Joel Osteen - Remember What God Said (07/27/2020)
In times of delay, disappointment, or difficulty, Joel Osteen urges believers to remember and dwell on God’s promises rather than negative circumstances, using examples from Job, the women at the tomb, Peter walking on water, and Nehemiah to show that focusing on what God said stirs faith, changes perspective, and leads to victory and fulfillment.
Don’t Let Disappointment Drown Out God’s Voice!
I want to talk to you today about remembering what God said. We all have promises that God has put in our heart—things we know He has spoken to us: how we are going to accomplish a dream, see a problem turn around, beat the addiction, meet the right person.
At one time we knew it was going to happen; we were praying, believing, passionate. But when it is taking longer than we thought, when we have gone through disappointment, people did not come through, the medical report is not improving, negative thoughts start to play louder and louder: «It is never going to work out. You are never going to get well. You will never see your family restored.»
The Battle Is in Your Mind
Too often we let those thoughts drown out what God has spoken to us. If you are going to stay in faith, you have to remember what God said. Go back to the promises. Go back to that time He whispered to you in the night. Start thanking Him for what He told you. Start declaring favor, victory, healing.
You have to keep your faith stirred up. Keep those promises on the forefront of your mind. God is faithful. He does not tell you something and then not do it. The scripture says (2 Corinthians 1:20), «All of His promises are yes and amen.» It may not happen on our timetable or the way we think, but what God promised is on the way.
Promises Always Come with Tests
It is easy to believe when things are going our way, but most of the time the promise will not come to pass without a test. When you are under pressure, you do not understand why it is taking so long and why those people did not keep their word, you will be tempted to live frustrated, worried, afraid—recognize that that is a test.
The enemy would love for you to forget what God promised. He would love for you to get so caught up in what is not happening, so focused on how your child is not doing right. The pandemic hit; now there is no way you can have a good year. No—remember what God said: even in famine you will have more than enough. Whatever you touch will prosper and succeed. The economy is not your source—God is your source. You are connected to a supply line that will never run dry.
Water the Seed—See God’s Faithfulness!
But there is always something trying to steal the seed of God’s word out of your heart. Because when you keep that seed watered, you keep thanking God for what He promised, you keep talking like it is on the way, you are constantly meditating on what He said, then you are going to see the faithfulness of God. He is going to make things happen that you could not make happen.
Jesus said in John 11:40, «Did not I tell you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?» You may be facing a sickness; you are so worried, stressed out. God is saying, «Did not I tell you I will restore health unto you? Did not I tell you by My stripes you are healed? Did not I tell you the number of your days I will fulfill?»
Why do not you start thanking God for what He told you instead of letting the negative thoughts play? The reason we are discouraged many times is we have forgotten what God said.
Shift Your Focus—Fear Has to Leave!
It is not complicated—go back to His promises. Go back to what He whispered to you in the night. Start remembering what He has spoken over you, replaying that over and over. As you dwell on these promises, fear has to leave. Doubt and worry cannot stay; faith will rise in your heart.
Maybe your child is off course, running with the wrong crowd, and you are frustrated, thinking they are never going to change. God is saying, «Did not I tell you that as for you and your house you will serve the Lord? Did not I tell you that your children will be mighty in the land?»
When you wake up in the middle of the night tempted to worry, turn it around: «Lord, thank You for what You have said—that my children will fulfill their destiny.»
Take Control of Your Thoughts
There is a battle taking place in our mind. The enemy comes against us with thoughts: thoughts of doubt, fear, worry. His goal is to keep your mind so filled with the negative that you are so preoccupied with what is not going to work out—how you cannot break the addiction, how you will never meet the right person—that you never think about what God promised you.
You have to take control of your thought life. When worry comes, do not go on autopilot; do not just let it play—stay on the offensive. On purpose remember what God said. Thank Him that He is making a way where you do not see a way. Thank Him that He is always causing you to triumph. Thank Him that what was meant for harm He is turning to your advantage. Thank Him that He is taking you from glory to glory, from victory to victory.
From Heartbreak to New Beginnings
A young lady I know went through a breakup in a relationship. She thought this would be the person she would marry. She was so discouraged, so down on life, down on herself.
We all go through disappointments, loss, things that are not fair. If we stay focused on the hurts—“God, why did this happen? I do not understand it”—that is going to keep us weighed down. We will miss the new things God has in store.
I know it is not easy, but you have to make this shift in your thinking: quit dwelling on the hurts and start dwelling on what God promised you. God is saying, «Did not I tell you I will give you beauty for those ashes? Did not I tell you weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning? Did not I tell you that I will pay you back double for the unfair things that have happened?»
