Joel Osteen - In The Middle of a Miracle (03/22/2020)
In tough times we often feel worried and wonder when God will act, but Joel Osteen reminds us through stories like Joshua's victory and the parting of the Red Sea that we're actually in the middle of a miracle—God is sustaining, protecting, and preparing breakthroughs we can't yet see, leading to ultimate victory and restoration.
Recognizing God's Hidden Work
I want to talk to you today about being in the middle of a miracle. When we go through challenges, it is easy to live worried and stressed. We wonder when it is going to change and when God is going to do something. When in fact, God is doing something: He is keeping the sickness from taking us out, He is holding back the opposition, He is not letting the addiction defeat us.
We do not realize it, but we are in the middle of a miracle. God is in the process of bringing us out. Without His favor, we would be overcome; without His protection, we would be defeated. One day we will look back and say, "Look what the Lord has done. Look at how God sustained me in that tough time. Look at how He healed me from that disease. Look at how He promoted me despite the opposition."
Right now, God is working behind the scenes, making things happen that you cannot see. If it was not for His goodness, His favor, His mercy, you would not be able to withstand what is trying to stop you. You are not in this difficulty by yourself; the Most High God is pushing back forces of darkness.
Joshua and Moses: Victory You Can't See
One time, Joshua and his men were in a valley fighting the Amalekites. They had attacked the Israelites; they were bigger and stronger, but against all odds, Joshua was winning. The whole time, Moses was on a hill holding his staff in the air. As long as he had his staff up, Joshua was winning.
I can imagine Joshua thought he was defeating the opposition in his own strength. He did not realize the only reason he was winning was because Moses was holding up his staff. Sometimes we think we are making it through the difficulty because we are tough, determined, smart. That is part of it, but what you cannot see is the Creator of the universe breathing in your direction.
The God who spoke worlds into existence is sustaining you, favoring you, healing you. Like Moses up on the hill, you cannot see Him, but God is causing you to win. That is why that car barely missed you on the freeway, that is why that addiction could not finish you off. That is why the virus cannot stop your destiny. The forces that are for you are greater than the forces that are against you.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:14, "God always causes us to triumph." If you are not seeing the victory yet, do not panic—you are in the middle. That is not how your story ends. God is holding up the staff, so to speak; you cannot be defeated. The enemy cannot stop God's plan for your life.
Healing is coming, freedom is coming, breakthroughs are coming. God is about to show out in your life. He is going to do things that you cannot do on your own—it is going to be uncommon, unusual. That is why you cannot figure it out: it is not going to be natural; it is going to be supernatural.
The Middle Can Feel Frightening
But in the middle, it can be frightening. In the middle, all you see is the opposition, how big the obstacles are, how bad the problem is. Thoughts will tell you, "It is never going to work out. You will never get well, never break the addiction." You have to remind yourself: things are happening that you cannot see.
It may look permanent; you do not see anything improving. The truth is, it is only the middle—your time is coming. God would not have allowed it if it was going to keep you from your destiny. Now, keep the right perspective. You are not just fighting cancer; you are in the middle of a miracle. God is in the process of restoring your health.
That test one day will be your testimony. You will look back and say with David, "Where would I be without the goodness of God?" You are not just struggling in your finances; you are in the middle of a miracle. The enemy thought he was setting you back; he did not realize he was setting you up.
Your story does not end in defeat. God is about to do a new thing: promotion is coming, opportunities are coming, the right people. "Well, Joel, the stock market is down, the economy is slow, I do not have the work I used to." The economy is not your source—God is your source.
The stock market may be down, but God is not having a bad year; He owns it all. One touch of His favor will put you into overflow. When you keep God in first place, when you honor Him with your life, you are connected to a supply line that will never run dry.
The scripture says in Psalm 37:19, "Even in famine you will have more than enough." When things are drying up all around you, when you should be in lack and struggling, you will see supernatural provision, increase, promotion, opportunity that does not make sense.
Isaiah 43:19-20 said, "God makes rivers in the desert. He makes streams in the barren places." You cannot have a river in the desert. If it is barren, you could not have water freely flowing. This is showing us God is going to do unusual things. He is going to take you up when all the circumstances say you should be going down.
He is going to bring opportunity and promotion when things should be drying up. You are not only going to be amazed, but other people are going to see the favor of God on your life.
Turn Defeat into Faith
"Well, Joel, this sounds good, but I do not know—it's tough in my life, things are slow at work, this virus has me so worried, I do not know how I am going to make it." That is calling in more defeat. Turn it around: "Yes, things are slow, but I know a secret—I am in the middle of a miracle. God is working behind the scenes; He is supplying all of my needs; He has a hedge of protection around my family."
Get in agreement with God. You cannot talk defeat and have victory. You cannot think negative and live positive. You cannot go around afraid and panicked and reach your destiny. You are drawing in what you are thinking about. Do not use your energy to worry; use your energy to believe.
The Chaotic Path Through the Red Sea
After God delivered the Israelites out of slavery, they headed toward the Promised Land, but Pharaoh changed his mind and sent 600 of his fastest chariots and most skilled warriors to recapture them. These two million Israelites were at a dead end at the Red Sea, with nowhere to go. Moses held up his staff, and the waters parted.
It is interesting how God brought them out. We read about it now, and it is so encouraging and inspiring—these huge walls of water being held back, the people walking through on dry ground. In the movies, they are going through so calm and peaceful, rejoicing over what God had done, but I do not think that is how it happened.
Imagine being there with 20-foot walls of water on each side, not knowing if at any moment the walls were going to collapse. Mothers were holding on to their babies for dear life, fathers grabbing their little children's hands, running as fast as they could, people carrying the elderly. Was it peaceful? It was chaotic.
The wind was holding back the water—it was incredibly noisy. There was confusion, turmoil; people were panicked and worried, thinking any moment those walls could come crashing down. They were not calm and collected; they were afraid. They finally made it through to the other side, then they started rejoicing, then they started giving God praise.
When you are in the middle of a miracle, sometimes it will feel chaotic. You may not hear angels playing harps and the heavenly choir singing. The circumstances may not be calm and reassuring. It may look like all hell is breaking loose: the medical report looks worse, the virus is spreading faster, the economy has taken a nosedive.
It is easy to live panicked, worried, not able to sleep at night. God is saying in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." Those walls of water may look scary; you could think of a hundred things that could go wrong, but God did not bring you this far to leave you.
He is the one holding up the walls; He is pushing back the darkness; He is keeping the trouble from defeating you. It may look frightening; the circumstances seem overwhelming—stay in peace. You are in the middle of a miracle.
God Takes Us Through, Not Always Around
God may not deliver you from the trouble; He may take you through the trouble. Those walls of water that look so intimidating—that is not a sign that you are done; that is a sign that breakthroughs are up ahead. Promotion, freedom, healing is in your future.
Yes, the winds are strong, the opposition bigger than anything you have faced, but it is not a surprise to God. He is not going to let the water collapse. He is going to bring you safely through to the other side. It is interesting how God brought the Israelites out. He did not give them a bridge across the Red Sea—that would have been so much more peaceful; they would not have had to worry about the walls of water.
He could have sent them a big ship, had several cruise liners pull up; the Israelites could have gone across in comfort and security, without any fears. But God does not always bring us out the most comfortable way. He does not always make it easy, where we do not have any opposition or any reason to live worried or afraid.
This is what faith is all аbout: trusting Him between the walls of water, being at peace when others are panicked, staying calm when you do not know how it is going to work out. The scripture says in Exodus 14:21, "God sent a strong east wind to blow the waters back." Imagine how strong that wind had to be to blow back 20 feet of water and sustain it.
That means it had to keep blowing—it was loud, noisy, chaotic. In one sense, God sent a storm on top of another storm. You could think, "This could not be God—things are getting worse instead of better." But you do not know what God is up to.
Those winds that are so noisy, the trouble, the opposition—that is not going to keep you from your destiny; it is leading you to your destiny. You are not close to your miracle only when everything is calm and peaceful. Sometimes it is the opposite: when it is chaotic, when you are tempted to panic and live afraid, that means your miracle is on the way.
Praise in the Storm
Right now, we are dealing with this virus. We could live worried: "What if I cannot go to work? What about my finances? I am afraid I am going to get sick. I am worried about my children." Come back to a place of peace. Yes, there is uncertainty; we do not know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future.
God is still on the throne. You cannot see it, but He is holding up walls of water; He is keeping you from evil and harm; He is sustaining you in the famine. He is bringing healing and wholeness; He is protecting, providing, favoring—you are in the middle of a miracle.
Do like Paul and Silas: they were arrested for sharing their faith and put in the deepest dungeon. They were locked behind prison doors, had chains around their feet. They could have been depressed, complaining, worried, but they understood this principle—they were not just in the middle of a dungeon; they were in the middle of a miracle.
They knew the same God that sent the wind to blow back the Red Sea for the Israelites could make a way where they did not see a way. At midnight, they started singing praises to God. When you can sing in the storm, when you can praise through the pain, when you can thank God He is working instead of complaining about the trouble—get ready; your miracle is on the way.
All of a sudden, there was a great earthquake. The prison doors flung open; chains fell off their feet; they walked out as free men. God sent an earthquake—He used another storm to get them out of a storm. Do not be surprised if God does it in an unusual way.
Like Paul and Silas, you may feel like you are in the middle of trouble—dealing with an illness, worried about your finances, concerned about your children. What you are up against seems bigger and stronger, but you have to recognize you are not just in the middle of difficulty; you are in the middle of a miracle.
If you will start thanking God that He is working, thanking Him that He is bigger than what you are facing, thanking Him that He is holding up the walls of water, then you are going to see situations suddenly turn around—suddenly you get well, suddenly your child gets back on course, suddenly that problem resolves.
When you are in the middle, you have to turn up your praise: "Father, thank You that no weapon formed against me will prosper. Thank You that this difficulty did not come to stay; it came to pass. Thank You that even now things are changing in my favor."
Chris's Story: Defying the Odds
I know a young man named Chris who has been attending Lakewood with his family since he was nine years old. He grew up healthy and very active, but at 17 he started having fever and fluctuations in his weight. He eventually lost the strength and mobility in his legs. After two weeks in the hospital, he was diagnosed with a rare form of lupus.
He could have been discouraged and given up on life, but Chris is a fighter. He knew he was not just in the middle of a rare sickness; he was in the middle of a miracle. He decorated the walls of his house with scripture verses: "I will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord. By His stripes I am healed."
Chris started volunteering here at Lakewood. I would see him faithfully serving and helping others year after year. I have never heard Chris complain, never seen him without a smile. If you ask him how he is doing, he is going to tell you that he is blessed, that he is healed, that he has the favor of God.
It is one thing to believe that when everything is going your way—that is easy. The real test comes when life throws you a curve, when you are facing something that is out of your control. Chris continued to struggle with his health. One day he looked like he had gained 50 pounds; another day he looked skin and bones.
He spent time in and out of the hospital, fighting the good fight of faith. It did not seem like he was in the middle of a miracle—the medical report said he would never get well. But God can do what medicine cannot do. Medical science may run out of options, but God never runs out of options. He breathed life into you; He has the final say.
Chris is 40 years old now. Last year, after fighting over twenty years, his heart and kidneys began to fail. In October, he was hospitalized and given a temporary pump to keep his heart beating. The doctor said his only chance of survival was a heart transplant. He was placed on the waiting list, but there were so many ahead of him; it seemed unlikely that he would make it.
He has been in the hospital the last five months in ICU. The doctors told him that all of his organs would start to shut down. Chris would not hear of it; he kept declaring health, wholeness, victory. Much to their surprise, he defied the odds, and his other organs remained healthy.
