"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

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT)

 

In our last devotion, we saw how God used Samuel because Samuel made himself available. Today, we’re going to look at another factor as we try to determine why God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Part of our human nature is to prefer heroes and leaders who come from central casting. People who look the part: tall, solidly built, and good-looking, with a chiseled jawline and a thick head of hair.

God prefers a different criterion. Time and time again in Scripture, He defies conventional wisdom in choosing people to accomplish His will. When God sent Samuel to anoint the son of Jesse as the king of Israel, Jesse paraded every son but one in front of the prophet. He didn’t bother sending for David because he believed there was no way God would choose a lowly shepherd to lead His people.

He was wrong. God revealed His criterion to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7: “Don’t judge by his appearance or height. . . . The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NLT).

A chapter later, when David traveled to the battlefield where the Israelites were squaring off with the Philistines, it wasn’t to fight the giant Goliath. It was to take food to his brothers on the front line. Fighting the Philistine champion was a job for King Saul or one of the battle-hardened soldiers in Saul’s army.

But that’s not who God had in mind for the task. He sent the shepherd boy who was offended by Goliath’s taunts and who recognized that the giant was no match for God. He sent the only person who wasn’t paralyzed by fear. He sent the person for whom a weapon was an afterthought. He sent the person who would make sure that God would get the credit for the victory.

God saw David’s heart. He sees our hearts as well—and He uses us accordingly. If you want to be used mightily by God, work on your heart. Hide God’s Word in it. Pour it out to Him in prayer. Love your neighbor, your enemies, and your fellow believers with all of it.

If you have faith in God, if you believe that He can use you, if you are willing to take a step of faith here and there, then God can and will do incredible things through you. One thing I’ve said many times over the years is that God is not looking for ability but availability. He can give you ability in time. But God is looking for someone to say, “I would like to make a difference where I am. Lord, I am available.” If you do, just watch what God will do.

 

Reflection question: What do you want God to see in your heart? 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;But the Lord said to Samuel, &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn&rsquo;t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.&rsquo;&rdquo; (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT)
&nbsp;
In our last devotion, we saw how God used Samuel because Samuel made himself available. Today, we&rsquo;re going to look at another factor as we try to determine why God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
Part of our human nature is to prefer heroes and leaders who come from central casting. People who look the part: tall, solidly built, and good-looking, with a chiseled jawline and a thick head of hair.
God prefers a different criterion. Time and time again in Scripture, He defies conventional wisdom in choosing people to accomplish His will. When God sent Samuel to anoint the son of Jesse as the king of Israel, Jesse paraded every son but one in front of the prophet. He didn&rsquo;t bother sending for David because he believed there was no way God would choose a lowly shepherd to lead His people.
He was wrong. God revealed His criterion to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t judge by his appearance or height. . . . The Lord doesn&rsquo;t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart&rdquo; (NLT).
A chapter later, when David traveled to the battlefield where the Israelites were squaring off with the Philistines, it wasn&rsquo;t to fight the giant Goliath. It was to take food to his brothers on the front line. Fighting the Philistine champion was a job for King Saul or one of the battle-hardened soldiers in Saul&rsquo;s army.
But that&rsquo;s not who God had in mind for the task. He sent the shepherd boy who was offended by Goliath&rsquo;s taunts and who recognized that the giant was no match for God. He sent the only person who wasn&rsquo;t paralyzed by fear. He sent the person for whom a weapon was an afterthought. He sent the person who would make sure that God would get the credit for the victory.
God saw David&rsquo;s heart. He sees our hearts as well&mdash;and He uses us accordingly. If you want to be used mightily by God, work on your heart. Hide God&rsquo;s Word in it. Pour it out to Him in prayer. Love your neighbor, your enemies, and your fellow believers with all of it.
If you have faith in God, if you believe that He can use you, if you are willing to take a step of faith here and there, then God can and will do incredible things through you. One thing I&rsquo;ve said many times over the years is that God is not looking for ability but availability. He can give you ability in time. But God is looking for someone to say, &ldquo;I would like to make a difference where I am. Lord, I am available.&rdquo; If you do, just watch what God will do.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What do you want God to see in your heart?&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 assesses our potential based on what’s in our heart.

Do You Have the Heart? | 1 Samuel 16:7 

“As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.” (1 Samuel 3:19 NLT)

 

First Samuel 3:19 contains two extraordinary accolades regarding the prophet Samuel: “The Lord was with him” and “Everything Samuel said proved to be reliable” (nlt). But those accolades raise some important questions: Why Samuel? Why did the Lord choose to be with him? Why did the Lord make sure that everything he said proved to be reliable?

