But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. 

—Isaiah 40:31

Scripture:

Isaiah 40:31 

In today’s devotion, we’re going to talk about the hot-button issue of delayed gratification—that is, the value of waiting. Waiting has become a lost art in our modern culture.

For example, there was a time when, if you wanted to access a movie, you went to a video store and rented something called a videotape. That videotape came with a reminder to “be kind and rewind.” Then DVD technology arrived, so you didn’t have to rewind anymore. Then Netflix came along, and your rental DVDs were delivered by mail. Now you can just stream the movies you want to watch.

We don’t have to wait for much of anything today. We just click it and stream it. Everything comes fast. The idea of waiting is an alien concept in a culture accustomed to immediate gratification. And something is getting lost along the way. The Bible tells us, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 NLT).

After Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, four months passed. He waited before he posed his question to the king: “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried” (Nehemiah 2:5 NLT).

Nehemiah spent more time praying than he did building. Sometimes the Lord will give you an idea. But timing is everything. You must wait for the right moment to go to the next place. Most of us don’t like to wait, however. We like everything now.

Some of the best-known people in the Bible understood—or learned—the value of waiting. Abraham waited decades for God to fulfill His promise to give him a son.

Joseph waited for years in an Egyptian prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

David waited years after being anointed king of Israel to assume the throne.

These people realized what we need to realize: Waiting involves much more than pressing “pause” on life. Good things happen to those who wait patiently and faithfully for God to work. They grow closer to God by staying in constant contact with Him, pouring out their feelings and listening to His voice. They grow to understand the Lord and His ways more clearly. They mature. They inspire others along the way. And eventually, they make a difference.

Sure, there will be struggles along the way. Impatience is part of the human experience. But know this: Waiting time is never wasted time. We need a plan, and then we need to pray that God will help us with that plan—if it is the plan He has given to us. There is a time to pray, and there is a time to move. Know the season you’re in and embrace it with everything you have.

Reflection question: In what area of your life do you feel as though you’re waiting on God? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Peter swore, ‘A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!’ And immediately the rooster crowed. 

—Matthew 26:74

Scripture:

Matthew 26:74 

Spiritually speaking, it’s hard to beat the apostle Peter’s résumé. He was part of Jesus’ inner circle. He witnessed the Transfiguration. He walked on water with Jesus. He rushed into Jesus’ empty tomb. He heard these words from the Lord Himself: “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT). According to church tradition, Peter was crucified upside down because he didn’t believe he was worthy to be executed as Jesus was.

Yet Peter is also remembered for his lowest moment, for failing Jesus on an epic level. After Peter boldly promised that he would remain faithful to Jesus, he denied even knowing the Lord—not once, not twice, but three times. Just as Jesus had said he would. Peter’s humbling experience reveals the danger of compromising our standards as believers, which is the hot-button issue we’re going to talk about today.

Peter’s denial of Jesus did not happen over a period of seconds or minutes, but over at least an hour (see Luke 22:59). An hour had passed from the time the first person said, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean” (Matthew 26:69 NLT), to the time Peter made his third denial. He had ample opportunity to hightail it out of there, but he remained in the situation.

He sealed his failure in Matthew 26:74: “Peter swore, ‘A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!’ And immediately the rooster crowed” (NLT).

This heartbreaking story reminds us that no person is safe from temptation except the one who flees from it. Peter, having been warned by Jesus Himself, should have avoided any place where he might have been weakened. He certainly should have steered clear of all roosters. I would have said, “Are there any roosters here? Because I’m leaving if there are. The Lord mentioned a rooster.”

Peter was hardly alone in his failure. Countless great men and women of God have been compromised by lowering their standards and allowing themselves to be drawn into sin. People like Solomon, Samson, and David all found out the hard way. Are we better than they were? Are we more spiritual than they were? I don’t think so.

So, if someone like Peter could fall, then surely we can. 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Bad company corrupts good character” (NLT). Peter was around people who were dragging him down spiritually. Are you in a similar situation today? Have you entered into relationships in which people are dragging you down? Maybe it’s a romance. Maybe it’s a close friendship. Are you finding yourself compromising your principles to fit in and not offend anyone? Perhaps you need to reconsider who your friends are. Perhaps you need to make some immediate changes.

Is bad company corrupting you?

Reflection question: What changes do you need to make in your life to keep from being corrupted by bad company? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 

—Romans 1:8

Scripture:

Romans 1:8 

In this week’s devotions, we’re going to talk about more hot-button issues. Today, we’re going to focus on the responsibility believers have to be known for their faith. It’s a hot-button issue today due in large part to social media. Online opponents of the Christian faith have become especially vocal and confrontational in their opposition.

Of course, opposition is nothing new for followers of Christ. Contending for the Christian faith has been a hot-button issue for more than two thousand years.

It was certainly an issue for the earliest followers of Christ. After all, it wasn’t easy being a Christian in Rome. As the capital of the Roman Empire, the city had a population of around one million.

Yet the church in Rome was already becoming known for its faith. The apostle Paul told the believers in Rome, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world” (Romans 1:8 NLT).

Years later, during the reign of Caesar, Christians in Rome faced historic persecution. Nero sent Christians covered in animal skins into the arena to be torn apart by dogs. He had other Christians covered with pitch and lit them on fire, using them to light his garden as he rode around in his chariot.

Despite such horrific opposition and oppression, the church in Rome not only survived but flourished. And not only did it flourish, but it also impacted the Roman Empire. In fact, it impacted the entire world. It did so because it pushed back. It didn’t yield to critics, haters, or even persecutors. The gospel message was too powerful to be restrained. Christ’s followers endured whatever was necessary to spread the Good News.

Do people know you for your faith? If someone polled your coworkers and neighbors, the people who know you only as an acquaintance, and asked them if you were a Christian, would they say yes? Would there be no question about it?

It’s a good reputation to have. If someone arrested you for being a Christian, would they find enough evidence to convict you? If you want to be a believer like those of the first century, then others should know you for your faith.

Jesus did not say, “Go into all the world and be a good example.” Rather, He said, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15 NLT). Walking with Christ isn’t always a passive, personal experience.

Being a good example alone will not bring people to Christ. But it can open the door for you to share your faith and share the gospel with others.

Reflection question: Where in your life can you be a good example to others by sharing your faith? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie