Rick Warren's Blog, page 518

God Finds Joy in You

“I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing; make something of me. You [God] can do it; you’ve got what it takes” (Psalm 40:17 The Message).

A lot of people are afraid to trust Jesus with their lives because they think that means he will narrow it. He’ll cramp their style and make their life smaller with a lot of rules and restrictions.

When Christ comes into your life, the exact opposite happens. Instead of making your life more religious, he makes it more alive. He makes you more fully human and able to experience the life you were meant to live. He expands your horizons and gives you the ability to see things you’ve never seen before. You may be living a good life now, but God wants to offer you a better life.

The Bible says, “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19 NIV). God expands the possibilities for your life because he delights in you. He doesn’t just love you; he finds joy in you!

The best way I can describe it is thinking back to when my children were young. They didn’t have to do anything special for me to love them. I loved them and found joy in everything they did because they were my children and I was their father.

God is your heavenly Father; he made you, he loves you, and he finds joy in you. He wants to rescue you and give you the better, fuller life that you were destined to have.

Heaven’s 24-hour Emergency Hotline

God wants you to ask him for help when you are in trouble. He says, “Call on me in times of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:15 GW).

I call this a “microwave” prayer because it is quick and to the point: Help! SOS! Mayday! For instance, when temptation strikes and you don’t have time for a long conversation with God, simply cry out! David, Daniel, Peter, Paul, and countless others have prayed this kind of instant prayer for help in trouble.

The Bible guarantees that our cry for help will be heard because Jesus is sympathetic to our struggle. He faced the same kinds of problems we do. He “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT).

If God is waiting to help us, why don’t we turn to him more often? Honestly, sometimes we don’t want to be helped! At that moment we think we know what’s best for us — that we’re more qualified than God is. At other times we’re embarrassed to ask God for help. But the Bible says, “Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it” (Hebrews 4:16 GNT).

God’s love is everlasting, and his patience endures forever. Ask him for help and then watch how he provides.

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Talk It Over

If God is waiting to help us, why don’t we turn to him more often?

How have “microwave” prayers carried you through difficult temptations?

Do you find it easy or difficult to believe that Jesus understands your weaknesses and temptations? Why?

God Is Working While You���re Waiting

God wants you to wait patiently for him to answer your prayer, but he also wants you to wait expectantly. Have faith. Trust God to hear and to answer. When you wait expectantly, you demonstrate that you believe God���s promises. You believe he���s going to keep his word.

God Is Working While You’re Waiting

God wants you to wait patiently for him to answer your prayer, but he also wants you to wait expectantly. Have faith. Trust God to hear and to answer. When you wait expectantly, you demonstrate that you believe God’s promises. You believe he’s going to keep his word.

Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman, was once asked, “Have you ever gotten lost in the wilderness?” He said, “No, I’ve never been lost. I’ve been bewildered for weeks at a time, but I’ve never been lost.”

Maybe you feel bewildered right now. You’re bewildered about your marriage: “I’m praying for it to get better, but it’s not getting any better.” You’re bewildered about your career: “Do I go up, down, change jobs?” You’re bewildered about relationships. You may feel powerless and hopeless, like you can’t do anything to change your situation on your own. You’re bewildered.

Don’t be discouraged! Don’t give up! Look up. Turn to prayer. I have had many, many requests in my life that I’ve prayed to God that have never been answered. I can think of one prayer that I have prayed almost every day for years, and it hasn’t been answered. I don’t know why God hasn’t chosen to answer that prayer, and I don’t understand it. But I have decided this: Whether or not God ever answers that prayer, I am going to die believing his promises. Because God is a good God, and he knows what’s best, even when I don’t understand it.

When God doesn’t answer your prayers, you need to remember a couple of important truths. First, God is in control, and you’re not. He knows better what you need than you do. There is no mountain too tall that he can’t move it. There is no problem so big that he can’t solve it. There is no sorrow so deep he cannot soothe it. God is in control, and he has a plan.

The second thing you need to remember is that, whether or not you ever receive your answer, God will honor your patience — if not in this world, then in eternity.

“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised” (Psalm 130:5 TLB).

Dios Está Trabajando Mientras Tú Estás Esperando

Dios quiere que esperes pacientemente a que él responda tu oración, pero también quiere que esperes con expectativa. Ten fe. Confía en Dios para escuchar y para responder. Cuando esperas expectante, demuestras que crees en las promesas de Dios. Cree que él va a cumplir su Palabra.

