Topic: It’s Not the End of the World [RICK WARREN Devotional 9 JULY  2023]

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It’s Not the End of the World

BY RICK WARREN — JULY 9, 2023
FROM HOW TO GET THROUGH WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH

“[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

We are in a battle against hopelessness.

When something bad happens and we have a major loss in our lives, we tend to think, “This is the end of the world!”

But it’s not the end of the world. It’s the end of a moment. And in your life, you’re going to have many moments that end. You can’t treat each of those moments like the end of the world because it’s not.

You know it isn’t the end of the world because when the real end of the world comes and Jesus shows up, then you won’t have any doubts about whether it’s really the end!

One day Jesus is going to come back to Earth and settle the score, even the odds, pay off the debts, and heal the hurts. The Bible tells us what it’s going to be like in heaven when it’s all over here on Earth. The last chapter in the last book of the Bible says thatGod “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4 NIV). 

I’m looking forward to that day—but we’re not there yet. So what should you do in the brief here and now, where everything is broken, life doesn’t make sense, and it feels like a constant battle? What do you do during this in-between time?

You live in peace, even when life doesn’t make sense. You can do that because you know that God is with you and he loves you. He’ll never forget you or stop loing you. 

You live with joy, even when everything on this planet is broken, because you know that God is good and he has a good plan that is greater than the problem you’re going through. His purpose is greater than your problem.

You live with hope, even when life is a battle and everything is hard and there’s a lot of conflict. You keep hoping in the perfect forever that God has promised to ll those who believe in him and his Son, Jesus.

It’s not the end of the world—yet. Keep living with pee, joy, and hope as you focus on God’s promises to you.

Talk It Over

• Are there certain times in life when you focus on or think about heaven more than at other times? Why do you think that is?
• What does it say to the world when followers of Jesus have hope and peace and joy in the midst of life’s struggles?
• Which of God’s promises carry special meaning in your life right now? Why?

If you’ve never opened your life to Jesus Christ, why not do that today? You don’t need to know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You don’t need to know what the future holds; you just need to know who holds the future! When you have a relationship with your Creator, you’ll have the security of his unwavering love and unbreakable promises.

God proved his goodness through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 CSB).

Are you ready to trust God to fulfill his promise of eternal life? If so, pray this simple prayer: “Dear God, I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

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