Reach Out and Reach Up in Suffering

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES The Hope of Easter

Reach Out and Reach Up in Suffering By Rick Warren — Mar 31, 2015 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21 NIV) Every person who reads this will face tragedy at some point in your life. You’ll have loss — major loss — in your life. None of us can escape tragedy. Jesus, God’s Son, sure didn’t. And Jesus didn't just give us a model in his life. He gave us a model for handling pain in his death. He modeled what you should do during the worst day of your life. The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:21, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (NIV). Two years ago — five days before Easter of 2013 — my youngest son took his life. It was the worst day of my life. I’ve been asked many times how I’ve made it through the past two years.        I looked to the model of Jesus. That answer is Easter. So what did Jesus do during the worst, most painful day of his life on Earth? He reached out to friends. On the night that Jesus knew he was going to be arrested, tortured, and executed, the last thing he did on the earth was gather with his closest friends. Jesus didn’t ask for speeches or advice. He asked for their presence. Most of the time, we do just the opposite when we’re experiencing pain. We pull away. That’s just dumb! God never meant for us to go through pain on our own. That’s why you need to be involved in some sort of small group environment in a local body of believers. He reached out to God through prayer. You need friends in times of trouble, but you need God even more. God will be by your side when no one else will. Jesus did this in the Garden of Gethsemane. And in doing so, he gave us a terrific model for prayer during suffering: You affirm God’s power. (Pray something like, “Lord, you can do anything.”) Second, express your desire. (“I don’t want this pain.”) Third, submit to his will. (“Don’t do what I want; do what you want.”) You weren’t designed to go through suffering alone. As times get tough — and they will — reach out and reach up. You’ll be glad you did. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Do you find it more difficult to reach out to God or other people during times of trouble? Why? Why do you think it’s so important to affirm God’s power in the midst of difficult times? How can you be more prepared for others to reach out to you when times are tough? Our Gift: Eternal Realities Complete Audio Series Are heaven and hell real places and what are they like? How can you be absolutely certain you’ll spend eternity in heaven?  To answer these questions and more, Pastor Rick put together an audio series called, Eternal Realities: Heaven and Hell. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren The Hope of Easter teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: Amazing Grace Message 2: The Answer Is Easter PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2015 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe