Let The S-O-N Shine On You | Victoria Osteen

>> VICTORIA OSTEEN:

HALLELUJAH,

WE BLESS YOU IN THIS PLACE.

I WAS IN A GARDEN SHOP THE

OTHER DAY, AND I CAME ACROSS

SOME OF 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 HAVE THE PERFECT

PLACE TO PUT THESE LIGHTS.

THERE’S A PLACE AT OUR SIDE

BACK DOOR, WHEN YOU WALK OUT,

YOU BEGIN TO WALK DOWN THIS

LITTLE PATH, AND YOU CAN’T

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

‘CAUSE I’M ALWAYS STUMBLING,

TRYING TO STAY ON

THE LITTLE PATH.

SO, I TOOK THE LIGHTS,

PUT THEM IN THE GROUND.

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 HE NOTICED

MY NEW LIGHTS.

SO, AS WE STARTED WALKING

DOWN THE PATH, I REALIZED MY

LIGHTS WEREN’T WORKING.

I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING TO JOEL

BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT HIM TO

KNOW THAT I HAD PUT LIGHTS

THERE AND 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, THEY’RE SOLAR

LIGHTS.”

I THOUGHT, “YOU KNOW WHAT?

TOMORROW, I’M TAKING THOSE

LIGHTS UP AND I’M MARCHING

THEM STRAIGHT BACK TO THE

STORE, AND I’M GOING TO TELL

THEM THEY’RE CUTE, BUT THEY

DON’T WORK.

THEY’RE 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 KIND

OF EXAMINE IT, AND I NOTICED

UNDER THE BOTTOM, IN THE

CORNER WAS THIS LITTLE,

BITTY TAB.

I THOUGHT,

“I’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE.”

YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO PULL THE

TAB SO THAT WHAT IS INSIDE

THE LIGHT CAN BE ILLUMINATED

BY THE SUN.

THAT’S WHAT GIVES IT THE

POWER.

SO, I THOUGHT, “OH WOW,

OKAY.”

SO, I WENT AND I PULLED ALL

THE TABS, PUT THEM BACK DOWN,

THOUGHT, “TONIGHT IS THE

NIGHT.”

GOT JOEL, WANTED HIM TO COME

TAKE A WALK WITH ME SO HE

WOULD NOTICE MY LIGHTS, AND

SURE ENOUGH, THEY WERE

SHINING BRIGHTLY.

THEY ILLUMINATED 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, WE’RE 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 SON, THE

S-O-N, 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 PRESENCE TO SHINE

ON US, WHEN WE DO ALL WE CAN

DO TO BASK IN HIS PRESENCE,

GET MORE OF HIM, WE ARE ALSO

ILLUMINATED.

SEE, WE WEREN’T MEANT TO

STUMBLE AROUND IN THE

DARKNESS.

WE WEREN’T MEANT TO NOT KNOW

THE WAY TO GO.

GOD SAYS THAT WE WERE MEANT

TO SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE

UNIVERSE, BUT WE’VE GOT

TO ALLOW THE S-O-N TO SHINE

IN OUR LIFE.

SEE, JUST LIKE THAT TAB,

WE’VE GOT TO REMOVE ANYTHING

THAT’S STOPPING THE LIGHT

FROM SHINING ON US.

I HAVE A TREE IN MY BACKYARD,

AND IT’S ABOUT 10 INCHES

WIDE.

IT’S A 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,”

AND ONE DAY, I WAS OUT

TALKING TO MY YARD MAN, AND I

SAID, “THIS TREE GROWS SO

FUNNY,” AND HE SAID, “WELL,

VICTORIA, THE REASON THIS

TREE IS GROWING AT AN ANGLE

IS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY

SHRUBS AND OTHER TREES AROUND

IT TRYING TO CROWD OUT ITS

LIGHT.

THIS TREE IS LITERALLY

STRUGGLING TO TRY TO GROW

TOWARDS 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.

ARE 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 LIGHT.

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 HAVE, THEY

DON’T UNDERSTAND THE

IMPORTANCE OF BEING IN THE

HOUSE OF GOD, OF 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 AWAY SOME OF

THESE BUSHES, IF YOU’LL MAKE

SOME ROOM FOR THE LIGHT TO

COME IN, THIS TREE WILL

LITERALLY QUIT STRUGGLING AND

IT’LL–IT MAY JUST–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 AT 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.

BUSYNESS ISN’T ALWAYS GOOD.

WE NEED TO PRUNE SOME OF THE

BUSYNESS OUT OF OUR LIFE.

YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DON’T

EVEN REALIZE THIS, THAT

UNFORGIVENESS 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

OURSELF THROUGH BITTERNESS,

THROUGH ANGER, THROUGH

UNFORGIVENESS.

YOU SEE, WHEN YOU CAN’T

FORGIVE, GOD SAYS, “HOW DO

YOU EXPECT ME TO FORGIVE YOU?

YOU CAN’T EVEN SEE ME TO

ALLOW FORGIVENESS TO FLOW.”

YOU GOT TO LET THE SUN BREAK

FORTH.

TAKE THOSE WEEDS OF

UNFORGIVENESS OUT OF YOUR

LIFE.

ROOT 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 COULD DO.

YOU SEE, THAT 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 DISCOURAGEMENT AND LET GOD

SHINE HIS LIGHT ON US.

HAVE YOU EVER REALIZED THAT

MAYBE IT HAD BEEN RAINING

SEVERAL DAYS, AND YOU’VE BEEN

IN THE HOUSE A 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 HAS JUST GOT ME DOWN.”

I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT DOES, IT

JUST KIND OF DOES SOMETHING

TO OUR PSYCHE.

BUT THEN THE LIGHT BURSTS

FORTH, AND IT’S LIKE, “OH MY

GOODNESS, THE SUNSHINE,” AND

YOU BEGIN TO SAY, “I WANT TO

GO OUTSIDE.

I WANT TO DO SOMETHING.

I WANT TO GET OUT IN THE

SUNSHINE.

IT’S BEEN CLOUDY AND RAINY

FOR FAR TOO LONG.”

YOU SEE, GOD WANTS HIS LIGHT

TO BURST INTO YOUR LIFE THAT

VERY SAME WAY.

THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE

AFRAID TO DO, THE THINGS THAT

YOU ARE STUCK IN, HE WANTS

THAT LIGHT TO BURST IN AND

YOU TO MOVE FORWARD.

BUT YOU’VE GOT TO REMOVE THE

FEAR, THE DISCOURAGEMENT IN

YOUR LIFE SO THAT GOD CAN

BURST IN WITH HIS LIFE AND

HIS LIGHT.

CAN YOU IDENTIFY ANYTHING

THAT’S SEPARATING YOU FROM

LETTING THE S-O-N SHINE ON

YOU?

YOU KNOW, IT’S SO IMPORTANT

THAT WE SPEND TIME BY

OURSELVES, WITH OURSELVES, IN

GOD’S WORD.

TIME 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 THINK,

“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.

IT’S TRUE, I’LL KEEP JOEL.

BUT I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN

TO HIM THE REASON HE NEEDS TO

SPEND TIME IN THE WORD,

BECAUSE IT’S A RELATIONSHIP

WITH GOD.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I READ

SOME SCRIPTURES, ESPECIALLY

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, AND 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, THAT IT DIVIDES

ANYTHING, WHETHER I

UNDERSTAND IT.

THAT YOU HAVE BREATHED ON

THESE WORDS, SO THESE WORDS

ARE BREATHING BACK ON ME.

THEY’RE CAUSING ME TO BE ABLE

TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE MY LIFE, TO

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES, THE

RIGHT DECISIONS.”

BECAUSE I’VE SPENT TIME

LETTING GOD BREATHE ON ME, I

CAN GO OUT AND BREATHE ON MY

LIFE, TO BE A GOOD STEWARD OF

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 LIGHT

UNTO 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 LET ME TELL

YOU, IF YOU’LL STORE THAT

WORD UP, GOD WILL BRING IT TO

LIFE IN YOU.

HE’LL BRING IT TO LIFE IN

YOU.

BUT YOU’VE GOT TO TAKE TIME

TO SIT AND BE WITH GOD.

TEN MINUTES A DAY, START

RIGHT THERE.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE GOT TO

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.

WHATEVER IT TAKES,

GET UP 10 MINUTES EARLIER.

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL, I

REMEMBER ME AND MY FRIENDS,

WE LIKED 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’D DO 5 MINUTES ON THE

FRONT AND 5 MINUTES ON THE

BACK SO WE WOULD BAKE EVENLY.

WE LET THE SUN SHINE ON US.

CAN I TELL YOU 5 ON THE FRONT

AND 5 ON THE BACK, LET 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 S-O-N.

DON’T LET ANYTHING KEEP YOU

FROM IT.

SHAKE OFF DISCOURAGEMENT, GET

RID OF ANGER, GET IN THE WORD

OF GOD, AND REMEMBER WHAT

JESUS SAID IN JOHN 8:12, “I’M

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL NEVER

WALK IN DARKNESS,” AMEN?

HE’S AN AWESOME GOD.