"While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar." Luke 1:11

Help us share the gospel in 2024!

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

"While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar." Luke 1:11
<a href="https://harvest.org/donate/?utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=YearEnd2023">Help us share the gospel in 2024!</a>
—
<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

LUKE 1:11: While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.

Four Hundred Years of Waiting | Luke 1:11

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33 NLT)

 

A man was out driving in the country during a heavy rainstorm when he came across an old farmer who was surveying the ruins of his barn. The man pulled over and asked the farmer what happened.

“Roof fell in,” the farmer replied.

“What happened with it? Why did it fall in?” asked the stranger.

“It leaked so long, it just finally rotted through,” the farmer said.

“Why in the world didn’t you fix it before it rotted through?”

“Well, sir,” said the farmer, “I just never got around to it. When the weather was good, there wasn’t a need for it. And when it rained, it was just too wet to work on.”

Isn’t it amazing that when you want to do something, you somehow manage to find the time, no matter how busy you are? But when someone asks you to do something you don’t want to do, suddenly, there is just no room in the schedule.

This can happen when it comes to the Christian life as well. If we are serving God only when it’s convenient, then we’re settling for second best. Not only that, but we’re also keeping God at arm’s length. We’re settling for a less-than-best relationship with Him. If we make time for the things of God only until something better comes along, then we’re missing out on what God wants to do in our lives.

How much better it is to make time for the things of God—to put them above everything else. How much better it is to get your priorities right. Instead of making excuses, make time for the Lord. It’s not only the simple way to live, but it’s also the best way.

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). That’s an amazing promise. And it shows just how much God desires a personal relationship with us.

When we drift away from God, it’s because we start to believe that we need certain other things in our lives. Those things may include earthly success, wealth, possessions, hobbies, or habits. So, we pursue them with a passion. We convince ourselves that they will bring us joy, give us a sense of accomplishment or fulfillment, or fill whatever emptiness we have inside us.

And, like the farmer, we neglect the things that truly matter. And, also like the farmer, we run the risk of rot—spiritual rot.

God, in His mercy, says, “If you will prioritize your relationship with Me, if you will close the distance between us by putting Me first, I will help you see what you truly need. I’ll help you remove the rot and strengthen you inside.”

What an amazing offer! And it all begins with a priority shift.

 

Reflection question: What would seeking the Kingdom of God above all else 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;Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.&rdquo; (Matthew 6:33 NLT)
&nbsp;
A man was out driving in the country during a heavy rainstorm when he came across an old farmer who was surveying the ruins of his barn. The man pulled over and asked the farmer what happened.
&ldquo;Roof fell in,&rdquo; the farmer replied.
&ldquo;What happened with it? Why did it fall in?&rdquo; asked the stranger.
&ldquo;It leaked so long, it just finally rotted through,&rdquo; the farmer said.
&ldquo;Why in the world didn&rsquo;t you fix it before it rotted through?&rdquo;
&ldquo;Well, sir,&rdquo; said the farmer, &ldquo;I just never got around to it. When the weather was good, there wasn&rsquo;t a need for it. And when it rained, it was just too wet to work on.&rdquo;
Isn&rsquo;t it amazing that when you want to do something, you somehow manage to find the time, no matter how busy you are? But when someone asks you to do something you don&rsquo;t want to do, suddenly, there is just no room in the schedule.
This can happen when it comes to the Christian life as well. If we are serving God only when it&rsquo;s convenient, then we&rsquo;re settling for second best. Not only that, but we&rsquo;re also keeping God at arm&rsquo;s length. We&rsquo;re settling for a less-than-best relationship with Him. If we make time for the things of God only until something better comes along, then we&rsquo;re missing out on what God wants to do in our lives.
How much better it is to make time for the things of God&mdash;to put them above everything else. How much better it is to get your priorities right. Instead of making excuses, make time for the Lord. It&rsquo;s not only the simple way to live, but it&rsquo;s also the best way.
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). That&rsquo;s an amazing promise. And it shows just how much God desires a personal relationship with us.
When we drift away from God, it&rsquo;s because we start to believe that we need certain other things in our lives. Those things may include earthly success, wealth, possessions, hobbies, or habits. So, we pursue them with a passion. We convince ourselves that they will bring us joy, give us a sense of accomplishment or fulfillment, or fill whatever emptiness we have inside us.
And, like the farmer, we neglect the things that truly matter. And, also like the farmer, we run the risk of rot&mdash;spiritual rot.
God, in His mercy, says, &ldquo;If you will prioritize your relationship with Me, if you will close the distance between us by putting Me first, I will help you see what you truly need. I&rsquo;ll help you remove the rot and strengthen you inside.&rdquo;
What an amazing offer! And it all begins with a priority shift.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would seeking the Kingdom of God above all else 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>

Putting God first is the best way to make sure that everything else in your life finds its proper place.

