Welcome to the Jewel O'Steen podcast Helpless can We need to share the message of hope with those all over the world visit Joe dot com, slash, give hope to give a gift. Today I was in a garden shop, the other day, then I came across some. These really cute little lights, solar lights, and I was looking at the different styles. They had and I thought these are so cute- and I had the perfect place to put these lights, there's a place that our side back door. When you walk out, you begin to walk down this little path and you can see anything, it's so dark. I don't have any electricity out there, so I thought these solar lights will be perfect,

to place along that path, so that we can see at night, because I'm always stumbling trying to stay on the little path. So I took the lights, put him in the and it was a beautiful sunny day. I thought these lights are going to power up it's going to be amazing. I can't wait to take a walk tonight, see how my lights are working, so I didn't say anything to Joel about it, but I said: hey: let's, go take a walk so. We went outside started to go down that little path. I wanted to see if you noticed my new life so as well, so I started walking down the path. I realized my lights, weren't working, I didn't say anything to Joel 'cause. I didn't want him to know that I had put lights there in my plan had failed, so I just kept walking down the path, but in my mind I was so discouraged I thought now I thought those lights were just going to work beautifully. There's solar lights. I thought you know what tomorrow,

taking those lights up in a marching him straight back to the store and I'm going to tell him they're cute, but they don't work. There are no good to me if they don't work so the next morning I got up and I took the lights out and I started looking at how it was, and I began to examine it an I notice under the bottom in the corner. Was this Blueberry tab: I thought I've seen this before. Just pull the tab so that what is inside the light can be illum by the sun. That's what gives it the power, so I thought oh wow. Ok, so I win a pulled all the tabs. Put him back down thought tonight is the night God Joel wanted him to come. Take a walk with me, so he would notice my life and sure enough. They were shining brightly. They illuminate,

in my path. Now Joel wasn't as impressed with my lights as I was, but they were working perfectly once I figured out to pull the tab so that they could be powered by the sun. You see were very much like those solar lights. We have to pull our tab. That means remove, anything in our life that would block us from allowing the sun the son, to shine on us. You see, we have something on the inside of us and it is the seed of God and when we allow his prey to shine on us when we- So all we can do to bask in his presence. Get more of him. We are also illuminated. So we weren't meant to stumble around in the darkness. We were meant to not know the way to go, God says

that we were meant to shine like stars in the universe, but allow the SL wind to shine in our line. He just like that. Yeah we've got to remove anything, that's stopping the light from shining on us. I have a tree in my backyard. It's about ten. Which is, why does a pretty pretty big tree? But it's so strange because the tree grows at an angle, and I look at that tree and I think that is so weird one day I was out talking to my yard, man- and I said this tree grows so funny and he said well for the reason is tree is growing at an angle. Is There are so many shrubs and other trees around it. Trying to crowd out. It's like

This tree is literally struggling to try to grow toward the light you see. The tree is doing its best to survive. It knows that it grows in the light. So it's struggling to get to the light. The some of you today struggling to get through the light, because you've allowed too many things to crowd your life. Maybe busyness is crowding your life from the Maybe you have some friends that are covering your life and it's not allowing the light to shine on it because they don't have the same values that you They don't understand the importance of in the House of God a prayer of worship, but you keep going back to those friends because they've been friends for a long time. You see that yard man said if you'll prune, play? Some of these Bush is, if you'll make some room for the light to come.

And it's tree will literally quit struggling and it'll it may, just as it may just straighten up and go straight up to the sun it may grow properly see. I want to encourage us today to prune our lives to look What's stopping us to be fully exposed to God to be fully walking in his presence at all times, sometimes over commitment, even of good things can keep us from the time spent with God. Busy ness is always good. We need to prune some of the busyness out of our line. You know some people don't even realize this- that I'm forgiveness and anger can cover our life from being totally exposed to the sun. You see if we

allow anger and bitterness to stay around too long guess what the sun may come up in the morning. If we let the sun go down on our anger, it stays too long. The sun may come up in the morning, but it can't reach us because we've separated ourselves through bitterness through anger through Une forgiveness. You see when you can't forgive, how that is. How do you expect me to forgive you? You can't even see me to allow forgiveness to flow

Don't let the sun break forth. Take those weeds of unforgiveness out of your life, rude up that anger, don't allow it to stop the flow of God in your life, pull the tab so to speak and say enough is enough! You see you may be struggling today. You may be struggling to grow towards the light. You can make a decision to do what it takes to straighten up again. You know, there's a scripture in the Bible that said the people of Israel. They were so discouraged. They had so much coming against them. It says that they were so discouraged.

