May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you. (Psalm 25:21 NLT)

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Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

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May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you. (Psalm 25:21 NLT)
—
<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>

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

May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you. (Psalm 25:21 NLT)

People of Purpose | Psalm 25:21

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NLT)

 

“God is love; He doesn’t punish people.” “God wants us to be our authentic selves and not listen to people who judge us.” “God doesn’t care about rules; He cares about what’s best for each person.” How many variations of these statements and others like them have you heard or read recently?

There are a lot of people today who claim to hear the voice of God telling them to do this or that. Some even claim God is telling them to disregard biblical teachings in favor of a more inclusive approach to Christianity. No matter how convincing these arguments may seem, however, we must remember that God never contradicts His Word. His truth never fades, changes, or evolves. It is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He always will lead us according to what His Word says.

That’s a hard pill for some people to swallow, especially when they see God’s Word as keeping them from pursuing their own desires. As a result, some come up with some lame concepts, such as, “We’re not married, but God has told us it’s okay to have sex.” I can assure them that God didn’t say that because in His Word says, "God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin" (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NLT). God won’t contradict His Word.

We also need to realize that God’s Word isn’t an obstacle; it’s an opportunity. Think back to the time when people used to send letters by mail. If you were expecting a letter from someone, you’d stand at the window, waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the postal worker to come by. Then you’d bolt to the mailbox to look for your letter. Maybe it was from someone you were in love with. Maybe it was an answer to a job application. Maybe it was something you ordered in the mail. Maybe it was important news you’ve been waiting for.

But what if you had a handwritten note sent to you from God Himself? Would you carry it around in your pocket for a couple of weeks and open it when you got around to it? I doubt it. You probably would tear it open as you’re thinking, “Wow, God spoke to me! What does He have to say?”

The Bible is a written letter from God. Many people carry it around. They have it in different colors and sizes. They have it in different translations. They even have it on their phones and devices. But they never open it. A letter from God Himself goes unread.

What a missed opportunity! The psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NLT). God stands ready to illuminate every area of our lives. If you want Him to speak to you, then open His Word.

In the noise and busyness of social media, you’ll find countless people who will tell you what God wants and doesn’t want, what He loves and hates, what He rewards and punishes, and what He cares about and what He’s indifferent to.

But only in the quiet stillness of reading His Word for yourself will you find the truth about our heavenly Father.

 

Reflection question: How do you make the most of your time in God’s Word? 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;Your word is a lamp to guide my feet&nbsp;and a light for my path.&rdquo; (Psalm 119:105 NLT)
&nbsp;
&ldquo;God is love; He doesn&rsquo;t punish people.&rdquo; &ldquo;God wants us to be our authentic selves and not listen to people who judge us.&rdquo; &ldquo;God doesn&rsquo;t care about rules; He cares about what&rsquo;s best for each person.&rdquo; How many variations of these statements and others like them have you heard or read recently?
There are a lot of people today who claim to hear the voice of God telling them to do this or that. Some even claim God is telling them to disregard biblical teachings in favor of a more inclusive approach to Christianity. No matter how convincing these arguments may seem, however, we must remember that God never contradicts His Word. His truth never fades, changes, or evolves. It is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He always will lead us according to what His Word says.
That&rsquo;s a hard pill for some people to swallow, especially when they see God&rsquo;s Word as keeping them from pursuing their own desires. As a result, some come up with some lame concepts, such as, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not married, but God has told us it&rsquo;s okay to have sex.&rdquo; I can assure them that God didn&rsquo;t say that because in His Word says, "God&rsquo;s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin" (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NLT). God won&rsquo;t contradict His Word.
We also need to realize that God&rsquo;s Word isn&rsquo;t an obstacle; it&rsquo;s an opportunity. Think back to the time when people used to send letters by mail. If you were expecting a letter from someone, you&rsquo;d stand at the window, waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the postal worker to come by. Then you&rsquo;d bolt to the mailbox to look for your letter. Maybe it was from someone you were in love with. Maybe it was an answer to a job application. Maybe it was something you ordered in the mail. Maybe it was important news you&rsquo;ve been waiting for.
But what if you had a handwritten note sent to you from God Himself? Would you carry it around in your pocket for a couple of weeks and open it when you got around to it? I doubt it. You probably would tear it open as you&rsquo;re thinking, &ldquo;Wow, God spoke to me! What does He have to say?&rdquo;
The Bible is a written letter from God. Many people carry it around. They have it in different colors and sizes. They have it in different translations. They even have it on their phones and devices. But they never open it. A letter from God Himself goes unread.
What a missed opportunity! The psalmist wrote, &ldquo;Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path&rdquo; (Psalm 119:105 NLT). God stands ready to illuminate every area of our lives. If you want Him to speak to you, then open His Word.
In the noise and busyness of social media, you&rsquo;ll find countless people who will tell you what God wants and doesn&rsquo;t want, what He loves and hates, what He rewards and punishes, and what He cares about and what He&rsquo;s indifferent to.
But only in the quiet stillness of reading His Word for yourself will you find the truth about our heavenly Father.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How do you make the most of your time in God&rsquo;s Word?&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>

In the quiet stillness of reading God’s Word, you will find His truth.

Hearing God’s Voice in His Word | Psalm 119:105

“May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26 NLT)

 

Attention is becoming a scarce commodity in our modern culture. Attention spans have become alarmingly short. Algorithms are constantly being tweaked and perfected to keep people’s focus on their screens. As a result, many people have little attention to spare for others.

How often do you find yourself talking to someone who isn’t listening—or who’s giving you considerably less than their full attention? And when you call them on it, the conversation usually goes something like this:

“Did you hear what I just said?”

“Yes.”

“What did I say?”

“Uh, something about something that happened.”

We may be tempted to wonder if we face the same challenge with God. He is the Sustainer of the universe, after all. Given the infinite number of things that concern Him, we may question whether we have His full attention. And when things aren’t going well for us, we may start to doubt that He’s even aware of our struggles.

Maybe Joseph felt that way at times. After all, he was only human. He had done all the right things, even after his brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery. He had resisted the advances of Potiphar’s wife. And what did he get for being a person of integrity? He was falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown into an Egyptian prison.

How easily Joseph could have thought, “This is just great. You serve the Lord, you do what God wants, and this is where it gets you. If I had given in to Mrs. Potiphar, I wouldn’t be here right now. I would be living in the lap of luxury. But here I am, suffering!”

Of course, this would have been a shortsighted reaction. The truth is that God’s full attention was on Joseph, not just on his immediate circumstances, but on his long-term potential. God’s plan wasn’t for Joseph to be comfortable every day of his life and fully informed of what the future held. His plan was for Joseph to save countless people from famine and to set into motion the events that eventually would lead the people of Israel to the Promised Land.

Joseph was the ideal person for the job because he was willing to be still in even the worst circumstances. To look for the opportunities that presented themselves in prison. To use his God-given skills in surprising ways.

Even in the quietness of prison, Joseph was not outside God’s attention. He certainly didn’t understand everything that was happening to him. But he recognized that his circumstances were part of his preparation. He trusted that God was equipping him for something greater.

We too can have that confidence. Numbers 6:24–26 says, “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace” (NLT). The idea is that the Lord gives us His full attention.

Be still and let that amazing truth give you comfort in both good times and bad.

 

Reflection question: What does it mean to you to have God’s full attention? 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;May the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;bless you and protect you.&nbsp;May the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;smile on you and be gracious to you.&nbsp;May the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;show you his favor and give you his peace.&rdquo; (Numbers 6:24&ndash;26 NLT)
&nbsp;
Attention is becoming a scarce commodity in our modern culture. Attention spans have become alarmingly short. Algorithms are constantly being tweaked and perfected to keep people&rsquo;s focus on their screens. As a result, many people have little attention to spare for others.
How often do you find yourself talking to someone who isn&rsquo;t listening&mdash;or who&rsquo;s giving you considerably less than their full attention? And when you call them on it, the conversation usually goes something like this:
&ldquo;Did you hear what I just said?&rdquo;
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
&ldquo;What did I say?&rdquo;
&ldquo;Uh, something about something that happened.&rdquo;
We may be tempted to wonder if we face the same challenge with God. He is the Sustainer of the universe, after all. Given the infinite number of things that concern Him, we may question whether we have His full attention. And when things aren&rsquo;t going well for us, we may start to doubt that He&rsquo;s even aware of our struggles.
Maybe Joseph felt that way at times. After all, he was only human. He had done all the right things, even after his brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery. He had resisted the advances of Potiphar&rsquo;s wife. And what did he get for being a person of integrity? He was falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown into an Egyptian prison.
How easily Joseph could have thought, &ldquo;This is just great. You serve the Lord, you do what God wants, and this is where it gets you. If I had given in to Mrs. Potiphar, I wouldn&rsquo;t be here right now. I would be living in the lap of luxury. But here I am, suffering!&rdquo;
Of course, this would have been a shortsighted reaction. The truth is that God&rsquo;s full attention was on Joseph, not just on his immediate circumstances, but on his long-term potential. God&rsquo;s plan wasn&rsquo;t for Joseph to be comfortable every day of his life and fully informed of what the future held. His plan was for Joseph to save countless people from famine and to set into motion the events that eventually would lead the people of Israel to the Promised Land.
Joseph was the ideal person for the job because he was willing to be still in even the worst circumstances. To look for the opportunities that presented themselves in prison. To use his God-given skills in surprising ways.
Even in the quietness of prison, Joseph was not outside God&rsquo;s attention. He certainly didn&rsquo;t understand everything that was happening to him. But he recognized that his circumstances were part of his preparation. He trusted that God was equipping him for something greater.
We too can have that confidence. Numbers 6:24&ndash;26 says, &ldquo;May the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;bless you and protect you.&nbsp;May the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;smile on you and be gracious to you.&nbsp;May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace&rdquo; (NLT). The idea is that the Lord gives us His full attention.
Be still and let that amazing truth give you comfort in both good times and bad.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What does it mean to you to have God&rsquo;s full attention?&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>

Attention Surplus | Numbers 6:24–26

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NLT)

 

Years ago, our grandson Christopher was playing in our backyard. Suddenly, he came running into the house with tears streaming down his face, unable to speak because of pain.