Last week, his wife unexpectedly received a call that they had been praying for so long. There was a donor for Chris—it just so happened it was a perfect match. Not only a heart like they were praying for, but there were two kidneys as well. The family stood outside and took pictures of the ambulance arriving with Chris's new organs.
He had the heart and kidney transplant at the same time. The surgery was successful, and Chris is well on his way to the life he has always been dreaming аbout: healthy and whole. There was a prayer he prayed every day from Psalm 51:10, "God, create in me a clean heart." He said, "God not only gave me a new heart, but He gave me kidneys as well." That is the way our God is—He exceeds our expectations.
Nothing Is Too Hard for God
It may look like that sickness is permanent, that addiction is never going to change, you will never see your family restored—it is too late, the problem is too big. Can I encourage you? You are in the middle of a miracle. God already has the solution; He has already lined up good breaks, the healing, the right people.
Do not believe the lies that you have seen your best days. Do like Chris—live from a place of faith, a place of trust. When you look at the circumstances, you could be negative, worried, thinking it is never going to change. But if Chris were here, he would tell you, "God is a faithful God. Your time is coming—He is not only going to do what you asked, but He is going to exceed your expectations."
The scripture says in Genesis 18:14, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" He spoke worlds into existence; He flung stars into space; He has you in the palm of His hand. What He has destined for your life will come to pass.
I believe right now faith is rising in your heart; dreams are coming back to life; promises that you have given up on are about to be fulfilled. You may be in a difficult time, but have a new perspective—you are in the middle of a miracle.
The enemy would not be coming against you if he did not know something amazing was in your future. This is not the time to live worried or afraid. The God who breathed life into you is watching over you; He is keeping the walls up; He is pushing back the opposition; He is ordering your steps, putting you at the right place at the right time.
Isaiah 3:10 says, "Say to the righteous, it shall be well with you." You are the righteous—you would not be listening if you did not have a heart after God. There is a lot of fear and panic in the world, but this virus is not going to stop your destiny—it shall be well with you.
The medical report may not look good; you have been dealing with that sickness for years—it is not permanent; it shall be well with you; healing is on the way. You lost a loved one; you do not think you can go on—it is not the end; God has a new beginning. Let this phrase seep down in your spirit: it shall be well with you.
You had a setback in your finances; business is slow; you do not know how you are going to make it—God has it all figured out; He is your provider; He clothed the lilies of the field; He feeds the birds of the air; He knows how to take care of you. New doors are going to open; opportunities are going to come looking for you—it shall be well with you.
Now the circumstances may look the opposite—things are coming against you in your health, your finances, a relationship. It may not be well now, but you have this promise: "It shall be well." The opposition, the trouble, the lack—is not the end. Why? You are in the middle of a miracle. Victory is coming, healing is coming, freedom is coming, new levels are coming.
The Lepers and God's Hidden Multiplication
In 2 Kings chapter 7, the Syrian army had surrounded the city of Samaria and cut off their food supply. The Israelites were starving and faced certain death. There were four lepers sitting outside the city gates. They said, "We are going to die here anyway; let us go down to the enemy's camp and see what they are doing."
They started walking toward the Syrians. God caused the sound of their footsteps to be multiplied. The scripture says the Syrian army heard the clatter of thousands of speeding chariots and the sound of a vast army approaching. They were so afraid; they panicked and took off running into the desert, fleeing for their lives.
They left in such a hurry; they did not take any of their possessions, any of their food, supplies, their gold, their silver—they left everything behind. When the lepers arrived, they could not believe it. They did not know what happened. They went back and told the Israelites; they came and gathered up all their food and belongings—it was a great victory.
What is interesting is when the lepers were walking to the enemy's camp, they did not hear anything different. Even though God multiplied the sound of their footsteps, they could not hear it. Everything seemed normal to them; they were just doing what they knew to do.
What they could not see was God working behind the scenes, doing things they never dreamed. In the natural, they did not have a chance, but we serve a supernatural God. They thought it was the end; there was no way they could live; all the odds were against them—they did not realize they were in the middle of a miracle. God was making things happen that they knew nothing about.