A Daniel Boone, el famoso hombre de la frontera, le preguntaron una vez: “¿Alguna vez te has perdido en el desierto?” Él dijo: “No, nunca me he perdido. He estado desconcertado durante varias semanas a la vez, pero nunca me he perdido”.

Quizás te sientas desconcertado ahora mismo. Estás desconcertado acerca de tu matrimonio: “Estoy orando para que mejore, pero no está mejorando”. Estás desconcertado acerca de tu carrera: “¿subo, bajo o cambio de trabajo?”. Desconcertado sobre las relaciones. Puedes sentirse impotente y sin esperanza, como si no pudieras hacer nada para cambiar tu situación por tu cuenta. Estás desconcertado.

¡No te desanimes! ¡No te rindas! Alza tu vista. Vuelve a la oración. He tenido muchas, muchas peticiones en mi vida que he orado a Dios que nunca han sido respondidas. Puedo pensar en una oración que he orado casi todos los días durante años, y no ha sido respondida. No sé por qué Dios no ha respondido esa oración, y no lo entiendo. Pero he decidido esto: si Dios alguna vez responde o no a esa oración, voy a morir creyendo en sus promesas. Porque Dios es un Dios bueno, y él sabe lo que es mejor, incluso cuando yo no lo entiendo.

Cuando Dios no responde tus oraciones, debes recordar un par de verdades importantes. Primero, Dios tiene el control, y tú no. Él sabe mejor que tú lo que necesitas. No hay una montaña demasiado alta que no pueda mover. No hay un problema tan grande que no pueda resolver. No hay tristeza tan profunda que no pueda calmar. Dios tiene el control, y él tiene un plan.

Lo segundo que debes recordar es que, Ya sea que recibas o no tu respuesta a la oración, Dios honrará tu paciencia, si no lo hace en este mundo, lo hará en la eternidad.

“En Dios he puesto mi esperanza; con toda el alma confío en él, pues confío en sus promesas”. (Salmo 130:5 TLA).

What Do You Do While���

What does God want you to do while you���re waiting on an answer to your prayer?

What Do You Do While…

What does God want you to do while you’re waiting on an answer to your prayer?

Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act” (NLT). God wants you to wait patiently for him to answer your prayer.

Have you noticed that we can endure waiting as long as we can grumble while we wait? We tolerate waiting in the DMV line as long as we can gripe and complain about how lousy and ineffective the government is.

But God says, “Be still.”

Like little 2-year-olds, we get the spiritual wiggles while we’re waiting for God to answer a prayer. We get nervous and restless. We want to jump up and do something. But God says, “Wait patiently. Be still. Watch me act. Don’t get restless, don’t get nervous, and don’t try to take matters into your own hands.”

And don’t ever make Abraham’s mistake in the Old Testament of trying to be the answer to your own prayer. It will cause all kinds of problems! One day God promised to make Abraham the father of a great nation. There were only two problems: Abraham was 99 years old, and he was childless. Abraham looked at his own body and said, “No way, José!” And he looked at his wife, Sarah, who was infertile, and said, “Double no way! It ain’t gonna happen.”

So Abraham took matters into his own hands and had a baby with his wife’s maid, Hagar. Abraham said, “Here’s my answer to prayer! I’ve got a son at 99. His name is Ishmael.” God said, “No, no. You missed the point. That’s not my answer to prayer. That’s your answer to prayer. I’ve got a miracle boy who’s coming, and Sarah’s going to be the mom. You’re going to name him Isaac.” Isaac means “laughter.” When Sarah was told that she was going to become pregnant, the Bible says she laughed because she didn’t believe God.

But God had the last laugh. Isaac was born, and it started an intense rivalry between him and Ishmael that we’re still paying for today. The tense relationship between Jews and Arabs all began because Abraham tried to answer his own prayer request.

Whenever you try to answer your own prayer, you’re asking for trouble. Instead, wait patiently, and watch God act.

¿Qué Haces Mientras…?

¿Qué quiere Dios que hagas mientras esperas por una respuesta a tu oración?

Salmos 37:7 dice, “Quédate quieto en la presencia del Señor, y espera con paciencia a que él actúe”. (NTV). Dios quiere que esperes pacientemente mientras él responde tus oraciones.

