Joel Osteen - Upstream Blessings (07/23/2023)
Joel Osteen explains that God often works upstream, setting miracles in motion the moment we pray, as promised in Isaiah 45:2 where He goes ahead to make crooked places straight, illustrated by the priests at the Jordan River in Joshua 3 whose faith allowed upstream damming of waters to reach them. He urges upstream faith—believing despite no visible change—concluding that staying expectant and praising will bring delayed blessings downstream in God’s perfect timing.
God Is Already Working Upstream!
I want to talk to you today about upstream blessings. We all have situations where we are praying and believing, but we do not see anything happening. Our health is not improving, the child is not turning around, we have not met the right person. It is easy to get discouraged and think that God did not hear us. Maybe it is not meant to be.
But what you cannot see is God is working upstream. He said in Isaiah 45:2, «I will go ahead of you and make crooked places straight.»
The Miracle Started When You Prayed
There are things he has already done. The moment you prayed he set the miracle into motion; he lined up the healing, the right person, the breaks you need. Now, the key is you have to stay in faith until those upstream blessings make it down to you.
Thoughts will tell you, «It is never going to happen. Nothing is changing. Do not get your hopes up.» Do not get talked out of it. If you are going to see upstream blessings, you have to have upstream faith. «I am not moved by what I see; I know God is working; I know things have changed in my favor; I know the answer is on the way.»
If you have that kind of attitude, it is just a matter of time before you see what God has done upstream.
Joshua’s Test at the Swollen Jordan
This is what Joshua had to do. Moses had just died, and now he was leading the Israelites toward the Promised Land. They were camped at the Jordan River. They needed to cross, but it was harvest season; the Jordan was overflowing its banks, was nearly a mile across. The current was strong; it was so forceful there was no way.
God told Joshua to tell the priests to take the Ark of the Covenant—that represented the presence of God—and to walk into the Jordan River. This was the first test of Joshua’s leadership. Two million Israelites were watching with great anticipation, believing that these waters were going to part like the Red Sea.
When Nothing Happened—Yet
The priests were walking slowly toward the banks; people praying and believing, «God, let it happen.» As they got closer and closer, it was more and more intense—this incredible drama. Finally, their feet touched the water—this big moment—and… nothing happened! Everything looked just the same!
They went in ankle deep—nothing. Knee deep—still nothing. What do you do when you have done the right thing, but it does not work out? You took steps of faith, you prayed, you went the extra mile, but the waters did not part, you did not get the contract, your health did not improve, the problem has not resolved?
The Miracle Happened 20 Miles Away
That is where Joshua was. He could have thought, «God, where are you? Why is it not parting? I did what you said; I sent the priests in.» I can hear people whispering, «We are never going to cross this river. Joshua is sure not like Moses; he does not have it.» They did not see any sign of things changing; nothing looked any different; the river was still swollen; the current just as strong.
But the scripture says (Joshua 3:15–16), «The moment the feet of the priests touched the water at the river’s edge, the water began piling up at a town upstream called Adam.» Adam was 20 miles from where they were. The miracle had happened; they just could not see it yet.
It’s Just a Matter of Time
Twenty miles upstream God had dammed up the waters; he stopped the flow. It was just a matter of time before the Israelites would see the effects of what God had already done upstream. The priests stood in the water, waited and waited… I can imagine after a couple of hours all the Israelites were standing there kind of disappointed, thinking they were stuck.
One of them said, «Is it my imagination or is the current not as strong? It does not look like it is flowing as fast.» Others spoke up and said, «I think you are right; it does not look as swollen as it was. I think it is going down a little.» It kept getting slower and slower, less and less water, until finally the whole riverbed was dry. The Israelites were able to walk across.
Upstream Blessings Are Already Yours
Like with them, there are things God has done in your life upstream. He has already taken care of what you are worried about; it is already dammed up—those waters stopped the sickness, broken the addiction, lined up the right person. Now you may not be able to see it yet; all the circumstances look just the same; the river is still swollen; your business is still struggling; the medical report has not changed; your loved ones are still off course.
Do not let what is happening downstream talk you out of what God has done upstream. If you are going to see upstream blessings, you have to keep believing, keep praising, keep expecting. Walk by faith and not by sight.
Stay in the Water Like the Priests
«I do not see any sign of it; nothing is improving, but God, I know you are working; I know you are faithful; I know what you promised me is on the way.»
What is significant is the priests stayed in the water with the Ark of the Covenant until the waters receded. They could have waited five minutes and thought, «Well, we did what we were told to do, but nothing happened. Let us go back home.» After 10 minutes they could have thought, «We are wasting our time.» Thirty minutes, «Come on, man, we look like fools out here. Joshua did not hear from God; he had too much pizza last night.» After an hour, «I am tired. The water is cold; my feet are hurting. This is not meant to be.»
