Joyce Meyer - What To Do When God Does Not Pick You? (08/24/2019)
The preacher explores how to respond when God gives others visible blessings ("rainbows") while you face painful growth ("circumcision"), drawing from Noah's rainbow covenant and Abraham's circumcision covenant as contrasts—rainbow as promise and easy sign, circumcision as painful flesh-cutting for purity. The key is trusting God's unique plan, rejoicing in others' good, and seeing hardships as disguised good for maturity and purity.
Responding When God Doesn't Pick You
I want to talk to you tonight about how do you respond when God doesn't pick you? How do you respond when God doesn't pick you? Uh oh. My, my. Well, we're gonna believe that we're gonna learn how to respond really good. You know, every day is not a great day. There's good days and then there's not so good days. But even the not so good days sometimes are good days in disguise. We just really don't realize it.
I'm gonna say that again. Sometimes your not so good days are actually good days in disguise. I said sometimes your not so good days are actually good days in disguise.
God's Covenant with Noah – The Rainbow
Now, we're gonna begin in Genesis chapter 9 and verse 11. And I will establish my covenant and my pledge with you. Never again shall all the flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood. Neither shall there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth and make it corrupt. Doesn't mean that there'll never be floods, but there will never be another one that will destroy the whole earth.
God's talking to Noah, who obediently built an ark according to God's instructions, so those who would believe could go in and be saved from a flood that was coming to destroy the earth, because of the wickedness in the earth. And I believe that no matter how much wickedness is in the earth, that God's always got an ark for His people. That we can get in and be safe right in the middle of the mess. Amen?
And God said, now here is a token of the covenant, the solemn pledge, which I am making between me and you, and between every living creature that is with you for all future generations. I will set my bow in the clouds. And it shall be a token or a sign of a covenant between me and the whole earth.
So now, when it rains, when we have storms, we usually get a rainbow after the storm. And we all like rainbows. They're beautiful and they just have a tendency to bring promise. And you really think you've done something if you get a double rainbow. That's really a good one.
You know, I'm quite sure that Noah needed a rainbow after what he'd been through. And I have a feeling that some of you could use a good rainbow day, too, in your life. Noah surely had gone through a lot in being obedient to God.
Obedience Often Brings Opposition
And you know, being obedient to God doesn't always bring claps and cheers from everybody else. Because many times, while you're trying to be obedient to God, somebody else that you love, that you need their support and their love is against you. Why is it when you try to do what's right, the devil always tries to provide somebody that can be against you?
You know, because the Bible actually promises us that we will be persecuted for righteousness' sake. I could tell you my own stories. I'm sure you've got yours. We won't get into all that tonight. But I had to go through a lot of things in the beginning to fight my way through all the naysayers and the people who thought that I shouldn't be teaching the word.
Because I didn't have the right education. I didn't have the right personality. I was a female and all kinds of stuff. But I knew, at least I believed with all my heart, that God had called me and there was good fruit in what I was doing. And I just kept at it and kept at it. I lost some friends, but God gave me back a lot more than what I lost.
And so anyway, that's another whole story for another time. But I know there were days in my life when I could have certainly used a rainbow day. Yes, I'm quite sure that Noah needed that rainbow.
Abram's Radical Promise and Long Wait
Now, let's fast forward a little bit to Genesis 12. We don't have to go too many chapters over. And we see another man show up that God's going to make a covenant with. A man named Abram. And boy, in chapter 12, the first three verses, Abram gets a radical promise. I love this.
We'll just start in verses two and three. And I will make of you a great nation. And I will bless you with an abundant increase of favors. And I will make your name famous and distinguished. And you will be a blessing, dispensing good to others. And I will bless those who bless you, who confer prosperity or happiness upon you. And I will curse those who curse you.
Now, he did require something of Abram before Abram heard this promise. He said, I want you to go for your own advantage away from your father's house and all that you're accustomed to, to the land that I will show you.
Do you know that sometimes God will require you to get away from some people that are poisoning your life? I mean, honestly, some people could just change their whole walk with God by just getting a new set of friends. I mean, really and truly. The people that we are around really affect us.
I believe that everybody has some kind of an anointing on them. Either a good one or a not so good one. And I do believe that we soak up and become like what we're around. Amen? So you need to have some good influence in your life.
Taking Steps of Faith Without Full Blueprint
And you know, a lot of people send in questions. Well, what if I'm in a situation where, you know, I'm around somebody that I can't get away from that's negative. And you know, a wicked person, what do I do? I said, then spend as much time as you possibly can with people that are good to offset that. And do a lot of praying. Because God can protect you right in the middle of a difficult situation.
Can you imagine that? Leave everything that you're familiar with. And God did that because he was living in the midst of idol worship. And he called him to come out of there and he said, and go to the place that I will show you. God didn't show him before he took that step of faith to go.
And I like to really press that point about that step of faith. You know, the Jordan River didn't part until the priest put his foot in it. You know, and a lot of times we want to stand back and wait until there's a blueprint for everything that's going to happen. And God wants you to take that first step of faith and see what he does.
And then take another step of faith and see what he does. And then take another step of faith and see what he does. That's how I got from where I was to where I am. I didn't start here on this platform. I taught home Bible studies for five years and had 25 people. And I was faithful to 25 people.
I had quit a full-time job making good money to prepare for this ministry that I thought that God was going to use me in because I didn't really know the Bible and I couldn't take off to Bible school. So I studied on my own and the Holy Spirit taught me and qualified me to do what I'm doing.
I may not have a lot of fancy degrees, but I have applied the Word of God to my life and I can tell you and shout it from the highest rooftop that the Word works in our lives.
The Testing Year and God's Inner Work
And then I did nothing for a year and during that year because I thought God said, I want you to lay these Bible studies down. Behold, I do a new thing. And you know, we get excited. Behold, I do a new thing. He didn't bother to tell me what it was, but for a year I did nothing.
And that was a testing year for me to purify my vision, to see if I'd hang on to it. And during that year, I wasn't doing anything, but God was doing something in me. Did you hear what I said? I said, during that year, I wasn't doing anything, but God was doing something in me, getting me ready for the next thing that He wanted to do through me.
God's got to do something to you before he can do something through you. Amen. And believe me, when God is trying to stretch us, we don't get all rainbow days. Amen.
Well, so here Abram gets this great promise. Let's just look at it again. I'm going to make a great nation out of you. I'm going to bless you with an abundant increase of favor. I'm going to make your name famous and distinguished. Everybody, Abram's going to know your name. Just so many wonderful promises.
But Abram was 75 when God said this to him. And he was 99. Yes, that's 24 years. When the fullness of the promise came to pass. A delay is not a denial. Amen.
And it's really all over the Bible. David was anointed to be king 20 years before he wore the crown. We'll go over some of those things tonight. But let me tell you something. If you don't want to be patient, if you're not in for the long haul, you might as well not even get started with God.
Because he changes us little by little from glory to glory. And listen to me. We need to learn to celebrate the progress we've had and stop moaning about what's still left to be done. You may not be where you need to be, but you can thank God tonight you're not where you used to be.
I don't know where you would have been before on Friday night, but it wouldn't have been in here. And don't go looking at your watch when it gets to be around 9 o'clock because you didn't even go out till 9 o'clock. When you went to those other places you used to go to. And you didn't care what time it got over either. Amen?
So you've got to be in for the long haul if you're going to go with God. Be a little bit patient.
Trials After the Promise – From Famine to Circumcision
So that's the promise in chapter 12. But then we have some interesting things that happen because right away in chapter 12, verse 9, they get a famine. Well, wait a minute. Then in chapter 13, they get strife. He has strife between him and Lot.
And so, long story short, Abram ended up letting Lot choose which part of the Jordan Valley he wanted. And sure enough, Lot took the best part and left Abraham with the leftovers. So Abraham had to start over. And God said, go up to the mountain, look to the north, south, east, and west. Whatever you can see, I'll give it to you.
I love that. You know, nobody can really take anything away from you if you keep hanging out with God. He'll just use your sacrifice and give you more. Especially if you keep a good attitude.
