"Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed." Acts 12:16

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"Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed." Acts 12:16
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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

ACTS 12:16: Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.

Meanwhile . . . | Acts 12:16

“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!

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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>

The Problem with Sheep | 1 Peter 2:25

“Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.” (Matthew 24:35 NLT)

 

One reason believers may start to feel shaky in their relationship with God is that they haven’t built a solid foundation for their lives. So, when circumstances threaten their well-being, they don’t always know where to turn. And that leaves them feeling distant from the Lord.

Where will you turn in a time of crisis? When tragedy hits? When disaster strikes? Will it be your favorite website? The morning newspaper? The evening news? You’ll need something to give you strength and direction in your time of despair. Here’s a tip: You won’t find a better resource than the Word of God.

As one pastor said, “One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams.” Just a single gem from the ocean of God’s Word can make all the difference when tragedy or hardship strikes. How many people in their affliction have found comfort from Scripture?

Trusting in what God has said in His Word can sustain us and give us direction, hope, and comfort when we need them most. Inspirational platitudes or clever sayings won’t help—at least, not for very long—but the Word of God always will. It’s been said that those who reject the Bible have nothing to live by. Neither do they have anything to die by.

Ideas and philosophies go in and out of style with the passing of years, but the Word of God never goes out of style. It never goes out of date, unlike this morning’s news. The Word of God will always be relevant.

That’s why C. S. Lewis said, “All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.” And it’s why Jesus Himself said, “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear” (Matthew 24:35 NLT).

Jesus emphasized the importance of having a solid foundation grounded in God’s truth in His parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7:24–27. The wise man built his house on the rock. When the rains came, when the storms of life threatened his well-being, it did not fall. The structure may have been shaken to its core, but it withstood everything that was thrown at it. Because it had a strong foundation.

The foolish man, on the other hand, built his house on sand. He didn’t prioritize a strong foundation. When the rains came, his house collapsed with a great crash.

I urge you to get a good foundation in God’s Word because it’s only a matter of time until the storms of life rain down on you and hardship strikes. It happens in every life, without exception. But if you have a good foundation in the Word of God, then you’ll be ready for difficulty when it comes. Don’t wait until then to try to catch up.

Get that foundation now.

 

Reflection question: What are some of the biblical truths, promises, priorities, and commands that make up a solid foundation for 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;Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.&rdquo; (Matthew 24:35 NLT)
&nbsp;
One reason believers may start to feel shaky in their relationship with God is that they haven&rsquo;t built a solid foundation for their lives. So, when circumstances threaten their well-being, they don&rsquo;t always know where to turn. And that leaves them feeling distant from the Lord.
Where will you turn in a time of crisis? When tragedy hits? When disaster strikes? Will it be your favorite website? The morning newspaper? The evening news? You&rsquo;ll need something to give you strength and direction in your time of despair. Here&rsquo;s a tip: You won&rsquo;t find a better resource than the Word of God.
As one pastor said, &ldquo;One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams.&rdquo; Just a single gem from the ocean of God&rsquo;s Word can make all the difference when tragedy or hardship strikes. How many people in their affliction have found comfort from Scripture?
Trusting in what God has said in His Word can sustain us and give us direction, hope, and comfort when we need them most. Inspirational platitudes or clever sayings won&rsquo;t help&mdash;at least, not for very long&mdash;but the Word of God always will. It&rsquo;s been said that those who reject the Bible have nothing to live by. Neither do they have anything to die by.
Ideas and philosophies go in and out of style with the passing of years, but the Word of God never goes out of style. It never goes out of date, unlike this morning&rsquo;s news. The Word of God will always be relevant.
That&rsquo;s why C. S. Lewis said, &ldquo;All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.&rdquo; And it&rsquo;s why Jesus Himself said, &ldquo;Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear&rdquo; (Matthew 24:35 NLT).
Jesus emphasized the importance of having a solid foundation grounded in God&rsquo;s truth in His parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7:24&ndash;27. The wise man built his house on the rock. When the rains came, when the storms of life threatened his well-being, it did not fall. The structure may have been shaken to its core, but it withstood everything that was thrown at it. Because it had a strong foundation.
The foolish man, on the other hand, built his house on sand. He didn&rsquo;t prioritize a strong foundation. When the rains came, his house collapsed with a great crash.
I urge you to get a good foundation in God&rsquo;s Word because it&rsquo;s only a matter of time until the storms of life rain down on you and hardship strikes. It happens in every life, without exception. But if you have a good foundation in the Word of God, then you&rsquo;ll be ready for difficulty when it comes. Don&rsquo;t wait until then to try to catch up.
Get that foundation now.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What are some of the biblical truths, promises, priorities, and commands that make up a solid foundation for 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>

Having a foundation in the Word of God will help you stand strong when difficulties arise.

