Daily Devotions From Greg Laurie

“For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6 NLT) One way to prepare for Christmas is to consider the long-reaching implications of the Incarnation. There’s a reason that human history is split into two eras: before Christ’s birth and after. Nothing was ever the same again. One implication of Jesus’ coming that rarely gets mentioned at Christmastime is found in John 14:6. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (NLT). The apostle Paul put it this way: “For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (1 Timothy 2:5–6 NLT). When God sent His Son into the world to fulfill His plan of salvation, He eliminated the possibility that there is any other path to Him. Jesus alone can bridge the gulf that sin created between us and God. Jesus alone can give us eternal life. One of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Christian faith goes something like this: “What about the person who has never heard that Jesus is the only way to God? What about the person in the middle of the jungle who has never heard the gospel?” (The person in question is almost always in a jungle for some reason.) The teaching that Jesus Christ is the only way to God has never been popular. But it’s never been more controversial than it is today. If you want to get someone’s blood boiling, quote John 14:6 or 1 Timothy 2:5–6. The “Coexist” bumper sticker on their car will catch fire. To say that Jesus is the only way to God is, in effect, to have the audacity to say that other religions are not true. That’s the way the spiritual equation works itself out, and people don’t like it. It’s acceptable to say that Jesus is a way to God. But when you dare to say that He is the only way, then you can be certain that you’ll have some pushback. But here’s what it comes down to. As believers, we have to say what the Bible says, whether it’s popular or not. It’s not for us to edit the message of the Bible. Our responsibility is simply to deliver the message. Otherwise, it would be like a doctor who discovers a very serious problem with a patient’s health but then is unwilling to say what the problem is, out of concern that it might make the patient uncomfortable. We must tell people the truth about their real condition, which happens to be sinful, and then seek to save them, which is to point them to Jesus Christ as the only solution. Reflection question: How can you share the Good News about Jesus this Christmas season? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT) In all your preparations for the holiday season, make sure you don’t miss the point of celebrating Christmas. Missing the profound meaning and implications of Jesus’ coming is surprisingly easy to do. The innkeeper in Bethlehem could have been an eyewitness to God’s arrival on earth. He could have been immortalized in nativity scenes, along with the shepherds and wise men. But Luke 2:7 says, “She [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them” (NLT). The innkeeper missed Jesus because he gave priority to others. King Herod could have accompanied the wise men in their search for the One born King of the Jews. He could have offered his own crown as a gift to Jesus, as a sign of humility, obedience, and worship. But Herod missed Jesus because he couldn’t accept the idea of someone supplanting him as ruler. Matthew 2:16 tells us how far he went to keep it from happening: “Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance” (NLT). Most of the Jewish people who were alive when the Incarnation occurred missed Jesus because they ignored the truth of God’s Word. They interpreted Old Testament prophecy to fit their own agenda instead of trying to understand God’s agenda. Citizens of the Roman Empire missed Jesus because they were too busy worshipping other gods. They opted for false idols instead of God Himself. Let’s not make the same mistake. Let’s keep our priorities straight. This is the season of busyness. There are a lot of things vying for our attention—many of them important. But none is nearly as important as the gift of God’s only Son. Let’s approach the Lord with a sense of humility and obedience. The genocidal cruelty of Herod sets him apart from most people. But his refusal to hand the reins of power to anyone else is all too familiar. Giving our lives to Christ and submitting to His will can be a challenge. There are times when we want to pursue our own preferences and pleasures. But if we give in to those urges, we miss what the Lord has in store for us. Let’s prioritize God’s Word. In it, we find the secrets of wisdom, trail markers for discovering God’s will, instructions for living in a Christlike way, and glimpses into our future. The Bible is the gift that keeps giving. Let’s remove the false idols—the distractions that keep us from worshipping God wholeheartedly—from our lives. Let’s resolve not to miss Jesus this Christmas. Reflection question: What steps can you take to keep your focus on Jesus this Christmas? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:6–7 NLT) As we look at our world today, it becomes apparent that part of the promise of Isaiah 9:6–7 has not yet been fulfilled. The Child has been born. The Son has been given. But He has not yet taken the government upon His shoulders. We do not yet have peace with fairness and justice. The good news is that the day is coming. Christ will return. He will establish His kingdom on this earth. And it will be the righteous rule of God Himself. Before Jesus could take the government upon His shoulder, He had to take the cross upon His shoulder. Before He could wear the crown of glory as King of kings, He had to wear the shameful crown of thorns and give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. The first time He came, a star marked His arrival. The next time He comes, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, stars will fall from the sky, and He Himself will light the universe. This season, we celebrate the Incarnation and what it means to us. God came near to us so that we can come near to Him. He came to give our lives purpose and meaning, to forgive us of our sins, and to give us the hope of Heaven beyond the grave. Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or even spending time with family. Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree. Rather, Christmas is about the gift that was given on the tree—when Christ died on a wooden cross for our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life. He also gave us the hope of His return. In Luke 21:25–28, Jesus said, “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (NLT). So, as we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s do so with an eye toward the Lord’s return. Let’s remember that one day our hope will be fulfilled, and our joy will be complete. Reflection question: How does Jesus give your life meaning and purpose as you await His return? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11 NLT) One of the best ways to prepare for Christmas is to prepare for worship. Embracing a spirit of worship and praise opens our hearts to the true joy and meaning of Christmas. Worship has been central to Christmas since the wise men first encountered the child they sought. After a long and arduous journey, the wise men, who were followers of the stars, met the Lord Jesus Christ, who created the stars. They were occultists, yet God reached into their dark world with a star to bring them to their Creator. Matthew’s Gospel tells us, “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (2:11 NLT). Their response is almost instinctive. They recognized that they were in the presence of a deity. Their natural reaction was to humble themselves before God, even though God in this instance was a human baby. They acknowledged His majesty and greatness by bowing before Him and presenting offerings to Him. Everyone worships at Christmas. There are no exceptions to this rule. Christians worship. Atheists worship. Skeptics worship. Republicans worship. Democrats worship. Independents worship. Everyone worships at Christmas, but not everyone worships God at Christmas. Some worship material things, which they never seem to have enough of. Others worship their bodies. Others worship their families. But everyone worships something or someone. The wise men worshipped Jesus. What does it mean to worship? Our modern word worship comes from the Old English word worth-ship. We worship the One who is worthy. A god of our own making isn’t worthy of our worship, but the true God is worthy of our praise. Two words are often used in Scripture to define worship. One word means “to bow down and pay homage,” which speaks of reverence and respect. The other means to “kiss toward,” which speaks of intimacy and friendship. So, when we put these two words together, we get an idea of what worship is. To worship is to bow down and have reverence, and it is also to have tender intimacy. We see this reverent intimacy in passages such as Isaiah 25:1: “O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them” (NLT). This Christmas, let’s remember that Jesus was born, He died, and He rose from the dead so that we could come into a relationship with Him and become God’s adopted children. Simply put, we should worship the Lord because He deserves it—every day of the year. Reflection question: How will you worship God this Christmas season? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, ‘Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?’” (Matthew 2:3–4 NLT) Imagine for a moment that you’re living in first-century Jerusalem. You hear mysterious visitors from the east speak of a star that has been leading them to “the newborn king of the Jews.” These wise men are indicating that the long-awaited Messiah has come! You know from prophecy that the Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem, which is only five miles away. Wouldn’t you be inclined to make the short journey to check out their story? Wouldn’t you want to know if the Savior had come? Herod was right to expect answers from the leading priests and teachers of religious law as to where the Messiah would be born. And while they interpreted the writings of Micah properly, they should have been more invested in the matter. These men were the theological scholars of their day. They knew Scripture inside and out. It was their job to study its words and number its letters and lines to ensure careful copying of scrolls. They knew the details of God’s Word so well, but they cared so little. They knew where the Messiah would be born, but they didn’t care about a baby king as much as they cared about an adult monarch who could line their pockets with gold. They were too preoccupied to bother with Jesus. Nothing stunts spiritual growth like spiritual pride. It was true in the first century, and it’s true in the twenty-first century. When you approach the countless truths of God’s Word with an attitude of “I already know that,” or “I’ve already heard that,” or “That doesn’t apply to me,” you limit their impact on your life. You dull your senses to the wonders of Scripture. One of the devil’s masterstrokes is to use frequent exposure to Scripture to foster a sense of spiritual pride. Sometimes when you hear the Word of God again and again, you can enter a place of complacency, a place of apathy. You might even find yourself asleep, spiritually speaking. I find it interesting that many of the Bible’s warnings to “wake up” are addressed to believers. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica, “So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded” (1 Thessalonians 5:6 NLT). The religious scholars of the first century missed Jesus’ birth because they were in a spiritual slumber. If we’re not careful, we can miss the celebration of Jesus’ birth for the same reason. Approaching the Christmas season—and the Christian life—with an attitude of prideful familiarity keeps us from experiencing the life-changing blessings that Christ offers. It’s important that we stay humble and recognize that there is always more to learn, more to apply, and more to change. Reflection question: How can you stay humble, eager, and curious in your walk with Christ? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.” (Matthew 2:7 NLT) We can prepare our hearts for Christmas not just by reading God’s Word, but also by reflecting on it. We can celebrate the fact that Jesus’ coming fulfilled prophecies that had been announced centuries earlier. We can lean into the trustworthiness of its promises. We can anticipate the coming glory of God’s kingdom. If King Herod had reflected more on God’s Word, his story would have had a much different ending. Instead, he’s known today as the man who tried to stop the first Christmas. His efforts resulted in a spectacular failure and fall. With all his wealth and power, he came to complete ruin. Historical writings tell us that in the final year of his life, his body was infected with disease. Ironically, Herod pretended to be a worshipper. He said to the wise men, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” (Matthew 2:8 NLT). Yet Herod was a false worshipper. There are people like him today. They say they believe in God, but they live a life that contradicts what the Scriptures teach. Herod wanted to be the king of his own life, but he really was a slave. He ended up being not the King of the Jews but the king of fools. Herod ended up on the ash heap of history like dictators before and after him, reminding us that those who live wicked lives eventually will reap what they sow. Adolf Hitler went into his bunker and shot himself as his nation crumbled around him. Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a hole and was eventually executed by his own people. Muammar Gaddafi was hunted down by his own people, beaten, and shot to death. All those who blaspheme God, fight with God, or try to stop the work of God eventually will fail. Yet God’s Word and His plan ultimately will prevail. Philippians 2:9–10 says, “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (NLT). The glorification of Jesus is as inevitable as His birth. God gives us a choice. We can humble ourselves, submit to Christ, and enjoy His blessings. James endorsed this option. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor” (James 4:10 NLT). So did Peter. “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6 NLT). Or we can be humbled. One day, everyone—every man, every woman, every believer, and every nonbeliever—will bow before Jesus Christ. It’s inevitable. Reflection question: How can you elevate Christ in the way you live, the choices you make, and the things you prioritize? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” (Jeremiah 29:13 NLT) If the Christmas story—the well-known narratives of Matthew 2 and Luke 2—is so familiar to you that you can practically recite it from memory, try considering it from a different perspective. Try thinking of it as the successful end to a long search. The arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem likely created quite a stir. These were strange men with a strange question, asking for the King of the Jews. As wise as they were, they were also a little naïve, politically speaking. They didn’t realize that they were triggering an extremely volatile man. In effect, they were saying to King Herod, “We’re looking for the King of the Jews—and clearly you’re not him.” This is why we’re told in Matthew 2:3, “King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem” (NLT). The word disturbed used here could be translated “to shake violently”—like a washing machine in the spin phase. That was Herod. And when Herod was agitated, everyone was agitated. When he was mad, everyone was afraid of what would happen next. So, Herod called in the leading priests and teachers of religious law, men who had committed themselves to studying Scripture. Without missing a beat, they went right to Micah 5:2: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah.Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf” (NLT). These scholars had steeped themselves in the writings of the prophets. They understood how to interpret the words of Micah. They knew that the Messiah, when He came, would be born in Bethlehem. But that information was academic to them. It hadn’t penetrated their hearts and souls to the point that they could recognize the signs of the Messiah’s arrival. So, they weren’t searching for the Savior. God, in His infinite and mysterious wisdom, used wise men from eastern lands to announce the arrival of Jesus the King of the Jews to Herod the king of the Jews and his Jewish experts. The wise men were pagans who were steeped in the occult. Yet God reached them in a way that they understood. He came to them by a star. The end of their search, as recorded in Matthew 2:9–12, has implications for everyone who seeks answers or meaning or purpose or assurance or direction or anything else. The Lord says that those who seek Him will find Him. “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7–8 NLT). He doesn’t offer details because the discovery process is different for everyone. To educated men and women, He will come in a way they can understand. And to little children, He will appear in a way they can understand. I believe that if people are truly seeking God, He will reveal Himself to them. Reflection question: How can you help people find the Lord? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross." —Colossians 1:19–20 One sobering way to prepare for Christmas is to remember that our spiritual enemy doesn’t take the holidays off. The apostle Peter wrote, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT). Christmas is a season of giving, a season of hope, and a season of joy. But by its very nature, it’s also a season of spiritual battle—and has been ever since the need for Christ’s coming first arose. The war has been won. Jesus defeated sin and death once and for all. He paid the sacrifice for our sin once and for all. Red is the color of Christmas—not because Santa suits are red or because we wrap packages in red. Red is the color of Christmas because of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed. By the shedding of His blood, He made eternal life possible for everyone who believes in Him. Though the devil has been defeated, he refuses to give up the battle. We see that battle being played out in our culture today. It is the God of the Bible, the true and living God, versus all contenders. This battle goes back to the first Messianic verse in Scripture when, after the serpent tempted Adam and Eve to sin, God said to him, “And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15 NLT). The cradle of Christ was pointing to the cross. The Incarnation was necessary for atonement. The purpose behind the birth of Jesus was the death of Jesus. This is New Testament Christianity. It’s the division between light and darkness, between righteousness and unrighteousness, between good and evil, and between right and wrong. Here’s something else to ponder this Christmas season: It’s through conflict that we find real peace. Those who challenge us as believers do so for reasons that have little to do with us. Christ’s arrival in the world changed everything. His light illuminated the darkness. But some people prefer the dark. They don’t want their sins to be known. So, when they see people who live in the light, it creates conflict within them—conflict that spills out in their reaction to us. But we can trust that through this conflict, ultimate unity will come. Our responsibility is to hold our ground and pray. Pray that these people will think about their souls, consider the claims of Christ, and then ultimately turn their lives over to the Lord. What a Christmas gift that would be. — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“But the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:10–12 NLT) As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, we need to recognize that the season inspires different feelings in different people—and that not all those feelings are pleasant. That was certainly true of the very first Christmas. When the angel delivered his heavenly announcement to the shepherds, he started with the words, “Don’t be afraid!” But the shepherds, along with all of Israel, lived in frightening times. They were under the reign of King Herod, who was a murderous tyrant. Their land was under Roman occupation. There was a pervasive dread about the future. Would Rome ever leave? Would the people of Israel ever be free? Would the Messiah ever come? And when the good news finally came, that the long-awaited Messiah had arrived, it was delivered by an angel: first one, and then a vast host of others. The angel’s greeting of “Don’t be afraid!” was easier said than done, even though it was followed by “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10 NLT). Angels are awe-inspiring—and fear-inspiring—beings. Obviously, the shepherds had never seen anything like them. So, their first reaction was fear. But the angels wanted them to focus on their message and not their appearance. Christmas is cause for joy, not fear. Joy not just for a single day, but for a lifetime, for those who trust in the One who came to save us. The apostle Paul wrote, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NLT). Many people today find it difficult to have joy because we’re surrounded by such sadness. With all the conflict, tragedies, and problems in the world, how can we have good tidings of great joy? The answer is this: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:11 NLT). No matter what happens in life, remember this: You have a Savior. As a Christian, you have been saved from death. You have been saved from eternal punishment and Hell. You have the hope that when you die, you’ll go straight to Heaven. That’s the most important thing about the Christian life. There is a Heaven waiting for you. The fear, sadness, and pain of this world are temporary. Three decades after His birth in the manger, Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT). Reflection question: How can you find joy when you’re surrounded by sadness, anger, and disillusionment? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified.” (Luke 2:8–9 NLT) One way to prepare for Christmas is to reflect on the news of Jesus’ coming. What did it mean to the people who first received it? What does it mean to us? We can start by considering the first people to receive the Good News—and why God chose them to be the first recipients. If it had been up to me, I would have dispatched an angel to the court of Caesar Augustus with a carefully worded message. “You call yourself the savior of the world, Caesar? Well, now you’ve been exposed as a fraud. The real Savior of the world has just been born! And His kingdom will make your empire pale in comparison!” Another option would have been to send an angel to the Jewish high priest, scribes, and scholars to announce the news that their long-awaited Messiah had come—and that He was nothing like they thought He would be. Instead, God chose to deliver His message to shepherds who were “staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep” (Luke 2:8 nlt). To be a shepherd in that culture was to be at the bottom of the social ladder. Shepherds were despised—so much so that the testimony of a shepherd wasn’t allowed in a court of law. Shepherds basically did the work that no one else wanted to do. They had dirt under their fingernails. They were hardworking. And they probably felt right at home when they learned that this baby was born in lowly circumstances. They would have related to this. God was speaking their language. This became the modus operandi of Christ throughout His ministry. He went to the outcasts, to the hurting, to the ordinary people. He went to people like the woman at the well who had been ostracized because of her multiple marriages and divorces. He went to people like the tax collector Zacchaeus who was perceived by his fellow Jews as a traitor. Our Lord always had time for people like that. Jesus was well aware of His reputation for siding with people whom others rejected. He said, “The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it” (Luke 7:34–35 NLT). The Lord’s compassion for outcasts began with the shepherds and extended to the criminal who was crucified next to Him. But it didn’t stop there. It continues through us. Proverbs 19:17 says, “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you!” (NLT). We can prepare for Christmas by reaching out to people in need, by noticing those who slip through the cracks, and by loving those who are hard to love. In other words, by doing what Jesus would do. Reflection question: What would welcoming outcasts and people in need look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Giving Tuesday, help us meet the spiritual moment! Give now. “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT) One way to prepare our hearts for Christmas and foster a spirit of genuine gratitude is to consider what Jesus laid aside, for our sake, when He came to earth. His is not a rags-to-riches story; it’s a riches-to-rags story. The apostle Paul wrote, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). We may not be able to wrap our minds around the glory of Heaven. But we can imagine the pure joy of being in God’s presence. We can guess at what it’s like to be worshipped nonstop by adoring angels. Yet Jesus set those things aside to squeeze His infinite presence into a container of flesh and make Himself vulnerable to the people He created. Let’s also consider the existence that Jesus embraced when He came. He could have been born in the most elegant mansion on the ritziest boulevard in Rome. He could have had aristocratic parents who boasted of their pedigree. He could have had the finest clothes from the most exclusive shops. He could have had legions of servants to respond to His every whim. But He chose none of that. Instead, Jesus humbled Himself. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT). God came into our world—not as an all-powerful deity, but as a baby, born to humble parents in a humble setting. The Creator of the universe was born in a stable in Bethlehem. Like many other aspects of the Christmas story, we have romanticized the environment of Jesus’ birth. We decorate our homes with nativity sets that make the scene seem cozy, comfortable, and heartwarming. We see the baby Jesus surrounded not only by His loving parents but also by His shepherd friends, His wise men friends, and His animal friends. But in sanitizing the circumstances of Jesus’ birth, we lose the raw, powerful meaning behind them. The stable or barn (or maybe even cave) where Christ was born was cold and damp. It also would have smelled. God incarnate was born on a dirt floor used by animals. Our Savior came not as a monarch draped in gold and silk, but as a baby wrapped in rags. Jesus went from being a sovereign to a servant. He went from the glory of God to a stable filled with animals. It has been said that history swings on the hinge of the door of a stable in Bethlehem. As you prepare for Christmas, think about what Jesus left behind to dwell among us. Jesus took His place in a manger so that we might have a home in Heaven. Reflection question: How can we, as Jesus’ followers, humble ourselves for His sake? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:9 NLT) “Let every heart prepare Him room.” These lyrics from “Joy to the World” remind us to embrace the fullness of the Christmas season. To be proactive in getting ourselves ready for the blessings and opportunities that are unique to this time of year. A good way to start preparing our hearts is to widen our focus from the familiar narrative of Luke 2 to the bigger story that starts in Genesis 3. There, we find a tree. Not a Christmas tree with brightly colored lights and ornaments, but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. After God created Adam and Eve and placed them in a literal paradise, He gave them one restriction: Don’t eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You know how the story unfolds after that. The serpent tempted Eve. Eve ate the forbidden fruit. She gave the fruit to Adam. He ate it, too. They disobeyed God and lost their perfect fellowship with Him. In Genesis 3:15, we find the first Christmas verse in the Bible. God said to the serpent, “And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (NLT). Sin created a gulf between humankind and God—one that we can do nothing to bridge. Our only hope is a Savior, One sent by God who would live a sinless life, sacrifice Himself to pay the price for our sin, and then conquer death so that we might live forever. This is God’s plan of salvation. Yet just as our enemy interfered with God’s original plan, he also does everything he can to keep people from coming to salvation. That’s where the hostility of Genesis 3:15 comes in. The devil knew that a Messiah would come. He did everything in his power to stop it from taking place. Yet his power was a drop in a bucket compared to that of the Messiah who came. Before there was a world, before there were planets, before there was light and darkness, before there was matter, before there was anything but the Godhead, there was Jesus—coequal, coeternal, and coexistent with the Father and Holy Spirit. He was with God. He was God. Jesus Christ became human without ceasing to be God. He did not become identical to us, but He became identified with us. The birth that we celebrate this season is that of God Himself, who came to this earth to live among us. To conquer sin and death. To show us how to live. To give His life so that we might live forever. Reflection question: What difference does it make, in your life and in your prayers, that Jesus knows what it’s like to be human? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18 NLT) God loves you. Those words are so simple and so familiar that they might be mistaken for a cliché if they weren’t also so profound. The fact that God loves you gives you immeasurable worth. It also gives you context for your entire life. Nothing in this world, good or bad, can begin to compare to God’s love for you. No grief or trouble can overwhelm you because God loves you too much to let it happen. No difficult circumstance can defeat you because God loves you. No struggles are too difficult for you because God loves you. So, when grief, trouble, difficult circumstances, or struggles come, you can put them in perspective by remembering and being thankful for God’s love for you. The apostle Paul wrote, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18 NLT). God’s love lasts forever. Paul also wrote, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38 NLT). Because God loves you, He is always looking for your eternal benefit. God is wiser than you are. So, if He tells you to do something or not to do something, He does so for good reason. The devil doesn’t want you to believe that. He will whisper in your ear, “God hates you. God wants to ruin your life. All those rules in the Bible are just there to make life miserable. You Christians serve an oppressive God who doesn’t want you to have any fun.” What a bunch of nonsense. I’ve lived apart from Christ. I’ve had the so-called fun this world has to offer, and it wasn’t fun at all. I’ve also found that a life with Christ is a life of fulfillment and purpose. Let us never lose our spirit of thankfulness for the fact that God loves us and is always looking out for our eternal benefit, even if what we’re presently going through is difficult. Reflection question: How can you keep the devil from interfering with your relationship with the Lord? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT) Of the many beautiful psalms David wrote, one of my favorites is Psalm 63: “Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy” (verses 3–5 NLT). These are obviously the words of someone enjoying the best day of his life, with not a trouble or care in sight. Except they aren’t. David wrote the words of Psalm 63 while he was in exile. He was running for his life from his own son, Absalom. Absalom had led a rebellion against him and was trying to take David’s throne. David’s kingdom and family were crumbling. Not only that, but David was also an elderly man by this time. He was in extreme anguish and personal pain. How, then, was he able to write such sincere words of praise and gratitude to God? David understood that a spirit of thankfulness doesn’t depend on circumstances. We can and should be thankful in all seasons of life. The truth is, we can’t fully understand what good times are and what bad times are—not on this side of Heaven anyway. We may know how certain circumstances make us feel, but our feelings don’t always tell the whole story. For example, when we’re younger, we convince ourselves that success is always good and hardship is always bad. And our feelings react accordingly. As we get older and develop more maturity, however, we realize that success can be bad for some people and hardship can be good for others. We begin to look at things differently. Some of the things we thought were really good turn out to be bad. And some of the things that we thought were bad turn out to be really good. Through it all, we can and should be thankful to God. Because though our circumstances may change, and though our feelings toward those circumstances may change, God never does. He stays committed to His promises to us. According to Romans 8:28, the Lord can take all things, bad or good, and work them “together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT). So there’s always something to be thankful for. What are your circumstances right now? If you’re enjoying God’s obvious blessings or if you’ve received a long-awaited answer to prayer or if you and your loved ones are in a good place, you have reason to give thanks. On the other hand, if you’re struggling or if a prayer hasn’t been answered yet or if you’re concerned about your loved ones’ well-being, you also have reason to give thanks. Because the Lord will work all things together for good. Reflection question: How can you maintain a spirit of praise and thankfulness even when circumstances are less than good? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.” (Psalm 145:4–7 NLT) It seems as though merchants today don’t really know what to do with this holiday called Thanksgiving. When it comes to other observances, such as the Fourth of July and Halloween, they make a lot of money from their marketing efforts. And, of course, Christmas is a financial windfall. But Thanksgiving? Aside from selling more turkeys and cranberry dressing than they normally do, there’s nothing that makes the holiday especially important from a retailer’s perspective. Merchants have had more than 160 years to get it right. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated November 26 as a day of national Thanksgiving. Our nation celebrated it annually on that day until 1942, when President Franklin Roosevelt designated Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November. And that’s just the official government designation. The celebration of Thanksgiving on this continent stretches back at least another 250-plus years to 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia. And just so we aren’t fuzzy about which God we should give thanks to, this is what the pilgrims wrote in the Mayflower Compact in 1620: “We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign lord King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc. Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia. . . .” They were not just coming to our fair shores to simply bring European civilization; they were coming to bring the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s very easy during our feasting to forget about the One whom we are celebrating. Yet His goodness is what makes it possible for us to celebrate. The Bible writers celebrated God’s goodness. First Chronicles 16:34 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” (NLT). And Psalm 145:4–7 says, “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness” (NLT). The primary reason we are put on this earth is to glorify God and to give Him thanks. The Bible doesn’t say to give thanks to the Lord because we feel good. Rather, it says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT). We give thanks to God because He is worthy of our praise. God makes it easy for us by giving us so much to be thankful for. Reflection question: What will you praise God for on this Thanksgiving Day? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT) God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Think of the time when a giant Philistine was taunting the armies of Israel. Everyone was paralyzed with fear. So, whom did God select? He chose a shepherd boy who had been sent by his father to take food to his brothers on the front lines. This young shepherd went out to face the heavily armored giant with a few stones and a sling—and more importantly, with faith in God. David was the person God used to turn the tide of battle and give Israel victory. At another time in Israel’s history, when the people were immobilized by fear because of their enemies, God found a man threshing wheat. His name was Gideon, and he was convinced that God had called up the wrong guy. But God selected him because he didn’t trust in his own ability. Gideon had to trust in God. He, too, won an unlikely victory for his people. In 1 Samuel 16:7, we read these words: “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” (NLT). It’s a simple yet extremely effective strategy. If God were to choose the people we would expect—the strong, the powerful, the talented, the ones who look like they just walked out of central casting for a spiritual hero role—to accomplish His work, our focus would be on them. Instead, God favors the small, the humble, the unlikely, so that we can more clearly see His hand at work. After God refused to remove a physical affliction from the apostle Paul, Paul wrote, “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10 NLT). If you have faith in God, if you believe that He can use you, and if you’re willing to take a step of faith here and there, then God can do incredible things through you. He is not looking for ability but availability. He can give you ability in time. But God is looking for someone to say, “I would like to make a difference where I am. Lord, I am available.” And in this season of thanksgiving, let’s praise God not only for using ordinary people like us to accomplish extraordinary things but also for making us aware of the potential we possess through Him. Reflection question: What can God accomplish through you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.” (Romans 1:21 NLT) A man was nailing down a loose shingle on his roof when he lost his footing and began to slip. Working three stories above ground, he was terrified at the thought of falling to his death. He shouted, “God, help me! I’m falling! Do something!” Just as he came to the edge of the roof, his belt loop caught on a nail and stopped him long enough for him to grab hold of the roof and pull himself to safety. He shouted, “Never mind, God! The nail stopped my fall.” How many times have we been guilty of the same kind of obliviousness in our own prayers? We cry out to God in a moment of distress. He answers our cry by working through the situation to relieve our distress. Then we say, “Never mind, God! Everything worked out by itself.” A better solution is to examine our circumstances to see where God intervened so that we can give Him the praise and gratitude He deserves. The apostle Paul wrote, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT). We can’t always see the work He does, but we can be certain that when things work together for the good, it’s because God orchestrated it. So, we need to put as much zeal into thanking God for what He’s done as we put into pleading with God when we’re in need. I heard about a hospital chaplain who kept a record of some two thousand patients whom he had visited, all of whom were in grave condition and showed signs of repentance. Among those restored to health, he felt that only two showed a marked change in their spiritual lives after their recovery. In other words, when these people thought they were dying, they repented. But when they recovered, they forgot about God. Paul warned what happens when people fall into this trap: “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused” (Romans 1:21 NLT). Is it possible to have a genuine relationship when one person constantly asks something of the other but never offers a word of thanks in return? The more thankful we are toward God, the deeper we can grow in our relationship with Him. So, in this holiday season, let’s cling to the words of Psalm 100:4–5: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation” (NLT). Reflection question: How can you be proactive in giving thanks to God? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV) We have so much to be thankful for, it can be difficult to know where to start offering our praise and gratitude to our heavenly Father. Certainly, we all have stories of how God came through for us during a major crisis in our life. But there are countless “minor” blessings that we enjoy every day that shouldn’t go unnoticed—or unmentioned in our prayers of thankfulness. In her remarkable book The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom relates an amazing story about the importance of being thankful. Corrie and her sister Betsie were held in a concentration camp known as Ravensbrück, where they lived in barracks that were plagued by fleas. Fleas were everywhere—in their beds, in their clothes, in their hair, and on their bodies. One day Betsie told Corrie that they needed to give thanks for the fleas. Corrie thought Betsie had gone too far. She couldn’t imagine thanking God for fleas. But Betsie insisted, reminding her sister that the Bible says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV). Still, Corrie didn’t want to thank God for the fleas. But as it turned out, Corrie and Betsie were trying to reach the other women in their barracks with the message of the gospel. They had been holding Bible studies, which was forbidden in the camp. They found out later that because of the fleas, the guards would not go into their barracks. That allowed the sisters to hold their Bible studies with no fear of being discovered. As a result, they had the freedom to minister to their fellow prisoners. One obvious takeaway from this story is that God can use even fleas to accomplish His work. A less obvious takeaway is that we should do a major expansion of our concept of things to give thanks for. If the Bible said, “In some things give thanks,” I would say, “No problem there!” But it says, “In every thing give thanks.” And that’s not an easy thing to do. We’re conditioned to say thank you for things that obviously benefit us. We treat gratitude as part of a transaction. You do something nice for me, and I say something nice to you. But that’s not what God is looking for. That’s not what the apostle Paul is saying in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. God wants us to maintain a spirit of thankfulness that isn’t dimmed when things don’t go our way. He wants us to recognize the endless supply of things we can and should be grateful for. The verse doesn’t say we should give thanks for every thing; it says we should give thanks in every thing. We don’t have to be glad or thankful that tragedies occur. But we can be thankful that, in spite of the tragedy, God is still on the throne, and He is still in control of all circumstances that surround our lives. Reflection question: What common, daily blessings are you thankful for? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” (John 15:19 NLT) God is faithful. As with some of His other attributes, His faithfulness isn’t always apparent to us. Sometimes His ways seem harsh, but if we trust in Him, eventually, we will recognize the unshakable faithfulness behind them. “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8–9 NLT). We can’t always trust our feelings when it comes to God’s faithfulness. What seems like callousness may in fact be evidence of God’s commitment to us and to our spiritual well-being. God doesn’t promise to make our lives free from pain and struggle. He promises to make our lives spiritually fruitful if we remain faithful to Him. I heard a story about some fish suppliers who were having problems shipping cod from the East Coast. By the time it reached the West, it was spoiled. They froze it, but by the time it arrived, it was mushy. So, they decided to send it alive, but it arrived dead. They tried sending it alive again, but with one difference: They included a catfish in each tank. You see, catfish are the natural enemies of cod. By the time the cod arrived, they were alive and well because they had spent their trip fleeing the catfish. Maybe God has put a catfish in your tank to keep you alive and well spiritually. He’s faithful that way. Maybe there’s a person at work who always has eight hard questions for you every morning regarding spiritual things. Maybe it’s that neighbor who is giving you a hard time for your faith in Jesus. Maybe it’s a spouse or a family member who doesn’t believe. You are wondering why this is happening. It’s like that catfish. That person is keeping you alert. Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples, “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:19 NLT). God will allow persecution in the life of a believer. If you’re experiencing persecution, here are two things to remember: First, persecution confirms that you are a child of God. Second, persecution causes you to cling more tightly to Jesus. That’s God’s faithfulness at work. Embrace it. Give thanks for it. And when you’re suffering persecution for your faith, remember, this world isn’t your real home anyway. If you persevere with a steady, peaceful spirit, trusting in Jesus to help you, your welcome into Heaven will be more glorious than you can imagine. You can depend on it because God is faithful. Reflection question: When have you experienced God’s faithfulness in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Then the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:9 NLT) God is always present, everywhere, all the time. David celebrated—and explored the implications of—God’s constant presence in Psalm 139:7–12: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you” (NLT). He personalized God’s presence just as the prophet Amos did. “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (Amos 3:3 NLT). God said to Amos’ fellow prophet Zephaniah, “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT). The point is that God is present with His people, and He wants His people to be present with Him. He wants us to keep appointments with Him, to meet with Him on a regular basis. He wants us to prioritize our relationship with Him. He wants us to make the necessary sacrifices to keep that relationship active and growing. I wonder how many times each day God wants to speak to us but can’t get a word in edgewise. I wonder if He might say, “I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time, but you’re too busy. This morning I wanted to talk to you, but you didn’t have any time for Me. Instead, you read the newspaper, watched TV, and talked on the phone. You never opened My Word. You never prayed. At lunch I tried to say something, but your prayer was too fast. You have an appointment with Me. Why don’t you keep it?” The book of Genesis tells us that Adam had an appointment with God every day in the Garden of Eden. Adam would hear the voice of the Lord in the Garden in the cool of the evening. One day Adam missed that appointment because of sin. Genesis 3:9 says, “Then the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” (NLT). I wonder if the Lord would say that to some of us each day: “Where are you? I’ve been looking for you. I want to speak to you. I want you to walk with Me, and I want to walk with you.” Just imagine, the Creator of the universe wants to spend time with you! Is there any appointment that’s worth keeping more than this one? Reflection question: How do you experience God’s presence in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (Amos 3:3 NLT) God is holy, which means not only that He is sinless and perfect, but also that He is distinct and set apart from all other beings. His holiness dictates our relationship with Him. He will not bend His rules or change His character to get closer to us. He demands that we pursue holiness so that we can get closer to Him. And for that, we can praise Him. Because the pursuit of holiness is what brings genuine joy and fulfillment to our lives. When we lose sight of that pursuit, things tend to go awry. I had a German shepherd that was a former guide dog for the blind. Because he had slight hip dysplasia, he was put up for adoption. When we got him, he was perfectly trained. We could take him anywhere. He was happy to sit next to us. Another dog would walk by, and he couldn’t have cared less. Then I got ahold of him. I would unleash him and let him run around in the park. Day by day his behavior started getting worse. The next thing you know, he was lunging at dogs and taking off after cats and rabbits and squirrels. I called the people we got him from and asked what went wrong. They told me I couldn’t let him do all that “dog stuff.” I couldn’t let him stop and sniff where he wanted to sniff. I couldn’t let him chase rabbits. They gave me a little muzzle-like device to put on him. Gaining control of his muzzle meant that he would obey because it would hurt to pull away. When I finally took the device off him, he was in sync with me again. My dog’s actions were reminiscent of our behavior with our holy God. If we see an opportunity to run around, go crazy, and do what we want to do, we often take it. We chase sin and selfish pleasure. The Lord has to pull us back in line because He wants us to walk with Him. To walk with our holy God means that we must get into harmony with Him. We must go the direction that He wants us to go. As the prophet Amos asked, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (Amos 3:3 NLT). The apostle Peter made clear how that agreement is reached: “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy” (1 Peter 1:15 NLT). We can be thankful that God is holy—that He is set apart from everything that is imperfect, tenuous, and unreliable. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (NIV). God’s holiness never wavers. His promises can always be trusted. Are you walking with God today? Are you pursuing holiness? Or are you pulling against Him, trying to do things your own way? If so, then it’s time to stop, ask God’s forgiveness, and get in sync with Him once again. Reflection question: What does pursuing holiness look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” (Revelation 5:8 NLT) God is omniscient, which means He knows all things. Nothing can surprise Him. There is no unexpected occurrence with Him. That’s important to keep in mind, especially when we pray. In fact, a great way to begin any prayer is to give praise and thanks to God for His omniscience. Celebrating the fact that He knows everything puts us in the proper frame of mind to bring our requests to Him. Otherwise, we may start to doubt when our prayer requests seem to go unanswered. The reality is that God answers every prayer—in His way, for His glory, in His time. Revelation 5:8 gives us an interesting detail about Heaven: “And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people” (NLT). When we’re in Heaven, standing before God’s throne, and those golden bowls, full of prayers, are brought before us, we’ll realize that God heard every little prayer that we prayed. And I think we also will understand that His answer to each one was far better than what we asked for in the moment. We will realize that God overruled something we asked for because it wasn’t the best prayer. What we don’t realize today is that this hardship, or this tragedy, or this inexplicable event will ultimately lead to a chain reaction of events that touches the lives of so many others and changes the course of the future in ways we could never imagine. It is a butterfly effect that leads to glorify God’s plan for us. When we pray, we can see only one part of that chain reaction—the one that immediately affects us. We need to trust God to accomplish the bigger picture. We need to accept that the thing we want to go away, or the circumstance that looms so large in our life, is there to give God glory. We may not be able to see how, so we must trust the Lord, knowing that it all will be revealed in Heaven when we stand before Him. Some prayers are answered right away. And we can be thankful for that. On the other hand, some prayers are answered long after they’re prayed. And we can thank God for that, too. Because He knows everything. He sees every possible contingency. He sees every possible outcome. He knows precisely when to act in order to bring about ultimate good. His timing is always perfect. So, instead of praying for God to work according to our imperfect understanding of things, according to our imperfect timetable, we can leave our requests with Him and trust Him to answer them in His perfect knowledge and in His perfect time. Reflection question: What difference does it make in your life that God knows all things? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans.” (Psalm 119:91 NLT) In our next set of devotions, we’re going to look at God’s perfections. Our goal is not only to get to know Him better but also to prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving. The more we understand about who God is, the more our gratitude will grow. We’re going to start by looking at God’s sovereignty. The fact that God is sovereign means that He has the power and authority to do anything He chooses with His creation. He answers to no one. Luke’s Gospel tells the story of ten men with leprosy who needed Jesus’ touch. Leprosy was an incurable disease. Without Jesus’ intervention, the men had no hope. They asked Jesus for healing, and He extended it to them. But out of the ten, only one returned to give Him thanks. We read, “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, ‘Praise God!’ He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan” (Luke 17:15–16 NLT). Earlier, he had prayed loudly for a healing, and then he was loud with his praise. I love the fact that the original language uses two words from which we get our English word megaphone. The man was loud in thanking Jesus for what He had done for him. As Christians, we should give thanks to God because we recognize that He is in control of all circumstances surrounding our lives. As Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (NLT). Because God is sovereign, He is able to do what He pleases with whomever He chooses whenever He wishes. Some people bristle at that truth. Control—or even the idea of control—is a difficult thing to surrender. They prefer to operate under the illusion that they control their own destiny. The Bible writers held no such illusions. In fact, they saw God’s sovereignty as something to celebrate—something to be thankful for. The prophet Jeremiah said, “I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course” (Jeremiah 10:23 NLT). And we read in Proverbs 20:24, “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” (NLT). That’s the sovereignty of God. But what about when bad things happen? Is God still in control? Yes. And the Bible tells us that despite the bad things that happen, which many times are inexplicable, God can work all things together for good for those who love Him (see Romans 8:28). As the psalmist wrote, “Everything serves plans” (Psalm 119:91 NLT). That’s cause for thanksgiving because God’s plans put us exactly where we need to be. We never have to wonder whether we’re doing the right thing when we submit to God. Because He is sovereign, we can trust Him as our ultimate authority. Reflection question: What difference does God’s sovereignty make in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT) A flock of wild geese was flying south for the winter. One goose looked down and noticed a group of domestic geese by a little pond near a farm. He noticed that the domestic geese had plenty of grain to eat. Life seemed relatively easy for them. So, he flew down and hung out with the geese until spring. He enjoyed their food, their company, and their leisurely pace. His plan was to rejoin his flock of geese when they flew north again. When spring came, he heard his flock overhead and flew up to join them. But he had grown a bit fat from all the seed he had eaten. Flying was difficult for him. So, he decided to spend one more season on the farm and then rejoin his flock on its next winter migration. When the geese flew south the following fall, the goose flapped his wings a little, but he just kept eating his grain. He had simply lost interest. This is an ideal illustration of how the world influences believers. Usually, there’s no single dramatic event that transforms us. The process doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, it occurs gradually. Like the goose, we may be going about our business, doing what we’re supposed to do, when something catches our eye. Something that looks more appealing. Something that requires less effort. We get distracted. We temporarily suspend what we’re supposed to be doing to investigate. And we like what we see—often because it appeals to our old nature. And if we start to feel guilty about abandoning what we’re supposed to be doing, we rationalize. We tell ourselves that the sidetrack is only temporary—that we’ll soon return to what we’re supposed to be doing. Unfortunately, our best intentions get lost in the convenience or excitement of the sidetrack. Soon, the things of God—the things we’re supposed to be doing—become less appealing to us, and the things of this world become more appealing. After a while, we lose all interest in the things of God. The apostle Paul understood this process all too well. He saw it happen to one of his trusted Christian companions. In his last letter to Timothy, he wrote, “Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life” (2 Timothy 4:10 NLT). That’s why Paul warned the believers in Rome, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT). We have a choice: Either we will be conformed to this world, or we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds. It’s one or the other. The question is, which way will you go? Reflection question: Which worldly influences present the biggest challenge for you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT) When I first became a Christian, I decided that I would somehow find a way to live in two different worlds. I was planning to hang out with my old friends and still be a Christian. For a time, I felt as though I were in a state of suspended animation. I wasn’t comfortable with my old buddies, but I wasn’t quite comfortable with the Christians, either. So, I decided to be Mr. Solo Christian. I even said to my friends, “Don’t worry about me. You’re thinking that I’ll become a fanatic and carry a Bible and say, ‘Praise the Lord.’ It will never happen. I’m going to be cool about this. I won’t embarrass you, but I’m going to believe in God now.” However, as God became more real to me and I began to follow Him more closely, He changed my life and my outlook. As a result, my priorities began to change. On your Christian journey, you’ll find that there are people who will discourage you from growing spiritually. They’ll say things like, “I think it’s good that you’re a Christian. I go to church too—at Christmas and Easter and for weddings. But you’re getting a little too fanatical. You brought a Bible to work the other day. That’s going a little too far. We were so embarrassed. You’re no fun anymore. We’re glad you’ve made changes in your life, but we’re afraid that you’re going to become too extreme.” When you’re faced with people like this, you have the choice either to do what God wants you to do or to go with the flow. You’ll find that there are consequences for each option. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (NLT). Choosing life includes choosing people who encourage you to live the life God offers. The apostle Paul’s instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 are clear: “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (NLT). The believers who take those instructions to heart are the ones we should be surrounding ourselves with. The Christian life is a challenge. The people who recognize that and offer words of comfort, wisdom, and encouragement along the way are extremely valuable resources. They counteract the negativity and discouragement that others throw our way. Are you going to let people hold you back? Are you going to let people discourage you from wholehearted commitment to Jesus Christ? Reflection question: Where can you find encouragement and support in your walk with Christ? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.” (1 Kings 17:6 NLT) When the Bible says that ravens brought Elijah food each morning and evening, it doesn’t mean that they took his order, flew through the local fast-food restaurant, and then delivered his meal. Ravens are scavengers. They brought little bits of meat and bread to Elijah. What’s more, the water in the brook from which he drank would have been somewhat polluted. So, Elijah didn’t enjoy an idyllic situation by any stretch of the imagination. How easily Elijah could have said, “Well, Lord, I don’t really want to be in this crummy little place, drinking river water. I kind of like being in front of people. I like the limelight.” But the Lord was preparing Elijah for something beyond his wildest dreams. Not long after his sojourn by the brook, Elijah found himself standing on Mount Carmel, engaged in a great showdown with the false prophets of Baal (see 1 Kings 18:20–40). Sometimes we don’t like where God has put us. We say, “Lord, I don’t like this situation. I don’t like where I am. I want to do something great for You. I want to make a difference in my world.” Maybe the Lord wants you to be effective right where you are. Maybe He wants you to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you and be faithful in the little things. Who knows what God has in store for you? One theme that works its way through Scripture is that God’s people are blessed when they trust in His timing and plan. The author of Proverbs advised, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5–6 NLT). God Himself said, “Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28–31 NLT). The apostle Paul offered this reminder: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT). And the author of Ecclesiastes wrote, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT). If God has you by some muddy little brook, so to speak, just hang in there. Make the most of the season you’re in. Be faithful, do what He has already told you, and wait on Him and His timing. God will do something wonderful for you or with you. Just be available and open to do what He would have you do. Reflection question: How can you thrive in the place you are right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.” (James 1:13–14 NLT) We all know what it’s like to be tempted. But where does temptation come from? It does not come from God. James 1:13–14 says, “And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away” (NLT). We play a key role in our own temptation. It’s like the scorpion who wanted to cross a pond. Scorpions can’t swim, of course, so he needed a ride. He walked up to a rather unsuspecting turtle and said, “I was wondering if you might give me a lift across this little pond.” The turtle said, “Are you joking? You will sting me, and we’ll both drown.” The scorpion said, “My dear turtle, if I were to sting you, I would go down with you. Where would the logic be in that?” As they made their way across the little pond, however, the scorpion pulled out his stinger and gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle turned to the scorpion and said, “There was no logic in stinging me. Why in the world did you do it?” The scorpion replied, “It has nothing to do with logic. It’s just my nature.” This is a good point for Christians to remember. When we give in to temptation, it has nothing to do with logic. It’s just our nature. We like to say, “The devil made me do it,” or “Circumstances overwhelmed me,” or “I couldn’t control myself.” But in reality, it’s just our sinful nature. Let’s be clear here. We don’t have to give in to our old nature. The only power it has over us is the power we give it. The apostle Paul wrote, “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin” (Romans 6:6–7 NLT). We have everything we need to resist our old nature. We can turn to God for help. We can find comfort, strength, wisdom, and encouragement in His Word. We can talk to other believers. If we ignore these resources, we give our old nature a foothold in our lives. God’s Word urges us to be strong and steadfast. To opt for something better when our old nature rears its head. As Paul wrote, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:14 NIV). Reflection question: How do you resist the pull of your old nature? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:7–10 NLT) A successful building contractor called in one of his employees, a skilled carpenter, and told him that he was putting him in charge of the next house the company was building. He instructed the carpenter to order all the materials and oversee the entire process from the ground up. The carpenter excitedly accepted his assignment. It was his first opportunity to oversee an entire building project. He studied the blueprints and checked every measurement. Then he thought, “If I’m really in charge, why can’t I cut a few corners, use less expensive materials, and put the extra money in my pocket? Who would know the difference? After we paint the place, no one would be able to tell.” The carpenter set about with his scheme. He used second-grade lumber and ordered inexpensive concrete for the foundation. He put in cheap wiring. He cut every corner he possibly could but reported the use of higher-quality building materials. When the home was completed, he asked his boss to come and see it. His boss looked it over and said, “This is incredible. You did a fantastic job. You have been such a good and faithful worker and have been so honest all these years that I am showing my gratitude by giving you this house.” We will reap what we sow. Just as we can’t plant weeds and reap flowers, we can’t sin and reap righteousness. There are reactions to our actions. The apostle warned, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith” (Galatians 6:7–10 NLT). Every day, we either live to please the Spirit or live to satisfy our sinful nature. The seeds we plant determine the results we get. What kind of seeds will you sow today? Reflection question: What does living to please the Spirit look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I will maintain my innocence without wavering. My conscience is clear for as long as I live.” (Job 27:6 NLT) If your relationship with Christ is strong, it will be evident in the way you live. Your life will be marked by integrity—in the choices you make, the things you prioritize, the way you interact with others, and in your daily routine. I heard the story of a pastor who boarded a bus one morning, paid his fare, and took his seat. A few minutes later, he realized that the driver had given him too much change. Some people might have put it in their pocket and said, “Lord, thank You for Your provision.” But this pastor knew that would be wrong. At the next stop, he walked to the front of the bus with the extra change and said to the driver, “Excuse me, sir, you gave me too much change, and I wanted to return it to you because obviously you made a mistake.” The driver said, “Pastor, I didn’t make a mistake. I was at your church last night and heard you preach on honesty. I wanted to see if you practiced what you preached.” Fortunately, he did. People are watching you as a Christian, virtually scrutinizing your every move. You should know that they aren’t hoping that you’ll be a godly witness. They’re hoping that you’ll slip up so that they’ll have something on which to conveniently hang their doubts and unbelief. Humorist Will Rogers said, “So live that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.” That’s the idea of integrity: having nothing in our lives to be ashamed of. Personal integrity is something we develop daily with every thought we think and every action we take. We are either building up character or tearing it down. The author of Proverbs had a lot to say on the subject. “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed” (Proverbs 10:9 NLT). “Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people” (Proverbs 11:3 NLT). “The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them” (Proverbs 20:7 NLT). “Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich” (Proverbs 28:6 NLT). Job got to the heart of the matter when he said, “I will maintain my innocence without wavering. My conscience is clear for as long as I live” (Job 27:6 NLT). And the apostle Peter wrote, “Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ” (1 Peter 3:16 NLT). Some people cling to the notion that what a person does in private is no one else’s business because it affects no one else. But that’s just wishful thinking. The person you are in private is the real you. That’s who God sees. And, whether we like it or not, that’s who others see as well. So, as believers, we must act with integrity, honesty, and compassion in everything we do. Reflection question: What does integrity look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward.” (Jeremiah 7:24 NLT) My dog used to practice selective listening. When he didn’t like what I was saying, he acted as though he didn’t understand me. If he was in my room at bedtime and I told him to leave, he would look at me as if to say, “What?” It was as though his hearing was gone. On the other hand, he could have been asleep behind closed doors, and if I went downstairs, opened the cupboard, and pulled out his leash, he suddenly had supersonic hearing. He was right there at my side. When he liked what I wanted him to do, he heard and obeyed me. But when he didn’t like what I wanted him to do, he didn’t hear or obey. Sometimes we do the same thing with God. When He tells us to do something we like, we say, “Yes, Lord!” But when He tells us to stop doing something we like, we say, “God, I think You’re cutting out on me. There’s too much static. I’m not hearing You clearly.” Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:14 NLT). He didn’t say, “You are My friends if you do the things that you personally agree with.” God has told us in His Word how we’re to live. It’s not for us to pick and choose sections of the Bible that we like and toss the rest aside. When the urge to practice selective listening hits us, we need to remind ourselves of who’s doing the instructing. After all, God knows everything. He knows what’s ultimately good for us and what’s ultimately destructive to us. He loves us beyond comprehension and wants only what’s best for us. So, obeying Him is never a bad idea. In fact, it’s the best idea in any situation. Obedience brings us closer to God. It strengthens our relationship with Him. It brings us a sense of joy and purpose. And it makes us a valuable resource to others who may be struggling spiritually. The Bible makes it clear that God blesses us when we obey Him. Psalm 128:1 says, “How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways” (nlt). And in Jeremiah 7:23, God Himself says, “Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!” (NLT). The takeaway is that if God tells you to do something, He says it for good reason, and you need to obey Him. If God says not to do something, He also says it for good reason. Even if you don’t understand it, obey Him. You will always be glad that you did. Reflection question: What would complete obedience to God look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” (Revelation 2:4–5 NLT) One way to keep your Christian faith vibrant and impactful is to maintain and nurture your first love—that is, the passion and excitement for Christ’s work that you felt when you first began your relationship with Him. I once knew a guy who was always in the best shape. I would run into him a couple of times a year, and he always made a point of reminding me that he was in much better shape than I was. He would tell me, “Feel my arm!” “That’s hard,” I would comment. “That’s right!” he would say. But he was a stressed-out and very intense kind of guy. One day, I received the sad news that he had died of a heart attack. This guy had it all together on the outside. He was in great shape. But inside, his heart was in trouble. You may have the greatest physique—bulging biceps and rippling abs. You may have incredible stamina and energy. But what good is all of that if you have heart disease? This story serves as a warning not only about our physical health but also about our spiritual health. You might be able to flex your spiritual muscles in front of other people. You might say, “Look at my schedule! Look at all that I’m doing for God. Look at what I’ve done. Listen to my accomplishments.” That’s good as far as it goes. But it falls short of revealing the whole picture. When Jesus told the believers at Ephesus that they had left their first love, He was getting to the heart of the matter, the root of success or failure in the Christian life. He was saying, “You are leaving this first love. You are neglecting these basic things.” The Ephesians, like many Christians, were emphasizing things other than the essentials of the faith. They were bogging themselves down with human expectations. That’s when the Christian life becomes drudgery. That’s when you start saying, “There are so many rules. There are so many restrictions. I want to live as I please. I want to be free.” When you begin to think like that, you’re leaving your first love—and the joy and fulfillment that come with it. Jesus said of His followers, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). A rich and satisfying life is one that is marked by joyful and humble service, a spirit of gratitude, a hunger for God’s Word, and a passion for the gospel. Jesus died to make such a life possible for those who believe in Him. That’s our first love. That’s what we must never lose. Reflection question: How do you maintain and nurture your first love? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:10 NLT) Pride and self-sufficiency are two big obstacles to spiritual growth. A good way to overcome them is to cry out to God when you need help. The Bible tells the story of Simon Peter, who had the extraordinary experience of walking on water with Jesus. When the impossibility of the situation began to dawn on him, however, his faith faltered. He cried out, “Save me, Lord!” (Matthew 14:30 NLT). How easily Jesus could have said, “Where is your faith, Peter? You made your bed; now lie on it. Try swimming.” But the Bible says, “Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him” (Matthew 14:31 NLT). Immediately. I like that. When you begin to sink and cry out, “Lord, save me!” He will immediately reach out. But you must cry out for His help. And that’s hard for some people to do. As a kid, I spent a lot of time at the beach. When I was out bodysurfing one day, a big set of waves started coming in. So, I did what I was supposed to do: I swam toward the waves and went under them. When I looked up, there was another set. I swam under those, too. One set after another came. In time, I drifted so far out that the people on the beach looked like little ants to me. Suddenly, I felt exhausted—with no strength left and nothing to hold onto. In that moment, I knew I was in trouble. I realized I had two choices. I could cry, “Help!” and the lifeguard would come running with his life preserver. When we got to shore, my friends would laugh, and I would never live it down. Or I could drown with dignity. I cried out! A lot of us don’t want to admit our need. We don’t want to cry out to God. We want to maintain our dignity. To get the proper perspective on what to do in times of need, we need to look to God’s Word. Jonah cried out to God after he was swallowed by a giant fish (see Jonah 2:1–9). Hannah cried out to God for a son. First Samuel 1:10 says she “was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord” (NLT). King David was under tremendous stress when he wrote, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?” (Psalm 22:1 NLT). Jesus quoted the words of Psalm 22 when He cried out to God from the cross (see Matthew 27:46). If Jesus wasn’t too proud to cry out to God, neither should we be. There are only so many things we can do to help ourselves. Crying out to God frees us from our own limitations. It opens a whole world of possibilities. God can bring ultimate good from any situation. All we have to do is cry out to Him for help. Every day of my life, I need the best God has to offer. And you do, too. Reflection question: What do you need to cry out to God about in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” (Matthew 26:13 NLT) First Thessalonians 5:11 says, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (NLT). Romans 15:2 says, “We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord” (NLT). As believers, encouragement, praise, and kindness are essential to our relationship with others—and with the Lord. The more we incorporate them into our interactions, the deeper we will grow in our faith. My granddaughter Stella used to love to pick flowers. She would come to me with a smile on her beautiful face and say, “These are for you, Papa!” It always warmed my heart that she brought me flowers so that I could appreciate them. There