Eat Your Meal | Joel Osteen

Hey, thanks again for being with us today. Always my honor to be able to share God's Word with you and hopefully inspire you and encourage you. If you're enjoying the podcast, I hope you'll share it with a friend, pass it along. Let's inspire some other people as well. But know that we love you. It's going to be a blessed day for you. 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 or 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. I'd like to start with something funny. And I heard about this single man.

He was sitting on an airplane next to a very beautiful single lady. They struck up a conversation and He asked her what kind of men she liked. She said, well, I like Native American men with their high cheekbones and golden tan skin. Plus I like Jewish men. They're so brilliant and successful. And I like good old boys from the South with their long Southern drawl. What's your name?

He said, my name is Geronimo Bernstein, but my friends call me Bubba. 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 eat your meal. All of us are waiting for something. for our health to improve or a child to get back on course or business to take off. But sometimes we don't see any evidence of things changing. It's easy to put our life on hold until we see things turn around. We live worried, trying to figure out how it's going to happen and

what if this doesn't change. God never intended for you to postpone your peace waiting for the evidence. One of the greatest ways you can show God that you trust him is to enjoy your life despite not seeing any sign of what you're believing for. Nothing looks any different. The doors haven't opened. The problem hasn't resolved. But you're not moved by what you see. You're moved by what you've heard. You have that promise God has spoken to you.

You know behind the scenes he's working so you don't put your life on hold. You keep pursuing your dreams, enjoying your family, thanking God for his favor. Here's the principle. Faith acts on the promise. It's one thing to believe in. Yeah, that's right. I hope it happens. Talk is cheap. Faith acts.

Faith lives like God's word is true. But when we don't see things changing, it's easy to get discouraged. Go around heavy and this is weighing me down, Joel. I'll never get well. When's it ever going to change? Try a different approach. God, I believe what you promised. So I'm not going to live worried. I'm going to keep a song of praise on my lips. I'm going to have a smile on my face. I'm going to be good to people today. That's not denying the problem. That's acting on the promise. Staying in peace when you could be worried, that's acting on it. Having a good attitude when things aren't changing, that's acting on it. Thanking God when you feel like complaining. enjoying the day when you could be discouraged. You're saying, God, I don't need evidence

to convince me. I believe what you promised. So I'm going to act like it's on the way. That's what gets God's attention. That's when angels go to work. First Kings chapter 18, the people of Israel had been in a drought for three and a half years, was so bad that King Ahab went out searching the land, trying to find any kind of grass to keep the horses and livestock alive. Everywhere he went, he saw more of the same, desolate and barren. And just when it looked like it was over, the prophet Elijah showed up. He said to Ahab in verse 41, go enjoy a good meal for I hear the sound of the abundance of rain.

You can imagine what Ahab thought. I'm not gonna go eat a big meal. It's not a time to celebrate. We're in a drought. People are about to die. He could have said, Elijah, I'll go enjoy a meal when I see some dark clouds forming, when I hear the thunder, when it begins to sprinkle. But Elijah was asking him to act on a promise when there was no evidence.

But three and a half years, every morning when Ahab walked outside, he saw the crops dried up. He saw the cattle withering away. He saw streams with no water. Nothing in his surroundings said it was about to rain. Then this one man shows up and says, I hear the sound of the abundance of rain. Ahab was conflicted.

Do I believe what I see or do I believe what I've heard? Do I believe what the circumstances are telling me? Or do I believe this promise that God has given me? All of us face this same dilemma. Circumstances say one thing, but we have a promise from God that says something else. The circumstances may say we're in a drought. The medical report's not good. Your finances will never improve or you'll never meet the right person.

But God says, I'm making streams in the desert. You will lend and not borrow. The right person is on the way. Now the question is, are you going to go by the evidence or are you going to go by the promise? Are you going to let what you see talk you out of what you've heard? This is where Ahab was. I see drought. I've walked the land.