God Has You in His Hands
God has you in the palm of His hand. He has not brought you this far to leave you. That loss, the breakup—yes, it is painful, but it did not stop your destiny. God has a new beginning. He is about to open new doors, bring new relationships. You have not seen your best days.
The reason the enemy is fighting you is he knows there is something amazing in your future. You are on the verge of seeing blessing, favor, influence like you have never seen. Now, do not let these negatives keep you where you are. Start remembering what God said.
Job: Laughter in the Midst of Loss
In the scripture, when Job was in the middle of all his loss and heartbreak, it looked like he had seen his best days; everything was going wrong. God said to him (Job 8:21), «I will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.» This was in chapter 8—things did not turn around until chapter 42.
I can imagine Job sitting in the ashes, discouraged, thinking about all that was going wrong. He was tempted to feel sorry for himself, give up on life, but then he remembered what God promised: «He is going to fill my mouth with laughter.»
I can hear him saying, «Lord, thank You that I am going to dream again. I am going to laugh again. I am going to love again.» When he could have been complaining, right in the middle of the difficulty, he looked up and said, «I know my Redeemer lives.» He was saying, «I know God is still on the throne. I know that He is bigger than this adversity. I know my latter days will be better than my former days.»
Double Restoration Is Coming!
He kept remembering what God said—not what the circumstances said, not what his emotions said, not what the negative thoughts said. When you keep reminding yourself what God promised, you are going to see Him show out in your life. When that test resolved, Job came out with twice what he had before.
You may have gone through loss, disappointment—that is not how your story ends. It may be painful now; you are hurting—God sees it. He is not only going to help you through, but He is going to fill your mouth with laughter. There is great joy in your future. The right people are already headed your way—new relationships, favor like you have never seen.
Now, do not fall into the trap of complaining, living in self-pity, thinking it is all downhill from here—you are remembering the wrong things. Start remembering what God said: that there is beauty for those ashes, that double is coming—double the joy, double the peace, double the resources. You are not going to just come out; God says you are going to come out better, stronger, healthier, happier, more fulfilled.
Thank God Even Under Pressure
Now, do like Job and keep thanking God for what He said. Keep declaring, «My Redeemer lives.» All through the day in your thoughts: «Father, thank You that Your plans for me are for good. Thank You that You are filling my mouth with laughter again.»
When you are under pressure, it is so important what you are allowing to play in your mind. Thoughts will tell you all the reasons why it is not going to work out. Sometimes people will tell you how you will never break the addiction: «You cannot start that business.»
You have to go back to what God said—not what people said (no disrespect), not what the experts said, not what your mind says, not how you feel, but to what God promised.
God Overrides What You See
Maybe you are discouraged over how long your dream is taking, how impossible it looks. God is saying, «Did not I tell you what I started I will finish? Did not I tell you if you delight yourself in Me, I will give you the desires of your heart?»
The medical report was not good; now you are upset—“Did not I tell you no weapon formed against you will prosper?»
People at the office are playing politics, trying to push you down. They have more influence, more seniority—“Did not I tell you when the enemy comes in like a flood, I will rise up a barrier? Did not I tell you I will fight your battles for you? Did not I tell you I am preparing a table before you in the presence of your enemies?»
When you remember what God said, you will not be worried—you will have peace in the midst of the storm. You will have faith to believe for the impossible. You will have the courage to defeat giants, the endurance to outlast the opposition, the favor to accomplish more than you thought possible.
From Weeping to Excited Faith at the Tomb
It was early Sunday morning. Jesus had just been crucified and risen from the dead. Three women went to the tomb to care for Jesus’ body. When they arrived, they noticed something was wrong—the stone was rolled away. They looked in, and Jesus’ body was gone. They were so distraught.
As they sat there weeping, not knowing what to do, suddenly two men appeared to them—they were angels wearing white robes, so brilliant, radiating such light that these women could hardly look at them. They were terrified.
The angels said (Luke 24:5-6), «Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? Jesus is not here. He has risen from the dead.»
I can imagine how these ladies were sitting there in awe, trying to take it all in. The angels went on to say, «Do you not remember what He told you in Galilee—that He would be betrayed and crucified, then on the third day He would rise from the dead?»
The next verse says, «Then they remembered what Jesus said; they rushed back to tell the disciples.» These women came to the tomb discouraged, depressed, defeated—they went back home excited, passionate, full of faith, full of hope. They could not wait to tell the other disciples.
Remembering Changes Everything
When you remember what God says, it will change your perspective. As long as you are dwelling on the negative—on what did not work out, how impossible it is—that is going to keep you discouraged.
God is saying to you what the angels said to them: «Do you not remember what I told you? Do you not remember I said you will lend and not borrow? Do you not remember I said that My mercy is bigger than your mistakes?»
