When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. (Matthew 27:3 NLT)

—

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When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. (Matthew 27:3 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. 

*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

When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. (Matthew 27:3 NLT)

No Secret to God | Matthew 27:3

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT)

 

In our last devotion, we talked about how God keeps us—that is, He protects us in times of doubt and fear. But don’t mistake the wording of Psalm 121:3. God will keep us, but that doesn’t mean that He will always keep us from trouble. You need only to look at the life of—well, practically any Bible character—to know that.

After the Israelites left Egypt, God could have kept the pursuing Egyptian army from catching up with them. Instead, He allowed Pharaoh and his forces to close in on the Israelites on the shore of the Red Sea. He allowed trouble to get close enough to threaten His people’s well-being. And He did it for their benefit. He wanted them to pray to Him so that they could see His power on display. He never left them. He positioned Himself between the Israelites and the trouble-making Egyptians. And He answered His people’s prayers by opening the Red Sea so that they could walk through on dry ground. God accompanied them through their difficulties.

God could have kept Daniel from the lion’s den. Instead, God kept Daniel in the lion’s den. God could have kept Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. Instead, God walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Jesus could have kept His disciples from storms on the Sea of Galilee. Instead, He accompanied them through the storms.

Maybe you’re in trouble right now. Maybe you’re frightened or unsure about your future. You don’t know what’s going to happen next. You need to understand that you’re not alone. God may not make your troubles disappear, but He will accompany you through them.

Sometimes we get lulled into thinking that we have the right to live easy, tranquil lives and then one day die peacefully in our sleep. We convince ourselves that the norm should be a nice, cozy, comfortable existence. But the Bible doesn’t promise that. Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT).

You won’t find a passage in Scripture in which God promises to help His people find the easy way out. But you will find these words of Moses, directed to God’s people as they prepared to conquer the Promised Land: “The Lord will hand over to you the people who live there, and you must deal with them as I have commanded you. So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:5–6 NLT).

If you commit yourself to the Lord, you can expect trouble. More importantly, however, you can expect God to go through it with you.

 

Reflection question: When have you experienced God’s presence in the midst of trouble in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

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

 

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

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.&rdquo; (John 16:33 NLT)
&nbsp;
In our last devotion, we talked about how God keeps us&mdash;that is, He protects us in times of doubt and fear. But don&rsquo;t mistake the wording of Psalm 121:3. God will keep us, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean that He will always keep us from trouble. You need only to look at the life of&mdash;well, practically any Bible character&mdash;to know that.
After the Israelites left Egypt, God could have kept the pursuing Egyptian army from catching up with them. Instead, He allowed Pharaoh and his forces to close in on the Israelites on the shore of the Red Sea. He allowed trouble to get close enough to threaten His people&rsquo;s well-being. And He did it for their benefit. He wanted them to pray to Him so that they could see His power on display. He never left them. He positioned Himself between the Israelites and the trouble-making Egyptians. And He answered His people&rsquo;s prayers by opening the Red Sea so that they could walk through on dry ground. God accompanied them through their difficulties.
God could have kept Daniel from the lion&rsquo;s den. Instead, God kept Daniel in the lion&rsquo;s den. God could have kept Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. Instead, God walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Jesus could have kept His disciples from storms on the Sea of Galilee. Instead, He accompanied them through the storms.
Maybe you&rsquo;re in trouble right now. Maybe you&rsquo;re frightened or unsure about your future. You don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s going to happen next. You need to understand that you&rsquo;re not alone. God may not make your troubles disappear, but He will accompany you through them.
Sometimes we get lulled into thinking that we have the right to live easy, tranquil lives and then one day die peacefully in our sleep. We convince ourselves that the norm should be a nice, cozy, comfortable existence. But the Bible doesn&rsquo;t promise that. Jesus said, &ldquo;I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world&rdquo; (John 16:33 NLT).
You won&rsquo;t find a passage in Scripture in which God promises to help His people find the easy way out. But you will find these words of Moses, directed to God&rsquo;s people as they prepared to conquer the Promised Land: &ldquo;The&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;will hand over to you the people who live there, and you must deal with them as I have commanded you.&nbsp;So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you&rdquo; (Deuteronomy 31:5&ndash;6 NLT).
If you commit yourself to the Lord, you can expect trouble. More importantly, however, you can expect God to go through it with you.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: When have you experienced God&rsquo;s presence in the midst of trouble in your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

God doesn’t always keep us from trouble, but He will accompany us through it.

