Joel Osteen - Divine Surprises
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I want to talk to you today about Divine Surprises. God has moments of favor already lined up for you that you didn't see coming: unexpected blessings and good breaks that catch you off guard. There was no sign of it, you weren't next in line for the promotion, the medical report said you weren't going to get well, you've been single a long time, no indication anything was going to change, then suddenly your business takes off, your health turns around, you meet the right person. It's not just a lucky break, just a coincidence, that's a divine surprise, the hand of God showing out in your life unexpectedly. You could couldn't plan it, no reason to believe it was going to happen, but God steps in and says "Surprise", does something out of the ordinary you never saw coming.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says "If you'll obey God's word, and follow his commands, then all these blessings will overtake you". One translation of that word "Overtake" is to catch by surprise. You may be in a situation that looks permanent, you've gone as far as you can in your career, a child that'll never get back on course, or that trouble at work will always hinder you. What you can't see is God has some surprises coming your way. Because you're honoring him, he has blessings that are going to overtake you, favor that you can't outrun, good breaks that chase you down. Now, get ready for some surprises, some unexpected blessings. You look back and think, "Man, I didn't see that door opening, I didn't see that person showing up, I didn't see me feeling this good, I didn't see me running my own business". One surprise, and you'll go from struggling to overflow, from being lonely to being with the person of your dreams, from overcome with problems to overcome with opportunities.
You wouldn't be hearing this if God didn't have surprises coming your way. He's about to do something suddenly, unexpectedly, favor that catapults you ahead. Good breaks that thrust you into your destiny. You couldn't make it happen, it's not something you work for, you deserved, you had planned. It's the favor of God breathing on your life, taking you where you couldn't go on your own.
All through the scripture we see these divine surprises. Paul and Silas were in prison, in the deepest dungeon, their hands and feet in chains. No way out, but at midnight there was a great earthquake, the prison doors flung open, the chains fell off, they walked out as free men. What happened? God said "Surprise". It looked impossible, the odds were against them, but God won't let you get in a problem that he can't bring you out of. You may not see a way, but that's okay, it's going to be unexpected, it's going to catch you off guard.
This is what happened with Abraham and Sarah. God promised them a baby, but they were way too old. Year after year went by still no child, now it was impossible. No way in the natural, but when Sarah was 90 years old God said "Surprise". Sometimes God waits on purpose so it'll be a bigger miracle. Not only will you know it's him, but other people will see his blessing on your life. There may be promises God has put in your heart, but seems too late, it's not practical now. No, get ready for a surprise. What God started he's going to finish. One surprise and you'll have the baby, one surprise and chains will break, that addiction won't control you anymore. One surprise and doors will open that you never imagined. Now thoughts will tell "It's not going to happen. It's too late for me, Joel, too hard, too much opposition", don't believe those lies. Turn it around, "Father, thank you that you're a God of surprises. Thank you that you have unexpected blessings in my future, that you will get me to where I'm supposed to be".
John chapter 5, there was a man who had been crippled for 38 years. Every day he went to the pool of Bethesda. When the angel troubled the water, the first person in would get healed. Well, he didn't have anyone to help him. Year after year he just sat there, hoping something would change, but nothing was different. One day Jesus came walking by. He asked the man if he wanted to get well. The man told how he didn't have anyone to help him get in the water, and how impossible it was. Jesus simply said "Rise, take up your bed and walk". Instantly the man was healed. Got up for the first time in 38 years. What was that? God saying "Surprise".
The man thought he'd be that away 38 more years, but suddenly he was well. You may be dealing with things that look like they'll never change: your health, your finances, your family. Like this man, you've gone to the pool each day. You prayed, believed, done what you can. God sees your faithfulness, he sees you doing the right thing when it's hard, believing when nothing's improving, praising when nothing's changing. Like with this man, there's a surprise is coming, something unexpected. And it's interesting the man didn't go to Jesus, Jesus came to the man. You don't know what God has come in your way, healing that's going to overtake you, good breaks that are going to catch you by surprise.
