"'For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.'" Matthew 18:20

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"'For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.'" Matthew 18:20
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If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from <a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Daily Devotions From Greg Laurie

MATTHEW 18:20: For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.

A Wall of Prayer Warriors | Matthew 18:20

Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord; let us worship at the footstool of his throne. (Psalm 132:7 NLT)

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the boyhood years of Jesus. But it does give us an instance where Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, and they took twelve-year-old Jesus with them. Then they made the journey back home.

In those days, the men and women traveled separately. Joseph thought that Jesus was with Mary. And Mary thought that Jesus was with Joseph. But then they realized they had lost Jesus. So, they frantically made their way back to Jerusalem. They found Him in the temple three days later, where He was speaking with the elders.

Jesus said to them, “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49 NLT). Imagine the panicked couple running around town, asking people if they had seen their son.

We can become so busy, especially at this time of year, that we don’t have time for God. We can be so busy celebrating Christmas that we lose Jesus. We string the lights, trim the tree, and buy the gifts. And during all this busyness, we can forget all about the Lord. We can lose Jesus just like Mary and Joseph did.

We Americans are so busy. You could write on our tombstones, “Hurried. Worried. Buried.” We’re always rushing about, and that is more evident at Christmas than at any other time of year. Lines are long and tempers are short.

We think Christmas will bring us some measure of happiness. But after so much buildup, Christmas can be a letdown. Then there is the mess and cleaning up. Soon the bills start arriving, and reality kicks in.

Experts tell us that calls to psychiatrists and emergency rooms increase during this time of year. That is because Christmas can’t measure up to its romanticized image.

So many of us say, “I would like to make time for God, but I am just so busy. I work too hard and don’t have any time in my schedule. I would like to go to church, but there just isn’t time for that. I would like to read my Bible, but I just can’t find the time.”

However, we find time for what is important to us.

It seems the only place where there ever was room for Jesus was on a cross where He died for the sins of the world. Ironically, Jesus Himself said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home” (John 14:2 NLT).

We don’t have room for Him, but He has many rooms for us. Jesus took His place in a manger so that we could have a home in Heaven.

So, let’s forget about the clutter and hype and replace it with the Christ of Christmas. Then it will be great. It is not about Christmas presents; it is about His presence in our lives. The message of the season is not “let it snow” or “let us shop.” It is “let us worship.”

If we will focus on that, then Christmas will be a blessed time for us.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord; let us worship at the footstool of his throne. (Psalm 132:7 NLT)
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the boyhood years of Jesus. But it does give us an instance where Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, and they took twelve-year-old Jesus with them. Then they made the journey back home.
In those days, the men and women traveled separately. Joseph thought that Jesus was with Mary. And Mary thought that Jesus was with Joseph. But then they realized they had lost Jesus. So, they frantically made their way back to Jerusalem. They found Him in the temple three days later, where He was speaking with the elders.
Jesus said to them, “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49 NLT). Imagine the panicked couple running around town, asking people if they had seen their son.
We can become so busy, especially at this time of year, that we don’t have time for God. We can be so busy celebrating Christmas that we lose Jesus. We string the lights, trim the tree, and buy the gifts. And during all this busyness, we can forget all about the Lord. We can lose Jesus just like Mary and Joseph did.
We Americans are so busy. You could write on our tombstones, “Hurried. Worried. Buried.” We’re always rushing about, and that is more evident at Christmas than at any other time of year. Lines are long and tempers are short.
We think Christmas will bring us some measure of happiness. But after so much buildup, Christmas can be a letdown. Then there is the mess and cleaning up. Soon the bills start arriving, and reality kicks in.
Experts tell us that calls to psychiatrists and emergency rooms increase during this time of year. That is because Christmas can’t measure up to its romanticized image.
So many of us say, “I would like to make time for God, but I am just so busy. I work too hard and don’t have any time in my schedule. I would like to go to church, but there just isn’t time for that. I would like to read my Bible, but I just can’t find the time.”
However, we find time for what is important to us.
It seems the only place where there ever was room for Jesus was on a cross where He died for the sins of the world. Ironically, Jesus Himself said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home” (John 14:2 NLT).
We don’t have room for Him, but He has many rooms for us. Jesus took His place in a manger so that we could have a home in Heaven.
So, let’s forget about the clutter and hype and replace it with the Christ of Christmas. Then it will be great. It is not about Christmas presents; it is about His presence in our lives. The message of the season is not “let it snow” or “let us shop.” It is “let us worship.”
If we will focus on that, then Christmas will be a blessed time for us.
—
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

How to Have a Blessed Christmas | Psalm 132:7

Mary responded, ‘Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.’ (Luke 1:46–48 NLT)

Mary was a good Jewish girl who would have learned the Scriptures from her youth. And no doubt she would have heard the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)” (Isaiah 7:14 NLT).