They couldn't even believe they couldn't even see God in the midst of their challenge, because all they could see was more discouragement. They kept their eyes on what was wrong instead of looking at what God can do you see? discouragement was a cloud that was blocking the light. They couldn't even lift their eyes and look through the cloud to see God and we have to realize discouragement when we face challenges we can't allow it to get inside of us. Discouragement is like a cloud that blocks the light from our life. You see, we've got to let go of disk ' and let God shine his light on us. Have you ever realize it? Maybe it's been raining several days and you've been in

also lot or you go to work and you come home at night and it's gloomy and it's rainy and it just changes your perspective. You just think man, this rain. This is got me down. I don't know what it does it just kind of does something to our psyche, but then the light burst forth, it's like. Oh, my goodness, the sun is shining. You begin to say I want to go outside. I want to do something I want to get out in the sun shine. It's been cloudy and rainy for far too long, you see, God wants his life to burst into your life. That very same way. The things that you are. To do the things that you are stuck in. He wants that light to burst in and you to move forward, but you got to remove. Fear the discouragement in your life so that God can burst in with his life and his life. Can you identify anything

that separating you from letting that has so in shine on you. You know it's so important that we spend time by ourselves with ourselves. In God's word, Tom alone, with God reading his word, you see, the Bible is alive and powerful. The scripture says it is God breathed words, they're, not any words, they're, not like the words in a regular book, a newspaper, the Bible, are God breathed words, and it is so important that we spend time in the word now some people.

Well, that's, okay. You know what I listen to preaching. I listen to podcasts and I'll. Tell you what, when you spend time in the word, it'll make that even richer. They say I don't really need the Bible. I was talking to a guy and he says I don't need the Bible. I got Joel. Sorry, Joel is true. I'll keep Joel, but I was trying to explain to him the reason he needs to spend time in the word. It's a relationship with God. You know some 'cause. I read some scriptures specially in the old testament I truly don't understand it at the time I'm sitting there, but you know what I do before. I close my bible. I say God I thank you that your word is alive and powerful.

But it divides anything whether I understand it that you are. You have breathed on these words, so these words are breathing back on main there causing me to be able to rightly divide my life to make the right choices. The right decisions, because I'd spit letting God read on me. I can go out and read on my life to be a to be a good stew give my life to help other people. You see it is so important. The Bible says that the word of God is a lamp unto our feet. It is a uh, and to our path, it will shine you in the right direction, don't think! Well, I didn't get anything out of the word today because they may tell so we feel store that word up. God will bring it to life in you, it's a lie you, but you got

take time to sit and be with God. Ten minutes a day start right there. Sometimes we got to get out of the house. Whatever it takes, get up ten minutes earlier when I was a young girl. I remember my me and my friends we like to worship the sun. We would we didn't realize you know you're supposed to put sunscreen. We put oil all over us. We do five minutes on the front in five minutes on the back, so we would bake evenly, Who let the sunshine on us? Can I tell you Bob on the front five on the back leg,

God's word bake evenly in your life. Let it bake evenly. Listen! God is a good god. He wants to shine his light on you. There is nothing that he can't destroy, there's nothing that he can't get rid of. There's no habit, there's nothing that he can't break in your life. If you will only expose yourself to the son, don't let anything keep you from it shake! Discouragement get rid of anger, get in the word of God and remember what Jesus said in John eight hundred and twelve on the the world? Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.

He's been awesome? God now were available from New York Times. Bestselling author Victoria O'Steen, her brand new thirty day, audio devotional embracing everyday. In this of lifting thirty day, audio devotional you'll be challenged and inspired to start living with greater faith and favor everyday request. Your copy of embracing every day today at Joelosteen DOT, com, slash embracing or call eight hundred and eighty eight thousand five hundred and sixty seven Joel.