It’s Not the End of the World
By Rick Warren
“[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 that 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).
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 loving 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 all those who believe in him and his Son, Jesus.
It’s not the end of the world—yet. Keep living with peace, joy, and hope as you focus on God’s promises to you.
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.