If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. (Psalm 139:8 NLT)

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If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. (Psalm 139:8 NLT)
—
<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>

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

If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. (Psalm 139:8 NLT)

Even There | Psalm 139:8

“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)

 

When adversity rears its head, the first reaction of many believers is to pray it away—to ask God to spare us from it or, barring that, to help us get through it as quickly and as painlessly as possible. The ideal for many people is a life free from adversity.

But that misses the point entirely. Adversity is, in fact, one of God’s greatest teaching tools. Adversity prepares us for what God has ahead. God’s people will be better off eternally because they suffered temporarily. The trade-off in eternity will bear this out.

Our troubles won’t last forever. As the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “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!” (NLT).

This argument for the greater good may be the strongest biblical case for the whys of human suffering. But it requires great trust on our part. This means we need to look at our suffering and say, “It will all make sense in eternity, and it will produce something that would not have been there otherwise. So, in faith I am going to accept this truth and wait to see the outcome.”

We also need to keep in mind that even in the worst tragedy, God can bring good out of bad. That doesn’t mean He makes bad things good. But it does mean that despite bad things, He can bring good. This is an important distinction because often people are looking for cause and effect. They try to connect the dots: “This bad thing happened so this good thing would happen. And this even better thing happened. Now I get it.”

Sometimes life works that way. It did for Joseph. After being betrayed by his brothers, he was able to tell them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20 NLT).

Of course, sometimes we can’t see the outcome. Even so, as Paul wrote, “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). Ultimately, all things work together for good.

In the case of our country, the adversity we’re facing now may be a forerunner of revival. That may be God’s plan for bringing good from bad. It’s happened before. In fact, our country was founded in the wake of a great revival.

In the meantime, believers must continue to pray, continue to immerse themselves in God’s Word, and continue to share their faith with others so they can see the hand of God at work in our nation, bringing good from bad.

 

Reflection question: When have you seen God bring good from bad? 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;For our present troubles are small and won&rsquo;t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT)
&nbsp;
When adversity rears its head, the first reaction of many believers is to pray it away&mdash;to ask God to spare us from it or, barring that, to help us get through it as quickly and as painlessly as possible. The ideal for many people is a life free from adversity.
But that misses the point entirely. Adversity is, in fact, one of God&rsquo;s greatest teaching tools. Adversity prepares us for what God has ahead. God&rsquo;s people will be better off eternally because they suffered temporarily. The trade-off in eternity will bear this out.
Our troubles won&rsquo;t last forever. As the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17, &ldquo;For our present troubles are small and won&rsquo;t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!&rdquo; (NLT).
This argument for the greater good may be the strongest biblical case for the whys of human suffering. But it requires great trust on our part. This means we need to look at our suffering and say, &ldquo;It will all make sense in eternity, and it will produce something that would not have been there otherwise. So, in faith I am going to accept this truth and wait to see the outcome.&rdquo;
We also need to keep in mind that even in the worst tragedy, God can bring good out of bad. That doesn&rsquo;t mean He makes bad things good. But it does mean that despite bad things, He can bring good. This is an important distinction because often people are looking for cause and effect. They try to connect the dots: &ldquo;This bad thing happened so this good thing would happen. And this even better thing happened. Now I get it.&rdquo;
Sometimes life works that way. It did for Joseph. After being betrayed by his brothers, he was able to tell them, &ldquo;You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people&rdquo; (Genesis 50:20 NLT).
Of course, sometimes we can&rsquo;t see the outcome. Even so, as Paul wrote, &ldquo;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&rdquo; (Romans 8:28 NLT). Ultimately, all things work together for good.
In the case of our country, the adversity we&rsquo;re facing now may be a forerunner of revival. That may be God&rsquo;s plan for bringing good from bad. It&rsquo;s happened before. In fact, our country was founded in the wake of a great revival.
In the meantime, believers must continue to pray, continue to immerse themselves in God&rsquo;s Word, and continue to share their faith with others so they can see the hand of God at work in our nation, bringing good from bad.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: When have you seen God bring good from bad?&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>

Even in the worst circumstances, God can bring good from bad.

Bringing Good from Bad | 2 Corinthians 4:17

“Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.” (Psalm 85:6–7 NLT)

 

July 2026 is an ideal time for reflection, for looking back at the 250-year history of our nation, and for celebrating God’s work in bringing us to this point. But it’s also a time to look forward and ask some sobering questions. So, here goes.

What is the future of the United States of America? Are we doomed to go the way that so many other once-great nations have gone? Is America headed to the ash heap of history? Are our greatest days behind us, or could they still be ahead? Is there any hope for America?