A Companion in Times of Trouble | John 16:33

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.” (Psalm 121:1–3 NKJV)

 

Doubt is often at the root of many fears we face as believers. The reality is that we live in an unpredictable world. It’s hard to maintain a sense of assuredness when we’re surrounded by potential threats to our safety and security. Add to that the uncertainties of daily existence—concerns about job security, financial security, the health of aging family members, and the well-being of our kids.

Add to that the cracks in our spiritual resolve that threaten to give way when life’s pressures start to mount—the circumstances that cause us to question whether the Bible is trustworthy, whether God truly cares for us, or whether we are actually saved.

It might make you feel better to know that the most mature Christians in your life—the people you look up to as spiritual mentors—struggle with similar doubts and the fears that arise from them. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.

You see, even the greatest men and women of God who ever lived had moments of doubt and fear. The prophet Elijah once faced down 450 prophets of Baal in a life-or-death contest by himself. He trusted God to perform an unprecedented miracle to give him victory. Yet as soon as the contest was over, when he learned that Queen Jezebel wanted him dead, he got scared and ran.

Even John the Baptist had moments of doubt. According to Jesus, John was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Yet after Jesus started His public ministry, John sent a message to Him asking, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Luke 7:19 nlt). But Jesus didn’t rebuke John for his doubt; instead, He reassured him.

If you’re struggling with doubt or fear, here’s what you need to know: God is going to keep you. The psalmist understood that—and celebrated it. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:1–3 NKJV).

The Hebrew word translated as keeps means “watches,” “guards,” or “places a hedge around.” The idea is that God places a wall around you that is impenetrable. The devil cannot scale or penetrate that wall unless God allows it for His purposes.

The apostle Paul wrote, “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT). And the apostle Peter wrote that “through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see” (1 Peter 1:5 NLT).

Were it not for this protection from God, we would have every reason to doubt and fear. But we are kept by His power—and nothing is greater than that.

 

Reflection question: How have you seen God watch over and protect you in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

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

 

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

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;I&nbsp;will lift up my eyes to the hills&mdash;From whence comes my help?&nbsp;My help&nbsp;comes&nbsp;from the&nbsp;Lord, Who made heaven and earth.&nbsp;He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.&rdquo; (Psalm 121:1&ndash;3 NKJV)
&nbsp;
Doubt is often at the root of many fears we face as believers. The reality is that we live in an unpredictable world. It&rsquo;s hard to maintain a sense of assuredness when we&rsquo;re surrounded by potential threats to our safety and security. Add to that the uncertainties of daily existence&mdash;concerns about job security, financial security, the health of aging family members, and the well-being of our kids.
Add to that the cracks in our spiritual resolve that threaten to give way when life&rsquo;s pressures start to mount&mdash;the circumstances that cause us to question whether the Bible is trustworthy, whether God truly cares for us, or whether we are actually saved.
It might make you feel better to know that the most mature Christians in your life&mdash;the people you look up to as spiritual mentors&mdash;struggle with similar doubts and the fears that arise from them. But that doesn&rsquo;t tell the whole story.
You see, even the greatest men and women of God who ever lived had moments of doubt and fear. The prophet Elijah once faced down 450 prophets of Baal in a life-or-death contest by himself. He trusted God to perform an unprecedented miracle to give him victory. Yet as soon as the contest was over, when he learned that Queen Jezebel wanted him dead, he got scared and ran.
Even John the Baptist had moments of doubt. According to Jesus, John was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Yet after Jesus started His public ministry, John sent a message to Him asking, &ldquo;Are you the Messiah we&rsquo;ve been expecting,&nbsp;or should we keep looking for someone else?&rdquo; (Luke 7:19 nlt). But Jesus didn&rsquo;t rebuke John for his doubt; instead, He reassured him.
If you&rsquo;re struggling with doubt or fear, here&rsquo;s what you need to know: God is going to keep you. The psalmist understood that&mdash;and celebrated it. &ldquo;I&nbsp;will lift up my eyes to the hills&mdash;From whence comes my help?&nbsp;My help&nbsp;comes&nbsp;from the&nbsp;Lord, Who made heaven and earth.&nbsp;He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber&rdquo; (Psalm 121:1&ndash;3 NKJV).
The Hebrew word translated as keeps means &ldquo;watches,&rdquo; &ldquo;guards,&rdquo; or &ldquo;places a hedge around.&rdquo; The idea is that God places a wall around you that is impenetrable. The devil cannot scale or penetrate that wall unless God allows it for His purposes.
The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one&rdquo; (2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT). And the apostle Peter wrote that &ldquo;through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see&rdquo; (1 Peter 1:5 NLT).
Were it not for this protection from God, we would have every reason to doubt and fear. But we are kept by His power&mdash;and nothing is greater than that.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How have you seen God watch over and protect you in your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

He Who Keeps | Psalm 121:1–3

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” (Luke 14:28 NLT)

 

In this week’s devotions, we’re going to talk about facing and managing your fears. And we’re going to start by talking about how to anticipate fearful situations.

