“From such terrible dangers of death he saved us, and will save us; and we have placed our hope in him that he will save us again.” 2 Corinthians 1:10 (GNT)
God is watching over you—so there’s no need to listen to your fears. You can make a choice: Trust God, and don’t give in to your fears.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:10, “From such terrible dangers of death he saved us, and will save us; and we have placed our hope in him that he will save us again” (GNT).
God’s promise to believers is that, no matter what happens to us, he is working for our good—if we love him and follow him. Romans 8:28 says it like this: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV).
The Bible says that, if you're a believer, all things are working together for good. It does not say that all things are good. It says that all things are working together for good.
In other words, God isn’t promising that every event in your life will be good. He doesn’t guarantee that everything will work out like you want it to or that every story will have a fairytale ending. Not every business decision will make you a million dollars. Not every married couple will live happily ever after. Not every doctor’s report will be positive.
God is not your genie. Your wish is not his command!
But, because you love him, God does promise to work everything—the good and the bad—for your good. It’s like putting a puzzle together. On its own, each piece doesn’t look like much. When all the pieces are connected together, a beautiful picture appears.
Because that’s true, you can stop listening to your fears. There is no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in the life of a believer that God can’t ultimately get good out of. So there is no need to fear the future.
Your fears reveal where you do not trust God. Today, make a list of your fears, and ask God to help you identify why you have fear in those areas. Then ask him to help you replace your fears with trust in him.
There’s another step, and it’s an important one: Expect God to help you learn to trust him with each fear. Hopeful expectation reveals your faith and opens your eyes to how God is working for good in your life.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
What fears have you identified in your life?
Why do you think you trust God in some areas and not in others?
When have you seen God deliver you when you were afraid he wouldn’t?
This devotional © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
If you're a believer, the Bible doesn’t say that all things in your life are good But it does promise that God will work all things together for good. Learn what this means for facing your fears in today’s #DailyHope devotional.
Rick Warren Bio
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.
Tags
How to Get Through What You’re Going Through – 2023, Trust, Fear, Choices, Healing Choices, Hope, God’s Promises, 2 Corinthians 1, Romans 8
Broadcast Series: How to Get Through What You’re Going Through – 2023
Sermon Series: TBD
Sermon: TBD
