Always In Blossom | Joel Osteen

1:54 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. And we'd love to have you be a part of one of our services. I'd like to start with something funny. And in Texas, we're known for everything being bigger. And there was this Texan farmer that loved to brag about the size of his ranch. And he was in England and he met this English farmer. He asked him how big his ranch was, knowing that he'd probably ask about his. The Englishman said, my ranch is 35 acres. How big is yours? The Texan said, well, let's just put it this way. If I got in my truck at sunrise and started driving across my property at sunset I would still be on my ranch The englishman said oh, yeah, I used to have a truck like that All right, y'all 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 beyond the bite You can't live very long without being bitten a friend walks away The medical report's not good a child gets off course It's easy to let the hurt the offense the loss cause us to get bitter and we end up losing our passion and giving up on our dreams, wondering why this happened. But God never promised that we wouldn't have storms and face rejection and unfair things. But he did say if we would handle it the right way, he would give us beauty for the ashes. He'd pay us back for the difficulties. We would not just come through it, but we'd come out better than before. The key is how are you dealing with the bad breaks? What's your attitude when life's unfair? If you let that poison get in you, you stay focused on the bite. Why did this happen? How could they treat me this

4:05 way? Then you're going to get stuck. It's tempting to live wound conscious to where we're so focused on what's happened. We let it become our identity. We become known as the person who got bit, who went through a breakup, who got laid off, who had a bad childhood. We never move forward and see the beauty and restoration that God has in store. Here's the key. You can't stop the bite, but you can stop the poison. You don't have to get bitter and live discouraged and offended. The bite will never stop you. It's what you do after the bite. If that bad break was going to keep you from your purpose, God would have never allowed it. But too often we think, once I get well, Joel, once this wound heals, then I'll get my passion back. Then I'll start dreaming again. Then I'll be good to others. It's just the opposite. What's going to help you heal and move forward is to start being a blessing despite your wound. Get your mind off of what hurts you and go out and be good to someone else.

5:11 As you bless others your healing will come As you're good to people in your time of need new doors will open the right people will show up The enemy's main goal was never just to wound you His goal was to sideline you To use that hurt The disappointment the injustice to cause you to quit living quit dreaming quit being a blessing No, the right attitude is yes. I've had this wound but god. I know you're still on the throne So i'll still have a song of praise in my heart. I'm still loving people. I'm still helping my friend I'm still being good to my neighbor What you do beyond the bite will determine whether you get stuck Or whether you see god use that trouble as transportation To take you to new levels despite what tried to stop you We see this with the apostle paul. He had all kinds of things come against him He was arrested for sharing his faith falsely accused put in prison for years The disciples didn't accept him at first They didn't believe he had really changed from being this great enemy of the church They were skeptical. So for years paul faced rejection being misunderstood us. He had all these wounds, all these hurts. But instead of sitting around in self-pity, thinking about how unfair life was, he just kept being his best each day, sharing his faith, doing good for other people. Well, he ended up as a prisoner on a ship headed toward Rome. He had appealed his case to Caesar. On that journey, they encountered a huge storm. 14 days, the winds, the waves so bad, the ship eventually hit a big sandbar and broke apart. They all grabbed pieces of wood and swam to the small island. Paul could have been upset. After all I've been through, now I'm shipwrecked on this deserted island. It's cold, rainy. You would think he would run for

7:17 shelter, but the first thing Paul did was go out in the woods to find sticks to build a fire. Despite all this trouble. He was still helping people serving giving As he reached down to pick up a stick this snake bit his wrist and wouldn't let go Just when you didn't think it could get any worse. It did He's been betrayed falsely accused beaten shipwrecked. Now. He has this snake hanging on his arm Not because he did something wrong Not because he compromised took the easy way out No, he was fulfilling his purpose. He was doing what god called him to do obedient faithful Yet he's got this snake hanging off his hands Just because you've been bitten doesn't mean you've done something wrong. You got betrayed Let go by that company came down with an illness It could be because you're doing something right. You're a threat to the enemy He knows what you carry He wouldn't be trying to defeat you if you didn't have greatness in you You couldn't stop the bite But what are you going to do after the bite?

8:30 This could have been the end of paul. He's done. He's bitter. He drops out. He's got too many wounds Do you know what paul did the scripture says he shook off the snake and kept building the fire I can understand shaking off the snake If it was hanging on me, I promise you i'd get that snake off but he went right back to building the fire. I would have thought, wait a minute, I got a snake bite. Call 911. I need a doctor. Anyone but my brother Paul, I can see these, I can see these fang marks. My skin's broken. There may be poison in me. I need some time to get over this, but there's no verse that says Paul took six months off to nurse his wounds or that he withdrew for a season to focus on his pain. And I know some wounds, of course, some trauma and loss, they do take time. But Paul is showing us how he didn't focus on the wound. He didn't magnify the hurt.

