“The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.” (Matthew 12:42 NLT)

—

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“The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.” (Matthew 12:42 NLT)
—
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If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

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 <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.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Daily Devotions From Greg Laurie

“The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.” (Matthew 12:42 NLT)

More Than a Miracle | Matthew 12:42

“Then Jesus told her, ‘I am the Messiah!’” (John 4:26 NLT)

As word of Jesus’ miracle-working powers spread, more and more people flocked to see Him. And when they heard His message, they asked to be baptized. Before long, Jesus’ disciples were baptizing more people than even John the Baptist himself. That level of popularity attracted the attention of the Jewish religious leaders. They started to feel threatened by Jesus’ increasing influence. Instead of giving them a chance to scrutinize Him, Jesus returned to His home region of Galilee. And the route He took surely raised some eyebrows.

The quickest route from Jerusalem to Galilee led through Samaria. However, most Jewish travelers preferred to take a longer detour to the east to avoid the region. That’s how much they hated Samaritans.

Samaritans were of mixed ethnicity. Most Jewish people regarded them as half-breeds. Their religious practices combined Judaism with pagan elements, which caused their Jewish neighbors to hate them even more. Centuries of bad blood had created a deep animosity between Jews and Samaritans.

Jesus took the path straight through Samaria. And He stopped at a well near the town of Sychar. While His disciples went into town to buy food, Jesus rested near the well.

Around noon, a Samaritan woman approached the well to draw water. Jesus asked her for a drink. The woman was stunned because there were several invisible, but very real, social barriers between Jesus and her. One, Jews didn’t talk to Samaritans. Two, men didn’t talk to women privately. And three, few people talked to a woman with her reputation. She had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband.

Yet Jesus refused to allow these artificial boundaries to prevent Him from making a personal connection and sharing His Good News. The woman pointed out that, like the Jews, the Samaritans were waiting for the Messiah, God’s chosen Redeemer.

“I am the Messiah!” Jesus revealed.

The takeaway here is obvious. Our culture urges us to focus on the differences that divide us. Conservative vs. liberal. Men vs. women. Young vs. old. Christian vs. non-Christian.

Jesus urges us to focus on the things that unite us. The need for compassion, love, understanding, peace of mind, and assurance about our future. The desire to be known, to have a purpose, to find fulfillment and joy, and to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

The woman told other Samaritans about her encounter with Jesus, and they believed in Him too. So we see that when one person is willing to cross social barriers, the impact can be enormous.

Word of Jesus’ coming arrived in Galilee before He did. The people there welcomed Him because they’d seen what He did in Jerusalem during the Passover celebration. In Cana, the site of His first public miracle, He got an urgent request from a government official whose son was on his deathbed.

In this passage, we see why Jesus initially hesitated when His mother asked Him to intervene when the wine ran out at the wedding feast. Jesus recognized that the spectacle of His miracle-working would overshadow His message. That’s why He asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” (verse 48 NLT).