And see we all have things that we're chasing: chasing our dreams, chasing good health, chasing a relationship. There's nothing wrong with that, but what's even more exciting is what God has chasing you, the favor that he's already planned to overtake you. Here's the whole key: you don't have to chase the blessing, strive and manipulate, force doors to open, make people like you. No, if you'll chase God, the blessings will chase you. If you'll keep God first place, you won't be able to outrun what he has in store. They'll catch you by surprise. One reason it's a surprise is because what God has planned is so much bigger, so much more rewarding than what you have in mind.
When I look back over my life, most of the time I've seen opportunities, blessing, the right people. It's not something I had planned. I was just honoring God, being my best, and his blessings caught me by surprise. 22 years old I walked into a Jewelry store to buy a battery for my watch, outwalk the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen to wait on me, it was Victoria. It was like God said "Surprise". I don't know if God said it to her, but he sure said it to me. Or maybe it was my flesh, but I took it as God, but we dated a year and a half and she couldn't keep her hands off of me, so we got married.
Few years later we bought an old rundown house on a half-acre lot, close into the city. And we're going to fix it up and live there. The day we closed on the property I was in the front yard and this car pulled over and a lady got out and asked if I wanted to sell the property. I said, "No, ma'am, we just bought it and we're going to fix it up and move in". She said, "How about if you sell it for a good profit, maybe 10% more than you paid". And I thanked her, but told her "No". She said, "Well, congratulations, you just bought your dream house". I didn't know what she meant, it was an old rundown house, had cracked in the floor, and windows were broken out.
Well, come to find out the neighborhood was in the process of changing the deed restrictions, so you could subdivide the property. A builder knocked on our door, we ended up selling him half of the property for more than we paid for the whole property. He built two new homes there: one for us, it was indeed our dream house. We thought we were just buying an old fixer upper, but God said surprise! That blessing catapulted us ahead. What am I saying? God has some of these blessings that are going to overtake you. Because you're chasing him, his blessings are going to chase you.
See, we look at our circumstances from a natural, logical point of view and we see limitations in our career, our finances, what neighborhood we could live in, or maybe our health, what our children could accomplish. We make plans and set expectations, but what you can't see are these divine surprises, things you could have never planned, blessings that will catapult you ahead. Never dreamed at 27 years old we would live in that beautiful house, couldn't plan that, there was no way logically speaking, but God stepped in and did what only he can do. Who knows what God has planned for you? He said, "You haven't seen, heard or imagine what he has in store". You're going to come into these divine surprises. You didn't see it coming. You can't explain it, you didn't deserve it, it's just the goodness of God pushing you into new levels of your destiny.
After my father went to be with the Lord and I started pastoring, we were looking for property to build a larger auditorium. Twice the property we found was sold out from under us. We couldn't find anymore, and I was tempted to be discouraged, I didn't see how we could expand. I was looking at everything in the natural, but God is supernatural. His ways are better than our ways. Many times the reason our plans aren't coming to pass is because they're too small. If God did what we wanted, we wouldn't see the fullness of our destiny.
In 6 months after that last property didn't go through I was just minding my own business, going through the day, the phone rang. A friend I hadn't spoken to in a long time, he said he had to have lunch with me, it was important. We went to lunch, he told me that the rockets basketball team was moving out of the Compaq Center, and we should try to get this as our facility. It was like God said "Surprise". I didn't see this coming, this was more than I could ever imagine. God caused things to fall into place, and two years later the city council voted for us to have this facility. You know what this building is? A surprise! God's blessing chasing us down! I tried to go after the other properties, but this building came to me.
You can look back in your life and see times where God surprised you, opened doors, brought the right people, turned the trouble around. The scripture says in Job 5:9 "God is famous for his great and unexpected acts. There is no end to his surprises". Can I encourage you? Your best surprises are still in front of you. God's going to do things that boggle your mind, explosive blessings. His goodness chasing you down, taking you where you've never dreamed.
This is what happened with David. Didn't look like he would do anything significant, he was a teenager, stuck out in the shepherd's fields, taking care of his father's sheep. His brothers had prestigious positions, they were in the army, people looked up to them. David was the youngest, he didn't have the training, the experience, the size. There were seven brothers in line ahead of him. He was simply being faithful watching over the sheep, being his best where he was. Not complaining, "I'm stuck out here, it's boring, I don't like these sheep". He kept doing the right thing when no one was watching. Could have slacked off, been lazy, cut corners, but he was a person of excellence and integrity. He knew that people may not be watching, but God is watching. He sees you going the extra mile, working hard without the credit, raising children no one saying thank you, giving, serving, helping when in fact you could use the help. That's the kind of people God surprises. You're in position for divine favor, supernatural increase.
