If we want to see the promises of God fulfilled in our lives, we have to learn to look beyond our circumstances. Lift up your eyes and expect the greater things God has in store!
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>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: YOUR
FAITH IS AMAZING.
GO OUT AND TELL PEOPLE
ABOUT THIS SAVING POWER
OF JESUS CHRIST, AMEN,
AND THAT HE CAN DO
WHAT NO ONE ELSE CAN DO.
YOU ARE HIS LIGHT
IN ALL THE WORLD.
YOU SEE, WE’RE ALL ON THIS
JOURNEY OF FAITH TOGETHER,
AND IF WE’RE GOING TO
EXPERIENCE THE FULLNESS OF
GOD’S PROMISES WE’RE GOING
TO HAVE TO DEVELOP THE ABILITY
TO SEE BEYOND WHERE
WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
SEE, IT’S SO EASY TO GET
STUCK IN A PROBLEM.
IT’S SO EASY TO SEE WHAT
DIDN’T WORK OUT, WHAT DIDN’T
HAPPEN, THE MISTAKES WE’VE
MADE, MAYBE WHAT SOMEONE ELSE
DID TO US, AND THEN WE THINK,
“WHAT’S OUR NEXT STEP, GOD?
HOW ARE WE GOING
TO GET OUT OF THIS?”
IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO SEE
THE NEXT STEP SOMETIMES,
BUT WHEN WE TAKE OUR EYES
OFF OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES,
OFF OF THE PROBLEMS
THAT ARE TRYING TO WEIGH
US DOWN AND HOLD US BACK,
THAT’S WHEN WE CAN PUT
OUR EYES ON THE PROMISES
OF GOD, NOT THE PROBLEMS.
WE CAN’T SET OUR EYES
ON THE PROBLEMS.
WE HAVE TO SET OUR EYES
ON THE PROMISES.
THAT’S HOW WE’RE GOING
TO RISE ABOVE WHERE
WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE TO LOOK BEYOND WHERE
WE ARE AND LIFT OUR EYES.
IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS
ABRAHAM WAS CALLED BY GOD
TO GO ON A JOURNEY OF FAITH
WITH HIM.
HE SPOKE TO ABRAHAM AND SAID,
“LEAVE YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE.”
ABRAHAM DID.
THE BIBLE SAYS HE BELIEVED
GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED UNTO
HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
HE LEFT HIS FATHER’S LAND.
HE TOOK HIS FAMILY AND HIS
NEPHEW, LOT, AND THEY WENT ON
THIS JOURNEY, BUT THERE WAS
A POINT IN HIS JOURNEY
WHERE LOT, HIS NEPHEW,
AND HIMSELF HAD ACQUIRED
SO MANY POSSESSIONS
THAT THEY HAD TO PART WAYS.
THE LAND COULD NOT SUSTAIN
BOTH OF THEM, SO ABRAHAM
LOOKED AT LOT AND SAID,
“YOU PICK FIRST.
WHICH WAY DO YOU WANT TO GO?
WHAT DIRECTION DO YOU
WANT TO GO, LOT?
I’M GIVING YOU FIRST CHOICE.”
WELL, LOT LOOKED AROUND, AND
HE FOUND A PLACE THAT HE
THOUGHT WOULD BE PERFECT
FOR HE AND HIS FAMILY.
THE BIBLE CALLS IT–WAS EAST.
IT WAS TOWARDS THE JORDAN.
IT WAS LUSH IN FOLIAGE.
IT WAS A CITY THAT WAS
BUSTLING.
IT WAS PLACES OF OPPORTUNITY,
SO LOT CHOSE THAT PART
OF THE LAND.
WHEN ABRAHAM LOOKED
THE OTHER DIRECTION,
WHAT HE SAW WAS DIRT.
HE SAW WAS DUST.
NO DEVELOPMENT, JUST LAND,
AND HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF,
“WOW.
WHAT IN THE WORLD HAVE
I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?”
BUT SEE, IT WAS AT THAT POINT
THAT GOD SPOKE TO ABRAHAM,
AND HE SAID, “ABRAHAM,
LIFT UP YOUR EYES NOW.
LIFT UP YOUR EYES NOW.
LOOK OUT AS FAR AS YOU CAN
SEE FROM THE NORTH,
THE SOUTH, THE EAST,
AND THE WEST.”
HE SAID, “WHAT YOU CAN SEE,
THE LAND THAT YOU CAN SEE,
I WILL GIVE IT TO YOU.
I WILL GIVE IT TO YOU.”
YOU SEE, IT WAS THIS POINT
THAT ABRAHAM HAD
TO LIFT HIS EYES.
I LOVE THAT PHRASE, “LIFT
YOUR EYES,” BECAUSE THESE
LIFTED EYES BECAME THE THEME
OF ABRAHAM’S LIFE.
YOU SEE, GOD KNEW THAT
ABRAHAM COULD EASILY GET HIS
EYES ON THE WRONG THING.
HE COULD HAVE EASILY SAID,
“WHY DIDN’T I CHOOSE FIRST?
WHY DID HE GET THE BEST?
NOW I’M JUST STUCK IN THE
DIRT, IN THE DUST, AND HE’S
OVER THERE PROSPERING.
WHY DID I MAKE
THAT MISTAKE?”
BUT SEE, GOD WANTED HIM TO
LIFT HIS EYES SO HE COULD SEE
BEYOND THE DUST AND THE DIRT
AND BEGIN TO SEE HIS DESTINY
UNFOLD, BEGIN TO SEE WHAT GOD
WANTED TO DO IN HIS LIFE.
DO YOU KNOW THE NAME “LOT”
MEANS “VEIL,” AND WHEN HE
SEPARATED FROM LOT IT WAS AS
IF GOD LIFTED THE VEIL FROM
HIS EYES, AND HE WAS ABLE
TO SEE GOD IN NEW WAYS.
YOU SEE, GOD WANTED TO REVEAL
HIMSELF TO ABRAHAM
IN UNSEEN WAYS.
YOU SEE, IT MAY HAVE LOOKED
LIKE LOT GOT PARADISE, BUT
ABRAHAM, HE GOT THE PROMISE,
AND YOU DO TOO.
YOU HAVE THE PROMISES OF GOD.
IN FACT, THE VEIL HAS BEEN
LIFTED FROM YOUR EYES.
IT HAS BEEN TORN IN TWO BY
THE POWER OF CHRIST, AND GOD
WANTS TO SHOW YOU ALONG THIS
JOURNEY THINGS YOU HAVEN’T
SEEN BEFORE.
HE WANTS TO REVEAL HIMSELF
IN POWERFUL WAYS.
YOU SEE, WHEN GOD SPOKE TO
ABRAHAM AND TOLD HIM THAT HE
WAS GOING TO BE A FATHER OF
MANY NATIONS, SAID, “ABRAHAM,
I WANT TO SHOW YOU THIS LAND
THAT I’M TAKING YOU.
I WANT YOU TO INHABIT IT.
I WANT YOU TO POSSESS IT.
I’M GOING TO MAKE YOUR SEED
GREAT, AND I’M GOING TO BLESS
PEOPLE ALL OVER THE EARTH,”
HIS NAME WAS ABRAM.
GOD HADN’T CHANGED HIS NAME
YET TO THE FATHER
OF MANY NATIONS.
HE WAS JUST ABRAM, A MAN THAT
WAS BELIEVING GOD, GOING
ON THIS JOURNEY OF FAITH.
IN FACT, HE DIDN’T LOOK
ANYTHING LIKE WHAT GOD WAS
SAYING ABOUT HIM, BUT GOD’S
PROMISES ARE SPOKEN
IN THE UNSEEN REALM.
GOD’S PROMISES ARE SPOKEN
BUT NOT SEEN YET.
THAT’S WHY THE VEIL WAS
LIFTED, SO THAT ABRAHAM COULD
SEE INTO THE SUPERNATURAL
REALM, SO ABRAHAM COULD GET
A GLIMPSE OF WHAT GOD
WANTED TO DO.
HE WANTED TO TAKE THE VEIL
OFF OF ABRAHAM’S EYES SO THAT
HE COULD SEE WHAT GOD
WAS DOING.
YOU SEE, GOD’S PROMISES
ARE PROGRESSIVE.
THEY UNFOLD IN HIS TIMING.
THEY MAY NOT BE SEEN YET, BUT
IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
UNTIL GOD GETS YOU TO WHERE
YOU NEED TO BE, UNTIL YOU
START LOOKING LIKE GOD SAYS
YOU’RE GOING TO LOOK, UNTIL
YOU START HAVING WHAT GOD
SAYS YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE.
IT’S PROGRESSIVE,
AND IT’S IN GOD’S TIMING.
I HAVE THESE BEAUTIFUL LEMON
TREES IN MY BACKYARD.
I HAVE TWO OF THEM, AND
THEY’RE FULL OF FRUIT RIGHT
NOW, AND A FRIEND OF MINE, WE
WERE IN MY BACKYARD, AND WE
HAPPENED TO BE WALKING BY THE
LEMON TREES, AND SHE STOPPED,
AND SHE PAUSED FOR A MINUTE
BECAUSE THEY’RE BEAUTIFUL,
FULL OF FRUIT, AND SHE SAID,
“THOSE ARE THE MOST AMAZING
LIME TREES I HAVE
EVER SEEN.”
I STARTED TO LAUGH,
AND I SAID,
“THOSE AREN’T LIME TREES.
THOSE ARE LEMON TREES.”
SHE SAID,
“THOSE ARE LIME TREES.
THEY LOOK LIKE LIMES
TO ME.”
I SAID, “OH, OKAY.”
I SAID, “THE FRUIT ON THOSE
TREES ARE STILL IN PROCESS.
THEY’RE NOT FINISHED YET.
THEY DON’T LOOK RIGHT NOW THE
WAY THEY’RE GOING TO LOOK.
THEY’RE GREEN NOW.
YEAH, THEY LOOK LIKE LIMES,
BUT THEY’RE GOING TO TURN
YELLOW IN JUST A MATTER
OF TIME.”
YOU SEE, HEBREWS 11 SAYS WE
INHERIT THE PROMISES OF GOD
THROUGH FAITH AND PATIENCE.
YOU, JUST LIKE THOSE LEMONS,
ARE IN PROCESS.
YOU ARE BECOMING EVERYTHING
GOD WANTS YOU TO BE.
YOU MAY NOT LOOK LIKE YOU
WANT TO LOOK, YOU MAY NOT BE
WHERE YOU WANT TO BE, BUT
DON’T DEVALUE YOUR JOURNEY.
DON’T START THINKING THAT
THE JOURNEY ISN’T WORTH IT.
THE PROCESS IS WHAT BUILDS
YOUR STRENGTH.
THE PROCESS IS WHAT
DEVELOPS YOU.
THE PROCESS IS WHAT MAKES YOU
BECOME WHAT GOD’S
CALLED YOU TO BE.
YOU SEE, ABRAHAM DIDN’T
DESPISE THE PROCESS.
HE PROVED GOD TO BE
FAITHFUL AND TRUE.
ABRAHAM WENT FROM TEST TO
TEST TO TEST OF HIS FAITH.
HE WENT THROUGH CHALLENGES.
HE DIDN’T EVEN HAVE HIS
PROMISED CHILD TILL HE WAS
A HUNDRED YEARS OLD,
BUT HE SAW THE CHARACTER
OF GOD.
YOU SEE, SOMEONE ELSE MAY
LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE PARADISE,
BUT DON’T FORGET YOU HAVE
THE PROMISE.
YOU’RE IN THE PROCESS, AND
YOU ARE BECOMING EVERYTHING
GOD WANTS YOU TO BE.
IF YOU FIND YOURSELF CONSUMED
WITH A PROBLEM TODAY, YOU’RE
GOING THROUGH A TRANSITION IN
YOUR LIFE, YOU’RE WONDERING,
“HOW IS THIS GOING
TO WORK OUT?”
IT’S TIME, IT’S TIME.
IT’S TIME TO LIFT YOUR EYES
FROM THE PROBLEM AND SET YOUR
EYES ON THE PROMISES.
YOU GOT TO REALIZE BEYOND
THIS PLACE IS GREATER
HEIGHTS, GREATER VICTORIES,
GREATER STRENGTH,
GREATER ANOINTING.
IT IS TIME TO SHIFT
YOUR PERSPECTIVE
TO GOD’S PROMISES.
LISTEN, I BELIEVE IF YOU
WON’T GET STUCK, IF YOU WON’T
SETTLE WHERE YOU ARE, IF
YOU’LL CONTINUE THE PROCESS,
YOU WILL BECOME JUST LIKE
ABRAHAM, AND YOU WILL SEE
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS,
YOU WILL SEE HIS PROVISION,
YOU WILL SEE HIS PROMISES,
AND YOU WILL BECOME
EVERYTHING THAT GOD
INTENDED YOU TO BE, AMEN?
HE’S A FAITHFUL GOD.
HE’S A FAITHFUL GOD.