Waiting With Expectancy | Joel Osteen

At AJ Bell, we believe every customer deserves brilliant service, which is just one reason we're rated excellent on TrustPilot. And we all trust pilots, with their smooth, captainly voices that make you feel like you'd let them land anywhere they like. Sorry, where was I? Right, AJ Bell, rated excellent by sexy pilots. I mean TrustPilot. I'm a flight risk! AJ Bell, feel good investing. The value of your investments can go up or down. Hi, this is Joel in Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend? We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes. If you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. Thanks so much for tuning in and thank you again for coming out. And I'd like to start with something funny. And I heard about this husband that died and he left his wife $20,000. After the funeral, his wife told a friend that she was totally broke. The friend said, what do you mean you're broke? Thought you had $20,000. She said, well, I spent $5,000 on the funeral and $15,000 on the memorial stone. The friend said, wow, that was some stone. How big was it? She held up her finger and said, three and a half carrots. All right. 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 waiting with expectancy. In life, we're always waiting for something waiting for a dream to come to pass waiting to meet the right person waiting for a problem to turn around. Much of life is spent waiting. There's a right way to wait and a wrong way to wait. Isaiah said they that wait upon the Lord will mount up with wings as eagles. And we hear that word waiting most of the time we think that means do nothing, be passive. But the amplified version explains what the word wait really means. It says those who expect, who hope, who look for God's goodness. Waiting is not supposed to be passive. True waiting is actively expecting. I prayed, I believed. Now I'm looking for God's goodness. I'm expecting my health to improve. I'm expecting new doors to open. I'm expecting to have a blessed year. That's what it really means to wait. And David understood this principle. He said in Psalm five, each morning I bring my request to you and wait expectantly. When you're waiting expectantly, you know this could be the day you get the break you need. This could be the day the problem turns around. There's an anticipation in your spirit. You talk like it's going to happen. You act like it's going to happen. You're on the lookout. That expectancy is your faith being released. Now all through the scripture, we see this in David's life. He said, surely goodness and mercy will follow me. He was expecting God's blessing. In Psalm 27, all kinds of bad things were happening to David. Violent enemies were chasing him. People lying about him, falsely accusing him. Yet right in the midst of it, he said, I am confident I will see God's goodness. David not only prayed, he not only believed, he took it one step further. He went out looking for God's favor. Like David, you may be facing difficulties. In the natural, it doesn't look good. But when you're waiting with expectancy, you're not moved by what you see. You're moved by what you know. And Psalm 112 says, when darkness overtakes the righteous, light will come bursting in. Notice God used the word bursting. He didn't say it's going to trickle in. It's going to barely get there. It's going to show up little by little. No, God said, suddenly things will turn around. You may have been dealing with the situation for many years, but suddenly your health will improve. Suddenly the right person will show up. Suddenly the legal situation will resolve. The right way to wait is not, oh God, this is never going to change. This financial difficulty is going to be the end of me. These kids are going to drive me crazy. No, get up every morning and say, God, I'm expecting your light to come bursting in. I'm expecting a sudden breakthrough, a flood of your favor, a flood of healing, a flood of restoration, a flood of promotion. You wait with expectancy like that and you'll see God show up and do amazing things. Now, I know some of you have had tough times. Maybe you had a bad break. Now you've settled where you are thinking you've reached your limits. This is as good as it's ever going to get. Now you've got to kick it into a new gear. Get your expectations up. Proverbs 13 says, trouble chases sinners, but blessings chase the righteous. You are the righteous. What should you be expecting? Trouble, bad breaks, heartache? No, get in agreement with God and start expecting his blessings to chase you down. Start expecting God's favor. When you go through a disappointment, and we all do, you have a bad break instead of being discouraged, instead of complaining. Now dig your heels in and say, this medical report may not look good, but I'm not worried. I know healing is chasing me down. Business may be slow. I'm not discouraged. I know opportunity, sales, contracts, ideas, inventions, good breaks are chasing me down. My child may be on the wrong path, but it's only temporary. I know a turnaround is chasing him down. That's not just being positive. That's doing what David did, waiting with expectancy. You're saying, God, I know you're still on the throne. You're bigger than this difficulty. What you promised in my life will come to pass. One reason people don't have the joy they should is they're not expecting