While David was taking care of those sheep, God spoke to a man named Samuel, a prophet in a different city and said "Go to Bethlehem to the house of a man named Jesse, I'm going to show you the next king of Israel". Samuel started heading toward Jesse's house. David was out in the fields, minding his own business. He didn't think anything was going to change. Little did he know, a surprise was already in route. God had already lined up a supernatural connection that would forever change his life. Many of you are like David: you've been faithful, you've been keep doing the right thing, going the extra mile. You can't see it, but there are surprises already headed your way. You don't know who God has spoken to about you. You can't hear what God has planned, but suddenly Samuel's going to show up, people with influence that will be good to you, open doors, opportunities that you didn't see coming.
"Well, Joel, I don't know anybody like that. I don't have connections to people with great resources, great influence". David didn't know Samuel, he had never met the prophet. What's even more amazing is Samuel didn't know David, he'd never seen David, never heard of him. David's family wasn't prominent, well known, they were shepherds, working class, ordinary people. God knows how to cause you to stand out. One surprise and it'll take you from the background to the foreground, from being overlooked to being in charge.
Samuel showed up at Jesse's house, knocked on the door. And you can imagine what Jesse thought when he told him he was there to anoint one of his sons as the next king. Jesse couldn't believe what he was hearing. He called seven of his sons in, so proud, so excited to see who would be the next king. Samuel passed on the first son, "Not him". Second son, "Not him". Three, four, all seven sons, none of them. He asked Jesse if he had any more sons. He said, "Yes, my youngest David is out in the fields, but I'm sure it's not him". People may leave you out and discount you, think you're not king material, but God knows the greatness he put in you. He knows how to cause you to be seen.
When Samuel saw David he didn't think twice, he said "That's the one". It's like God said "Surprise". Not only did David not see it coming, but his father, his brothers, they didn't see it coming. No matter who overlooks you, tries to push you down, discredit you, don't worry: they cannot stop what God has planed for you. Because you're chasing after God, his blessing are going to chase you down. You don't have to go after them, they're going to come looking for you. Like Samuel traveling to Bethlehem, knocking on the door, bypassing who others expect, God has the right people in route to you, the healing to come knocking on your door, the business to come tracking you down. Like David out in the fields, you didn't see it coming. You couldn't have planned it, it's a divine surprise, God doing what only he can do.
I met a young student that's here from another country, and he completed his undergraduate work, and he was in the process of getting his master's degree, but he had a problem with his visa. When he went to enroll for the next school year, he was told he couldn't finish because of this issue. He was very discouraged. He had studied hard and made great grades, but now it looked like it wouldn't work out. He called everyone he knew, did everything he could, no success. He' talked to the school several times, and met with different people, but they couldn't help.
And he's about to make his flight arrangements to go back home, and he decided to go check with the school one last time. Went to the admissions office, and there was a different man there, never talked with him before. He explained his situation. At one point the man asked him if he attended Lakewood, he said he did. The man said, "I know you do, because I see you there every Sunday", he's one of our faithful volunteers. Let me tell you: when you get a Lakewood person, good things are going to happen. Lakewood people are full of faith. Lakewood people believe in a God who can move mountains, a God who can part Red Seas, a God who can give you a Compaq Center.
The man went back and begin to work, and research, and talk with some other people. He came back an hour later and said "We figured out a way to extend your visa". The student was so thrilled, the man said, "Not only that, we have a fund to help students, we're going to award you a scholarship for your next three years". What was that? God saying "Surprise", unexpected blessings. Who was that man? A Samuel. He was ordained by God to bless, to favor, to point out. God has the Samuels lined up for you, the right people at the right time that'll go out of their way to help you. Surprises you didn't see coming. You couldn't have planned it, it's the goodness of God overtaking you. What he has in mind is far greater, it will exceed anything you've imagined.
