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)
—
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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

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, ‘I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me. . . . But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.’ Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.”(Jonah 2:1–2, 9–10 NLT)

 

The turning point that led to the greatest spiritual revival in human history occurred in the intestines of a giant fish. If that’s not unusual enough for you, consider that the person the Lord called to lead the revival in Nineveh was a rabid anti-Ninevite.

Before the people of Nineveh could change their hearts, Jonah had to change his. And that’s just what he did after he was thrown from a ship in the middle of a storm and swallowed by an enormous sea creature.

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, ‘I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me. . . . But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.’ Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach”(Jonah 2:1–2, 9–10 NLT).

One of the most remarkable aspects of the story of Nineveh’s revival is that there’s nothing predictable about it. God engineered the redemption of the entire city in the most unlikely way and using the most unlikely person imaginable.

Yet we could also say that God works through unlikely people and circumstances so often in Scripture that it’s almost laughable to call anyone or anything unlikely. Jonah prayed from the belly of a fish. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prayed from inside a fiery furnace. Daniel prayed from a lion’s den. And God answered all of them.

Revival can start anywhere, with anyone. Keep that in mind if you’re in deep waters right now. No matter where you are, no matter what’s going on in your life, no matter how distant you may feel from God, you can pray. And God will hear.

He will ignite the embers of your heart. He will show you the path He has prepared for you. He will revitalize your relationship with Him. No matter how unlikely it may seem, He will use you to accomplish something bigger than you can imagine.

Jonah was repentant and regurgitated. Believing and barfed. Righteous and ralphed. Bleached and beached. Victorious and vomited.

Who’s to say your story won’t be just as unlikely—and just as compelling?

 

Reflection question: How has God worked in unlikely ways in your life?

Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online!

—

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;Then Jonah prayed to the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;his God from inside the fish.&nbsp;He said, &lsquo;I cried out to the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and&nbsp;Lord, you heard me. . . . But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,&nbsp;and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;alone.&rsquo; Then the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.&rdquo; (Jonah 2:1&ndash;2, 9&ndash;10 NLT)
&nbsp;
The turning point that led to the greatest spiritual revival in human history occurred in the intestines of a giant fish. If that&rsquo;s not unusual enough for you, consider that the person the Lord called to lead the revival in Nineveh was a rabid anti-Ninevite.
Before the people of Nineveh could change their hearts, Jonah had to change his. And that&rsquo;s just what he did after he was thrown from a ship in the middle of a storm and swallowed by an enormous sea creature.
&ldquo;Then Jonah prayed to the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;his God from inside the fish.&nbsp;He said, &lsquo;I cried out to the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and&nbsp;Lord, you heard me. . . . But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,&nbsp;and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;alone.&rsquo; Then the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach&rdquo; (Jonah 2:1&ndash;2, 9&ndash;10 NLT).
One of the most remarkable aspects of the story of Nineveh&rsquo;s revival is that there&rsquo;s nothing predictable about it. God engineered the redemption of the entire city in the most unlikely way and using the most unlikely person imaginable.
Yet we could also say that God works through unlikely people and circumstances so often in Scripture that it&rsquo;s almost laughable to call anyone or anything unlikely. Jonah prayed from the belly of a fish. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prayed from inside a fiery furnace. Daniel prayed from a lion&rsquo;s den. And God answered all of them.
Revival can start anywhere, with anyone. Keep that in mind if you&rsquo;re in deep waters right now. No matter where you are, no matter what&rsquo;s going on in your life, no matter how distant you may feel from God, you can pray. And God will hear.
He will ignite the embers of your heart. He will show you the path He has prepared for you. He will revitalize your relationship with Him. No matter how unlikely it may seem, He will use you to accomplish something bigger than you can imagine.
Jonah was repentant and regurgitated. Believing and barfed. Righteous and ralphed. Bleached and beached. Victorious and vomited.
Who&rsquo;s to say your story won&rsquo;t be just as unlikely&mdash;and just as compelling?
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How has God worked in unlikely ways in your life?
Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you&nbsp;<a href="https://live.harvest.org/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=SoCal2026">watch online</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 often uses unlikely people in unlikely circumstances to accomplish His will.

The Master of the Unlikely | Jonah 2:1–2, 9–10

“Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. ‘O Lord,’ they pleaded, ‘don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.’”(Jonah 1:14 NLT)

 

The possibility of a spiritual revival in Nineveh was almost too terrible for Jonah to contemplate. So, he booked passage on a ship headed in the opposite direction. Before we go any further into his story, though, I want to point out that Jonah would have scoffed at the nonsensical claim that the God of the Old Testament is angry, harsh, and judgmental while the God of the New Testament is merciful and loving.

The whole reason Jonah was on the lam from his prophetic duties is that he was afraid that God would show mercy and love toward his enemies, the Ninevites.