The key to Jesus’ encounter with the government official is that the man believed what Jesus said. In this case, his son was healed. Not every prayer is answered that way. Not everyone recovers from sickness. But everyone who believes what Jesus says will find grace, forgiveness, comfort, strength, direction, endurance, and wisdom.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;Then Jesus told her, &lsquo;I am the Messiah!&rsquo;&rdquo; (John 4:26 NLT)
As word of Jesus&rsquo; miracle-working powers spread, more and more people flocked to see Him. And when they heard His message, they asked to be baptized. Before long, Jesus&rsquo; disciples were baptizing more people than even John the Baptist himself. That level of popularity attracted the attention of the Jewish religious leaders. They started to feel threatened by Jesus&rsquo; increasing influence. Instead of giving them a chance to scrutinize Him, Jesus returned to His home region of Galilee. And the route He took surely raised some eyebrows.
The quickest route from Jerusalem to Galilee led through Samaria. However, most Jewish travelers preferred to take a longer detour to the east to avoid the region. That&rsquo;s how much they hated Samaritans.
Samaritans were of mixed ethnicity. Most Jewish people regarded them as half-breeds. Their religious practices combined Judaism with pagan elements, which caused their Jewish neighbors to hate them even more. Centuries of bad blood had created a deep animosity between Jews and Samaritans.
Jesus took the path straight through Samaria. And He stopped at a well near the town of Sychar. While His disciples went into town to buy food, Jesus rested near the well.
Around noon, a Samaritan woman approached the well to draw water. Jesus asked her for a drink. The woman was stunned because there were several invisible, but very real, social barriers between Jesus and her. One, Jews didn&rsquo;t talk to Samaritans. Two, men didn&rsquo;t talk to women privately. And three, few people talked to a woman with her reputation. She had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband.
Yet Jesus refused to allow these artificial boundaries to prevent Him from making a personal connection and sharing His Good News. The woman pointed out that, like the Jews, the Samaritans were waiting for the Messiah, God&rsquo;s chosen Redeemer.
&ldquo;I am the Messiah!&rdquo; Jesus revealed.
The takeaway here is obvious. Our culture urges us to focus on the differences that divide us. Conservative vs. liberal. Men vs. women. Young vs. old. Christian vs. non-Christian.
Jesus urges us to focus on the things that unite us. The need for compassion, love, understanding, peace of mind, and assurance about our future. The desire to be known, to have a purpose, to find fulfillment and joy, and to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
The woman told other Samaritans about her encounter with Jesus, and they believed in Him too. So we see that when one person is willing to cross social barriers, the impact can be enormous.
Word of Jesus&rsquo; coming arrived in Galilee before He did. The people there welcomed Him because they&rsquo;d seen what He did in Jerusalem during the Passover celebration. In Cana, the site of His first public miracle, He got an urgent request from a government official whose son was on his deathbed.
In this passage, we see why Jesus initially hesitated when His mother asked Him to intervene when the wine ran out at the wedding feast. Jesus recognized that the spectacle of His miracle-working would overshadow His message. That&rsquo;s why He asked, &ldquo;Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?&rdquo; (verse 48 NLT).
The key to Jesus&rsquo; encounter with the government official is that the man believed what Jesus said. In this case, his son was healed. Not every prayer is answered that way. Not everyone recovers from sickness. But everyone who believes what Jesus says will find grace, forgiveness, comfort, strength, direction, endurance, and wisdom.
&mdash;
<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>

Good things happen when believers cross the social barriers that divide us from others.

Crossing Barriers | John 4:26 

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)

Not all Jewish religious leaders opposed Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling Sanhedrin. He was educated and influential in Jewish society. And he was impressed by Jesus—so impressed that he wanted to meet with Him personally.

He came to Jesus at night. Maybe he chose that time because that’s when the crowds went home, and he could have some one-on-one time with Him. Or maybe he chose it because he didn’t want other religious leaders to see what he was doing.

Nicodemus recognized that Jesus had been sent by God; no one could do what Jesus did without God’s power. But he thought of Jesus as a teacher—a rabbi—one of many in Israel. Jesus helped him see that He wasn’t bringing new learning; He was bringing new life.

Jewish people believed that their birth assured them a place in God’s kingdom. Because they were God’s chosen people, their Jewish identity guaranteed their entrance into Heaven. Some rabbis even taught that Abraham stood watch at the gates of Hell to make sure that none of his descendants entered by mistake.

Jesus explained that it isn’t the first birth that assures people a place in God’s kingdom; it’s the second birth. To receive eternal life and enter Heaven, we must be born again.

Nicodemus assumed that He was talking about some kind of moral awakening. That would have been confusing to him because the Pharisees considered themselves extremely moral people. They worked hard to be above reproach. As far as Nicodemus was concerned, he had already experienced the new birth.

Jesus helped him see that a second birth—and eternal life—would be possible only if Jesus were “lifted up.” First, on the cross, to take God’s punishment for the sins of the world. And second, when He ascended to Heaven after His resurrection, when He destroyed the power of death forever.

John 3:16 gives us the story of salvation in a single verse. It starts with God’s love, something we’ve done nothing to earn. It’s a gift. All we have to do is receive it. It required an unimaginable sacrifice. God gave the most precious thing He had to give: His Son. He sent Jesus to suffer and die in our place.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, everyone who believes in Him will not perish. Believing means more than just agreeing with what the Bible says about Him. It means placing our full trust in Him, embracing the truth that only He can save us.

Everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. Eternal life refers not just to quantity, the length of time we will exist (which is forever); it also refers to quality. The life we will experience after we die will be deeply fulfilling and joyous. There will be no sickness, suffering, or weakness. We will live as God created us to live.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;For this is how God loved the world: He gave&nbsp;his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.&rdquo; (John 3:16 NLT)
Not all Jewish religious leaders opposed Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling Sanhedrin. He was educated and influential in Jewish society. And he was impressed by Jesus&mdash;so impressed that he wanted to meet with Him personally.
He came to Jesus at night. Maybe he chose that time because that&rsquo;s when the crowds went home, and he could have some one-on-one time with Him. Or maybe he chose it because he didn&rsquo;t want other religious leaders to see what he was doing.
Nicodemus recognized that Jesus had been sent by God; no one could do what Jesus did without God&rsquo;s power. But he thought of Jesus as a teacher&mdash;a rabbi&mdash;one of many in Israel. Jesus helped him see that He wasn&rsquo;t bringing new learning; He was bringing new life.
Jewish people believed that their birth assured them a place in God&rsquo;s kingdom. Because they were God&rsquo;s chosen people, their Jewish identity guaranteed their entrance into Heaven. Some rabbis even taught that Abraham stood watch at the gates of Hell to make sure that none of his descendants entered by mistake.
Jesus explained that it isn&rsquo;t the first birth that assures people a place in God&rsquo;s kingdom; it&rsquo;s the second birth. To receive eternal life and enter Heaven, we must be born again.
Nicodemus assumed that He was talking about some kind of moral awakening. That would have been confusing to him because the Pharisees considered themselves extremely moral people. They worked hard to be above reproach. As far as Nicodemus was concerned, he had already experienced the new birth.
Jesus helped him see that a second birth&mdash;and eternal life&mdash;would be possible only if Jesus were &ldquo;lifted up.&rdquo; First, on the cross, to take God&rsquo;s punishment for the sins of the world. And second, when He ascended to Heaven after His resurrection, when He destroyed the power of death forever.
John 3:16 gives us the story of salvation in a single verse. It starts with God&rsquo;s love, something we&rsquo;ve done nothing to earn. It&rsquo;s a gift. All we have to do is receive it. It required an unimaginable sacrifice. God gave the most precious thing He had to give: His Son. He sent Jesus to suffer and die in our place.
Because of Jesus&rsquo; sacrifice, everyone who believes in Him will not perish. Believing means more than just agreeing with what the Bible says about Him. It means placing our full trust in Him, embracing the truth that only He can save us.
Everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. Eternal life refers not just to quantity, the length of time we will exist (which is forever); it also refers to quality. The life we will experience after we die will be deeply fulfilling and joyous. There will be no sickness, suffering, or weakness. We will live as God created us to live.
&mdash;
<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>

God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place so that we may have eternal life.

You Must Be Born Again | John 3:16

“But his mother told the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” (John 2:5 NLT)

Even with John the Baptist’s hype, Jesus kept a low profile—until He attended a wedding in Cana with His mother, Mary, and His disciples.

Hospitality was an essential part of first-century Jewish culture. The more lavishly a person entertained, the greater his social standing grew. Weddings were the ultimate test of a person’s hospitality. So it wasn’t unusual for wedding celebrations to last for days, with food and wine flowing all the while.

Running out of wine in the middle of a wedding celebration was a worst-case scenario. But that’s what happened at the wedding Jesus attended. Mary realized that the host would face public humiliation and shame if word got out. So she asked Jesus to intervene.

Jesus was reluctant at first. “My time has not yet come,” He told her (verse 4 NLT). He had not yet performed a public miracle. He knew that when word got out about His miracle-working, crowds would follow. And people would be less likely to focus on His teachings if they were just waiting for the next “wow” moment.

Considering that Jesus hadn’t yet performed any public miracles, it’s interesting that Mary believed He could do something in that situation. She’s the first person in John’s Gospel to put her faith in Jesus. “Do whatever He tells you,” she told the host’s servants.

Jesus rewarded her faith. He instructed the servants to fill six water jars, each with a capacity of 20 to 30 gallons, with water. When the servants dipped into the jars, they found that it was wine of the highest quality.