¿Te has dado cuenta de que podemos aguantar esperando o podemos refunfuñar mientras esperamos? Toleramos esperando en la fila en la oficina de tránsito o podemos protestar y quejarnos de lo pésimo e ineficaz que es el gobierno.

Pero Dios dice, “Quédate quieto”.

Como niñitos de dos años, tenemos rabietas espirituales mientras esperamos que Dios responda nuestras oraciones. Nos volvemos nerviosos e inquietos. Queremos saltar y hacer algo. Pero Dios dice, “Espera pacientemente Quédate quieto. Mírame actuar. No te inquietes. No te pongas nervioso, y no trates de tomar las cosas en tus manos”.

Y nunca cometas el error de Abraham en el Antiguo Testamento de tratar de ser la respuesta a tu propia oración. ¡Causará todo tipo de problemas! Un día, Dios prometió hacer de Abraham el padre de una gran nación. Solo había dos problemas: Abraham tenía 99 años y no tenía hijos. Abraham miró su propio cuerpo y dijo: “¡De ninguna manera, José!” Y miró a su esposa, que era infértil, y dijo: “¡Doblemente de ninguna manera! No va a suceder”.

Así que Abraham tomó el asunto en sus propias manos y tuvo un bebé con la criada de su esposa, Agar. Abraham dijo: “¡Aquí está mi respuesta a la oración! Tengo un hijo a los 99. Su nombre es Ismael”. Dios dijo: “No, no. Perdiste el punto. Esa no es mi respuesta a la oración. Esa es tu respuesta a la oración. Tendrás un niño que vendrá milagrosamente y Sarah va a ser la madre. Vas a llamarlo Isaac”. Isaac significa “risa”. Cuando le dijeron a Sara que iba a quedar embarazada, la Biblia dice que se río porque no le creyó a Dios.

Pero Dios tuvo la última risa. Isaac nació, y comenzó una intensa rivalidad entre él e Ismael que todavía estamos pagando hoy. La relación tensa entre judíos y árabes comenzó porque Abraham trató de responder a su propia petición de oración.

Cada vez que tratas de responder a tu propia oración, estás provocando problemas. En cambio, espera pacientemente y observa a Dios actuar.

How Can I Get out of This Mess?

Here is the testimony of a Chinese Christian: ���I walked through the road of life and had fallen into a great ditch. The ditch was filled with depression, discouragement, and sin. As I lay in that ditch, Mohammed came along and said, ���It���s your fault you���re in the ditch. You offended Allah, and this is your just punishment.��� Then Marx came by and said, ���You���re in the ditch because of class warfare. You must revolt.��� But after the government changed, I was still in my ditch. Then Buddha came along and said, ���You���re not really in that ditch. You just think you���re there. It���s all an illusion of the mind. Be at peace.��� Then Confucius came by and said, ���Here are the 10 steps of self-attainment by which you can get out of your ditch. If you will struggle, you will climb out eventually.��� But as much as I struggled and strained, I couldn���t get out of the ditch, because it was too deep.

How Can I Get out of This Mess?

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Here is the testimony of a Chinese Christian: “I walked through the road of life and had fallen into a great ditch. The ditch was filled with depression, discouragement, and sin. As I lay in that ditch, Mohammed came along and said, ‘It’s your fault you’re in the ditch. You offended Allah, and this is your just punishment.’ Then Marx came by and said, ‘You’re in the ditch because of class warfare. You must revolt.’ But after the government changed, I was still in my ditch. Then Buddha came along and said, ‘You’re not really in that ditch. You just think you’re there. It’s all an illusion of the mind. Be at peace.’ Then Confucius came by and said, ‘Here are the 10 steps of self-attainment by which you can get out of your ditch. If you will struggle, you will climb out eventually.’ But as much as I struggled and strained, I couldn’t get out of the ditch, because it was too deep.

“Then one day, Jesus Christ came by and saw me in my ditch. Without a word, he took off his white robe and got down in the muddy ditch with me. Then he lifted me up with his strong arms and got me out of the ditch. Thank God that Jesus did for me what I could not do for myself.”

Jesus did for you what you could not do for yourself.

If you want healing in your life, you have to believe that Christ can change you. Romans 7:24-25 says, “Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (NLT).

The answer to your problem is a person. Who’s going to be lord of your life? Who’s going to call the shots? You or Jesus Christ? When you’re mastered by him, you can master your problems.

God has the power you are lacking. He’ll help you out.