Why Does God Keep Me Waiting? | Joyce Meyer

How long have you been waiting with your problems? Ask yourself this, “Am I serious about getting over my problems?” Joyce looks into the story of Jesus at the pool of Bethesda and wants to encourage those that are waiting, it’s time to get up!

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Joyce Meyer, one of the world’s leading practical Bible teachers and New York Times best-selling author, shares encouragement and advice to help us enjoy our daily lives.

With a heart to share Christ and love people, Joyce’s messages help people in all walks of life to grow in their faith, learn to study the Bible, find healing from the wounds of life, get answers to life’s questions and encounter the love of God in a powerful way.

[MUSIC]

JOYCE: JOHN CHAPTER 5,
THE FIRST EIGHT VERSES.

“LATER ON THERE WAS A JEWISH
FESTIVAL (A FEAST) FOR WHICH

JESUS WENT UP TO JERUSALEM,
AND NOW THERE IN JERUSALEM

A POOL NEAR THE SHEEP GATE.

THIS POOL IN THE HEBREW IS
CALLED BETHESDA.

IT HAVE FIVE PORCHES [ALCOVES,
COLONNADES, OR DOORWAYS].”

SO, I WANT YOU TO KIND OF GET A
PICTURE OF THIS, HERE’S A POOL.

AND APPARENTLY, THERE’S NOT JUST
ONE ENTRANCE INTO IT, THERE’S

FIVE DIFFERENT ENTRANCES
INTO THIS POOL.

“AND IN THESE DOORWAYS OR BY
THIS POOL LAY A GREAT NUMBER

OF SICK PEOPLE.

SOME WERE BLIND, SOME WERE
CRIPPLED, SOME WERE PARALYZED

(ALL SHRIVELED UP), WAITING FOR
THE BUBBLING UP OF THE WATER.

FOR AN ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT
DOWN AT AN APPOINTED SEASON INTO

THE POOL AND MOVED AND STIRRED
UP THE WATER, AND WHOEVER THEN

FIRST, AFTER THE STIRRING UP OF
THE WATER, STEPPED IN WAS CURED

OF WHATEVER DISEASE WITH WHICH
HE WAS AFFLICTED.”

SO, THIS WAS LIKE
A MIRACLE POOL.

AND ONCE A YEAR, AN ANGEL WOULD
COME AND MAKE THE WATER BOIL UP

AND BUBBLE UP.

AND OF ALL THESE SICK PEOPLE
LAYING AROUND THE POOL,

WHICHEVER ONE GOT INTO THE POOL
FIRST GOT A MIRACLE.

SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD.

VERSE 5, “NOW THERE WAS
A CERTAIN MAN,” THIS MAN WE’RE

NOT GIVEN HIS NAME, HE WAS JUST
A CERTAIN MAN.

I CALL HIM THE CRIPPLED MAN,
BUT, “THERE WAS A CERTAIN MAN

THERE WHO’D SUFFERED WITH
A DEEP-SEATED AND A LINGERING

DISORDER FOR 38 YEARS.”

MAYBE I’LL STOP HERE AND ASK YOU
HOW LONG YOU’VE HAD

YOUR PROBLEM.

“WHEN JESUS NOTICED HIM LYING
THERE HELPLESS,” NOW YOU KNOW

JESUS WAS THE EPITOME
OF COMPASSION, WAS HE NOT?

BUT LET’S LOOK AT HOW
HE DEALT WITH THIS MAN.

“WHEN JESUS NOTICED HIM LYING
THERE [HELPLESS], KNOWING THAT

HE HAD ALREADY BEEN A LONG TIME
IN THAT CONDITION, HE SAID TO

HIM, ‘DO YOU WANT TO
BECOME WELL?'”

WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?

AND THEN HE TAKES IT FURTHER,
“ARE YOU REALLY IN EARNEST ABOUT

GETTING WELL?”
ANOTHER QUESTION MARK.

SO, REALLY IN ESSENCE, JESUS IS
SAYING TO THIS MAN, WHO’S BEEN

LAYING THERE 38 YEARS WAITING
FOR A MIRACLE, “ARE YOU REALLY

SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING OVER
YOUR PROBLEMS?”

SO, MAYBE I JUST WANT TO STOP
FOR A MINUTE AND JUST SAY THAT

TO YOU TONIGHT, AND ALL
THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WATCHING

THIS BY TV, DO YOU REALLY WANT
TO GET OVER YOUR PROBLEMS?

ARE YOU SERIOUS ENOUGH ABOUT
GETTING OVER YOUR PROBLEMS TO DO

YOUR PART?

ARE YOU SERIOUS ENOUGH ABOUT
GETTING OVER THEM THAT WHATEVER

GOD SHOWS YOU TO DO,
YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO DO IT?

IF HE SAID TO YOU, “YOU NEED
TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS,”

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO IT?

YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU,
YOUR WHOLE LIFE WOULD CHANGE IF

YOU’D JUST GET SOME NEW FRIENDS.

[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]

JOYCE: WELL, I JUST MIGHT AS
WELL GO AHEAD AND SAY THIS

‘CAUSE IT’S IN MY HEART, SOME OF
YOU WONDERFUL SWEET LADIES,

YOU ALREADY KNOW WHERE I’M
GOING, DON’T YOU?

AND YOU WANT SO MUCH TO HAVE
SOMEBODY TO LOVE YOU, YOU GOT

SOMEBODY IN YOUR LIFE THAT’S
JUST BEEN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF

YOU FOR 5 OR 10 YEARS, AND
THEY’RE NOT SERIOUS, AND THEY

DON’T EVER INTEND TO MAKE IT
SERIOUS.

