Joel Osteen - Trusting God's Ways

TOPICS: Trust, Troubles, Hard times, Encouragement

Joel Osteen encourages believers to trust God’s plan even when facing detours, closed doors, and storms, using the disciples' experience after the feeding of the 5,000—being forced into a boat and enduring a storm that blew them to Gennesaret, a place of abundant miracles—as evidence that God uses difficulties to propel us to greater blessings.

Trusting God’s Ways

I want to talk to you today about Trusting God’s Ways. We are not going to understand everything that happens in life. There will be detours, delays, even dead ends, times where it looks like we are stuck. It is easy to get discouraged when our plans do not work out, and frustrated when a door closes, bitter over that person that did us wrong. It is like we went one step forward, then two steps backwards. But God does not always take us in a straight line. The scripture says, «Everything serves his plan». Not just the good breaks, the times you are promoted, seeing favor, but even the closed doors, the person that walked away, the promotion you did not get. Does not make sense to us, but God has a master plan. He can see things that we cannot see. And sometimes he will take you backwards, so he can move you forward. He will close a door to force us to change. We were comfortable where we were, we were satisfied, but God was not satisfied. He has something greater, something that we have never imagined.

He uses trouble as transportation. We do not like the trouble, feels like a setback. The truth is: it is a setup. The trouble is not there to stop you, it is there to propel you. On the other side of that challenge is a new level of your destiny. The question is: will you trust him in the trouble? Will you stay in peace when things are happening that you do not understand? You worked hard, but did not get the position. You were good to that person, but they walked away. It is tempting to get bitter, «God, it is not fair, where are you»? Now, the right attitude is, «God, I do not like this, but I trust you. I know you are in control. You would not have allowed this storm if you were not going to use it to my advantage. So, I am going to stay in faith, I am going to keep a good attitude, knowing that something greater is coming».

The Disciples After the Miracle

Mark chapter 6, Jesus had been teaching the people, and it was late in the day. He told his disciples to get them something to eat. Well, they were in a remote area, there were not any grocery stores. Even if there were, they did not have the funds to feed thousands of people. They said, «Jesus, that is impossible, we cannot feed everyone.» He asked them what they had. They came back and said, «All we could find were five loaves of bread and two fish». Jesus prayed over it, and it multiplied. They fed the first group of 50, then the next and on and on. And after 5,000 men plus the women and the children had plenty to eat, they gathered up 12 baskets full left over. The disciples could not believe it. They were so excited, they had just seen this amazing miracle. I can see them giving high fives, hugging each other, there is this all this joy and victory. But while they were still celebrating, Jesus came over and said, «I want you to get in the boat, leave here and go across the lake to Bethsaida».

Imagine them thinking, «We do not want to leave. This is a place of favor and blessing. We just seen you perform a great miracle», but the scripture (Mark 6:45) says, «Immediately after they gathered the 12 baskets, Jesus made the disciples get in the boat and head toward Bethsaida». One translation says, «He constrained them to get in the boat». That implies they did not want to. They wanted to stay in that place of blessing, but Jesus forced them to leave. He went up in the mountains to pray, that night as the disciples were traveling across the Sea of Galilee there was a great storm, winds and waves so strong. Verse 48 says, «They were in serious trouble». And some of them were experienced fishermen, they knew how to navigate on the sea, they dealt with storms, but this situation was very dangerous, they did not know if they were going to make it.

What is significant is Jesus sent them into this storm. He knew there was going to be trouble, he knew they are going to have to deal with fear, uncertainty and doubt. But he would not have sent them if he did not know they were going to make it. Sometimes God will take you out of a comfortable situation, out of a place of blessing where you are seeing favor, and he will force you into your boat so to speak. Does not make sense, you know God is ordering your steps, you have seen his blessings, but now the winds and the waves. «God, I never thought I would be dealing with this trouble, this medical issue, or this child that is off course». You find yourself in a storm.

Can I encourage you? God would not have allowed the storm if you were not going to make it to the other side. If that storm was going to stop your purpose, he would have never forced you to get in that boat. If that trouble was going to take you out, he would have never had you leave that place of blessing. The reason God sent you across the lake is because he has greater things in your future. Yes, you saw a miracle like the feeding of the 5,000. Yes, God has been good to you, he has provided, he has protected, he has made ways. You could be satisfied, but you have not seen anything yet. God loves you too much to let you miss the fullness of what he has in store.

