Hope Is Believing in God’s Goodness

[Hope Is Believing in God’s Goodness]( Current Teaching Series [Living in the Goodness of God]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Hope Is Believing in God’s Goodness]( By Rick Warren — 12/29/2022 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB) God has only good plans for your life. He never has, and he never will have bad plans for you. Yet, many people miss God’s plan for their lives because they don’t trust God. Instead, they decide to follow their own plan, which leads to hopelessness and pessimism in the end. The more you understand God’s goodness, the more hopeful you’ll be—because hope is anticipating God’s goodness. The only reason you have real hope is because God is good; without God’s goodness, there’s no rational reason for hope. King David said in Psalm 27:13-14, “I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord” (NASB). Everything God does for you, through you, to you, and in you is because he is good. God’s goodness in your life is never based on how good you are; it’s always based on God’s character, not yours. Are you fighting discouragement, doubt, or despair? Then, take your eyes off your problems—and get your eyes on all the good things God has done in your life. You can even write them down and make a list! You’ll be amazed at all you come up with, and it will serve as a reminder to you in the days ahead. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV). What does God’s goodness in your life look like? It looks like his blessings of sustenance, balance, resilience, guidance, confidence, assurance, influence, inheritance—and so much more. He makes all of this available to his children because of his grace and his good character. That gives me hope—and it can give you hope today too! [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Why do you gain freedom when you acknowledge that God’s goodness is based on his character and not yours? - What can you do while you are waiting on God to deliver you from a difficult season? How can you gain courage as you trust God during these times? - How can you learn about and understand God’s goodness more? If you've never invited Christ into your life and experienced all of God’s goodness, you can start by praying this simple prayer: “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that he died for my sin and that you raised him to life. I want to trust him as my Savior and follow him as Lord, from this day forward. Please put your Holy Spirit in 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.com and let me know. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [Hope Is Believing in God’s Goodness]( 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 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 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. Your generous year-end gift to Daily Hope will be DOUBLED by a $100,000 Matching Grant, helping bring the Good News of God’s love to every nation on earth. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 12 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Living in the Goodness of God. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Is God Really Good All the Time? Message 2: Letting God Meet My Needs Message 3: Relaxing in God’s Goodness Message 4: How God’s Goodness Can Restore You Message 5: How to Be Led by God’s Spirit Message 6: The God of My Valleys Message 7: How Jesus Treats His Sheep Message 8: How God Lifts Me Up When I’m Worn Down Message 9: Living an Anointed Life Message 10: From Overwhelmed to Overflowing Message 11: Why You Don’t Need to Fear the Future Message 12: Heaven: God’s Eternal Goodness to You [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