And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. (John 3:19 NLT)

—

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And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. (John 3:19 NLT)
—
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
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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. 

*The audio production of this podcast 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.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<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.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;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.

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

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. (John 3:19 NLT)

Accustomed to the Dark | John 3:19

“You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Genesis 4:7 NLT)

 

Many years ago, my son Christopher was lying out in the sun at our house when he woke up to find a huge gopher snake, coiled up and hissing at him, poised to strike. The snake must have been six or seven feet long. Terrified, he ran into the house and shut the door behind him.

His encounter serves as an illustration of the danger of sin—it’s always ready to strike. To use another analogy, sin waits at the door of our lives, looking for an opportunity to enter. In some cases, it’s already slithered across the threshold and made itself at home.

This is the amazing, but difficult, truth that we’re going to look at today: Sin is a potential threat—not just every day or every hour, but every minute we draw breath in this life.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven” (NLT). Unfortunately, though, sin never goes out of season, even when it seems like it should. Many Christians have learned too late that they’re most vulnerable to sin after a “mountaintop experience”—that is, a powerful spiritual experience. Emboldened by a sense of spiritual victory or maturity, they let down their guard and leave themselves open to sin.

Other times, it’s not quite so lofty circumstances that make us vulnerable. We see this in the tragic story of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis. When Cain saw that the Lord accepted Abel’s offering but not his, he was angry. That in itself wasn’t a sin. Anger is an emotion, and it isn’t always sinful. But what we do with anger can be right or wrong.

God recognized the vulnerable position Cain was in and gave him a warning. He essentially told Cain what was going to happen to him if he didn’t get himself under control. “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master” (Genesis 4:7 NLT). Like a wild animal, sin is crouching, ready to pounce.

We don’t have to be victims of its attacks. In fact, we don’t battle sin in our own strength. Our heavenly Father helps us resist sin and put it to death.

The next time sin comes knocking at your door, you might say, “Lord, would You mind getting that? I’m going to stand in Your strength. I’m going to trust in You. You’re the only one who can give me the strength to overpower sin.” In order for us to master sin, we must first be mastered by Him who conquered it.

 

Reflection question: How can you keep from letting down your guard against sin? 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 Partner

&ldquo;You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.&rdquo; (Genesis 4:7 NLT)
&nbsp;
Many years ago, my son Christopher was lying out in the sun at our house when he woke up to find a huge gopher snake, coiled up and hissing at him, poised to strike. The snake must have been six or seven feet long. Terrified, he ran into the house and shut the door behind him.
His encounter serves as an illustration of the danger of sin&mdash;it&rsquo;s always ready to strike. To use another analogy, sin waits at the door of our lives, looking for an opportunity to enter. In some cases, it&rsquo;s already slithered across the threshold and made itself at home.
This is the amazing, but difficult, truth that we&rsquo;re going to look at today: Sin is a potential threat&mdash;not just every day or every hour, but every minute we draw breath in this life.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, &ldquo;For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven&rdquo; (NLT). Unfortunately, though, sin never goes out of season, even when it seems like it should. Many Christians have learned too late that they&rsquo;re most vulnerable to sin after a &ldquo;mountaintop experience&rdquo;&mdash;that is, a powerful spiritual experience. Emboldened by a sense of spiritual victory or maturity, they let down their guard and leave themselves open to sin.
Other times, it&rsquo;s not quite so lofty circumstances that make us vulnerable. We see this in the tragic story of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis. When Cain saw that the Lord accepted Abel&rsquo;s offering but not his, he was angry. That in itself wasn&rsquo;t a sin. Anger is an emotion, and it isn&rsquo;t always sinful. But what we do with anger can be right or wrong.
God recognized the vulnerable position Cain was in and gave him a warning. He essentially told Cain what was going to happen to him if he didn&rsquo;t get himself under control. &ldquo;You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master&rdquo; (Genesis 4:7 NLT). Like a wild animal, sin is crouching, ready to pounce.
We don&rsquo;t have to be victims of its attacks. In fact, we don&rsquo;t battle sin in our own strength. Our heavenly Father helps us resist sin and put it to death.
The next time sin comes knocking at your door, you might say, &ldquo;Lord, would You mind getting that? I&rsquo;m going to stand in Your strength. I&rsquo;m going to trust in You. You&rsquo;re the only one who can give me the strength to overpower sin.&rdquo; In order for us to master sin, we must first be mastered by Him who conquered it.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you keep from letting down your guard against sin?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Ready to Pounce | Genesis 4:7

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:3–4 NLT)

 

There’s an old saying that goes, “You wouldn’t worry so much about what other people thought of you if you knew how infrequently they do.” And while the truth of that statement may sting, there’s an amazing truth in Scripture that can bring you tremendous comfort if you’re able to wrap your head around it. Here it is: God is thinking about you.

In Psalm 8:3–4, David, the shepherd and giant-slayer who would become king of Israel, tries to come to grips with that very realization. One night, probably when he was watching over his sheep, he looked up at the incredible array of stars above him and made this statement: “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (NLT).

This same wonder and awe should grip us when we read these verses. It’s incredible to think that the Creator of the universe, the Almighty God who knows every star by name, would care about us. Not only does He care about humanity as a whole, but He also cares about us as individuals. Not only does He care about us as individuals, but He also knows about every detail of our lives. If you want to take it one step further, look at the Lord’s words in Jeremiah 1:5: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb” (NLT).

God even knows the very thoughts that we think. Jesus said, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8 NKJV).

Psalm 40:5 tells us, “Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered” (NKJV). Psalm 115:12 (NKJV) says, “The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us.”

Your heavenly Father thinks about you because you are precious to Him. He sees what isn’t always apparent to other people. He sees your value, your worth, and your potential. He sees your heart. He sees the raw materials He can use to accomplish amazing things in and through you.

So, even when family and friends have forgotten about you, know this truth: The Lord is thinking about you. The Lord cares about you and takes an interest in even the smallest details of your life. They might seem trivial to someone else—but not to God. If it concerns you, then it concerns Him.

 

Reflection question: What does it mean to you to know that God is thinking about you right now? 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 Partner

&ldquo;When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers&mdash;the moon and the stars you set in place&mdash;what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?&rdquo; (Psalm 8:3&ndash;4 NLT)
&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s an old saying that goes, &ldquo;You wouldn&rsquo;t worry so much about what other people thought of you if you knew how infrequently they do.&rdquo; And while the truth of that statement may sting, there&rsquo;s an amazing truth in Scripture that can bring you tremendous comfort if you&rsquo;re able to wrap your head around it. Here it is: God is thinking about you.
In Psalm 8:3&ndash;4, David, the shepherd and giant-slayer who would become king of Israel, tries to come to grips with that very realization. One night, probably when he was watching over his sheep, he looked up at the incredible array of stars above him and made this statement: &ldquo;When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers&mdash;the moon and the stars you set in place&mdash;what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?&rdquo; (NLT).
This same wonder and awe should grip us when we read these verses. It&rsquo;s incredible to think that the Creator of the universe, the Almighty God who knows every star by name, would care about us. Not only does He care about humanity as a whole, but He also cares about us as individuals. Not only does He care about us as individuals, but He also knows about every detail of our lives. If you want to take it one step further, look at the Lord&rsquo;s words in Jeremiah 1:5: &ldquo;I knew you before I formed you in your mother&rsquo;s womb&rdquo; (NLT).
God even knows the very thoughts that we think. Jesus said, &ldquo;Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him&rdquo; (Matthew 6:8 NKJV).
Psalm 40:5 tells us, &ldquo;Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered&rdquo; (NKJV). Psalm 115:12 (NKJV) says, &ldquo;The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us.&rdquo;
Your heavenly Father thinks about you because you are precious to Him. He sees what isn&rsquo;t always apparent to other people. He sees your value, your worth, and your potential. He sees your heart. He sees the raw materials He can use to accomplish amazing things in and through you.
So, even when family and friends have forgotten about you, know this truth: The Lord is thinking about you. The Lord cares about you and takes an interest in even the smallest details of your life. They might seem trivial to someone else&mdash;but not to God. If it concerns you, then it concerns Him.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What does it mean to you to know that God is thinking about you right now?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

The God of the universe is thinking about you right now.

Thinking of You | Psalm 8:3–4

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT)

 

The Bible is full of amazing truths. In this week’s devotions, we’re going to focus on six specific truths and what they mean for us. The first amazing truth is this: God can use you in a profoundly impactful way.