When Jonah ran away, God could have just said, “Okay, that’s it, Jonah. I’m done with you. I’m going to get somebody else.” But the Lord loved Jonah. He had a plan for him. He was going to give him a second chance—and God still gives second chances today.

So, the Lord sent a storm into Jonah’s life. In this case, it was an actual, meteorological storm. Often, however, the Lord sends storms into the lives of His people in the form of hardships or difficulties.

There are three kinds of storms we face as Christians. First, there are perfecting storms. These are trials, tribulations, circumstances, and situations that cause us to grow spiritually as we endure them. In the book of Job, as Job struggles with the tragedies that have befallen him, he says of the Lord, “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (Job 23:10 NLT). He was navigating a perfecting storm.

Second, there are protecting storms. According to John 6, after Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, the people who witnessed the miracle were so excited that they wanted to make Jesus their king. His disciples, by extension, would rule with Him. Rather than give credence to such talk, Jesus loaded His disciples onto a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. During the crossing, a great storm arose. It was a protecting storm. Jesus was protecting His disciples from a temptation that would have been very damaging to their lives.

Finally, there are correcting storms. Jonah 1:14 says the sailors on Jonah’s ship, “cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. ‘O Lord,’ they pleaded, ‘don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons’” (NLT).

Correcting storms are circumstances that we effectively bring upon ourselves. But here’s the good news. God won’t abandon us in our storm. In fact, His sending of the storm is a reminder of His love. Hebrews 12:6 says, “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child” (NLT). Jonah emerged from the storm corrected and ready to fulfill his calling.

The lesson for us is that if we stay strong in the storms of life, we’ll experience a personal revival, which can lead to something bigger and more widespread. There’s no limit to what God can do with one renewed and recalibrated believer.

 

Reflection question: How can you discern when you’re facing a correcting storm?

Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online!

—

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;Then they cried out to the&nbsp;Lord, Jonah&rsquo;s God. &lsquo;O&nbsp;Lord,&rsquo; they pleaded, &lsquo;don&rsquo;t make us die for this man&rsquo;s sin. And don&rsquo;t hold us responsible for his death. O&nbsp;Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.&rsquo;&rdquo; (Jonah 1:14 NLT)
&nbsp;
The possibility of a spiritual revival in Nineveh was almost too terrible for Jonah to contemplate. So, he booked passage on a ship headed in the opposite direction. Before we go any further into his story, though, I want to point out that Jonah would have scoffed at the nonsensical claim that the God of the Old Testament is angry, harsh, and judgmental while the God of the New Testament is merciful and loving.
The whole reason Jonah was on the lam from his prophetic duties is that he was afraid that God would show mercy and love toward his enemies, the Ninevites.
When Jonah ran away, God could have just said, &ldquo;Okay, that&rsquo;s it, Jonah. I&rsquo;m done with you. I&rsquo;m going to get somebody else.&rdquo; But the Lord loved Jonah. He had a plan for him. He was going to give him a second chance&mdash;and God still gives second chances today.
So, the Lord sent a storm into Jonah&rsquo;s life. In this case, it was an actual, meteorological storm. Often, however, the Lord sends storms into the lives of His people in the form of hardships or difficulties.
There are three kinds of storms we face as Christians. First, there are perfecting storms. These are trials, tribulations, circumstances, and situations that cause us to grow spiritually as we endure them. In the book of Job, as Job struggles with the tragedies that have befallen him, he says of the Lord, &ldquo;But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold&rdquo; (Job 23:10 NLT). He was navigating a perfecting storm.
Second, there are protecting storms. According to John 6, after Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, the people who witnessed the miracle were so excited that they wanted to make Jesus their king. His disciples, by extension, would rule with Him. Rather than give credence to such talk, Jesus loaded His disciples onto a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. During the crossing, a great storm arose. It was a protecting storm. Jesus was protecting His disciples from a temptation that would have been very damaging to their lives.
Finally, there are correcting storms. Jonah 1:14 says the sailors on Jonah&rsquo;s ship, &ldquo;cried out to the Lord, Jonah&rsquo;s God. &lsquo;O Lord,&rsquo; they pleaded, &lsquo;don&rsquo;t make us die for this man&rsquo;s sin. And don&rsquo;t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons&rsquo;&rdquo; (NLT).
Correcting storms are circumstances that we effectively bring upon ourselves. But here&rsquo;s the good news. God won&rsquo;t abandon us in our storm. In fact, His sending of the storm is a reminder of His love. Hebrews 12:6 says, &ldquo;For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child&rdquo; (NLT). Jonah emerged from the storm corrected and ready to fulfill his calling.
The lesson for us is that if we stay strong in the storms of life, we&rsquo;ll experience a personal revival, which can lead to something bigger and more widespread. There&rsquo;s no limit to what God can do with one renewed and recalibrated believer.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you discern when you&rsquo;re facing a correcting storm?
Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you&nbsp;<a href="https://live.harvest.org/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=SoCal2026">watch online</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 storms we face in life can revive us spiritually.

