. With these credits, you may have already 0:00:09.760 --> 0:00:12.560 completed up to seventy five percent of your undergraduate degree. 0:00:12.640 --> 0:00:14.720 You've worked hard to get where you are. It's time 0:00:14.720 --> 0:00:16.880 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:00:16.880 --> 0:00:19.520 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:21.799 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:00:21.800 --> 0:00:24.960 and career. Make it count with Purdue Global produce online 0:00:25.000 --> 0:00:29.600 university for working adults. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:33.040 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:35.120 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:35.159 --> 0:00:37.879 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:40.479 you could unlock insights about yo

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0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.040 Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:06.560 comeback with Purdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:09.760 or military experiences. With these credits, you may have already 0:00:09.760 --> 0:00:12.560 completed up to seventy five percent of your undergraduate degree. 0:00:12.640 --> 0:00:14.720 You've worked hard to get where you are. It's time 0:00:14.720 --> 0:00:16.880 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:00:16.880 --> 0:00:19.520 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:21.799 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:00:21.800 --> 0:00:24.960 and career. Make it count with Purdue Global produce online 0:00:25.000 --> 0:00:29.600 university for working adults. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:33.040 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:35.120 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:35.159 --> 0:00:37.879 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:40.479 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:43.000 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:43.000 --> 0:00:45.839 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:45.920 --> 0:00:48.920 can visit Facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:48.960 --> 0:00:53.560 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:55.520 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Facet Wealth in Corporated 0:00:55.600 --> 0:00:57.440 is an SEC registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.440 offer to buy yourself security snor is it Investment Legal 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:00.640 or taxi by He'll. 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:02.800 Forget about the video game you gave him on his birthday. 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:04.560 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:07.200 But he'll never forget how you invested in his future 0:01:07.280 --> 0:01:08.240 with the uns STAPP. 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:10.400 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.559 The unit STAP makes it easy for grandparents and family 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.280 friends to give funds to a child's investment account for 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.720 a limited time. Download the uns STAP and use the 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:21.120 code iHeart fifty at sign up to receive a fifty 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:23.720 dollars bonus when you find your account. That's code iHeart 0:01:23.720 --> 0:01:26.800 fifty when you sign up at unest dot co for 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.640 a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:35.480 Heyback is coming. God is keeping the records. He knows 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:39.360 how to not just restore you, but restore the years 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:43.240 that were stolen, the years that were unfair, the years 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:46.720 that were lonely, the years you struggled with that depression. 0:01:47.280 --> 0:01:50.680 When God restores the years, you're not going to look 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:54.200 like what you've been through. Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:58.000 Thanks for downloading our podcast. We enjoy spending this time 0:01:58.040 --> 0:02:00.520 with you. I know you're going to leave an encouraged 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:01.280 and inspired. 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:04.560 Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:07.320 and follow us on social media to stay connected. 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:10.880 We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:14.880 Enjoy the message. God bless you. It's great to have 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:17.639 you with us today and I hope you'll stay connected 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:20.280 with us all through the week. You can download our 0:02:20.360 --> 0:02:24.160 podcast and listen to the messages anytime, or you can 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:27.200 go to our YouTube channel. But thanks again for tuning in. 0:02:27.880 --> 0:02:30.359 I like to start with something funny and one day, 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:33.679 Jesus and Satan were having a contest to see who 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:37.880 was better with computers. After six hours of making spreadsheets 0:02:37.919 --> 0:02:41.680 and designing web pages, a thunderstorm knocked the power out. 0:02:42.160 --> 0:02:46.600 When they rebooted their computers, Satan started screaming, it's all lost, 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:51.080 all my materials gone, while Jesus quietly walked over and 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:55.320 printed out his turned it in. Satan complained, this isn't fair. 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:58.080 He must have cheated. How come he didn't lose his 0:02:58.160 --> 0:03:03.360 material God smiled and said, Jesus saves, say it like 0:03:03.440 --> 0:03:06.480 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:09.239 it says. I am, I have what it says I have, 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:12.440 I can do what it says I can do today. 0:03:12.600 --> 0:03:15.560 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:19.440 confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:23.600 will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:27.400 I want to talk to you today about time is 0:03:27.480 --> 0:03:30.840 on your side. We've all been through seasons in life 0:03:31.040 --> 0:03:34.000 where it feels like we've lost time. We were in 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:37.600 a relationship that didn't work out. We've lost those years 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:40.600 we weren't raised in a healthy environment. It feels like 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:43.880 we've lost our childhood. We came down with an illness 0:03:44.160 --> 0:03:48.640 or struggled with an addiction. Months past, maybe years. It's 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:51.880 time that we can't get back. It's easy to think 0:03:52.200 --> 0:03:54.840 that was just a rough season. There's nothing that I 0:03:54.880 --> 0:03:57.680 can do about it. But God said in the Book 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:00.880 of Joel, I will restore the year, years that the 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:04.480 locusts have eaten, the years that the canker worm and 0:04:04.600 --> 0:04:08.560 palmer worm have destroyed. It's said that time is the 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:11.600 one thing that we can't get back. That's true in 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:16.000 the natural, but we have a supernatural God. He knows 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:19.360 how to make up for lost time. He's not going 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:22.919 to just restore you. He's going to restore the years 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:26.520 that you spent in that relationship that didn't make it. 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:28.919 It feels like it was a waste of time. But 0:04:29.000 --> 0:04:31.040 God is going to make the rest of your life 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:34.559 so fulfilling that you don't think about what you've been through. 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:38.200 He's not going to just bring you out of that illness. 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:41.520 He's going to restore the years that you spent taking 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:44.880 the treatment. Your latter days will be better than your 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:48.400 former days. Now here's how good God is. He's even 0:04:48.480 --> 0:04:52.800 going to restore the years that we've wasted making poor choices, 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:56.479 running with the wrong crowd. Years you should have been studying, 0:04:56.680 --> 0:04:59.400 but you spent them partying. Years that you should have 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:03.000 been raising children, but you were distracted doing other things. 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:06.000 Years you should have been pursuing dreams, but you let 0:05:06.080 --> 0:05:10.080 fear and opposition hold you back. It should be too late. 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:14.200 You missed your chance. God is saying, get ready, I'm 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:17.400 about to restore the years. I'm about to make up 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:20.680 for the time you missed with your children. He's not 0:05:20.720 --> 0:05:24.120 going to just restore the relationship. He's going to restore 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.880 the years. He's going to make it as if you 0:05:27.000 --> 0:05:31.000 never lost that time. That company you spent years at 0:05:31.520 --> 0:05:34.479 they didn't treat you fairly. God is not going to 0:05:34.600 --> 0:05:36.920 just turn it around, but he's going to pay you 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:41.000 back for what should have been yours. In this passage 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:44.520 from the Book of Joel, the Israelites planted their crops, 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:48.039 watered them, did their best to keep the weeds out. 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:51.800 Everything was going great. The crops took off, but when 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:55.160 they were about to harvest them, swarms of locusts came 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:58.680 in like a mighty army and ate up all the crops. 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:03.360 I'm sure the Israelites were discouraged. It wasn't fair. They 0:06:03.360 --> 0:06:05.960 had worked hard but had nothing to show for it. 0:06:06.520 --> 0:06:09.080 They made it through the winter, believed that God was 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:11.719 still in control. The next year, they went out and 0:06:11.760 --> 0:06:15.159 planted their crops. They thought that setback can't stop us. 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:18.359 We didn't have a harvest last year, but God sustained us. 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:21.440 We'll have one this year. But when the crops were 0:06:21.520 --> 0:06:24.760 ready to harvest, here came the locusts, just like the 0:06:24.880 --> 0:06:28.880 year before. When they saw them over the horizon, I 0:06:28.880 --> 0:06:32.640 can imagine how their hearts sunk as they sat there 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:36.360 and watched millions of locusts slowly eat up their crops. 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:39.839 It was like pouring salt on a wound. This didn't 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:43.159 happen just one year or just two years, but four 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:48.240 consecutive years their harvest was completely wiped out. They were 0:06:48.320 --> 0:06:51.800 tempted to think there's no use even planning. It's not 0:06:51.920 --> 0:06:54.520 worth the effort. We know what's going to happen. These 0:06:54.560 --> 0:06:57.880 locusts are going to come right back. Joel. I'm believing 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:00.359 for my health to improve, but every time time I 0:07:00.440 --> 0:07:03.800 go for a checkup, it's the same negative report. I'm 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:07.080 being my best at work, but I'm not being promoted 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:11.760 like them. It feels like your harvest is being eaten. 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:15.560 You're doing the right thing, but the locusts keeps showing up. 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:19.920 While the Israelites were discouraged, thinking they would never see 0:07:19.960 --> 0:07:23.000 a harvest, God spoke to them through the prophet Joel. 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:26.280 He said, in effect, I know it hasn't been fair. 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:30.440 I've seen what didn't work out, I've seen what's been stolen, 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:33.840 and I'm not going to just stop the locust. I'm 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:36.480 not going to just give you a harvest this season. 0:07:37.040 --> 0:07:40.240 I'm going to restore the years that were stolen. I'm 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:43.520 going to give you this season's harvest plus four more 0:07:43.800 --> 0:07:48.080 harvest seasons. That's how amazing God is He's going to 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:52.040 make up for the years that you've lost. The scripture 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:55.520 went on to say, your threshing floor will be full 0:07:55.560 --> 0:08:00.160 of grain, your storehouses will overflow with wheat and oil. 0:08:00.440 --> 0:08:04.560 You will have an abundance and be satisfied. Notice what 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:09.960 happens when God restores abundance, overflow more than enough. They 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:14.080 had been in famine, not seeing any increase, and suddenly 0:08:14.440 --> 0:08:17.680 God not only turned it around, but he paid them 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:21.160 back for the lost years. He made up for what 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:25.160 should have been theirs. God is keeping a record of 0:08:25.240 --> 0:08:29.040 everything that should have been yours. He knows what you 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:33.160 didn't get. He saw you working hard, raising those children, 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:36.960 making sacrifices, but they haven't turned out like they should. 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:40.960 He saw you taking the treatment, keeping a good attitude, 0:08:41.480 --> 0:08:44.800 praising him when it wasn't improving, thanking him when you 0:08:44.880 --> 0:08:48.320 didn't feel well. He saw you struggling with the addiction, 0:08:48.800 --> 0:08:52.080 trying to beat it, going to counseling, quoting the promises. 0:08:52.240 --> 0:08:56.480 But it hasn't changed. Your harvest hasn't come. Don't worry, 0:08:56.840 --> 0:08:59.800 it's on the way. God is not going to just 0:09:00.120 --> 0:09:03.960 free you, just heal you, just turn your children around. 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:07.959 He's going to restore the years that you've lost, You're 0:09:08.000 --> 0:09:11.040 going to still get a harvest from all those years 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:14.720 you prayed, those years you believed, those years you did 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:18.480 the right thing, You worked hard, you helped others. That 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:22.640 harvest has been stored up. The enemy may think he 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:26.200 took it, but God has the final say. He has 0:09:26.280 --> 0:09:30.600 blessings stored up for you. When he restores the years, 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:33.360 you're going to be more fulfilled than you've ever been. 0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:37.560 You're going to be healthier, stronger, more energy. You're going 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:41.040 to have better relationships than you've ever dreamed. You're going 0:09:41.080 --> 0:09:46.440 to overflow with blessings, overflow with joy, overflow with favor. 0:09:47.400 --> 0:09:50.000 A man I know was married at a young age 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:53.200 and they struggled as a young couple and had some 0:09:53.360 --> 0:09:56.400 rough years, but he was determined to make it work 0:09:56.440 --> 0:10:00.400 out and he went overboard to love, to forget, to 0:10:00.440 --> 0:10:03.720 go the extra mile. They had two children, but at 0:10:03.760 --> 0:10:07.360 one point the wife checked out she was done. This 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:11.640 man kept being his best, raising the children basically by himself. 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:14.800 The wife was still there, but she wouldn't have anything 0:10:14.840 --> 0:10:18.520 to do with him. He kept praying, believing, asking God 0:10:18.559 --> 0:10:22.360 to turn it around. But on his twenty fifth wedding anniversary, 0:10:22.679 --> 0:10:25.839 she left a note saying that she was leaving. This 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:29.559 man was so heartbroken. When I saw him, it looked 0:10:29.559 --> 0:10:34.800 like he had aged twenty years. He was normally so upbeat, fun, positive, 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:37.720 but it was like all the life had been drained 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:41.120 out of him. I tried to encourage him, let him 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:43.720 know that there were good days up ahead, but he 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:47.080 was so down. He said, I've invested all this time. 0:10:47.520 --> 0:10:50.120 I poured my heart and soul trying to make my 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:54.160 marriage work, and it was all for nothing. God sees 0:10:54.240 --> 0:10:58.120 the years you've lost. He knows the pain, the hurt, 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:01.920 what wasn't fair. The beauty of our God is he 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:06.199 doesn't just heal the wounds. He restores the years. He 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:09.960 makes up for what wasn't fair. You may feel like 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:13.480 you're in one of those lost years. The pandemic has 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:17.200 slowed your business, put your dreams on hold, you're dealing 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:20.800 with an illness. A child is off course. You've invested 0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:24.080 so much, but it looks like it was wasted. The 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:28.800 locusts came and ate up your harvest. Stay encouraged. Payback 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:33.079 is coming. God is keeping the records. He knows how 0:11:33.120 --> 0:11:36.920 to not just restore you, but restore the years that 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:40.760 were stolen, the years that were unfair, the years that 0:11:40.800 --> 0:11:44.920 were lonely, the years you struggled with that depression. When 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:48.280 God restores the years, you're not going to look like 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:51.040 what you've been through. When he makes up for what 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:54.400 should have been yours, nobody is going to know that 0:11:54.480 --> 0:11:57.400 you had the illness. Nobody will know you went through 0:11:57.400 --> 0:12:01.680 the breakup. You'll be so blessed, so happy, so healthy, 0:12:01.920 --> 0:12:06.280 nobody will be able to tell. Over time, my friend 0:12:06.320 --> 0:12:09.200 began to get his joy back, his passion back, his 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:13.520 vision back. Instead of living defeated, he started thanking God 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:16.040 that there were beauty for those ashes, and that what 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:19.359 was meant for harm, God was turning to his advantage. 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:23.199 Three years later, he met a beautiful young lady. They 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:26.520 fell in love and ended up getting married. I'll never 0:12:26.600 --> 0:12:29.200 forget what he told me, he said, Joel, I have 0:12:29.440 --> 0:12:32.800 never been this happy in all my life. I never 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:36.040 dreamed I could be this fulfilled. I didn't know what 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:40.679 a healthy relationship was. What was that God was storing 0:12:40.760 --> 0:12:44.400 the years that were lost. God knows how to make 0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:47.559 up for what should have been yours, And just because 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:50.920 it hasn't happened doesn't mean that it's not going to happen. 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:55.480 God is storing up what belongs to you. I believe 0:12:55.720 --> 0:13:00.000 he's about to release some of those stored up blessings. 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:03.200 When he restores the years, you'll see increase that you've 0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:08.480 never seen, blessings that will catapult you ahead, divine connections, 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:12.920 people better than you've ever imagined. Those locusts may have 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:15.480 eaten up your crops, so to speak. They may have 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:20.600 taken your harvest. The good news is it's only temporary. 