Praise While You Wait
No, these priests stayed there in faith. As they were standing in these waters that did not part, in circumstances that were not changing, every thought said, «It is not going to happen.» I can hear them declaring, «The Lord is good, and his mercy endures for generations.» I can hear them singing, «Way maker, promise keeper, you are the light in the darkness.»
I can hear one of them saying, «God, you have done it in the past; we know you are going to do it this time. That you being for us is more than those that are against us. We will make it into our Promised Land.»
Keep God’s Presence With You
They stood in faith; they stood knowing God was working; they stood expecting things to change. They did not see how; they did not know when, but one thing they knew was that God was faithful, that he was in control, that what he purposed would come to pass.
When you are standing in those waters, believing for things to change and waiting for what God promised, the way you are going to stay in the water and not give up is by keeping the presence of God in your life—by praising him when you do not see anything changing, by thanking him that it is on the way when there is no sign of it, by declaring his promises in the middle of water that is not moving.
Declare Victory in the Waiting
The medical report says, «I am not going to get well, ” but God, I believe you are restoring health back into me. My child is off course, but Lord, I want to thank you that as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. My business is slow; I lost that contract, but God, you said even in famine the righteous will have more than enough. Lord, I thank you that I will lend and not borrow, that I will have a bountiful year.
Do not come out of that water. Your obedience stepping into the water is what activated the miracle, and it is going to be your obedience of staying in the water that will cause you to see what God has done upstream.
The Moment You Prayed, It Started
The miracle was set in motion when you prayed. God dispatched angels with the healing, the favor, the freedom. But you may not see it right away. The waters may not part immediately. This is a test of your faith.
A lot of people get out of the water: „Nothing happened, Joel; this does not work for me.“ No, the upstream blessing is there, but you have to have upstream faith—knowing that it is coming—for it to get to you.
Daniel’s 21-Day Delay
Daniel 10: Daniel had been praying, fasting, asking God to help him. It did not seem like anything was happening; nothing was changing. And I am sure he thought, „God, where are you? You brought me out of the lion’s den; you did not let King Nebuchadnezzar stop me. I have seen your power; you have shown me your favor. Why are you not doing anything now?“
He was tempted to come out of the water, get discouraged, and give up on what he was believing for. One morning he was out by a river, and he saw a vision. This angel appeared to him and said (in verse 12), „Daniel, from the first day you prayed, your request was heard in heaven.“
Your Prayer Was Heard Day One
When we do not see anything happening we think, „God must not have heard us; nothing is changing.“ No, the moment you prayed, God heard your request. The angel went on to say, „God sent me with the answer, but for 21 days the prince of Persia blocked me. Then Michael the archangel came and helped me break through the opposition.“
Notice: the first day he prayed, something happened upstream. God set the miracle into motion, but for 21 days the waters did not recede, so to speak. For 21 days every thought told Daniel, „What has happened by now? It is not meant to be.“ Daniel could have been talked out of it, but he had upstream faith.
Upstream Faith Sees the Unseen
His attitude was, „I know there are things that God has already done that I cannot see right now, so I am going to keep believing, expecting, praising, knowing that it is on the way.“
When you have that kind of attitude, you are going to come into your 21st day. Like with Daniel, the moment you prayed, according to God’s word, he did something upstream. He dispatched the angel; he set things in motion.
You cannot see it right now, but upstream things have changed in your favor—upstream healing has been released, upstream the right people have been lined up, upstream the breaks you need, the restoration, the vindication has been put in place. It is in your future.
Don’t Let Downstream Doubt Win
Do not let what is happening downstream talk you out of the blessings that are upstream. Angels have been dispatched with your name on them, bringing healing, favor, abundance. Now do your part and have upstream faith: „God, I believe the moment I prayed you not only heard me, but you answered my prayer. I am not moved by what I see; I am moved by what I know. I know you are faithful; I know I am healed; I know I am blessed; I know my children are mighty in the land. I know my latter days will be better than my former days.“
Not Every Miracle Is Instant
When Joshua was standing at the Jordan River, I am sure his mind flashed back to a time when he was much younger. He and the Israelites had just come out of slavery; they were at the Red Sea, but the Pharaoh changed his mind and came chasing after them—at a dead end: the sea on one side, the Pharaoh and his armies on the other.
He saw his mentor Moses hold up his rod, and there was this great wind with such force that it pushed back the water—instantly it parted. Those two million people walked through this dry path with walls of water 20 feet high on each side. The hand of God supernaturally making a way.
Well, fast forward many years; when Joshua was at this Jordan River, he sent these priests into the water, and I am sure he was expecting this huge wind—something supernatural to instantly push the waters back, make walls where they could pass through. This time nothing happened. They did not feel any wind, see any water moving, hear anything different.
Upstream Miracles Are Still Miracles
But just because God did it one way does not mean he is going to do it that way every time. Sometimes the miracle is going to take place, but it is going to be upstream. It was no less of a miracle; it just did not happen where they could see it right there.
If they would have had cellphones, someone would have called, „Hey, it happened! The Jordan quit flowing! It somehow got all dammed up; just stay in peace—it is a matter of time before you see what God has done.“
See, it is easy to have faith when you have a Red Sea miracle—when God does something instantly, turns it around, you can see it, feel it, touch it. It is easy to say, „God, you are good; thank you for what you have done.“
Real Faith Thanks God in the Delay
But real faith is when you do not see anything happening—nothing is moving—but you thank God that he is working upstream. You know the moment you prayed things shifted in your favor.
You say, „God, I do not see it, but I believe you are working. I do not feel any better, but I know I am healed. The angel has not shown up yet, but I know my breakthrough is on the way.“
See, downstream faith says, „I will believe when I see things changing—when my health starts to improve, when I get that promotion, when my boss begins to treat me better—then I will thank God, Joel; then I will have a good attitude.“
Upstream Faith Unlocks Upstream Blessings
Here is the problem: you will not see upstream blessings if you only have downstream faith. And sure, sometimes God is good—you will see the Red Sea part; God does it instantly; he begins to turn it around—but there will be these times where you come to a Jordan River: you prayed, you stood in faith, you declared his promises, but the waters did not part, the wind did not blow, the angel did not show up.
Are you going to get discouraged, give up on what you are believing for, only have downstream faith? Or are you going to dig your heels in and say, „I am not moved by what I do not see. God, I know upstream you have already changed things—you have already dammed up the waters, stopped this sickness, lined up the promotion, set the right people in my path. Lord, I thank you that it is on the way.“
God Goes Ahead of You Right Now
God has upstream blessings for you—things you are believing for he has already set into motion—but he is looking for upstream faith. Do not get talked out of it; do not let what has not happened, how long it has been, how unlikely it looks convince you to quit believing.
Stay in those waters and keep the Ark of the Covenant with you—keep the presence of God: „Lord, I thank you that you are fighting my battles. Thank you that what you promised me is on the way. I know your favor surrounds me; goodness and mercy are following me. What you have purposed for my life will come to pass.“
My Mother’s Jordan River Miracle
When my mother was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer back in 1981, the doctors gave her a few weeks to live. There was no treatment they could give her, and they sent her home at 46 years old basically to die.
On December 11th she and my father laid on the ground in their bedroom and asked God for a miracle. They prayed the prayer of faith—not, „God, why did this happen? Just let her die in peace; it must be her time to go.“ No, they said, „God, we know you are the healer. You can do what medicine cannot do. God, we are asking you to give her more years, to restore health back into her. God, you said with long life you would satisfy us.“ They prayed a bold prayer.
Like Moses, they held up that rod, but the waters did not part. She was not at a Red Sea; she was at a Jordan River. Nothing happened; she did not feel any better, look any better; the medical report did not change.
Upstream Faith That Healed Cancer
My mother could have been depressed; thoughts were telling her, „You are done. You heard the doctors—a few weeks to live; just accept it.“ But my parents believed that when they prayed God did something upstream—that the tide had turned, that the miracle was set in motion.
Like those priests, my mother never got out of the water. She did not see anything improving, but that did not change her mindset. I would hear her going through the house, „I will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord. God is restoring health back into me. What he started in my life he will finish.“ She had upstream faith.
„I do not see it, feel it—no sign of it—but I believe it is already done. I believe things have changed. That this angel has been dispatched with my name on it.“
The Waters Receded—Little by Little
Months went by and nothing really happened—no sign of improvement—but we began to realize she is still here. They said a few weeks, and it has been six months; she is not any worse. It has been nine months; she has not gone downhill. We realized the waters were receding; the healing was coming.
Little by little she got better and better until one day a few years later she was back to normal—completely healthy. No medical explanation, no logical solution—it was the hand of God.
Here is my point: it was upstream. The miracle had taken place, but it had not flowed down to her yet.
Downstream Faith Limits You
If you only have downstream faith—“Joel, I will believe when I see it”—that is going to keep you from upstream blessings. The things you are concerned about now—dreams you want to accomplish, situations that need to turn around—you will be tempted to get discouraged, think God has not heard you, why is it not happening.
Can I encourage you? It is upstream. God has already taken care of it. Now stay in faith while it flows downstream. Do not get talked out of it while you are waiting for things to change.
God Goes Before You—Always
When Moses was 120 years old and about to die, he told the Israelites that he was not going to cross the Jordan River and go into the Promised Land, but that Joshua was their new leader and they were to follow him.
He said in Deuteronomy 31:3, „The Lord himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy the nations and give you the land.“ He was saying, „You are going to face situations where you do not think you can make it—the people are too big, the opposition too strong—but do not worry; God is going ahead of you; he is going to cross over and do what you cannot do.“
He was telling them, „There are going to be upstream blessings waiting for you—things you cannot see right now: favor, influence, resources. The Lord your God is going ahead of you.“
Do Not Be Afraid—He Never Forsakes
He was getting them prepared in their thinking to not let the circumstances talk them out of what God had already done. He said in verse 8, „Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord himself is the one who goes before you. He will never fail you or forsake you.“
Three times in six verses he said, „God will go ahead of you.“ God is saying to you what he said to the Israelites: you are going to come into some upstream blessings—things that God has already made happen: opportunity, healing, abundance. God is going before you right now.
Trade Downstream Doubt for Upstream Faith
But here is the key: do not let downstream doubt keep you from upstream blessings. Instead of thinking about how big the obstacle is—how you will never pay your house off, never meet the right person—why do you not have upstream faith?
„God, I thank you that you are going ahead of me, opening doors that no person can shut, doing what medicine cannot do, taking me where I cannot go on my own. Father, thank you for those upstream blessings.“
The Monitor God Prepared Two Years Early
A few years ago my brother Paul was in Haiti right after a big earthquake. He and a team of surgeons were operating on the injured and taking care of people. At one point the main monitor they were using during surgery—to see the patient’s blood pressure and vital signs—went out. Without that monitor they could not do any more surgeries.
The man in charge searched the little hospital; they looked everywhere but could not find one. Paul and his team started making phone calls, but nothing was available. It takes several days to have one flown in from the States, and it looked like they were at a standstill.
A few hours later the hospital administrator—this local Haitian man—came in carrying a brand-new monitor still in the box. They opened it, and it was exactly what they needed—all the right connections. Paul and the other surgeons were so surprised that he would have the exact monitor.
God Knows Your Future Needs
He told how two years earlier he was at a hospital administrators’ conference in the US. Everyone that attended was entered into a contest for a door prize. Out of several thousand people it just so happened that he won this monitor. He had no need for it at the time; it was still in storage.
But God is going ahead of you. He knows what you are going to need in the future. That was an upstream blessing. God had the solution before they had the problem. He said in Isaiah, „Before you call I will answer you.“
That is why we can live in peace—not worried about our children, stressed over our health, losing sleep over our finances. God is going ahead of you. There are things he is doing right now that you cannot see.
Rebecca—Divine Connection Waiting
Maybe the waters are not parting; you do not see any sign of things changing. That is okay; have upstream faith. God is working; he is taking care of what you are concerned about. The angel has already been dispatched with the answer. There are upstream blessings coming your way.
Genesis 24: Abraham was living in the land of Canaan. He told his main assistant to go back to his original hometown—which was 400 miles away—and find a wife for his son Isaac.
You can imagine the pressure on this man: „You want me to pick out a wife for your son?“ He said in verse 5, „What if I cannot find a young woman that will travel that far from home?“ Abraham answered, „The Lord my God will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find the right wife for my son.“
Abraham Believed in Upstream Blessings
Notice how Abraham believed in upstream blessings. He could have thought, „You are right. Good luck; just do the best you can.“ No, his attitude was, „God is going before me. He has already arranged what I need. I know the right person is on the way.“
This man arrived at Abraham’s hometown, and he was waiting out by the stream. He prayed, „God, let the right girl for Isaac not only give me a drink when I ask, but let her bring water to my camels as well. That way I will know she is the one.“
This beautiful young woman came to the stream. He said, „I am traveling through town; would you mind getting me a drink?“ She said, „Sure, and let me get water for your camels too.“ The first girl that showed up was a divine connection. Her name was Rebekah; she became Isaac’s wife.
Stay in Peace—God Has It Lined Up
It is easy to go through life worried: „How is it going to work out? I do not see anything happening. What if I do not meet the right person?“ No, stay in peace; God has upstream blessings waiting for you. He is going before you right now. He has already sent the angel ahead of you, lining up the right people, the good breaks, the healing.
Now do your part and have upstream faith. The Jordan River may not be parting; you do not see anything happening, but upstream the miracle has already taken place. God has stopped the water; it is just a matter of time before you see things change in your favor.
Upstream Blessings Are Coming Your Way
And do not let what you cannot see talk you out of what has already happened. Walk by faith and not by sight. Keep believing, keep expecting, keep praising.
If you will do this, I believe and declare: you are about to see some upstream blessings. Like with the Israelites, those waters are about to recede. What you have been praying about is on the way. Like with Abraham, the right people are going to be waiting for you. Breakthroughs are coming, promotion, healing, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus’ name. And if you receive it, can you say amen today? Amen!