9:31 Say, come around everyone and look. I've been bit. I got a reason to be discouraged, not passionate. No, he kept on serving, giving, being good to others, building that fire. It's easy to think, once I get past this hurt, then I'll be good to people. Once this wound heals, then I'll get my passion back. When I get over this disappointment, then I'll start serving again. Part of the healing is serving while you're wounded, being good to others while you're still hurting, helping that friend even though you're dealing with pain. The enemy would love for the wound to keep you sidelined. The bad break, the disappointment to keep you from dreaming, believing, pursuing. But often the healing comes from moving forward, from being a blessing. It's easy to nurse the wounds, focus on the hurts, look what they've done. The more you think about it, the bigger you're making it. I know people that have been staring at the same wound for 10 years, talking about it, telling their friends, letting it play in their mind, reliving it again and again.

10:40 Don't give the wound more attention than the promises God has given you. Don't magnify the hurt. Magnify what God says about you. This battle takes place in our mind. Yes, I had a bad break, but God, you promised me beauty for these ashes. Yes, they did me wrong, but Lord, I know you're my vindicator, you'll pay me back. God, I went through this loss. It broke my heart, but you said all things are going to work together for my good. That my latter days will be better than my former days. You can't stop the bite, but if you're going to stop the poison from getting in you, you have to do like Paul and learn to shake things off. Don't carry around that hurt for years. what they said reliving it dwelling on what didn't work out the longer you think about it the more poison you're allowing in

13:08 And that snake is not going to automatically fall off. You don't necessarily pray it off. You have to shake it off. Be determined. Be aggressive. Shake off the self-pity. Shake off the bitterness. Shake off the offense. You have a destiny to fulfill. we need the best version of you not the bitter you the discouraged you the half-hearted you the limited you where is the strong vibrant talented beautiful passionate you that god created the you that shines the you that blesses others the you that lights up a room the you that loves your family the you that inspires your children don't let that wound keep you from being who you really are. When Paul got bit, I'm sure he thought, man, that hurt. That is painful. That did not feel good. And yes, it's painful to lose a loved one. Painful to go through a breakup.

14:09 Painful to have to take the treatment or to be betrayed. I'm not saying to deny the pain, but the bite was never going to be what stopped Paul. It was the poison that came after the bite. The bite will never stop you. God's purpose is greater than anything that comes against you. But that poison from the bite can stop you if you let it get in. Paul may have had some poison on his hand, but he didn't let the poison get in his heart. The greater poison is not what the snake had, it's bitterness. It's self-pity. It's anger. It's living offended. The bite happens in a moment, but the poison can last for years. I wonder if you're carrying things that you're not supposed to carry. The good news is it's not too late to get rid of it. You're hearing this today because God wants you to be free. You can't release the wound. It may still be there, but you can release the hurt. You can release the unforgiveness, release the discouragement. Every person has wounds, but not every person carries poison. Which one are you? Wounded and bitter or wounded and free?

15:25 Wounded and upset on the sidelines or wounded and being a blessing? Being good to others, still fulfilling your purpose. The people on the island saw the poisonous snake on Paul's hand and the scripture says they expected him to swell up, get sick and die. They'd seen this happen again and again. That was the normal process. They thought he must be a murderer, a really bad person. He's getting what he deserves. But Paul simply shook it off and went about his business. He didn't give the snake more attention than the promise God had spoken to him. God told him on the boat, you will stand before Caesar. Paul's attitude was this snake cannot stop what God has purposed me to do. It may be poisonous. The bite really hurt, but I know a secret. No weapon formed against me is going to prosper. Greater is he that's in me than what's trying to stop me. What are you giving more attention to? The hurt, the bite, the offense, the breakup. Why don't you change that attention to what God says? That he will pay you back for the injustice. That he will turn that mourning into dancing. You would think after being in a hurricane-like storm for two weeks, being shipwrecked, being bitten by a poisonous snake, Paul would need to sit down and rest, take a break, have some people wait on him. He had a good reason to stay on the sidelines. Man, I'm wounded. I can see fame marks. I am out of commission. But after he shook off the snake, he not only built the fire, but he learned the leader of the island's father-in-law was very sick. Paul went and prayed for him and he was healed. Paul had a snake bite on his wrist, but he had healing in his hands. God uses wounded people, people that have been hurt, betrayed, gone through injustice. You may have some wounds, but you still carry healing. You have some bite marks, but you're still anointed, still favored,

