Rick Warren -The Courage to Keep Going Part Two

Hello, and thanks for joining us here on Pastor Rick's

Daily Hope, the audio broadcast ministry of Pastor Rick Warren.

Today we continue a teaching series called Uncommon Courage. In

these lessons, Rick is going to share biblical inspiration that

will help you get the courage you need to follow

God's calling for your life. If you'd love to help

the kids you know learn God's work, then stay with

us because in just a few minutes we're going to

tell you about God's big plans for me and easy

to understand storybook Bible by Pastor Rick Warren. You can

take a sneak peek right now by going to Pastorick

dot com while you listen to today's message, or if

you want, you can just text the word daily to

eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four. That's the

word daily to eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four.

Right now, here's Pastor Rick with part two of a

message called the Courage to Keep Going.

What is the law of Christ? It's this love your

neighbor as yourself. That's the law of Christ's mentioned about

seven times in the Bible. We're commanded to help each other,

and so every time you help somebody who's going through

their pain and they're saying, I'm doubting, I'm frustrated, I'm angry,

I'm upset, I'm full of fear. I'm just I'm crushed,

And you say it's okay. I will believe God for you.

I will help you, I will lift you up. Then

you're fulfilling the law of Christ. You see, pain is

the great equalizer. When you're in pain, doesn't matter if

you're rich or poor. You're in pain. Doesn't matter, if

you're young or old. You're in pain, doesn't matter if

you're educated or un educated, doesn't matter. Pain is the

great equalizer, and we are to help each other through

our pain. Tell God exactly how you feel, and accept

help from others. Here's the third thing you need to do.

Stop asking why when you've gone through that loss, when

you've gone through that crisis, when your prayer hasn't been answered.

You stop asking why because it doesn't help and it

only prolongs the pain. Now, this is something we all

have to learn. Even Job had to learn this. Job

didn't get it right for a long time. In fact,

Job was full of questions he asked. In fact, he

asked questions for thirty seven chapters. So he didn't get

it right off the bat, but he did eventually get it,

and eventually he stopped asking why. And what happened is

God started asking him some questions. And I'll tell you

about that in a minute. But he's asking all kinds

of questions. Let me give you some of the questions

Job asked Job chapter three. Why didn't I die at

birth as I came from the womb? Why did my

mother let me live? Why did she nurse me at

her breast? In other words, here's a guy in so

much pain and in so much despair. He's going, you

know what, it really would have been better if I

hadn't been born. Now, you got to be an enormous

pain to feel that way, But this is the way

Job felt. He said, I rue the day that I

was born. I wish I hadn't been born. God, why

did you let me be born? If I was going

to be a part of all of this despair? It's

a legitimate question. In fact, Job asks a lot of

legitimate questions. Look at the next verse, Job three twenty.

Why let people go on living in misery? Good question?

Why give light to those in grief. You see this

why question? Why God? Why? Why God? Why? Why God? Why?

It's human nature and we all ask it. And the

reason why we all asked it is a misconception because

we think that if we understand the reason beyond behind

our pain, then it'll make the pain easier. Wrong. An

explanation does it comfort you. You don't need an explanation.

You need strength. You don't need an explanation. You need

a savior. You don't need an explanation. You need God.

You don't need an explanation, you need comfort and support.

But we always go looking for the explanation, why why, Why?

Why why? And we ask things like why did that

person walk out in my life? Why did they betray me?

Why did they make a promise to me and then

break it? Why did they walk out? Why did they

hurt me? Why did I lose my job? Why did

I get layered off? Why did my loved one die?

Why did they get ill? Why did I get sick? Now, friends,

i have been studying the white question for thirty seven years,

and I'm going to give you my educated, profound answer.

I don't know, and I'm never gonna know, because I'm

not God, and you're not God either. And some things

we're just never gonna understand until we get to the

other side of death in eternity in heaven, and then

it's all going to become very very clear. Only God knows.

And if you don't get it right off the bat,

you might as well stop asking why, because you're simply

prolonging the pain. Let me show you a couple of

very important verses. These aren't on your outline, so you

might write them down here on the screen. Proverbs twenty five,

verse twenty five, verse two says this, it is God's

privilege to conceal things. It is God's privilege to conceal things.