There's no water. The ground is still rocky and hard. Ahab had every reason to ignore Elijah, just live discouraged and depressed. In fact, Ahab wasn't even a believer. He didn't worship Jehovah. He worshiped idols. Why would he believe this man of God? Why would he obey this promise from the Lord? Everything in his mind said, this doesn't make sense. But down in his heart, something came alive.

Verse 42 says, Ahab went out and prepared food and he ate and drank. He enjoyed a meal even though no circumstances had changed. The only thing different was he had a promise from God. He wasn't eating because he saw rain. He was eating because he believed rain was coming. The promise changed Ahab's behavior before it changed his circumstances.

Before the promise, Ahab was worried, distraught, searching for food, but now he's eating this meal. That's symbolic. He's at peace. He's enjoying his life. He's leading with confidence. He's acting like the rain is coming. When God gives you a promise, you need to go eat your meal. That means you quit worrying, quit losing sleep, quit trying to figure it all out, looking at the facts. Do yourself a favor.

Sit down and eat your meal. When you enjoy life despite what's coming against you, You stay in peace when you should be worried. You have that song of praise when you feel like complaining. You're showing God that you trust him. What's interesting is Ahab was eating a meal, believing rain was coming, but Elijah had not even gone up to Mount Carmel to pray for rain yet. Wasn't like he ate the meal and 20 minutes later, rain came.

You remember the story. Elijah prayed and sent his assistant out to check for rain. He came back and said, there's nothing, no clouds in the sky. Ahab is down there eating his enchiladas and enjoying the chili con queso. The report comes back, no sign of rain. Not once, not twice, not three times, but six times. Don't you know he was tempted to push that food away? Think, oh man, I'm a fool. What am I doing eating this meal, celebrating? acting like rain is coming when in fact nothing has changed. You may be where Ahab was.

You're eating your meal, doing your best to stay in faith, but the medical report hasn't improved. Your child hasn't turned around. The business hasn't grown. Like that assistant said, there's nothing. Sorry, Elijah, no sign of rain. But just because you don't see anything doesn't mean God is not working. God usually works the most when you see it and feel it the least.

Things are happening behind the scenes right now. Winds are shifting in your favor. Clouds are forming. Healing is making its way. Good breaks, freedom, restoration. Don't get talked out of what you heard. God is faithful. He didn't bring you this far to leave you. Sure, we all go through droughts and seasons where nothing is changing, but that's not where your story ends. I hear the sound of the abundance of rain. Not a sprinkle, not a light mist, not a passing shower, but how about a downpour of God's favor and abundance? That means it's going to exceed your expectations. It's going to thrust you to a new level.

Now don't be moved by what you see. Keep eating your meal. Keep staying in peace. Keep thanking God that he's coming. Keep excelling at work. You're not denying the problem. You're acting on the promise. Imagine if while Ahab was eating, he went outside every five minutes to check for clouds. I don't see anything. Man, I'm worried. Five minutes later, he puts his fork, his knife down, run back out.

I better check, still nothing. He'd be so stressed, he couldn't enjoy his meal. See, Elijah didn't tell him, if you want this promise to come to pass, then come up the mountain with me and go check the horizon and keep me informed. Look at super Doppler radar, analyze the wind, study the weather patterns. No, he said, if you wanna see what God promised, go eat a meal.

He was saying, leave how it's going to happen up to God. You don't have to figure it out. God's ways are not our ways. He may not do it the way that you're thinking. One place in the scripture, God said this valley will be filled with water by tomorrow morning, but there will be neither wind nor rain.

God can bring an abundance in unusual ways. He can heal you without the medicine. He can bring the right person from an unlikely source. We were trying to build a new auditorium. God gave us this one already built on the busiest freeway in Texas. God's ways are better than our ways. Trust his plan for your life. But if you're trying to figure it out and you're checking the sky every few minutes, looking for clouds, hoping to see some evidence, you're gonna get discouraged. True faith doesn't need evidence. It's not moved by what you see or by what you don't see. You're moved by what you've heard.

Maybe you're living worried today. You can't really sleep at night. Stressed over finances or wondered about your health or what if this door doesn't open? Can I encourage you? God clothes the lilies of the field. He feeds the birds of the air. He knows when a sparrow is in need, a little bird. How much more does he care about you?

his most prized possession. All this worrying, stressing, wondering, it's keeping us from enjoying life. There's always something that can take our peace and keep us uptight. Do you have that promise from God? Now he's saying to you, go eat a meal. Get your peace back. You don't have to make it all happen. He's not asking you to check for clouds. He'll do it if you can see the evidence. You don't have to strive and strain Your part is to go enjoy a good meal. Stay in peace.

Keep thanking God that he's working. He'll make things happen that you could never make happen. See, when you believe the promise, it affects how you live before you ever see the promise. If Ahab would have refused to eat the meal and thought, that doesn't make sense. I can't be at peace when we're in a drought. I can't enjoy my life when I have these problems. I can't have a good attitude when all the streams have dried up.

Had he not eaten the meal, maybe he wouldn't have seen the abundance of rain. Maybe he would have delayed what God had in store. Are you missing what God has for you because you won't eat the meal? You have that promise, but you're so worried, carrying such a heavy weight that you can't laugh anymore. You don't enjoy your family. You don't pursue dreams anymore. What would happen if you would start eating your meal? When you stay in peace, when you could be upset, you're eating your meal.

When you have a good attitude, when you feel like being discouraged, that's eating your meal. When you have that song of praise, when everything in you wants to complain, you're eating a meal. But sometimes we say, God, I trust you, but we spend the day worried. Let me go out and check for some clouds. Don't sit back down at the table. The scripture says those who have believed enter into rest. Faith isn't about being all worked up and gotta make this happen, gotta believe, gotta declare, spend the day fighting the devil. No, he's already defeated.

Why don't you try a different approach and enjoy your life while God is in the process of bringing that promise to pass? When you really believe the promise, you live like it's on the way. See, if you knew that on December the 22nd at 3.30 in the afternoon, what you've been praying about is going to come to pass, that God already put it on the schedule. That's when the drought will come to an end. Then you wouldn't spend the next three months worried, losing sleep. The scripture says that God has already set the time for the breakthrough, for the healing, for the abundance. He's not asking you to go help him do it, check the clouds, look for evidence, stay up all night. He's asking you to enjoy a meal, to stay in peace, to live at rest,

to act like the promise is on the way. This is what my mother did when she was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, 48 years old. We were devastated. I had never seen my mother sick a day in her life. Growing up, she was always outside in the yard. She loved to be active. When I heard the news, I came home from college and I didn't recognize my mother.

She was so frail. She weighed 89 pounds and her skin so yellow. There was no medical treatment they could give her. Like King Ahab, we were in this drought. Month after month, nothing changed. No sign of things improving and My mother had every right to live depressed, give up on life, stay in bed all day long. But in the middle of that dark time, I would hear my mother walking through the house saying, I will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord. Father, thank you that you're restoring health back into me, that the number of my days you will fulfill. She had that promise in her heart. Like Ahab, she heard the word of the Lord, She didn't wait for the rain to thank God that he was working. She went and

ate her meal. She lived in peace. She refused to worry. She prayed for others when she was sick. Every time she thanked God, she was taking another bite. Every time she declared her healing, another bite. And every time she quoted scripture, another bite. When you're in tough times, it's important what you're feeding yourselves. These days, you can get on the internet and look every symptom up and before long, you'll find 22 ways you'll be dead by next weekend.

It's like those commercials. You see them come on TV for medicine and at the end, they give the disclaimer and the announcer talks real fast. If you take this, you can come down with diabetes, asthma, deafness, blindness. Do yourself a favor, tune that out. You're not limited by what the experts say. The experts can be wrong. Experts built the Titanic and it sunk. Noah built the ark and it floated. God has the final say. He knows how to end a drought. He knows how to heal what looks impossible. He knows how to turn situations around where there's no logical way. He's not asking you to check for clouds. He's not saying, I need you to figure this out. Worry, strain, stress, show me that you care. No,

he's saying, go eat a good meal. You heard the promise. Now take a seat. Enjoy the day. Be good to others. Stay in peace. That's acting on the promise. That's showing God that you trust in. And that first month after my mother was diagnosed, nothing looked any different. Second month, same thing. Third month, like the assistant told Elijah, there are no clouds. Nothing has changed. But faith is not moved by a lack of evidence. God could have had the rain come immediately. He could have had the sky instantly be filled with dark clouds. But often God will let the evidence be more against you. That's a test.

