Your Move When Life's Unfair

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Download the uns stap and use the 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:20.840 code I heeart fifty at sign up to receive a 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.400 fifty dollars bonus when you find your account. That's code 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.400 iHeart fifty when you sign up at unest dot co 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.319 for a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:30.120 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.200 Nothing that's happened to you is a surprise to God. 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:36.920 He wouldn't have allowed it if it was going to 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:41.080 stop your purpose. You may have gone through lass things 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:44.080 that are not fair, but what you need to fulfill 0:01:44.120 --> 0:01:47.319 your purpose is not in what you've lost. It's in 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:50.920 what you have left. Take the hand you bendel and 0:01:50.960 --> 0:01:54.400 make the most of it. Hi, this is Jolan Victoria. 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:57.400 Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 0:01:57.480 --> 0:02:00.480 the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:02.600 be a blessing and share it with a friend. We 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:06.040 appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. 0:02:08.639 --> 0:02:11.520 Well God, bless you. It's great to be with you today, 0:02:11.600 --> 0:02:14.200 and I hope you'll stay connected with us during the 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:18.120 week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media. 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:21.760 We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. I like to start 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:24.760 with something funny, and I heard about this man. He 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:28.520 was the only Protestant in a large Catholic neighborhood, and 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:32.440 every Friday during Lent, while his neighbors were eating cold fish, 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:36.040 he was grilling a steak in his backyard. They couldn't 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:39.880 stand the temptation decided to try to convert him to Catholicism. 0:02:40.160 --> 0:02:44.399 He finally agreed. A priest came over sprinkled water on him, said, 0:02:44.440 --> 0:02:46.800 you were born a Baptist, you were raised a Baptist, 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:49.840 but now you're a Catholic. The next year, on the 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:53.200 first Friday of Lent, they smelled the same smell. They 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:56.600 rushed his house. He was in his backyard sprinkling water 0:02:56.680 --> 0:02:59.160 over his steak. Said you were born a cow, you 0:02:59.200 --> 0:03:03.040 were raised a cow, but now you're a fish. Say 0:03:03.120 --> 0:03:06.280 it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:08.640 am what it says I am, I have what it 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:11.040 says I have. I can do what it says I 0:03:11.040 --> 0:03:14.120 can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. 0:03:14.480 --> 0:03:18.880 I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:19.160 --> 0:03:22.800 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:26.440 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:26.560 --> 0:03:31.280 your move. When life's unfair, we all go through disappointments, 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:34.720 things that don't make sense. Friend walked out on you. 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:38.080 Are you were overlooked for a promotion. You came down 0:03:38.120 --> 0:03:40.840 with an illness. I talked to a young lady that 0:03:41.160 --> 0:03:44.120 grew up in a home filled with abuse. Nobody was 0:03:44.160 --> 0:03:46.720 there to guide her. The people that should have been 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:50.320 helping her were doing just the opposite. She didn't understand 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:54.119 why she was raised in such hurt and dysfunction. It's 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:57.840 easy to let what's unfair be an excuse to not 0:03:57.960 --> 0:04:02.760 pursue our destiny. Can't be successful. I had a rough childhood. 0:04:03.280 --> 0:04:06.440 I'll never be happy. I lost a loved one. Can't 0:04:06.440 --> 0:04:10.640 accomplish my dream. Joey, the pandemic slowed me down. Company 0:04:10.720 --> 0:04:14.240 let me go. I didn't get the scholarship. Here's the key. 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:17.760 It's not your fault that you got knocked down, but 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:22.360 it is your responsibility to get back up. That was wrong, 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:25.240 that they hurt you. That wasn't fair that you went 0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:28.440 through the injustice, that wasn't right that they walked away. 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:32.520 I'm not lessening what you've been through. I'm not excusing 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:35.680 their behavior, but I am telling you you have to 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:40.000 get back up. Your move when unfair things happen is 0:04:40.040 --> 0:04:43.360 to go forward in faith, trusting that God will make 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:46.320 it up to you. Because it's tempting to stay down, 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:50.280 live bitter, give up on your dreams. After all, you 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:53.640 have a good excuse. You may have a reason, but 0:04:53.680 --> 0:04:56.559 you don't have a right. God still has a great 0:04:56.600 --> 0:05:00.279 purpose in front of you. He saw what happened, He 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:04.240 saw what they did, who left you out, what you lost. 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:07.039 He said he would pay you back double for the 0:05:07.200 --> 0:05:10.680 unfair things. He said he has beauty for those ashes. 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.200 There's something you have to do, though. Can't sit around 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:18.400 in defeat, nursing your wounds. Why did this happen to me? 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:22.239 Don't put a question mark where God has put a period. 0:05:23.080 --> 0:05:26.239 Part of faith is trusting when life doesn't make sense. 0:05:27.000 --> 0:05:30.920 We're never going to understand everything that happens. You can't 0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:35.320 let one betrayal, one divorce, one bad season soured the 0:05:35.360 --> 0:05:38.800 rest of your life. I know it wasn't fair. I 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:41.960 know it was painful. It wasn't your fault. But you 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:45.840 can't stop there. You have a responsibility to get back up. 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:50.760 That means quit reliving the hurts, quit thinking about what 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:53.840 they did, quit believing the lies that you've seen your 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:57.039 best days. God knows how to make it up to you. 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:00.560 When he sees you moving forward and you could be 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:04.360 sitting in defeat. You're praising when you could be complaining. 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:08.000 You have a smile when you could be depressed. You'll 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:10.960 being good to someone even though you've been through hurts. 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:13.720 You better get ready. God is going to show out 0:06:13.760 --> 0:06:17.760 in your life. You will see greater favor Because of 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:21.919 the unfair things the enemy minute for harm, God is 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:25.359 going to turn it to your advantage. Men told me 0:06:25.440 --> 0:06:29.279 recently about how his business partner didn't keep his word 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:32.839 and left him with all this debt. Now his business 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:35.320 is struggling to make it, and he was so down. 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:38.640 He said, Joe, this man has ruined my credit. It's 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:43.160 damaged my reputation. He took my main clients. He's basically 0:06:43.240 --> 0:06:47.760 ruined my life. It's okay to feel hurt, to feel wrong, 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:51.960 to feel violated. God made us with feelings. I'm not 0:06:52.000 --> 0:06:55.599 saying you have to be superman, never feel anything. But 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:58.080 if you're going to see the beauty for the ashes, 0:06:58.480 --> 0:07:00.240 if you're going to see God pay you bad back 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:03.400 for the wrongs, at some point you have to rule 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:07.839 over those feelings, get your passion back, and start moving forward. 0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:11.200 If you use it as an excuse, it will keep 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:14.520 you from your purpose. On the other side of the 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:18.480 excuse is a new level of your destiny. If that 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:22.480 person that did you wrong could in fact ruin your life, 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:26.560 they would be more powerful than God. That's not possible. 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:30.840 The bad break, the injustice, the lass did not stop 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:34.520 God's plan for your life. Wasn't your fault that you 0:07:34.600 --> 0:07:38.160 got knocked down, but it is your responsibility to get 0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:41.840 back up. The way you move forward in faith is 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:44.800 knowing that God is working all things for your good. 0:07:45.720 --> 0:07:48.320 May not have been good, it was unfair, it was hurtful, 0:07:48.520 --> 0:07:50.600 but God knows how to turn it for your good. 0:07:51.520 --> 0:07:54.480 He's not going to leave your life in a broken place, 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:58.920 in a damaged place, in an unjust place. That may 0:07:58.960 --> 0:08:03.040 be the reason you are where you are. That's your explanation, 0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:07.920 but don't make it your excuse. Have a new perspective. Yes, 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:11.160 I had some bad breaks, that's why my business is down. 