[Let God Be Your Defender]( Current Teaching Series [The Keys to a Blessed Life]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Let God Be Your Defender](
By Rick Warren â 04/28/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= âI depend on God alone; I put my hope in him. He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated. My salvation and honor depend on God; he is my strong protector; he is my shelter.â Psalm 62:5-7 (GNT) Youâll always have people in your life who misunderstand you and donât like you. Others will criticize you, judge you, attack you, and spread rumors about you. In all of these circumstances, your natural tendency will be to fight back. When youâre misunderstood, youâll want to defend yourself. When youâre attacked, youâll be tempted to launch your own attack. When people criticize you, youâll want to criticize them. When people insult you, youâll want to hurl back your own insults. Donât do it! Instead, let God be your defender. Every time you are attacked, criticized, ridiculed, or misunderstood, you have two choices: You can defend yourself, or you can let God defend you. Which will it be? Who do you think can do a better job defending you? You or God? Of course, God can. Pay attention to this: Youâre most like Christ when you say nothing in the face of attacks, lies, and unfair criticism. Youâre most like Jesus when you remain silent and leave it in Godâs hands. The Bible says, âWhen [Jesus] was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judgeâ (1 Peter 2:23 GNT). In the face of his unjust conviction and persecution, Jesus did not fight back. When it mattered most, he trusted God to defend him and bring ultimate justice. King David was criticized and attacked his entire life. In fact, people repeatedly wanted to kill him because they were jealous of him. But David said this: âI depend on God alone; I put my hope in him. He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated. My salvation and honor depend on God; he is my strong protector; he is my shelterâ (Psalm 62:5-7 GNT). People will be jealous of your success, and some will even want to attack you. But like David, you need to let God be your protector, your Savior, your defender, your victor, and your shelter. Let God handle it. Let him be your defense. [PLAY todayâs audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What practical things can you do in a tense moment to keep from speaking or acting in retaliation?
- Why does God want you to remain silent when you are under attack? Why doesnât he want you to try to prove that youâre right?
- How does someoneâs attack on your character say more about that person than it does about you? Will you follow Jesus today? 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, 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 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." 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 [Let God Be Your Defender]( 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 8 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series The Keys to a Blessed Life. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: It Depends on Who You Depend On
Message 2: How God Blesses Broken Hearts
Message 3: The Strength of Gentleness
Message 4: Why You Need to Stay Hungry
Message 5: Your Ministry of Mercy
Message 6: God Blesses a Heart of Integrity
Message 7: How to Reconcile a Relationship
Message 8: Handling Opposition to Your Faith [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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