God has you hearing this for one reason—so you will remember what He has promised you. You need to go back to what God has spoken to you. Go back to that dream He gave you in the night. Go back to the promise that He whispered in your spirit. You have to stir it up. Get your passion back. Get your hopes up. Start talking like it is on the way. Start thanking God that it is coming.
Under Pressure? Don’t Forget His Promises!
The scripture says these ladies were perplexed, overwhelmed, confused; their world had been turned upside down. Under all the pressure, with all the stress of losing their friend, they forgot what Jesus had told them.
What is interesting is He told them what was going to happen not twenty years earlier—that would make sense; it had been a long time; they forgot. Jesus told them just a few days before. But when they came under depression, when they felt overwhelmed, they forgot what He said.
That is the time you have to be on guard. When life is stressful, you have a setback in your finances, you are struggling with depression—do not let those negative thoughts drown out what God has promised.
Maybe you are under pressure now. This pandemic left many people anxious, worried, thinking, «What is going to happen with my finances? What about my children? Things are put on hold.» It is easy to forget what God has promised.
Like that angel, I am saying, «Remember what God told you.» You may feel alone, but He said, «I will never leave you; I will be closer than a brother.» Your business slowed down; you do not know how you are going to make ends meet—He said, «I will make streams in the desert. I will supply your needs according to My riches.»
That anxiety, the depression, the addiction seems permanent—He says, «The enemy you see today you will see no more.» He says, «Greater is He that is in you than what is trying to stop you.» He says, «Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.»
Go by God’s Word, Not Your Eyes
Are you remembering what He said, or are you letting the circumstances, the trouble, the stress cause you to dwell on the negative and think about how it is not going to work out?
When we are under pressure, the mistake we make many times is we go by what we see instead of what God says: «Well, Joel, look at that medical report. Look at my finances. Look how big the obstacles are.» As long as you are going by what you see, you are going to be worried, stressed.
You have to start going by what God said. Here is the good news: what He said will override what you see.
From Insecure to Pastoring—By Remembering!
When my father passed and I stepped up to pastor the church, what I saw when I looked in the mirror was someone that was inexperienced, intimidated, unqualified. Thoughts told me that nobody would listen to me; I was going to get up here and fail. I was tempted to live worried.
But I did what I am asking you to do: I did not go by what I saw; I went by what God says. I felt weak, but I remembered that God said, «I am strong in the Lord.» I did not think I could do it, but I remembered what God said: «I can do all things through Christ.»
I had some people that did not want me to succeed, some critics that had large followings—it looked like they would discredit me, hold me down—but I remembered what God said: that promotion does not come from people; it comes from the Lord.
People do not determine your destiny. They cannot stop the calling on your life. They may look bigger, more powerful, more influential—do not go by what you see; go by what God says. He says you are a giant killer. He says you are more than a conqueror. He says that trap the enemy set for you, they will fall in themselves.
Peter: Walking on Water by Focus
Matthew 14—Jesus told the disciples to get in a boat and go to the other side of the lake; He was going to meet them there. The disciples started rowing that way; everything was going fine until the winds picked up; the waves got rough. Now they were struggling to make it hour after hour.
At 3:00 in the morning they looked up, and this figure came walking on the water. They thought it was a ghost. They were so afraid; the scripture says they screamed in terror. They had not seen anything like this.
Jesus told them it was Him. Peter was not only astonished; he was inspired. He said (Matthew 14:28–29), «Lord, if it is really You, tell me to come to You by walking on the water.» Jesus answered, saying, «All right, Peter, you can come. You too can walk on the water.»
Peter climbed over the side of the boat, stepped into the water—but his feet did not go down. He started walking on the top of the water, defying the odds. I can imagine how amazed he was, how in awe. He took step after step looking at Jesus, marveling at what was happening.
But then he began to look around at the waves; he looked at how strong the wind was, how the boat was rocking, how he was in the middle of the water. Suddenly he began to sink. He cried out, «Lord, please save me.» Jesus reached down and helped him back into the boat.
Stay Focused on His Word—Walk on Water!
As long as Peter was focused on what Jesus said—“Walk on the water; come here with Me”—he was fine. But when he started focusing on what he saw—the wind, the waves—he began to drown, be afraid: «I cannot do this.»
It is the same principle in life. If you stay focused on what you see, you can get talked out of your dreams. If you are focused on how big the obstacles are, how the medical reports are not good, how you will never get out of debt, then you will be limited.
You have to stay focused on what God said. When you are focused on what He promised, you walk on water. You go places you could not go on your own. You will overcome obstacles that are much bigger.
