But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 'That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.' John 12:4–5

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But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 'That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.' John 12:4–5
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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

JOHN 12:4–5: But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 'That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.'

Extravagant Love | John 12:4–5

"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear." (2 Timothy 4:3 NLT)

There was a time when we were bombarded by a one-sided view of God as an angry deity, ready to throw people into the open fires of Hell. People complained about too much hellfire-and-brimstone preaching.

But when was the last time anyone has heard a hellfire-and-brimstone message? Sadly, the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” that Jonathan Edwards preached in 1741 would not be allowed in many churches today.

Many people have gone too far in the other direction, teaching that God is an all-loving, benign, supreme being that doesn’t seem to have any opinions about the way we live. The assumption is that as long as we’re true to ourselves, then it’s okay with Him. He accepts us the way we are.

We like the qualities of God such as love, forgiveness, and compassion and the incredible fringe benefit of eternal life in Heaven. On the other hand, we’re appalled by a God of holiness who desperately loves us yet requires repentance as well as trust, a God who promises to judge those who refuse to come to Him on His terms.

Others look at God as some kind of pagan deity who simply needs to be appeased. They think that if they go through religious rituals, they’ve done their part and they can build up credit for sinning that week. People can follow that god as much as they want. But that is not the God of the Bible.

When we start picking and choosing the things about God that appeal or do not appeal to us, we are not only diminishing our view of who God is but also believing and teaching a false gospel.

Some preachers today offer weak, watered-down proclamations in the name of the gospel. They tell you to believe, but they don’t tell you to repent. They tell you there’s a Heaven, but they don’t tell you there’s a Hell. And they tell you there’s forgiveness, but they don’t tell you there’s repentance.

If we don’t include those things, then it isn’t the gospel. We cannot edit the gospel according to what we like or don’t like. It’s for us to share it as God gave it. Otherwise, we strip the gospel of its power and effectiveness.

We cannot control what happens in the world. But at the same time, we cannot allow the belief system of a secular society to influence the way we believe. The idea is not to conform ourselves to the world’s way of thinking. It is not to bend the Bible to the culture.

When we desperately want to please everyone and not offend anyone, we will fail to make an impact on our culture.

When we start tampering with the essentials of our faith such as the Bible, the gospel, and the nature of God Himself, we are making God into a different image.

The God of the Bible does love us and accept us as we are. But the God of the Bible also wants to change us. He wants to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ.

 

Reflection question: What does it practically look like to share the full gospel—both grace and repentance—without compromising truth? 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

"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear." (2 Timothy 4:3 NLT)
There was a time when we were bombarded by a one-sided view of God as an angry deity, ready to throw people into the open fires of Hell. People complained about too much hellfire-and-brimstone preaching.
But when was the last time anyone has heard a hellfire-and-brimstone message? Sadly, the sermon &ldquo;Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God&rdquo; that Jonathan Edwards preached in 1741 would not be allowed in many churches today.
Many people have gone too far in the other direction, teaching that God is an all-loving, benign, supreme being that doesn&rsquo;t seem to have any opinions about the way we live. The assumption is that as long as we&rsquo;re true to ourselves, then it&rsquo;s okay with Him. He accepts us the way we are.
We like the qualities of God such as love, forgiveness, and compassion and the incredible fringe benefit of eternal life in Heaven. On the other hand, we&rsquo;re appalled by a God of holiness who desperately loves us yet requires repentance as well as trust, a God who promises to judge those who refuse to come to Him on His terms.
Others look at God as some kind of pagan deity who simply needs to be appeased. They think that if they go through religious rituals, they&rsquo;ve done their part and they can build up credit for sinning that week. People can follow that god as much as they want. But that is not the God of the Bible.
When we start picking and choosing the things about God that appeal or do not appeal to us, we are not only diminishing our view of who God is but also believing and teaching a false gospel.
Some preachers today offer weak, watered-down proclamations in the name of the gospel. They tell you to believe, but they don&rsquo;t tell you to repent. They tell you there&rsquo;s a Heaven, but they don&rsquo;t tell you there&rsquo;s a Hell. And they tell you there&rsquo;s forgiveness, but they don&rsquo;t tell you there&rsquo;s repentance.
If we don&rsquo;t include those things, then it isn&rsquo;t the gospel. We cannot edit the gospel according to what we like or don&rsquo;t like. It&rsquo;s for us to share it as God gave it. Otherwise, we strip the gospel of its power and effectiveness.
We cannot control what happens in the world. But at the same time, we cannot allow the belief system of a secular society to influence the way we believe. The idea is not to conform ourselves to the world&rsquo;s way of thinking. It is not to bend the Bible to the culture.
When we desperately want to please everyone and not offend anyone, we will fail to make an impact on our culture.
When we start tampering with the essentials of our faith such as the Bible, the gospel, and the nature of God Himself, we are making God into a different image.
The God of the Bible does love us and accept us as we are. But the God of the Bible also wants to change us. He wants to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What does it practically look like to share the full gospel&mdash;both grace and repentance&mdash;without compromising truth? <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>

Why we cannot compromise the essentials of our faith.