As a Christian, it’s not a matter of if you’ll face circumstances that unsettle or even frighten you; it’s a matter of when. The apostle Paul wrote, “You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:11–12 NLT).

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will suffer persecution. There’s no avoiding that reality. So, as believers, we can either live in fear of the inevitable persecution we’ll face, or we can prepare for it.

We can prepare for it by rethinking our response to persecution. Instead of giving in to our fears and doing everything we can to avoid or end persecution, we can embrace it for what it is. That’s not to say we need to welcome it or seek it out—or to pretend that it doesn’t hurt and frighten us. But we mustn’t ignore the fact that persecution identifies us with Christ.

Jesus explained to His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:18–19 NLT).

Living in a place where you’re hated is a scary proposition. Being able to turn to Jesus—who knows exactly what it’s like to live in such a place—makes it less scary.

And that’s what these warnings of inevitable persecution are intended to do: make us turn to the Lord. The good news is that we don’t have to wait for fear to get a foothold in our life before we do something about it. We can be proactive in dealing with it.

We can pour out our hearts to God in prayer. We can tell Him what makes us uneasy. We can ask for His comfort and courage.

We can come to grips with what to expect as followers of Jesus. Jesus Himself warned His disciples, “Don’t begin until you count the cost” (Luke 14:28 NLT). The cost of following Jesus includes facing some frightening experiences. Acknowledging that reality is a key step in preparing for it.

We can arm ourselves with comforting and encouraging truths from Scripture. For example, God promises in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (NLT).

You can’t eliminate fear from your life, but you can anticipate and manage it with God’s help.

 

Reflection question: How can you be proactive in dealing with your fears? 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 don&rsquo;t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?&rdquo; (Luke 14:28 NLT)
&nbsp;
In this week&rsquo;s devotions, we&rsquo;re going to talk about facing and managing your fears. And we&rsquo;re going to start by talking about how to anticipate fearful situations.
As a Christian, it&rsquo;s not a matter of if you&rsquo;ll face circumstances that unsettle or even frighten you; it&rsquo;s a matter of when. The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra&mdash;but the Lord rescued me from all of it.&nbsp;Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution&rdquo; (2 Timothy 3:11&ndash;12 NLT).
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will suffer persecution. There&rsquo;s no avoiding that reality. So, as believers, we can either live in fear of the inevitable persecution we&rsquo;ll face, or we can prepare for it.
We can prepare for it by rethinking our response to persecution. Instead of giving in to our fears and doing everything we can to avoid or end persecution, we can embrace it for what it is. That&rsquo;s not to say we need to welcome it or seek it out&mdash;or to pretend that it doesn&rsquo;t hurt and frighten us. But we mustn&rsquo;t ignore the fact that persecution identifies us with Christ.
Jesus explained to His disciples, &ldquo;If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you&rdquo; (John 15:18&ndash;19 NLT).
Living in a place where you&rsquo;re hated is a scary proposition. Being able to turn to Jesus&mdash;who knows exactly what it&rsquo;s like to live in such a place&mdash;makes it less scary.
And that&rsquo;s what these warnings of inevitable persecution are intended to do: make us turn to the Lord. The good news is that we don&rsquo;t have to wait for fear to get a foothold in our life before we do something about it. We can be proactive in dealing with it.
We can pour out our hearts to God in prayer. We can tell Him what makes us uneasy. We can ask for His comfort and courage.
We can come to grips with what to expect as followers of Jesus. Jesus Himself warned His disciples, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t begin until you count the cost&rdquo; (Luke 14:28 NLT). The cost of following Jesus includes facing some frightening experiences. Acknowledging that reality is a key step in preparing for it.
We can arm ourselves with comforting and encouraging truths from Scripture. For example, God promises in Hebrews 13:5, &ldquo;I will never fail you. I will never abandon you&rdquo; (NLT).
You can&rsquo;t eliminate fear from your life, but you can anticipate and manage it with God&rsquo;s help.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you be proactive in dealing with your fears?&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’t eliminate fear from your life, but you can anticipate and manage it with God’s help.

No Secret to God | Matthew 27:3

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