However, it’s unlikely that, in her wildest dreams, she ever thought, “That is me? I am going to be the virgin that Isaiah prophesied of? I am going to be the mother of the Messiah and carry God incarnate in my womb?”

Mary was stunned, as we see from her reaction to the angel Gabriel when he appeared. He said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28 NLT). The passage goes on to say, “Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean” (verse 29 NLT).

She was genuinely surprised that God had chosen her. Mary could have said to Gabriel, “It’s about time you showed up!” But of course, her response was nothing like that. When people are truly godly, they never boast of their devotion. They won’t speak of what they’ve done for God. Rather, they always will speak of what God has done for them.

That is why John, in his Gospel, described himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” It might seem a little self-serving. But wasn’t that better than describing himself as “the disciple who loved Jesus”? Our love is fickle. It can vary, depending on circumstances.

On the other hand, God’s love is consistent. God’s love never changes. Thus, John boasted of God’s love for him rather than of his love for God.

By the way, that is a good mark of an effective testimony. A good testimony always will focus on what Christ gave up to save you, not what you gave up to follow Him. When some Christians share their testimonies, they make their past sound more interesting than their present and future.

They say things like, “I used to party and have fun. We did all these great things. Then I heard about Jesus and took up the old, rugged cross. Now I just read my Bible. And one day, I will die and go to Heaven, where I’ll float around on a cloud and play a harp.”

That is neither a proper nor accurate testimony. Instead, let’s focus on what God has done for us.

Mary was a virtuous woman, but she wasn’t a sinless woman. Yes, God chose her and called her. But even Mary needed a Savior. And in the passage that we call the Magnificat, Mary said, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:46–47 NLT).

She didn’t fully understand, but Mary obeyed just the same with an attitude of childlike faith and obedience. This is the kind of attitude God looks for in His servants. And God can use you, like Mary, wherever you are.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Mary responded, ‘Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.’ (Luke 1:46–48 NLT)
Mary was a good Jewish girl who would have learned the Scriptures from her youth. And no doubt she would have heard the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)” (Isaiah 7:14 NLT).
However, it’s unlikely that, in her wildest dreams, she ever thought, “That is me? I am going to be the virgin that Isaiah prophesied of? I am going to be the mother of the Messiah and carry God incarnate in my womb?”
Mary was stunned, as we see from her reaction to the angel Gabriel when he appeared. He said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28 NLT). The passage goes on to say, “Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean” (verse 29 NLT).
She was genuinely surprised that God had chosen her. Mary could have said to Gabriel, “It’s about time you showed up!” But of course, her response was nothing like that. When people are truly godly, they never boast of their devotion. They won’t speak of what they’ve done for God. Rather, they always will speak of what God has done for them.
That is why John, in his Gospel, described himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” It might seem a little self-serving. But wasn’t that better than describing himself as “the disciple who loved Jesus”? Our love is fickle. It can vary, depending on circumstances.
On the other hand, God’s love is consistent. God’s love never changes. Thus, John boasted of God’s love for him rather than of his love for God.
By the way, that is a good mark of an effective testimony. A good testimony always will focus on what Christ gave up to save you, not what you gave up to follow Him. When some Christians share their testimonies, they make their past sound more interesting than their present and future.
They say things like, “I used to party and have fun. We did all these great things. Then I heard about Jesus and took up the old, rugged cross. Now I just read my Bible. And one day, I will die and go to Heaven, where I’ll float around on a cloud and play a harp.”
That is neither a proper nor accurate testimony. Instead, let’s focus on what God has done for us.
Mary was a virtuous woman, but she wasn’t a sinless woman. Yes, God chose her and called her. But even Mary needed a Savior. And in the passage that we call the Magnificat, Mary said, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:46–47 NLT).
She didn’t fully understand, but Mary obeyed just the same with an attitude of childlike faith and obedience. This is the kind of attitude God looks for in His servants. And God can use you, like Mary, wherever you are.
—
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Faith and Obedience | Luke 1:46–48

So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. (2 Peter 2:9 NLT)

Little did Zechariah know how life was about to change for him, for his country, and for the world. Gabriel announced to him that he and his aged wife, Elizabeth, were to be the parents of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus. In fact, they would be the parents of the greatest prophet in the history of Scripture and the greatest of the Old Testament prophets.