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:14.480 But this is not how my story ends. I went 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:17.440 through a loss. It was painful, but I know we've 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:19.800 been endors for a night, but joy is coming in 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:22.960 the morning. I had a lot of dysfunction going up, 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:25.640 didn't get off to a good start, but I know 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:28.720 my latter days will be better than my former days. 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:33.240 Nothing that's happened to you is a surprise to God. 0:08:33.920 --> 0:08:35.960 He wouldn't have allowed it if it was going to 0:08:35.960 --> 0:08:40.120 stop your purpose. You may have gone through loss things 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:43.120 that are not fair, but what you need to fulfill 0:08:43.160 --> 0:08:46.400 your purpose is not in what you've lost. It's in 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:49.520 what you have left. Take the hands you've been dell 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:53.280 and make the most of it. First Samuel, chapter thirty, 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:56.319 David and his men were living in the city of 0:08:56.440 --> 0:09:00.240 ziglag they'd been on a mission for several days. When 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:03.800 they were returning home, they noticed smoke billowing in the 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:07.600 air from the direction of Ziglagon. They picked up the pace, 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:11.880 worried that something was wrong. As they got closer, their 0:09:11.920 --> 0:09:15.880 worst fears came true, and malachite bandits had come in 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:19.920 and raided the city. They kidnapped all their wives and children, 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:24.240 stole all their possessions, and burned down their houses. It 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:28.160 was the worst defeat that David had ever suffered. Here 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:31.600 he was out doing the right thing, protecting God's people, 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:35.320 and his whole world fell apart. The scripture says he 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:39.000 and his men wept until they could not weep anymore. 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:43.240 If that wasn't bad enough, David's men were so upset 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:48.040 they started blaming David. They talked about stoning him. It 0:09:48.080 --> 0:09:50.880 wasn't fair that David was doing the right thing, but 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:54.160 the wrong thing happened. It wasn't fair that his possessions 0:09:54.200 --> 0:09:57.720 were stolen, his family was taken, his men were turning 0:09:57.760 --> 0:10:01.600 on him. But God doesn't promise us that life will 0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:04.400 always be fair. He doesn't say if you do the 0:10:04.480 --> 0:10:08.199 right thing, the wrong thing will never happen. Life happens 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:11.640 to us all. It's what we do in these unfair 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:15.560 times that determine whether we get stuck and let it 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:18.360 sour the rest of our lives, or whether we move 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:22.040 forward and see God make it up to us. David 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:25.240 was at a critical point. He could have been bitter. God, 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:28.280 I don't understand it. How could you let this happen? 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:32.319 If he would have stayed in a defeated mindset. This 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:35.280 would be the last we hear of David. But he 0:10:35.360 --> 0:10:38.360 understood this principle. It wasn't his fault that he got 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:41.920 knocked down, he had no control over that, but it 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:46.240 was his responsibility to get back up. He knew if 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:50.520 he stayed in the ashes, reliving his defeat, feeling sorry 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:54.840 for himself, it would keep him from his destiny. And yes, 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:58.160 he had a good explanation for why he was down. 