None of us can answer these questions with any certainty, but we know this much: America is not the superpower of the last days. The greatest nation on earth is conspicuous in its absence from the world stage in the end-times scenario given to us in the Bible. America is not the first, nor will it be the last, nation to rise and fall. Every nation’s days are numbered; America is no exception.

The Bible introduces us to several formidable empires, countries, and cities. Egypt reigned supreme in the book of Exodus. Assyria played a key role in the history of Israel and Judah. Babylon led the people of Judah into captivity. Persia allowed them to return. Greece left an indelible mark on the world. Yet all these empires eventually learned the same lesson: There is no such thing as too big to fail.

Perhaps the biggest cautionary tale from history is the Roman Empire, which provides the backdrop for the Gospels. Rome was once the mightiest empire on the face of the earth. But it collapsed internally before it was conquered externally. Historian Will Durant, in his book on Rome’s history, Caesar and Christ, said, “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within. The essential causes of Rome’s decline lay in her people, her morals….”

That’s where the alarm bells start to sound for the United States. We as a country are diligent in guarding against our enemies on the outside, but we should be just as diligent in guarding ourselves from within.

One stark difference between Rome and the United States is that our country was founded on Judeo-Christian values. Unfortunately, we’ve strayed from the original vision of our founding fathers, the vision that produced our nation. What was once “freedom of religion” has now become “freedom from religion.” We’ve succeeded in removing God from our schools, sporting events, public venues, and workplaces.

And now we need God’s intervention. We saw many turn to the Lord after 9/11. Remember those packed churches and prayer vigils on street corners? Remember the members of Congress spontaneously singing “God Bless America”? These memories give me hope that there could be at least one more great revival in America’s future.

The psalmist wrote, “Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation” (Psalm 85:6–7 NLT).

If we don’t have revival, I believe that judgment is inevitable. Peter Marshall, former chaplain to the U.S. Senate, once said, “The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration.”

Let’s pray that our nation chooses wisely.

 

Reflection question: What is your prayer for our nation? 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;Won&rsquo;t you revive us again,&nbsp;so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O&nbsp;Lord, and grant us your salvation.&rdquo; (Psalm 85:6&ndash;7 NLT)
&nbsp;
July 2026 is an ideal time for reflection, for looking back at the 250-year history of our nation, and for celebrating God&rsquo;s work in bringing us to this point. But it&rsquo;s also a time to look forward and ask some sobering questions. So, here goes.
What is the future of the United States of America? Are we doomed to go the way that so many other once-great nations have gone? Is America headed to the ash heap of history? Are our greatest days behind us, or could they still be ahead? Is there any hope for America?
None of us can answer these questions with any certainty, but we know this much: America is not the superpower of the last days. The greatest nation on earth is conspicuous in its absence from the world stage in the end-times scenario given to us in the Bible. America is not the first, nor will it be the last, nation to rise and fall. Every nation&rsquo;s days are numbered; America is no exception.
The Bible introduces us to several formidable empires, countries, and cities. Egypt reigned supreme in the book of Exodus. Assyria played a key role in the history of Israel and Judah. Babylon led the people of Judah into captivity. Persia allowed them to return. Greece left an indelible mark on the world. Yet all these empires eventually learned the same lesson: There is no such thing as too big to fail.
Perhaps the biggest cautionary tale from history is the Roman Empire, which provides the backdrop for the Gospels. Rome was once the mightiest empire on the face of the earth. But it collapsed internally before it was conquered externally. Historian Will Durant, in his book on Rome&rsquo;s history, Caesar and Christ, said, &ldquo;A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within. The essential causes of Rome&rsquo;s decline lay in her people, her morals&hellip;.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s where the alarm bells start to sound for the United States. We as a country are diligent in guarding against our enemies on the outside, but we should be just as diligent in guarding ourselves from within.
One stark difference between Rome and the United States is that our country was founded on Judeo-Christian values. Unfortunately, we&rsquo;ve strayed from the original vision of our founding fathers, the vision that produced our nation. What was once &ldquo;freedom of religion&rdquo; has now become &ldquo;freedom from religion.&rdquo; We&rsquo;ve succeeded in removing God from our schools, sporting events, public venues, and workplaces.
And now we need God&rsquo;s intervention. We saw many turn to the Lord after 9/11. Remember those packed churches and prayer vigils on street corners? Remember the members of Congress spontaneously singing &ldquo;God Bless America&rdquo;? These memories give me hope that there could be at least one more great revival in America&rsquo;s future.
The psalmist wrote, &ldquo;Won&rsquo;t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation&rdquo; (Psalm 85:6&ndash;7 NLT).
If we don&rsquo;t have revival, I believe that judgment is inevitable. Peter Marshall, former chaplain to the U.S. Senate, once said, &ldquo;The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration.&rdquo;
Let&rsquo;s pray that our nation chooses wisely.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What is your prayer for our nation?&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>

Without God’s intervention, America’s future is bleak.