Israel hadn’t heard from God for four hundred years. There hadn’t been a miracle for four hundred years. And there hadn’t been a prophet for four hundred years. Then along came the angel Gabriel, not just with an announcement of a prophet but of a super prophet, one who would precede the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

But because he was an old man, Zechariah had a hard time believing this. So, Gabriel told him that he would not be able to speak until the child was born. And indeed, Zechariah did not communicate verbally until John was born. Then God restored his ability to speak.

Meanwhile, in a seedy little town called Nazareth, there was a godly young woman named Mary. The angel Gabriel also appeared to her and told her she would have the privilege of being the mother of the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.

But in contrast to Zechariah, who doubted, Mary believed. She said to Gabriel, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38 NLT).

Nazareth was known for its corruption and sin. That is why, when Nathanael heard that Jesus was from Nazareth, he responded by saying, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46 NLT).

This wasn’t the first time God dispatched an angel to a godless city. He sent angels into Sodom and Gomorrah to deliver Lot and his family from the destruction that was coming. Sodom and Gomorrah were known for their sin, just as Nazareth was.

Abraham’s nephew Lot lived in Sodom. The Bible says of him, “Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day” (2 Peter 2:8 NLT). Mary and Lot lived at different times in different cultures. And both cultures were wicked.

Yet Mary lived an uncompromised life. Lot, on the other hand, lived a compromised life. And when it was time to leave the ungodly place where he was living, the angels had to take Lot by the hand and rush him and his family out of the city.

There is no power in a compromised life. Compromising people reach no one. Mary, however, lived a godly life in an ungodly place. Lot was a thermometer, but Mary was a thermostat. Unlike a thermometer that is affected by its surroundings, a thermostat controls the environment around it.

We often blame our wicked culture for the way we are, but the fact of the matter is that it’s our job as followers of Jesus to permeate and affect our culture.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. (2 Peter 2:9 NLT)
Little did Zechariah know how life was about to change for him, for his country, and for the world. Gabriel announced to him that he and his aged wife, Elizabeth, were to be the parents of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus. In fact, they would be the parents of the greatest prophet in the history of Scripture and the greatest of the Old Testament prophets.
Israel hadn’t heard from God for four hundred years. There hadn’t been a miracle for four hundred years. And there hadn’t been a prophet for four hundred years. Then along came the angel Gabriel, not just with an announcement of a prophet but of a super prophet, one who would precede the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
But because he was an old man, Zechariah had a hard time believing this. So, Gabriel told him that he would not be able to speak until the child was born. And indeed, Zechariah did not communicate verbally until John was born. Then God restored his ability to speak.
Meanwhile, in a seedy little town called Nazareth, there was a godly young woman named Mary. The angel Gabriel also appeared to her and told her she would have the privilege of being the mother of the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.
But in contrast to Zechariah, who doubted, Mary believed. She said to Gabriel, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38 NLT).
Nazareth was known for its corruption and sin. That is why, when Nathanael heard that Jesus was from Nazareth, he responded by saying, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46 NLT).
This wasn’t the first time God dispatched an angel to a godless city. He sent angels into Sodom and Gomorrah to deliver Lot and his family from the destruction that was coming. Sodom and Gomorrah were known for their sin, just as Nazareth was.
Abraham’s nephew Lot lived in Sodom. The Bible says of him, “Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day” (2 Peter 2:8 NLT). Mary and Lot lived at different times in different cultures. And both cultures were wicked.
Yet Mary lived an uncompromised life. Lot, on the other hand, lived a compromised life. And when it was time to leave the ungodly place where he was living, the angels had to take Lot by the hand and rush him and his family out of the city.
There is no power in a compromised life. Compromising people reach no one. Mary, however, lived a godly life in an ungodly place. Lot was a thermometer, but Mary was a thermostat. Unlike a thermometer that is affected by its surroundings, a thermostat controls the environment around it.
We often blame our wicked culture for the way we are, but the fact of the matter is that it’s our job as followers of Jesus to permeate and affect our culture.
—
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

A Wall of Prayer Warriors | Matthew 18:20

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