Blessings Finding You | Joel Osteen

God bless you, it's great to be with you today, and I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can come visit us in person. We'd love to have you be a part of one of our services. But I'd like to start with something funny, and I heard about this group of school children. They were in the cafeteria line at their Catholic elementary school. The start of the line, there was a big bowl of apples. A nun had written a note, it said, take only one, God is watching. At the end of the line, there was a big bowl of chocolate chip cookies. One of the children had written a note, it said, take all you want, God is watching the apples. Say it like you mean it, this is my Bible, I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the Word of God, I boldly confess, my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I will never be the same, in Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about blessings finding you. It's easy to worry about the future, how can I accomplish my dreams, and what if I don't get that good break, or what if my health goes down, or I don't meet the right person. It's all this pressure where we have to make things happen. We live striving and straining, trying to force this door to open, make this person like us, turn this problem around. When Jesus was talking to people like this in Matthew chapter 6, they were very worried about their food, their clothing, how they were going to make it. He said to them in verse 33, don't worry about those things, your heavenly Father knows all that you need. He was saying, God has already planned your future, He knows what it's going to take to get you to your destiny. You're not doing life on your own, it's not just up to you, the Most High God is ordering your steps.

Jesus gave us the key in verse 33, He said, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. He was saying, in effect, you don't have to spend your life seeking the blessing, seeking provision, seeking approval, seeking the right people, that's going to lead to frustration. There's a better way to live, if you'll seek God, then the blessings will seek you. There's a reversal. When you keep God first place, that takes the pressure off. Now it's not up to you to make it all happen, that's God's responsibility. He will add all these things. But if we don't understand this, it brings stress, tension, man, I gotta get this promotion and I gotta win over this coworker, I gotta fix this problem. And sure, we have to use our gifts, be determined, take steps of faith, but you don't have to live with that pressure. You can stay in peace knowing that because you're honoring God, He's arranging the good brights. He's lining up the right people. He's scheduling the healing, the turnaround. You don't have to find it, it's going to find you. Don't spend your life chasing the blessing, chase God and the blessings will chase you. But I wonder, how many of us are trying to do God's job? We're striving, straining, manipulating. Take the pressure off, let God be God. He knows what's best for you. He's already written every day of your life in His book. He knows what you need, who you need, when you need it, and how to get it to you. He'll open doors that you could never open. He'll bring people you never imagined. He'll put you in rooms where you weren't qualified, opportunity, resources, influences, far beyond what you had in mind. God's dream for your life is much bigger than your own.

Where He's taken you, you could never accomplish by yourself, just your own efforts, your talent, your hard work. That's all good, but God is going to add things that exceed your expectations, that boggle your mind, that thrust you where no one in your family has gone. And it says, seek first the kingdom and His righteousness. That means His way of doing things. God's kingdom, in one sense, is opposite of what we naturally think. He said to bless your enemies, be good to those that do you wrong. I don't want to bless them, I want to get revenge. Forgive those that hurt you. I don't want to forgive, I want to hold a grudge. No, seek first the kingdom. If you want God to add, you have to do it His way. It means walking by faith and not by sight. You may have a situation where you don't see how it could work out. The odds are against you. against you. You could be worried, discouraged. Instead, God, I don't see a way, but I know you have a way. You being for me is more than what's trying to stop me. That's seeking the kingdom. Being faithful at work, doing the right thing when no one is watching, integrity, excellence, that's God's way. Trusting when you don't understand, a good attitude when life's not fair, biting your tongue when you want to tell someone off, putting down your carnal desires, that's not just being disciplined, that's seeking the kingdom. That's doing it God's way. That's what puts you in position for God to add all these things. But sometimes we hear we need to seek God and we think, okay, I got to pray two hours in the morning. I got to read my Bible. I got to come to church. And that's all good. That's part of it. But you can honor God in your everyday life. Having a faith-filled attitude, treating people with respect, kind to your family, being excellent at work, that's His righteousness. That's God's way of doing things. When you live like that, you are seeking God, that means blessings are seeking you. We see this in the life of David. He was a teenager out in the shepherd's fields taking care of his father's sheep. He was the youngest

of eight brothers and he got stuck with the leftover job, out there in the desert, lonely, boring, no future to speak of. And David had big dreams. He could sense the greatness that God put in him, but he was at a disadvantage. Some of his brothers were in the military. They had prestigious positions. Well, David could have slacked off and taken the easy way out, and I don't care about these sheep. Big deal if we lose a few. Nobody's going to know. David was a person of excellence. He did the right thing when no one was watching. He cared for those sheep night and day, made sure they had food and water. He'd fight off wild animals, killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands just to protect the sheep. All that time that David was going the extra mile, doing the right thing when it was hard, being his best when he wasn't getting any credit, he wasn't just being a good son, a good employee, he was honoring God. That was a time of testing, a time of proving. People may not be watching, but God is watching. Maybe nobody is telling you thank you. You're not getting the credit you deserve, but you keep doing the right thing. You keep showing up on time, doing more than you have to. People may not see it, but God sees it. He's the one that matters. He's keeping the records. You're not just being faithful, you're seeking God. You're doing things His way. That's what puts you in position for Him to add all these things. Promotion doesn't come from people, it comes from the Lord. David kept a good attitude in a difficult situation. He didn't complain, get bitter. Out in the fields is where he wrote some of the Psalms. When he got up in the morning, he could have thought, oh man, another day with these stinking sheep. I'm so tired of feeding them, cleaning up their waste. Why don't my brothers have to help me? He had plenty of reasons to complain and live sour, but David made the decision he was going to do things God's way. Maybe that's where he wrote Psalm 118, this is the day the Lord has made. I'm going to rejoice and be glad in it. Perhaps he wrote Psalm 5 out there, early in the morning, you will hear my song of praise. Maybe it was Psalm 63, oh God, you are my God and earnestly I seek after you. He had this attitude of praise, thanksgiving right out in the desert, when it was lonely, unfair, when he didn't see a way out, but he's still full of praise. He's still caring for the sheep with excellence. He's still being faithful and consistent. Well, David thought that the shepherd's fields were his destiny in the natural, there wasn't any way out. But when you seek God, blessings start

seeking you. God will add things that you couldn't add. He'll speak to people to be good to you that you've never met. God told the prophet Samuel, travel to the city of Bethlehem, to the house of a man named Jesse, for I've chosen one of his sons to be the next king of Israel. Here David is out in the fields, just minding his own business, another ordinary day, being faithful, serving with excellence, doing more than what was required. But as he was seeking God, what he couldn't see was Samuel was seeking him. Something was headed his way that would change the course of his life. Many of you are like David. You go the extra mile, you take care of your family with kindness and compassion. Even when you're tired, you still shine. At work, you give it your best. You serve at church, in your community, always being a blessing. It may seem like you're stuck, reached limits, no way to go higher, but God has some blessings seeking you right now, things you can't see. You couldn't plan, there was no sign of it, but your Samuel is about to show up. Healing is pursuing you. The right person, the door opening, the breakthrough in your business, you couldn't find it, it's going to find you. Something better than you ever dreamed. See, God sees you doing the right thing when it's hard. He sees your consistency day after day, being good to people. Sacrificing your time and energy. He sees you being excellent, staying holy and pure, refusing to compromise. God has a Samuel coming, a surprise, something unexpected. Suddenly, the right person is knocking on your door. That's not a lucky break, that's the blessing seeking you. Because you're doing things God's way, His favor is going to find you. Samuel showed up at Jesse's house, David's father, and asked to see the sons. And Jesse brought seven of them out. Samuel looked at them, studied, no, it's not any of these. Can imagine he's a little confused, thought, did I come to the right house? Did I hear God wrong? Jesse spoke up, said, I do have one more son, but he's the youngest. He's small, he doesn't have any experience, I'm sure it's not him.

People may discount you and try to make you feel like you're not enough. You're not tall enough, talented enough, attractive enough, funny enough. The good news is, you're not dependent on what people think about you. They don't determine your destiny. They may push you down, but God knows how to lift you up. They may overlook you, but God knows how to make you be seen. He'll promote you in front of the people that are trying to discredit you. He'll prepare a table in the presence of your enemies. Now, quit worrying about who's not for you and who looks down on you. Why won't they give me any credit? No, your time is coming. Samuel is on the way. You keep pursuing God, doing things his way, and the blessings will chase you down. What you couldn't make happen will come to you. You didn't have to strain, manipulate, force, it's going to fall into your hands. See, David wasn't out in the fields coming up with a campaign strategy, how he could get elected. He didn't go to different villages passing out fliers, holding town halls, making a case how he'd be a great king. He didn't go after the throne, he went after God. Faithfulness and excellence, integrity, praising, and the throne came to him. You don't have to make it all happen. God said, all these things he will add. What God is about to add is something you didn't see coming. You didn't work for it, you didn't earn it, you didn't have the experience. It's the goodness of God thrusting you into your purpose. Now, here's the key, stay consistent. Every day you do the right thing, Samuel is a little closer. You're passing the test. David had to prove to God that he would take care of those sheep before God would let him take care of his people. If he had slacked off with the sheep and didn't keep them fed and let wild animals harm them, God would have never trusted him to take care of the Israelites. Be your best where you are.

Don't wait for Samuel to show up, then you'll have a good attitude, then you'll be faithful, then you'll let your talent shine. The way to honor God is to shine where you are. Excel at your workplace. Be compassionate with your family. Be generous with your time and resources. Get up in the morning and thank God for His goodness. Stay full of praise. That's seeking God, doing things His way. That's when blessings will come seeking you. When I look back over my life, many of the important moments when I was thrust to a new level weren't things that I was going after, I was simply honoring God. Like David, in the shepherd's field, so to speak, just being my best where I was, and suddenly the Samuel showed up. In my early 20s, I went to a jewelry store to buy a battery for my watch. I walked in and here came Samuel walking, I mean, here came Victoria walking toward me, the most beautiful girl I'd ever Now, I don't know if God spoke to her to come wait on me or if she is just overwhelmed by my good looks, but she came right over and started talking to me. I was there to buy a battery for my watch, but she ended up selling me a whole new watch. She's been taking my money ever since then. That was 40 years ago. I don't know how that can be. I'm only 39, but I could have never made that happen. But as you honor God, he has the right people coming towards you. David said, I was young, now I'm old, and I've never once seen the righteous forsaken. You don't have to worry. Make it all happen. Talk someone into liking you, lower your standard because you may not meet anyone. No, keep honoring God and the right person will find you. Someone better than you can imagine that sees you as the gift that you are. They're already en route. Your steps and their steps are being ordered by the Lord.

What God has purposed, nothing can stop. One Sunday morning when my father was pastoring, I was running through the front lobby up the stairs to the TV area, and service was about to start. A man came around the corner and said, Joel, my cousin has a construction permit for the last full power television station in Houston. He wants you to have it. I never dreamed we'd have a television station. That wasn't even on my radar. I didn't go after it, it came to me. We put the station on the air, a few years later we sold it. It was those funds that helped us renovate the compact center. God knows what you're going to need, and he knows how to bring it to you. When my father passed, I was working behind the scenes. I never thought I'd be a minister. Suddenly this door opened. I didn't pursue it, it pursued me. I was planning on doing television production the rest of my life, but God is going to add things that surprise you, cause you to bloom and blossom. He's put gifts in you that you haven't tapped into yet. Two years after I'd been pastoring, Victoria encouraged me to write a book. I thought, Victoria, I don't know how to write a book. I don't know what to say. I don't even know where to begin. An executive from one of the largest publishing companies in the world was walking to the subway in New York, going home, and he saw my name on a sign. He didn't know who I was. He'd never heard of me, but he told me, something told me that I was to sign you for a book deal. He went, looked us up, researched, offered us a contract. Now I have books in many languages all over the world.

I could have never made that happen. I couldn't have planned it. I couldn't have won his favor, I didn't even know him. This was the hand of God causing blessings to seek those who seek him. One more, how about when we needed a larger auditorium? I was trying to build, but things kept falling through. Well, a friend called that I hadn't spoken to in years, and he said, Joel, you need to get the compact center. The Rockets basketball team is about to move out. I didn't go after this building. I didn't know anything about it. It came to us. What am I saying? You don't have to strive and strain, try to make everything happen. You're trying to do God's job. That's gonna bring frustration. You don't have to figure it all out. Your job is to keep God first place. Keep doing things his way. As you seek him, he's gonna have the blessings seek you. The right people, the contracts, the healing, the open doors, it's gonna track you down. The scripture says, no good thing will God withhold when you walk uprightly. That's you. You're walking uprightly. You're committed, faithful, being good to people. God is not going to withhold anything you need to get you to your destiny. Samuel came and anointed David as king, a very powerful moment. But David didn't go to the throne, he went back to the shepherd's fields. One day his father asked him to take lunch to his brothers that were in the army in another city.

David could have thought, dad, I'm not an errand boy. I'm not gonna take them lunch, that's beneath me. You saw him anoint me king. I'm made for bigger things than that. He could have dismissed it, went on his way, but David wasn't too big to do a small thing. He knew as you're serving others, you are serving God. He took the lunch, that's when he heard Goliath taunting the Israelites. As David walked in obedience in small things, in what seemed insignificant, it would Leading him to a big thing He would have never met Goliath had he not been faithful to do the simple tasks that his father asked Don't discount small acts of obedience Doing simple things that may seem beneath you and joy. I got more training than this I'm more qualified more experienced. Don't ask me to take care of the sheep find somebody else to take them lunch You don't know what's going to be waiting for you There are some Goliath's some destiny moments that are hidden in small acts of obedience. I Used to pick out my father's suit and tie to wear on television each Sunday I'd go over to his house every Saturday evening and I'd write it down He wore this and that keep the record. My mom would say Joel daddy's 70 years old He can pick out his own clothes, but I had seen what my father would wear and I wanted you to look good But I never dreamed one day. I would be picking out a suit and tie for me to wear on television Being obedient in small things is showing God he can trust you with big things David took lunch to his brothers honoring God doing a small thing and Goliath showed up a big thing that forever changed David's life a destiny moment where he became a national hero Hebrews says that God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek after him when you're seeking after God Doing things his way then you're on God's payroll He's a rewarder. He'll compensate you when you do a small act of obedience. There's a reward When you forgive someone that doesn't deserve it God will reward you when you get up in the morning and take time to thank God for the day and

Acknowledge his goodness. There's a reward when you stay faithful in the shepherds field Obscurity not getting the credit, but you keep being your best God sees that he'll compensate you And God knows how to pay you like no one else. He'll pay you with joy wisdom good health great relationships Sometimes we're on the wrong payrolls. We're working for the wrong boss Maybe we're self-employed Working for ourselves. I got a strive. I got a strain. I got to work this thing out The problem is we don't pay well You'll barely get minimum wage out of that or we're letting our circumstances be the boss Frustrated by what's not changing upset with the neighbor trying to set them straight that doesn't pay well Maybe we're letting our feelings dictate our mood People's approval what they say. Well, they left me out. They said I'm too small. I gotta prove them wrong No, you need to change payrolls. You need to turn in your resignation No more letting stress fear people's opinion jealousy Be your boss get on God's payroll Start doing things his way seeking first his kingdom Have you seen it the first of the year there's this list of the best companies to work for some have great benefits beautiful facilities Retirement packages extended vacation. That's all nice But nobody can pay you like God can pay you the best payroll you could ever be on is the most high God Not just material things, but how about paying you with peace? Hell a sound mind how about supernatural provision Protection and favor. I have to remind myself of this because it's easy to get on someone else's payroll Striving trying to make this happen. Wonder what it's gonna be like in 10 years. How's this gonna work out? What if that doesn't change you can't control all that your future is in God's hands You don't have to figure it all out It's not up to you to get to your destiny To open the right doors to find the right people to come up with a plan the strategy Your job is to keep God first place Use your gifts and talents to honor him. Then he promises he will add everything you need

You don't have to add it. He's responsible to open the doors and bring the right people Protect you when you're on his payroll. You'll be well compensated He'll take you further than you can imagine But I wonder today if you need to change payrolls Are you self-employed? Trying to do it all on your own that's gonna wear you out Are you trying to keep score outperform prove who you are? You're gonna go in debt Dave Ramsey were here. He'd tell you pay it off get out of debt That's draining the life out of you trying to keep up with people's expectations Running a race. You're not supposed to be David would have never made it to the throne if he'd been on the wrong payroll, out in the field, if he was bitter, competing with his brothers, trying to prove to his father who he was, he'd been stuck. His attitude was, I'm going to do it God's way, I'm going to seek first His kingdom. He started the morning thanking God. He excelled where he was, faithful in small things, good attitude day after day, excellent when no one was watching, the right time, payday came. God took him from the background to the foreground, from being discounted to being in charge. Make sure you stay on the right payroll. Do it God's way. No more straining, striving, worrying. You're trying to do God's job. Take the pressure off. Today can be a turning point. Do your best and then rest, then God promised He will add all of these things. If you'll do this, I believe and declare, like with David, Samuel is about to come looking for you. Things you couldn't make happen, good breaks, the right people, healing, freedom, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name, and if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins, come into my heart, I make you my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again and we'd love to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. You can text the number on the screen or go to the website, but I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place.