"Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help." Psalm 86:1

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"Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help." Psalm 86:1
—
<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. 

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 <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.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Daily Devotions From Greg Laurie

PSALM 86:1: Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help.

When Heaven Is Silent | Psalm 86:1

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 NLT)

John wastes no time in establishing Jesus’ identity. The apostle begins his Gospel with the same wording Moses used in Genesis 1:1 to show that God existed before creation. John’s point is that Jesus, too, existed before the world was created. Not only was He with God at the beginning, but He also was God. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity—that is, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gave life and light to creation. And when the people who received life turned their backs on Him to pursue their own sinful ways, Jesus did something so amazing that John can barely find the words to do it justice.

Jesus, God Himself, entered the world He created. He squeezed His infinite presence into a small container of flesh. He made Himself susceptible to pain, weakness, sorrow, and rejection. He lived among us. He humbly, faithfully, and lovingly served the people He created.

John refers to Him as the Word because He embodied everything that God the Father wanted to communicate to us. Everything Jesus said and did reveals something about God.

Very few people recognized Him as God, even though the Jewish people of His day were waiting for the Messiah, the Son of God. The problem was that they’d already made up their minds about what the Messiah would be like and what He would do. And Jesus didn’t meet their expectations. So they rejected Him. And the ones who led the rejection were the ones who should have recognized Him first: the Jewish leaders of Israel.

Of course, God anticipated that people wouldn’t recognize His Son. So He sent John the Baptist to announce His coming. And He gave John the Baptist a sign so that he would recognize Jesus. When John the Baptist saw a dove descend on Him, he knew Jesus was the Chosen One. That’s why he was able to confidently point to Jesus and announce, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (verse 29)

Still, most people—including the Jewish religious leaders—refused to recognize the truth. The leaders even sent a delegation to John the Baptist to ask if he was the Messiah. All the while, John the Baptist kept pointing to Jesus.

While he was standing with two of his own disciples, John the Baptist saw Jesus and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples immediately left John the Baptist to follow Jesus.

Two thousand years later, this same scenario is still being played out. People still refuse to recognize the truth about Jesus because He doesn’t fit their idea of what the Son of God should be. And those of us who do recognize and follow Him still have the opportunity and responsibility to say, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.&rdquo; (John 1:1 NLT)
John wastes no time in establishing Jesus&rsquo; identity. The apostle begins his Gospel with the same wording Moses used in Genesis 1:1 to show that God existed before creation. John&rsquo;s point is that Jesus, too, existed before the world was created. Not only was He with God at the beginning, but He also was God. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity&mdash;that is, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gave life and light to creation. And when the people who received life turned their backs on Him to pursue their own sinful ways, Jesus did something so amazing that John can barely find the words to do it justice.
Jesus, God Himself, entered the world He created. He squeezed His infinite presence into a small container of flesh. He made Himself susceptible to pain, weakness, sorrow, and rejection. He lived among us. He humbly, faithfully, and lovingly served the people He created.
John refers to Him as the Word because He embodied everything that God the Father wanted to communicate to us. Everything Jesus said and did reveals something about God.
Very few people recognized Him as God, even though the Jewish people of His day were waiting for the Messiah, the Son of God. The problem was that they&rsquo;d already made up their minds about what the Messiah would be like and what He would do. And Jesus didn&rsquo;t meet their expectations. So they rejected Him. And the ones who led the rejection were the ones who should have recognized Him first: the Jewish leaders of Israel.
Of course, God anticipated that people wouldn&rsquo;t recognize His Son. So He sent John the Baptist to announce His coming. And He gave John the Baptist a sign so that he would recognize Jesus. When John the Baptist saw a dove descend on Him, he knew Jesus was the Chosen One. That&rsquo;s why he was able to confidently point to Jesus and announce, &ldquo;Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!&rdquo; (verse 29)
Still, most people&mdash;including the Jewish religious leaders&mdash;refused to recognize the truth. The leaders even sent a delegation to John the Baptist to ask if he was the Messiah. All the while, John the Baptist kept pointing to Jesus.
While he was standing with two of his own disciples, John the Baptist saw Jesus and said, &ldquo;Look! There is the Lamb of God!&rdquo; The two disciples immediately left John the Baptist to follow Jesus.
Two thousand years later, this same scenario is still being played out. People still refuse to recognize the truth about Jesus because He doesn&rsquo;t fit their idea of what the Son of God should be. And those of us who do recognize and follow Him still have the opportunity and responsibility to say, &ldquo;Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!&rdquo;
&mdash;
<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>

Jesus came to this world, but the world didn’t recognize Him.