No Compromise | 2 Timothy 4:3

“I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people.” (Psalm 17:4 NLT)

 

When the devil wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking their minds. According to Genesis 3:1, “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’” (NLT). A simple question was enough to plant a seed of doubt. That seed quickly sprouted into full-fledged action. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the forbidden tree. The devil’s strategy worked so well that he still uses the mind-targeting tactic to this day.

The apostle Paul warned of this when he wrote, “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent” (2 Corinthians 11:3 NLT). The hard truth about spiritual warfare is that the devil attacks our minds incessantly. He knows that our brain, our thoughts, and our imagination are our command center. When you have power over someone’s mind, you can reach into the past through memories, and you can reach into the future through imagination. The devil knows that if he can get us to think about something, to contemplate it, to consider it, then he is halfway to getting us to sin.

Paul also wrote, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5 NLT).

It’s been said, “Sow a thought; reap an act. Sow an act; reap a character. Sow a character; reap a destiny.” What starts with a thought can lead to a destiny.

Eve’s mind certainly wasn’t filled with the things of God when the devil approached her. Had it been, she could have effectively resisted his temptations. The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NLT).

Jesus used God’s Word three times in response to the devil’s temptations in Matthew 4:1–11. The devil had no defense against Scripture. Verse 11 says, “Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus” (NLT).

The devil still has no defense against God’s truth. So, when we hide the Word of God in our hearts, we have everything we need to stand strong against our spiritual enemy and effectively resist his temptation.

In his passage on the armor of God, Paul wrote, “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT). Knowing how to wield that sword will keep our enemy out of our minds.

 

Reflection question: How can you fix your mind on God and His Word so that you’re less vulnerable to the devil’s attacks? 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 have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people.&rdquo; (Psalm 17:4 NLT)
&nbsp;
When the devil wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking their minds. According to Genesis 3:1, &ldquo;The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, &lsquo;Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?&rsquo;&rdquo; (NLT). A simple question was enough to plant a seed of doubt. That seed quickly sprouted into full-fledged action. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the forbidden tree. The devil&rsquo;s strategy worked so well that he still uses the mind-targeting tactic to this day.
The apostle Paul warned of this when he wrote, &ldquo;But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 11:3 NLT). The hard truth about spiritual warfare is that the devil attacks our minds incessantly. He knows that our brain, our thoughts, and our imagination are our command center. When you have power over someone&rsquo;s mind, you can reach into the past through memories, and you can reach into the future through imagination. The devil knows that if he can get us to think about something, to contemplate it, to consider it, then he is halfway to getting us to sin.
Paul also wrote, &ldquo;We use God&rsquo;s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 10:4&ndash;5 NLT).
It&rsquo;s been said, &ldquo;Sow a thought; reap an act. Sow an act; reap a character. Sow a character; reap a destiny.&rdquo; What starts with a thought can lead to a destiny.
Eve&rsquo;s mind certainly wasn&rsquo;t filled with the things of God when the devil approached her. Had it been, she could have effectively resisted his temptations. The psalmist wrote, &ldquo;I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you&rdquo; (Psalm 119:11 NLT).
Jesus used God&rsquo;s Word three times in response to the devil&rsquo;s temptations in Matthew 4:1&ndash;11. The devil had no defense against Scripture. Verse 11 says, &ldquo;Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus&rdquo; (NLT).
The devil still has no defense against God&rsquo;s truth. So, when we hide the Word of God in our hearts, we have everything we need to stand strong against our spiritual enemy and effectively resist his temptation.
In his passage on the armor of God, Paul wrote, &ldquo;Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God&rdquo; (Ephesians 6:17 NLT). Knowing how to wield that sword will keep our enemy out of our minds.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you fix your mind on God and His Word so that you&rsquo;re less vulnerable to the devil&rsquo;s attacks?&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 best way to counter our enemy’s attacks is to keep our minds fixed on God and His Word.