Jesus in the Storm

The disciples were out there in the middle of the storm, trying to keep the boat afloat. Here a few hours earlier they were celebrating a great victory, having the time of their lives, now they were fighting for their lives. I can hear them saying, «What was Jesus thinking? Why did he tell us to get in the boat and cross the lake? He knew there was going to be a storm». They were confused, frustrated. You are not going to understand everything God does. The scripture says, «His ways are not our ways». This is what faith is all аbout: trusting when it does not make sense, trusting when God takes you out of a blessed place. You come into a storm that looks like it is going to defeat you.

As the disciples were out there struggling to survive, hour after hour went by, afraid, worried, «How are we going to make it»? 3:00 in the morning, Jesus came walking on the water about to pass them by. They thought he was a ghost, and they screamed in terror. He said (Mark 6:50), «Do not be afraid, I am here, and it is going to be all right». You may be in a storm today, things have come against you: your health, your finances or relationship. You could live upset, worried, you cannot sleep at night. God is saying, «It is going to be all right. I am right there with you. I would not have let you get in that storm, if you were not going to make it through». Now, be still and know that he is God. He has not failed you in the past, he is not going to start now. When you are in peace, that is a place of power. When you trust in the trouble, you are going to feel a strength, a resilience to outlast the opposition, to overcome what is trying to stop you.

Jesus walked over and got in the boat with the disciples. It is interesting that he did not stop this storm. He did not speak to the waves, and the winds like he did another time. He did not say, «Peace, be still», and everything calm down. This storm had to run its course. The disciples were headed toward Bethsaida, but the winds were so strong, it blew them to another city. Verse 53 says, «When they arrived at Gennesaret on the other side of the lake». Was not a mistake that the winds blew them somewhere else. Bethsaida was called a desert place, it was a barren land that was not desirable, was not fertile. But the storm blew them to Gennesaret. It was called a garden of abundance, it was a flourishing place, a paradise, the most beautiful area in Galilee.

When they arrived, the people of course they recognized Jesus. They begin to bring the sick from all the villages, all the surrounding cities. And they laid them in the streets, and in the marketplace. Jesus went through and healed them all. Even when Jesus could not get to them, they would come by and reach out and touch the edge of his robe, and they would be healed. The disciples were disappointed they had to leave the place where they saw Jesus multiply the food, they saw that great miracle. They did not realize: the reason Jesus forced them into the boat, they had to cross the lake, and even go through a storm was so they could come to the land of miracles. Not just one blessing, but an abundance of blessings. They thought they were going to Bethsaida, a barren place, but notice what the storm did: it blew them to an abundant place.

If the storm is not stopping in your life, then it has not fulfilled its purpose. You have to trust that God is in control, that he has your best interest at heart. That those winds are not going to blow you to Bethsaida, to a barren place, they are going to blow you to Gennesaret, to an abundant place. The storm is a setup. The closed door, the delay, the person that walked away, it is moving you into something greater. And the enemy will whisper, «Well, you were blessed, but look at you now. You got forced into this storm, you are headed to a barren place, defeated, broke, lonely, overwhelmed». Do not believe those lies. He would not be telling you that, if he did not know: you were headed to Gennesaret. You would not be in that storm if you were not headed to something greater. You are going to come out to an abundant place, great favor, great health, great relationships. Not just blessed, but an abundance of blessings, something you could have never seen without being forced into the boat, leaving the comfortable place, going through the storm.

Through Fire and Flood to Abundance

The Psalms 66:12 put it this way, «We went through the fire, through the flood, to a place of great abundance». You will not see the great abundance without going through some fires, through some floods, through some storms. Tempting to get discouraged. A man said to me last week, «Joel, I was loyal to my company. For over 30 years I gave them my very best, but they were not loyal to me. When times got tough, they let me go». That is not a surprise to God, that is a sign that he is up to something. You got pushed out into the boat, looks like your boss is in control, the truth is he is a pawn in the hands of God. Nothing happens without God’s permission.

It takes maturity to not get bitter, «Why did they treat me so badly? Why did I come down with this illness? Why did I lose that contract»? What if you knew that had to happen, so you could get to Gennesaret, a place of abundance? That the storm was not random, it was necessary. That the trouble was transportation, that it was moving you into the fullness of what God has in store. Yes, you may go through the fire, through the flood, through the famine, but there is one more «F» that is coming, and that is favor. The favor of God is going to defeat enemies for you. The favor of God is going to open doors you could not open. The favor of God is going to cause you to come through that storm to a place of great abundance.