AND YOU JUST KEEP PUTTING UP
WITH IT AND PUTTING UP WITH IT

BECAUSE YOU’RE AFRAID OF
BEING LONELY.

YOU KNOW, YOU’D BE BETTER OFF
TO BE WITH NOBODY THAN SOMEBODY

THAT’S GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF YOU.

[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]

JOYCE: NOW, YOU SEE, I CAN
JUST PULL OUT THE STOPS OUT

TONIGHT AND BE REALLY WILD
BECAUSE I’M LEAVING HERE

IN A FEW MINUTES.

AND BY THE TIME I COME BACK,
ANYTHING I SAID YOU DIDN’T LIKE,

YOU’LL FORGIVE ME FOR IT.

I DON’T KNOW WHY I FIND THIS
SO INTERESTING.

A MAN LAYING THERE 38 YEARS,
HE SAID, “ARE YOU REALLY SERIOUS

ABOUT GETTING WELL?”
THE INVALID SAID–NOW HERE WE

COME TO WHAT THE GUY’S
REAL PROBLEM WAS.

“THE INVALID SAID, ‘SIR, I HAVE
NOBODY WHEN THE WATER IS MOVING

TO PUT ME INTO THE POOL, BUT
WHILE I’M TRYING TO GET INTO IT

MYSELF, SOMEBODY ELSE ALWAYS
STEPS DOWN AND GETS AHEAD

OF ME.'”
I MEAN, IF YOU REALLY LOOK

AT THAT, THE GUY IS
SAYING–JESUS IS SAYING TO YOU,

“ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT
GETTING WELL?”

AND HE’S SAYING, “WELL, JESUS,
I DON’T HAVE ANYBODY TO HELP ME.

AND EVERY TIME I TRY TO GET IN
THE POOL, SOMEBODY ELSE ALWAYS

GETS AHEAD OF ME.”

I THINK IT’S LIKE A SELF-PITYING
TYPE, “WELL, POOR ME, NOBODY’S

MAKING IT HAPPEN FOR ME.”

NOW, INSTEAD OF JESUS,
MR. COMPASSION HIMSELF

FEELING SORRY FOR THE GUY
AND SAYING, “OH, YOU POOR MAN.

WOW, I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE
GOING THROUGH THAT.

NO WONDER–I FEEL
SO SORRY FOR YOU.

HERE, LET ME PUT YOU IN
THE POOL,” JESUS LOOKED AT HIM

AND SAID, “GET UP!”
COME ON.

AND YOU SEE THAT
EXCLAMATION MARK THERE?

I THINK HE GOT LOUD ABOUT IT,
“GET UP!”

AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

THERE’S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD THAT THAT IS

THE ONLY ANSWER TO YOUR PROBLEM.

GET UP, STOP FEELING SORRY
FOR YOURSELF, STOP EXPECTING

SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO FOR YOU
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING

FOR YOURSELF.

[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]

JOYCE: AND I CAN SAY
THAT WITH BOLDNESS BECAUSE

THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT GOD
HAD TO SAY TO ME.

“ALL RIGHT, JOYCE,
YOU WERE ABUSED.

THAT WASN’T FAIR.

IT SHOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED
TO YOU.

IT IS THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE
SOME OF THE PROBLEMS YOU HAVE.

BUT DON’T LET IT BECOME
AN EXCUSE TO STAY THAT WAY.”

[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]

JOYCE: DON’T LET THE REASON
FOR YOUR PAIN

BE AN EXCUSE TO STAY MESSED
UP ALL YOUR LIFE, AMEN?

I’M GOING TO SAY THAT AGAIN.

DON’T LET THE REASON FOR YOUR
PAIN BECOME AN EXCUSE TO STAY

THAT WAY THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

JESUS SAYS, “DO YOU REALLY
WANT TO GET WELL?

ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT
GETTING WELL?”

I’M GOING TO TELL YOU, IF
YOU GOT A BIG MESS IN YOUR LIFE,

GETTING WELL IS NOT GOING TO BE
EASY, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE MUCH

BETTER THAN LAYING THERE FOR
ANOTHER 38 YEARS WAITING FOR

SOMEBODY TO COME ALONG AND DO
FOR YOU WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO

FOR YOURSELF.

I LOVE THIS.

USUALLY, I’LL HAVE SOMEBODY COME
UP AND LAY DOWN AND ACT LIKE THE

CRIPPLED MAN, SO YOU’RE GETTING
THE SHORT VERSION TONIGHT.

AND I LIKE THE REST OF THIS,
“JESUS SAID, ‘GET UP!

PICK UP YOUR BED AND WALK.'”
SO, HE NOT ONLY

TOLD HIM TO GET UP, HE SAID,
“AND CLEAN UP THE MESS

YOU MADE WHILE YOU WERE HERE.”

SEE, SOMETIMES IT’S NOT ABOUT
JUST GETTING WELL AND GOING ON

WITH YOUR NICE LITTLE LIFE.

I MEAN, I HAD SOME MESSES
I’D MADE THAT I HAD TO GO BACK

AND STRAIGHTEN OUT.

SOMETIMES, THERE’S A FEW PEOPLE
YOU GOT TO GO BACK AND MAKE A

FEW THINGS RIGHT WITH, AND THERE
MIGHT BE A FEW THINGS THAT YOU

NEED TO GO BACK AND SAY YOU’RE
SORRY FOR AND GET

STRAIGHTENED OUT IN YOUR LIFE.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR WATCHING. YOU KNOW,

I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO SHARE
WITH YOU FROM GOD’S WORD.

MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE
SO YOU DON’T MISS A THING.