“Christopher, what happened?” I asked. He lifted his shirt, and I could see a long, red scrape on his back. It was just deep enough to stir up those little nerve endings, leaving him in that “take-your-breath-away” agony. I scooped him up, grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, and held him in my arms. All I wanted to do was remove the pain, but I couldn’t. I could do something practical like put ice on the wound and hold him tight through his suffering, but beyond that I simply had to wait for the pain to subside.

Oh, how it breaks my heart to see my loved ones hurt. But soon enough, the tears stopped flowing and Christopher felt better. I’m sure the bowl of ice cream I gave him also helped.

So often when someone is hurting, what they want from us more than anything else is just our attention and our love: someone to put our arm around them, listen, and sit with them while they hurt. My hope, my prayer, is that we—as a church, as believers—are doing exactly that. We are coming alongside those who are hurting. We are helping each other. We are welcoming others in. This ministry of presence requires us to be still—to resist the urge to “do,” to fix, or to heal something that’s beyond our power to change.

We want the church to be a place where there’s no shame, no fear, no hiding—a safe place for people who are suffering. We’re not going to fall back on tired clichés and try to fix people. We need to remember that brokenness takes time to heal. And sometimes the brokenness may never heal, but we need to love people throughout that time.

When I was going through my season of suffering after the death of my son, the greatest gift people could give me was the gift of their presence. Of simply being there. Instead of asking me difficult and sometimes wounding questions before I was ready to open up and talk, they chose to just be present with me.

We are here to be like Jesus, to be His hands and feet. We are to show compassion and to offer the ministry of our presence. We may not understand the complexities of people’s lives, but we are believers with the Holy Spirit living within us, and He will guide us in comforting others.

Can we love somebody? Can we welcome somebody? Can we put our arm around somebody? Let’s challenge ourselves to live out a “yes” answer to these questions.

 

Reflection question: When has someone given you the gift of presence? 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;All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.&nbsp;He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 1:3&ndash;4 NLT)
&nbsp;
Years ago, our grandson Christopher was playing in our backyard. Suddenly, he came running into the house with tears streaming down his face, unable to speak because of pain.
&ldquo;Christopher, what happened?&rdquo; I asked. He lifted his shirt, and I could see a long, red scrape on his back. It was just deep enough to stir up those little nerve endings, leaving him in that &ldquo;take-your-breath-away&rdquo; agony. I scooped him up, grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, and held him in my arms. All I wanted to do was remove the pain, but I couldn&rsquo;t. I could do something practical like put ice on the wound and hold him tight through his suffering, but beyond that I simply had to wait for the pain to subside.
Oh, how it breaks my heart to see my loved ones hurt. But soon enough, the tears stopped flowing and Christopher felt better. I&rsquo;m sure the bowl of ice cream I gave him also helped.
So often when someone is hurting, what they want from us more than anything else is just our attention and our love: someone to put our arm around them, listen, and sit with them while they hurt. My hope, my prayer, is that we&mdash;as a church, as believers&mdash;are doing exactly that. We are coming alongside those who are hurting. We are helping each other. We are welcoming others in. This ministry of presence requires us to be still&mdash;to resist the urge to &ldquo;do,&rdquo; to fix, or to heal something that&rsquo;s beyond our power to change.
We want the church to be a place where there&rsquo;s no shame, no fear, no hiding&mdash;a safe place for people who are suffering. We&rsquo;re not going to fall back on tired clich&eacute;s and try to fix people. We need to remember that brokenness takes time to heal. And sometimes the brokenness may never heal, but we need to love people throughout that time.
When I was going through my season of suffering after the death of my son, the greatest gift people could give me was the gift of their presence. Of simply being there. Instead of asking me difficult and sometimes wounding questions before I was ready to open up and talk, they chose to just be present with me.
We are here to be like Jesus, to be His hands and feet. We are to show compassion and to offer the ministry of our presence. We may not understand the complexities of people&rsquo;s lives, but we are believers with the Holy Spirit living within us, and He will guide us in comforting others.
Can we love somebody? Can we welcome somebody? Can we put our arm around somebody? Let&rsquo;s challenge ourselves to live out a &ldquo;yes&rdquo; answer to these questions.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: When has someone given you the gift of presence?&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>

Sometimes the greatest gift is the gift of our presence.

People of Purpose | Psalm 25:21

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