"'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

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)

 

The Bible doesn’t tell us how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden before temptation reared its head. The devil certainly had heard God’s warning to Adam: “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die” (Genesis 2:16–17 NLT). In narrative of Genesis, the tempter appears almost immediately with his wily pitch.

His immediate appearance reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. As the farmer scatters seed, some of it falls on the footpath. Birds quickly swoop in and devour it before it has a chance to grow.

If you’ve ever dropped a French fry outside a McDonald’s in a heavily birded area, you can probably picture the scene. Birds suddenly seem to appear out of nowhere. If you live near a beach, you know there are seagulls that will swoop in and fly off with your lunch, your small dog, or your children.

Jesus said, “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts” (Matthew 13:19 NLT). This is one of the many reasons we need to pray for people who have just come to Christ. The devil will be at their door with temptation, doubt, and an onslaught of other things.

Remember that wherever God is blessing, the devil will be opposing—immediately. He isn’t going to wait a year. He isn’t going to wait a month. He may not even wait an hour.

You can be walking out of church when temptation suddenly strikes. You think, “What’s going on? Why here? Why now?” The fact is that Satan wants to undermine what just happened in your life. He opposes immediately. He always will.

The apostle Peter wrote, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).

The devil knows all too well the power of God’s Word. According to Matthew 4:1–11, after Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him to the wilderness, where He fasted for forty days. The devil appeared to Him there in His weakened state. Three times the devil tempted Jesus to deviate from God’s plan. Three times Jesus responded by quoting Scripture. Finally, Jesus commanded the devil to leave, and the devil went away.

The devil knows what will happen if the seeds of Scripture start to take root in a believer’s life. He knows that a heart in which the words of the Bible are hidden is hard to access. He knows that a life guided by the Word of God is hard to disrupt.

 

Reflection question: How can you keep the devil from snatching away a nugget of wisdom from God’s Word 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;Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.&rdquo; (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)
&nbsp;
The Bible doesn&rsquo;t tell us how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden before temptation reared its head. The devil certainly had heard God&rsquo;s warning to Adam: &ldquo;You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden&mdash;except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die&rdquo; (Genesis 2:16&ndash;17 NLT). In narrative of Genesis, the tempter appears almost immediately with his wily pitch.
His immediate appearance reminds me of Jesus&rsquo; parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. As the farmer scatters seed, some of it falls on the footpath. Birds quickly swoop in and devour it before it has a chance to grow.
If you&rsquo;ve ever dropped a French fry outside a McDonald&rsquo;s in a heavily birded area, you can probably picture the scene. Birds suddenly seem to appear out of nowhere. If you live near a beach, you know there are seagulls that will swoop in and fly off with your lunch, your small dog, or your children.
Jesus said, &ldquo;The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don&rsquo;t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts&rdquo; (Matthew 13:19 NLT). This is one of the many reasons we need to pray for people who have just come to Christ. The devil will be at their door with temptation, doubt, and an onslaught of other things.
Remember that wherever God is blessing, the devil will be opposing&mdash;immediately. He isn&rsquo;t going to wait a year. He isn&rsquo;t going to wait a month. He may not even wait an hour.
You can be walking out of church when temptation suddenly strikes. You think, &ldquo;What&rsquo;s going on? Why here? Why now?&rdquo; The fact is that Satan wants to undermine what just happened in your life. He opposes immediately. He always will.
The apostle Peter wrote, &ldquo;Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour&rdquo; (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).
The devil knows all too well the power of God&rsquo;s Word. According to Matthew 4:1&ndash;11, after Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him to the wilderness, where He fasted for forty days. The devil appeared to Him there in His weakened state. Three times the devil tempted Jesus to deviate from God&rsquo;s plan. Three times Jesus responded by quoting Scripture. Finally, Jesus commanded the devil to leave, and the devil went away.
The devil knows what will happen if the seeds of Scripture start to take root in a believer&rsquo;s life. He knows that a heart in which the words of the Bible are hidden is hard to access. He knows that a life guided by the Word of God is hard to disrupt.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you keep the devil from snatching away a nugget of wisdom from God&rsquo;s Word 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>

The devil wants to keep God’s Word from taking root in your life.

Relentless Opposition | 1 Peter 5:8 

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)

 

One of the most jaw-dropping passages in all of Scripture is found in Hebrews 4:16: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (NLT).

