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[image: Purpose Driven Connection - Daily Devotional] March 10, 2009
Fear and Grace <http://links.purposedriven.com/u.d?CYGtvFGQuXyr6kIM=3>
by Rick Warren
In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages
that inspire him the most. Today's Devotional is based on this
passage: "Surely
your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and
I will live in the house of the LORD forever" (Psalm 23:6 NLT).
God is watching over you.
When King David writes, "Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue
me," he's not saying, "Surely only good things will happen to me!"
The fact is that bad things happen to good people. What David is teaching us
is that God can take bad, evil, and difficult situations and bring something
good out of them.
It's one of God's great promises to us: we can know that all things are
working for our good "if we love God and are fitting into his plans" (Romans
8:28 LB). If you're a believer, the Bible says all things are working
together for good—not that all things are good, but that they work together
for good. There's no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in life that
God can't ultimately turn toward good.
When you understand God's grace and mercy, there's no need to fear the
future. God isn't trying to get even with you. Jesus shouldered the penalty
for everything you've ever done wrong or will do wrong. He paid for it on
the cross. So when a bad thing happens, you don't have to think, "God's
getting even with me."
Mercy, like goodness, follows us in life. Picture a parent following a
little child around picking up after them; God is constantly picking up our
messes.
Think about this:
Christians go toward the future, not with a question mark, but with an
exclamation point. God will be with you no matter what happens. He will help
you out.
God's goodness provides and protects; God's mercy pardons and forgives.
God's goodness will supply; God's mercy will sooth. God's goodness will
help; God's mercy will heal.
Goodness is the fact that God gives us good things in life that we don't
deserve. Mercy means God holds back the condemnation we deserve.
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest,
Calif., one of America’s largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick
is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The
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'Unless you change what you do, you will always have what you've got.'
- Jim Rohn
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