That may have been the first clue for John and the other disciples that the rabbi they were following was something more than a rabbi.

A short time later, Jesus and His disciples traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. But when Jesus entered the temple, He saw that it had become a place of business. The Jerusalem temple was the center of worship for Jewish people throughout Israel. Many traveled long distances to worship and offer sacrifices there. But rather than bringing their own animals for sacrifice with them, many purchased them from merchants inside the temple complex.

Several merchants exploited the opportunity and turned the temple complex into a marketplace. Jesus had too much reverence for God’s house of worship to allow it to be defiled like that. So He overturned tables, scattered coins across the ground, and chased the merchants out of the temple. And those—like John—who listened closely while Jesus disrupted business as usual at the temple, might have heard Him refer to the building as “my Father’s house” (verse 16).

The Jewish religious leaders demanded that Jesus perform a miracle to prove that He had authority to take such drastic action.

“‘All right,’ Jesus replied. ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’” (verse 19 NLT). The religious leaders scoffed because they didn’t realize Jesus was talking about His own body. But John and the other disciples realized it less than three years later when Jesus rose from the dead three days after being crucified.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;But his mother told the servants, &lsquo;Do whatever he tells you.&rsquo;&rdquo; (John 2:5 NLT)
Even with John the Baptist&rsquo;s hype, Jesus kept a low profile&mdash;until He attended a wedding in Cana with His mother, Mary, and His disciples.
Hospitality was an essential part of first-century Jewish culture. The more lavishly a person entertained, the greater his social standing grew. Weddings were the ultimate test of a person&rsquo;s hospitality. So it wasn&rsquo;t unusual for wedding celebrations to last for days, with food and wine flowing all the while.
Running out of wine in the middle of a wedding celebration was a worst-case scenario. But that&rsquo;s what happened at the wedding Jesus attended. Mary realized that the host would face public humiliation and shame if word got out. So she asked Jesus to intervene.
Jesus was reluctant at first. &ldquo;My time has not yet come,&rdquo; He told her (verse 4 NLT). He had not yet performed a public miracle. He knew that when word got out about <a>His miracle-working</a>, crowds would follow. And people would be less likely to focus on His teachings if they were just waiting for the next &ldquo;wow&rdquo; moment.
Considering that Jesus hadn&rsquo;t yet performed any public miracles, it&rsquo;s interesting that Mary believed He could do something in that situation. She&rsquo;s the first person in John&rsquo;s Gospel to put her faith in Jesus. &ldquo;Do whatever He tells you,&rdquo; she told the host&rsquo;s servants.
Jesus rewarded her faith. He instructed the servants to fill six water jars, each with a capacity of 20 to 30 gallons, with water. When the servants dipped into the jars, they found that it was wine of the highest quality.
That may have been the first clue for John and the other disciples that the rabbi they were following was something more than a rabbi.
A short time later, Jesus and His disciples traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. But when Jesus entered the temple, He saw that it had become a place of business. The Jerusalem temple was the center of worship for Jewish people throughout Israel. Many traveled long distances to worship and offer sacrifices there. But rather than bringing their own animals for sacrifice with them, many purchased them from merchants inside the temple complex.
Several merchants exploited the opportunity and turned the temple complex into a marketplace. Jesus had too much reverence for God&rsquo;s house of worship to allow it to be defiled like that. So He overturned tables, scattered coins across the ground, and chased the merchants out of the temple. And those&mdash;like John&mdash;who listened closely while Jesus disrupted business as usual at the temple, might have heard Him refer to the building as &ldquo;my Father&rsquo;s house&rdquo; (verse 16).
The Jewish religious leaders demanded that Jesus perform a miracle to prove that He had authority to take such drastic action.
&ldquo;&lsquo;All right,&rsquo; Jesus replied. &lsquo;Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up&rsquo;&rdquo; (verse 19 NLT). The religious leaders scoffed because they didn&rsquo;t realize Jesus was talking about His own body. But John and the other disciples realized it less than three years later when Jesus rose from the dead three days after being crucified.
&mdash;
<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>

Jesus has compassion for people in need but opposes people who exploit others.

More Than a Miracle | Matthew 12:42

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