How to Trust God’s Goodness When Life Gets Tough
By Rick Warren
“For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” Psalm 100:5 (NLT)
If you grew up in a Christian home, you may have learned this childhood prayer: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food. Amen.” While simplistic, that prayer covers one key characteristic of God: his goodness.
Is it really true that God is good all the time? Absolutely! But many people don’t live like they believe it. It can be hard to believe in God’s goodness for many reasons, especially when you’re in pain and conflict. Those are the times you forget about God’s goodness. When you’re depressed, you think his goodness is for everyone except you. And when you’re worried or stressed out, you can’t seem to find—much less think about—God’s goodness, even when it’s right in front of you.
So how can you trust in God’s goodness when you don’t feel it? The Bible reminds you of his goodness over and over. Psalm 100:5 says, “For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation” (NLT).
Focusing on God’s goodness is so important to your life. It gives you a new perspective on your darkest days. But when you forget God’s goodness, you lose perspective and can only see the difficulty you’re facing.
God wants to give you a life of confidence by assuring you of his love and care. He wants to give you a life of influence and opportunities so that you can make a difference in the world. And he wants to give you an inheritance and a home in heaven with him forever. Who doesn’t want that? Who doesn’t need that?
So how can you experience God’s goodness? Sure, you can learn about God’s goodness when you read the Bible or hear a message about it. But you actually experience God’s goodness when you worship him. Nothing helps you focus like worship!
The Message paraphrase says, "Worship GOD if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness" (Psalm 34:9). The way you experience God's goodness is through worship—when you praise God and thank him for who he is and what he has promised you.
Believing and understanding the goodness of God will revolutionize your life and give you a new perspective on your circumstances. It will transform your life!
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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