Identifying the Causes of Hopelessness - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - August 10, 2020
Identifying the Causes of Hopelessness
By Rick Warren
“When my life was slipping away, I remembered you—and in your holy temple you heard my prayer” (Jonah 2:7 CEV).
When you’re experiencing hopelessness, one of the most important steps you can take is to identify the cause.
In other words, instead of wrestling with a vague sense of hopelessness, try to figure out where it’s coming from—because your problem isn’t hopelessness. The real problem is what’s causing your hopelessness.
In Jonah 2:3-6, we discover eight common causes of hopelessness. Take a look and see if any of these root issues feel familiar.
- You feel like you’re in over your head. “You threw me into the ocean depths” (Jonah 2:3 NLT).
- You’ve hit the bottom. “I sank down to the heart of the sea” (Jonah 2:3 NLT).
- You feel out of control and powerless. “I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves” (Jonah 2:3 NLT).
- You feel overwhelmed. “The mighty waters engulfed me” (Jonah 2:3 NLT).
- You feel rejected. “O Lord, you have driven me from your presence” (Jonah 2:4 NLT).
- You feel remorse and regret. “I thought I had been banished from your presence and would never see your holy Temple again” (Jonah 2:4 GNT).
- You feel crushing fear. “I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head” (Jonah 2:5 NLT).
- You feel trapped. “I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!” (Jonah 2:6 NLT).
When Jonah started talking to God about his hopelessness, God began to heal him. “When my life was slipping away, I remembered you—and in your holy temple you heard my prayer” (Jonah 2:7 CEV).
Talk to God about your sense of hopelessness. He is the God of hope, and through Jesus, he offers the only real and lasting hope you can find.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Be Encouraged Each Day to Live Out God’s Purposes
As thanks for your gift below to help share the gospel with more people around the world through Daily Hope, we’ll send you Pastor Rick’s new book, Daily Hope Devotional: 365 Days of Purpose, Peace, and Promise.
Each devotional starts out with a Bible verse, followed by teaching that explains God’s Word and shows you how to apply it daily so you can face any challenge and live the life you were created to live.
As a special bonus when you give, we’ll also send you What's Driving Your Life?: A 10-Day Turnaround for a Fresh Start. Featuring 10 hand-picked devotions from Pastor Rick’s new book, they’ll guide anyone feeling stressed, worried, or discouraged toward seeking God for a fresh start.
Request your copy below when you give—and take the first step towards a year of real purpose, lasting peace, and unfailing promises.
Thank you for your partnership!
*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.