is a story in the Bible of a woman named Mary who warmed Jesus’ heart at a crucial moment in His life. Mary understood what Jesus meant when He said He was going to die. Though Jesus’ message didn’t seem to penetrate the minds of His own handpicked disciples, who had spent their every waking hour with Him for three years, Mary understood. One night, Jesus and His friends were gathered at the house of Simon in Bethany. Mary listened as the Lord quietly spoke to the audience gathered. But she saw and heard something else. She saw the lines etching His face and read aright the problems reflected in His eyes. An inner sense told her that the disciples were wrong in expecting a kingdom. The Master meant what He said and said what He meant: He literally was going to Jerusalem to be crucified. She couldn’t begin to grasp something so terrible but accepted it because He said it. She had to do something. She would not wait to give some floral tribute at His funeral. She would bring her flowers now! She would give the very best she possibly could. So, Mary took some very expensive perfume that was probably a family heirloom and poured it on the head of Jesus. Some were angry at her and criticized her for such a waste, as the street value of such a perfume was around $25,000. But in Mary’s mind, nothing was too good for Jesus, and she wanted to show her love to Him. Jesus was impressed and even commended her for it. He said, “I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed” (Matthew 26:13 NLT). Nothing is ever wasted if it is given with a right heart for God’s glory. That’s a good thing to remember about people you love—people who have impacted you as a Christian. Don’t wait until their funeral to say it. Say it now. Thank them for their influence. Let them know just how much you love and respect them. Bring your flowers now. Reflection question: Who needs to receive encouragement, praise, or kindness from you right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.” (Romans 12:4–6 NKJV) If you’re serious about becoming a strong and mature believer, you need to be plugged into your church in a meaningful way. Sometimes people treat churches like restaurants—with a consumer mentality. “There’s no reason to go to that church. We just went there two weeks ago. Let’s try another one instead.” But the church is not a restaurant. The church is a family, and you need to be a part of the family. You also need to engage. Maybe one of the reasons some people feel as though they aren’t getting enough out of church is that they attend intermittently and don’t commit themselves. But if they would settle in and become a part of what God is doing, it would change for them. If you’ve been attending a church for more than a couple of years, then you ought to be involved in a ministry of some kind. You may not be called to preach, but there are lots of other things to do. There is something for everyone. The Bible tells us, “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them” (Romans 12:4–6 NKJV). It’s fine to come and be served in the church. But there must come a point when you grow up, spiritually speaking, and decide to start serving. To be more active and less passive in your approach to church. If you do, you’ll find that your church experience changes dramatically for the better. And not just for you, but also for your fellow church members. Whether you realize it or not, you have something important to contribute to your local body of Christ. God has blessed you with a unique set of skills. If you don’t use them, it’s not fair to Him. It’s not fair to yourself. And it’s not fair to the people in your church who would be blessed by them. You can make a difference in your church, so you should make a difference. If you want to grow in your relationship with Christ, don’t think of the church as them; think of it as us. Be a part of the family. Take the gifts that God has given you, develop them, and use them for His glory. Church will completely change for you if you stop coming as a spectator and instead join the team. Reflection question: How can you become more engaged and involved in your church? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ ‘We’ll come, too,’ they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.” (John 21:3 NLT) One way to strengthen your Christian faith is to keep a proper perspective on failure. The Gospels describe two similar encounters between Jesus and His disciples that illustrate the importance of not giving failure the final word. The first is found in Luke 5:1–11. To get some distance from the crowd that clamored to hear Him, Jesus boarded Peter’s boat and spoke to His followers a short distance from the shore. When He was done, He instructed Peter, who was a fisherman by trade, to head for deep waters to catch some fish. Peter explained to Jesus that he and his companions had been fishing all night but had failed to catch anything. Still, he obeyed the Lord’s command. And when he let down his nets, he caught so many fish that he could barely get them on board. The second encounter, found in John 21, takes place after Jesus’ resurrection. The Lord had already appeared to some of the disciples. But He had given them no clear marching orders, so some of them went back to what they knew how to do: fish. They had been fishing all night on the Sea of Galilee and hadn’t caught anything. It was early in the morning, probably still dark, when they saw a figure standing on the shore. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” (verse 5 NLT). Throughout the Bible, God often asked probing questions when He wanted a confession. In the same way, Jesus was asking His disciples, “Did you catch anything? Have you been successful? Have things gone the way you had hoped they would go? Are you satisfied?” Jesus knew the answer, of course. So, why did He want them to admit their failure? So that He could bring them to the place where they needed to be. When they cast the net on the right side of the boat as Jesus told them to, their net became so heavy with fish that they couldn’t pull it in. The Lord was teaching the disciples an important lesson: Failure is often the doorway to real success. It’s a lesson that believers today need to learn as well. We need to come to a point in our lives where we recognize that what we’re doing isn’t working. We need to say, “Lord, I’m not satisfied with the way my life is going. I’m tired of doing things my way. I want to do things Your way.” If you approach God in that way, He will extend His forgiveness to you. Then He will transform your life in ways you can’t imagine. If you want to deepen your relationship with the Lord, admit your failures and hand the reins of your life to Him. Reflection question: What failure or dissatisfaction would you like the Lord to transform in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, ‘The Scriptures declare, “My Temple will be a house of prayer,” but you have turned it into a den of thieves.’” (Luke 19:45–46 NLT) In our next set of devotions, we’re going to look at ways to “tune up” our spiritual lives—ways to strengthen and mature our relationship with the Lord. And we’re going to start with some early spring cleaning. My wife, Cathe, and I are polar opposites when it comes to cleaning. My approach can be summed up by the procrastinator’s motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow. Cathe’s approach is to constantly clean and organize so that over time, little messes don’t become big ones. Obviously, her approach is the better one. In Luke 19 we find the story of Jesus’ cleaning the house of God as He went into the temple and drove out the moneychangers. These temple merchants were taking advantage of people and keeping them from God, and this angered Jesus. This is the second time in Scripture that Jesus cleaned the temple. In John 2:13–17, we read that He used a whip to drive out the moneychangers. Little messes turn into big messes, so Jesus arrived to clean house again. I believe there is a parallel to our own lives. When we come to Christ initially, we ask for His forgiveness, and He pardons us of all our wrongdoing. In fact, we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (NLT). What a wonderful thing it is to realize that God has forgiven us of all our sin. We are cleansed. But as time passes, sometimes some of our old sins find their way back into our lives. Maybe they start small. But they don’t stay that way. They begin to grow and take up bigger and bigger parts of our life until they become a serious problem. The longer we wait to address them, the harder the cleanup is. That’s why we must frequently examine our lives and deal with what we find instead of trying to excuse it. We must ask God to make us aware of things we may not see. We must also find accountability partners who will lovingly confront us when they see things in our lives that go against our Christian faith. The apostle Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT). The psalmist wrote, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23–24 NLT). Does your temple need cleansing? Are there some things in your life that shouldn’t be there? Are there some vices, some bad habits that have found their way back into your life? If so, deal with them now. Don’t let little messes turn into big ones. Reflection question: What are some little messes that you need to clean up in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.” (1 John 3:21–22 NLT) God answers every prayer. That’s important to understand. Some people say, “I’ve been asking God to grant my request for years, but He still hasn’t answered me.” Chances are, He has answered. And His answer is no. No is as much of an answer as yes. It’s just not the answer we want. Here’s something to keep in mind: If the request is wrong, God says, “No.” If the timing is wrong, God says, “Slow.” If we are wrong, God says, “Grow.” But if the request is right, the timing is right, and we are right, God says, “Go.” One of the amazing things you discover as you grow in the Lord is that some of your greatest answered prayers are those to which God said no. With a little spiritual maturity, you realize that what you wanted so desperately was the worst thing that possibly could have happened to you. That raises an obvious question. What can we do to receive yes answers to our prayer requests? Let’s look at what God’s Word says. “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for” (1 John 5:14–15 NLT). “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:13–14 NLT). Ask for anything that pleases Him. Ask for anything in His name. Those are the quickest ways to get a yes from God. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He gave them these words: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 ESV). And when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just before His arrest and crucifixion, He said, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine!” (Matthew 26:39 NLT). You can never go wrong when you pray for God’s will to be done. That may seem like legal fine print in a too-good-to-be-true offer: “God will give you anything you ask for! (As long as you ask for what He wants to give you.)” But it’s something much deeper than that. It’s God’s way of making sure that our will and our priorities align with His. If they do, the sky’s the limit where our prayer requests are concerned. If they don’t, we need to make some adjustments. So, all our prayers should contain this spoken or unspoken sentiment: “Lord, here’s the way I see things with my limited understanding. I think You should do this. If I’m asking for something outside Your will, I ask You to overrule my request. You know all things, so I ask for Your will to be done.” Reflection question: When has God said no to you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT) We pray because it’s what Jesus instructed us to do. We pray because it’s God’s appointed way for us to obtain things from Him. And, thirdly, we pray because it’s the way by which God helps us overcome our anxiety and worry. Struggles with anxiety have reached a crisis point in our culture. Our media thrive on bad news and dire predictions. So, if you’re paying attention, you can find something to worry about every day concerning your health, your safety, your family, and your finances. The relentless assault of these troubles and pseudo-troubles can take a toll on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Someone once said, “If your knees are shaking, kneel on them.” That’s a simplification of the apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6–7: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (NLT). That’s not just good spiritual advice; it’s also good practical advice. Worrying doesn’t help anything. It’s a complete waste of time. In fact, the word worry comes from an old English word that means “to strangle” or “to choke.” That’s what worry does. It chokes you. It cuts the air off. There’s no good in it. Someone once said, “Worry is interest paid on troubles that seldom come due.” One of the things that makes worry and anxiety such formidable foes is that we don’t always know when they’re going to strike. We jolt awake at three in the morning, suddenly panicking over something that had barely registered before. Instead of allowing that panic to build, try saying a quick prayer. “Lord, there’s nothing I can do about this situation right now. So, I’m giving it to you. This is your problem. I’m going back to sleep. I’ll talk to you when I get up.” The apostle Peter wrote, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). Yes, God is all-knowing and all-powerful. He can see the perfect solution to every problem, and He has the power to implement any strategy, even if it seems impossible. But what makes Him the perfect Ally against worry and anxiety is that He cares about us. And not just in a general “God loves everyone” sense. He knows everything about us and cares about us individually. He wants the very best for us. So, don’t worry about anything; pray about everything. Reflection question: What worries or cares do you need to give to God? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.” (James 4:2 NLT) Jesus made it clear that prayer is essential to our spiritual growth and well-being. He prioritized prayer during His time on earth, and He expects us to prioritize it as well. That’s the first reason to pray. The second reason is found in James 4:2: “You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it” (NLT). Prayer is God’s appointed way for us to obtain things from Him. “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.” Have you ever considered that there are things God wants to do in your life that haven’t happened simply because you’ve failed to ask Him? Sometimes we make the mistake of viewing prayer as a last resort, the option to consider when nothing else works. If we’re struggling with a physical ailment, we try home remedies, doctors, prescriptions, and specialists. It’s only when the diagnosis turns bleak that we turn to God. Yet the Gospels are filled with stories of people who were healed because they reached out to Jesus. The same goes for financial problems. We exhaust every possible option for loans or guidance before we pray about the crisis. Even though the Bible promises, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NLT). Whether you’re struggling in your relationship, worrying about a prodigal child, dealing with mental health issues, or looking for answers, God wants to be involved. He wants to be your first call. Give the situation to Him in prayer and let Him guide you. Asking God for what you want is no guarantee that you will get it. And that’s a good thing. God sees the big picture. He understands that what seems like the best solution or course of action in the short term isn’t always best. So, when we ask Him for something, He can help us see the better alternative. Even if He doesn’t reveal His answer right away, you’ll feel a sense of relief and hope simply by involving Him. So, if there’s something you want from God, ask Him. Not just once or twice, but until you get an answer from Him. Reflection question: What are some things in your life that might fall into the category of “you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it”? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” (Luke 18:1 NLT) We’ve talked about the how and when of prayer, but what about the why? Why should we pray? The short answer is that Jesus told us to. In Luke 18:1, He shows His followers that “they should always pray and never give up” (NLT). Is there any better reason than that? Doctors recommend certain things for our health. We may not always understand why they’re beneficial—only that they are. The same thing goes for Jesus’ instruction to pray. We may not know why or how, but good things happen when we pray. It’s important to note, too, that Jesus wasn’t a do-as-I-say-and-not-as-I-do type of guy. Though He was God in human form, He maintained a very active prayer life. Before He fed thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish, “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people” (John 6:11 NLT). Matthew 19:13 says, “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them” (NLT). Before He raised Lazarus from the dead, “Jesus looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me’” (John 11:41–42 NLT). When His arrest was at hand, Jesus retreated to the Garden of Gethsemane. “He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine’” (Luke 22:41–42 NLT). On the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NLT); “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46 NLT); and “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” (Luke 23:46 NLT). Luke 5:16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer” (NLT). He was refreshed and reenergized by the time He spent in fellowship and conversation with God. If Jesus felt the need to pray, we should, too. We could point out that praying is not a difficult task. Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:30 NLT). We could point out that Jesus gave us the instructions we need to establish and maintain an active, vital prayer life when He taught His disciples to pray in Luke 11:1–13. We could point out that He modeled prayer for us throughout the Gospels. But all we need to know is that Jesus instructed us to pray. “Jesus replied, ‘All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me’” (John 14:23–24 NLT). That’s all the reason we need to pray. Reflection question: When do you feel the need to pray? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT) When should we pray? According to the apostle Paul, “at all times and on every occasion” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT). That pretty much covers everything. You pray in the morning. You pray in the afternoon. You pray in the evening. The idea here isn’t a nonstop monologue morning, noon, and night. The idea is to keep an open line to God, calling on Him frequently throughout the day. When the beauty of nature fills your senses while you’re taking a walk, praise God for His creation. When you read breaking news about a natural disaster, ask God to ease the suffering. When your kids greet you after work, thank God for your family—and then ask Him for the wisdom and patience to settle the dispute that’s been brewing since lunchtime. Any time is a good time to pray; no time is a bad time to pray. The prophet Daniel perfectly illustrated this point. Daniel was a trusted advisor to King Darius. The king’s other advisors grew jealous of Daniel and schemed to bring him down. The problem was, Daniel was squeaky clean. He had no skeletons in his closet. The only thing he was guilty of was being faithful to God. Three times a day, Daniel went to his house, opened all the windows, got down on his knees, and prayed. Daniel’s enemies convinced the king to sign a decree that outlawed praying to any god but the king. Anyone who disobeyed the decree would be thrown to the lions. If ever there was a bad time to pray, this was it. Daniel knew all about the king’s decree. And he had several options. He could have taken a sabbatical from prayer until the decree expired. He could have found a more private place to pray. He could have journaled his prayers instead of saying them aloud. But his prayer routine meant too much to him. Daniel 6:10 says, “He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God” (NLT). He didn’t pray for a miraculous escape from the death penalty. He didn’t pray for revenge against his enemies. He gave thanks to God. Daniel understood that when we see God for who He is, we see our challenges, problems, and needs for what they are. This was a man who knew how to pray. So was Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes when the people of Israel lived in exile in Persia. Nehemiah used his influence to make the king aware of the plight of the Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The king asked Nehemiah, “Well, how can I help you?” (Nehemiah 2:4 NLT). Look at the words that follow: “With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied …” (Nehemiah 2:4–5 NLT). During perhaps the most consequential conversation of his life, Nehemiah saw a good time to pray. And if we keep our prayer line open, we will recognize equally good times to pray—whether it’s for the strength to endure one of life’s storms or the words to present the gospel to an unbeliever. Any time is a good time to pray; no time is a bad time to pray. Reflection question: When were some good times to pray in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (Matthew 6:7–8 NLT) We’re going to look at prayer over the next few days. To be a growing Christian, you must have an active prayer life. You must communicate with and listen to God regularly. Some church traditions suggest that there are proper and improper ways to pray. That God prefers us to be formal, dignified, and reverent, and to use precise and proper words in a precise and proper cadence. But that’s not necessarily so. Prayer is a conversation. Like other conversations, it can be formal or informal. Certainly, we can’t help but be reverent when we find ourselves in God’s presence, but that doesn’t mean we have to be formal, dignified, proper, or precise. It’s not like one prayer method or posture is more legitimate than another. You can pray in any position at any time in any place. Sometimes we may feel as though the Lord will respond to our prayers more quickly if we pray in a church sanctuary. But that’s not true at all. Daniel prayed in a lion’s den. David prayed in a field. Peter prayed while he walked on water—and then a few moments later when he was underwater. Jonah prayed from even greater depths from the belly of a large fish. God will hear your prayers wherever you are. Your prayers can and should fit your circumstances. You can pray publicly. You can pray privately. You can pray verbally. You can pray silently. You can pray while kneeling, standing, sitting, lying down, or even driving. You can lift your eyes to Heaven and pray. You can close your eyes and pray—as long as you’re not driving. Your prayers don’t have to impress anyone. They don’t have to inspire “Amens” from the congregation. They don’t have to show off your biblical knowledge or vocabulary. In addition to His warning in Matthew 6:7–8 against praying as the Gentiles do, Jesus also said, “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get” (Matthew 6:5 NLT). Your goal should be to create prayer habits that work for you—ones that deepen your unique relationship with your heavenly Father. If you prefer to be active, pray while you walk. If you prefer not to be distracted, pray in a private place. If you don’t like long conversations, pray in short bursts throughout the day. Incorporate the words of the psalmists or the lyrics of your favorite worship songs into your prayers. Create a dynamic prayer routine that challenges you, opens your heart to God’s leading, and works for your personality and your circumstances. Discover how prayer can change your life. Reflection question: How would you describe your prayer habits? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” (Romans 15:4 NLT) You will not find the hope that you need in people or things. You will not find it in a politician or political cause, no matter which side of the aisle you’re on. You will not find it in technology or science or in a relationship or in an accomplishment. Job 8:13–15 says, “The hopes of the godless evaporate. Their confidence hangs by a thread. They are leaning on a spider’s web. They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure” (NLT). In contrast, Psalm 42:5 says, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!” (NLT). This is the hope that gives us the strength to go on in life. This hope is not wishful thinking or blind optimism. It is quiet confidence. It is a supernatural certainty. We find this hope in the pages of Scripture. True and lasting hope comes from God and His Word. The apostle Paul wrote, “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled” (Romans 15:4 NLT). Psalm 119:114 says, “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope” (NLT). So, if hope seems in short supply in your life, you can replenish it by spending time in God’s Word. There will be times when you need to replenish because things don’t always work out well in this life. Not all marriages survive. Not all prodigal children return. Not all medical tests have benign results. Not all crises end happily. That’s when you need to embrace the reality that whatever happens in this life, be it wonderful or painful, is only temporary. We make so much of this life because it’s the only one we’ve known. But it comes and goes rather quickly. First Chronicles 29:15 says, “We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace” (NLT). Heaven—our ultimate hope—is forever. In Heaven, God will right all wrongs. He will answer all questions. He will ease all pain. He will replace our tears with laughter and joy. In Heaven, our losses will be more than compensated for. That’s why Paul wrote, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:1–2 NLT). Heaven is where our ultimate hope is found, so Heaven is where our thoughts should be when we struggle here on earth. Reflection question: What would setting your sights on the realities of Heaven look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.” (3 John 1:4 NLT) When I was young, I had a parakeet named Popcorn. He was a fantastic bird. I would stand a few feet away from his cage, open the little door, and call his name, and he would fly and land on my shoulder. I would walk around the house with him on my shoulder. One day on Balboa Island, I saw a guy walking around with a parrot on his shoulder. So, I went home, put Popcorn on my shoulder, and walked outside. Popcorn flew off, and I never saw him again. It’s one thing to lose a parakeet, but it’s quite another to lose a child. When my son Jonathan was about five years old, he got in a hotel elevator before I could get to it. I almost had a heart attack as the doors closed between us. I waited for what seemed like hours for the next elevator. I started at the lobby and searched every floor until I found him. Parenting is an awesome responsibility. And one of the greatest joys of Christian parents is seeing our kids walk with the Lord. The apostle John wrote, “I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth” (3 John 1:4 NLT). When kids are young, they’re receptive to our leading. They’re compliant and, for the most part, obedient. As they get older, especially when they enter their teenage years, they start to push back and think for themselves. Sometimes they start to question their faith. If that’s happened in your family, don’t panic. Solomon wrote, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him” (Psalm 127:3 NLT). Children are a gift. We don’t own them. They belong to God. They are not ours to mold but to unfold. To nurture and to raise in the way of the Lord. The apostle Paul offers some direction in Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” (NLT). One way to provoke children is to show favoritism. Another is to withhold affirmation and compliments. We bring them up by choosing the right path for ourselves—by walking the walk. We do it by spending a lot of time with them, helping them understand the things of God in our daily interactions. We do it by instilling in them a Christian worldview that will serve them in the world outside your door. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it” (NLT). In other words, create a thirst for spiritual things in your child. If your children follow that path for their entire lives, you can thank God for it. If they don’t, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a failure as a parent. The parable of the prodigal son teaches us that a seemingly worst-case scenario can result in a child making a deeper commitment to the Lord. As parents, we must stay true to our beliefs. And we must never give up on our kids. We can’t see their spiritual journey. Only God can do that. But we can be ready when that journey leads them back to us. Reflection question: What encouragement would you offer to the parent of a prodigal child? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT) It’s a day like any other. You get out of bed. You take a shower. You brush your teeth. You eat breakfast. You read your Bible and pray. You commit your day to the Lord. And then it happens. A visit from a police officer who tells you there’s been an accident. A call from a doctor who informs you that you need to come in immediately because of something he found in your test. A note from your spouse who says they’re done with your marriage. A pain in your body that you’ve never felt before. Crisis hits hard and fast. Job’s world came crashing down in one day. An impulsive act by his brothers changed the course of Joseph’s life. When crisis hits, the natural tendency is to look inward and ask, “How am I going to get through this? Is there any hope for me?” But a better—and, admittedly, much more difficult—option is to look for opportunity in the midst of crisis. God allows adversity and crisis in our lives for important reasons. If we focus on those reasons, we can grow spiritually, even in the worst of circumstances. One reason God allows adversity is to keep us humble. Prosperity and success tend to make people proud and self-sufficient. We lose sight of our need for God. Adversity and crisis remind us just how much we need Him. God allows adversity to teach us eternal truths that we would not otherwise learn. The faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. God wants us to toughen up and mature as believers. Adversity helps accomplish that. Adversity gives us a new compassion for others who are in pain. Paul wrote, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT). When you endure adversity, you’re positioned to help others endure it. You can help them navigate the difficult terrain. You can offer specific encouragement. You can say, “I’ve been through this. Here’s what I did. Let me pray for you.” It’s essential that we keep our adversity in perspective. Paul wrote, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT). Instead of focusing on the troubles we see now, we must focus on the joys to come that will last forever. God’s people are better off eternally because they suffer temporarily. Adversity ultimately brings us closer to God. Psalm 46:1–3 says, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!” (NLT). No matter what shape our adversity takes, God will walk with us through it. Reflection question: When have you experienced God’s presence in the midst of a crisis? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Then Jesus wept.” (John 11:35 NLT) Jesus arrived at the home of Martha and Mary four days after their brother Lazarus died. The mourners were consumed by grief. Jesus’ plan all along was to raise Lazarus from the dead—to demonstrate His power and give His followers hope in the resurrection. So, His reaction in John 11:35—the shortest verse in the Bible—is telling: “Then Jesus wept” (NLT). Jesus weeps with us in our time of pain. Jesus was God with all His power and glory. But He was also a man—a man who felt our pain and sorrows. Isaiah 53:3 says, “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (NLT). Hebrews 2:17–18 explains why. “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested” (NLT). If something breaks your heart, it breaks His heart as well. But sadness wasn’t the only emotion He experienced. John 11:33 says, “When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled” (NLT). He wasn’t angry at the mourners; He was angry at death. Death and suffering are aberrations. They were not part of God’s original plan. They were part of the curse after mankind’s Fall. That’s what Jesus was angry about. Jesus demonstrated His power over death by bringing Lazarus back to life. And God was glorified. The obvious takeaway is that God is glorified when an affliction is removed. So, if you’re healed from an illness or declared cancer-free, praise Him for it. Celebrate the fact that He is ultimately in control. Sometimes, though, the surgery doesn’t go as hoped. Sometimes the illness isn’t healed. Sometimes the problem isn’t taken away. And here’s the not-so-obvious takeaway: God can be glorified through the enduring of an affliction as well. The apostle Paul wrote, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment” (Romans 5:3–5 NLT). Hope comes through hardship. When a Christian suffers and still glorifies God, it reassures others that there will never be a valley so deep that God will not get us through it. It also reminds us that physical death is not the end; it’s just a change in the state of existence. The tomb is the entrance to life. Heaven is the earthly life of the believer, glorified and perfected. When believers die, they go into God’s presence. That is the ultimate hope. Put your hope in God. He will never let you down. Reflection question: When have you seen God glorified by the endurance of an affliction? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The people who were standing nearby said, ‘See how much he loved him!’” (John 11:36 NLT) Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were siblings and friends of Jesus. When Lazarus got deathly ill, Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus: “Lord, your dear friend is very sick” (John 11:3 NLT). Theirs is a story of hope, although that’s not immediately apparent in the biblical narrative. In our last devotion, we saw that the first takeaway from the story is that life involves pain, sorrow, and death. The second takeaway is spelled out by Lazarus’ mourners in verse 36: “See how much he loved him!” (NLT). The Lord loves us. God describes His love in Jeremiah 31:3: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself” (NLT). Whatever God does or allows to happen in our lives is motivated by His everlasting love for us. Mary and Martha knew that Jesus loved them—and that He loved Lazarus. That’s why they sent for Him. They reacted perfectly when crisis hit. They took their troubles to Jesus. Look at the basis for their appeal. They didn’t say, “Lord, You owe us. We fed You. You and Your friends crashed at our house.” They didn’t base their appeal on their love for Him; they based it on His love for them: “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” Our love is fickle; it fluctuates. The Lord’s love for us never changes. John 11:5–­6 reveals Jesus’ response to Mary and Martha’s message. “So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days” (NLT). When Jesus finally arrived, things were bleak. Lazarus was no longer sick; he was dead—and had been for four days. His body was decomposing. Not only did Jesus not heal His friend, but He also missed the funeral. If that seems like a less-than-loving response, it’s because we can’t grasp the depth of the Lord’s love. Jesus wanted Mary and Martha to see the bigger picture. He wanted them to understand that because they trusted in Him, death was no longer their enemy. He wanted them to embrace the hope of resurrection. Neither Martha nor Mary could see the big picture at first, so they focused on the smaller picture—on what seemed like Jesus’ callous disregard. Both sisters confronted Jesus with the words, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died” (verses 21, 32 NLT). Again, they took their problems to Jesus. And that’s what you need to do when suffering and trials come your way. Some people say, “Don’t ever ask God why.” I say ask God “why” as much as you want. Just don’t always expect an answer. Be honest with Him when you pray. Say, “God, I’m not happy right now. I don’t understand this. I’m hurting. This doesn’t make sense. Why did You let this happen?” Jesus Himself said from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46 NLT). In the end, though, we live on promises, not explanations. Along with asking “why,” we should ask “what”—as in, what am I supposed to do? The answer is, turn to the Lord with your pain and grief because He loves you. Reflection question: When do you need to be reminded of God’s love for you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, ‘Lord, your dear friend is very sick.’” (John 11:3 NLT) In our next series of devotions, we’re going to talk about hope for people in difficult circumstances. And we’re going to start with hope for people who have lost loved ones. What I’m going to share doesn’t come from an ivory tower of theory. It comes from the valley of the shadow of death, where I’ve personally found the hope promised to us in Scripture. Psalm 119:114 says, “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope” (NLT). Romans 15:4 says, “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled” (NLT). It’s been said that man can live forty days without food, three days without water, eight minutes without air, and about one second without hope. We all need hope in life to get through. To have hope doesn’t mean that you have a smile permanently plastered on your face. Nor does it mean that you’ve had some kind of spiritual lobotomy so that you don’t feel what other people feel. Nor does it mean that you have a naive expectation that things will get better. The grim reality is that things can get worse. Our hope is not in circumstances but in God. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (NLT). In other words, there will be an outcome, a completion in your life. God will tie up the loose ends—if not in this world, then in the next. John 11 tells the story of people who had lost hope after the death of a loved one. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were siblings and friends of Jesus. When Lazarus got deathly ill, Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus: “Lord, your dear friend is very sick” (John 11:3 NLT). We’ll be looking at lessons from this story in the next few devotions, but I want to start with the obvious one. Life involves pain, sorrow, and death. Some people try to convince themselves that they’re going to make it through life unscathed, without experiencing a major devastation or illness and without losing a loved one. The Bible suggests otherwise. The apostle Peter wrote, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12 NLT). Don’t be surprised. It happens to everyone, and it’s going to happen to you. Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33 NLT). Mortality will rear its head. It may start with the death of your grandparents. And then your parents. And so on. Through it all, though, you have hope—if your hope is in God. He promises Heaven, where there are no trials or sorrows. Reflection question: What does hope in God look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8 NLT) The Bible gives us several different examples of well-lived lives. One is found in Acts 6, in the story of Stephen, the first known Christian martyr. Though he did not live long, Stephen demonstrated several qualities that are necessary for a well-lived life—qualities that allowed him to be used powerfully by God. First, he had a good reputation. Acts 6:3 says that Stephen was selected to lead a ministry because he was “well respected.” He had personal integrity. He fit the apostle Paul’s description in 1 Timothy 3:6–7: “A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap” (NLT). A well-lived life is marked by a good reputation. Second, he was “full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5 NLT). Stephen lived a Spirit-controlled life. He yielded to the working of the Holy Spirit every day. A well-lived life is one that faithfully follows the Holy Spirit’s leading. Third, he was filled with wisdom, according to verse 3. We see his wisdom on display in Acts 7 as he quotes from Scripture in presenting the gospel to the Jewish Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council. Keep in mind that it’s possible to have knowledge and not wisdom. There are many very learned people who lack wisdom. They are unable to translate their knowledge into God-honoring application. A well-lived life is one that prioritizes wisdom. Fourth, he was faithful in the little things. He diligently performed the tasks that were set before him without considering whether the jobs were “beneath him.” He was willing to humble himself and do whatever was necessary to accomplish God’s work. You can never be too small for God to use. Only too big. If you say, “I’m willing to do whatever you want me to do, Lord, and I will be faithful in that,” you’ll be amazed at what God will accomplish through you. A well-lived life starts at the bottom, from a human perspective. Fifth, he looked for opportunities and seized them. Stephen was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. He was accused of blasphemy, but his real crime was serving the Lord faithfully. He surely understood that his life hung in the balance. But Stephen saw an opportunity to speak the gospel truth to people who needed to hear it. So, he seized the moment and delivered one of the most powerful sermons recorded in Scripture. The consequences didn’t matter to him; what mattered was the opportunity to serve Christ and share His message. A well-lived life is one in which opportunities are recognized and seized upon. Luke, the author of Acts, described Stephen as being “full of God’s grace and power” (Acts 6:8 NLT). That is also the ideal description of a well-lived life. Reflection question: Which quality of Stephen do you most want to strengthen in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.” (Romans 2:14–15 NLT) A well-lived life is one that is guided by a Spirit-controlled conscience. Someone once said, “Conscience is that inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking.” Someone else said, “Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.” And someone else said, “Conscience doesn’t always keep you from doing wrong, but it does keep you from enjoying it.” Apparently, the idea of a conscience triggers the cynical instincts of certain people. Everyone has a conscience. The apostle Paul wrote, “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right” (Romans 2:14–15 NLT). The conscience acts as an alarm. And like a car alarm or a smoke alarm, it can be disabled—or at least quieted. If you ignore your conscience long enough, its “chirping” will become less and less noticeable to you. In time, it will fade into background noise, something you pay no attention to. The Bible warns us against allowing this to happen. The apostle Paul wrote, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead” (1 Timothy 4:1–2 NLT). A deactivated or dead conscience makes us susceptible to all kinds of evil. To live well, spiritually speaking, you must keep your conscience functioning at a high level. Keep in mind that your conscience is not infallible. Sometimes it will try to condemn you for something that’s not actually wrong. The apostle John wrote, “Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20 NLT). Similarly, there will be times when your conscience refuses to condemn you after you do something wrong. It will try to justify your actions or downplay their seriousness. So, it’s important to teach your conscience how to function properly. You do that by placing it under the control of the Holy Spirit. Spend time in God’s Word, learning everything you can about how God wants you to live. Then pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s prompts so that you’ll know when to make changes in your life. Martin Luther said, “My conscience is captive to the Word of God.” If you effectively educate your conscience to do what it’s supposed to do as designed by the Lord, you will have the foundation in place for a well-lived life. Reflection question: What does a Spirit-controlled conscience look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:5–6 NLT) The Christian life is full of difficult questions. Many of them begin with “Why, Lord?” or some variation thereof. The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk asked, “How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! ‘Violence is everywhere!’ I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight” (Habakkuk 1:2–3 NLT). The psalmist Asaph asked, “Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion?” (Psalm 77:7–9 NLT). I have my questions for God that I’ve asked many times. I’m sure that you have yours, too. But we must see these questions for what they are: temporary sources of pain, discouragement, or confusion. The apostle Paul wrote, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT). Our earthly perspective and understanding are limited. All our questions will be answered someday. God answered Habakkuk. “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it” (Habakkuk 1:5 NLT). And passages such as Ecclesiastes 3 give us context for our questions. “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. . . . A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance” (verses 1, 4 NLT). A well-lived life is one in which we keep our questions in proper perspective. One in which we refuse to allow them to cause bitterness or resentment toward God—or to live “out of season,” in the context of Ecclesiastes 3. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul recounts praying for God to remove a “thorn” in his flesh—some kind of affliction that caused him difficulties. God chose not to. Paul didn’t understand why, but he didn’t let it slow him down. A well-lived life is one that embraces the challenge of faith—that is, trusting God without having all the answers. A well-lived life is one in which we cling to the words of the psalmist in Psalm 42:5–6: “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!” (NLT). Reflection question: What will you do with your unanswered questions for God? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.