17:33 still able to be a blessing. There are people in your same situation, same type wounds that are sitting on the sidelines, bitter and angry, wondering why things aren't changing. What's the difference? They let the poison get in. The wounds look the same on the outside. Those bite marks are still there, but you did like Paul. You shook it off and kept being good to people. You're still serving still loving still being generous When the people saw that paul didn't swell up that he didn't die. They were so amazed They thought he was a god. They begin to bring sick people to him Paul laid hands on them and they were all healed Then paul shared the message of jesus and most of the people on the island became believers This all happened After paul had not only been shipwrecked his plans interrupted but after he had been bitten. You may have been through some hurts, disappointments, things that were not fair, but those wounds did not stop your purpose. Healing comes not from sitting on the sidelines. When I recover, no, get back in the game. Your breakthrough is connected to being a blessing, to helping someone else get well, being good to that neighbor, loving your family. As you help others, your healing will come. But imagine if Paul would have let the snake bite stop him. God, I'm too hurt to do good. I got this wound. My skin is broken. Then the people on the island would have never heard the gospel. They wouldn't have been healed. We wouldn't have many books in the Bible that Paul wrote after this fight. What am I saying? Don't let one bad break.

19:20 one hurtful season cause you to miss all the blessings and all the favor that God has planned for you when we're focused on our wounds we can't see the people that God wants us to help we miss these opportunities it's not just to be good to others those are seeds you're sowing for God to restore and refresh you when my mother was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer She was very frail and weak and for several months She stayed in the house and just did her best read her bible and declared god's promises But when she got a little stronger, she started going out and praying for other people We drove her across town and she prayed for this elderly woman that was sick She would come to church on sundays, but she couldn't walk up the steps to the platform She was too weak, but she'd pray for people in the altar area She had been bitten Life through a curve. She never saw this coming But she didn't let the poison get in her. She didn't get bitter. God why me? I'm done. This is too much While she was wounded. She went out and did good for others The medical report said she'd only live a few weeks Like paul. She was supposed to get sick and die. That was a normal process But can I encourage you the snake doesn't have the final say The loss the betrayal the sickness god has you in the palm of his hand Nothing can snatch you away. He's ordering your steps He's planned out your days. His purpose cannot be overridden by forces of darkness Now you have to do your part when you get bit Don't sit back and nurse your wounds go out and be good to someone Your pain can become your platform When the people saw that paul wasn't getting sick and swelling up now they revered him He had all this influence and favor. God wants to make you an example Some people that have gone through what you've gone through have gotten poisoned bitter given up

21:29 But look at you still serving still giving still dreaming still being a blessing But sometimes the wound doesn't go away leaves a scar. I can imagine years later, Paul looking at his wrist and still sees the fang marks, two distinct scars. When you have the right attitude, scars are not a negative thing that bring back bad memories. Scars are a testimony of what God brought you through. Scars remind you of the goodness of God. Yes, I got bit by a poisonous snake, But look at what the lord has done. I'm still here Still healthy still faithful still being a blessing But too often we're waiting for the wound to go away When we don't have this hurt when we can't see that bite mark Then we'll get our passion back. Maybe god is waiting on you to start moving forward Being a blessing then you'll see things begin to change. That's when healing favor breakthroughs come That's what my mother did.

22:33 She lived 44 years after being told she had a few weeks to live. People don't determine your destiny, God does. There's a young woman in the scripture named Ruth. She had big dreams and was excited about her life, but she went through a great loss. Her husband and his brother were killed in a battle. She never dreamed she would be a widow at such a young age. She was heartbroken, so devastated. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, was a widow as well. Since she had lost both of her sons, she decided to move back to her hometown of Bethlehem. She told her daughter's-in-law to go back to where they were from. One of them, Orpah, took her advice and she kissed them goodbye and went back home. But Ruth wouldn't do it. She said, Naomi, I'm not gonna leave you in all this grief and sorrow.

23:28 I'm gonna go with you and take care of you. Here ruth is hurting She's been bitten in all this pain, but she doesn't let the poison get in She could have been bitter Why did this happen? We're not going to understand everything along the way Sometimes the bites are not fair. They don't make sense But they don't have to stop your destiny God sees everything that happens. He knows the injustice the lost the lonely nights the people that did you wrong every morning Ruth would go out into the fields early to gather up leftover wheat that the workers had missed that was so she and Naomi could survive they were widows they didn't have any income but Ruth could have been on the sidelines thought someone needs to come wait on me I'm wounded I'm hurting but she understood this principle that part of the healing process is being good to others while you're wounded.