God reveals, but God also conceals. You see, you wouldn't

know anything about God except that God reveals himself. God

is a God of revelation. He reveals himself through nature,

He reveals himself to circumstances, He reveals himself through scripture.

And the only reason you know anything about God is

because God has chosen to reveal himself. Otherwise you wouldn't

know anything about him. But the Bible says God just

doesn't just reveal. God also conceals, and sometimes God intentionally

hides his face from us. Why so we'll learn to

trust him instead of trusting our feelings, so we'll live

by faith rather than feelings. Why didn't God just make

himself known to everybody and make everything perfectly clear and

you see everything from the beginning of your life to

the end in perfect clarity, because it scare you to death.

So God intentionally conceals some things. And what God has

concealed you're never gonna find out on this side of eternity,

So you might as well relax and stop asking why

we see. God doesn't owe you an explanation for anything.

God doesn't have to check in with you first before

he does something. God doesn't have to get your permission

before he allows things to happen in life. Is this

okay with you? No? God is God and we're not

always going to understand what happens. One Corinthians thirteen, verses

nine and twelve says this, right now we only know

a little. In other words, we see in part we

just see partially. Right now, we see things imperfectly as

in a poor mirror. But then in other words, in

heaven we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that

I know now is partial and incomplete. But then in

heaven I will know everything completely. Someday it's all gonna

be clear. One day, it's all gonna make sense. One

day you're gonna see in heaven go, oh, that's what

was happening. That's why God allowed that in my life.

That's why God allowed me to sin. That's why God

allowed that other person to sin against me, because he

could have stopped me from sinning, and he could have

stopped them from sinning, but he didn't, and the world

is broken as a result, and nothing works right. But

some things we're not going to understand until we get

to having in the first place, our brain capacity isn't

big enough to understand God. Some of the best advice

I got many years ago, my dad said this to me.

He may have read it somewhere, but it's really stuck

with me. He said, Son, there's going to be things

in life you don't understand, and they're not going to

make sense, and you're going to have all kinds of questions.

What you need to do is create a ask God

later file in your brain, and you need to plug

those questions there, because there are going to be things

that just don't make sense, and you want to go, why, God, Why,

But they aren't going to be answered now, so you

just need to create a doesn't make sense file, A

I don't understand it file A God, I'm going to

ask you about this later file. And every time you

get one of those unanswerable questions, you just park it

there and you leave it and you let it go,

and you get on with your life and you do

the best you can with what you have. For Jesus Christ.

Today profound advice, just park it in that I don't

understand file.

You're listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope Rip will be

back in just a moment with the rest of today's lesson.

If you've missed any part of today's teaching, you can

listen online anytime at pastorick dot com. That's pastorick dot com.

The Bible says children are a gift from the Lord.

Do you have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, or kids in

your neighborhood that need to know God loves them and

has a good plan for their lives. You can help

them get closer to God by encouraging them to read

His word. That's why we're so excited to tell you

about a very special resource just for kids called God's

Big Plans for Me. It's a storybook Bible by Pastor

Rick Warren. This two hundred and twenty three page hardcover

children's book includes forty well loved Bible stories to help

kids engage with God's word. Each Bible story has an

introduction from Pastor Rick that helps young readers understand the

Word of God and has a closing thought with a

practical step boys and girls can take to discover God's

Big Plans for them. Their eyes will light up as

they turn the beautifully illustrated pages and really start to

get what God wants to say to their young hearts

and minds. God's Big Plans for Me is so much

more than just a book filled with cute pictures of

Bible characters. It's a fun and effective way to introduce

children to God's everlasting truth. This book makes a great gift.

You'll want to get a copy for every child in

your life. And today, when you give a gift to

help Pastor Rick's Daily Hope take the certain Hope of

Jesus Christ around the world, We'll send you a copy

of God's Big Plans for Me. Storybook Bible to say thanks.

To get your copy of this great resource, just call

eight hundred six hundred five zero zero four or go

to pastorick dot com to get yours. That's eight hundred

six hundred five zero zero four or pastorick dot com.

Thanks in advance for your support. Your gift to Daily

Hope helps us share the hope of Christ with people

around the world. Today is the last day to get

God's Big Plans for Me Storybook Bible.

So don't late you're listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope

once again. Here's Pastor Rick Warren.