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:24.720 Everything that belongs to you is coming back. The health, 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:28.880 the freedom, the promotion, the joy, the victory. It's not 0:13:29.080 --> 0:13:31.760 coming back like it was. It's going to come back, 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:37.240 press down, shaken together, running over. When God restores the years, 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:41.520 like with my friend, your joy will overflow. You'll have 0:13:41.559 --> 0:13:46.280 an abundance of opportunity, an abundance of resources, and abundance 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:50.679 of good health. The Israelites had been in slavery many years. 0:13:51.120 --> 0:13:55.360 They were mistreated, forced to work long hours, given quotas 0:13:55.400 --> 0:13:59.080 that were impossible to meet. Despite how unfair it was, 0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:02.720 they kept working hard, being their best, but not seeing 0:14:02.800 --> 0:14:07.520 any increase, no harvest. They thought it was permanent. They 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:10.839 had already accepted that they would never be free, but 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:14.680 God sees when you're being mistreated. He sees when you're 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:18.040 doing the right thing, but the locusts are eating your harvest. 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:22.000 It may feel like God has forgotten about you. You've 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:26.040 accepted that you'll always struggle, always be at a disadvantage, 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:30.240 always have that trouble at work. Now your time is coming. 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:34.560 God said in Exodus, I have seen the affliction of 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:38.120 my people. I have heard their cries, and I am 0:14:38.160 --> 0:14:42.520 coming down to deliver them. God was saying an effect, 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:47.000 enough is enough. There will be a time where God says, 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:51.560 that's it. I'm coming down to vindicate you, to heal you, 0:14:51.880 --> 0:14:55.280 to promote you, to pay you back for what you're owed. 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:59.800 The pharaoh that was holding them captive was very powerful. 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:05.040 He had a huge army, the latest equipment, chariots, skilled warriors. 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:08.960 The Israelites had none of that, no chance in the natural. 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:12.560 They were slaves. But God is not limited by what 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:16.800 you don't have, by who's against you, by how powerful 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:20.240 the sickness looks, by how long you've struggled, by how 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:24.200 far that child is off course, nothing can stand against 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:27.600 our God when he comes down to deliver you. All 0:15:27.680 --> 0:15:32.080 the forces of darkness cannot stop in don't focus on 0:15:32.160 --> 0:15:35.520 how big your obstacles are. Focus on how big your 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:39.760 God is. He flung stars into space, he spoke worlds 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:43.280 into existence. He's saying to you what he said to them. 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:47.680 I'm coming down to deliver you. I'm coming down to 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:51.120 make things happen that you couldn't make happen. I'm coming 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:55.840 down to restore the years that you've lost. God sent 0:15:55.920 --> 0:16:00.360 plague after plague on Pharaoh and his people. He was stubbed, 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:03.920 but he finally agreed to let them go. I'm sure 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:06.760 the Israelites were thrilled to be free. It was a 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:10.440 day they never dreamed what happen. They were satisfied to 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:14.680 just be leaving. But God wasn't satisfied. He doesn't just 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:18.200 bring you out. He restores the years that were stolen. 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:21.240 He pays you back for what should have been yours. 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:25.840 On their way out, the scripture says God caused the 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:30.360 Israelites to have favor with their oppressors, and they gave 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:34.800 them their gold, their silver, and their clothing. One version 0:16:34.880 --> 0:16:39.240 says they left loaded down with blessings. What was that 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:43.320 God paying them back for four hundred and thirty years 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:47.400 of working as a slave. God is keeping the records 0:16:47.520 --> 0:16:50.720 of what you're owed. Those times you've done the right thing, 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:54.040 but the locusts ate up your harvest. You did your best, 0:16:54.200 --> 0:16:57.080 but you didn't get promoted. The loan didn't go through, 0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:02.640 the anxiety didn't go away. Despite all you kept believing, praising, 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:07.280 being good to others like these people. Your time is coming. 0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:11.560 God is storing up the harvest that should have been yours. 