Will you get up from the table, leave your food and think now I have to worry. It should have happened. I would have surely seen some kind of sign. No, keep your seat. God knows what he's doing. Sometimes he'll let the odds be against you in a bigger way. So when it turns around, everyone will know that it's his hand at work. It's significant that six times the assistant came back and said, there's no sign of rain, not a cloud in the sky. I'm sure word got back to Ahab. Hey, your friend, that prophet that gave you a word from the Lord, he's been up there praying for hours. And every time they checked, his prayers aren't working. Are you sure you heard right? Did he say in an abundance of rain or did he say

an abundance of pain? Because that's all we're feeling. Ahab was tempted to get upset, start worrying. Maybe I did hear God wrong. Maybe it's not going to rain. There should be clouds by now. No, don't be moved by what you see. Stay at the table. Stay in peace. Keep a good attitude, knowing that it's on the way.

The enemy would love for you to give up your meal. Live upset, worried, straining. Joel, there's no clouds, no sign. God doesn't need clouds to bring rain. He doesn't need medicine to bring healing. He doesn't need your boss to promote you. He doesn't need the authorities to vindicate you. He controls the universe. He's not limited by natural laws.

Quit being discouraged because you're not seeing a sign. That's a setup. God's about to do something supernatural, an abundance of rain, something that you didn't see coming. There were no clouds, but suddenly a downpour. Suddenly there's healing, breakthroughs, provision. That's what happened with my mother. She lived 44 years after she was diagnosed and told she had a few weeks to live. There was no explanation. And we thank God for doctors. They do amazing work, but sometimes they run out of options. All the evidence says it's not going to work out. Your business is not going to make it. Your child will not get back on course.

Can I encourage you? God never runs out of options. You don't have to see a sign to know that it's going to happen. When there are no clouds, no evidence, that's a sign God is working behind the scenes. The question is, how are you waiting? God says, go eat a good meal while I'm working. Stay in peace when you don't see any evidence. Enjoy your family when you could be stressed. Excel at work when you should be discouraged.

That's not just mind over matter. That's acting like the promise is coming. This is what Hannah did in the scripture. She was barren and not able to have children. This other woman named Peninnah was married to her husband as well. This man had two wives. God help him. I mean, God blessed him. Well, Peninnah had baby after baby. Every time she turned around, she had another child. Well, Hannah was so discouraged and so heartbroken. Her husband tried to make it up to her and gave her more gifts, but that didn't help. She wanted this baby so badly.

To make matters worse, Panini would make fun of Hannah and tease her because she was barren. Caught so bad, the scripture says Hannah wept and would not eat. I read where when people are in hospice and close to death, one of the ways they know they're about to pass is they lose their appetite. They won't eat anymore. The enemy would love for us to lose our appetite to where we quit believing for what God promised. We quit dreaming, quit laughing, quit hoping. We're too discouraged. It's been too long.

There's no evidence. That's where Hannah was. She quit eating physically. She was so distraught, she went to the temple to pray. She fell on her knees, crying, asked God for a baby. The priest saw her and thought she was drunk, was about to run her out. She explained how she was barren and believing for a child. The priest looked at her and said, go in peace for the Lord God has heard your cry and he will give you what you've asked for. The next verse says, she went her way and ate something. and her face was no longer downcast.

Nothing happened on the outside, but something happened on the inside. She got her joy back. She got her peace back. She got her dream back. The fact is, she didn't have a pregnancy test. She didn't have a doctor's report saying she had conceived. There was no physical evidence that a baby was coming. All she had was a promise from God. Notice what she did. She went out and ate a good meal. Faith will give you your appetite back.

Faith will make you hungry again. And maybe like her, you've let some promises go. You think it's too late to get well. The relationship has been through too much. The dream too far gone. You have to get your appetite back. What are you feeding yourself? You can't feed on the negative. Can't do it. Not possible. Odds against you.

Get some faith food. Get those promises down in your spirit. I will lend and not borrow. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Father, thank you that what you started in my life, you will finish. Feed yourself faith, hope, victory. That's what increases your appetite. Hannah went to the temple with her face downcast and discouraged.

But after she got this word, her countenance changed. Now she had a smile. Now she was enjoying life. She was excited about her future. She couldn't wait to get back home to tell people that a baby was coming. She was talking differently. She didn't pay attention when Peninnah made fun of her. Went in one ear and out the other. She acted like this baby was on the way.

It wasn't long after that that she became pregnant and gave birth to a young boy she named Samuel, one of the heroes of faith. And she didn't just have one baby, she went on to have five more children. Who knows what God will do in your life if you'll get your appetite back and enjoy the meal. Believe that God's working even though there's no evidence. Thank him when you don't see anything happening. Stay in peace when you could be worried. See, Ahab had no rain, but he ate a meal in faith. Hannah had no baby, but she ate a meal in faith. Neither meal was based on what they could see. Both meals were based on what they heard. Are you letting what you see talk you out of what you've heard? Is the lack

of evidence causing you to lose your appetite? Were you living worried? Maybe like Ahab, you've been in a drought a long time. No sign of rain. God is saying to you what he said to him. Go eat a good meal. Get your peace back. Enjoy your family. Stay passionate about your dreams. God is faithful. He didn't fail you in the past and he's not going to fail you now. You have that promise in your heart. Now act like it's on the way. If you'll do this, I believe and declare you're about to see an abundance of rain. I can hear the thunder. I can see the clouds starting to form. God's about to exceed your expectations, healing, freedom, breakthroughs, 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. A few years ago, I stood in a forest of giant redwoods, trees hundreds of feet tall and thousands of years old. I remember thinking every one of them started as a single seed, something you could hold

in your hand. But I was amazed at what they had become. That's not just true of trees. It's true of you. There are seeds God has already placed in you that are waiting to come to life. You haven't seen all that you can become. I'd love to send you my new 90-day devotional called Super Bloom. It's designed to help you water what God has already planted in your life. Each day's reading will strengthen your faith, remind you of God's promises, and encourage you to keep believing.

As you do this, you'll see new confidence, new joy, and new growth. Those seeds of greatness will begin to flourish and you'll discover a life more rewarding than you've ever imagined.

Super Bloom, 90 days of growth, encouragement, and hope for all seasons of life is Joel's brand new devotional designed to help you water what God has already planted in you. Inside, you'll find 90 days of scripture, encouragement, and a simple daily practice. Whatever season you're walking through, whatever you're believing God for, because what you water today is what blooms tomorrow.

It's yours as a thank you for your gift to the ministry today. Be sure to request your copy of Superbloom, available this month by visiting us at joelostein.com or call 888-567-JOEL.

Keep watering what God has planted. I believe you're going to come into your super bloom season. Victoria and I love you. We're praying for you and your family every day. And thanks so much for your prayer and support. Your generosity helps take this message of hope to people all over the world who need their own moment with God.

And a special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners. Your monthly support makes a difference every single day. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you.

Be sure to request your copy of super bloom available this month by visiting us at joelosteen.com or call 888-567-JOEL with an additional gift you can also receive the super bloom devotional together with the planted in god journal a place to capture your prayers your dreams and all the good things god is doing in your life We are also making available to you this month the Bloom Expanded Collection, the devotional and journal together with the NLT Spiritual Growth Bible, one of the most comprehensive study Bibles available to help you go even deeper in God's Word. What you water today is what blooms tomorrow. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567-JOEL or logging on to joelostein.com today.

Take the step today and watch what God planted in you break open into your own super bloom, a season of joy, hope, and growth you never imagined. Call or click anytime, 24 hours a day.

Eat Your Meal | Joel Osteen

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