Intervention | Psalm 85:6–7

“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:19–20 NLT)

 

During World War II, a group of pilots known as the Flying Tigers became legendary. Under their commander, Claire Lee Chennault, they managed to down nearly three hundred Japanese aircraft over a period of six months, from December 1941 to July 1942. What was their secret? Chennault said it was cooperation. Although they were usually outnumbered, they always attacked in teams. They completed their missions together.

Roman soldiers also knew the value of working together. When they marched into battle and were barraged with flaming arrows, they put their shields up, linked them together, and hunkered down, effectively forming a protective wall around themselves. They understood that there was safety—and success—in numbers.

It’s a lesson many believers need to learn. When we experience temptation, hardship, despair, or doubt, sometimes our first instinct is to isolate ourselves. We think, “I don’t want to share this with anyone. They might think I’m not a strong Christian. I don’t want to tell anyone that I’m being tempted by this.”

A better option is to go to our Christian friends and say truthfully, “Will you pray for me right now? I’m under attack.”

Jesus said, “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:19–20 NLT). He wants us to understand that there is power in unity—in this case, in united prayer.

We read in the 12th chapter of Acts that James was put to death and Peter was arrested. These were devastating blows to the early Christian movement. So, what did the members of the church do in response? They got together to pray for Peter. Verse 5 says that “constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (NKJV). This was a unified effort. The people of the first-century church put their spiritual shields together. God answered their prayers by miraculously freeing Peter from prison.

What worked for the church two thousand years ago still works today. There is power in unity among believers, in working together and praying together. None of us is alone in this spiritual battle. We have Christian brothers and sisters who are marching with us.

Throughout this month, we’ve talked about the need for revival in our country. And we’ve used the imagery of fire to convey the power of revival to sweep across a wide area. But that potential can’t be realized by thousands or even millions of tiny individual flames burning independently of one another.

Revival requires unity among believers. It requires Christians to coordinate and cooperate with one another. It requires God’s people to support, encourage, challenge, confront, and inspire one another as we work to accomplish God’s will for our nation.

 

Reflection question: What would unity with other believers 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;I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.&nbsp;For where two or three gather together as my followers,&nbsp;I am there among them.&rdquo; (Matthew 18:19&ndash;20 NLT)
&nbsp;
During World War II, a group of pilots known as the Flying Tigers became legendary. Under their commander, Claire Lee Chennault, they managed to down nearly three hundred Japanese aircraft over a period of six months, from December 1941 to July 1942. What was their secret? Chennault said it was cooperation. Although they were usually outnumbered, they always attacked in teams. They completed their missions together.
Roman soldiers also knew the value of working together. When they marched into battle and were barraged with flaming arrows, they put their shields up, linked them together, and hunkered down, effectively forming a protective wall around themselves. They understood that there was safety&mdash;and success&mdash;in numbers.
It&rsquo;s a lesson many believers need to learn. When we experience temptation, hardship, despair, or doubt, sometimes our first instinct is to isolate ourselves. We think, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to share this with anyone. They might think I&rsquo;m not a strong Christian. I don&rsquo;t want to tell anyone that I&rsquo;m being tempted by this.&rdquo;
A better option is to go to our Christian friends and say truthfully, &ldquo;Will you pray for me right now? I&rsquo;m under attack.&rdquo;
Jesus said, &ldquo;I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them&rdquo; (Matthew 18:19&ndash;20 NLT). He wants us to understand that there is power in unity&mdash;in this case, in united prayer.
We read in the 12th chapter of Acts that James was put to death and Peter was arrested. These were devastating blows to the early Christian movement. So, what did the members of the church do in response? They got together to pray for Peter. Verse 5 says that &ldquo;constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church&rdquo; (NKJV). This was a unified effort. The people of the first-century church put their spiritual shields together. God answered their prayers by miraculously freeing Peter from prison.
What worked for the church two thousand years ago still works today. There is power in unity among believers, in working together and praying together. None of us is alone in this spiritual battle. We have Christian brothers and sisters who are marching with us.
Throughout this month, we&rsquo;ve talked about the need for revival in our country. And we&rsquo;ve used the imagery of fire to convey the power of revival to sweep across a wide area. But that potential can&rsquo;t be realized by thousands or even millions of tiny individual flames burning independently of one another.
Revival requires unity among believers. It requires Christians to coordinate and cooperate with one another. It requires God&rsquo;s people to support, encourage, challenge, confront, and inspire one another as we work to accomplish God&rsquo;s will for our nation.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would unity with other believers 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>

There is power in unity among believers, in working and praying together.

Even There | Psalm 139:8

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