I remember when, as a young Christian, I would sit in the pews at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa and listen to Senior Pastor Chuck Smith speak. I would think to myself, “I wonder if God would ever use me. I wonder if the Lord would ever speak through me.” Never in my wildest dreams did I think that God would allow me to be a pastor with the privilege of proclaiming the gospel to many. It was beyond my own aspirations.

If you’re planning your future right now, if you’re thinking about what course you want to follow in life, ask God for His direction. Say, “Lord, I want to be the person that You want me to be. I want my relationships and my future to honor You. I want to be in the center of Your will. I don’t want to go out there and blow it. Help me to do Your will.” God’s plans for you are better than anything you’ve ever planned for yourself.

God has given each of us certain abilities, talents, and resources. The question is, what are you doing with them? Are you seeking to use them for His glory? Are you offering your resources and future to Him? The apostle Paul wrote, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT). That covers pretty much everything, doesn’t it? His point is that bringing glory to God should be our highest priority. When you strive to bring glory to God in every area of your life, He can open doors, bring the right connections, and provide the amazing opportunities.

I’m not saying that you must be a pastor or a missionary. But whatever you do, whether you’re a doctor, an architect, a secretary, a computer programmer, a stay-at-home parent, a builder, a musician, a teacher, a carpenter, or work in some other field, you should want to serve the Lord and do it for the glory of God. That’s what matters. Your life can be a testimony and a witness for Jesus.

We should also keep in mind that our idea of what’s important, profound, or impactful may be far different from God’s idea. God may use us in ways that seem comparatively insignificant to the ways He uses other people. This is when we need to remind ourselves that we have an obstructed view. We can’t see the big picture of God’s plan. We can’t see how things fit together. So, we must be faithful with what He gives us, prioritize His glory in everything we do, and then trust Him to accomplish His will through us in a profoundly impactful way.

 

Reflection question: What would doing “all for the glory of God” 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 Partner

&ldquo;So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT)
&nbsp;
The Bible is full of amazing truths. In this week&rsquo;s devotions, we&rsquo;re going to focus on six specific truths and what they mean for us. The first amazing truth is this: God can use you in a profoundly impactful way.
I remember when, as a young Christian, I would sit in the pews at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa and listen to Senior Pastor Chuck Smith speak. I would think to myself, &ldquo;I wonder if God would ever use me. I wonder if the Lord would ever speak through me.&rdquo; Never in my wildest dreams did I think that God would allow me to be a pastor with the privilege of proclaiming the gospel to many. It was beyond my own aspirations.
If you&rsquo;re planning your future right now, if you&rsquo;re thinking about what course you want to follow in life, ask God for His direction. Say, &ldquo;Lord, I want to be the person that You want me to be. I want my relationships and my future to honor You. I want to be in the center of Your will. I don&rsquo;t want to go out there and blow it. Help me to do Your will.&rdquo; God&rsquo;s plans for you are better than anything you&rsquo;ve ever planned for yourself.
God has given each of us certain abilities, talents, and resources. The question is, what are you doing with them? Are you seeking to use them for His glory? Are you offering your resources and future to Him? The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT). That covers pretty much everything, doesn&rsquo;t it? His point is that bringing glory to God should be our highest priority. When you strive to bring glory to God in every area of your life, He can open doors, bring the right connections, and provide the amazing opportunities.
I&rsquo;m not saying that you must be a pastor or a missionary. But whatever you do, whether you&rsquo;re a doctor, an architect, a secretary, a computer programmer, a stay-at-home parent, a builder, a musician, a teacher, a carpenter, or work in some other field, you should want to serve the Lord and do it for the glory of God. That&rsquo;s what matters. Your life can be a testimony and a witness for Jesus.
We should also keep in mind that our idea of what&rsquo;s important, profound, or impactful may be far different from God&rsquo;s idea. God may use us in ways that seem comparatively insignificant to the ways He uses other people. This is when we need to remind ourselves that we have an obstructed view. We can&rsquo;t see the big picture of God&rsquo;s plan. We can&rsquo;t see how things fit together. So, we must be faithful with what He gives us, prioritize His glory in everything we do, and then trust Him to accomplish His will through us in a profoundly impactful way.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would doing &ldquo;all for the glory of God&rdquo; look like in your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

God can use you in a profoundly impactful way.

Accustomed to the Dark | John 3:19

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