Joel Osteen - Stored Up Blessing (05/12/2018)
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Joel Osteen teaches that God has already stored up specific blessings—promotion, healing, relationships, opportunities—with our names on them, destined only for us; using stories like David’s anointing, Peter’s miraculous catch, and personal examples, he concludes that keeping faith and honoring God releases these stored-up blessings, even after mistakes or delays, as God’s favor finds us in overflow.
Blessings with Your Name on Them
I want to talk to you today about «Stored Up Blessings.» When God laid out the plan for your life, He put in it everything you need to fulfill your destiny. He has already lined up the right people, the right breaks, favor, increase.
Psalm 31 says, «God has great blessings stored up for those that honor Him.» Promotion is stored up for you. Single people, there is a husband, a wife, stored up for you. That baby you have been dreaming about is stored up. A contract, a business, healing—it already has your name on it. It belongs to you.
If you will keep honoring God, at the right time you will come into a stored-up blessing. You will not have to go after it; it will find you.
What God has destined for you cannot go to anyone else. That is why you do not have to be frustrated when you see other people being blessed. A friend moves into a new house. You have been believing for 10 years for a better place to live. You come every Sunday, give, serve. They are just the opposite.
«Joel, I do not understand it. I wish I had that house.» No, if you had it, it would not be a blessing. It would be a burden. It was not destined for you. What God has stored up for you cannot go to anyone else. There is a house with your name on it, a spouse with your name on it, healing with your name on it.
When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse’s house to anoint one of his sons as the next king, he poured oil on each of the seven sons, but the oil would not flow. Even though he turned it upside down, the oil defied gravity. Why? Because the oil had been stored up for David. God had already destined him to be the next king.
No matter how hard Samuel tried to get the oil out—hitting the bottom of the bottle—he could not do it. But when he came to David, it was like somebody opened the floodgates. The oil freely flowed.
The oil that God has for you is not going to flow to anyone else. Do not be jealous because a friend got a promotion. Do not be frustrated because your business partner saw a dream come to pass. They are not getting your oil.
If you got what they have, it would not help you; it would hinder you. What God has stored up for you will be a perfect fit for your life.
When you understand this, you will celebrate the success of others. You will be happy for their promotion, happy for their new house, happy for their beautiful baby—knowing that what God did for them is not going to stop what God is going to do for you.
Unlimited Favor from God
Sometimes we act like God has a limited supply of favor. «If my coworker gets promoted, that may keep God from promoting me.» It is the wrong perspective. God never runs out of favor. He has unlimited resources.
Somebody else being blessed is not going to stop God from blessing you. When you celebrate others, you are passing the test. When you are happy for their success, God can release what He has stored up for you.
Maybe you are single and you have been believing for a long, long time to meet the right person. Your best friend just met the man of her dreams. He is tall, dark, handsome, romantic. They are madly in love, planning their wedding. She asked you to be the maid of honor.
You say, «Yes, I would be thrilled to do it!» Deep down, you are thinking, «I am so depressed. God, why did I not meet him first? I am more attractive than she is!»
No. Be happy for her; she is not taking your blessing. What has your name on it cannot go to anyone else. Your time is coming. There is a husband stored up for you that will be a perfect fit—better than you could imagine. They are heading your way. It could happen today. It could happen this week. You could see a stored-up blessing released in your life.
This takes all the pressure off. You do not have to live frustrated, wondering if a dream is going to come to pass—worried that a problem will not work out, jealous because a friend got a promotion. You can stay in peace, knowing that what has your name on it is not going to go to any other person, that God is going to get you to where you are supposed to be.
Throw Your Nets One More Time
Sometimes it is taking a long time. People are passing us up; we have missed opportunities, made some mistakes. Those voices start whispering, «It is never going to happen. You are never going to get well, never break the addiction, never meet the right person.» It is easy to get discouraged, give up on what we are believing for.
This is the way Peter felt in the scripture. He was out in his boat with some of the other disciples, fishing. His good friend Jesus had just been crucified. When Jesus needed him the most, Peter denied that he knew Him.
Peter not only felt guilty about it, but he was confused. This man he believed to be the Messiah was no longer with them. He said He would rise from the dead, but they did not see any sign of it.
So Peter went back to his previous profession. He was an experienced fisherman. He had done it for many years. He had been out in his boat all night fishing and caught nothing. He had worked hard, used his best efforts, put on the right bait, threw the nets where he thought the fish would be—again and again, hour after hour, no success.
