WELL, HOW MANY OF YOU ARE GOING THROUGH
SOMETHING PRETTY DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW IN YOUR LIFE, SOMETHING THAT
YOU ARE REALLY NEEDING TO TRUST GOD ABOUT, AMEN?
YOU KNOW, WE TRUST GOD FOR THINGS THAT WE WANT,
WHICH WE ALL DO.
BUT WE ALSO TRUST GOD WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH THINGS, AND IT'S
THAT TRUSTING HIM THAT ALLOWS US TO GO AHEAD AND ENJOY OUR LIVES
EVEN WHILE WE DON'T YET HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE
TO HAVE.
SEE, PART OF THE BEAUTY OF BEING A BELIEVER IS THAT YOU CAN HAVE
A PROBLEM AND STILL ENJOY YOUR LIFE.
YOU CAN HAVE A PROBLEM AND STILL HAVE PEACE.
JESUS SAID, "MY PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU, NOT AS THE WORLD GIVES
DO I GIVE UNTO YOU, BUT MY OWN SPECIAL PEACE
I GIVE TO YOU." AND THEN HE SAYS, "SO, STOP
ALLOWING YOURSELVES TO BE UPSET AND DISTURBED."
WELL, HE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY AND WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY.
YOU KNOW, READING IS SO GOOD.
HOW MANY OF YOU TRY TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF READING
ON A REGULAR BASIS?
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ENCOURAGING PEOPLE, EVEN IF YOU JUST TAKE
30 MINUTES A DAY AND READ, YOU'LL BE AMAZED
HOW MUCH YOU WILL LEARN OVER A ONE-YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SOMETHING BRAND-NEW
THAT YOU'RE LEARNING.
A LOT OF TIMES, IT CAN JUST BE BEING REFRESHED IN SOMETHING
THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW.
I'M SURE THAT TODAY IS NOT GONNA BE THE FIRST MESSAGE
THAT YOU'VE EVER HEARD ON TRUSTING GOD, BUT THAT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T NEED TO HEAR IT AGAIN, AND AGAIN,
AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN.
AND I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, "IF YOU DON'T WANNA HEAR
WHAT I HAVE TO SAY TODAY, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK TO MYSELF
BECAUSE I NEED ALL OF IT ON A REGULAR BASIS."
AMEN?
SO, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED.
1 PETER CHAPTER 2, VERSE 23.
I ACTUALLY HAVE THIS SCRIPTURE ON A SIGN, AND IT'S HANGING
ON MY OFFICE WALL, THAT'S HOW MUCH I LIKE IT.
"WHEN HE WAS REVILED AND INSULTED, HE DID NOT REVILE
OR OFFER INSULT IN RETURN; [WHEN] HE WAS ABUSED
AND SUFFERED, HE MADE NO THREATS [OF VENGEANCE]; BUT HE TRUSTED
[HIMSELF AND EVERYTHING]TO HIM WHO JUDGES FAIRLY."
JUST IMAGINE HOW AMAZING LIFE WOULD BE IF WE COULD TRUST GOD
ALL THE TIME IN EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME IN EVERYTHING.
WELL, JESUS WAS PROBABLY MISTREATED MORE THAN ANY PERSON
ON EARTH HAS EVER BEEN MISTREATED, AND YET, HE DIDN'T
REALLY TROUBLE HIMSELF ABOUT IT BECAUSE HE TRUSTED GOD TO BE
HIS VINDICATOR AND TO BRING JUSTICE IN HIS LIFE.
ONE OF THE CHARACTER TRAITS ABOUT GOD THAT I LOVE THE MOST
IS THAT THE BIBLE SAYS HE IS A GOD OF JUSTICE.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?
HE MAKES EVERY WRONG THING RIGHT.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MISTREATED BY SOMEBODY?
EVER BEEN--OH, MAYBE YOU'RE WORKING REAL HARD AT WORK,
BUT YOU'RE THE ONE THAT ALWAYS GETS LOOKED OVER
FOR THE PROMOTION.
YOU DON'T GET THE PAY RAISES THAT YOU SHOULD GET, AND MAYBE
SOMEBODY ELSE THAT'S NOT WORKING NEARLY AS HARD AS YOU SEEMS
TO GET ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DESERVE.
HAS THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ANYBODY?
NO?
IT HAPPENED TO ME.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: YOU KNOW WHAT?
THOSE ARE THE GREAT TIMES TO SAY, "GOD, I'M GOING TO TRUST
YOU TO BE MY VINDICATOR." IF WE CAN TRUST GOD TO GET
TO US WHAT HE WANTS US TO HAVE, INSTEAD OF LOOKING TO PEOPLE
TO GIVE US WHAT WE WANT, LIFE IS GONNA GET A LOT BETTER.
IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR EYES ON SOMEBODY ELSE AND YOU'RE
EXPECTING THEM TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT, YOU NEED TO GET 'EM
OFF THAT PERSON TODAY, AND YOU NEED TO GET 'EM ON GOD.
AMEN?
BECAUSE GOD IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN GIVE US TRUE PROMOTION
IN OUR LIVES.
"WHEN HE WAS REVILED AND INSULTED, HE DID NOT REVILE
OR OFFER INSULT IN RETURN." WHEN HE WAS MISTREATED, WHEN HE
WAS ABUSED, WHEN PEOPLE TREATED HIM WRONG, INSTEAD OF GETTING
ALL UPSET, AND TRYING TO GET THEM BACK, AND MAKING HIS OWN
PLAN ABOUT HOW HE WAS GOING TO HANDLE THINGS, HE TRUSTED
HIMSELF AND EVERYTHING TO HIM WHO JUDGES FAIRLY.
NOW, IF YOU WATCH MY TV PROGRAM OR IF YOU'VE READ MANY
OF MY BOOKS OR ANY OF MY BOOKS, YOU KNOW THAT I WAS ABUSED
BY MY DAD WHEN I WAS A CHILD.
AND ALTHOUGH MY MOTHER KNEW ABOUT IT BECAUSE ONE TIME SHE
CAUGHT HIM, ONE TIME I TOLD HER, SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT
BECAUSE SHE LIVED IN ABSOLUTE FEAR.
SO, I WAS ABUSED BY MY DAD, ABANDONED BY MY MOTHER,
AND REALLY, REALLY MISTREATED IN THE EARLY YEARS OF MY LIFE.
NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE KINDS OF THINGS
THAT MANY OF US DO GO THROUGH IN OUR LIVES.
AND I MARRIED THE FIRST GUY THAT CAME ALONG BECAUSE I
THOUGHT NOBODY WOULD EVER WANT ME, AND THEN HE RAN AROUND
WITH OTHER WOMEN, AND HE WAS A PETTY THIEF, AND SO
THE FIRST 23 YEARS OF MY LIFE, I DIDN'T KNOW MUCH BUT PAIN
AND MISTREATMENT.
WELL, I CAME OUT OF THAT BITTER, AND RESENTFUL, AND BLAMING.
AND ALTHOUGH I WAS A CHRISTIAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE A CHRISTIAN
AND STILL HAVE ALL THOSE BAD ATTITUDES AND ALL THOSE THINGS
ROLLING AROUND IN YOU THAT DON'T NEED
TO BE ROLLING AROUND IN YOU.
SO, WE DON'T WANT TO JUST TRUST GOD TO GO TO HEAVEN SOMEDAY
WHEN WE DIE.
CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
WE WANT TO TRUST GOD FOR EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES,
ALL THE TIME.
AMEN?
TRUST HIM FOR EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO TRUST GOD FOR IS TO BE
OUR VINDICATOR, TO TAKE WRONG THINGS AND MAKE THEM RIGHT.
WELL, WHEN I FINALLY FOUND THAT OUT AND I STARTED REALLY
TRUSTING GOD TO VINDICATE ME, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO TELL YOU
ALL THE STORIES, BUT IT'S AMAZING THE THINGS THAT GOD
HAS DONE FOR ME IN MY LIFE, AND THE POSITIONS THAT HE
HAS PUT ME IN, THE INFLUENCE HE HAS ALLOWED ME TO HAVE.
AND I KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT ONLY GOD COULD DO IT.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, IF YOU WILL--NOW, LISTEN
TO WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY.
IF YOU WILL STOP TRYING SO HARD TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF,
AND STOP TRYING SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET
WHAT'S DUE YOU, AND STOP BEING MAD AT EVERYBODY
WHO'S NOT GIVING YOU WHAT YOU WANT, AND YOU GIVE GOD A CHANCE,
YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT WHAT GOD WILL DO IN YOUR LIFE.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, GOD CAN GIVE YOU FAVOR AND PUT
YOU PLACES WHERE NO MAN CAN EVER PUT YOU AND WHERE YOU
CERTAINLY COULD NOT PUT YOU.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: RIGHT?
SO, ANY TIME THAT SOMEBODY MISTREATS YOU, THE FIRST THING
YOU WANT TO DO IS SAY, "GOD, I REFUSE TO BE MAD AT THEM
BECAUSE THAT'S ONLY GOING TO STEAL MY LIFE, BUT I AM GOING
TO TRUST YOU TO BRING JUSTICE INTO MY LIFE."
IN ISAIAH 61, VERSES 7 AND 8, SOME OF THE SCRIPTURES THAT
I HELD ON TO FOR MANY YEARS, THAT REALLY BROUGHT ME THROUGH
A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I WENT THROUGH.
"INSTEAD OF YOUR [FORMER] SHAME, YOU'LL HAVE A TWOFOLD REWARD.
INSTEAD OF DISHONOR AND REPROACH [YOUR PEOPLE]
SHALL REJOICE IN THEIR PORTION.
THEREFORE IN THEIR LAND THEY SHALL POSSESS DOUBLE [WHAT THEY
FORFEITED]; AND EVERLASTING JOY SHALL BE THEIRS."
YOU KNOW, WHEN THE ENEMY COMES AGAINST YOU ONE WAY, THE BIBLE
SAYS HE HAS TO FLEE BEFORE YOU SEVEN WAYS.
