Your Place Of Blessing | Joel Osteen

God bless you, and 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 senior citizen. He was driving down the freeway in his brand new Corvette with the top down, going 80 miles an hour when he saw flashing red lights in his rearview mirror from a state trooper. Without thinking about it, he floored it, took it up to 100 miles an hour. He heard the sirens behind him and finally came to his senses and pulled over. He said, Officer, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. The officer said, listen, it's Friday, four o'clock. My shift is over in 30 minutes. If you tell me a reason you're speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go. The man thought about it and said, Officer, years ago, my wife ran off with a state trooper, and I thought you were bringing her back. He said, have a great weekend. 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 your place of blessing. There are specific places where God has designed for you to be blessed, places where he has favor, opportunity, provision waiting for you.

Your destiny is connected to certain places. You can have faith. You can have a great attitude. But if you're not in the right place, you can miss what God has in store. In the book of Acts, Jesus told 500 people to go to the upper room and wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. But only 120 people showed up. When the Holy Spirit came like a rushing, mighty wind, 380 people missed the blessing simply because they weren't in the right place. You have to be sensitive to what you're feeling on the inside. Listen to what God is saying to you, that still, small voice. That's not random. It's not just your idea. That's God leading you into your place of blessing. And sometimes he'll close a door and move you out. You don't understand it. Looks like a setback. The truth is, it's setting you up. He's moving you to a place of promotion, a place where you'll meet divine connections, people who are instrumental in your purpose. Other times, God will have you stay where it's uncomfortable. You're not seeing any growth. You're being overlooked. You'll be tempted to leave. I don't have to put up with this. Sometimes the right place is a difficult place, an unfair place, a place where you're doing the right thing, but the wrong thing is happening. This is what happened with Hagar. She was Abraham and Sarah's maid. When they couldn't have a baby, Sarah told Abraham to sleep with Hagar.

They had a son named Ishmael. Well, you'd think Sarah would be happy. It was her big idea, but she got upset with Hagar. She started treating her so badly, putting her down, making rude comments. Finally, Hagar said, I'm out of here. She took her son and went off into the desert. The problem was she left her place of blessing. God never told her to leave. She was just upset. She had no food, no water, no way to live out there. An angel appeared to her and said, go back to Sarah and continue to serve her. He was saying, go back to your place of blessing. Sometimes you have to stay when it's hard. You have to forgive those that did you wrong. You have to be good to people that are not being good to you. But notice how merciful God is. When she left that place, God didn't say, fine, Hagar, you blew it. You should have known better. I'm done with you. So God sent an angel to get her back to the right place. And at times we're all going to miss it, leave where we're supposed to stay or stay when God wants us to leave. The good news is God's going to send that angel. He's not going to let you miss your place of blessing. He's going to keep whispering to you. You're going to hear that still small voice, that knowing on the inside telling you what to do. Don't ignore it. He's sensitive to what you're feeling. See the scripture says, God is ordering your steps.

Ordering is not an option. He's not suggesting. He's not saying if you perform perfectly. then I'll guide you. If you don't get off course, then I'll bless you. No, your steps are ordered. He's going to keep leading you into places of blessing, places that He's already lined up favor and promotion, opportunity. Stay open for change. Don't fight the closed doors. Don't get discouraged when you get pushed out. Joel, I don't understand it. I was doing the right thing. Why didn't this work out? God's leading you to a place of greater blessing. I've learned being in the right place is better than getting your way. God knows what's best for you. You may not see it now, but later on, you're going to see how God was shutting one door to open a better door. You would have never reached your potential if He didn't stop one place of blessing and move you to a different place. Or perhaps you feel stuck. You're not making any progress. You're tempted to force a door to open, manipulate things. No, be still and know that He is God. If the door hasn't opened, then shine where you are. That's your place of blessing right now. You may not be seeing any growth, any favor. You're in a time of testing. You have to prove to God who you are, that you're not going to get bitter. You're not going to start slacking off. You're going to do the right thing when it's hard. That's passing the test. You keep doing that, you're going to see new levels of your destiny. Matthew chapter 1, Joseph was engaged to his fiancee, Mary. She became pregnant with Jesus. Of course, he didn't understand he was going to quietly break off the engagement when an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him to go through with the

marriage. They were living in Nazareth, planning on having the baby there, but the Roman emperor called for a census. Everyone had to travel back to their original hometown. Well, Joseph was from Bethlehem. That was a 90 mile journey. Mary was nine months pregnant. I can imagine telling Victoria at nine months pregnant, hey babe, we're going to get on a donkey and travel for a week, camp out along the way. It's going to be so fun. I'd be your former pastor. Mary was bouncing up and down, hot outside. Her feet were swollen, back was hurting. She is uncomfortable. She didn't understand it, but God wasn't just making them miserable, having them suffer. He was taking them to a place of blessing. Micah prophesied 700 years earlier that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Wasn't a coincidence that the emperor called for the census at this particular time. He could have called for it three months later they would have had the baby in Nazareth. It was all a part of God's plan, strategically moving them to where they needed to be. Joseph and Mary were admiring their new son when three wise men showed up. They had traveled a great distance following the eastern star and were surprised to see the sun set. They had traveled a great distance following the eastern star. When they saw Jesus, they fell on their knees and began to worship him. Mary and Joseph were standing there in awe. The wise men opened up their treasure chest, these boxes filled with gold and jewels, and they gave them all these gifts. Think about Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem. At the same time, God had these wise men headed that way. They met at the place of blessing where God designed them to see his favor in a new way. It was difficult for Joseph and Mary to get there. It was in an inconvenient time. They didn't understand it,

but God was ordering their steps and he was ordering the steps of the wise men, the people bringing the provision. God is not only ordering your steps, but he's ordering other people's steps to meet you at your place of blessing. You may not understand it. You're uncomfortable. You had to leave Nazareth, so to speak, but your time is coming. You're going to see what God was up to. The door closing wasn't random. The person that forced you out, the unexpected change wasn't happenstance. It was strategic. It was the hand of God moving you to a place of greater blessing, greater favor, greater fulfillment. King Herod heard about this baby Jesus, that he might be the Messiah. He was afraid that he was going to lose control. He wanted to get rid of Jesus, but he couldn't find him. So he had all the male Hebrew babies killed, but an angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him to flee to Egypt with his family. In the middle of the night, they took off. Jesus was just a few weeks old. Mary was still getting over the birth. They wanted to enjoy their new baby, but they were on the run to a foreign country. This wasn't just another bad break, another inconvenience. This was prophecy being fulfilled. It was prophesied, I have called my son out of Egypt. Herod died and they moved back to Nazareth, another prophecy fulfilled that Jesus would be a Nazarene. There was an old man named Simeon. It was prophesied that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the temple to be dedicated. Just so happened, Simeon was there. He took the baby in his hands and said, oh man, now I can die in peace. I have seen the Savior. You look at all these different locations, forced to leave Nazareth to Bethlehem, flee to Egypt, back to Nazareth to the temple. They weren't random. They were strategically orchestrated. Each step was their place of blessing, place of provision, place of protection. It wasn't the enemy dictating their life. It was the hand of God ordering their steps. Like with them, there are prophecies spoken over your life, things that God has already ordained for you. Favor, he's already lined up. Wise men, he's already scheduled. Doors opening, he's already arranged. But it may

not all happen at the same place. There will be twists and turns, unexpected moves, people that walk away, things that weren't fair. Instead of fighting change, learn to embrace change. Recognize that's God ordering your steps. He wouldn't be changing things if he wasn't leading you to a place of greater blessing. You may not see it right away. There are things that don't make sense. Seems like a setback. You have to go to Bethlehem. You were comfortable in Nazareth. Plus you're pregnant. It's the worst time. Then Herod starts making threats. People start coming against you. They cannot stop your destiny. God is using them like pawns to move you to where he wants you to be. You may not understand everything, but you can trust that God knows what he's doing. He'll have the wise men show up, the unexpected favor, promotion that you didn't see coming. It won't happen anywhere. It will happen at the place where God has ordained you to be blessed. After I finished high school, I went to Oral Roberts University to study television production. They had one of the best studios and the best equipment. First week I was there, I went to the production office and I applied for a job. I met this young man about 28 years old. He was the production manager in charge of all the hiring. I told him my background, that I had run camera and been involved in production at Lakewood. He and I hit it off like we were old friends. He showed me around the studios, the cameras, the editing, and I was amazed. This was everything I dreamed of. I couldn't wait to be a part. I told him I don't have to run camera. I'll just pull cable. I just wanted to be in that environment. He said, Joe, we'd love to have you. I'll call you and get it all set up. I left so excited, but a week went by and he didn't call and two weeks, nothing. I called him, but he was always busy. I went back to the production office, left a message again and again, but I never heard a thing. I was so disappointed. I couldn't understand why that door wouldn't open. Well, I finished that first year of school and I felt so strongly that I was supposed to come back to Lakewood and start a television ministry. My siblings had all gotten their degrees, but I knew this was what God was leading me to do. I came back and started the television outreach and we saw the church begin to flourish. Looking back now, I realize if God had opened that door at the university, I would have gotten so caught up in what they were doing, so engrossed in the production. I would have never come back home. I know my personality. You couldn't have convinced me to leave. And sometimes God closes doors that we don't understand

