Crosswalk.com

Goodness and Mercy Will Always Follow You - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - May 6, 2019

Goodness and Mercy Will Always Follow You

By Rick Warren

“The Lord watches over all who love him” (Psalm 145:20 NIV).

When God fills you to overflowing, you never need to fear the future. His goodness and mercy are with you every day. You’re following the Good Shepherd, and he is out in front of you with his rod and staff. And at the back of the flock are a couple of sheepdogs—goodness and mercy—nipping at your heels, making sure you don’t run off into a ravine. These two sheepdogs keep you on track as you follow the Good Shepherd.

God’s goodness is watching over you.

Did you know that a second has never passed in your life when God was not watching you? God is always paying attention to you, because he created you to love you. He knows the highs and lows, the good and the bad, the ups and the downs. God knows every detail of your life.

Psalm 145:20 says, “The Lord watches over all who love him” (NIV).

Not only does he watch over you, he also protects you. Did you know the Bible says that God even sends his angels to protect you wherever you go (Psalm 91:11)?

God’s protection doesn’t mean that only good things will happen to you. Suffering and disappointment will still come your way. But God will ensure that good will come out of everything that happens to you—whether or not you’re able to see in this lifetime how he has been working.

God’s grace is working in you.

The Bible says in Isaiah 60:10, “I will have mercy on you through my grace” (TLB).

Grace is when God gives you what you don’t deserve. Mercy is when God doesn’t give you what you do deserve. For all the ways you’ve sinned, failed, and made mistakes, you deserve punishment. Yet God pardons you and forgives you through Christ—that’s mercy.

It is God’s nature to be merciful. He loves to show his mercy. He doesn’t get bored with it. He doesn’t get tired of it. He doesn’t get frustrated that you keep coming back for more. God doesn’t say, “Okay, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, we’ll give goodness, and on Tuesday and Thursday, we’ll give mercy, and on Saturday and Sunday, you’re on your own.” He’s with you every moment of every day.

Nobody knows what’s going to happen next week, much less next year or in the next 10 years. But when you face the future, you can know this: God will fill your life to overflowing and his goodness and mercy will be with you. There is no need to fear.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!


Awesome Relationships Study Kit

 

God wants you to have awesome relationships!

When people see a healthy, love-filled, life-giving relationship, they take notice. Because they’re so different from the relationships that are all around us.

But meaningful relationships are not automatic or easy—which is why we want to send you Pastor Rick Warren’s Awesome Relationships study kit as thanks for your gift below.

In this study kit you’ll receive Pastor Rick’s Awesome Relationships teaching series on DVD plus a study guide. Together, they create an interactive resource that will help you take your relationships beyond fair, average, and even great—all the way to awesome!

You’ll get the tools to:

• Experience a more rewarding marriage
• Grow closer with your family
• Build friendships that stand the test of time
• Become best friends with God

So request your copy of the Awesome Relationships study kit when you give a gift below to help lead others closer to Jesus through Daily Hope.

Thank you for your support!

*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.

 

This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.