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:15.080 It seems like the locusts are eating it. The truth is, 0:17:15.440 --> 0:17:18.520 what God has for you is still on the way. 0:17:19.080 --> 0:17:21.919 The joy that should have been yours those years you 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:25.840 were dealing with depression, it's still coming. The resources that 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:29.080 should have been yours those years you were overlooked, they're 0:17:29.119 --> 0:17:33.040 still on the way. The healing, the good relationships, the 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:36.600 victory you missed out on, it is still in your future. 0:17:37.480 --> 0:17:40.639 Our daughter, Alexandra, was born a month and a half 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:43.040 before my father went to be with the Lord, and 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:47.200 during that time he was on dialysis. Many times I 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:49.320 would take him up to the clinic. It was a 0:17:49.440 --> 0:17:52.240 very busy season. Then when he went to be with 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:55.560 the Lord, our whole life changed. I was thrust into 0:17:55.600 --> 0:17:58.880 this position. I was doing my best just to stay afloat. 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:02.879 I don't remember very well. The first couple of years 0:18:02.920 --> 0:18:07.200 of Alexandra's life. We were in such transition. I was 0:18:07.320 --> 0:18:10.480 learning how to minister, try to figure everything out. It 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:15.360 consumed me. Several years later, I realized I didn't have 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:19.159 the same memories of Alexandra's first few years like I 0:18:19.200 --> 0:18:23.560 did our son Jonathan's. I said, almost in passing, God, 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:27.119 I'm asking you to restore those years that I lost 0:18:27.400 --> 0:18:31.200 by being so busy and so preoccupied with other things. 0:18:31.840 --> 0:18:35.480 Alexandra was eight years old when I prayed that all 0:18:35.560 --> 0:18:38.600 she wanted to do was to be with me. She 0:18:38.640 --> 0:18:40.879 would rather go out in the backyard and let me 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:43.800 watch her do cartwheels than go over to her friends. 0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:46.960 Sometimes I needed a break. I say, why don't you 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:49.440 go swimming with your cousins, Why don't you have your 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:52.080 friends over? She said, no, Dad, I want to stay 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:54.760 here with you. She'd come up to me all through 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:58.040 the day, put her arm around me, walk around the house. 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:01.320 We were the best of friends. She's twenty one years 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:04.560 old now, doesn't know who I am. I'm just kidding. 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:06.800 We're still the best of friends. You know what that 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:11.399 was God restoring the years, making up for lost time. 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:14.600 God is going to do that for you. He's going 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:18.320 to restore opportunities that you missed. He's going to restore 0:19:18.359 --> 0:19:21.880 relationships that are not what they should be. He's going 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:25.320 to restore the years you lost not making good decisions, 0:19:25.520 --> 0:19:28.600 giving in to compromise. You don't have to live in 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:32.240 regrets thinking you missed your season. It's too late to 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:35.960 accomplish your dreams, too late to have good relationships with 0:19:36.080 --> 0:19:39.680 your family. There's too much water under the bridge. God 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:42.600 knew we would make mistakes. He's not going to just 0:19:42.720 --> 0:19:46.600 redeem you. He's going to redeem the time. He's going 0:19:46.640 --> 0:19:49.879 to give you another chance. Don't believe those lies that 0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:53.600 you're too old who made too many mistakes. You wouldn't 0:19:53.640 --> 0:19:57.720 be hearing this if God wasn't about to restore the years. 0:19:57.960 --> 0:20:00.520 He's about to make up for that heart travist that 0:20:00.600 --> 0:20:04.440 you missed. I have a digital clock on my bathroom 0:20:04.520 --> 0:20:08.560 counter at home. It gets his information from the satellite. 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:11.960 Unlike older clocks that rely on their own software to 0:20:12.040 --> 0:20:15.680 keep time, these digital clocks come from a master clock 0:20:15.920 --> 0:20:19.439 that's transmitted from a satellite. Now while back, I was 0:20:19.480 --> 0:20:21.960 about to get in the shower one evening, and I 0:20:22.080 --> 0:20:25.320 noticed that it was nine thirty. A few minutes later, 0:20:25.680 --> 0:20:28.000 when I got out of the shower, I looked at 0:20:28.000 --> 0:20:31.600 the clock and it read nine twenty two. I thought 0:20:31.600 --> 0:20:34.639 that strange. I know it was just nine thirty. I 0:20:34.680 --> 0:20:37.879 thought I must be seeing things while I was watching it. 0:20:38.200 --> 0:20:41.720 The clock went back to nine eighteen. In a few seconds, 0:20:41.760 --> 0:20:44.560 it went to nine oh seven. It kept backing up. 0:20:45.280 --> 0:20:49.000 I realized it was getting bad reception. But I'd never 0:20:49.040 --> 0:20:53.120 seen that happen before. What's interesting is that day I'd 0:20:53.160 --> 0:20:56.160 had a very busy schedule. I had a lot to do, 0:20:56.520 --> 0:21:00.800 but I hardly got anything done. I had interruptions, delays, 0:21:01.000 --> 0:21:04.000 things that didn't work out. I was kind of frustrated, 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:07.760 thinking what an unproductive day. When I saw the clock 0:21:07.800 --> 0:21:11.800 go backwards, it was as if God was saying to me, Joel, 0:21:11.880 --> 0:21:15.960 quit worrying about what you didn't get done. I control time. 0:21:16.600 --> 0:21:19.439 I can back things up. I can make up for 0:21:19.600 --> 0:21:25.160 lost time. You may have missed opportunities, missed relationships. They 0:21:25.200 --> 0:21:28.640 were there, but you were distracted, you weren't focused. They 0:21:28.720 --> 0:21:32.480 passed you by. Don't worry. God can turn back time. 0:21:32.880 --> 0:21:36.280 He's about to bring things across your path that should 0:21:36.280 --> 0:21:40.000 have been yours years ago. You missed it the first time, 0:21:40.400 --> 0:21:43.440 like I did with Alexandra. But God's about to give 0:21:43.480 --> 0:21:47.639 you another chance. He's about to turn back time. I 0:21:47.760 --> 0:21:51.560 was at a book signing years ago I met this lady. 0:21:51.960 --> 0:21:55.159 She and her daughter were estranged. They hadn't spoken to 0:21:55.200 --> 0:21:57.959 each other in years. She had reached out to her 0:21:58.040 --> 0:22:02.600 daughter many times with no success. Now she was discouraged, 0:22:02.800 --> 0:22:06.920 feeling guilty. She heard me talking about how God can 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:09.840 restore the years that were lost, even when it was 0:22:09.880 --> 0:22:12.760 our fault, How he can turn back time and give 0:22:12.840 --> 0:22:16.720 us another chance. Faith rose in her heart. She said, God, 0:22:16.960 --> 0:22:20.400 do that for me. She kept trying, but the daughter 0:22:20.440 --> 0:22:24.119 wouldn't have anything to do with her. Months later, she 0:22:24.280 --> 0:22:27.040 came to that book signing. Out of the hundreds of 0:22:27.080 --> 0:22:30.320 people there, she noticed that her daughter was in line. 0:22:30.840 --> 0:22:34.000 She hadn't seen her in person in years. She went 0:22:34.040 --> 0:22:38.120 over to her. It was a divine appointment. They embraced 0:22:38.600 --> 0:22:42.040 held on to each other while they wept. Healing was 0:22:42.080 --> 0:22:45.560 taking place. When they came up to the table, they 0:22:45.600 --> 0:22:49.320 were both still weeping. The mother told how she didn't 0:22:49.359 --> 0:22:52.320 know her daughter watched us on television. She had no 0:22:52.400 --> 0:22:55.320 idea she'd be at that book signing, But that was 0:22:55.359 --> 0:22:58.480 a turning point. Today they're the best of friends. They 0:22:58.560 --> 0:23:02.960 do everything together. God knows how to turn back time. 0:23:03.520 --> 0:23:06.880 It's not too late for you to have good relationships. 0:23:07.080 --> 0:23:10.080 It's not too late for you to accomplish your dreams. 0:23:10.600 --> 0:23:13.439 God is about to put you at the right place 0:23:13.640 --> 0:23:16.760 at the right time. He's going to make things happen 0:23:17.040 --> 0:23:20.680 that you couldn't make happen that time you lost being 0:23:20.720 --> 0:23:24.040 at odds with people you love. God's about to restore 0:23:24.119 --> 0:23:28.159 those years, that time you spent fighting the illness, not 0:23:28.280 --> 0:23:31.800 able to go to work, not pursuing dreams. God is 0:23:31.840 --> 0:23:34.640 going to turn back time. He's going to make up 0:23:34.840 --> 0:23:37.960 for what should have been yours. The locusts may have 0:23:38.000 --> 0:23:41.399 eaten your harvest, they may have delayed some things. The 0:23:41.440 --> 0:23:44.480 good news is God is going to pay you back. 0:23:44.720 --> 0:23:47.879 He's going to restore those years of harvest that you 0:23:48.000 --> 0:23:51.800 missed out on. One time, Joshua and the Israelites were 0:23:51.840 --> 0:23:55.760 battling five armies. God told Joshua that he was going 0:23:55.800 --> 0:23:59.359 to win. The problem was they were running out of time. 0:24:00.000 --> 0:24:02.800 It was about to get dark, and the enemy forces 0:24:02.800 --> 0:24:06.679 would escape. They could regroup and come against Joshua again. 0:24:07.280 --> 0:24:09.879 He knew he needed to finish them off. He just 0:24:10.040 --> 0:24:14.320 needed more time. But instead of being discouraged thinking it 0:24:14.400 --> 0:24:17.919 was too late, Joshua was bold. He looked up in 0:24:17.960 --> 0:24:22.840 the sky and said, Sun, stand still, Moon, stay where 0:24:22.920 --> 0:24:26.880 you are now. I can imagine people looking at Joshua thinking, 0:24:26.920 --> 0:24:30.199 are you crazy? You think you can stop time. You 0:24:30.240 --> 0:24:33.639 can pause the solar system so you can finish this battle. 0:24:34.240 --> 0:24:37.560 The scripture says, the sun stopped in the middle of 0:24:37.600 --> 0:24:42.560 the sky. It stood still until the Israelites defeated their enemies. 0:24:43.480 --> 0:24:46.000 It may feel like it's too late for you to 0:24:46.080 --> 0:24:49.880 accomplish dreams, too late to get your degree, too late 0:24:49.960 --> 0:24:53.200 to write that book, too late to overcome that obstacle. 0:24:53.600 --> 0:24:56.600 If you just knew back then what you knew now, 0:24:57.000 --> 0:24:59.280 then you would have stayed in school. You would have 0:24:59.359 --> 0:25:02.760 raised the chi differently, you would have started that business 0:25:03.119 --> 0:25:06.520 if you just had more time. God is going to 0:25:06.600 --> 0:25:09.760 do for you what he did for Joshua. He's going 0:25:09.800 --> 0:25:13.320 to freeze time so you can finish what you started. 0:25:13.760 --> 0:25:16.520 He's going to help you accomplish what you could have 0:25:16.600 --> 0:25:20.520 accomplished in an earlier season in life. He's not going 0:25:20.560 --> 0:25:24.360 to let you missed your destiny you're not running out 0:25:24.359 --> 0:25:28.840 of time. Time is on your side because God is 0:25:28.960 --> 0:25:33.439 on your side. He controls time. He's not limited by clock, 0:25:34.080 --> 0:25:38.439 by calendar, by age, by year. This is your chance 0:25:38.680 --> 0:25:41.800 to step up to a new level, your chance to 0:25:41.880 --> 0:25:45.280 break the addiction to go back to school, to make 0:25:45.320 --> 0:25:48.439 your marriage great. God is going to cause you to 0:25:48.520 --> 0:25:52.280 accomplish more in less time. He's going to make you 0:25:52.359 --> 0:25:57.560 more effective, more productive, more focused, more skilled. There's going 0:25:57.600 --> 0:26:00.920 to be a greater favor on your life. Now. Don't 0:26:00.920 --> 0:26:04.000 sit back and think I waited too long, I'm too old, 0:26:04.480 --> 0:26:07.520 I don't have the experience, the training, the discipline. No, 0:26:08.080 --> 0:26:12.000 this is a window, like with Joshua, where God is 0:26:12.040 --> 0:26:14.919 going to freeze time. He's going to give you the 0:26:15.000 --> 0:26:19.720 opportunity to finish what you started. I met a lady 0:26:19.800 --> 0:26:23.160 after the service. She was one hundred and three years old. 0:26:23.640 --> 0:26:26.359 Her mind was as sharp as can be. She had 0:26:26.400 --> 0:26:30.200 a great sense of humor. She told how she promised 0:26:30.200 --> 0:26:33.359 her mother that she would get her college degree, but 0:26:33.440 --> 0:26:36.880 she got married and spent years raising her children. Then 0:26:36.880 --> 0:26:40.080 she worked in an office at this large company. After 0:26:40.119 --> 0:26:43.439 she retired, she was busy with her grandchildren, but in 0:26:43.480 --> 0:26:46.760 the back of her mind It always bothered her that 0:26:46.880 --> 0:26:49.760 she didn't keep her promise. She kept putting it off. 0:26:50.320 --> 0:26:53.720 In her nineties, she started having some health issues after 0:26:53.760 --> 0:26:56.840 spending a couple of months in the hospital. Didn't look 0:26:56.880 --> 0:26:59.840 like she was going to make it, but somehow she recovered. 0:27:00.440 --> 0:27:03.760 When she was released, she told the doctors that she 0:27:03.880 --> 0:27:06.400 was going to go back and get her college degree. 0:27:07.000 --> 0:27:10.200 She spent three years finishing up her degree and at 0:27:10.200 --> 0:27:13.520 one hundred and three, was the oldest person to ever 0:27:13.640 --> 0:27:18.520 graduate from that university. God knows how to freeze things 0:27:18.880 --> 0:27:22.560 until you accomplish what he put in your heart. It 0:27:22.640 --> 0:27:25.960 may feel like you're running out of time, but God 0:27:26.000 --> 0:27:29.320 wouldn't have planned out your days. He wouldn't have given 0:27:29.359 --> 0:27:32.520 you a destiny and then not given you the time 0:27:32.640 --> 0:27:35.840 to fulfill it. It may seem like it's too late, 0:27:36.400 --> 0:27:39.280 you missed your season. If you would have pursued that 0:27:39.400 --> 0:27:42.560 dream twenty years ago, it would have worked. If you 0:27:42.560 --> 0:27:46.200 would have invested in your marriage, your business, your children 0:27:46.440 --> 0:27:50.760 back then, you could have accomplished it. No, there's still time. 0:27:51.400 --> 0:27:53.919 I wonder what would happen if you would do like 0:27:54.040 --> 0:27:59.400 Joshua and say, son, stand still, God, I need more 0:27:59.440 --> 0:28:02.600 time to spend with my children. I didn't know back 0:28:02.640 --> 0:28:05.320 then what I know now. I need more time to 0:28:05.320 --> 0:28:09.920 finish my education, more time to accomplish my dream. God 0:28:10.000 --> 0:28:14.280 gave Joshua an extra day to finish his assignment. God 0:28:14.359 --> 0:28:18.280 said he would restore years that you've lost. You're not 0:28:18.480 --> 0:28:22.439 running out of time. Time is on your side. I 0:28:22.560 --> 0:28:26.879 believe and declare everything God put in your heart will 0:28:26.920 --> 0:28:30.560 come to pass. What the locusts have eaten, all those 0:28:30.640 --> 0:28:33.760 harvests that belong to you are about to show up. 0:28:34.160 --> 0:28:37.360 God is about to restore the years that were stolen. 0:28:37.760 --> 0:28:44.200 You're going to see favor like you've never seen, healing, freedom, breakthroughs, promotion, 0:28:44.720 --> 0:28:49.760 the fullness of your destiny. In Jesus's name, I'd like 0:28:49.840 --> 0:28:52.800 to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord 0:28:52.840 --> 0:28:57.320 of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:28:58.000 --> 0:29:01.760 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:29:01.920 --> 0:29:05.160 make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed that 0:29:05.280 --> 0:29:09.000 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love 0:29:09.040 --> 0:29:11.760 to give you some free information on your new walk 0:29:11.800 --> 0:29:14.320 with the Lord. Just text the number on the screen. 0:29:14.720 --> 0:29:17.160 I hope you'll get into a good Bible based church. 0:29:17.520 --> 0:29:21.239 Keep God first place. Thanks so much for listening to 0:29:21.240 --> 0:29:24.640 today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive 0:29:24.720 --> 0:29:28.200 the latest podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all 0:29:28.240 --> 0:29:28.760 through the week. 0:29:28.920 --> 0:29:31.120 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:31.160 --> 0:29:34.640 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:29:34.720 --> 0:29:37.320 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:29:37.440 --> 0:29:37.959 us today. 0:29:38.200 --> 0:29:40.640 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:40.720 --> 0:29:43.520 be sure to follow us on social media. 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