God First | Matthew 6:33

“The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.” (Luke 8:14 NLT)

 

I’ve always been amazed by weeds. You can take a little flower, plant it in the perfect location, water it, and make sure that there are no pests to threaten it. You can do everything possible for that flower, and it will slowly grow. But then, in the same amount of time, a weed can spring up and choke out the flower.

The weed doesn’t suddenly burst out of the ground, grab the flower, and start shaking it. The process is gradual. First, the weed appears in the vicinity of the flower. The next day, the weed grows a little closer. And on it goes until the weed starts to wrap itself around the flower and choke out its growth.

That is what Jesus was describing in the parable of the sower when He said, “The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity” (Luke 8:14 NLT). The “cares and riches and pleasures of this life” are the weeds that choke our spiritual growth. As with the weeds in nature, the process doesn’t happen overnight; it happens over time.

Also, as with weeds in nature, the “cares and riches and pleasures of life” aren’t always immediately identifiable as weeds. In fact, the things that prevent the seed of God’s Word from maturing and producing fruit in our lives aren’t necessarily bad things in and of themselves. Some are good things that become the most important things and choke out the spiritual things. They also create distance between us and God.

The picture that Jesus paints in His parable is not one of someone who says they don’t want to pray, read the Bible, or go to church. Rather, it’s someone who thinks those are good things to do. But over time, they start losing interest, and the things of this world become more important to them than the things of the next world. That’s what chokes them out spiritually and causes them to feel distant from God.

It’s essential, then, that we examine our priorities frequently. Not our idealized priorities, the things we say are important to us, but our actual priorities, the things that get the lion’s share of our time, energy, and interest.

Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Luke 12:34 NLT). God wants you to treasure the things that are truly important. The things that will last for eternity. The things that bring genuine joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment. God wants your heart. If you give Him that, He will give more than you can possibly imagine in return.

 

Reflection question: How can you make sure that the things of this world don’t choke out the things of God 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;The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.&rdquo; (Luke 8:14 NLT)
&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve always been amazed by weeds. You can take a little flower, plant it in the perfect location, water it, and make sure that there are no pests to threaten it. You can do everything possible for that flower, and it will slowly grow. But then, in the same amount of time, a weed can spring up and choke out the flower.
The weed doesn&rsquo;t suddenly burst out of the ground, grab the flower, and start shaking it. The process is gradual. First, the weed appears in the vicinity of the flower. The next day, the weed grows a little closer. And on it goes until the weed starts to wrap itself around the flower and choke out its growth.
That is what Jesus was describing in the parable of the sower when He said, &ldquo;The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity&rdquo; (Luke 8:14 NLT). The &ldquo;cares and riches and pleasures of this life&rdquo; are the weeds that choke our spiritual growth. As with the weeds in nature, the process doesn&rsquo;t happen overnight; it happens over time.
Also, as with weeds in nature, the &ldquo;cares and riches and pleasures of life&rdquo; aren&rsquo;t always immediately identifiable as weeds. In fact, the things that prevent the seed of God&rsquo;s Word from maturing and producing fruit in our lives aren&rsquo;t necessarily bad things in and of themselves. Some are good things that become the most important things and choke out the spiritual things. They also create distance between us and God.
The picture that Jesus paints in His parable is not one of someone who says they don&rsquo;t want to pray, read the Bible, or go to church. Rather, it&rsquo;s someone who thinks those are good things to do. But over time, they start losing interest, and the things of this world become more important to them than the things of the next world. That&rsquo;s what chokes them out spiritually and causes them to feel distant from God.
It&rsquo;s essential, then, that we examine our priorities frequently. Not our idealized priorities, the things we say are important to us, but our actual priorities, the things that get the lion&rsquo;s share of our time, energy, and interest.
Jesus said, &ldquo;Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be&rdquo; (Luke 12:34 NLT). God wants you to treasure the things that are truly important. The things that will last for eternity. The things that bring genuine joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment. God wants your heart. If you give Him that, He will give more than you can possibly imagine in return.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you make sure that the things of this world don&rsquo;t choke out the things of God 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>

The things of this world can strangle our Christian growth if we’re not careful.

