You Need God’s Promises, Not Explanations

 [You Need God’s Promises, Not Explanations]( Current Teaching Series [Building a Better Future]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [You Need God’s Promises, Not Explanations]( By Rick Warren — 12/03/2022 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “Even when [Abraham] reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents.” Hebrews 11:9 (NLT) In the Bible, God made more than 7,000 promises to you—but he has not guaranteed that he’ll fulfill every one of them instantly. As a follower of Christ, you can expect that God sometimes will test your faith. And one of those tests comes when God’s promises are delayed. I call it the “When Test.” You know you’re facing the When Test when you’re asking, “When, Lord? When are you going to answer my prayer? When are things going to change in my marriage? When am I going to get well? When am I going to graduate? When am I going to have a baby? When am I going to get that promotion?” We looked yesterday at how Abraham faced the Where Test. But he also got hit with the When Test: “Even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents” (Hebrews 11:9 NLT). Abraham followed God in faith to a place he didn’t know. But once he got there, he couldn’t even settle down. For three generations, Abraham and his family were basically nomads. Even though God had promised to give Israel to Abraham, he was going to do it on his own timetable. But Abraham continued to obey because he was confident in God’s promise to him. God has all of eternity to fulfill his promises. That means that some of his promises are not even going to be fulfilled in your lifetime. They’re going to be fulfilled after your earthly life is over. That’s why God wants you to build your life on his promises, not his explanations. In fact, God doesn’t owe you an explanation for anything in your life. God is God, and you are not. He wants you to trust his promises, not wait for his explanations. Abraham received a big promise from God: God was going to make him into a whole nation! But after Abraham arrived in Israel and was still living like a nomad, I imagine he was constantly asking God, “When, Lord? You gave me this promise. When are you going to fulfill it? Is it time yet?” Abraham’s family lived in tents for three generations, and he was a stranger in his own country. You may be in a When Test right now. You’ve been waiting for an answer, and it seems like there’s no end in sight. You’re asking, “When, Lord? When are you going to take care of this problem? My relationship? My finances? My health? My future?” Faith means that you wait for God’s timing, without knowing when. Are you in a time of waiting? Don’t waste the waiting. Show God that you trust him as you learn and cling to his promises. As you do this, God will grow your character and faith. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - How can you know what God’s promises are? - Do you trust God, even if he doesn’t fulfill some of his promises in this lifetime? Why or why not? - In what ways is God teaching you patience as you wait on him? God’s greatest promise to you The Bible says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 CSB). Will you trust God today to fulfill his promise? Pray this simple prayer: "Dear God, I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen." If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.comand let me know. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [You Need God’s Promises, Not Explanations]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the brand-new 2022 Daily Hope Prayer Journal when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Make prayer time the best time of your day with the brand-new 2022 Daily Hope Prayer Journal! This easy-to-carry hardback journal with a soft-touch cover gives you the tools you need to establish a consistent daily prayer time. It’ll help you connect with the Lord and enjoy a vibrant prayer life as you unlock the keys to praying with passion and purpose. Inside you’ll find 235 beautifully designed pages filled with: • Practical encouragement for your prayer life from Pastor Rick • Sections that guide you to pray for specific people and situations • Space for writing out what God is showing you • Encouraging Bible verses • Gorgeous artwork and inspiring photos Dive into this year’s theme, "Connecting with Jesus: The Source of Living Water," and tap into God’s power and presence as you’re reminded how much God loves you and wants to be an active part of your life. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 6 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Building a Better Future. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Making a Plan to Improve Your Life Message 2: Enlisting Support for Your Dream Message 3: Getting People to Work Together Message 4: How to Handle Insults and Ridicule Message 5: When You Feel Like Giving Up Message 6: How to Earn the Respect of Others [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2022 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States