You see, sometimes you pray about something and you want

it so badly your heart is about to break. You go, God,

I've invested my entire life savings in this business and

I want it to work, but it doesn't work. And

sometimes you say, God, I so badly want to get married,

but it hadn't happened. And God, I want to have

a baby, but it hasn't happened. And God, and sometimes

you want so badly and you pray about it, and

you pray about it, and you pray about it and

you pray about it, but you don't get what you want.

And In that moment, you are tempted to doubt God,

to doubt his promises, and to doubt the efficacy of prayer.

That's normal. Even Job doubted the efficacy of prayer. You

say he did, Yeah, he did. Look of the next verse,

Job twenty one fifteen. Who is the Almighty? And why

should we obey him? This is a guy in deep pain?

What good is it if we pray? He's said, why God? Why? Now?

Sometimes you pray and when you don't get what you want,

it feels like God has let you down and you're disappointed,

and you make an illogical jump and you say, well,

God just doesn't love me. You're wrong, You're dead wrong.

You will never understand how much God loves you. He

will never love you any more or less than he

does right now. And as I've said many times, you

can't make God stop loving you. You can rail at him,

but he's not going to stop loving you because God

is love and we always get into trouble when we

out God's love. What I need to do instead of

asking why, is I need to take Step four? Trust

God in things I don't understand. That's step four. I

stop asking why because I'm not going to find the

answer now, and I trust God in things I don't

understand now. The fact is God always answers prayer, always, always, always, always,

always answer prayer. He doesn't always answer yes. He doesn't

always answer the way I wish. In fact, there are

hundreds of ways God can answer your prayers besides yes.

Sometimes God answers a prayer with yes some guys. God

answers a prayer with no. Sometimes God answers a prayer

with not yet. Sometimes God answers a prayer with weight.

Sometimes God answers a prayer with you gotta be kidding me.

Sometimes God answers the prayer with you be the answer.

I mean, go out and you be the answer. I

mean to say, God, I need a lot of money,

and God says, go get a job. God, I want

to get married. Well, get out there and meet some people.

God's not gonna drop a man just out of heaven.

He might smash you. Sometimes God says you be the answer.

Sometimes God says, trust me, You're not gonna know on

this one. Just trust me. So lots of different ways

that God answers prayer now for thirty seven chapters in

the Book of Job, Job is asking the why question.

Why God? Why is this happening to me? Why are

you allowing this? Why so much pain? S I so

much discomfort? Why haven't you answered my prayers? Why do

you just why?

Why? Why? Why?

Why?

Why?

Why? And in chapter eight, Job stops asking why and

God says, Okay, hang on, Job, I'd like to ask

you a few questions. And for the next two chapters,

chapter thirty eight and chapter thirty nine, God barrages Job

with questions that only God could answer. He says, like, uh,

where were you when I made the universe? Can you

explain the low gravity and all that kind of stuff?

Do you understand why the sun is hot? And for

two chapters God answers I ask questions that obviously only

God could answer, and Job realizes after two chapters are

listening to God's question to him, who am I to

be questioning God? I mean, really, I'm just a man.

My knowledge is limited. I can't see it all. My

brain capacity is too small. If you could understand why

God does everything he does in your life, you'd be God.

But you're not. And for me to try to understand

the ways of God in the world is like an

ant trying to understand the Internet. No matter how hard

that aunt tries, He's not going to understand the Internet.

There is no way that a finite human is going

to understand an infinite an infinite God, you don't have

the capacity. So there's some things I just have to

trust God for I don't understand them. They don't make sense.

I'm filing it in the ask God later file. But

I'm going to trust God in the things I don't understand.

So Job goes my knowledge is limited. I can't see

it all. My brain capacity is too small. I'm just

a man. So he stops questioning and he starts trusting

Job forty two one to three and verse six. Then

Job replied to the Lord that you can do anything God,

and I know that no one can stop You're you're

sovereign and you're manipotent. You got asked, who is this

that questions my wisdom with such ignorance? Job's doing a

little internal conversation here, he says, God, I can imagine

you saying who is this guy that questions my wisdom

with such ignorance? And Job admits it is I. I

was talking about things. I did not understand things far

too wonderful for me God. I take back everything I said,

and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.