Early the next morning, this man shouted from the shore, «Boys, have you caught any fish?» They did not recognize it was Jesus. Peter said, «No, we have not caught anything.» Jesus said, «Then throw your nets on the right side of the boat and watch what will happen.»
I am sure they thought, «Who does this guy think he is, telling us how to fish? We are professionals. We are tired, we are hot, we are aggravated, we are frustrated. There are no fish out here.»
They almost talked themselves out of it. But at the last moment Peter changed his mind. He thought, «What do we have to lose? What is it going to hurt for us to throw out our nets one more time?»
They threw the nets on the right side of the boat, and they caught so many fish that they could not haul it in. Right then they recognized that it was Jesus.
Here is my point: God knows where your fish are. Just because you have not seen them yet does not mean that you have missed them.
Like Peter, you may have worked hard, given it your best effort, used your expertise, your skills, exhausted your resources, your connections—but you came up empty. Now you do not think it is ever going to happen.
«Joel, I will never get well. I will never meet the right person. I will never accomplish this dream. I have tried everything. I have worked two jobs. I have gone through rehab. I have put my profile on 47 dating websites. Only two people were interested, and they were both over 80.»
You are tired, you are frustrated; you could easily give up. Here is the good news: God knows where your fish are. He knows where your husband is. He knows where your healing is, where your victory is, where that new house is.
It may not have happened yet, but that does not mean it is not going to happen. You always face the greatest opposition, the greatest adversity, the greatest discouragement right before the breakthrough—right before the healing, right before you meet the person of your dreams.
God is saying to you, «Throw out your nets one more time.» That disappointment, the loss, the lack was only a test. Your fish are still out there.
What has your name on it—if you will throw out your nets again—God will cause those stored-up blessings to find you. The fish may not have been there last night. It may not have worked last time. That is okay. God controls the fish. He knows how to get them into your net.
Start believing again. Get your fire back. Stir your faith up. What God started in your life, He is going to finish. What He promised you, He will bring to pass.
You may have been struggling, trying to find the fish—working hard, giving it your best efforts, no success. This is a new day. The fish are going to find you.
Blessings Will Chase You Down
The scripture talks about how when you honor God, His blessings will chase you down and overtake you. When you believe that your best days are still in front of you—believe that God will take you where you could not go on your own—you will come to a point where the fish will start tracking you down. God will command His blessings to overtake you.
I have seen this again and again in my own life. What I could not make happen in my own talent, my own ability—suddenly God causes it to happen. The fish found me.
At 23 years of age, I walked into a jewelry store to buy a battery for my watch, and out walked Victoria to wait on me—the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Do you know what she was? A fish! God caused her to come into my net, and I never let her out. That is a whole different message there.
When my dad was the pastor and I worked behind the scenes, we used to do these big productions. I loved to do concerts, television specials. That is what I loved doing. But later in my father’s life, he did not want to do any more of that, and I was kind of disappointed.
I was young; I had big dreams, big goals. I did not want to do less; I wanted to do more. I was working hard; I was being faithful. But it seemed like I had less and less opportunity. My nets were empty.
I told Victoria, «This is my father’s vision. I know I am supposed to stay here and honor him. And even though I know I have more in me, I am going to be faithful and I am going to keep serving him the best that I can.»
About six months later, I was walking through the lobby before church service, and a man stopped me and said that his cousin had a construction permit for the last full-power commercial television station in Houston. It was extremely valuable. They wanted us to be a part.
We took that construction permit, put the station on the air, programmed it, and later sold it for a significant profit. Those funds were instrumental in us remodeling this place.
Here is my point: when I thought I was done—no more opportunity—God brought me an opportunity of a lifetime. I did not have to go after it; that fish found me.
Friends, there are some fish—big fish—that have your name on them. It is just a matter of time before they show up in your net. You need to get ready!
I am not talking about minnows, little goldfish, something you can fit in a small aquarium. I am talking about some big fish, some big breaks, some big opportunities.
Peter caught so many fish that he could not haul them all in. Notice, God is an overflow God. What He has stored up for you is going to be bigger than you can imagine.
You know what this facility is? A fish that found our net. It is a whale, a big fish.
We were not even looking for it. We were trying to build a sanctuary on the other part of town, but two deals fell through. I was working hard, using my efforts, my connections, my skills—but it seemed like nothing was happening. I was throwing out my nets, but they kept coming back empty again and again.
One day an old friend called and said this place was becoming available. Things began to fall into place. It was the hand of God.
Sometimes the reason your net is empty is because God has something better. Like Peter, you fished all night; you did not catch anything. Do not get discouraged. God controls the fish. If you will keep honoring Him, stay in faith, He will bring the right fish to you.
When you face a disappointment—a door closes like it did for us twice—we did not think there were any more options. Have a new perspective. Maybe that door closed because God has something better coming your way.
Maybe you were hoping to catch a normal fish, an average-sized fish—but God has a whale coming. He has a Compaq Center; He has somebody better; a bigger house. Or like with me, He is going to launch you into a new field with opportunity that you have never dreamed of.
There are some big fish that have your name on them.
Now nothing may have been biting lately. You are throwing out your nets, using the right bait—but you keep coming up empty. Every voice will tell you, «It is never going to happen. You are wasting your time. Forget about it.»
No, do not believe those lies. The fish are coming. The promotion is coming. The spouse, the healing—it is headed your way.
It may seem unlikely. You tried it before, gave it your best; it did not work out. That delay does not mean that you missed your fish. That disappointment does not mean it is not going to happen.
At the right time God is going to bring the fish into your net.
God’s Mercy After Mistakes
Now do your part. Keep throwing out your nets. Keep believing. It is not going to happen by your might, your power, your talent, your strength. It is going to happen by the hand of God.
You may have come to the end of your ability. You have done everything you can. Do not worry. You are not alone. You have the most powerful force in the universe on your side.
The God who controls the fish, the God who spoke worlds into existence—He knows how to get the fish into your net.
Every morning, «Lord, I want to thank You that You are causing the right fish to find me. Thank You that those stored-up blessings are going to be released in my life.»
If you will stay in faith and keep throwing out your nets—like Peter—God will do more than you can ask or think.
One of our worship leaders, a friend of mine, Da’Dra—she has an incredible voice, extremely talented. She has been singing since she was a little girl.
But a few years back she started feeling very tired, not having any energy. The doctor thought it was because she just had a baby and did not think much about it.
What he did not realize was her thyroid gland had begun to severely malfunction. It had grown from one inch in diameter to the size of two male fists. It looked like she had a big grapefruit on the side of her neck.
The specialist told her she was in danger not only of it blocking her windpipe where she could not breathe, but it was very close to her vocal cords. If they operated on it, most likely she would never be able to sing again. And if she could somehow sing, she would never have her full range.
She went to a surgeon here in town, and when he found out she was a singer, he said, «I cannot touch this. It is too risky. You could easily lose your voice.» She asked if he knew anyone that could help her. He said, «I do not know anybody that is going to take on this case. It is too big a chance.»
She left there weeping, so discouraged. She got home and started searching on the internet for doctors that specialized in this field all across the nation. Hundreds and hundreds of names came up.
As she was passing them by, this one name jumped out at her—a surgeon in Nashville. He had invented a procedure to help reverse vocal cord paralysis in some patients.
She went to see him. He was very caring, very loving. After examining her, he confirmed what the first surgeon said—that it was extremely risky. She asked if he would be willing to try. He said, «Of course I will.»
He flew in another top surgeon. Together they performed this very complicated procedure, doing their best not to harm her vocal cords.
Two months after the removal of the big goiter, she was able to sing softly. Six months later she was able to sing at full power—not only as high as she could before the surgery, but she could sing even lower. It did not decrease her range; it increased her range.
She found out later the reason this doctor had so much experience is because he takes missions trips every year to Africa to operate on less fortunate people. That is where he has seen all these large goiters and gained so much experience—to where now he is a leader in his field.
Out of the thousands of names that came up on the internet that day, it just so happened Da’Dra was drawn to his name. That was not a coincidence; it was the hand of God bringing the right fish into her net.
Friends, God knows how to connect you to the right people. You keep throwing out your nets, and God will keep bringing the right fish. He has blessings stored up for you.
It is interesting—when Peter was in his boat that day, he had just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He had just denied that he knew Jesus.
You would think God would say, «Too bad, Peter. Fish all you want. You are not going to catch anything. You are not going to have My blessing. You had your chance, but you blew it.»
Just because you make a mistake, it does not mean that God cancels your destiny. Peter blew it big time, but just a few days later he had this big-time catch—so much that he could not haul it all in. That is the mercy of God.
When you make mistakes, God does not get rid of your fish. He does not take them away. He holds your fish. They become a stored-up blessing.
When you get back on the right path, God will release what should have been yours.
You may think, «Well, Joel, I have made a lot of mistakes. I am sure God had some good things stored up for me, but it is too late now.» No, you are just like Peter. God is holding your fish. They belong to you.