Keep Moving Forward in Faith
When you are doing the right thing, making decisions that honor God, you may not see anything improving—you still have that problem at work, your health has not gotten better, your finances look just the same. What you cannot see is God behind the scenes orchestrating things in your favor, lining up the breaks you need, moving the wrong people out of the way.
It seems like where you are is permanent, but God is causing people to hear what they need to hear; He is multiplying what you know nothing about. You are going to see things fall into place that do not make sense. Like these lepers, you will be scratching your head thinking, "How did that happen?"
You thought you were stuck in your career, gone as far as you can, but out of nowhere promotion came to you; a door opened that you could never open. You thought you would never get well, but it was not the end—like Chris, you were in the middle of a miracle; against all odds, your health began to turn around.
What if these lepers had thought, "We do not have a chance. No use walking down there—that is wasting our time"? They would have missed their miracle. Every circumstance said they were done—they were outnumbered; they had a dreaded disease. But when they dared to take that step of faith, things supernaturally turned around.
You may have opposition and things coming against you; you do not see how your situation could resolve. But if you will just keep moving forward in faith, knowing that God is in the process of bringing you out, that He is making things happen that you cannot see—not believing those lies that where you are is permanent—then you are going to come into these times where God shows out in your life, where He makes things happen that you could not make happen.
Do not let the fact that it is stressful and you are tempted to be panicked and worried convince you that it is not going to work out. Most of the time when you are in the middle of a miracle, it is not peaceful—there are walls of water on each side that could collapse; there is a Pharaoh chasing you; there is wind and noise.
Do not panic—God has you right where He wants you; He is in control; He is keeping the opposition from defeating you. It is just a matter of time before you make it to the other side. I am asking you to live from a place of peace, a place of trust.
If you will do this, I believe and declare: the forces that are trying to stop you are being broken; things are changing in your favor; healing is coming, freedom, promotion, breakthroughs—all will be well with you in Jesus' name.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be "in the middle of a miracle"?
It means that even when life feels difficult, chaotic, or hopeless, God is actively working behind the scenes—sustaining you, protecting you, and preparing your breakthrough. The victory may not be visible yet, but you are not at the end of your story.
How can I stay peaceful when everything looks frightening?
Remind yourself of Psalm 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God." Trust that God is holding back the "walls of water" and pushing back darkness. Shift from worry to praise and thanksgiving, knowing He is in control.
Why does God sometimes take us through trouble instead of around it?
Faith grows in the challenging times. God uses the "middle" to build trust, show His power in unusual ways, and lead us to greater victories that we could not achieve comfortably.
What should I do when circumstances seem to get worse?
Recognize that worsening situations can be a sign your miracle is near. Like the strong wind at the Red Sea or the earthquake for Paul and Silas, God often uses "storms" to bring deliverance.
How can I change negative thoughts during hard times?
Turn defeat-talk into faith-talk. Declare: "I am in the middle of a miracle. God is supplying my needs, protecting me, and turning this around." Use your energy to believe rather than worry.
Is God really my source when the economy is bad?
Yes. The economy is not your source—God is. He owns everything and promises provision even in famine (Psalm 37:19). One touch of His favor can bring overflow.
What can I learn from Chris's story?
Chris faced a rare illness for over 20 years yet stayed faithful, declaring healing and serving others. Against all medical odds, he received a heart and kidney transplant. It shows God exceeds expectations when we hold on in faith.
Why should I praise God in the middle of difficulty?
Praise shifts the atmosphere. Like Paul and Silas singing at midnight, it invites God's supernatural intervention—sudden breakthroughs, healing, and freedom.
What does "it shall be well with you" mean for me today?
From Isaiah 3:10, it is a promise to the righteous that no matter current opposition in health, finances, or relationships, God will bring victory and restoration.
How do I know God is working when I see no change?
Stories like the four lepers show God multiplies things behind the scenes. Keep honoring Him and moving forward in faith—sudden favor and unexpected solutions will come.