You Can Count on God
By Rick Warren
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).
When everything’s changing around you, it’s important to remember that God is a consistent Father. He will never let you down. He can be counted on. He is reliable. He is worthy of trust.
James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (NIV). God is an unchanging, consistent Father.
Human fathers are often unpredictable. I’ve talked to people who said, “Growing up, I never knew how my dad was going to treat me. I never knew if he was going to be silent or violent. I never knew whether he was going to hug me or slug me. I never knew if he was going to take me in or reject me.” Inconsistent fathers produce insecure children.
But God is not moody. Your heavenly Father is consistent. One of the things you can count on is that God always acts the same toward you.
The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (NIV).
We know that the world is changing faster than ever before. Alvin Toffler wrote a book called “Future Shock,” in which he said that in times of rapid change, people need what he calls islands of stability. When everything else is up in the air, you need something in your life that never changes; an anchor for your soul. You need an island of stability in order to handle the stress.
There’s only one problem: On this planet, nothing lasts. There’s only one thing you can count on that is not ever going to change: the consistent, caring love of your heavenly Father.
“My God is changeless in his love for me” (Psalm 59:10a TLB).
You can count on that.
You Can Count on God By Rick Warren “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV). When everything’s changing around you, it’s important to remember that God is a consistent Father. He will never let you down. He can be counted on. He is reliable. He is worthy of trust. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (NIV). God is an unchanging, consistent Father. Human fathers are often unpredictable. I’ve talked to people who said, “Growing up, I never knew how my dad was going to treat me. I never knew if he was going to be silent or violent. I never knew whether he was going to hug me or slug me. I never knew if he was going to take me in or reject me.” Inconsistent fathers produce insecure children. But God is not moody. Your heavenly Father is consistent. One of the things you can count on is that God always acts the same toward you. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (NIV). We know that the world is changing faster than ever before. Alvin Toffler wrote a book called “Future Shock,” in which he said that in times of rapid change, people need what he calls islands of stability. When everything else is up in the air, you need something in your life that never changes; an anchor for your soul. You need an island of stability in order to handle the stress. There’s only one problem: On this planet, nothing lasts. There’s only one thing you can count on that is not ever going to change: the consistent, caring love of your heavenly Father. “My God is changeless in his love for me” (Psalm 59:10a TLB). You can count on that. Play today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Talk It Over What have you used as an island of stability in your life? How does constant change contribute to stress? What are the good and perfect gifts in your life that are evidence of God’s changeless love for you?
Talk It Over
- What have you used as an island of stability in your life?
- How does constant change contribute to stress?
- What are the good and perfect gifts in your life that are evidence of God’s changeless love for you?
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Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer - 8 CD Boxed Set and Bonus Music CD: FIRST
The Bible says very clearly that you were created for connections. In this new message series, Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer, Rick Warren lays out practical steps for you to connect with God and loved ones by examining the Lord’s Prayer. Christianity is not just a belief system; it’s a belong system. Learn how to connect and live the joyful life you were meant to live.
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This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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