Navigating Life’s Storms | Jonah 1:14

“The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.’” (Jonah 1:1–2 NLT)

 

Throughout this month, we’ll be addressing the need for revival in our nation. To help frame our discussion, I want to look back at one of the greatest revivals in human history. This week we’ll be talking about what happened in the Assyrian city of Nineveh, as recorded in the Old Testament book of Jonah.

The first thing we need to understand is that one of the greatest revivals in human history began with one person who was willing to step out of his comfort zone. Okay, maybe Jonah wasn’t exactly willing at first. But after a short stay in the digestive tract of a giant fish, he was quite willing.

By the way, if the idea of a person being swallowed by a giant sea creature seems far-fetched to you, you should read the story of Michael Packard, a veteran lobster diver from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. One day, while Packard was in the water, he was washed into the mouth of a humpback whale. He recalled, “All of a sudden I felt this huge shove, and the next thing I knew it was completely black.” After about 40 seconds, the whale spit him out. The same thing happened to Jonah—it just took about three days longer in his case.

Jonah ended up in the belly of a giant fish because he wanted to stay in his comfort zone. Jonah 1:1–2 says, “The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are’” (NLT). But Jonah refused. The Ninevites were enemies of Israel and were known for their wickedness and cruelty. The idea of God forgiving and showing mercy to them was far outside Jonah’s comfort zone. He had no concern for the souls of the Ninevites. He took comfort in the notion that God would judge Nineveh. He wanted the Ninevites to suffer for all the suffering they had caused Israel.

But God didn’t call Jonah to make himself at home in his comfort zone. He called Jonah to leave his comfort zone far behind and do something that must have felt not only out of character but also beyond his ability.

That’s how revivals begin: ordinary people respond to an extraordinary call. They step outside their comfort zone and place their trust in God to accomplish what He would have them do.

Are you willing to leave your comfort zone to reach people who need Jesus? Are you willing to build bridges to people who are of a different political persuasion than you are? Are you willing to build bridges to people who are of a different race than you are? Are you willing to build bridges to people who are just different from you?

Don’t forget—that’s how revivals get started.

 

Reflection question: What would it look like in your life to reach out to someone who is different from you?

Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online!

—

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;The&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai:&nbsp;&lsquo;Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.&rsquo;&rdquo; (Jonah 1:1&ndash;2 NLT)
&nbsp;
Throughout this month, we&rsquo;ll be addressing the need for revival in our nation. To help frame our discussion, I want to look back at one of the greatest revivals in human history. This week we&rsquo;ll be talking about what happened in the Assyrian city of Nineveh, as recorded in the Old Testament book of Jonah.
The first thing we need to understand is that one of the greatest revivals in human history began with one person who was willing to step out of his comfort zone. Okay, maybe Jonah wasn&rsquo;t exactly willing at first. But after a short stay in the digestive tract of a giant fish, he was quite willing.
By the way, if the idea of a person being swallowed by a giant sea creature seems far-fetched to you, you should read the story of Michael Packard, a veteran lobster diver from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. One day, while Packard was in the water, he was washed into the mouth of a humpback whale. He recalled, &ldquo;All of a sudden I felt this huge shove, and the next thing I knew it was completely black.&rdquo; After about 40 seconds, the whale spit him out. The same thing happened to Jonah&mdash;it just took about three days longer in his case.
Jonah ended up in the belly of a giant fish because he wanted to stay in his comfort zone. Jonah 1:1&ndash;2 says, &ldquo;The&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai:&nbsp;&lsquo;Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are&rsquo;&rdquo; (NLT). But Jonah refused. The Ninevites were enemies of Israel and were known for their wickedness and cruelty. The idea of God forgiving and showing mercy to them was far outside Jonah&rsquo;s comfort zone. He had no concern for the souls of the Ninevites. He took comfort in the notion that God would judge Nineveh. He wanted the Ninevites to suffer for all the suffering they had caused Israel.
But God didn&rsquo;t call Jonah to make himself at home in his comfort zone. He called Jonah to leave his comfort zone far behind and do something that must have felt not only out of character but also beyond his ability.
That&rsquo;s how revivals begin: ordinary people respond to an extraordinary call. They step outside their comfort zone and place their trust in God to accomplish what He would have them do.
Are you willing to leave your comfort zone to reach people who need Jesus? Are you willing to build bridges to people who are of a different political persuasion than you are? Are you willing to build bridges to people who are of a different race than you are? Are you willing to build bridges to people who are just different from you?
Don&rsquo;t forget&mdash;that&rsquo;s how revivals get started.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would it look like in your life to reach out to someone who is different from you?
Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you&nbsp;<a href="https://live.harvest.org/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=SoCal2026">watch online</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>

Good things happen when believers step outside their comfort zone to follow God’s call.

Accustomed to the Dark | John 3:19

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