“You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit.”1 Peter 1:2 (GNT)
Many people in our broken world ask why things don’t seem to go right so much of the time. They want to know, “Is there hope?”
Hope is essential.
You and I need genuine hope—not just optimism. Optimism is psychological; it’s based on the way you think. Hope is theological; it’s based on who God is and his relationship with you. Optimism is positive thinking. Hope is passionate trusting.
The book of 1 Peter is a letter of hope. Peter wrote it to Christians who were suffering persecution in the Roman Empire.
In the first seven verses of 1 Peter, God gives five roots of radical hope. Over the next few days in these Daily Hope devotionals, we’ll look at each of those five roots.
The first root of radical hope is this: God chose you before you chose him.
The Bible says, “You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit” (1 Peter 1:2 GNT).
Your salvation is no accident. Long before you chose God, he chose you. You were his idea. Before God even created the universe, he decided he wanted to create you.
Look again at 1 Peter 1:2. It says, “You were chosen according to the purpose of God.” That means God has a purpose for your life. What is that purpose? He wants to make you holy for heaven.
In other words, God has chosen you to spend eternity with him. That’s a big deal! In fact, it’s the highest honor you could ever receive.
And it’s the first reason you can have hope, no matter what’s going on in your life.
Let this root of radical hope grow down deep in your life: Before you chose him, God chose you to spend eternity with him.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Your Gift Brings Hope to the World
Ground Yourself in God’s Word and Discover the Path to True Happiness
Scripture memorization is a powerful tool to help you remember God’s promises, principles, and the purposes he has for you.
That’s why Pastor Rick created the TheHabits of HappinessScripture card set—with 52 key verses from his teaching series, The Habits of Happiness, that will help you discover God’s path to true and lasting happiness.
These colorful, eye-catching cards make it easy to memorize the Word of God so you have it when you need it most.
We'll send you the The Habits of Happiness Scripture cards to say thanks for your gift below to share the hope of Jesus Christ with people around the world through Daily Hope.
So request the cards now—and experience the true happiness God wants for you!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of “current offer” materials you received from Daily Hope.
