"'I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.'" Matthew 26:13

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"'I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.'" Matthew 26:13
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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

MATTHEW 26:13: I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.

The Value of a Gift | Matthew 26:13

“Many people say, ‘Who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” (Psalm 4:6–8 NLT)

 

Dissatisfaction is the last of life’s headwinds that we’ll be talking about this week. It’s also one of the most common. Even those of us who like to think of ourselves as low-maintenance and unassuming harbor certain hopes and expectations for this life. We want meaning and purpose, among other things. When life fails to deliver, we’re left feeling disappointed, dissatisfied, and maybe even a little cheated.

Only humans have a longing for meaning in life. I can assure you that my dog doesn’t sit around pondering the reason for his existence. He won’t be looking back on his life and saying, “You know, I tried it all as a dog. I chased cats. I drank toilet water. I tried bones. But deep inside of me, there was a void.” Dogs don’t think that way. They mainly think, “Food . . . sleep.”

Dogs, you see, aren’t made in the image of God. You and I are. We are living souls, designed to know God and to experience something more than a mundane, directionless existence.

From the time of our birth, we’ve been on a quest to discover that “something more.” And we keep searching until we discover that the answer to all our questions is found in a relationship with our Creator. God can give us a sense of joy and fulfillment that far surpasses the puny, fleeting pleasures this world offers. Even better, there’s no hangover in the morning. There’s no guilt or shame that accompanies it.

The psalmists understood this. Psalm 4:6–8 says, “Many people say, ‘Who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe” (NLT).

And Psalm 16:11 says, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (NLT). There’s pleasure in knowing God, not in chasing after happiness.

In fact, we’ll never find happiness by chasing it. But what we will find is that as we chase God—as we pursue and walk with Him—then one day we will realize that we’ve become happy people. Happiness doesn’t come through actively seeking it but by getting our lives into proper balance, by aligning ourselves with God and His will for our lives. Happiness and joy are the byproducts of that balance and alignment.

Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT). In other words, if you seek God and His plan first, everything else in life, including happiness and peace, will fall into place.

 

Reflection question: What would seeking God and His plan first look like 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;Many people say, &lsquo;Who will show us better times?&rsquo; Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.&rdquo; (Psalm 4:6&ndash;8 NLT)
&nbsp;
Dissatisfaction is the last of life&rsquo;s headwinds that we&rsquo;ll be talking about this week. It&rsquo;s also one of the most common. Even those of us who like to think of ourselves as low-maintenance and unassuming harbor certain hopes and expectations for this life. We want meaning and purpose, among other things. When life fails to deliver, we&rsquo;re left feeling disappointed, dissatisfied, and maybe even a little cheated.
Only humans have a longing for meaning in life. I can assure you that my dog doesn&rsquo;t sit around pondering the reason for his existence. He won&rsquo;t be looking back on his life and saying, &ldquo;You know, I tried it all as a dog. I chased cats. I drank toilet water. I tried bones. But deep inside of me, there was a void.&rdquo; Dogs don&rsquo;t think that way. They mainly think, &ldquo;Food .&nbsp;.&nbsp;. sleep.&rdquo;
Dogs, you see, aren&rsquo;t made in the image of God. You and I are. We are living souls, designed to know God and to experience something more than a mundane, directionless existence.
From the time of our birth, we&rsquo;ve been on a quest to discover that &ldquo;something more.&rdquo; And we keep searching until we discover that the answer to all our questions is found in a relationship with our Creator. God can give us a sense of joy and fulfillment that far surpasses the puny, fleeting pleasures this world offers. Even better, there&rsquo;s no hangover in the morning. There&rsquo;s no guilt or shame that accompanies it.
The psalmists understood this. Psalm 4:6&ndash;8 says, &ldquo;Many people say, &lsquo;Who will show us better times?&rsquo; Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe&rdquo; (NLT).
And Psalm 16:11 says, &ldquo;You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever&rdquo; (NLT). There&rsquo;s pleasure in knowing God, not in chasing after happiness.
In fact, we&rsquo;ll never find happiness by chasing it. But what we will find is that as we chase God&mdash;as we pursue and walk with Him&mdash;then one day we will realize that we&rsquo;ve become happy people. Happiness doesn&rsquo;t come through actively seeking it but by getting our lives into proper balance, by aligning ourselves with God and His will for our lives. Happiness and joy are the byproducts of that balance and alignment.
Jesus said, &ldquo;Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need&rdquo; (Matthew 6:33 NLT). In other words, if you seek God and His plan first, everything else in life, including happiness and peace, will fall into place.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would seeking God and His plan first look like 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>

Joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction come from seeking God and His plan for your life.

The Pursuit of Happiness | Psalm 4:6–8

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT)

 

Another of life’s difficult headwinds is guilt. The head of a mental institution in London once said, “I could release half of my patients if I could find a way to relieve them of their sense of guilt.”

Almost all people have a sense of guilt. Some may try to mask it with alcohol or drugs. Some try to work through it with mental health professionals. But the reality is that people must deal with their guilt over the things they’ve done wrong.

There are three things we need to understand about guilt. First, we are all guilty. The apostle Paul wrote, “As the Scriptures say, ‘No one is righteous—not even one.’ . . . For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:10, 23 NLT).

Adam and Eve recognized their guilt in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:7 says, “At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves” (NLT).

Recognizing our guilt—the fact that we have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard—is what compels us to confess our sin, ask for forgiveness, and receive Christ as Savior and Lord. 

Second, for those who receive Christ as Savior and Lord, guilt becomes part of the work of the Holy Spirit. He dwells inside all believers and stirs our conscience from within when there are things we need to confess that get in the way of our relationship with God. That’s what Paul was talking about when he wrote, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT).

And that leads us to the third thing about guilt that we need to understand. Satan uses false guilt to neutralize believers and keep us from growing in our faith. That’s why Paul warned, “But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT).

If we allow false guilt to get a foothold in our life, we are, in essence, doubting Jesus’ ability to wipe away our sin. We are also dimming Christ’s light in our lives—the light that should be shining before others (see Matthew 5:16). If unbelievers see a believer who struggles with guilt, they will likely (and understandably) question Jesus’ ability to change lives.

The words of 1 John 1:9 are definitive: “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (NLT). So, if we’ve been forgiven and cleansed, we must stay alert to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. We must allow our constructive guilt to accomplish its purposes and confess our sins as needed. And then we must embrace and celebrate our righteous standing before God so that others will be drawn to what we have.

 

Reflection question: What role does guilt play in your daily 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;For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There&rsquo;s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT)
&nbsp;
Another of life&rsquo;s difficult headwinds is guilt. The head of a mental institution in London once said, &ldquo;I could release half of my patients if I could find a way to relieve them of their sense of guilt.&rdquo;
Almost all people have a sense of guilt. Some may try to mask it with alcohol or drugs. Some try to work through it with mental health professionals. But the reality is that people must deal with their guilt over the things they&rsquo;ve done wrong.
There are three things we need to understand about guilt. First, we are all guilty. The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;As the Scriptures say, &lsquo;No one is righteous&mdash;not even one.&rsquo; . . . For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God&rsquo;s glorious standard&rdquo; (Romans 3:10, 23 NLT).
Adam and Eve recognized their guilt in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:7 says, &ldquo;At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves&rdquo; (NLT).
Recognizing our guilt&mdash;the fact that we have sinned and fallen short of God&rsquo;s standard&mdash;is what compels us to confess our sin, ask for forgiveness, and receive Christ as Savior and Lord.&nbsp;
Second, for those who receive Christ as Savior and Lord, guilt becomes part of the work of the Holy Spirit. He dwells inside all believers and stirs our conscience from within when there are things we need to confess that get in the way of our relationship with God. That&rsquo;s what Paul was talking about when he wrote, &ldquo;For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There&rsquo;s no regret for that kind of sorrow&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT).
And that leads us to the third thing about guilt that we need to understand. Satan uses false guilt to neutralize believers and keep us from growing in our faith. That&rsquo;s why Paul warned, &ldquo;But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT).
If we allow false guilt to get a foothold in our life, we are, in essence, doubting Jesus&rsquo; ability to wipe away our sin. We are also dimming Christ&rsquo;s light in our lives&mdash;the light that should be shining before others (see Matthew 5:16). If unbelievers see a believer who struggles with guilt, they will likely (and understandably) question Jesus&rsquo; ability to change lives.
The words of 1 John 1:9 are definitive: &ldquo;But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness&rdquo; (NLT). So, if we&rsquo;ve been forgiven and cleansed, we must stay alert to the Holy Spirit&rsquo;s promptings. We must allow our constructive guilt to accomplish its purposes and confess our sins as needed. And then we must embrace and celebrate our righteous standing before God so that others will be drawn to what we have.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What role does guilt play in your daily 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>

Guilt should compel us to confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness; beyond that, it becomes a destructive force.