Tony Dungy’s Story

My friend coach Tony Dungy played professional football for many years. And after a very successful career 1996 he landed his first job as a head coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He knew it was the hand of God opening that door, a dream come true. For six years everything was going great, they were winning more games, making more progress. He was feeling good about the future, when out of nowhere he was let go. They fired him. He thought, «God, I know you gave me this job, I know you opened this door, and I was being my best. I do not understand why this happened». God never closes a door unless he is going to open a bigger and better door. It may not make sense at the time, we cannot see what God is up to. This is when you have to trust him. Like the disciples, we think, «God, we do not want to get in that boat and cross the lake. We want to stay here where you blessed us». What God has in store is something greater than what you have in mind. You may have seen a blessing, but he is taking you to Gennesaret, a place of an abundant blessings.

Well, coach Dungy, of course he disappointed, but he did not get discouraged, go around sour. He knew the same God that opened the door, closed the door. The scripture talks about how God is our doorkeeper, he is in control of the doors in our life. We celebrate when he opens doors, and brings opportunity and good breaks. But in order to move us into something greater, sometimes he has to close a door. If you do not realize that God is your doorkeeper, if you do not trust him with your open and closed doors, then you will be frustrated when your plans do not work out, upset when you get into the boat or bitter when that person walks away. I used to just thank God for my open doors, but now I have learned to thank him for my closed doors. God closing a door is not only protecting you, but it is setting you up for something better.

Not long after coach Dungy was let go, he received a phone call from the Indianapolis Colts football team, asking if he would be interested in their head coaching job. He got the position, three years later they won the super bowl. He told me, «Joel, if I had not gotten fired, I would have never won it». What you could be upset аbout: the door that closed, the person that did you wrong, the trouble in your family, it is a setup. God would not have allowed it if it was not taking you to a new level of your destiny. The storm is blowing you from a place of blessing to an abundance of blessings. The disciples were excited over Jesus multiplying the food, that one miracle, but the storm took them to where they saw many miracles. What am I saying? Do not fight the closed doors, the delays, the detours. That storm feels like it is taking you to Bethsaida, a barren place, dry place, a lonely place. But God controls the winds. You cannot see it right now, but they are blowing you to an abundant place, a land of healing, a land of miracles, a land of favor.

Joel’s Personal Testimony

I worked 17 years behind the scenes here at Lakewood, doing the television production. And I was blessed, beautiful wife, two beautiful children. Got to work with my father every day. We were the best of friends, travel the world together. Life was good, then my father unexpectedly went to be with the Lord. 77 years old and died from a heart attack. I did not see that coming. Suddenly I found myself in a storm. Like the disciples, I did not choose to get on this boat, I was forced on it. Sometimes God will close the door, and you do not have a choice. I was comfortable where I was, I did not want to get up in front of people, I did not know that this was in me. I thought I would do television production the rest of my life. I was satisfied, but God knows what he put in you. There are gifts and talents that you have not discovered yet, potential that is lying dormant.

The scripture says, «As an eagle stirs her nest, and gets the baby eaglets out», at times God will stir your nest to get you out of a comfortable place, a place where you are familiar, where you do not have to stretch, you do not have to believe and take those steps of faith. It is not going to let you get stagnant. I thought losing my father would be the darkest time of my life. And yes, I miss my father, but it was that difficulty that launched me into the brightest time of my life, into what I am doing now. If my father were still here, I would not be up here. Sometimes God has to push us into our purpose. I thought that storm would take me to Bethsaida, a barren place, discouraged, «Man, I lost my father», but God directed the winds of that storm, and they blew me to Gennesaret, a place of abundance, favor, influence. This would have never happened if I had stayed on the shore, in the comfortable place, rejoicing over the multiplied food. That is good, but that is just a season.

Where God is taking you, you are going to have to get in the boat and go to the other side of the lake. And, yes there will be winds, waves, thoughts telling you, «You are not going to make it. It will never be as good as it used to be. Losing that loved one, it is all downhill». No, you are not going to Bethsaida. There has been a change in your itinerary, you cannot see it yet, but you are headed to Gennesaret. Those winds you thought would stop you are going to blow you to a place of abundance, where you see beauty for ashes, talent coming out that you did not know you had, influence, favor opportunity.

And sure at times the winds look like they are too strong, the loss is too painful, the sickness too great. That child that is breaking your heart, you do not think you can make it. God is saying to you what he said to them, «I am right here with you in this storm. It is going to be okay». You can relax, you are in good hands. God is in control of the winds of that storm. Those winds blew coach Dungy from being fired to winning the super bowl. They blew me from behind the scenes, quiet, reserved to speaking in front of people all over the world. They blew the disciples from celebrating one miracle, to seeing an abundance of miracles. You do not know where those winds are blowing you. The enemy will whisper, «You are going to Bethsaida, a barren place. You will never meet the right person. Never get well. Never see that business restored, look at what you have been through». Just say, «No, thanks, I have had a change in my destination. There has been a route update. We are no longer going to Bethsaida, our new arrival is Gennesaret, a place of abundance, a place of great victory».