anything good. The scripture says, hope deferred makes the heart sick. If you're not expecting to see God's favor in a new way, you're not expecting the problem to turn around. It will not only limit what God can do, but it'll cause your heart to be sick. It'll cause you to be discouraged. And too many people today are not healthy, not physically, but emotionally, because they're not waiting with expectancy. At one point they had a big dream. They knew it was going to work out, but it didn't happen on their timetable. Now they've gotten passive and they think that it's never going to happen. But you got to shake that off and get your fire back. God is still on the throne. It may not have happened on your timetable, but God's a faithful God. He can still bring it to pass. Now do your part and start expecting the light to come bursting in. Start expecting God's blessings to chase you down. Don't let people talk you out of it. Don't believe the never lies. They come to all of us. You'll never get well. You'll never get married. You'll never get out of debt. Let that go in one ear and out the other. Our attitude should be, I know my answer is already on the way. I could see it before I go to bed tonight. I could meet the person of my dreams before I leave this building. Be sure to look around before you leave. I could see my health improved this week. I could get totally out of debt, pay my house off this year. It may be impossible in the natural, but I know I serve a supernatural God. When you wait with expectancy, the most powerful force in the universe goes to work. In the book of James, it tells us to wait for God's promises like a farmer waits for his harvest. When a farmer plants his crops, he doesn't wait all worried. He doesn't go to bed at night, stressed out, wondering if they're going to come up. If somebody says to him, I don't think you're going to get a harvest this year. He wouldn't pay any attention. He's planted, he's watered. He has no doubt that it's going to happen. So he waits with a confidence, not just hoping, not just believing he takes it one step further. He knows his crops are going to come up. That's the way we're supposed to wait on what God promised us. Like the farmer, you prayed, you planted, you've watered your seeds, you've thanked God. Now you've got to come over into this confidence, a knowing that says not if it happens, but when it happens. Somebody ask you, you still think you're going to get out of debt with the economy like it is? Tell them, I don't think so. I know so. My God is Jehovah Jireh. He is the Lord, my provider. He is not affected by the economy. He controls it all. You still think your child's going to straighten up? Looks like they're wilder than ever to me. I don't think so. I know so. As for me in my house, we will serve the Lord. You still think you're going to get married. You've been single a long time. I don't think so. I know so. God said he would give me the desires of my heart. The right man, the right woman, they are chasing me down, even as we speak. You've got to have this unshakable confidence. Just like you know the sun is going to come up in the morning, you know what God promised you is going to come to pass. It may happen today, may happen next week or next year, but like that farmer, you know that you know your harvest is on its way. This passage in James uses Job as the example of how to wait. You remember Job went through a lot of heartache and pain, lost his health, his family, his business, but about nine months later, he came out with twice what he had before. Not only saw it all restored, but he had twice the cattle, twice the sheep, twice the joy, twice the peace. Of all the people in the Scripture, God could have chosen as the example of how to wait. God chose Job. I believe it's significant. God is saying when you go through a loss, a disappointment, a bad break, don't expect to come out the same, expect to come out better off than you were before. Maybe you're dealing with a sickness right now, or a relationship didn't work out. Somebody cheated you in a business deal, and you could easily be negative, discouraged, settle where you are. No, God wants to take what was meant for your harm and use it to your advantage to increase you. Dare to believe like Job that you're going to come out with twice what you had before. Some of you are just hoping to halfway recover. If you could at least get back to where you were before you got sick, before you were laid off, before the disappointment, you would be happy if you could just get back to even, but that's not the way our God works. God is going to make the enemy pay for bringing that trouble into your life. God is saying, get ready for double. You have not seen your best days. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy is coming in the morning. God is going to give you beauty for those ashes. He's going to make the rest of your life better than it would have been if that would have never happened. But you've got to do your part and start waiting with expectancy. If you're sitting around discouraged, in self pity, thinking you've seen your best days, it will limit what God can do. Shake it off and start waiting like Job. Father, I want to thank you that double is coming my way. I may be sick right now, but I'm expecting to come out twice as healthy with twice the energy, twice the strength. I may have gotten laid off, but Lord, I want to thank you for a job with twice the benefits, twice the friends, twice the fulfillment, twice the income. This person may have walked out on a relationship, done me wrong, but Lord, I just thank you for bringing me somebody twice as fun, twice as friendly, twice as good looking, twice as well off. Well, you say, Joel, that's kind of far out. Yeah, we serve a far out God. He wants to do more than you can ask or think. He wants to bring you out like Job with double. What's interesting is when a farmer is waiting for his harvest, he doesn't sit around passively and not do anything for months and months. Now, while he's waiting, he sharpens his tools. He makes sure his tractor and equipment is maintained and ready to go. He calls his suppliers, his transportation people, gets everything lined up. The fact is he hasn't seen one plant come up out of the ground. The whole field is completely empty, yet he's making all kinds of preparations for the harvest that he knows is coming. He has such a confidence that he's putting actions behind his faith. That's what it means to wait like a farmer. You're not just hoping, you're not just praying, you're getting prepared, taking steps of faith. Years ago, I went to this young couple's apartment, Friends of Mine. It was a very small place. They were happy. They were content, but they knew God had put bigger things in their heart. They had bought some furniture for the apartment that was much too big. One couch was crammed up against another couch. You could hardly walk into the room. Looked like a mistake. I thought to myself, what in the world were they thinking? I didn't say anything, but later the young lady said, Joy, you'll have to forgive our din. We bought this furniture for our new house. I didn't know they were moving. I said, that's great. Where are you going? She said, we don't know yet. We just know we're not staying here. This is only temporary. They stayed in that tiny apartment for several years. And when I would see them just being friendly, I'd say, hey, when are you moving? Their answer was always soon. That's a great answer. When are you coming out of debt? Soon. When is the problem going to turn around? Soon. When are you going to get married? Soon. When is that child going to come back home? Not any of this, oh, Joy, I don't know. More I pray the worse he gets. Did I tell you what he did last week? Zip that up. Your answer should always be soon. Say it by faith. This young couple had such a confidence. Like the farmer, they knew their harvest was coming. One day the lady got an unexpected promotion and huge increase and everything fell into place. And do you know where that furniture is now? It's not in their new home. They gave it to another young couple that's believing for their dream to come to pass. That's what happens when you put actions behind your faith. It gets God's attention. One time in the scripture, a paralyzed man talked four of his friends into carrying him to another city where Jesus was teaching. When they arrived, the house was so crowded they couldn't get in. I'm sure the men that carried him were tired. Their shoulders were sore. They wanted to rest. But the paralyzed man said, no, we've come too far to stop now. You've got to take me up on the roof and let me down through the ceiling. Imagine Jesus is up there teaching and he sees dust start to fall. Couple ceiling tiles drop down. All this commotion as they lower the man down. The scripture says, when Jesus saw their faith. My question today is, can your faith be seen? Are you doing anything to show God? You're not just hoping. You're not just praying like the farmer you're getting prepared. When Jesus saw their faith, he touched the man and he was made whole. Now that man could have stayed at home for 20 years, believing. He could have prayed for the rest of his life. Nothing would have happened. But when your faith can be seen, the creator of the universe goes to work. When my father was in his 60s, he had to have open heart surgery. It was a very serious procedure because most of his arteries were blocked and there was no guarantee that he would come out okay. Our family was all in the room together before he was going to be taken into the operation. He asked me if I would go back home and get his tennis shoes and running suit and lay it by his bed. My mother had already brought his pajamas and house shoes and everything that he would need. But my father wanted those tennis shoes there as an act of his faith. While he was recovering, every time he looked at them, he was saying, I'm going to be out running again. I'm going to go all over the world. I've got many good years left in me. You may be facing a health issue as well. In the natural, it doesn't look good, but don't make plans to go downhill. Don't tell your friends how bad it is and how you're never going to make it. Expect to get better. Put your tennis shoes in front of you. Plan a visit to go see your relatives. Renew the membership to the health club. Do something so your faith can be seen. When my mother was so sick with cancer, she told how she would lay in bed at night. These thoughts would come telling her, you can be buried in that new pink dress that you bought. See, the enemy wants you to make plans for your funeral. He wants you to plan for defeat, for mediocrity. He would love for us to go through life with the wrong expectations. You got to shake that off and make plans to live, make plans for victory. And that Christmas in 1981, when my mother was given a few weeks to live, all of us kids went in together to buy my mother some china. That's what she wanted before she got sick. When my sister, Lisa, went to the store to pick it up, only eight pieces were in stock. The other two pieces would have to be ordered. And we were told that could take several months to come in. Well, my mother was only given a few weeks to live, and that was a month or so before. When she opened the china and she saw the note in it saying that the rest would be delivered in the spring of the next year. Her first thought in the natural was, I might not even be here. But we ordered that china on purpose to let my mother know we were expecting her to still be here. That china came in 31 years later. My mother is still here, healthy, alive, strong. The funny thing is she has not served me one meal on that china. I'm going to talk about being grateful next week. Can your faith be seen? Are you waiting like the farmer making preparations for your harvest? The apostle Paul did this. He was in prison for spreading the good news. In the natural, there was no reason to think that he would ever get out. It looked like that was his destiny. But Paul wasn't complaining. He wasn't discouraged. He was making plans to be free. He said to a friend that came to visit him, keep a guest room ready for me, for I am filled with hope that God will answer my prayers. Here he's in prison. He doesn't need a guest room. My mom's been given a few weeks to live. We don't need to order her any china. My father's recovering from a major surgery. He doesn't need his tennis shoes. No, that's what it means to wait with expectancy. When God can see your faith, he can do the impossible. I read about this small town that had been in a drought for a long, long time and the local pastors call for a day of prayer on the town square. They ask everyone to bring some kind of object of their faith, just to show that they were believing. And most people brought their Bibles. Some wore a cross or a t-shirt with an inspirational message. They joined hands and began to earnestly pray. It was a very moving scene as they were all gathered in faith, asking God for rain. After about 10 minutes, almost perfectly on cue, it began to rain. They started shouting and singing, holding up their Bibles, their crosses in praise to God. But one little eight-year-old girl's object stood out among the rest. She opened up her big, yellow umbrella that she had brought. The scripture tells us to have the faith of a little child. If you're praying for rain, it's not complicated. Bring your umbrella. Let your faith be seen. You remember in the Old Testament, the people of Israel came to the Jordan River. They needed to get a cross. Earlier Moses had held up his rod and the Red Sea parted a great miracle. This time it didn't happen that way. The scripture tells how they had to walk toward the water. And as their feet and legs got wet, then the river opened up. I wonder how many of us are waiting for God to part the sea like he did last time. God showed you favor, opened the door, and you walked through it. But this time, God has a Jordan River in front of you. It's not going to open up until your faith can be seen. What can you do to show God that you're trusting Him? I'm not suggesting that you quit your job, but can you bring a big, yellow umbrella? Can you buy a new outfit to wear for when you get healthy again? Can you take that management course, even though you were turned down for the promotion? That's waiting with expectancy. You're saying by your actions, God, I'm expecting your light to come bursting in. I know this lady, she's always been very heavy, struggled with her weight. She heard me talking about this. And she went out and bought an outfit like 10 sizes too small for her. People thought she was crazy. She told the lady helping her it was for someone else. She put that outfit up in her closet. Every time she saw it, she would say, Lord, thank you that I'm going to lose this weight. Thank you that I'm strong, I'm disciplined, I'm focused, and I'm going to wear this outfit. No, it didn't happen overnight, but several years later, she was wearing that outfit. Just as beautiful as could be. A young couple I know, they tried for many years to have a baby with no success. The medical report said that they would never be able to have a child. And while we love and respect doctors, we know God can do what medical science cannot do. This couple went out and bought a baby's outfit, just a little girl's dress. They put it in their kitchen. Every time they saw it, they would say, Lord, you said children are a gift from you. So we want to thank you for one of your gifts. About two years later, they came to the altar to dedicate their beautiful baby girl. You know what she was wearing? That outfit they had bought many years before. When your faith can be seen, God goes to work. I heard the story of Gavin McLeod. He's an actor, probably best known for playing the captain of the love boat, a popular TV program years ago. He and his wife, Patty were married for seven years. They hit some bumps in the road and long story short, Gavin left. They went through a divorce. Patty was devastated. She never wanted the divorce. Instead of giving up, she not only