When Setbacks Come, Focus on the Big Picture

[When Setbacks Come, Focus on the Big Picture]( Current Teaching Series [How God Turns Setbacks Into Comebacks]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [When Setbacks Come, Focus on the Big Picture]( By Rick Warren — 10/24/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!” Job 1:21 (GNT) When you hit a setback, it’s okay to tell God you’re mad, you’re sad, or you’re depressed. It’s okay to express all your emotions to God. Just don’t get bitter. Bitterness is like saying you don’t trust God when troubles hit. It’s like a poison that will tear your life apart if you let it. Job endured all kinds of problems. He lost his family, his fortune, and his health. But instead of becoming bitter, he kept his focus on the big picture. He understood that God was still in control even though everything in his life seemed to be falling apart. Job said, “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!” (Job 1:21 GNT). I was in the room when each of my three children was born. They didn’t come with anything. They didn’t have toys, a resume, a wardrobe, or a cell phone. I’ve also preached enough funerals to know that no one drives a trailer of possessions to the graveside. You come with nothing. You leave with nothing. When setbacks come your way—and they most certainly will—you must focus on the fact that God has your big picture in mind. Many things will change in your life. Your faith will be tested and tried. Like Job, you haven’t been promised a perfect life. You likely won’t get an explanation when setbacks come. But you can choose to trust God anyway. No matter what setbacks you face, you can trust that . . . ●  God will never stop loving you. ●  God has a plan for your life. ●  God cares about every detail of your life. ●  God is in control of things even when you don’t understand it. ●  God will protect you. Regardless of any setback, those five truths make up the big picture of your life. When everything else falls apart, you can base your life on them. You won’t get bitter if you keep your eyes on a big picture like that. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - How have you battled bitterness when you’ve faced setbacks?
 - How does understanding the big-picture truths about your life change the way you understand setbacks?
 - Who can you share the message of this devotional with this week? Will you follow Jesus today? God proved his goodness through his Son, Jesus Christ. 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). 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 Jesus’ name I pray. Amen." If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [When Setbacks Come, Focus on the Big Picture]( 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 Power of Gratitude when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Gratitude makes you more resistant to stress and increases your happiness and satisfaction. So it should come as no surprise that the Bible tells us to, "Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). But it’s not always easy to feel grateful. That’s why Pastor Rick created The Power of Gratitude, a Bible study filled with Scripture, teaching, exercises, quotes, prayers, and journal pages to help you develop the lifelong habit of expressing gratitude to God. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 8 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series How God Turns Setbacks Into Comebacks. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: When You've Had a Business Setback Message 2: When Your Setback Seems Irreversible Message 3: When a Setback Isn't Your Fault Message 4: When a Setback Leaves You Emotionally Empty Message 5: When You Feel Like Giving Up Message 6: When Others Keep Setting You Back Message 7: When a Setback Fills You with Fear Message 8: When No One Understands Your Goal [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.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s 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 giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through 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. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, PO Box 80448, Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688, United States