WHAT MAN TAKES AWAY FROM YOU, GOD WILL GIVE YOU BACK DOUBLE
AND MORE IF YOU PUT YOUR TRUST IN HIM.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE BUILDING TODAY THAT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE
DOUBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLE?
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: GOD IS A REWARDER.
HE'S NOT A PUNISHER.
GOD IS A REWARDER, THE REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY
SEEK HIM.
SO, WHEN YOU GET YOUR EYES OFF OF WHAT EVERYBODY HAS DONE
TO YOU AND YOU GET YOUR EYES ON WHAT GOD CAN DO FOR YOU,
HE BECOMES YOUR REWARDER, AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED
AT ALL THE THINGS THAT GOD WILL DO FOR YOU.
GOD HAS--HE'S GIVEN ME A POSITION, MANY TIMES,
IN THE MIDST OF MEN.
I WAS THE FIRST AND THE ONLY WOMAN THAT EVER SAT ON THE BOARD
OF OUR CHURCH, AND THIS WAS WHEN I WAS IN A LARGE DENOMINATIONAL
CHURCH WHERE WOMEN DIDN'T REALLY DO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND I FOUND THAT OVER AND OVER IN MY LIFE, I'LL BE DOING
THESE THINGS WHERE I'M THE ONLY WOMAN DOING IT,
AND I ASKED GOD ONE TIME, "HOW DO I END UP
IN THESE POSITIONS ALL THE TIME?"
AND YOU KNOW WHAT HE PUT IN MY HEART?
"MEN ABUSED YOU, AND I WILL ALWAYS GIVE YOU A PLACE OF HONOR
AMONG MEN."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND SEE, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HAPPY FOR ME, BUT I WANT
THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN TO YOU.
I'M NOT HERE TODAY JUST TO TELL YOU MY GREAT STORY OF SUCCESS,
BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS.
AND WHAT HE DOES FOR ONE PERSON, HE WILL DO FOR ANOTHER,
BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IF WE DON'T TRUST HIM.
TRUST HIM.
AND TRUSTING GOD MEANS THAT WE STOP TRYING TO MAKE THINGS
HAPPEN OURSELVES AND WE WAIT ON GOD.
HOW MANY LOVE WAITING?
WE WAIT ON GOD, IT'S A PAINFUL WORD EVEN TO SAY IT.
AND GOD DOESN'T DO IT WHEN WE'D LIKE HIM TO OR THE WAY WE'D LIKE
HIM TO, BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU TODAY IF YOU WILL KEEP YOUR EYES
ON GOD AND TRUST HIM TO BE YOUR RECOMPENSE,
AND TO BE YOUR REWARD, AND TO BE YOUR VINDICATOR,
YOU WILL BE GET DOUBLE BLESSINGS FOR YOUR FORMER TROUBLE.
AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: HOW MANY OF YOU FEEL LIKE THAT--
WELL, LET'S PUT IT LIKE THIS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'VE BEEN HURT, THERE'S A FEELING THERE THAT,
"WELL, SOMEBODY OWES ME.
I'M DUE SOMETHING.
I WANT TO BE PAID BACK." YOU EVER FELT THAT?
IT'S LIKE--AND SO, IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL, WE CAN GO THROUGH LIFE
WITH THIS LITTLE CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER.
YOU'RE LIKE, "WELL, THE WORLD OWES ME SOMETHING."
BUT THE THING THAT WE DO THAT IS A MISTAKE MANY TIMES
IS WE'RE TRYING TO COLLECT FROM PEOPLE THAT CAN'T PAY US.
I DID THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
BECAUSE MEN HAD MISTREATED ME, I WAS TRYING TO COLLECT
FROM ALL THE REST OF THE MEN IN THE WORLD.
AND SO, I HAD AN ATTITUDE TOWARD MEN THAT WASN'T HEALTHY.
AND EVEN WHEN DAVE AND I GOT MARRIED, AND HE WAS A WONDERFUL
HUSBAND, I HAD BEEN HURT BY SO MANY MEN THAT I JUST HAD
AN ATTITUDE, AND I WAS TRYING TO GET DAVE TO PAY ME BACK
FOR WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE HAD TAKEN AWAY FROM ME.
IN MATTHEW 18 SAYS THAT WHEN THE GUY WAS TRYING TO GET
THE PERSON WHO OWED THEM THE MONEY TO PAY HIM BACK,
THE BIBLE SAYS, "AND HE COULD NOT PAY.
AND HE COULD NOT PAY." AND BOY, WHEN I GOT AHOLD
OF THAT, I THOUGHT, "PEOPLE CAN'T PAY ME BACK.
NOBODY CAN PAY ME BACK FOR THE CHILDHOOD
THAT MY FATHER STOLE FROM ME.
I CAN NEVER GO BACK AND DO THAT CHILDHOOD OVER."
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
GOD CAN MAKE ME HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL LIFE IN MY
40s, AND 50s, AND 60s, AND 70s WHERE I'M AT NOW.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: IS ANYBODY HERE READY TO LET GOD PAY YOU BACK?
ALL RIGHT, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT?
THEN YOU HAVE TO DO THINGS GOD'S WAY AND NOT MAN'S WAY.