The Word Became Flesh | John 1:1

“Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25 NLT)

Happy New Year! We’re going to begin 2025 with a monthlong journey through the Gospel of John.

This Gospel was written by one of Jesus’ closest friends. In fact, John refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Like the other 11 disciples, John was a regular guy. He wasn’t a religious scholar. He wasn’t part of the Jewish elite in Israel. He was a fisherman, a blue-collar man.

He was also a brash, ambitious hothead. He once rebuked a man for casting out demons in Jesus’ name because the man didn’t belong to John’s group of disciples (see Mark 9:38). He asked Jesus for a place of honor in His kingdom (see Mark 10:37). And when a Samaritan village refused to show hospitality to Jesus and the disciples, John asked Jesus if they could call down fire from Heaven to destroy the entire population (see Luke 9:54). It’s no wonder Jesus nicknamed John and his brother James the “sons of thunder.”

Yet John was Jesus’ choice to be His disciple. That meant he had a front-row seat to three years that changed the world. He listened to Jesus’ teachings. He witnessed His miracles. He saw Jesus interact with devoted followers, scheming enemies, and everyone in between.

John saw what very few others were privileged to see: Jesus, up close and personal, day in and day out. And based on everything he saw, John believed. He believed Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

And he wrote his Gospel so that we might see and believe too.

After Jesus ascended to Heaven, John continued His ministry. He preached the Good News. He helped found the church in Jerusalem and ministered to its members. He faced threats, persecution, and imprisonment because of his faith. But he refused to be silenced.

According to church tradition, John was the only disciple who wasn’t martyred. And when he wrote his Gospel, he was “the last man standing”—the only one of Jesus’ inner circle left to tell the story. He likely wrote it sometime around AD 90, some 60 years after the events occurred. But they were still fresh in his memory.

John lived long enough to witness the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship (not to be confused with the church in Jerusalem). The destruction had a profound effect on Jewish people throughout the Roman Empire. With their place of worship gone, they had to make other arrangements for their sacrifices and festivals.

In his Gospel, John presents Jesus as the answer to their spiritual vacuum. He shows how Jesus fulfilled everything the Jewish sacrifices and festivals were intended to accomplish.

John minced no words in writing about the need to believe in Jesus. John 3:16 may be the best-known verse in the entire Bible. It’s also the core of Christian outreach: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (NLT)

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.&rdquo; (John 21:25 NLT)
Happy New Year! We&rsquo;re going to begin 2025 with a monthlong journey through the Gospel of John.
This Gospel was written by one of Jesus&rsquo; closest friends. In fact, John refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Like the other 11 disciples, John was a regular guy. He wasn&rsquo;t a religious scholar. He wasn&rsquo;t part of the Jewish elite in Israel. He was a fisherman, a blue-collar man.
He was also a brash, ambitious hothead. He once rebuked a man for casting out demons in Jesus&rsquo; name because the man didn&rsquo;t belong to John&rsquo;s group of disciples (see Mark 9:38). He asked Jesus for a place of honor in His kingdom (see Mark 10:37). And when a Samaritan village refused to show hospitality to Jesus and the disciples, John asked Jesus if they could call down fire from Heaven to destroy the entire population (see Luke 9:54). It&rsquo;s no wonder Jesus nicknamed John and his brother James the &ldquo;sons of thunder.&rdquo;
Yet John was Jesus&rsquo; choice to be His disciple. That meant he had a front-row seat to three years that changed the world. He listened to Jesus&rsquo; teachings. He witnessed His miracles. He saw Jesus interact with devoted followers, scheming enemies, and everyone in between.
John saw what very few others were privileged to see: Jesus, up close and personal, day in and day out. And based on everything he saw, John believed. He believed Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
And he wrote his Gospel so that we might see and believe too.
After Jesus ascended to Heaven, John continued His ministry. He preached the Good News. He helped found the church in Jerusalem and ministered to its members. He faced threats, persecution, and imprisonment because of his faith. But he refused to be silenced.
According to church tradition, John was the only disciple who wasn&rsquo;t martyred. And when he wrote his Gospel, he was &ldquo;the last man standing&rdquo;&mdash;the only one of Jesus&rsquo; inner circle left to tell the story. He likely wrote it sometime around AD 90, some 60 years after the events occurred. But they were still fresh in his memory.
John lived long enough to witness the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship (not to be confused with the church in Jerusalem). The destruction had a profound effect on Jewish people throughout the Roman Empire. With their place of worship gone, they had to make other arrangements for their sacrifices and festivals.
In his Gospel, John presents Jesus as the answer to their spiritual vacuum. He shows how Jesus fulfilled everything the Jewish sacrifices and festivals were intended to accomplish.
John minced no words in writing about the need to believe in Jesus. John 3:16 may be the best-known verse in the entire Bible. It&rsquo;s also the core of Christian outreach: &ldquo;For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.&rdquo; (NLT)
&mdash;
<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>

John wrote his Gospel to help us see and believe in Jesus.

Seeing Is Believing | John 21:25

Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. (Philippians 2:16 NLT)

Of all of the people who went into the various portions of the Promised Land that God had allotted to the Israelites, Caleb was the only one who successfully drove out all his enemies. And he did it at the age of eighty-five. Caleb had a strength that never waned because he had a love for God that never waned.

Caleb went to Joshua and said, “So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said” (Joshua 14:12 NLT).

He had asked for one of the most treacherous areas in the land, Hebron, which was known for its rugged terrain and fierce opponents.

Yet the Bible goes on to say, “So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land. Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God of Israel” (verses 13–14 NLT).

Maybe there is another reason Caleb wanted Hebron. The very word Hebron means “love, fellowship, communion.” This was the place where Abraham met with God face to face. That is what Caleb longed for. While others longed for Egypt, Caleb longed for Hebron. While others looked back, Caleb looked forward. And while others wanted to please themselves, Caleb wanted to please God.

That is a key to finishing well. You’re always moving forward spiritually, seeking to grow spiritually, and never looking back. Anyone who is running a race knows that you can’t look back. It’s hard to run while you’re looking over your shoulder. You’ll tend to stumble over your own feet.

If you want to finish well, then you have to keep looking forward. Don’t look over your shoulder, and don’t look behind you. Keep moving forward.

Every day we should be seeking to grow stronger spiritually and grow more and more like Jesus.

Corrie ten Boom was a great woman of God who went through incredible suffering in a Nazi extermination camp for hiding Jews in her home. She said, "If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest."

That is the key. Keep looking forward. As Hebrews 12:1–2 encourages us, “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (NLT).

Jesus Christ Himself is watching us. He is the one who will give us the strength to finish this race. People will let you down, and circumstances will disappoint you. Keep looking to Jesus. He is the one you need to finish the race for.

Keep going. Run the race of life. Don’t give up. Don’t slow down. We need to keep our focus and remember what our objective is. Let’s finish well.

Invest in evangelism in 2025!

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ&rsquo;s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. (Philippians 2:16 NLT)
Of all of the people who went into the various portions of the Promised Land that God had allotted to the Israelites, Caleb was the only one who successfully drove out all his enemies. And he did it at the age of eighty-five. Caleb had a strength that never waned because he had a love for God that never waned.
Caleb went to Joshua and said, &ldquo;So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said&rdquo; (Joshua 14:12 NLT).
He had asked for one of the most treacherous areas in the land, Hebron, which was known for its rugged terrain and fierce opponents.
Yet the Bible goes on to say, &ldquo;So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land. Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God of Israel&rdquo; (verses 13&ndash;14 NLT).
Maybe there is another reason Caleb wanted Hebron. The very word Hebron means &ldquo;love, fellowship, communion.&rdquo; This was the place where Abraham met with God face to face. That is what Caleb longed for. While others longed for Egypt, Caleb longed for Hebron. While others looked back, Caleb looked forward. And while others wanted to please themselves, Caleb wanted to please God.
That is a key to finishing well. You&rsquo;re always moving forward spiritually, seeking to grow spiritually, and never looking back. Anyone who is running a race knows that you can&rsquo;t look back. It&rsquo;s hard to run while you&rsquo;re looking over your shoulder. You&rsquo;ll tend to stumble over your own feet.
If you want to finish well, then you have to keep looking forward. Don&rsquo;t look over your shoulder, and don&rsquo;t look behind you. Keep moving forward.
Every day we should be seeking to grow stronger spiritually and grow more and more like Jesus.
Corrie ten Boom was a great woman of God who went through incredible suffering in a Nazi extermination camp for hiding Jews in her home. She said, "If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest."
That is the key. Keep looking forward. As Hebrews 12:1&ndash;2 encourages us, &ldquo;And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith&rdquo; (NLT).
Jesus Christ Himself is watching us. He is the one who will give us the strength to finish this race. People will let you down, and circumstances will disappoint you. Keep looking to Jesus. He is the one you need to finish the race for.
Keep going. Run the race of life. Don&rsquo;t give up. Don&rsquo;t slow down. We need to keep our focus and remember what our objective is. Let&rsquo;s finish well.
<a href="https://harvest.org/donate/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=YearEnd2024">Invest in evangelism in 2025!</a>
&mdash;
<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>

When Heaven Is Silent | Psalm 86:1

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