You Were Made to Know and Love God - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - October 23, 2026

Audio By Carbonatix

You Were Made to Know and Love God
By Rick Warren

“For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11 (KJV)

The first purpose of your life is to know and love God. The more you understand how much God loves you, the more you're going to love him back. He made you for his pleasure. If he hadn't wanted to love you, you would not exist. 

The Bible says, “For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11 KJV).

The fact is God takes pleasure in just watching you be you. I'm not talking about when you sin, but when you do what he made you to do. So, if he wired you to organize, he enjoys watching you organize a closet or plan a garden. If he made you to be a salesperson and you make a good sale, he says, "That's my girl” or “That's my boy." Or if you play music or work on a car, God just enjoys watching you be you, because he made you and loves you.

Jesus said, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV). This verse describes worship. Worship is simply letting God love you and then loving him back.

Worship is more than just music. You can worship in silence, in giving, in listening, and in serving others. You can worship God in a hundred different ways as you express your love to him.

The opposite of worship is worry, and it’s the warning sign that you’ve stopped worshiping. Every day, you have a choice: “Am I going to worry, or am I going to worship?”

Matthew 6:32 says, “Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things” (CEV). Why? Because they're not focused on God’s greatness and his love; they're focused on their problems and insecurities. 

If you want to live out your purpose of knowing and loving God, here’s how to start. Every morning, pray, “Lord, I know you made me to love me. Thank you. I love you too. And today, if I don't get anything else done, I want to know you a little bit better and I want to love you a little bit more, because that's the first purpose of my life.”

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick

Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

Your Gift Brings Hope to the World

Help More People Hear God’s Word

Thank you for your gift and your heart to help more people discover the hope found in Jesus Christ!

Every day, Daily Hope shares God’s Word through radio, television, podcasts, YouTube, email devotionals, social media, and Bible teaching available in 16 languages. And with your gift, you’ll help even more people know God’s love and grow in their faith.

We are grateful!

*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.

This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.

https://www.pastorrick.com/donate/ea2606a1?CID=crosswalk&el=crosswalk_ea2606a1