God Gives the Bitter Ingredients Purpose

[God Gives the Bitter Ingredients Purpose]( Current Teaching Series [Strategies for Stressful Times]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [God Gives the Bitter Ingredients Purpose]( By Rick Warren — 12/01/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT) Most people don’t know that I am a “master” cake builder (my family, at least, thinks I am). Years ago, I decided to learn how to bake cakes. I figured that, if I wanted to eat them, I ought to know how to make them. One of my favorite creations was one of the more difficult cakes to make: a German chocolate cake made from scratch for my wife’s birthday. Making cakes has made me appreciate that the individual ingredients for a cake don’t taste good at all on their own. Some of them are quite bitter. If you eat flour by itself, it doesn’t taste good. If you eat baking powder or raw egg or oil by itself, you’ll be grossed out. Even the vanilla by itself doesn’t taste good—none of the ingredients do! But if you mix them all together and bake it, it’s delicious. One of the greatest promises of the Bible is in Romans 8:28: “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT). Notice that verse does not say that everything is good. A quick look at the news headlines proves that isn’t true. And it doesn’t say this promise is for everyone—just those who love God. The way God works all things together for good is kind of like baking a cake. In your life and in the world, there will be elements that are bitter and unpleasant. You might think, “That doesn’t taste good. I don’t like that change in my life. I don’t like what’s happening in the world today.” When you’re in a season of rapid and relentless change, and some of the elements don’t taste good, determine that you will not become bitter by seeing only the negative in your circumstances. Because even when you can’t see it, you can trust that God takes it all—the good and the bitter—and uses it for his good plan. You can’t see it now, but you will taste its sweetness in heaven one day. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - How does focusing on the things you don’t understand make you bitter? - What do you need to focus on in a time of major change? How will it help you see clearly? - Why do you think God makes the promise of Romans 8:28 just for those who love and follow him? The post [God Gives the Bitter Ingredients Purpose]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. 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[LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 5 full-length message from Pastor Rick's series Strategies for Stressful Times. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Finding the Strength to Keep Going When I'm Emotionally Worn Out Message 2: How To Be Happy No Matter What Happens Message 3: How to Trust God When You Don't Like the Changes in Your Life Message 4: How to Keep Your Tank Filled Instead of Running on Empty Message 5: Jesus' Secrets of Resilience [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](. 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