The Key to Happiness in a Broken World
By Rick Warren
“The LORD is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him.” Lamentations 3:25 (CEV)
We live on a broken planet, with natural disasters, physical decay, and death. There’s emotional distress and disappointment, distance and discord in relationships, and spiritual discontent and darkness. It’s no wonder why there is an epidemic of hopelessness in our world. I would feel hopeless too if I thought this broken place was the end of the story—but it’s not. There’s good news!
How can you be happy in a world full of pain and suffering and sorrow? How can you be happy when you deeply and personally feel the effects of broken bodies, broken relationships, and broken hope?
You do what Jeremiah did. Jeremiah was a prophet who experienced plenty of suffering and disappointment. He wrote the book of Lamentations, where he gives his testimony:
“I cannot find peace or remember happiness. . . . Thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. That’s all I ever think about, and I am depressed. Then I remember something that fills me with hope. The LORD’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, ‘The LORD is all I need; I can depend on him!’ The LORD is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him” (Lamentations 3:17, 19-25 CEV).
The key to happiness in a broken, messed up, damaged world is ultimately this: The Lord is all you need.
Don’t put your trust in people, because they can let you down. Don’t put your trust in circumstances, because they can disappoint you. Don’t put your trust in the things of this world, because they won’t last.
Put your trust in God. Remember his promises to you in his Word and his faithfulness to you in the past. Then you’ll be able to trust in his unfailing kindness for your future. You’ll be able to obey him with joy and say with confidence, “The Lord is all I need. I can depend on him!”
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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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