at the time. It didn't make sense to me. I had the experience. They needed help. This man was my friend, but God is your doorkeeper. He knows the right doors to open and the right doors to close. What looked like a blessing to me would have kept me from the real blessing that God had in store. Not to work for another ministry my whole life, but to use my gifts and talents at the ministry God had given my family. When you don't understand it, you have to trust. God, you know what's best for me. I'm gonna follow where you lead. When you open doors, when you push me out, I'm gonna take steps of faith with a good attitude. God, when doors close, when it seems like I'm stuck, I'm gonna keep being faithful where I am. When you have that kind of attitude, God will keep you in your place of blessing. I worked 17 years behind the scenes here at Lakewood, and one point I had all these radio stations lined up to carry my father's weekly message. I'd arranged everything, got all the times and stations cleared. I asked my father if he would come down once a month and we'd make the openings and closings. Just take about an hour, no big deal. My father said, Joel, I'm 75 years old. I'm not looking for more work. I just wanna relax and pastor the church. I was so disappointed. I thought, God, you put big things in me. I'm young, I don't wanna do less. I wanna do more. I thought maybe it was time to move on

and do something else. I had an opportunity from one of the largest ministries to come work for them. A big sports network offered me something. But when I got quiet, when I searched my heart, I could hear that still small voice saying, no, Joel, stay where you are. This is your father's ministry. This is his vision. Don't leave because you're not getting your way. Honor what he wants to do. I made a decision that I was not only gonna stay, but I was gonna stay with a good attitude. Wasn't gonna get bitter, slack off, be disgruntled. I kept being my best, doing what I could to make my father shine. I never dreamed that two years later, my father would pass and suddenly I would become the pastor. That big vision God put in me, it was still going to happen. It just wasn't the right time. Had I not honored my father and stayed in my place of blessing, I wouldn't be here today. Your place of blessing doesn't mean that everything's going your way. Everybody will celebrate you. All these doors are opening. It may mean that you're serving another person's vision. You don't feel like you're using everything you have.

You're being overlooked, not getting opportunities to share your gifts. Many times those are tests. God is seeing, will you be faithful when you're not getting your way? Will you have a good attitude when they don't take your suggestions? They don't give you the credit? It's easy to leave, forget it, I'm out of here. You have to search your heart. If you don't feel that release to leave, you need to stay because you're not gonna be blessed anywhere. Your blessing is connected to the place God called you to be. See, think about David. He was out in the shepherd's fields taking care of his father's sheep. He knew he had big things in him, but he didn't try to force doors to open. He didn't get bitter because his father left him out. He didn't slack off because he was doing something less than he knew was in him. His father asked him to take lunch to his brothers who were in another city to do a menial task. David could have said, sorry, dad, I'm not an errand boy. I have more in me. You'll have to find somebody else. No, David was faithful in small things

when he wasn't getting his way, when doors weren't opening. While he was taking his brother's lunch, something that seemed insignificant, that's where he heard Goliath taunting the Israelites. Had he not been faithful in the small, he would have never defeated Goliath. Don't think your place of blessing has to be something super exciting, super important where everyone sees you. Many times your place of blessing is being faithful with things that no one pays attention to. See, David didn't go to the throne. He went back to the shepherd's fields. King Saul suffered with depression. He needed someone to play music for him. They asked David to come to the palace, not to be the king, not to be a trusted advisor, but to be a part-time musician. Play the harp when we call you, otherwise we don't need you. You have to recognize you're not working under people, you're working under God. He's keeping the records. The scripture says he's taking you from glory to glory. Sometimes you're in between one glory and another glory. You could think, Joel, this is not my place of blessing. Nobody appreciates me. I'm overlooked, undervalued.

I know I'm called to be in leadership, but all I'm doing is playing this harp. Well, here's how strategic God is. David had been in the shepherd's fields his whole life. All he had known was taking care of sheep. Now he's in the palace. the presence of King Saul. God is showing him what it's like to be a king. He's getting him familiar with the palace, how a king operates, protocol, the staff that serves him. He doesn't realize, but this task of playing the harp is divinely orchestrated. God put him there to get him prepared for where he was going. All those years that I worked behind the scenes here at Lakewood, I had to edit my father's sermons. He would speak about 40 minutes. I would have to cut them down to 25 minutes for the television program. I would listen to each message four or five times, trying to get his train of thoughts. All the stories, the scriptures, the examples were going into me. I didn't realize God was getting me prepared for what I'm doing now. I couldn't see it at the time, but that was my place of blessing. It was a place strategically orchestrated to get me prepared for the fullness of my destiny. What am I saying? Don't despise where you are right now. You don't know what God is up to. You can't see how he's making you and molding you, getting you ready for greater responsibility, greater resources, greater favor. First Kings chapter 17, the prophet Elijah told King Ahab that because the people had turned away from Jehovah, because they started worshiping idols, there was going to be a drought in the land for three and a half years. God said to Elijah, leave here and go down to the brook Cherith, for I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. Notice there's a place where God has commanded you to be blessed. Not maybe, hope so, if the economy gets better. No, he's commanded the ravens to feed you. That means he's commanded provision, commanded resources, commanded the right people to be there. But here's the key, the blessing wasn't anywhere. It was at a specific place. The ravens were waiting for him at the brook. Elijah could have stayed in Samaria, thought God is

faithful. I'm sure you'll take care of me here, but he would have missed the blessing. When God tells you to do something, don't reason it out. Don't ask for friends. Don't pray about it six months. Don't come up with 12 excuses. Just do it. Be obedient to what you're hearing in your spirit. God is leading you to your place of blessing. Sometimes you have to leave a friend that's pulling you down. Leave an environment where you're being poisoned or leave a bad attitude. Leave bitterness. Leave what didn't work out and move forward into the new things God has for you. Elijah went down to the brook. Just like clockwork, every morning the raven showed up. He had supernatural provision. I'm sure he was happy. God, you've been good to me. I found my place of blessing. But one day the ravens quit coming. The brook went from a stream to a trickle to barely flowing to nothing. What do you do when God leads you to a brook that dries up, when what used to work doesn't work anymore? God was showing us just because it happened one way doesn't mean it's always going to happen that way. Stay open for change. Be willing to accept the new thing God is doing. If you get set and think it's only going to happen one way, then you'll miss out. God told Elijah, go to the city of Zarephath, for I have commanded a widow to feed you there. Notice another place where God commanded him to be blessed, but a different location. Well, Zarephath is where Ahab and his wife Jezebel lived. She didn't like Elijah. She wanted to get rid of him. Out of all the places God could have told Elijah to go, he sent him to the enemy's territory. The way God does things always requires faith. He could have sent him to his friends, his relatives, his supporters. I'm sure Elijah thought, God, you know that lady is after me. Can't you extend my stay at the brook? Can't I get a late checkout? God, I'm comfortable here. To reach your destiny, you have to get out of your comfort zone. You have to take some steps of faith. Don't get stuck where the brook has dried up. Our God is a moving God, a progressive God. He's taking you on a journey. That place of blessing is going to move. It may not always be physical. Sometimes it's in your thinking. You have to leave limited mindsets. Quit telling yourself you're not qualified and take that new position at work. Teach that

class. Volunteer at the church. Quit thinking about the brook that dried up, what didn't work out, who did you wrong, had relationship that didn't make it, God is still in control. He knew it was gonna dry up, that's why he's commanded another place for you to be blessed. Elijah arrived at Zarephath and just like promised, the widow was there to take care of him. She did it until the drought was over. But how many of us are stuck by the brook, waiting for what used to be, wondering why it's drying up? You have to leave where God was and go to where God is. That's the new place of blessing. That's where your provision is waiting for you. Is there something that God is asking you to do, but you keep putting it off? You're afraid of the unknown and not sure how it's gonna work out. You can't play it safe your whole life and become who God's created you to be. Maybe God is asking you to stay. You wanna leave? Like David, you have more in you. Like Hagar, you're not being treated right. You're in a test. If you'll do the right thing when it's hard, you're gonna see God begin to turn things in your favor. There are prophecies he has spoken over your life,

things he's destined you to accomplish. You have not missed them. Keep trusting him even when you don't understand. Don't fight the things that don't make sense. Your steps are being ordered. Things are happening right now behind the scenes that you cannot see. Now be sensitive to what he's saying and be quick to obey. If you'll do this, I believe and declare you will live in your place of blessing. Life with Mary and Joseph, the wise men are about to show up. Blessings you didn't see coming. Like Elijah, the ravens will be waiting for you. Supernatural provision, opportunity, favor, 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. We'd love to send you some new information on your 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.