[How God Uses Grief to Help You Grow]( Current Teaching Series [The Keys to a Blessed Life]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [How God Uses Grief to Help You Grow](
By Rick Warren â 05/02/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= âWe know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.â Romans 8:28 (NIV) Grief, loss, and pain are inevitable parts of life. But did you know that God uses these things to help you grow? He does it in three ways. First, God uses pain to get your attention. C. S. Lewis wrote, âGod whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain.â Pain is Godâs megaphone. We rarely change when we see the light. We change when we feel the heat. Proverbs 20:30 says, âSometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our waysâ (GNT). Second, God brings good out of bad. One of the most famous verses in the Bible is Romans 8:28: âWe know that in all things God works for the good of those who love himâ (NIV). When you experience a loss, itâs an opportunity to grow in character. You canât control the pain you go through, but you can decide whether itâs going to make you bitter or better. You decide whether itâs going to be a stepping stone or a stumbling block. Remember that, even in your pain, God is working for your good. Third, God prepares you for eternity. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, âThese little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. Things that are seen donât last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. This is why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seenâ (CEV). Youâve probably heard me say before that youâre not taking your car to heaven; youâre not taking your jewelry or your clothes to heaven; youâre not taking your career to heaven. But you are taking your character. You are taking you. God is more interested in your character development than in your comfort. Why? Because when you get to heaven, youâll have plenty of time to be comfortable. But life on Earth is the get-ready stage; itâs the learning phase or the warm-up act. God uses your troubles here on Earth to get you ready for an eternal glory. Thatâs a comfort. When youâre in pain, you need to ask, âWhat is God doing?â Is he trying to get your attention? Is he trying to bring good out of bad? Is he preparing your character for heaven? You can trust him through it all. [PLAY todayâs audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What does it mean that God is working for your good? Does it mean that God only lets good things happen to believers?
- Why is it often easier to focus on todayâs realities than on the promise of heaven?
- How can you prepare yourself now so that you are ready to hear from God when you are in a time of pain? Where will you spend eternity? The Bible says you can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot earn your way into heaven: âIt is by grace you have been saved, through faithâand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godânot by works, so that no one can boastâ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). â¨If youâre ready to commit your life to Jesus, start with this prayer: âDear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything Iâve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day. "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. Please help me to be faithful and 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 [How God Uses Grief to Help You Grow]( 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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