Why do you not start believing again? God knew every mistake you would ever make. He knew the times we would blow it, the times that we would fail. If that disqualified us, all of us would come up empty. None of us would catch anything.
When you make mistakes, the accuser will whisper in your ear, «No use you throwing out your nets. God is not going to bring you any fish. You are not going to catch anything.»
God is saying, «I dare you to believe. I dare you to throw your nets on the right side of the boat.» That means start making good decisions. Start honoring God, living with excellence and integrity.
When you do this, mistakes of the past will not keep you from your future. Your fish are still out there. Your dreams, your spouse, your healing, that breakthrough—it has your name on it.
Throw your nets on the right side of the boat, and God is still going to bless you—still going to heal you. You are still going to accomplish your dreams and become who you were created to be.
God’s Favor Is Not Fair
We see this principle throughout the scripture. As a young man, Moses knew he was supposed to deliver the people of Israel out of slavery. But he got in a hurry and tried to do it in his own strength.
He saw an Israelite being mistreated; he went over and killed the man that was doing it. Other people saw him. Moses had to flee for his life. He spent years on the backside of the desert in hiding.
It looked like he missed his destiny. But 40 years later God said, «Moses, I have not forgotten about you. That mistake did not stop My plan for your life. Go tell Pharaoh, 'Let My people go.'»
I am sure Moses thought of excuses: «God, I am too old. I have made too many mistakes. I do not deserve this.» He was saying, «I fished all night; did not catch anything.» But God knew where Moses' fish were. He had them stored up. And at 80, Moses delivered the people of Israel, saw favor again and again.
You may have made mistakes, but God still has your fish. You can still become who He created you to be.
Even with Abraham, God promised him and his wife Sarah that they would have a baby. They were much too old—way past the childbearing years. Year after year went by and no baby. They got worried and tried to help God out.
Abraham slept with Sarah’s maid; they had a boy, but it was not the promised child. Sarah got mad at Abraham; the maid got mad at Sarah—all kinds of dysfunction in this house.
You would think God would say, «Too bad, Abraham. You blew it. Having a baby with another woman? What were you thinking? You have got one messed-up family.»
But in spite of the dysfunction, in spite of the mistakes, God said, «Abraham, I still have your promise stored up. I still have that son for you.» Against all odds, when he was almost 100, Sarah had a baby—the promised child, Isaac.
What am I saying? You may have blown it, made mistakes; your nets are empty. You do not think the promise will ever come to pass. God is still holding your fish. He did not get rid of them. They belong to you.
If you will start throwing your nets on the right side of the boat, you will still see God’s favor. He will still do what He promised you.
Jesus told a parable in Matthew chapter 20 about this landowner that hired laborers to work in his vineyard. He hired the first group of men to start at 9 o’clock in the morning. They agreed to work all day for one denarius—that was about 20 dollars.
He hired another group to start at noon, another to start at 3 in the afternoon, and the final group to start at 5.
Back in those days they worked from sunup to sundown. So the last group that started at 5 probably only worked an hour or two.
But when it came time to be paid, the owner—he represents God—paid the group that started at 5 twenty dollars, the group that started at 3 twenty dollars, and the group that started at noon and at 9 in the morning the same amount—20 dollars.
Some of them were upset, saying that it was not fair. The owner said, «Listen, it is my money. I paid you what I agreed. Do not fault me for being generous.»
Here is the point: even though you may have started late, you made mistakes, missed some opportunities—God does not say, «I am cutting your pay. I am only going to give you half of what should have been yours.»
If you will get back on the field, start making decisions that honor God—all those past wages, what God has stored up, the blessings, the favor, the increase—He still wants to release in your life.
You can still reach the fullness of your destiny. Do not let the accusing voices cause you to live guilty, condemned—thinking you have seen your best days.
Like Peter, you may have made mistakes, but God still has your fish. There is still a great haul up in front of you.
Like Abraham, God still has your Isaac. He is still planning to bring to pass what He promised you.
Like this last group of workers, you may have started late—but God is not docking your pay. He wants to give you the full amount if you will just get back in the game.
Your voices, the thoughts may tell you, «You do not deserve it.» Other people may complain. But here is the key: favor is not fair. It is just the goodness, the mercy of God.
Why do you not receive it today? If you will do this, I believe and declare stored-up blessings are about to be released in your life. The fish are going to find you—not little minnows, but some big fish: big breaks, promotion, healing, restoration, the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name.