24:28 Pain will naturally turn us inward focused. Where's my heartache, my loss, my illness, but purpose will cause us to be outward focused. I'm hurting, but who can I be a blessing to? I've been bitten by this snake, but Paul said, I'm going to go help the people. I'm going to share my faith with them. Or I've got this bad diagnosis, but my mother, I'm going to go pray for other sick people. It's a powerful thing in your time of need to get your mind off yourself and go be good to someone else. There's healing in being a blessing. Isaiah said it this way, when you help those in need, when you feed the hungry, when you clothe the naked, when you help the hurting, then your light will break forth like the dawn. Wait a minute, God, I've been bitten. I'm hurting. I need assistance. The answer to your prayer could be in helping someone else. And this wasn't easy for Ruth. She had every reason to focus on herself, lost her husband, left her homeland.

25:32 She is a foreigner, grieving. She could have become ingrown, discouraged. One of the enemy's goals is to use the hurt to make our world smaller to where all we think about is our wounds, our disappointments, how life's not fair. Break out of that box. That wound did not stop your destiny. That bite didn't cancel your purpose. God's hand is still on you. His assignment for your life is still intact. The turnaround is already on the schedule. God has already set the time to pay you back. Now keep being good to others. Keep loving. Keep serving. Keep shining. Ruth was out in the fields one morning, just like usual, but the owner of that field noticed Ruth. He told the workers to leave her wheat on the ground on purpose. Now she had more wheat than she could ever carry. You never know when God is speaking to people to be good to you that you've never even met. Ruth could have been sitting in the sidelines bitter. Instead, she's being a blessing despite the wound. She's taking care of Naomi, even though she's been bitten. Well, the owner of that field, Boaz, he couldn't take his eyes off of Ruth. They ended up falling in love and getting married. Now Ruth didn't work in the field. She owned the fields. They had a son named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse. Jesse had a son named David. Ruth became the great grandmother of King David. She never dreamed in all the loss that she'd be married again, never dreamed she'd have a child. God knows how to pay you back. He knows how to turn that heartache into something more than you've ever imagined. But none of this would have happened if she'd allowed the pain to keep her from moving forward. We wouldn't be talking about Paul today. We wouldn't be reading the books of Ephesians and Philippians, some of the great promises in the Bible, if he had let the bite poison his spirit and cause him to drop out. The truth is we've all been bitten. You can't stop

27:41 that. The question is, what are you doing beyond the bite? Letting it poison you or are you shaking it off, nursing the wounds or moving forward. Be a Ruth, be a Paul, be like my mother and be a blessing despite the hurt. God uses wounded people, people that have been bitten to help heal, to bless, to bring his love. As you help others, healing comes to you. Ruth would have never met Boaz if she sat on the sidelines. She would have never become David's great-grandmother if she had lived bitter. Sometimes it's not just about you, but there are other people that need your love, your courage, your faith. You are a part of a bigger picture. You're not always going to understand the bites. Why did this happen? I was doing the right thing. Don't try to figure it out. Just move forward in faith. And sure, we want the wounds to all go away. We want that bite mark to completely healed. But even if it remains a scar, let it be a reminder of what God brought you through. You have a scar here. That's where that poisonous snake couldn't kill you. That's where God brought you Boaz. That's where he healed you from that terminal illness. The scars are not your identity. They are your testimony. Now, mark of maturity is when you've been bitten, but you're not carrying the poison. You've been wounded, but you're still smiling, still giving, still serving.

29:16 Now, perhaps you find yourself on the sidelines today discouraged over what you've been through. This is a new day. It is time to get back in the game and go out and be a blessing. If you'll do this, I believe and declare like Paul, that bad break is not going to stop your purpose. It's going to be a platform to launch you into greater purpose. Like Ruth, God is going to bring divine connections, the right opportunities, and turn your mourning into dancing. Like my mother, your healing is about to break forth new levels 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.

30:10 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.

32:07 If you want to know what you're going to be like in five years, listen to what you're saying about yourself. You are prophesying your future. I'll show you how to speak positive, faith-filled words that agree with what God says about you. You'll learn how to use your words not to describe the situation, but to change the situation. When you speak words of health, favor, and victory, you are setting the direction for your life. That's how you'll break negative cycles, develop a healthier mindset, and see more of the goodness of God in your life.