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:01.720 Nobody would have disagree read if he'd have given up 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:05.600 on his dreams, faded off into the sunset. But he 0:11:05.679 --> 0:11:10.640 didn't let his explanation become his excuse. I would have 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:13.880 been a great king, but man, we got attacked at Ziglag. 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:16.959 I would have left my mark, but these people did 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:19.640 me wrong. I would have been a hero of faith, 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:23.240 but these unfair things happened to me. No, on the 0:11:23.280 --> 0:11:27.400 other side of that excuse is expansion. There's a new 0:11:27.520 --> 0:11:30.280 level of your destiny. Are you going to stick with 0:11:30.320 --> 0:11:33.080 the excuse or are you going to see the expansion? 0:11:33.960 --> 0:11:38.120 It depends on if you take responsibility and get back 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:41.360 up when you get knocked down. Now I know it 0:11:41.400 --> 0:11:44.600 wasn't fair. I know they did you wrong. You don't 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:48.840 understand it. Leave that all in God's hands. Just do 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:52.240 your part. Get your passion back, get your faith back, 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:56.400 get your dreams back. This is what made David a champion. 0:11:56.800 --> 0:11:59.439 Not that he didn't have injustice, not that he never 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:03.360 had bad rakes, things that weren't fair, people that did 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:07.240 him wrong. He knew how to get back up. He 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:11.240 dried his tears, he shook off the defeated mindset, told 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:15.160 his men get up, We're going to go attack the enemy. 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:18.480 He didn't stay on the defensive, thinking that he's seen 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:21.880 his best days. His attitude was, I have a destiny 0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:25.719 to fulfill. This bad break didn't stop my purpose. I 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:29.040 know that God will make it up to me. And 0:12:29.080 --> 0:12:32.520 that's how you move forward when it's unfair. Not looking 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:36.040 to people, not hoping your boss will feel sorry for you, 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:38.720 not counting on your friend to make it up to you. 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:42.760 Look up to your creator, Look up to the most High. 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:46.320 He's the one that has beauty for the ashes. He's 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:48.800 the one that can bring you out better than you were. 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:52.880 Before David and his men headed out, they didn't know 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:56.679 where the Amalakites were, but along the way they found 0:12:56.760 --> 0:12:59.679 a man that was very sick. They gave him food 0:12:59.720 --> 0:13:03.240 and and ask who he was. He said he was 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:06.760 a slave of the Amalekites. They had left him behind. 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:10.000 He was too weak to travel. David said, tell me 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:13.160 where they are and I'll spare your life. He led 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:17.320 them straight to the Amalekites camp. God knows how to 0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:20.400 put the right people in your path. He knows how 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:23.160 to get you to where you're supposed to be. The 0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:28.439 Amalekites were having a big party celebrating the victory. Sometimes 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:32.120 the enemy celebrates too soon. Don't worry if you see 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:36.800 them celebrating. God is not finished. David and his men attacked. 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:42.280 The scripture says they recovered everything they had lost. All 0:13:42.360 --> 0:13:45.880 their wives and children were unharmed. They got all their 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:49.880 possessions back. Not only that, they gathered up all the 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:54.600 spoils from the Amalekites. That's what happens when you don't 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:58.960 let an injustice, a bad break, a loss, cause you 0:13:59.000 --> 0:14:03.080 to get discouraged and settled where you are. What stops 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:05.640 us many times is we have a good reason to 0:14:05.679 --> 0:14:08.880 be sour, a good reason to give up on our dreams. 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:13.439 Had a bad childhood person walked away the company let 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:16.840 us go. Wasn't our fault that we got knocked down. 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:20.680 I understand that, But what I'm saying is it is 0:14:20.720 --> 0:14:24.600 your responsibility to get back up. We wouldn't be talking 0:14:24.640 --> 0:14:28.040 about David if he'd use that bad break as an excuse. 