The Bible doesn’t answer those questions directly, but it does offer some clues. Earlier in the chapter, we learn that, as a boy, Samuel served the Lord by assisting the priest Eli in the tabernacle. One night, while Samuel was sleeping, he heard someone call his name. Assuming that it was Eli, Samuel rushed to the priest to see how he could be of service. But it wasn’t Eli who had called him. Three times Samuel heard the voice. And three times he rushed to Eli.

The fourth time Samuel heard his name called, he simply and humbly said, “Speak, your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10 NLT). Why did God use Samuel in such a powerful way? Probably because he was available—not just during business hours, but in the middle of the night, out of a dead slumber. He was eager to serve every time his name was called.

Believers today can learn a lot from Samuel. We should always be available to be used by God. Our prayer should be, “Lord, You can use me anytime, anywhere, for any purpose—whether it’s my day off or not. I may be out surfing or on the golf course or out snowboarding, but I want You to call on me. I am always available to represent You. Please call on me.” Every Christian must be available and ready to echo the words of Samuel: “Speak, your servant is listening.”

God is not looking for ability as much as He is looking for availability. You may think, “God only uses the really talented people. He will never use me. There’s not much I can offer Him.” But God is looking for someone simply to be available and to let Him be strong on their behalf. God isn’t looking for strong people. He is looking for weak people through whom He can be strong. That means every person is qualified to be used by God. That means God can use you.

There is no telling how God will use you. But there are ways to make yourself available to Him. One is by putting yourself in the right place at the right time as much as possible. You can’t share your faith with others if you don’t interact or spend time with them. Another way to make yourself available to Him is to stay alert to the opportunities He sends your way.

Are you available to be used by God? If not, why don’t you let the Lord know that you would like Him to call upon you? If Samuel’s story teaches us anything, it’s that God may call upon you before the night is over.

 

 

Reflection question: How can you prepare yourself for when God’s plan puts you in the right place at the right time? 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;As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.&rdquo; (1 Samuel 3:19 NLT)
&nbsp;
First Samuel 3:19 contains two extraordinary accolades regarding the prophet Samuel: &ldquo;The Lord was with him&rdquo; and &ldquo;Everything Samuel said proved to be reliable&rdquo; (nlt). But those accolades raise some important questions: Why Samuel? Why did the Lord choose to be with him? Why did the Lord make sure that everything he said proved to be reliable?
The Bible doesn&rsquo;t answer those questions directly, but it does offer some clues. Earlier in the chapter, we learn that, as a boy, Samuel served the Lord by assisting the priest Eli in the tabernacle. One night, while Samuel was sleeping, he heard someone call his name. Assuming that it was Eli, Samuel rushed to the priest to see how he could be of service. But it wasn&rsquo;t Eli who had called him. Three times Samuel heard the voice. And three times he rushed to Eli.
The fourth time Samuel heard his name called, he simply and humbly said, &ldquo;Speak, your servant is listening&rdquo; (1 Samuel 3:10 NLT). Why did God use Samuel in such a powerful way? Probably because he was available&mdash;not just during business hours, but in the middle of the night, out of a dead slumber. He was eager to serve every time his name was called.
Believers today can learn a lot from Samuel. We should always be available to be used by God. Our prayer should be, &ldquo;Lord, You can use me anytime, anywhere, for any purpose&mdash;whether it&rsquo;s my day off or not. I may be out surfing or on the golf course or out snowboarding, but I want You to call on me. I am always available to represent You. Please call on me.&rdquo; Every Christian must be available and ready to echo the words of Samuel: &ldquo;Speak, your servant is listening.&rdquo;
God is not looking for ability as much as He is looking for availability. You may think, &ldquo;God only uses the really talented people. He will never use me. There&rsquo;s not much I can offer Him.&rdquo; But God is looking for someone simply to be available and to let Him be strong on their behalf. God isn&rsquo;t looking for strong people. He is looking for weak people through whom He can be strong. That means every person is qualified to be used by God. That means God can use you.
There is no telling how God will use you. But there are ways to make yourself available to Him. One is by putting yourself in the right place at the right time as much as possible. You can&rsquo;t share your faith with others if you don&rsquo;t interact or spend time with them. Another way to make yourself available to Him is to stay alert to the opportunities He sends your way.
Are you available to be used by God? If not, why don&rsquo;t you let the Lord know that you would like Him to call upon you? If Samuel&rsquo;s story teaches us anything, it&rsquo;s that God may call upon you before the night is over.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you prepare yourself for when God&rsquo;s plan puts you in the right place at the right time?&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>

Believers must recognize and embrace the opportunities God gives us.

The Lord Was with Him | 1 Samuel 3:19

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.’” (Exodus 14:15–16 NLT)

 

Ecclesiastes 3 identifies various seasons of life: “A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance” (verses 2–4 NLT), to name just a few.

In Exodus 14:15–16, we find two more: a time to wait and a time to move. When the Israelites found themselves between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, Moses seems to have misread that particular season of life. He believed it was a time to wait. He continued to cry out to the Lord. God helped him understand that it was a time to move.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground’” (Exodus 14:15–16 NLT).

Knowing when to wait and when to move is one of the key aspects of discipleship. Waiting is essential. Waiting involves praying. And the apostle Paul wrote, “Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT).

But there comes a point when we don’t need to pray about something anymore. There comes a time when we need to act—that is, in the way that God would have us move. Let’s say a couple is having trouble in their marriage. The husband is praying for his wife to change. But maybe he should change his prayer instead. Maybe he should say, “Lord, help me to be the godly person you want me to be. Help me to do my part.” His wife, of course, needs to pray the same thing.

Maybe someone has wronged you or offended you. Maybe they’ve wounded you or insulted you. You want to forgive them. You’ve prayed about it. Now it’s time to do it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re feeling it. Just do it. The emotions most likely will follow when you take that step of obedience.

Maybe you’ve been praying for the salvation of a friend or a loved one. You’ve prayed for them for years and years. But have you shared the gospel with them? Maybe it’s their moment to come to Christ. Keep praying but do your part.

God was saying to Moses, “Stop crying to me. Stop praying about it. Get moving. The miracle is coming.”

When you’re led by the Lord, make your move. There’s a time to pray, and there’s a time to move.

 

Reflection question: What would “making your move” look like 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;Then the Lord said to Moses, &lsquo;Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.&rsquo;&rdquo; (Exodus 14:15&ndash;16 NLT)
&nbsp;
Ecclesiastes 3 identifies various seasons of life: &ldquo;A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance&rdquo; (verses 2&ndash;4 NLT), to name just a few.
In Exodus 14:15&ndash;16, we find two more: a time to wait and a time to move. When the Israelites found themselves between Pharaoh&rsquo;s army and the Red Sea, Moses seems to have misread that particular season of life. He believed it was a time to wait. He continued to cry out to the Lord. God helped him understand that it was a time to move.
&ldquo;Then the Lord said to Moses, &lsquo;Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground&rsquo;&rdquo; (Exodus 14:15&ndash;16 NLT).
Knowing when to wait and when to move is one of the key aspects of discipleship. Waiting is essential. Waiting involves praying. And the apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;Never stop praying&rdquo; (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT).
But there comes a point when we don&rsquo;t need to pray about something anymore. There comes a time when we need to act&mdash;that is, in the way that God would have us move. Let&rsquo;s say a couple is having trouble in their marriage. The husband is praying for his wife to change. But maybe he should change his prayer instead. Maybe he should say, &ldquo;Lord, help me to be the godly person you want me to be. Help me to do my part.&rdquo; His wife, of course, needs to pray the same thing.
Maybe someone has wronged you or offended you. Maybe they&rsquo;ve wounded you or insulted you. You want to forgive them. You&rsquo;ve prayed about it. Now it&rsquo;s time to do it. It doesn&rsquo;t matter whether you&rsquo;re feeling it. Just do it. The emotions most likely will follow when you take that step of obedience.
Maybe you&rsquo;ve been praying for the salvation of a friend or a loved one. You&rsquo;ve prayed for them for years and years. But have you shared the gospel with them? Maybe it&rsquo;s their moment to come to Christ. Keep praying but do your part.
God was saying to Moses, &ldquo;Stop crying to me. Stop praying about it. Get moving. The miracle is coming.&rdquo;
When you&rsquo;re led by the Lord, make your move. There&rsquo;s a time to pray, and there&rsquo;s a time to move.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would &ldquo;making your move&rdquo; look like 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>

Spiritually speaking, there’s a time to wait and a time to move.

Move in the Right Direction | Acts 20:24

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