If you’ve spent any time in the book of Revelation, you know that God’s throne is a place of holiness and magnificence. The idea of being able to approach it boldly is hard for a lot of less-than-perfect people to wrap their heads around.

Our enemy, the devil, is aware of that. He uses our struggles with “imposter syndrome” to his advantage. He tries to put distance between us and our heavenly Father by making us feel unworthy to approach Him. He wants to rob us of the boldness that the author of Hebrews talked about. Those who already struggle with feelings of unworthiness are easy marks for him.

So, how do we overcome the devil and his tactics? In the book of Revelation, we are introduced to a group of believers who are able to do just that: “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die” (Revelation 12:11 NLT).

They have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb. The next time the devil tempts you to think that you’re not worthy to approach God, here’s what I advise: Agree with him wholeheartedly. Say, “You’re right. I’m not worthy to approach God. I never was worthy to approach God. I never will be worthy to approach God. My access to God’s presence is not based on my worthiness; it is based on what Christ did for me on the cross. He is worthy—and because of Him I am accepted and can come boldly to God.”

Sometimes we get into the mentality as Christians that if we are doing well spiritually, then we can approach God in prayer. If, say, we get up in the morning, read four chapters from the Bible, give thanks for our meals, and share our faith with someone, then we think we can approach God. But if the next day we sleep in and don’t read the Bible, if we forget to say grace over our meals and don’t share our faith, then we think we’re not worthy to approach Him.

But that’s not the case. Those things are certainly important. But your access to God is based on Christ, not on your spiritual performance. If you’ve done well, then great. Approach God. But if you’ve sinned, then approach God and say, “Lord, I have sinned. This is why I need the blood of the Lamb.”

The devil will always try to keep you away from the cross. But the Holy Spirit will always bring you to it.

 

Reflection question: What might make you feel unworthy to approach God? 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;So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.&rdquo; (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
&nbsp;
One of the most jaw-dropping passages in all of Scripture is found in Hebrews 4:16: &ldquo;So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most&rdquo; (NLT).
If you&rsquo;ve spent any time in the book of Revelation, you know that God&rsquo;s throne is a place of holiness and magnificence. The idea of being able to approach it boldly is hard for a lot of less-than-perfect people to wrap their heads around.
Our enemy, the devil, is aware of that. He uses our struggles with &ldquo;imposter syndrome&rdquo; to his advantage. He tries to put distance between us and our heavenly Father by making us feel unworthy to approach Him. He wants to rob us of the boldness that the author of Hebrews talked about. Those who already struggle with feelings of unworthiness are easy marks for him.
So, how do we overcome the devil and his tactics? In the book of Revelation, we are introduced to a group of believers who are able to do just that: &ldquo;And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die&rdquo; (Revelation 12:11 NLT).
They have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb. The next time the devil tempts you to think that you&rsquo;re not worthy to approach God, here&rsquo;s what I advise: Agree with him wholeheartedly. Say, &ldquo;You&rsquo;re right. I&rsquo;m not worthy to approach God. I never was worthy to approach God. I never will be worthy to approach God. My access to God&rsquo;s presence is not based on my worthiness; it is based on what Christ did for me on the cross. He is worthy&mdash;and because of Him I am accepted and can come boldly to God.&rdquo;
Sometimes we get into the mentality as Christians that if we are doing well spiritually, then we can approach God in prayer. If, say, we get up in the morning, read four chapters from the Bible, give thanks for our meals, and share our faith with someone, then we think we can approach God. But if the next day we sleep in and don&rsquo;t read the Bible, if we forget to say grace over our meals and don&rsquo;t share our faith, then we think we&rsquo;re not worthy to approach Him.
But that&rsquo;s not the case. Those things are certainly important. But your access to God is based on Christ, not on your spiritual performance. If you&rsquo;ve done well, then great. Approach God. But if you&rsquo;ve sinned, then approach God and say, &ldquo;Lord, I have sinned. This is why I need the blood of the Lamb.&rdquo;
The devil will always try to keep you away from the cross. But the Holy Spirit will always bring you to it.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What might make you feel unworthy to approach God?&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 can approach God boldly not because of what we’ve done, but because of what Christ did.

Worthy | Hebrews 4:16

“Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, ‘It has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night.’” (Revelation 12:10 NLT)

 

Victor Hugo, the author of Les Misérables,observed, “A good general must penetrate the brain of his enemy.”

Understanding how an enemy thinks is the first step in defeating him. As believers, we face a formidable enemy in the devil. Yet, thanks to God’s Word, we have a pretty good sense of how the devil thinks and works. The apostle Paul urged believers in Corinth to forgive “so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11 NLT).

One of the devil’s favorite evil schemes is to accuse believers. And he is relentless in this pursuit. Revelation 12:10 says, “Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, ‘It has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night’” (NLT).

Here’s how he works. First, he comes at you with a temptation, usually one that’s carefully crafted to hit you where you’re most vulnerable. Suddenly, an ungodly, objectionable, dishonorable image or idea appears in your brain and tries to make a lasting impression. The effect can be jarring. You think, “Whoa, where did that come from?”as you try to scrub it from your consciousness.

But the devil is quick to pounce. He goes into full prosecutor mode, preying on your conscience and self-image. He might say something like, “You are so twisted! What’s your problem? Why would you think such a horrible thought? And you call yourself a Christian! What kind of representative of Christ are you?”

Left unchecked, his accusations can cause spiritual damage. But his accusations don’t go unchecked. Jesus serves as your defense attorney. He intercedes on your behalf. Jesus once said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat” (Luke 22:31 NLT). But then He went on to say, “But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail” (verse 32 NLT). Jesus counters the devil’s accusations with prayerful intercession.

That’s what Paul was talking about when he wrote, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (Romans 8:34 NLT). The devil’s accusations are no match for Jesus’ defense.

Don’t believe the lies of your enemy. See yourself as God sees you: forgiven and righteous because of the sacrifice of His Son.

 

Reflection question: When are you most vulnerable to believing the devil’s accusations against you? 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 I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, &lsquo;It has come at last&mdash;salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth&mdash;the one who accuses them before our God day and night.&rsquo;&rdquo; (Revelation 12:10 NLT)
&nbsp;
Victor Hugo, the author of Les Mis&eacute;rables, observed, &ldquo;A good general must penetrate the brain of his enemy.&rdquo;
Understanding how an enemy thinks is the first step in defeating him. As believers, we face a formidable enemy in the devil. Yet, thanks to God&rsquo;s Word, we have a pretty good sense of how the devil thinks and works. The apostle Paul urged believers in Corinth to forgive &ldquo;so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 2:11 NLT).
One of the devil&rsquo;s favorite evil schemes is to accuse believers. And he is relentless in this pursuit. Revelation 12:10 says, &ldquo;Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, &lsquo;It has come at last&mdash;salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth&mdash;the one who accuses them before our God day and night&rsquo;&rdquo; (NLT).
Here&rsquo;s how he works. First, he comes at you with a temptation, usually one that&rsquo;s carefully crafted to hit you where you&rsquo;re most vulnerable. Suddenly, an ungodly, objectionable, dishonorable image or idea appears in your brain and tries to make a lasting impression. The effect can be jarring. You think, &ldquo;Whoa, where did that come from?&rdquo; as you try to scrub it from your consciousness.
But the devil is quick to pounce. He goes into full prosecutor mode, preying on your conscience and self-image. He might say something like, &ldquo;You are so twisted! What&rsquo;s your problem? Why would you think such a horrible thought? And you call yourself a Christian! What kind of representative of Christ are you?&rdquo;
Left unchecked, his accusations can cause spiritual damage. But his accusations don&rsquo;t go unchecked. Jesus serves as your defense attorney. He intercedes on your behalf. Jesus once said to Peter, &ldquo;Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat&rdquo; (Luke 22:31 NLT). But then He went on to say, &ldquo;But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail&rdquo; (verse 32 NLT). Jesus counters the devil&rsquo;s accusations with prayerful intercession.
That&rsquo;s what Paul was talking about when he wrote, &ldquo;Who then will condemn us? No one&mdash;for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God&rsquo;s right hand, pleading for us&rdquo; (Romans 8:34 NLT). The devil&rsquo;s accusations are no match for Jesus&rsquo; defense.
Don&rsquo;t believe the lies of your enemy. See yourself as God sees you: forgiven and righteous because of the sacrifice of His Son.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: When are you most vulnerable to believing the devil&rsquo;s accusations against you?&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>

The devil accuses us, but the Lord intercedes for us.

The Value of a Gift | Matthew 26:13

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