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:32.800 He was honoring God. He was not taking revenge against 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:36.080 King Saul. He didn't get bitter when his family left 0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:40.400 him out. Would have been different if he is slacking off, compromising, 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:44.080 doing whatever he felt like. But he was being his best, 0:14:44.520 --> 0:14:47.960 a person of integrity, yet the bottom fell out. That's 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:50.680 a test. Are you going to let it be an 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:54.440 excuse that keeps you from your greatness? Or you're going 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:56.920 to get back up knowing that God is still on 0:14:56.960 --> 0:15:00.360 the throne, that he has good plans for you. What 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:03.680 tried to stop you was only setting you up for 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:09.800 something greater. Three days after David's biggest defeat, three days 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:13.640 after he lost everything, he not only recovered at all, 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:17.080 but King Saul was killed in a battle, and David 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:21.520 was made keen. When you face your biggest battles, the 0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:25.760 most unfair, unjust, that's a sign that you're close to 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:32.000 seeing your greatest victories, your biggest accomplishments, your most rewarding relationships. 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:35.880 The enemy always fights you the hardest when he knows 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:39.920 you're close to a new level of your destiny. Now, 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:44.080 don't settle where you are reliving to hert thinking about 0:15:44.120 --> 0:15:47.960 what didn't work out. God where were you? God never 0:15:48.040 --> 0:15:51.520 left you. He's been right by your side. That's how 0:15:51.560 --> 0:15:55.600 you made it through. My question is not was it unfair? 0:15:56.160 --> 0:15:58.600 Did they do you wrong? Where you left out? We 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:02.080 all agreed that it wasn't right that you got knocked down. 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:06.080 My question is are you getting back up and see? 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:10.480 It's not your responsibility to fix everything, to straighten them out, 0:16:10.880 --> 0:16:13.720 to prove that you're okay. Leave that up to God. 0:16:14.120 --> 0:16:17.760 Your part is to simply move forward in faith, not 0:16:17.960 --> 0:16:22.440 looking back, not letting excuses keep it from dreaming again, 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:26.040 not bitter over what didn't work out. You know it's 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:29.680 all in God's hands. You trust that He's working all 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:34.480 things for your good. All things means the unfair things, 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:38.080 the things you had no control over. You were doing 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:41.720 the right thing and the wrong thing happen. All things 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:45.360 are the betrayals, the times you were left out, the 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:48.480 times they said something that sets you back. You didn't 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:52.520 get the promotion your family member didn't make It wasn't fair, 0:16:52.880 --> 0:16:56.320 it didn't make sense. But you got back up. You're 0:16:56.360 --> 0:16:59.880 moving forward. Like with David, You're going to see God 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:03.880 show out in your life. He's going to do something unusual, 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:07.639 out of the ordinary, that catapulted you to a new level. 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:12.639 In the nineteen fifties, my father was pastoring a thriving church. 0:17:13.119 --> 0:17:16.119 They just built a beautiful new sanctuary. He was on 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:20.200 the state board for his denomination. His future looked very bright. 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:23.800 Then my sister Lisa was born with something like cerebral 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:27.320 Paul's in The doctors told my parents she would probably 0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:31.359 need constant care. My father went to a hotel downtown 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:34.680 for a few days to be alone and study the scripture, 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:39.119 and he told how he took off his denominational glasses 0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:41.679 and he read the Bible like he was reading it 0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:45.159 for the first time. He saw how Jesus went around 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:49.119 healing people, how he was a god of miracles. He 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:51.719 came back to his church with his new message of 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:55.000 faith and victory. He thought they would be so excited, 0:17:55.560 --> 0:17:59.120 but it was just the opposite. Didn't fit into their tradition. 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:03.360 There was so much divisiveness that my father ended up 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:07.240 having to lead the church. He was devastated. He and 0:18:07.320 --> 0:18:10.240 my mother had poured their heart and soul into those 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:14.240 people for years, and now it was all gone. My 0:18:14.359 --> 0:18:17.760 mother had lifelong friends that never spoke to her again. 0:18:18.600 --> 0:18:20.960 When you come to these places that are not fair, 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:25.440 it's a critical time. It's easy to get bitter, give 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:28.560 up on life. Let that be excused to never do 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:32.200 anything great. You have to dig down deep, say God, 0:18:32.240 --> 0:18:35.320 this is painful, it doesn't make sense, but I know 0:18:35.600 --> 0:18:38.720 you're still in control. You wouldn't have allowed it if 0:18:38.760 --> 0:18:41.439 you didn't have a purpose for it. Was it my 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:45.440 father's fault that he got knocked down. That was an injustice, 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:49.720 but it was his responsibility to get back up. He 0:18:49.760 --> 0:18:52.600 and my mother went out and started Lakewood on Mother's 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:57.120 Day nineteen fifty nine with ninety people. They just come 0:18:57.160 --> 0:19:00.360 from this big, beautiful sanctuary. Now they were in an 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:05.280 old Rundown feed store, had holes in the floor, cracks 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:08.760 in the ceiling, beat up chairs. You have to take 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:11.560 the hand you've been dealt and make the most of it. 0:19:12.040 --> 0:19:14.959 Your destiny is not in what you've lost, but in 0:19:15.000 --> 0:19:19.720 what you have left. Anything you've lost, you didn't need 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:26.160 to become who you were created to be friendships, people, contracts, opportunities. 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:29.320 If you lost it, don't sweat it. What you have 0:19:29.560 --> 0:19:32.200 left is what God is going to use to take 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:36.679 you into your purpose. My parents they lost the big, 0:19:36.920 --> 0:19:41.400 prestigious sanctuary. You would think they'd be limited. All they 0:19:41.400 --> 0:19:44.640 had was this old feed store. But God will take 0:19:44.760 --> 0:19:48.000 what you have left, breathe on it, and it will multiply. 0:19:49.040 --> 0:19:51.840 All you may have is five loaves and two fish. 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:55.280 The disciples asked, what is this among so many? But 0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:58.640 when God breathes on it, when he favors you, when 0:19:58.640 --> 0:20:01.600 he vindicates you, when He what stores you, the little 0:20:01.720 --> 0:20:07.199 will become much. New, doors will open, Opportunities will find you. 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:11.080 The right people will show up. God is not limited 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:14.840 by what you lost. You have what you need to flourish, 0:20:15.240 --> 0:20:21.040 to blossom, to succeed, to do something awesome. Those ninety members, 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:24.880 over time turned into nine hundred and then nine thousand. 0:20:25.520 --> 0:20:28.760 That old feed store was replaced by a larger sanctuary, 0:20:28.800 --> 0:20:32.320 then a larger and another larger. People said Lakewood would 0:20:32.359 --> 0:20:35.119 never make it. But here we are sixty three years 0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:39.159 later in the former compact center. Still go and stall. 0:20:40.880 --> 0:20:44.000 Who knows where God is going to take you and 0:20:44.080 --> 0:20:48.119 your children, if you'll just get back up again. In 0:20:48.160 --> 0:20:51.480 the scripture, God told Samuel to anoint a young man 0:20:51.560 --> 0:20:55.000 named Saul to be the first king of Israel. Saul 0:20:55.160 --> 0:20:59.000 wasn't trained in leadership. He didn't come from an influential family. 