[What to Do When Your Hope Dies]( Current Teaching Series [Created to Dream]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [What to Do When Your Hope Dies](
By Rick Warren â 04/22/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= âAbraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith . . . He relied on the word of God.â Romans 4:18 (PHILLIPS) How do you know when hope has died in your life? You start using the word ânever.â Iâm never going to get married. Iâm never going to graduate. Iâm never going to get well. Iâm never going to get out of debt. Iâm never going to be able to let go of my past and forget all of that shame and heartache. Iâm never going to be able to change. Iâm never going to see this situation turn around. Thatâs when hope has diedâwhen you have reached a dead end and donât see a way out. What do you do when your hope dies? Romans 4:18 says, âAbraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith . . . He relied on the word of Godâ (PHILLIPS). When you are at a dead endâwhen itâs hard to hold on to hopeâyou need the Bible. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. Think about it. Write it down on little notecards and take them wherever you go. The Bible is full of promises, and nothing else can encourage you like it can. When you rely on the Word and trust in its promises, it will revive you emotionally. You wonât panic because youâll be reminded that, even though something is out of your control, itâs not out of Godâs control. A dead end is a test of your faith. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:17, âWhile God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaacâ (TLB). When God said he wanted Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham didnât blink an eye. He didnât panicâbecause he remembered what God could do. He relied on what God had promised him. Sometimes, like it did for Abraham, it looks like God wants you to give up your most precious dream. Can you offer that to him in faith, trusting in Godâs deliverance? Maybe youâre at a dead end now, and it seems there is no way out. Hear this: Things are never as bleak as they seem. If you see no way out, itâs because youâre looking from a human viewpoint, not Godâs. Romans 4:20 says, âAbraham never doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happenedâ (TLB). A promise is only as good as the character of the person who makes the promise. The Bible says God cannot lie because he is complete truth. If he makes a promise to you, heâs going to fulfill it. It will happen exactly as he has said. When youâre at your dead end, trust in Godâs truth. [PLAY todayâs audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Even if youâre not at a dead end right now, how can you use Godâs Word to prepare yourself for this phase of faith?
- What promises from God encourage you when you are at a dead end?
- How do you think God will respond to someone who turns to his Word when facing a dead end? What is your choice about Jesus? God proved his goodness through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible says, âFor 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 lifeâ (John 3:16 CSB). Are you ready to trust God to fulfill his promise of eternal life? If so, start by praying this simple prayer: âDear God, I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that 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 Jesusâ name I pray. Amen.â If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. Iâd like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [What to Do When Your Hope Dies]( 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 Created to Dream when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( God has a dream for your lifeâand itâs far greater than anything you could ever dream up on your own. Discover Godâs dream for your life and how to overcome the many barriers youâll encounter as you pursue it with Pastor Rickâs brand-new book, Created to Dream: The 6 Phases God Uses to Grow Your Faith. This life-changing book reveals the process God uses to fulfill the custom-made dream he has for you and the faith-building phases heâll lead you through as he doesâjust as he did for so many people in the Bible. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 6 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Created to Dream. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: How God Builds Your Faith
Message 2: God's Dream for Your Life
Message 3: How to Make Wise Decisions
Message 4: Delayed by Design
Message 5: How to Deal With Difficulty
Message 6: From Dead End to Deliverance [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rickâs daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of Americaâs 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 giantsâspiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracyâthrough 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](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below.
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