A Foundation in the Word | Matthew 24:35

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)

 

Feeling distant from God is not a unique experience. At some point in their lives, all believers—including the heroes of the faith in the Bible—experience it. Jesus Himself cried, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46 NLT).

In this week’s devotions, we’re going to look at ways to close the distance between us and God. We’re going to start by looking at the personal baggage that keeps us from reaching our God-given potential and experiencing the kind of relationship with God that He desires.

I’m the kind of person who likes to drag a lot of stuff with me when I travel. It isn’t that I’m a rookie traveler. Not at all! I’ve traveled all over the world for many years. Yet I still overpack. You’d think that I would have learned my lesson by now. But no, I still want to drag along almost everything I own—even though I know that excess baggage makes traveling more hassled, complicated, and expensive.

In the same way, when we’re running the race of life, we need to travel light. Sometimes we tend to drag along a lot of excess weight. The author of Hebrews wrote, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 NLT).

Sin is sin, and it will always trip us up and cause us to fall. But there might also be other weights in our lives—weights that aren’t necessarily sins, but nevertheless trouble us, slow us down, and impede our spiritual progress. These weights might include such things as certain habits, misplaced priorities, or seemingly harmless distractions. Often, they weigh us down without our realizing it.

That’s why I periodically take stock of my life as a Christian and look at the things I’m doing with my time. I ask myself questions such as, “Is it a wing or a weight? Is it speeding me on my way spiritually, or is it slowing me down? Is it increasing my spiritual appetite, or is it dulling it?”

Often, we allow ourselves to become busy doing a lot of things that aren’t really all that important. They just seem important at the time. We must ask ourselves if we need to do those things. Are they slowing us down? Are they keeping us from running the race God has given us?

Lay aside the weight and the sin that hinder your progress, and see how the Christian life changes for you.

 

Reflection question: What are some things that might slow you down, spiritually speaking? 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;Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.&rdquo; (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)
&nbsp;
Feeling distant from God is not a unique experience. At some point in their lives, all believers&mdash;including the heroes of the faith in the Bible&mdash;experience it. Jesus Himself cried, &ldquo;My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?&rdquo; (Matthew 27:46 NLT).
In this week&rsquo;s devotions, we&rsquo;re going to look at ways to close the distance between us and God. We&rsquo;re going to start by looking at the personal baggage that keeps us from reaching our God-given potential and experiencing the kind of relationship with God that He desires.
I&rsquo;m the kind of person who likes to drag a lot of stuff with me when I travel. It isn&rsquo;t that I&rsquo;m a rookie traveler. Not at all! I&rsquo;ve traveled all over the world for many years. Yet I still overpack. You&rsquo;d think that I would have learned my lesson by now. But no, I still want to drag along almost everything I own&mdash;even though I know that excess baggage makes traveling more hassled, complicated, and expensive.
In the same way, when we&rsquo;re running the race of life, we need to travel light. Sometimes we tend to drag along a lot of excess weight. The author of Hebrews wrote, &ldquo;Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us&rdquo; (Hebrews 12:1 NLT).
Sin is sin, and it will always trip us up and cause us to fall. But there might also be other weights in our lives&mdash;weights that aren&rsquo;t necessarily sins, but nevertheless trouble us, slow us down, and impede our spiritual progress. These weights might include such things as certain habits, misplaced priorities, or seemingly harmless distractions. Often, they weigh us down without our realizing it.
That&rsquo;s why I periodically take stock of my life as a Christian and look at the things I&rsquo;m doing with my time. I ask myself questions such as, &ldquo;Is it a wing or a weight? Is it speeding me on my way spiritually, or is it slowing me down? Is it increasing my spiritual appetite, or is it dulling it?&rdquo;
Often, we allow ourselves to become busy doing a lot of things that aren&rsquo;t really all that important. They just seem important at the time. We must ask ourselves if we need to do those things. Are they slowing us down? Are they keeping us from running the race God has given us?
Lay aside the weight and the sin that hinder your progress, and see how the Christian life changes for you.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What are some things that might slow you down, spiritually speaking?&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>

You can move much more efficiently and effectively as a believer if you lay aside the things that slow you down.

Meanwhile . . . | Acts 12:16

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