[Godâs Presence: Your Anchor Through Any Storm]( Current Teaching Series [How God Turns Setbacks Into Comebacks]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Godâs Presence: Your Anchor Through Any Storm](
By Rick Warren â 10/27/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= âEven though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.â Psalm 23:4 (NIV) No one gets through life without setbacks. All of us will face storms from time to time. The real issue is how we respond. When you experience a setback, what happens next? Do setbacks dominate you? Do you stop trying and give up? If weâre not careful, setbacks will cause us to make unhelpful decisions: - Drifting from our goals. We hear the little voice inside that asks, âWhatâs the use of trying?â Then we stop striving for what God has clearly called us to do. - Discarding what we value. Sometimes, after a period of intense pain, our priorities changeâwe let go of what once mattered greatly to us. - Despairing about our future. We figure weâre doomed, weâre finished, and itâs all over. As a pastor for more than 40 years, I watched many people react to crises in one of those three ways. Iâve discovered that the true test of faith is not how high you jump when youâre singing praises to God, but how straight you walk when youâre going through the valley of the shadow of death. Youâll always drift in a storm without the right anchor. And only one anchor will really do. One of the Bibleâs most famous passages says it like this: âEven though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with meâ (Psalm 23:4 NIV). Godâs presence is the greatest anchor in any situation. When youâre feeling hopeless, remember that God hasnât left you. Choose to make him your rock-solid anchor. No matter how dark your valley, youâve never been closer to God than you are at this exact moment. When I remind people of that truth while theyâre in the middle of a setback, they often tell me: âWell, I donât feel his presence.â But it really has nothing to do with how you feel. The Bible says God is there in your darkest valley. Thatâs realityâwhether you believe it or not. The Bible says, âIâm absolutely convinced that nothingânothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkableâabsolutely nothing can get between us and Godâs love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced usâ (Romans 8:38-39 The Message). No matter what youâre going through, God and his love are right there with you. That truth offers stability in any storm. [PLAY todayâs audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What setbacks in your life have made you doubt Godâs presence?â¨
- Look back at the three ways setbacks can cause us to make unhelpful decisions. Which have you experienced? How did the situation impact you?â¨
- How does recognizing Godâs presence in the midst of setbacks help you get through those difficult times? 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 [Godâs Presence: Your Anchor Through Any Storm]( 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 itâs not always easy to feel grateful. Thatâs 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 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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