Chapter 14, he was in a war. Chapter 15, he was in some other kind of mess. So in chapter 15, verse 13, God told him, oh, by the way, your descendants are going to be enslaved for 400 years. Oh, goody.
Chapter 16 was not a good deal either because that's when Sarah got the bright idea to give her handmaiden to Abram to be his secondary wife. And come on, any... I mean, we don't even have to preach on that. That's not even worth talking about. I mean, that caused a big mess.
And the handmaiden then was, yeah, yeah, yeah, Sarah. And then she got mad at Abram and said, this is your fault. And he said, I didn't do it. It's your fault. And on and on and on.
And then we finally get to chapter 17, 24 years later. Oh, hallelujah. No rainbows yet. I'm sure by now he's thinking, okay, God, I heard about that rainbow Noah got. I'm up for a rainbow. I've been faithful 24 years, God. Today's the day.
Chapter 17. Oh, let's see. Where would you like me to start? Verse 9. And God said to Abraham, as for you, you shall therefore keep my covenant. Now, he sealed a covenant with Noah with a rainbow.
Now he's getting ready to seal a covenant with Abram, who has been faithful 24 years and gone through all the bad stuff, waiting to get to the good stuff. So now it's time for the covenant. There's always something to seal a covenant.
And God said to Abraham, as for you, you shall therefore keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout your generations. And this is my covenant, which you shall keep between me and you and your posterity after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.
Wait a minute, God. Why did Noah get a rainbow and I'm getting a circumcision?
Rainbow vs. Circumcision – Easy Sign or Painful Cutting
What happens when God chooses a friend of yours or somebody you know, maybe somebody that you think is not even as spiritual as you, which that's a bad sign right there, but that's another teaching. Somebody you think that's not even as spiritual as you, and they get a rainbow for building a boat.
And here you've been through war and strife and turmoil and left your home and everything else, and you get a circumcision. There have been many times in my life when I've wanted a rainbow and got a circumcision.
A circumcision just means a cutting away of the flesh. That's really what it means. And eventually God gets around to saying, and I want you to serve me with hearts that are circumcised, with pure hearts.
And so, not only did Abraham and the males in his house get circumcised, but all the males everywhere in their land got circumcised. I don't imagine that Abraham was very popular those days.
I'll give you a practical example of how this works. Matter of fact, I'll give you a couple, just so we can apply this to our own life. When I was still doing my home Bible studies, and I'd given up my full-time job. Well, actually, the truth is, is I gave up my full-time job and got a part-time job, which is not what God told me to do.
He put it on my heart to quit my job and trust him. But our bills were $40 a month more than our income. And that was without having anything extra left over for anything else. So, we not only needed the $40 to pay our bills, but we also needed anything that we needed for repairs or shoes or medical or clothes or anything like that.
So, we were put in a position to learn how to trust God for finances. Now, I was really expecting great things to happen when I sacrificed my job. But they didn't happen right away on my timetable.
How many of you have ever taken a step of faith, and you thought, surely, you'd get a rainbow right away? And instead, you got a circumcision. And what I mean by that is a circumstance that cut away the flesh. A circumstance that dealt with your fleshly parts and broke bondages off of you.
You know, I love the scripture where Jesus, it says, He took the bread, He broke the bread, and He gave the bread. Well, let me tell you something. He blessed the bread, God blesses us, and He wants to eventually give us, but He has to break us.
And I'm glad to see that you're not afraid of that word. I hate it when I use that word and people just get silent. Come on, think about it. Mary broke the alabaster box and poured the sweet perfume on Jesus.
You have sweet perfume in you. I have good things in me because the Holy Spirit lives in us. We have good things in us, but it won't get out of us to the people that need it if the flesh is not broken.
And that's things like independence. We've got to learn how to depend on God. It's things like pride and haughtiness. Even things like we're going to talk about tonight, being jealous of the people who get the rainbows.
Because when you're having a difficult time and you just don't understand why, God, why. Why have I been single as a Christian for 15 years and I'm praying every day for you to bring me a husband? And I can't even get a decent date.
