Pastor Rick's Daily Hope

Rick Warren: Hello everybody. Thank you so much for joining us here on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope with Rick Warren. Well, today we're continuing in this timely series called Strategies for Stressful Times. In this series, Pastor Rick shares timeless truths from God's word that will help you manage stress, overcome worry, and experience the peace and stability that only God can provide. And now we wrap up with the final part of a message called How to Trust God when you don't like the changes in your life.

Rick Warren: After you ask God, you got to do the second thing, and that is learn from God's word and those who teach it. The wisdom is in this book. Now, this book sitting closed in your in your library or on your coffee table doesn't do you any good. This book is only good if you open it. But all the wisdom you need to handle the stress and the change in life is here. First Peter Second Peter chapter 1 verse 19 Some of you may be never even seen this verse says this. We have greater confidence in the message of the prophets.

What's the message of the prophets? It's the Bible. God inspired prophets, godly men to write down what God wanted them to write down. We call it the Old Testament, New Testament. God inspired the message of the prophets. This is the Bible, God's word. And he says there, we have greater confidence in the message of the prophets. Pay close attention. Take a notes, circle that word. Pay close attention that phrase to what they wrote. For their words are like a light shining in a dark place. I don't know how much how dark our culture is going to get.

I don't I'm not a soothsayer. But it does say when things get dark, you need to go to the light, and the light is here, not anywhere else. It says pay close attention. Let me just ask you very honestly, somebody who loves you, is your friend, what do you pay the most attention to these days? The radio? Talk radio? The media? Social media? Or God's word? What are you paying the most attention to? You're going to be a whole lot less stressed out. You're going to be a lot more at peace if you go to the source of truth.

That's the third thing you need to do. Second thing you need to do. Third thing, write this down. Instead of asking why is all this happening, ask God what do you want me to learn? Instead of going God, why are you allowing this pandemic? Why are you allowing this social problems? Why are you allowing people to be at each other's throat? People are angry, they're arguing over this and that and this and that and why instead of asking why is this happening, ask what do you want me to learn? God doesn't owe us an explanation on why he does everything in the world or why he allows everything in the world.

So here's what I recommend you do. Focus on your character, not the changes in society, not the circumstances around you. Romans eight Excuse me. Romans five verses three and four. It's up here on the screen. We can rejoice even in our troubles and our struggles. Troubles and struggles. That sound familiar? He says we can rejoice even in our troubles and struggles because we know This is wisdom. That they they teach us. Not we learn endurance. That we learn endurance. They teach us endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character creates hope. I want you to notice a couple of things about this verse.

Okay? Uh number one, notice that life is a struggle. Everybody agree with that? Life's tough. We shouldn't expect it to be any less. We live on a broken planet. This is not heaven. There's no struggle in heaven. This is Earth. Everything's a struggle on Earth. We can rejoice even in our struggles and troubles. By the way, have you ever wondered why our struggles are so relentless? The answer is it's because God wants to change us and we don't want to change. That's why we struggle cuz we don't want to surrender to the will of God in our lives.

God wants to change us and we don't want to change, so we struggle. Now, the second thing I want you to notice out of that verse is that if we develop character, if you develop character, you become a person of character, you'll be full of hope. You'll be full of hope. But if you just complain about why everything sucks in the world today, you're going to be full of doubt and unhappiness. Wise, mature people with perspective, people of character are hopeful people. Unwise, immature people are scared and bitter people. And they're ticked off at the world and everybody in it, or at least half of the world.

I want us to not be at that level where we don't get ticked off at people who disagree with us. No, I I want us to get to Paul's level of spiritual maturity, which is Philippians chapter 4. They're on your outline. Paul says I've learned Pause right here. Circle the word learned. We'll come back to that. This is something you learn. You see, ask God what do you want me to learn? I've learned this secret so that anywhere, at any time, I'm content whether I'm full or hungry or whether I have too much or too little, I have the strength to face all conditions by the power Christ give me.

That, my friends, is stability and it's maturity. That's what God's trying to bring in our lives. And we'll either learn it fast or we'll learn it slow. Now, I said circle that word learned. He says I've learned to trust God. I've learned to be content in whatever circumstance I'm in. Have you learned this yet? Have you grown up enough to learn to be content in whatever circumstance you're in? Let me ask you another question. So it says ask God what you want to learn. What have you learned about yourself in the last 18 months? Not what have you learned about the world.

What have you learned about you and your response? I want you to write this down. Every situation is an education. Every situation is an education. There is no experience in life you can't learn from if you'll just have a humble attitude. There is no situation, big or small. There is no problem. There is no change that you cannot learn from if you'll just humbly say Lord, what do you want me to learn? Every education, every situation is an education. Number four. Let let me give you the last two quickly. Number four. When you're going through changes you don't like, focus on what never changes.

Focus on what never changes. Yeah, there are a lot of changes going on in our world right now, and a lot of them we don't like. They suck. I started to title this message, you know, how to how to trust God when life sucks. There are many things that you don't like that are changing. But there's also many things that will never never never never never change. And when you're going through a time of great change, relentless like we're talking about and rapid, then when you're going through that kind of change, you need to let the unchangeables be your anchor.