One morning Jesus was teaching the people at the Sea of Galilee. It's very crowded, and he saw a boat over by the shore and some men coming in from fishing. It was Peter. Jesus asked if he could borrow the boat, Peter agreed. When Jesus finished teaching, he wanted to thank Peter, he told him to go back in the water, throw his nets out and he would catch many fish. Well, Peter had fished all night and caught nothing. He was a professional fisherman, he knew when to fish, where to fish, how to fish. He was tired and ready to go home. I'm sure he thought, "Sir, I appreciate your advice, but you're a teacher, you're rabbi. I'm a fisherman. You stick to teaching, and I'll stick to fishing". He could have talked himself out of it, but Peter did what Jesus asked him to do. When he threw the nets out, there were so many fish that the nets begin to break. The boat was so loaded down that it be to sink. They had to call for other boats to gather up the fish.
The scripture (Luke 5:9) says "They were awestruck at the size of their catch", never seen anything like that. Few minutes earlier there were no fish, but God said "Surprise". He controls the fish, God controls the contracts, the resources, the opportunities. Peter had worked all night, strained, strived, put forth his best effort, came up empty. But when God says "Surprise", the fish will find you. You don't have to look for them, they'll come to your net. You obey what God's telling you, and blessings will chase you down, the fish will overtake you. And notice how God surprises: not just a normal, average catch, but a net breaking, boat sinking blessing. Blessings that not only increase you, but it spills over to people connected to you, a running over blessing.
Peter was so amazed and so in awe, he ran to Jesus, fell on his knees and said (Luke 5:8), "Lord, please leave me. I'm too much of a sinner to be around you". This could be the end of the story, Jesus left, they went their separate ways. But Jesus looked at Peter and said, "Don't worry Peter. From now on, you're going to be fishing for people". Right then and there he chose Peter as his first disciple. You're talking about surprises, this guy is a fisherman, he's rough, he uses bad language, he just admitted he's not worthy, but surprise, God doesn't choose the way we choose. You too may think that God wouldn't have anything to do with you, you made too many mistakes, too far off course. You don't know anything about faith, neither did Peter.
Your surprise is: God is calling you today. He has a destiny for you to fulfill. He's going to use you to do amazing things. You are not disqualified because of your mistakes. Voices will tell you like Peter, "You're not worthy". The mercy of God is bigger than any mistake you've made. He's already taken into account every wrong turn, he still wants you. The scripture (Luke 5:11) says "Peter left everything and followed Jesus". That tells me you don't have to cleaned up enough, and behave good enough, and get rid of all your weaknesses, then you can follow. No, come just as you are. God is standing before you with arms open, ready to receive you. Don't let this surprise go to waste, start following him. Like Peter, God will make more out of your life than you ever dreamed.
I have some friends that own their own business, and few years ago one of their employees made some mistakes in the accounting, and how things were processed, their tax returns weren't filed accurately. They ended up owing $100,000 to the irs. They didn't have the funds to pay. Looked like this would shut their business down. And they met with the government official, but the lady was very rude and demanded that all the money be paid within a month. That there were no other options. They left that day very discouraged, not knowing what to do. But instead of living worried, not able to sleep, they just kept thanking God that he was making ways where they didn't see a way, that he was working behind the scenes.
A month later they went back to their scheduled meeting, hoping the lady had changed their mind. And they sat in her office, and another woman came in. She said the lady they had met with the last time had moved to a different state, that she was no longer there. They explained their situation to this woman, she had a totally different view. She didn't think they owed the money. She went and met with the supervisors, came back in a few minutes. She said, "If you'll write a check for $100, this will be settled today". They left there saying "We didn't see that coming". Like Peter that was a net breaking blessing.
God has some of these surprises for you, unexpected blessings, favor that catches you off guard. You may have situations that look impossible, no fish out there, medical reports not good, property sold out from under you. You don't know what God is up to. Like this couple, he's moving the wrong people out of the way to get you in position for a surprise. Like us in the Compaq Center, that door closed because he's about to surprise you with something better. Like David, you feel stuck out in the fields, no one's noticing you, but Samuel is coming. God has already spoken to the people that will be a part of your surprise.
And you don't have to chase the blessing, our job is to honor God, and the blessing will chase you. You won't be able to outrun the healing, the good breaks, the right people. I know you've been faithful, you've kept God first place, now get ready for a surprise. I believe and declare unexpected favor on your life. The goodness of God suddenly overtaken you, divine surprises that catapult you into your destiny, in Jesus name. And if you receive it, can you say amen?