And a friend of mine from work accepted Christ. She joined the church. She's been in here three months and she's already dating the best-looking guy in the church. And let me tell you something. I want to tell you the truth. Unless you're pretty mature, it's going to be hard for you not to resent her.
Hmm. Oh, well, praise God, sister. I'm so happy for you. No, you ain't. No, at home you're crying. Why, God? Why? I don't understand.
But see, the main message that I want to get across to you tonight is that God is God. And He kind of, sort of, can do what He wants to. And He really doesn't have to explain it if He don't want to. But He is always, always good.
I said He is always, always good. And so, if I get a circumcision and somebody else gets a rainbow, then I can just rejoice because God is doing for me what I need at that moment in my life. And we trust Him.
Personal Stories of Jealousy and Growth
So, while I was doing these home Bible studies and we just really didn't have much money. And like I said, God put it on my heart to quit my job. And instead of doing that, I went out and got a part-time job.
You know, you can't give God part-time obedience. He wants obedience, not a sacrifice. Well, I sacrificed half of my job. But I still wasn't obedient. So, guess what? I got fired from my part-time job.
And I was a good employee. I mean, I was a good worker. I'd never been fired from a job. Before or since. I was not the type of worker that got fired. But God was letting me know that He meant business.
I mean, the office manager did not like me. And I don't care what I did. She didn't like me. And so, here we have all this need in our life. And we were going to this new little church.
And our pastor was going out speaking. And, you know, he did a lot of different things. And, you know, getting partners for your ministry was a big thing back then and still is today. But we didn't have any partners.
We didn't... I mean, nobody wanted to give us anything, you know. They didn't even buy any toilet paper for the house. We just came and had 25 people there every week. And I cleaned up their mess.
And I'm like... And he came by my house one day to do something. I forget now what it was. And he said, Oh, man, I'm so excited. I went out this last weekend. And somebody committed to be a $200 a month partner with me. And we got this offering and it was so great.
And, man, I'm trying to be happy for him. And all of a sudden, he looked at me and he said, Oh, is it okay that I told you that? I'm like, Oh, yeah, praise the Lord. Oh, yeah, good. I'm happy for you. Oh, my gosh.
When he left, I threw myself across my daughter's bed and I cried like my heart was broken. I want a rainbow. Why did he get a rainbow and I did not get a rainbow? Are you guys tracking with me tonight?
You know, every day is not a great day. There's good days and then there's not-so-good days. But even the not-so-good days sometimes are good days in disguise. We just really don't realize it.
I'm going to say that again. Sometimes your not-so-good days are actually good days in disguise. I said, sometimes your not-so-good days are actually good days in disguise.
Peter's Question – "What About Him?"
Now let's look at something about Peter's life. John 21. John 21, these are some of the scriptures that just helped me so much when I was going through so many of these things that I just did not understand.
Things taking longer than they should have, watching other people get blessed and having to try to be happy for them. John 21, 14. This was now the third time that Jesus revealed himself appearing to the disciples after he was risen from the dead.
And when they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others do with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion? Three times he asked him the same question. Peter, do you love me?
And then each time when Peter said, yes, Lord, I love you, he said, well, then feed my sheep. Take care of my lambs. Feed my sheep. Take care of my lambs.
Peter, do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know I love you. Feed my sheep. And my translation of that is, well, if you love me, then help somebody.
I think the greatest way that we can show that we love God is to go help somebody else. Help somebody else find him or help somebody else get over their pain.
And so then, and you know, I don't, I don't teach this very often because to be honest, you've got to be ready for a little depth in your walk with God before you're going to swallow this next scripture here.
So after asking him three times, do you love me? Then he said in verse 18, well, I assure you, and most solemnly I tell you, when you were young, you girded yourself, you put on your own belt or girdle, and you walked about wherever you pleased to go.
But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hand, and someone else will put a girdle around you and carry you where you do not wish to go. That's my reward for loving you.
Look, when you were a less mature Christian, when you were a baby Christian, you kind of went around, did what you wanted to, and I blessed it. But now that you're more mature, it's not all about you anymore, Peter.
Now I want to use you for my glory. And so, now somebody else is going to carry you some places where you do not wish to go.
Verse 19, and he said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. You know, Peter was crucified upside down. It's bad enough to be crucified right side up, but upside down. And he gloried in it.
And after this, he said, now follow me. And I love Peter's reaction. It's so what I would have done. But Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, following him, the one who had leaned back on his breast at supper, and had said to him, Lord, who is it that's going to betray you?
And when Peter saw this disciple, who was John, he said to him, Lord, what about this man? What's going to happen to him?
Now, don't you think that's just marvelous that that's in the Bible? Well, well, well, what about him? What about him? Surely you're not going to give him rainbows while you're cutting away my flesh. Come on. What about him?
Now, you know, I don't know Peter, like to really know Peter, but I do know a fair amount about Peter's personality because I think I'm Peter in a dress. Except I never wear dresses, but you get the point.
And, you know, he just always had his mouth going, and he said a lot of dumb stuff, but he really loved God. Just really loved him.
And I know, I know that I know, because I know Peter's personality, I know that he had to have a little bit of problem with John. Because Peter was an activist. And John was a worshiper.
He just wanted to hang around with Jesus. Laid back on his breast at dinner. And I know Peter's going, really, dude? I mean, there's a lot to be done. Could you get up? Go to work?
And it was John who referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. There's four references to that in the book of John, and John wrote the book of John.
Now, I mean, how aggravating is that? I am the disciple whom Jesus loved. I mean, his confidence must have drove Peter wacky.
So, we don't have any more time for that, but... I know that that had to be so hard for them. Well, if I'm getting this, then... Why is he getting that? And don't tell me this is not part of your life, because I know that it can be. Amen?
Deciding to Trust God's Unique Plan
What do you think could happen if we could make a decision, God, from now on, I trust that you are totally in charge of my life. And whatever you choose for me, God, that's what I'm going to be happy with at that moment in my life.
I refuse to spend another day miserable, unhappy, jealous, and envious of what somebody else has got. God, you have got a plan for me, and nobody's going to keep that plan from coming to pass. Nobody. Nobody.
What about David? When Saul proved that he was not going to be a good king, the prophet Samuel was sent to anoint a new king from the house of Jesse, and all the brothers were brought in except for David.
They didn't even think enough of David to consider him. Have you ever been that much the tail end of anything that nobody even considered you? He was out shepherding the sheep, developing this cool relationship with God, being a worshiper, writing the Psalms.
Nobody really paid much attention to David except God. And God knew where he was at, and God knows where you're at.
And so anyway, after going through all the sons, not this one, not this one, not this one, not this one, then the prophet said, don't you have any sons left? Well, yeah, there's one, you know, there's that one, you know, the youngest one.
Why is it that people assume if you're young, you have no brains? Some of the most on-fire, creative people I know are barely 20. Amen? And thank God, some of them work for us.
It's not me putting together all that stuff that you see on TV. I'm going like. How many of you are old enough that all the technology gives you a brain cramp?
So, then they brought David in, and the Lord said, this is the one. Anoint him to be king. But for 20 years, for 20 years, he had nothing but crucifixion of the flesh, crucifixion of the flesh, crucifixion of the flesh.
Saul was jealous of him, and he hated him because he knew that he was going to take his place. He knew that he was a better man than he was. And so, David had to hide in caves while Saul tried to kill him.
And Saul threw spears at him all the time, trying to kill him. He'd find him in the palace, and he'd throw a spear at him. And everybody knows what you do when somebody throws a spear at you. You throw it back.
But David never learned the art of spear throwing, thus proving that he was God's man. I said, David never learned how to throw spears back. Well, bless God, you're not going to treat me that way. I will get you back. Well, don't expect a rainbow anytime soon. Amen.
I'm glad I got pockets in this. I like pockets sometimes. Come on, is anybody with me tonight?
Examples of Exclusion and Favoritism in Scripture
You know, Jesus seemed to have a special kind of relationship with Peter, James, and John. And when he went in to raise a little girl from the dead, all the disciples were with him. But the Bible says that he only let Peter, James, and John go in, and the others waited outside.
And I wonder what that felt like. Well, why didn't you pick me? And then the Mount of Transfiguration. Only Peter, James, and John got to go up there. Everybody else had to wait at the base of the mountain.
Now, I'm just kind of wondering what Peter, James, and John said when they came out. Oh, guys, you should have been there. Whoa! Oh, I tell you what, when he raised her from the dead, whoa! You should have been there.
It's too bad you couldn't have been there, and secretly they're thinking, but I was there. Oh, my gosh. I don't know.
You know, Peter got two books in the Bible. James got one. And that John got four. He got big John, first John, second John, third John. I mean, John just outdoes us everywhere we go.
You know, another story I can tell you that, oh, it was such a hard day for me. Oh, my gosh. My neighbor was getting a rainbow, and I was getting a circumcision.
Of all the things that I was using my faith for when I first learned about faith, the only thing I ever did with it was use it for a bunch of stuff, which was the last thing I needed. I needed spiritual growth and maturity.
But I wanted more of this and more of that, another one of this and another one of that. And so one of the things I was believing God for was a fur coat. It's so dumb, I'm almost embarrassed now to say it, but I don't know, you know.
Everybody had fur coats back then, and I didn't have one, and so... And I mean, I had it picked out. I wanted... I mean, if you're going to do it, let's do mink. I wanted a dark fur, kind of long.
And one day, my neighbor, whom I loved with the love of the Lord... Do you have any people like that? Come on, you know what I mean. I don't have to explain that, right? I loved her with the love of the Lord.
She could do so many things I couldn't do. She played a musical instrument. She was artsy and crafty. She did all kinds of stuff. She had a garden. She made her family's clothes. I couldn't even sew on a button and get it to stay.
You know, it's hard to love people that can do a bunch of stuff you can't do. That is, it's hard until we grow up and mature and understand that God's got a plan for each of us.
So one day, the doorbell rang, and she had a big box in her hand, and she was so... Oh, you are not going to believe what God gave me. Well, I didn't even know what was in the box, and I was already not happy.
You know what that feels like, don't you? I said, well, come in. Hey, come in. And she took the lid off, and it was my fur coat.
And I honestly can remember thinking, it got delivered to the wrong house. There is no way God gave that to her. I thought that there is no way God gave that to her, because she is not nearly as spiritual as I am.
I fast, I pray, I tithe on even my birthday money. And she eats and gives $2 a week. And you are laughing because you understand exactly what I am talking about.
There is no way that God gave that to her. But so I am really having this battle. Isn't it hard when somebody is there in your face, and you got to keep being a Christian?
And inside, you are just going, my God, get them out of my house. So I am like, well, praise the Lord. Oh, thank you. Jesus, that's wonderful, amen.
And I tell you what, when she left, the jealousy and the rage that came out of me. Now, here's the lesson. I thought I needed a fur coat. God knew that I needed spiritual maturity.
And so, so, so God arranged for the person to get the coat that I wanted, that I would have least wanted to have it. I mean, he could have given it to one of my kids. He could, you know, but no.
Come on, I got something. There's some people that are tracking with me good tonight. It's like, oh God, anybody but her. Do not let her ask me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I cannot take it.
But I'll tell you what, I believe it's real spiritual maturity when we can honestly be happy for somebody who gets what we don't want, while we still don't have it.
I mean, that's real trust, to love God and trust Him that much that you can say, you know what, God? If you want me to stand here and look at this, you've got a reason.
And I'm going to be happy for them by your grace and your help because I know that you will do the best thing for me at the right time. Amen?
The Bottom Line – Rejoice in the Process
So here's the bottom line. If you want a rainbow, but you're getting a circumcision, rejoice. Now come on, don't make me keep preaching. I'm getting tired.
I said, when you want a rainbow... You know, here's the thing. God loves you more than you can even possibly imagine. And you can trust Him in the pain.
I said, you can trust Him when it hurts. Amen? I don't think that everything that David went through had no pain. I don't think that the things Abraham went through had no pain.
I'm sure that Joseph went through pain. But boy, they all came out on the other side. Great men and women of God who did mighty things in the kingdom. Amen?