Job says, I was talking about things I didn't understand.

This situation's way over my head. It's above my pay grade.

I don't have the capacity to understand the ways and

the wisdom of God. I'm sorry. I repent I was wrong.

I should just trust you in this. Now. What do

you do when you're in a situation that you don't

see what God sees. You can't see the whole picture.

Things aren't clear, and it makes no sense at all

to you what's happening. What do you do in that situation?

You remind yourself of the things about God that you

do know, that you know for certain, that you can

rely on, and you publicly affirm what you do know

in the midst of all the things that you don't

know and you don't understand. And this is exactly what

Job does throughout the entire book. I just wrote a

few of them down there on your outline. Job reminds himself.

He says, I know that God is good, and I

know that God is loving. Job chapter ten, he says,

I know that God is all powerful, He says, I

notice that God notices every detail of my life. I

know that for sure. I know that God in control.

I know that God has a plan for my life,

and I know that God will protect me, he affirms

in the middle of his doubts the stuff he does

know to be true. Now, I don't know what you're

going through right now, and you may not feel it,

but I will tell you this. God is passionately and

intimately aware of every detail in your life that you're

going through right now, and He's paying attention to every

breath and every burp in your life. Nothing misses God's

attention because God is complete love and He made you

to love you, and he notices everything in your life.

So even though Job doesn't understand what's going on, he

makes these affirmations of faith, and you need to do this.

I know you're good, I know you're loving, I know

you're powerful. I know you notice the details of my life.

I know you're in control. I know you have a plan.

I know you will protect me. And after making all

these affirmations, Job comes to the decision, I'm going to

trust God no matter what. I may not understand it,

but I'm going to trust God no matter what.

This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. We're so thankful that

you've chosen to spend some time with us. If you've

missed any part of this broadcast, including portions we didn't

have time for today, just go to Pastorick dot com

and listen online anytime. Rick will be back to close

out our time today. But first, the Bible says children

are a gift from the Lord. Do you have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews,

or kids in your neighborhood that need to know God

loves them and has a good plan for their lives.

You can help them get closer to God by encouraging

them to read God's Word. That's why we're so excited

to tell you about a very special resource us for

kids called God's Big Plans for Me. It's a storybook

Bible by Pastor Rick Warren. Here's Pastor Rick to tell

you more.

In Matthew nineteen fourteen, Jesus said, let the little children

come to me, and do not hinder them, For the

Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. How do

we bring children to Jesus? Well, the best way is

to read the Bible with them. You know, when my

kids were growing up, I could always see their excitement

about Jesus grow every time we read stories from the

Bible together. Now I see that same excitement when I

read the Bible with my grandchildren. I love teaching them

at such an early age that God created them for

a purpose, that they are not an accident, that they

matter to God, and that He has a special plan

for their lives. So I'm excited to tell you that

I've teamed up with a very gifted children's illustrator to

prepare a new Bible for children. It's called God's Big

Plans for Me Storybook Bible. Your kids will learn from

God's word in ways that are easy to understand, and

long after they learn to read on their own, this

Storybook Bible is going to keep on encouraging them to

trust in God's promises. The God's Big Plans for Me

Storybook Bible contains forty well loved Bible stories that will

help your kids learn how to apply God's word to

their lives. Each story is beautifully illustrated, it's incredible, and

includes an introduction from me that it encourages them to

discover God's great purpose for them. It's fun, it's effective,

it's entertaining, it's challenging, it's captivating. It's a great way

to introduce children to God's eternal truths. Now, I'll send

you this Bible for Children, God's Big Plans for Me

Storybook Bible, just as a way of saying thanks. When

you give a gift to daily hope today we depend

on your gifts. I want you to have this. This

is my thank you gift to you. I hope you'll

get a copy for all the children in your life,

your kids, your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, even children you know

in your neighborhood. They'll all love this. We've had nothing

but one hundred percent great feedback from people who've seen

the God's Big Plans for Me Storybook Bible.

To get your copy of this great resource, just call

eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four or go

to Pastorick dot com to get yours. That's eight hundred

six hundred five thousand and four or Pastorick dot com.

Today is the last day to get God's Big Plans

for Me Storybook Bible, so don't wait. Be sure to

join us next time as we look into God's word

for our Daily Hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor

Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.