Daily Readings from You Can, You Will

DAY 2

God Will Finish What He Started

Scripture Reading: Zechariah 4

In the Scriptures, Zerubbabel wanted to rebuild the temple. He laid the foundation, but then the people came against him and made him stop. For ten years no work was done. One day the prophet Zechariah told him to get the headstone, which was reserved to be the last piece of stone that went into the building. It was symbolic of the finished product.

Why was it important for Zerubbabel to keep the headstone in front of him? Because every time he looked at the headstone, it was a reminder that God would finish what He started. When Zerubbabel was discouraged and thought it was impossible to finish the job, he would look at the headstone. That was God saying to him, "I'm in control. I'm going to bring it to pass. Just stay in faith."

My brother-in-law Kevin is a twin. Growing up, his dream was to have twins. He and my sister Lisa tried to have a baby for a long time with no success. Lisa went through all the fertility treatments, including several surgeries, but still nothing. They were very discouraged; it didn't look like it would ever happen. Then one day there was a package from Huggies in their mailbox with two diaper samples. Kevin could have thrown them away, thinking, "We don't need these." But when he saw those two diapers, something came alive on the inside. He took that as a sign from God. That was his headstone.

He ran in and told Lisa, "We just got the first diapers for our babies." Then he wrote the date on those diapers and placed them on his desk. Month after month, he saw those diapers over and over. When you see something long enough, it eventually gets into your subconscious mind and drops down into your spirit. Then you know it's going to happen.

Several years later, Kevin and Lisa received a phone call out of the blue asking if they would be interested in adopting a baby. They said, "Yes, we would." The lady said, "How about adopting two? These are twin girls who are about to be born." Today Kevin and Lisa have their twins. They are teenagers now and as beautiful as can be.

Do you have something in front of you that represents the final piece to your dreams?

DAY 3

Keep Your Vision in Front of You

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11

Is there something you see every day that reminds you of what you're believing for, something that inspires you, ignites your faith? Proverbs says that without a vision you'll get stuck. That's why many people have lost their passion. They don't have anything that reminds them of what they're dreaming about.

In 1959, my parents started Lakewood Church in an old rundown feed store. They had ninety people. You know what my father called the church? Lakewood International Outreach Center. He put a big blue sign outside that cost more than the building. He put a big world map on one of the walls and a globe behind him when he spoke. He always had the world on his mind. The truth is, they were a small neighborhood church. But every time my father saw the sign, his vision increased. He was moving toward it.

When the ninety members saw the sign week after week, something was being birthed on the inside. Seeds of increase were taking root. Do you know what Lakewood is today? It is an international outreach center touching the world. One year at a conference, people came from 150 countries. It looked like the United Nations.

What are you believing God for? Keep your vision in front of you.

A friend of mine who wanted a child decorated her baby's room, bought a bed and stroller, and spent all this time, money, and energy. Her friends thought she was a little far out, but she understood that what you keep in front of you, you are moving toward. A year went by, and still no baby. Two years, no baby. Five years. Ten years. She didn't get discouraged. When she'd walk by the baby's room, the seed was growing. She kept thanking God that her baby was on the way. It didn't look like anything was happening, but she was moving toward it. Twenty years later she had not one baby, but two babies!

If you're believing to move into a nicer house, find a picture of a house you like and put it on your bathroom mirror. Let that seed get into you. If you're believing to get into a college, go buy the school's T-shirt and wear it around. Every time you see that picture or that T-shirt, say under your breath: "Thank You, Lord, for bringing my dreams to pass. Thank You, Lord, that I'll become everything You created me to be."

What you keep in front of you, you're moving toward.

DAY 4

Release Your Faith in a Big Way

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3

Don't have just a little vision of what God can do for you. You're not inconveniencing God to believe big. In fact, when you believe to do great things, it pleases God.

Take the limits off and say, "I don't see a way, but God, I know You have a way, so I'm going to believe to start a business to impact the world. I will believe that my whole family will serve You. I will believe to get totally well."

It doesn't matter what it looks like in the natural; God is a supernatural God. He's not limited by your resources, by your environment, by your education, or by your nationality. If you'll have a big vision, God will not only do what you're dreaming about, He will do more than you can ask or think.

A few years after my father went to be with the Lord and I stepped up to pastor the church, I had a desire to write a book. My dad had written many books, and they were all translated into Spanish. On the bookshelf I walk by at home every day, I had two copies of my dad's most popular book. One was in English. The other was in Spanish. I kept those books in front of me, knowing one day at the right time I would write a book. My dream was that it, too, would be translated into Spanish.

In my mind this seemed so far out. I never thought I could get up and minister, much less write a book. This was stretching my faith. A year went by, no book. Two years, three years, four years. It would have been easy to lose my passion and think it was never going to happen. But I had my father's books strategically placed on this bookshelf right outside my closet. I saw them thousands of times. I didn't always consciously think about them, but even subconsciously I was moving toward writing my own. My faith was being released. Something on the inside was saying, "Yes, one day I'm going to write a book."

In 2004, I wrote my first book, Your Best Life Now. When the publisher read the manuscript, they decided to publish it in English and Spanish at the same time. Normally they wait to see if anybody buys it in English. But that's the way God is. His dream for your life is bigger than your own.

DAY 5

God Will Supersize Your Vision

Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 4

I've found that whatever your vision is, God will supersize it. He will do more than you can ask or think. My vision was that my first book would be so well received it would be translated into Spanish. But it was also translated into French, German, Russian, Swahili, Portuguese, and more than forty other languages.

If you keep the vision in front of you and not get talked out of it, but just keep honoring God, being your best, thanking Him that it's on the way, God will supersize whatever you're believing for. He'll do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond.

I saw an article in the paper several years ago about a man who gave a university one hundred million dollars. I cut that article out and put it on my desk. Every time I see it, I say, "God, You did it for a university. You can do it for a ministry."

I have a big vision. We can reach a lot of people with an extra one hundred million. If you can accomplish your dreams in your own strength, talent, ability, and resources, your dreams are too small. You don't need God's help with small dreams. Believe big. Your destiny is too great, your assignment too important, to have little goals, little dreams, little prayers.

Keep big things in front of you. A friend of mine and his wife support orphanages and feed a million children every day. That's what I keep in front of me. In our kitchen at home, we have pictures of some of the children we sponsor through our partner World Vision. Every time we eat dinner, we say, "God, You did it for them. You can do it for us. Let our family impact millions of children." We're moving toward it.

You may say, "Well, Joel, I can't even imagine that happening to me." Don't worry—you won't be. If you don't have a vision for it, it's not going to happen. Without a vision you won't see God's best. You won't be the winner He wants you to be.

DAY 6

Use the Power of Your Imagination

Scripture Reading: John 5

Some things may seem very unlikely, but don't ever say, "I can't imagine that for me." You see somebody really fit when you're trying to get back in shape and you may think: "I can't imagine looking like that." You may drive by a nice house and say, "I can't imagine living in this neighborhood, owning my own business, or being that successful."

The problem is you're being limited by your own imagination. You've got to change what you're seeing. Don't let negative thoughts paint those pictures. Use your imagination to see yourself accomplishing dreams, rising higher, overcoming obstacles, and being healthy, strong, blessed, and prosperous.

I don't say this arrogantly, but I can imagine my books being published in every language. I can imagine somebody handing us that one-hundred-million-dollar check. I can imagine us feeding a million children a day. I can imagine living a long, healthy life.

Not only that, I can imagine you fulfilling your dreams. I can imagine you totally out of debt, healthy and strong, and leading your company. I can imagine you blessing the world, being a history maker, and setting a new standard for your family. Now I'm asking you not only to have it in your imagination, but to also keep something in front of you that reminds you of it.

Perhaps you need to lose thirty pounds. Why don't you put up a picture of yourself thirty pounds lighter on your bathroom mirror? Every day when you see it, say, "Lord, thank You that I'm losing this weight. I'm healthy, whole, strong, in shape, energetic, attractive." Let that new image take root.

You may not be healthy today, but you need to keep something in front of you that says you're going to be healthy. Put up pictures of yourself when you were healthy and strong all over your house. Put up Scripture verses. Check on that gym you want to join.

Keep the right vision in front of you. You can. You will!

DAY 7

Release Your Faith

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 7

A man in our church started a company that specializes in drilling for oil with just himself and one assistant. It grew and grew. He was spending a lot of his time traveling around checking on the different sites. One day he saw a competitor's employees boarding their company airplane, doing what he did in a fraction of the time. God dropped the dream in his heart that he could have an airplane.

When his family members heard him talking about having an airplane, they thought he'd lost his mind. They couldn't imagine it, but he could. Sometimes your family will not encourage you. You've got to listen to what God's telling you and not to what other people may tell you. People will try to talk you out of your dreams.