Someone walked out of your life, broke your heart. The good news is: in Gennesaret someone awesome is already waiting for you. God has already lined up that divine connection. You lost the loved one, it is painful, but when you get to Gennesaret, there are new beginnings, new doors are going to open, fresh vision. Or the sickness, the depression, seems like it is going to hinder you your whole life. You have been in this storm a long time, struggling, wondering how it is going to work out. Your time is coming. That is not how your story ends. The storm looks like it is going to stop you, but God is shifting the winds. No more Bethsaida, that barren place, that defeated place. You are about to come into victory, to abundance, to joy unspeakable, to favor you have never seen. You are going to come out of that storm and say like me, «Look what the Lord has done». Who would ever have thought I would be where I am? I believe, even right now dreams are coming back to life, and hope is rising. You are going to feel fresh wind blowing in your spirit. It is the Most High God breathing on your life.

The Early Church Persecution

But a key to all this happening is to trusting when you do not understand. We prayed for God to heal my father, just as much as we did to heal my mother. She is still here at 90 years young, but my father did not get healed that way. That is when you say, «God, I trust your ways. I may not like it, but I know you are good, I know you are for me. You would not have allowed this if it was going to stop my destiny».

The Book of Acts, the disciples were seeing great favor. In the upper room they saw the Holy Spirit rushing like a mighty wind, the tongues of fire, they were all filled with the spirit. They went throughout Jerusalem praying for people, the sick were healed, the lame walked. They spoke to great crowds, many people became believers. It is an amazing time of blessing and favor. But in chapter 8 it says, «A great wave of persecution arose, and all the disciples in Jerusalem fled to Judea and Samaria». It does not say that they decided to leave, they all agreed it was time to go somewhere else. They did not have a choice, they were forced out. The opposition was so strong, they had to flee for their lives. Saul and his group had already killed Stephen, now he was looking for the other believers.

It is significant that God could have stopped the persecution. He could have shut down Saul, God parted the Red Sea, shut the mouths of hungry lions. He protected teenagers in a fiery furnace. But sometimes God is using the storm as transportation to move you to a new level of your destiny. I am sure some of them thought, «What did we do wrong? We felt the rushing wind in the upper room, we saw the tongues of fire, but now we are on the run». They felt forsaken, like God had forgotten about them. But if God is closing a door, he is allowing you to be pushed out, that means he is up to something. Trust him in the trouble. Do not fight the winds of the storm. You cannot override what God has purposed. Let those winds blow you to where God is taking you.

See, the disciples did not like the storm, but it was a setup. They were forced out of Jerusalem so they went to Samaria and Judea and begin to share their faith. Had they not left Jerusalem, Christianity would not have spread. They would have just kept it to the Jewish people. God had to get them out of their nest. They were satisfied in Jerusalem, but what God had in mind was much bigger. Because of that storm, that opposition, you and I are people of faith today. We are believers because they got pushed out, and it spread all over the world. You do not know what God is up to. In real time we cannot see it, all we know is we are in a storm we did not choose, persecution pushed us out, a friend walked away, the contract did not go through, the medical report has not improved. God is saying, «I am still in control. I am still ordering your steps.» it is going to turn out fine for you, everything is serving his plan.

Now, trust him when you do not understand. Trust him when it does not make sense, when things do not seem fair. Thoughts will whisper, «Man you are going to Bethsaida, a barren place. You will always be struggle, be overlooked, always deal with the sickness, always be lonely». No, what you cannot see right now is those winds are blowing you to Gennesaret, to a garden of abundance, to a bountiful place, a healthy place, a fulfilled place, a victorious place. God did not bring you this far to leave you. Get your fire back, get your passion back. The best part of your life is still in front of you. That loss did not stop your destiny. What looks like your darkest hour, like God did for me, it is going to launch you into your brightest hour. The people that walked away, they did not stop your purpose, they had to leave so you could meet someone better, a divine connection.

The door that closed, they got pushed out of Jerusalem, it had to close so you could step into greater things. The storm feels like a setback, but really it is a set up. God is working behind the scenes, getting you in position to go places that you have never dreamed. You have not seen, heard or imagine what God has in store for you. Now, trust his ways. If you will do this, I believe and declare: those winds that should have defeated you, God is shifting them right now. You are about to blow into favor, healing, breakthroughs. You are going to come into an abundant place, an abundance of health, an abundance of joy, an abundance of resources, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus name. And if you receive it, can you say amen? Amen, I receive it as well.