The Burden of Guilt | 2 Corinthians 7:10

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4 NLT)

 

One of the most unpredictable headwinds we face in this life is grief. Grief can be expected in the aftermath of a loss. But it isn’t confined to a specific period of mourning. There’s no way to anticipate how long it will last or when it will come roaring back without warning.

Though we may not fully understand grief, we have a Savior who does. Isaiah 53:3–4 says, “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!” (NLT).

Not only did He carry our sin, but He also carried our sorrows. He was acquainted with our grief. He has a deep and abiding concern for our emotional well-being. The psalmist wrote, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8 NLT).

On a tour of Israel several years ago, I was exploring the old city of Jerusalem with my sons, Christopher and Jonathan. At one point in our ramblings, we stopped at an antiquities store, and I noticed a number of little bottles in various sizes and shapes. I asked the shopkeeper, “Sir, what are these bottles for?”

“Oh,” he said, “those are Roman tear bottles.”

“What were they used for?” I asked.

“Well,” he replied, “the Romans believed that when a loved one dies, you need to keep your tears in a bottle. So, they would store their tears in these little containers.”

I have a tear bottle now. But it isn’t on earth; it’s in Heaven. And I’m not the one who has to collect my tears because God said He would do that.

Why does God keep our tears in a bottle? Because He sees and cares about every one of them. He takes note of our every tear. He hears our every sigh.

Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (NLT). We can look forward to that day, knowing that grief will have no place in our eternal life with God.

In the meantime, we can take our feelings of sorrow and loss to the One who designed us, who understands us, and who knows how to comfort and heal us. Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” (NLT).

But it doesn’t stop there. The apostle Paul wrote, “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 1:4 NLT).

No one is better equipped to help someone through their grief journey than someone who has traveled the road themselves.

 

Reflection question: What has been your experience with grief? 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 will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.&rdquo; (Revelation 21:4 NLT)
&nbsp;
One of the most unpredictable headwinds we face in this life is grief. Grief can be expected in the aftermath of a loss. But it isn&rsquo;t confined to a specific period of mourning. There&rsquo;s no way to anticipate how long it will last or when it will come roaring back without warning.
Though we may not fully understand grief, we have a Savior who does. Isaiah 53:3&ndash;4 says, &ldquo;He was despised and rejected&mdash;a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!&rdquo; (NLT).
Not only did He carry our sin, but He also carried our sorrows. He was acquainted with our grief. He has a deep and abiding concern for our emotional well-being. The psalmist wrote, &ldquo;You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book&rdquo; (Psalm 56:8 NLT).
On a tour of Israel several years ago, I was exploring the old city of Jerusalem with my sons, Christopher and Jonathan. At one point in our ramblings, we stopped at an antiquities store, and I noticed a number of little bottles in various sizes and shapes. I asked the shopkeeper, &ldquo;Sir, what are these bottles for?&rdquo;
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;those are Roman tear bottles.&rdquo;
&ldquo;What were they used for?&rdquo; I asked.
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;the Romans believed that when a loved one dies, you need to keep your tears in a bottle. So, they would store their tears in these little containers.&rdquo;
I have a tear bottle now. But it isn&rsquo;t on earth; it&rsquo;s in Heaven. And I&rsquo;m not the one who has to collect my tears because God said He would do that.
Why does God keep our tears in a bottle? Because He sees and cares about every one of them. He takes note of our every tear. He hears our every sigh.
Revelation 21:4 says, &ldquo;He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever&rdquo; (NLT). We can look forward to that day, knowing that grief will have no place in our eternal life with God.
In the meantime, we can take our feelings of sorrow and loss to the One who designed us, who understands us, and who knows how to comfort and heal us. Psalm 147:3 says, &ldquo;He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds&rdquo; (NLT).
But it doesn&rsquo;t stop there. The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;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 1:4 NLT).
No one is better equipped to help someone through their grief journey than someone who has traveled the road themselves.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What has been your experience with grief?&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 comforts us in our grief so that we can comfort others.

The Value of a Gift | Matthew 26:13

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