The winds, the waves are a test: are you going to live distracted and focused on the negative—“This problem is too big; this addiction seems permanent; I do not have the finances to go to college; I will never get out of this neighborhood”—that is going to cause you to sink.
You Were Created to Defy the Odds
You have to change your focus from what you see to what God said. You have to walk by faith and not by sight.
What you are up against may seem impossible, but God created you to walk on water. He created you to defy the odds. He created you to go further than people said you could go. He created you to defeat giants, to beat the cancer, to acquire the Compaq Centers.
Yes, it seems unlikely; yes, it may seem like you do not have the talent; you may be afraid—that is okay. The key is do not focus on what you see; focus on what God said. That is what is going to fuel your faith; that is when you are going to see far and beyond favor—favor that catapults you ahead.
Nehemiah: From Cupbearer to Wall Builder
God told Nehemiah he was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, but Nehemiah was not a builder; he was a cupbearer to the king, living a thousand miles away. He did not have the resources, the staff, the influence—but God never asks you to do something and then does not give you the ability to do it.
God was saying to Nehemiah: you are going to walk on water; you are going to do something over your head, something that you are not qualified for, something where you do not have the connections, the experience.
Nehemiah could have looked at the circumstances: «God, You have got the wrong person. I will never accomplish this dream.» But Nehemiah understood this principle—he did not go by what he saw; he went by what God said.
When you step out in faith, God will open doors that no person can shut. He will bring the right people; He will make things happen that you could not make happen.
52 Days to Rebuild—Impossible Made Possible!
God gave Nehemiah favor with the king. The king not only let him have the time off—which was unprecedented—but the king gave him a letter requiring people to give him the materials and resources he needed. It should have taken years, but Nehemiah rebuilt the wall in just fifty-two days.
God has some things in your future where you are going to walk on water. You are going to accomplish what seems impossible. You are going to overcome what seems insurmountable.
Now do your part: do not focus on the winds, the waves, the impossibilities—that is going to talk you out of it. Focus on what God said. Let His promises play in your mind over and over. That dream He put in your heart—every day thank Him for it. Those secret things He whispered to you in the night—dare to believe that they are on the way.
Fly by Instruments—Not by Sight!
A friend of mine knew an older gentleman that was a fighter pilot in World War II. He not only flew missions but was a flight trainer. He had trained these young men—many of them only eighteen years old—how to fly planes.
Before he ever took them up in the air, they spent hours going over instruments, learning what they did and what caused the plane to function. He stressed the importance of always flying the plane by the instruments, not by what they saw. They spent months and months on the ground in flight simulators, flying planes strictly by the instruments.
After one young pilot completed the program, he took him up in the air. The pilot was doing great; everything was running smoothly, just like his training. A few minutes later a storm suddenly arose. They found themselves in bad weather—dark clouds; the plane started bouncing around. They got to the point they could not see anything.
This young pilot panicked. Instead of going by his instruments, following his training, he looked around at all the clouds, the rain. He felt the plane shaking; he became disoriented and confused. He could not tell if he was gaining altitude or losing altitude. He kept straining out the window to get some kind of visual sign as to which direction to go.
Finally the flight instructor took a blanket that was used to cover the windshield where the planes were stored, and he clipped it in place. Now the young pilot could not see anything. He had no choice except to go by instruments. In a few minutes they came out of the storm and eventually landed the plane safely.
Storms Come—But God Is in Control
Sometimes like this young pilot, we know what God promised us; we have the instruments; we do good on the ground—we quote the scripture; we believe—but when the storm hits, we start looking at the clouds, the winds. It is bumpy; we do not see a way. Too often we panic, live worried.
But you have to come back to the instruments. You cannot go by what you see, or you will get discouraged. You may not see anything except the dark clouds; everywhere you look is no visibility, no sign of how it is going to work out.
Go back to your instruments—remember what God promised you. There is not a storm you are facing that is a surprise to God. There is not a problem you are in that He cannot get you out of. But when we are under pressure, when life gets stressful, it is easy to focus on the wrong things.
Are you looking out the window, focused on the storm, or are you focused on what God promised you?
He has spoken dreams to your heart. He is whispering things to you in the night. The enemy has tried to drown them out with negative thoughts, negative circumstances, but they are still alive. What God started He is going to finish.
Now, do your part and remember what He said. Keep declaring what He promised; keep thanking Him for it. If you will do this, I believe and declare—like Peter you are going to walk on water; you are going to defy the odds. Like Nehemiah you are going to accomplish dreams bigger than you thought. And like this pilot, you are going to come through every storm safely.
I speak strength over you; I speak victory; I speak healing, breakthroughs, favor, abundance, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus’ name.