"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."  Acts 20:24 

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"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."  Acts 20:24 
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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 20:24: But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Move in the Right Direction | Acts 20:24

“For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!” (Isaiah 64:4 NLT)

 

Jesus’ retreat to the Garden of Gethsemane began a bad stretch of time for the apostle Peter. First, he fell asleep on his watch after Jesus asked him to stay alert. Second, according to John 18:10, when Jesus’ enemies came to arrest Him, “Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave” (NLT). And then, later that same night, when he was recognized as one of Jesus’ followers, Peter denied even knowing Jesus—not once, not twice, but three times.

Can you identify with a guy like that? I know that it’s sometimes hard to imagine what God is up to in your life. You see a blank canvas, but God sees a finished painting. You see a piece of coal, but God sees a refined diamond. You see an untalented person, but God sees a mighty man or woman of God.

This is also true of those we see in Scripture. We see an impetuous, impulsive Simon, but God sees a strong, decisive apostle named Peter. We see a conniving, manipulative Jacob, but God sees a godly, trusting man named Israel. We see a young, naïve Joseph, but the Lord sees a brilliant, wise world leader. And when it was all said and done, Joseph was able to look back and say to his brothers, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20 NKJV). He recognized that God used what happened to him to mold him into a compassionate, forgiving leader of many. He was clay in the Potter’s hands. He trusted in the Lord.

God specializes in making something out of nothing. I wonder what He’s doing with you right now. You’re a work in progress, and He isn’t finished yet. If you’re still alive and reading this, God has more work to do in your life! Most artists don’t like someone looking over their shoulders, trying to second-guess what they’re about to do. “Wait until I’m done,” they’ll say, “and then you’ll see.”

So, trust in the Lord during those times when it’s hard to see what He’s doing. Don’t allow the hardships you face to make you a bitter person. It’s time to let go of that. Rather, allow them to make you a better person.

Isaiah 64:4 says, “For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!” (NLT).

That night in Gethsemane was hardly the end of Peter’s story. After Jesus rose from the grave and ascended back to Heaven, Peter became one of the key leaders of the early Christian church, boldly proclaiming the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.

No matter what your past is like, and no matter where you are in your Christian journey, God has something important planned for you.

 

Reflection question: What evidence do you see in your life of God’s ability to make you a better person? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!&rdquo; (Isaiah 64:4 NLT)
&nbsp;
Jesus&rsquo; retreat to the Garden of Gethsemane began a bad stretch of time for the apostle Peter. First, he fell asleep on his watch after Jesus asked him to stay alert. Second, according to John 18:10, when Jesus&rsquo; enemies came to arrest Him, &ldquo;Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest&rsquo;s slave&rdquo; (NLT). And then, later that same night, when he was recognized as one of Jesus&rsquo; followers, Peter denied even knowing Jesus&mdash;not once, not twice, but three times.
Can you identify with a guy like that? I know that it&rsquo;s sometimes hard to imagine what God is up to in your life. You see a blank canvas, but God sees a finished painting. You see a piece of coal, but God sees a refined diamond. You see an untalented person, but God sees a mighty man or woman of God.
This is also true of those we see in Scripture. We see an impetuous, impulsive Simon, but God sees a strong, decisive apostle named Peter. We see a conniving, manipulative Jacob, but God sees a godly, trusting man named Israel. We see a young, na&iuml;ve Joseph, but the Lord sees a brilliant, wise world leader. And when it was all said and done, Joseph was able to look back and say to his brothers, &ldquo;You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good&rdquo; (Genesis 50:20 NKJV). He recognized that God used what happened to him to mold him into a compassionate, forgiving leader of many. He was clay in the Potter&rsquo;s hands. He trusted in the Lord.
God specializes in making something out of nothing. I wonder what He&rsquo;s doing with you right now. You&rsquo;re a work in progress, and He isn&rsquo;t finished yet. If you&rsquo;re still alive and reading this, God has more work to do in your life! Most artists don&rsquo;t like someone looking over their shoulders, trying to second-guess what they&rsquo;re about to do. &ldquo;Wait until I&rsquo;m done,&rdquo; they&rsquo;ll say, &ldquo;and then you&rsquo;ll see.&rdquo;
So, trust in the Lord during those times when it&rsquo;s hard to see what He&rsquo;s doing. Don&rsquo;t allow the hardships you face to make you a bitter person. It&rsquo;s time to let go of that. Rather, allow them to make you a better person.
Isaiah 64:4 says, &ldquo;For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!&rdquo; (NLT).
That night in Gethsemane was hardly the end of Peter&rsquo;s story. After Jesus rose from the grave and ascended back to Heaven, Peter became one of the key leaders of the early Christian church, boldly proclaiming the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.
No matter what your past is like, and no matter where you are in your Christian journey, God has something important planned for you.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What evidence do you see in your life of God&rsquo;s ability to make you a better person?&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>

No matter where you are in your Christian journey, God has something important planned for you.

Making Something Out of Nothing | Isaiah 64:4

“Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.” (Luke 22:53 NLT)

 

One of the most maddening moments in the Garden of Gethsemane came when Jesus’ enemies finally arrived to arrest Him. Leading the way was Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed the Lord. According to Luke 22:47, “Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss” (NLT).

The obvious question is “Why?” Judas Iscariot had followed Jesus for three years. He had listened to the Lord’s teachings. He had witnessed miracle after miracle. He had watched Jesus expose the hypocrisy of the very people he conspired with to betray Him.

So, why did Judas do it? The closest we get to an answer in Scripture is Luke 22:3, which says, “Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot” (NLT).

But that only leads to another obvious question. Why does God allow Satan to exist? In Job 1:7, Satan says, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on” (NLT). But he’s not a passive observer. He’s looking for trouble. He’s looking for lives to ruin. He’s looking for saints to stumble.

So, why does God allow him to carry on? Why doesn’t the Lord just take him out, as He could in a nanosecond?You might be surprised to learn that Satan, in his own twisted way, serves the purposes ofGod.

Consider how he unwittingly played a major role in the cross of Christ. In his enduring hatred for God’s Son, Satan thought it would be a great idea to have Jesus betrayed, arrested, beaten within an inch of His life, and then crucified and put to death on a Roman cross.

Everything went according to Satan’s plan. As Jesus told the mob who came to apprehend Him, “But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns” (Luke 22:53 NLT).

The power of darkness did indeed reign that day, and Satan’s plan succeeded. But so did the plan of God. What the evil one didn’t realize was that it was God’s plan all along that the Messiah would die for the sins of the world. In the prophecy of Isaiah, we’re told, “It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer” (Isaiah 53:10 NIV).

Unaware that he was making the biggest blunder since his rebellion against God, Satan played into the plan and purpose of God when, in his rage and hatred, he prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (see Zechariah 11:12–13).

Satan’s “best shot” against God and the people of God was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. And in that act, he not only unwittingly sealed his own doom, but he also opened the door for Jesus to offer redemption and salvation to the whole world.

Remember, then, if you hold on to God and trust Him through the dark times, Satan’s best shots against you also will end up working for your good—and God’s glory.

 

Reflection question: What is an example from your life when God used Satan’s attacks against you for your good and His glory? 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;Why didn&rsquo;t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.&rdquo; (Luke 22:53 NLT)
&nbsp;
One of the most maddening moments in the Garden of Gethsemane came when Jesus&rsquo; enemies finally arrived to arrest Him. Leading the way was Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed the Lord. According to Luke 22:47, &ldquo;Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss&rdquo; (NLT).
The obvious question is &ldquo;Why?&rdquo; Judas Iscariot had followed Jesus for three years. He had listened to the Lord&rsquo;s teachings. He had witnessed miracle after miracle. He had watched Jesus expose the hypocrisy of the very people he conspired with to betray Him.
So, why did Judas do it? The closest we get to an answer in Scripture is Luke 22:3, which says, &ldquo;Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot&rdquo; (NLT).
But that only leads to another obvious question. Why does God allow Satan to exist? In Job 1:7, Satan says, &ldquo;I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that&rsquo;s going on&rdquo; (NLT). But he&rsquo;s not a passive observer. He&rsquo;s looking for trouble. He&rsquo;s looking for lives to ruin. He&rsquo;s looking for saints to stumble.
So, why does God allow him to carry on? Why doesn&rsquo;t the Lord just take him out, as He could in a nanosecond? You might be surprised to learn that Satan, in his own twisted way, serves the purposes of God.
Consider how he unwittingly played a major role in the cross of Christ. In his enduring hatred for God&rsquo;s Son, Satan thought it would be a great idea to have Jesus betrayed, arrested, beaten within an inch of His life, and then crucified and put to death on a Roman cross.
Everything went according to Satan&rsquo;s plan. As Jesus told the mob who came to apprehend Him, &ldquo;But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns&rdquo; (Luke 22:53 NLT).
The power of darkness did indeed reign that day, and Satan&rsquo;s plan succeeded. But so did the plan of God. What the evil one didn&rsquo;t realize was that it was God&rsquo;s plan all along that the Messiah would die for the sins of the world. In the prophecy of Isaiah, we&rsquo;re told, &ldquo;It was the Lord&rsquo;s will to crush him and cause him to suffer&rdquo; (Isaiah 53:10 NIV).
Unaware that he was making the biggest blunder since his rebellion against God, Satan played into the plan and purpose of God when, in his rage and hatred, he prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (see Zechariah 11:12&ndash;13).
Satan&rsquo;s &ldquo;best shot&rdquo; against God and the people of God was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. And in that act, he not only unwittingly sealed his own doom, but he also opened the door for Jesus to offer redemption and salvation to the whole world.
Remember, then, if you hold on to God and trust Him through the dark times, Satan&rsquo;s best shots against you also will end up working for your good&mdash;and God&rsquo;s glory.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What is an example from your life when God used Satan&rsquo;s attacks against you for your good and His glory?&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>

God works everything, including Satan’s attacks, for His purposes and His glory.

Serving God’s Purpose | Luke 22:53

“He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’” (Matthew 26:39 NLT)

 

Just before He was arrested, put on trial, and crucified, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He chose to spend the time He had left in conversation with His Father. That conversation, as recorded in the Gospels, is unlike any other in Scripture.

First, there’s the matter of what Jesus asked God to do. “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me” (Matthew 26:39 NLT). In essence, He was asking His heavenly Father if there was any other way for the work of salvation to be accomplished. His request points to the enormous suffering involved in Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus knew what was coming: physical, emotional, and spiritual agony beyond measure. And He wanted to make sure that it was absolutely necessary.

With that in mind, however, we must understand that the first part of Jesus’ prayer cannot be separated from the second part. The reality is that God said no to His Son’s request because there was no other way for the work of salvation to be accomplished. A perfect sacrifice was required.

If Jesus’ prayer had been only that God remove the cup of suffering from Him, the events that followed would have been cast in a different light. Jesus would have been a reluctant participant in the crucifixion, trapped by God’s refusal to excuse Him from becoming a sacrifice.

But that’s not what happened because Jesus’ request was followed by these words: “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39 NLT). And those same ten words (or some variation of them) must accompany every sincere prayer that believers offer.

It isn’t just a matter of saying, “If You want to do it Your way, go ahead.” It’s a heartfelt acknowledgment that nothing else is more perfect than God’s will. Nothing else can surpass its wisdom. Nothing else can bring ultimate fulfillment and good. Praying these words is a way of embracing the truth that God’s will is more important than our preferences, our comfort, or even our well-being.

The Bible’s promises regarding prayer are exciting. But we should never mistake them for a wish list or an opportunity to get our way. When we embrace and actively seek God’s will, we get a front-row seat to His work in the world.

Maybe you’re at a crisis point in your life right now—a personal Gethsemane, if you will. You have your will; you know what youwant. Yet you can sense that God’s will is different. Would you let the Lord choose for you? Would you be willing to say, “Lord, I am submitting my will to Yours. Not my will, but Yours be done”? You will never, never regret making that decision.

 

Reflection question: How might praying for God’s will change your perspective on a situation in your life right now? 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;He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, &lsquo;My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.&rsquo;&rdquo; (Matthew 26:39 NLT)
&nbsp;
Just before He was arrested, put on trial, and crucified, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He chose to spend the time He had left in conversation with His Father. That conversation, as recorded in the Gospels, is unlike any other in Scripture.
First, there&rsquo;s the matter of what Jesus asked God to do. &ldquo;My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me&rdquo; (Matthew 26:39 NLT). In essence, He was asking His heavenly Father if there was any other way for the work of salvation to be accomplished. His request points to the enormous suffering involved in Jesus&rsquo; sacrifice. Jesus knew what was coming: physical, emotional, and spiritual agony beyond measure. And He wanted to make sure that it was absolutely necessary.
With that in mind, however, we must understand that the first part of Jesus&rsquo; prayer cannot be separated from the second part. The reality is that God said no to His Son&rsquo;s request because there was no other way for the work of salvation to be accomplished. A perfect sacrifice was required.
If Jesus&rsquo; prayer had been only that God remove the cup of suffering from Him, the events that followed would have been cast in a different light. Jesus would have been a reluctant participant in the crucifixion, trapped by God&rsquo;s refusal to excuse Him from becoming a sacrifice.
But that&rsquo;s not what happened because Jesus&rsquo; request was followed by these words: &ldquo;Yet I want your will to be done, not mine&rdquo; (Matthew 26:39 NLT). And those same ten words (or some variation of them) must accompany every sincere prayer that believers offer.
It isn&rsquo;t just a matter of saying, &ldquo;If You want to do it Your way, go ahead.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a heartfelt acknowledgment that nothing else is more perfect than God&rsquo;s will. Nothing else can surpass its wisdom. Nothing else can bring ultimate fulfillment and good. Praying these words is a way of embracing the truth that God&rsquo;s will is more important than our preferences, our comfort, or even our well-being.
The Bible&rsquo;s promises regarding prayer are exciting. But we should never mistake them for a wish list or an opportunity to get our way. When we embrace and actively seek God&rsquo;s will, we get a front-row seat to His work in the world.
Maybe you&rsquo;re at a crisis point in your life right now&mdash;a personal Gethsemane, if you will. You have your will; you know what you want. Yet you can sense that God&rsquo;s will is different. Would you let the Lord choose for you? Would you be willing to say, &ldquo;Lord, I am submitting my will to Yours. Not my will, but Yours be done&rdquo;? You will never, never regret making that decision.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How might praying for God&rsquo;s will change your perspective on a situation in your life right now?&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>

Praying for God’s will to be done gives us the spiritual perspective we need.

Move in the Right Direction | Acts 20:24

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