What's anchoring you right now? You need to let the unchangeable things that are never going to change be your anchor in this time of uncertainty. Now, I could give you a bunch of them. Let me just mention three. God's love for you will never change. God's truth in his word will never change. God's plan and purpose for your life will never change. Nothing can change those things. Look at these three verses. Jeremiah 31 three I've loved you with an everlasting love. Nothing's ever going to change that. He's never going to stop loving you no matter what happens.

Isaiah 40 verse eight The word of God shall stand forever. What he said is the right thing to do will always be the right thing to do. And what he said is the wrong thing to do will always be the wrong thing to do. The word of God will stand forever. Psalm 33 11 His plans endure forever, and his purposes last eternally. Friends, I'm not a prophet, and I don't predict the future. But I will tell you this, and you can bank on this. God will have the last word, and it's going to be good.

You can count on that. God will have the last word, and it's going to be good. It's going to be good. When you find someone who feels hopeless, it means they're immature and unwise. Wise people who see from God's perspective are always hopeful no matter what it looks like. Not optimistic, hopeful. Big difference. I don't have time to go into that. Number five. Here's the fifth thing you need to do. Keep telling God In other words, say this to God over and over every day of your life. I trust you no matter what. Keep telling God I trust you no matter what.

If you do this, you'll be a lot more at peace no matter what happens and how long all these period of this season of rapid change last. If you do this, God I trust you no matter what. I want you to be a righteous person. Psalm 112 verse seven says this. The righteous man or woman does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what might happen. For he is settled in his mind or her mind that God will take care of him. I will trust you no matter what. I have had to say that thousands of times in my life.

I will trust you no matter what. I remember when K was going through cancer treatments, and I thought I'm losing her. I'm losing the love of my life. And I remember saying Father, I trust you no matter what and I'll serve you no matter what. Even if I lose my wife. When our youngest child lost his lifelong battle with mental illness and took his life, I had to say I will trust you no matter what. Doesn't mean I understand it. And a thousand other times I will trust you no matter what. Anytime, anything seems to be falling apart in your life, my friends, say I trust you no matter what.

Now, right now you may feel under attack. I'm not talking about all the stuff we all know that's going on, stuff in society. I 'm talking about stuff in your personal life. And you may feel like you're being attacked from every angle. I leave you with Psalm 27 verse three. Even if a whole army surrounds me, I will not be afraid. And even if enemies attack me from all sides, I will still trust God. That's the kind of life I 'm going to live. I invite you to live it with me. Let's be different than the world.

Let's bow our heads. Even if a whole army surround me, I will not be afraid. And even if enemies attack me from all sides, I will still trust God. The righteous man does not fear bad news nor live in dread of what may happen, for he is settled in his mind that God will take care of him. Follow me in this prayer. Just say it in your mind. Say dear God, I know change is unavoidable, but I thank you that you have promised to use it for good in my life if I trust you. God, I want to grow up.

I don't want to be a spiritual baby. I want you to make me more like Jesus with love and joy and peace and patience goodness and self-control faith. And God, you know the people who've hurt me in my life. And I thank you that you can even use human error and sin for good if I give it all to you. Help me to realize that what I'm going through right now is a test of my faith. You're testing me. And that endurance produces character, and character produces hope. Help me to remember these things. And Lord, I want to start doing these practical steps during these difficult days.

I want to invest more time alone with you because those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. Run and not grow weary, walk, keep going and not faint. And God, I'm asking you to help me see your perspective. I don't want to just know what everybody else knows. I don't want information. I want wisdom. I want understanding. I want to know your ways, God. And Father, instead of asking and griping about what's why is all this going on, I want to ask what do you want me to learn? Like Paul, I want to learn to be content in any and every situation no matter what happens that you are my stability and you are my energy.

Help me to focus on what never changes. Thank you that your word will always be the truth. Thank you that you will never stop loving me. Thank you that nothing that happens can change your plan or purpose for my life. And God, I'm going to tell you the rest of my life, including right now, I trust you no matter what. I'm going to trust you no matter what. Maybe you're doing that for the very first time tonight. Say Jesus Christ, I'm trusting you no matter what. You're opening your life to Christ. Others, you're doing it again.

I trust you. I 'm going to trust you no matter what. I surrender myself to you. In your name I pray. Amen.

Rick Warren: You know, if you just prayed that prayer for the very first time or you just recommitted your life to Jesus again today, would you let me know about it? There's something real about sharing your commitment. So write me Rick at pastorrick.com and say Rick, I prayed that prayer of commitment. I gave my life to Christ, and I'll send you some material that'll help you on your journey with Jesus, and I'll also pray for you. God bless you.

Guest (Male): We really appreciate you joining us today on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. We hope you'll stay with us for a word of encouragement from Pastor Rick.

Rick Warren: You ever find yourself asking the question, why is this happening to me? Why does this have to be so difficult? You know, the thing is God never intended for life on Earth to be perfect. This is not heaven. This is Earth. And God put us here to teach us a lot of things even in the middle of our pain and problems and difficulties. And one of the things he wants to teach us the most is how to love, how to love him, and how to love other people. That prepares you for heaven. You see, God loves you, and God is for you.

So when things get difficult, keep your focus on the love of God. Just say to yourself, God loves me. Say it over and over until you start to let it sink in. Thanks everybody for listening today, and join me again next time as we continue to look in the God's word for our daily hope.

Rick Warren: This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.