0:21:00.080 --> 0:21:04.120 See Samuel taking Saul under his wing and encouraging him, 0:21:04.240 --> 0:21:08.359 training him, giving him advice, counsel. He wanted him to 0:21:08.400 --> 0:21:12.600 succeed so badly, and Saul started off good, he was 0:21:12.640 --> 0:21:16.080 making the right decisions. Over time, he got off course, 0:21:16.400 --> 0:21:20.680 started compromising, and he lost the kingdom. God told Samuel, 0:21:20.920 --> 0:21:24.600 I regret that I ever made Saul king. You can 0:21:24.680 --> 0:21:27.800 imagine how Samuel must have felt. He had poured his 0:21:27.960 --> 0:21:31.080 time and energy into Saul. Now it seemed like it 0:21:31.119 --> 0:21:33.960 was all a waste. He was so focused on what 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:37.600 he had lost, what didn't work out, wondering why Saul 0:21:37.680 --> 0:21:41.880 didn't do better. God said to Samuel, how long are 0:21:41.880 --> 0:21:45.439 you going to mourn over Saul? Like Samuel, you may 0:21:45.520 --> 0:21:48.399 have done your best. You gave it your heart and soul, 0:21:48.640 --> 0:21:52.679 but you didn't get the position. The relationship didn't make it, 0:21:53.040 --> 0:21:56.920 the business didn't succeed. God is saying to you, how 0:21:56.960 --> 0:21:59.760 long are you going to mourn? Over what you lost, 0:22:00.280 --> 0:22:04.320 over what didn't work out, over what wasn't fair. God 0:22:04.359 --> 0:22:07.679 told Samuel, fill your horn with oil and be on 0:22:07.720 --> 0:22:10.879 your way, for I had chosen another king for you 0:22:10.960 --> 0:22:14.760 to anoint. God was saying, Samuel, you're focused on what 0:22:14.800 --> 0:22:18.560 you've lost. Yes, it wasn't fair, it wasn't your fault, 0:22:18.880 --> 0:22:22.000 but your destiny is not in what you lost, it's 0:22:22.040 --> 0:22:26.040 in what you have left. It's significant that after King 0:22:26.119 --> 0:22:30.440 Saul was rejected after Samuel's first choice didn't work out, 0:22:31.000 --> 0:22:34.520 his next choice would be David, the greatest king that 0:22:34.600 --> 0:22:38.680 ever lived. If you'll stop mourning over what you've lost, 0:22:38.960 --> 0:22:43.080 then like Samuel, you'll come into something greater, something better, 0:22:43.480 --> 0:22:48.280 something more fulfilling than you've ever imagined. My friend Dan 0:22:48.800 --> 0:22:51.600 was one of my baseball coaches growing up in such 0:22:51.640 --> 0:22:55.040 a fine man. I was good friends with his son, Danny. 0:22:55.240 --> 0:22:58.199 When we were in our late teens, Dan's wife of 0:22:58.240 --> 0:23:02.200 many years was diagnosed with a serious illness. We all 0:23:02.240 --> 0:23:05.360 prayed and believed, we stood in faith, but she went 0:23:05.400 --> 0:23:08.720 to be with the Lord. Den was devastated. They had 0:23:08.800 --> 0:23:12.560 been married for many years, had several beautiful children. She 0:23:12.720 --> 0:23:15.359 was the love of his life and it didn't seem 0:23:15.400 --> 0:23:17.840 fair that she was taken at such a young age. 0:23:18.359 --> 0:23:21.800 Wasn't Den's fault that he got knocked down. They're good people, 0:23:22.240 --> 0:23:25.639 they love God, they help others. But when we go 0:23:25.760 --> 0:23:30.520 through loss, it is our responsibility to get back up. Yes, 0:23:30.560 --> 0:23:33.159 there's a time for mourning, but you can't let a 0:23:33.280 --> 0:23:37.720 season of mourning turn into a lifetime of mourning. Den 0:23:37.800 --> 0:23:40.800 was retired from the phone company, and instead of sitting 0:23:40.800 --> 0:23:45.080 around the house depressed thinking about what he'd lost, he 0:23:45.119 --> 0:23:47.960 would go to the funerals where my father was doing 0:23:47.960 --> 0:23:52.399 the ceremony. Nobody asked him to. He didn't know the people, 0:23:52.880 --> 0:23:56.639 but his attitude was I've been through what you're going through. 0:23:57.200 --> 0:23:59.560 I can encourage you. I can let you know that 0:23:59.560 --> 0:24:02.520 you're going to make it. He got knocked down, but 0:24:02.600 --> 0:24:05.760 he didn't stay down. My father noticed him at all 0:24:05.800 --> 0:24:09.080 the funerals. He asked Dan to come on staff and 0:24:09.160 --> 0:24:12.320 lead the comfort ministry that helps those that are going 0:24:12.359 --> 0:24:15.400 through laws. A few years later, Dan met a beautiful 0:24:15.440 --> 0:24:19.240 young lady named Shirley. They've been happily married for many years. 0:24:19.359 --> 0:24:23.200 Seeing God's blessing and favor still serving here at Lakewood. 0:24:24.680 --> 0:24:27.720 I can't promise you that you won't get knocked down 0:24:27.760 --> 0:24:30.680 in life, that there won't be times when it's not fair. 0:24:31.119 --> 0:24:34.080 But I can promise you, if you'll get back up, 0:24:34.359 --> 0:24:36.960 God will give you beauty for the ashes. He will 0:24:37.000 --> 0:24:41.000 pay you back for the wrongs. When David was a teenager, 0:24:41.600 --> 0:24:44.920 the prophet Samuel came to his house to anoint one 0:24:44.960 --> 0:24:49.359 of Jesse's sons as the next king of Israel. His father, Jesse, 0:24:50.200 --> 0:24:53.359 didn't call David in from the shepherd's fields. He thought 0:24:53.440 --> 0:24:57.719 David was too young, not talented enough. David had to 0:24:57.760 --> 0:25:04.000 deal with rejection, betrayal, ridiculed. Even after Samuel anointed him, 0:25:04.200 --> 0:25:07.520 David went back to the shepherd's fields. She never read 0:25:07.560 --> 0:25:11.840 where David complained he slacked off, talked badly about his father. 0:25:12.600 --> 0:25:15.240 He kept being his best when no one was watching. 0:25:16.320 --> 0:25:19.040 Wasn't fair that his own father didn't believe in him. 0:25:19.720 --> 0:25:22.600 Wasn't fair that his brothers made fun of him when 0:25:22.640 --> 0:25:25.600 he took them lunch on the battlefield. Wasn't fair that 0:25:25.680 --> 0:25:28.879 he was left out in the shepherd's fields. But David 0:25:29.000 --> 0:25:32.680 understood this principle. He just kept getting back up, doing 0:25:32.720 --> 0:25:36.399 the right thing. He knew. No person, no bad break, 0:25:36.640 --> 0:25:40.879 no injustice, could keep him from his destiny. King Saul 0:25:40.960 --> 0:25:44.560 suffered from bouts of depression, and his staff told him 0:25:44.560 --> 0:25:48.440 that when these attacks came, he needed someone to play music. 0:25:48.680 --> 0:25:51.760 It would help him feel better. Saul agreed and asked 0:25:51.800 --> 0:25:54.480 them to find someone. They said, we know a young 0:25:54.520 --> 0:25:58.120 man named David. He's the son of Jesse. He's excellent 0:25:58.160 --> 0:26:01.320 in playing the heart and the scripture says that Saul 0:26:01.400 --> 0:26:04.880 sent a message to Jesse saying, send me your son, 0:26:05.000 --> 0:26:08.960 David the Shepherd. He didn't send it to David. He 0:26:09.080 --> 0:26:12.160 sent it to Jesse, the very one that left him out, 0:26:12.680 --> 0:26:16.640 the very one that discounted him. People may overlook you, 0:26:16.920 --> 0:26:19.960 but God sees you. They may push you down, but 0:26:20.080 --> 0:26:22.680 God will lift you up. They may leave you out, 0:26:22.800 --> 0:26:26.399 but God will call you. In. Imagine Jesse here in 0:26:26.440 --> 0:26:30.120 a knock on his door. He answers in his officials 0:26:30.240 --> 0:26:35.080 standing before him from the palace, dressed in royal uniforms, horses, 0:26:35.200 --> 0:26:38.800 chariots outside. Jesse thinks, what in the world are they 0:26:38.800 --> 0:26:41.480 doing at my house? Did I do something wrong? Am 0:26:41.520 --> 0:26:45.680 I in trouble? The official says, the King wants your 0:26:45.720 --> 0:26:48.760 son David to come work for him in the palace. 0:26:49.520 --> 0:26:52.720 Jesse nearly passed out. He thought, David, the one I 0:26:52.720 --> 0:26:56.240 didn't think would amount to much. God knows how to 0:26:56.320 --> 0:26:59.720 vindicate you. He knows how to make up for the wrongs. 0:27:00.600 --> 0:27:03.800 Someone may have put you at a disadvantage, but people 0:27:03.880 --> 0:27:07.960 don't have the final say. Don't let an excuse keep 0:27:07.960 --> 0:27:11.320 you from going to the palace. They never give me credit, 0:27:11.840 --> 0:27:15.320 they overlooked me, they did me wrong. They can't stop 0:27:15.400 --> 0:27:20.040 your destiny. Quit mourning over what you've lost. Who wasn't 0:27:20.080 --> 0:27:23.880 for you, what wasn't fair. God sees it, He knows 0:27:23.920 --> 0:27:27.760 what's happening. If you'll move forward in faith, the right 0:27:27.840 --> 0:27:31.760 people will come looking for you. Opportunity will come tracking 0:27:31.840 --> 0:27:36.080 you down. Promotion will come knocking on your door. It's 0:27:36.119 --> 0:27:38.639 not your fault that they weren't for you. It's not 0:27:38.720 --> 0:27:41.520 your fault that you had bad breaks. But it is 0:27:41.560 --> 0:27:45.879 your responsibility to get back up. What you've been through 0:27:46.359 --> 0:27:50.040 may be your explanation as to why you are where 0:27:50.080 --> 0:27:53.199 you are, but don't let it be your excuse to 0:27:53.240 --> 0:27:56.480 stay where you are. This is a new day. God 0:27:56.560 --> 0:27:59.080 is doing a new thing. He's about to pay you 0:27:59.160 --> 0:28:02.480 back for what was. He's about to open doors you 0:28:02.560 --> 0:28:05.639 never dreamed would open. The best part of your life 0:28:05.720 --> 0:28:08.440 is still in front of you. Now here's the key. 0:28:08.880 --> 0:28:12.720 The enemy would love for you to get stuck focused 0:28:12.720 --> 0:28:15.879 on your hurts, what they did, what you didn't get. 0:28:16.200 --> 0:28:19.440 Don't fall into that trap. Your move when life is 0:28:19.560 --> 0:28:23.399 unfair is to go forward in faith, knowing that God 0:28:23.480 --> 0:28:25.840 is still on the throne, that He's going to work 0:28:25.840 --> 0:28:28.680 it all out for your good. If you'll do this, 0:28:29.119 --> 0:28:33.040 I believe and declare, like with David, God is going 0:28:33.080 --> 0:28:35.840 to promote you in front of people to try to 0:28:35.880 --> 0:28:38.720 hold you back. Like with my father, out of that 0:28:38.800 --> 0:28:41.960 rejection is going to come new levels of your destiny. 0:28:42.720 --> 0:28:45.640 Like with Samuel. Saul may not have worked out, but 0:28:45.640 --> 0:28:48.120 it's going to open the door to David to something 0:28:48.160 --> 0:28:52.320 better than you've imagined. In Jesus' name, and if you 0:28:52.360 --> 0:28:56.840 receive it, can you say amen, I'd like to give 0:28:56.880 --> 0:29:00.200 you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:29:00.440 --> 0:29:04.560 Would you pray with me? Just say Lord, Jesus, I'll 0:29:04.600 --> 0:29:09.720 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I'll make 0:29:09.760 --> 0:29:13.800 you my lord and savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, 0:29:13.880 --> 0:29:16.800 we believe you got born again. We love to send 0:29:16.840 --> 0:29:19.360 you some free information on your new Walk with the Lord. 0:29:19.480 --> 0:29:21.320 You can text the number on the screen or go 0:29:21.360 --> 0:29:24.200 to the website. I hope you'll get into a good 0:29:24.280 --> 0:29:28.040 Bible based church and keep God first place. Thanks so 0:29:28.120 --> 0:29:31.480 much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe 0:29:31.640 --> 0:29:34.360 so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you 0:29:34.440 --> 0:29:37.240 encouraged and inspired all through the week. Help us to 0:29:37.280 --> 0:29:39.640 continue to share the message of hope with those all 0:29:39.680 --> 0:29:40.480 around the world. 0:29:40.800 --> 0:29:43.560 Visit Joelosting dot com or click the link in the 0:29:43.600 --> 0:29:45.760 description to partner with us today. 0:29:46.000 --> 0:29:48.480 WE hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:48.560 --> 0:29:51.360 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:51.440 --> 0:29:54.520 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:29:54.560 --> 0:29:55.360 see you next time.