prayed, but she put actions behind her faith. Every night, even though she lived alone, she would set two places at the dinner table, one for her and one for Gavin. Like the farmer making preparations for her harvest. Four years later, an unexpected knock at the front door. She opened it. It was Gavin. Patty smiled and said, come on in. Your dinner's getting cold. Today they have been remarried for over 26 years. Friends, when you wait with expectancy, amazing things can happen. Here's my challenge. Let your faith be seen. Make preparations for the harvest that you know is coming. Get up every morning, bring your request to God. And then like David, go out looking for God's goodness, looking for good breaks, expecting God's favor. When you face disappointments, something doesn't go your way. Don't get discouraged. God promised the light is going to come bursting in. Suddenly the answer will come. Suddenly you'll get the breaks you need. God has some sudden leads in your future. He's not only going to bring you out, he's going to bring you out like Job with double better off than you were before. Now get your expectations up today. May not have happened in the past, but God is still on the throne. It can happen in your future. If you'll learn to wait with this expectancy, not get discouraged. If it doesn't happen on your timetable, then like Patty, you'll see what you were expecting come to pass. God's blessings will chase you down. The light's going to come bursting in. Now believe and declare you will overcome every obstacle, defeat every enemy, and you will become everything God's created you to be in Jesus name. If you receive it, can you say amen today? We never like to close our broadcast without giving 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. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible based church, keep God first place. He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. Many people believe that God can heal, but when nothing is improving or prayers are not being answered, it's easy to think, will God heal me? The truth is, God still loves to heal. I've witnessed God's healing power firsthand in my own family. When situations seemed impossible and medically speaking, there were no options, God stepped in and made a way. Now I'd love to send you our new devotional, God Still Loves to Heal. It's filled with scripture and encouragement, designed to strengthen your faith and help you believe for healing. Even when you can't see it, God is still working. As you stand firm and declare His promises, healing is on the way. The same God who healed in the Bible is still healing today. Your generous support is so important to help us share the message of hope. And as our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount, Pastor Joel would like to send you a copy of God Still Loves to Heal, 70 days to receive, reflect, and rest in the finished work of God. This new seasonal devotional will guide you through a weekly rhythm where you'll be encouraged by life-changing insight that will strengthen and encourage you in your faith. Jesus cares about you physically, mentally, and emotionally. He forgives us, delivers us, and He heals us and makes us whole. With this inspiring devotional resource, you'll go on a healing journey. You'll enter into God's rest and restoration, knowing His promises are true yesterday, today, and forever. Receive your copy of this powerful new book and experience God's goodness and healing power. Be sure to request your copy of God Still Loves to Heal, available this month by simply visiting us at JoelLostin.com or call 888-567-JOL. My mother was miraculously healed from terminal cancer. My sister Lisa was healed from a birth injury, similar to cerebral palsy. And what God did for us, He can do for you. Victor and I are going to be praying for you this month, especially for healing for you and your family, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, that you will be completely whole. We appreciate your prayer and support. Your generosity is impacting people around the world. And special thank you to our champion of hope partners for all you do to make the ministry possible. Until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of God Still Loves to Heal, available this month by simply visiting us at JoelLostin.com or call 888-567-JOL. And you can fill your year with strength, peace, and encouragement with the Healing and Holiness Collection. It features God's Word for every season, a guided four-part journal series to help anchor your heart to His promises. Plus, God Still Loves to Heal and the blessing of taking communion. Together, they'll strengthen your faith, renew your hope, and remind you that Jesus Still heals and restores today. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567-JOL or logging on to JoelLostin.com today. Call or click anytime, 24 hours a day. Request your copies today. At AJ Bell, we believe investing is for everyone, even people who know nothing about investing. Like Keith, who thought dividends were a boy band. Jessica, who thought compound interest was a prison dating app. And Sue, Sue thought FT100 was a bit of under the table fun, which surprised her accountant. If we can make investing feel good for them, it's no wonder which have recommended us seven years running. AJ Bell, feel good investing. The value of your investments can go up or down.