How God's Goodness Changes EverythingSample

Hope Is Believing in God’s Goodness

“I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB)

God has only good plans for your life. He never has, and he never will, have bad plans for you.

Yet many people miss God’s plan for their lives because they don’t trust him. Instead, they decide to follow their own plan, which leads to hopelessness and pessimism.

The more you understand God’s goodness, the more hopeful you’ll be—because hope is anticipating God’s goodness. The only reason you have real hope is because God is good; without God’s goodness, there’s no rational reason for hope.

King David said in Psalm 27:13-14, “I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord” (NASB).

Everything God does for you, through you, to you, and in you is because he is good. God’s goodness in your life is never based on how good you are; it’s always based on God’s character, not yours.

Are you fighting discouragement, doubt, or despair? Take your eyes off your problems—and get your eyes on all the good things God has done in your life. Let the people closest to you remind you of how good God is and what he has done for you. You can even write those things down and make a list! You’ll be amazed at all you come up with, and it will serve as a reminder to you in the days ahead.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV).

What does God’s goodness in your life look like? It looks like his blessings of sustenance, balance, resilience, guidance, confidence, assurance, influence, inheritance—and so much more. He makes all of this available to his children because of his grace and his good character.

That gives me hope—and it can give you hope today too!

Why do you gain freedom when you acknowledge that God’s goodness is based on his character and not yours?

This devotional © 2025 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.