The Hard Truth About Spiritual Warfare | Psalm 17:4

“Many people say, ‘Who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” (Psalm 4:6–8 NLT)

 

Dissatisfaction is the last of life’s headwinds that we’ll be talking about this week. It’s also one of the most common. Even those of us who like to think of ourselves as low-maintenance and unassuming harbor certain hopes and expectations for this life. We want meaning and purpose, among other things. When life fails to deliver, we’re left feeling disappointed, dissatisfied, and maybe even a little cheated.

Only humans have a longing for meaning in life. I can assure you that my dog doesn’t sit around pondering the reason for his existence. He won’t be looking back on his life and saying, “You know, I tried it all as a dog. I chased cats. I drank toilet water. I tried bones. But deep inside of me, there was a void.” Dogs don’t think that way. They mainly think, “Food . . . sleep.”

Dogs, you see, aren’t made in the image of God. You and I are. We are living souls, designed to know God and to experience something more than a mundane, directionless existence.

From the time of our birth, we’ve been on a quest to discover that “something more.” And we keep searching until we discover that the answer to all our questions is found in a relationship with our Creator. God can give us a sense of joy and fulfillment that far surpasses the puny, fleeting pleasures this world offers. Even better, there’s no hangover in the morning. There’s no guilt or shame that accompanies it.

The psalmists understood this. Psalm 4:6–8 says, “Many people say, ‘Who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe” (NLT).

And Psalm 16:11 says, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (NLT). There’s pleasure in knowing God, not in chasing after happiness.

In fact, we’ll never find happiness by chasing it. But what we will find is that as we chase God—as we pursue and walk with Him—then one day we will realize that we’ve become happy people. Happiness doesn’t come through actively seeking it but by getting our lives into proper balance, by aligning ourselves with God and His will for our lives. Happiness and joy are the byproducts of that balance and alignment.

Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT). In other words, if you seek God and His plan first, everything else in life, including happiness and peace, will fall into place.

 

Reflection question: What would seeking God and His plan first 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;Many people say, &lsquo;Who will show us better times?&rsquo; Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.&rdquo; (Psalm 4:6&ndash;8 NLT)
&nbsp;
Dissatisfaction is the last of life&rsquo;s headwinds that we&rsquo;ll be talking about this week. It&rsquo;s also one of the most common. Even those of us who like to think of ourselves as low-maintenance and unassuming harbor certain hopes and expectations for this life. We want meaning and purpose, among other things. When life fails to deliver, we&rsquo;re left feeling disappointed, dissatisfied, and maybe even a little cheated.
Only humans have a longing for meaning in life. I can assure you that my dog doesn&rsquo;t sit around pondering the reason for his existence. He won&rsquo;t be looking back on his life and saying, &ldquo;You know, I tried it all as a dog. I chased cats. I drank toilet water. I tried bones. But deep inside of me, there was a void.&rdquo; Dogs don&rsquo;t think that way. They mainly think, &ldquo;Food .&nbsp;.&nbsp;. sleep.&rdquo;
Dogs, you see, aren&rsquo;t made in the image of God. You and I are. We are living souls, designed to know God and to experience something more than a mundane, directionless existence.
From the time of our birth, we&rsquo;ve been on a quest to discover that &ldquo;something more.&rdquo; And we keep searching until we discover that the answer to all our questions is found in a relationship with our Creator. God can give us a sense of joy and fulfillment that far surpasses the puny, fleeting pleasures this world offers. Even better, there&rsquo;s no hangover in the morning. There&rsquo;s no guilt or shame that accompanies it.
The psalmists understood this. Psalm 4:6&ndash;8 says, &ldquo;Many people say, &lsquo;Who will show us better times?&rsquo; Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe&rdquo; (NLT).
And Psalm 16:11 says, &ldquo;You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever&rdquo; (NLT). There&rsquo;s pleasure in knowing God, not in chasing after happiness.
In fact, we&rsquo;ll never find happiness by chasing it. But what we will find is that as we chase God&mdash;as we pursue and walk with Him&mdash;then one day we will realize that we&rsquo;ve become happy people. Happiness doesn&rsquo;t come through actively seeking it but by getting our lives into proper balance, by aligning ourselves with God and His will for our lives. Happiness and joy are the byproducts of that balance and alignment.
Jesus said, &ldquo;Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need&rdquo; (Matthew 6:33 NLT). In other words, if you seek God and His plan first, everything else in life, including happiness and peace, will fall into place.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would seeking God and His plan first 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>

Joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction come from seeking God and His plan for your life.

Extravagant Love | John 12:4–5

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