In Your Struggle, God’s Love and Mercy Continue

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES 40 Days of Love

In Your Struggle, God's Love and Mercy Continue By Rick Warren — Jul 18, 2015 “The thought of my pain, my homelessness, is bitter poison. I think of it constantly, and my spirit is depressed. Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.” (Lamentations 3:19-24 TEV) When your world is falling apart, it’s so easy to focus on the pain, the problems, the pressure, and the difficulties. It’s the natural response. But the biblical response is to turn your focus to God’s love. Even though you’re mad at God, you need to remind yourself how much he loves you. Focus on his unconditional love. Remember that you can’t make God stop loving you. You can complain, yell at him, and scream at him, but he will still love you forever. You can see this biblical approach in Jeremiah’s life in Lamentations 3:19-24. Jeremiah starts out focused on his pain: “The thought of my pain, my homelessness, is bitter poison. I think of it constantly, and my spirit is depressed” (TEV). Jeremiah was consumed by the devastation around him; it filled his thoughts and made him bitter and depressed.  If you want to change your life, you have to change your thoughts. So that’s what Jeremiah did. We see the mental switch in the next verse: “Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.” God loves you. He is not the strict parent that you couldn’t please. He is not the imperfect parent with weaknesses and faults who messed up. He is God — the eternal, all knowing, infallible God who created you to love you and will never leave you. So when you feel like you’ve lost everything, stop focusing on what’s lost and start focusing on what’s left: God and his love for you. Talk It Over What are some ways you have seen God’s love and mercy expressed in your life? What are some practical steps you can take to help change your thought pattern to focusing on God’s love? Why do you think God allows us to go through loss and pain? Our Gift: 40 Days of Love Study Kit Most people want to be closer to God and experience more fulfilling relationships. Jesus gave us the keys to accomplish this when he taught us that of all God's commands only two are most important: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbors as yoursef. This sounds so easy, but we struggle in this area. That's why Pastor Rick developed the 40 Days of Love Study Kit. This unigue tool will equip you to fulfill the two greatest commandments. And, as you learn to live a love powered life you will grow closer to God and others. You'll become more like Jesus! LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren 40 Days of Love teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: Love Matters Most Message 2: ​​Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind Message 3: ​​Love Speaks the Truth Message 4: ​​Love Is Forgiving Message 5: ​​Love Isn't Selfish Message 6: The ​Habits of a Loving Heart 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