Growing a Choke-Proof Faith | Luke 8:14

“Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25 NLT)

 

On more than one occasion, the Bible compares Christians to sheep. I don’t know if I’m really happy about that because sheep aren’t the most intelligent animals on earth. It would have been nice if God had compared us to dolphins. Now, there’s an intelligent animal. I once had the opportunity to talk to a man who trained dolphins. I asked him, “Are dolphins really as intelligent as they seem?”

He said, “In some ways, yes, and in some ways, no. They are very intelligent in many ways because a dolphin can read a symbol and understand what it means.” That is amazing to me.

But Jesus didn’t compare us to dolphins. He compared us to sheep. And sheep are some of the stupidest animals around. They are vulnerable, easily spooked, can’t run very fast, and lack any means of defending themselves. What’s more, they are in constant need of care and attention. Sheep are known to follow each other even to their own death. It has been documented that if one sheep walks off a cliff, others will follow.

The Bible says, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own” (Isaiah 53:6 NLT). And, you have to admit, that description hits pretty close to home. Think about how many people have bought into the same lies, generation after generation. They fall into the same junk, the same addictions, and the same traps again and again. If we’re honest with ourselves, we must admit that we are strayers. We put distance between ourselves and God.

Of course, our Shepherd will not stand idly by while we get lost following our own path. Jesus makes that clear in His parable of the lost sheep. “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep’” (Luke 15:4–6  NLT).

Psalm 23, one of the best-known passages in all of Scripture, reminds us that there are advantages to being sheep. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name” (verses 1–3 NLT).

We are like sheep. There’s no getting around that. The question is, are you going to be a smart sheep or a dumb one? Smart sheep stay close to the Shepherd. And that’s where we all need to be.

 

Reflection question: What might cause you to stray from Jesus? 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;Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.&rdquo; (1 Peter 2:25 NLT)
&nbsp;
On more than one occasion, the Bible compares Christians to sheep. I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;m really happy about that because sheep aren&rsquo;t the most intelligent animals on earth. It would have been nice if God had compared us to dolphins. Now, there&rsquo;s an intelligent animal. I once had the opportunity to talk to a man who trained dolphins. I asked him, &ldquo;Are dolphins really as intelligent as they seem?&rdquo;
He said, &ldquo;In some ways, yes, and in some ways, no. They are very intelligent in many ways because a dolphin can read a symbol and understand what it means.&rdquo; That is amazing to me.
But Jesus didn&rsquo;t compare us to dolphins. He compared us to sheep. And sheep are some of the stupidest animals around. They are vulnerable, easily spooked, can&rsquo;t run very fast, and lack any means of defending themselves. What&rsquo;s more, they are in constant need of care and attention. Sheep are known to follow each other even to their own death. It has been documented that if one sheep walks off a cliff, others will follow.
The Bible says, &ldquo;All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God&rsquo;s paths to follow our own&rdquo; (Isaiah 53:6 NLT). And, you have to admit, that description hits pretty close to home. Think about how many people have bought into the same lies, generation after generation. They fall into the same junk, the same addictions, and the same traps again and again. If we&rsquo;re honest with ourselves, we must admit that we are strayers. We put distance between ourselves and God.
Of course, our Shepherd will not stand idly by while we get lost following our own path. Jesus makes that clear in His parable of the lost sheep. &ldquo;If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won&rsquo;t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?&nbsp;And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, &lsquo;Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep&rsquo;&rdquo; (Luke 15:4&ndash;6&nbsp; NLT).
Psalm 23, one of the best-known passages in all of Scripture, reminds us that there are advantages to being sheep. &ldquo;The&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;is my shepherd;&nbsp;I have all that I need.&nbsp;He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name&rdquo; (verses 1&ndash;3 NLT).
We are like sheep. There&rsquo;s no getting around that. The question is, are you going to be a smart sheep or a dumb one? Smart sheep stay close to the Shepherd. And that&rsquo;s where we all need to be.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What might cause you to stray from Jesus?&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>

Four Hundred Years of Waiting | Luke 1:11

In 1 playlist(s)

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips