At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. One day the girl said to her mistress, ‘I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy. 

—2 Kings 5:2–3

Scripture:

2 Kings 5:2-3 

Often the most profound and far-reaching spiritual opportunities are those that happen “behind the scenes.” What’s more, the person who appears to be the main figure in a given situation isn’t always the person God chooses to work through.

One example of this can be found in the book of Nehemiah. King Artaxerxes was obviously the most powerful man in the Persian Empire, ruling over Babylon and much of the Middle East. His word was law. Nehemiah, in contrast, served as the king’s cupbearer. Though his position was several steps down from the ruler of the kingdom, Nehemiah served a vital function—one that kept him always near Artaxerxes. A cupbearer’s job was to taste a drink before the king did to make sure it hadn’t been poisoned. If a drink was poisonous, then that was the end of the cupbearer’s job—and the end of his life for that matter. But the cupbearer did more than sip beverages. Because he spent so much time around the king, he often would become an advisor to the monarch, someone who exerted influence on him. Cupbearer was a very prestigious position in the palace. A cupbearer lived in affluence and influence.

But Nehemiah had another allegiance. He was, after all, an exiled Jew—one who felt passionately about his abandoned homeland. He knew that the walls of Jerusalem had been burned down and were lying in rubble—and that something needed to be done. So, he leveraged his position, at great risk to himself. He asked the king to allow him to return to Jerusalem with a group of fellow exiles to rebuild the walls. He could have lost his life by asking such a thing. But he saw a spiritual opportunity to work behind the scenes to accomplish something meaningful.

Another example can be found in 2 Kings 5. A young Jewish girl, whose name is never mentioned, said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy” (verse 3 NLT). Her master was Naaman, the commander of the Aramean army—one of the towering figures of his day. The young girl was a maid who served Naaman’s wife. She, too, saw a spiritual opportunity to work behind the scenes and seized it. Her subtle suggestion prompted Naaman to seek out the Israelite prophet Elisha. Naaman made the journey to Israel and was healed of his leprosy.

These stories serve as reminders that God can and does use anyone to accomplish His purposes. And though the names of the people He uses may be lost to history, they are never lost to Him. He will faithfully reward all who make themselves available to Him.

Reflection question: How can you make yourself available to God? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ The man replied, ‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’ And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. 

—Acts 8:30–31 NLT

Scripture:

Acts 8:30-31 

Philip, a leader in the early church, was given a remarkable opportunity to share the gospel. According to Acts 8, he was guided by the Holy Spirit to an Ethiopian official, who was sitting in a chariot, struggling to understand a passage from the book of Isaiah.

“Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ The man replied, ‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’ And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him” (Acts 8:30–31 NLT).

As you explore the passage further, you’ll find that when Philip shared the gospel with the Ethiopian dignitary, he demonstrated something that’s often lacking in evangelistic efforts, and that’s tact.

Many Christians, when they sense an opportunity to witness to an unbeliever, opt for an all-out blitz. They fire away with everything they have in their spiritual arsenal. They don’t make an effort to engage the people they speak with. They don’t try to establish a dialogue. They don’t bother with building an interpersonal bridge. They simply present their arguments, make their statements, and walk away from the encounter feeling impressed with themselves. Meanwhile, the people they’re talking to are silently wishing they would just stop talking and going away.

Later, the Christian thinks, “Boy, I really blew them out of the water when they said this and that. Wasn’t that great?” No, it wasn’t great. In fact, it was quite foolish, because our job as believers is not to win the argument; it’s to win the soul.

If we want to effectively share the gospel with people, then we need to engage them. What did the master evangelist Jesus do as He talked with the woman at the well in Samaria? He engaged her in conversation. He established some give-and-take. He spoke. He listened. She shared her heart with Him. He revealed the truth to her.

When we share the gospel with people, it must be as a dialogue—and not as a monologue. It’s not just a matter of talking; it’s also a matter of listening. Sharing the gospel involves offering appropriate passages from Scripture and genuine responses from a heart filled with love.

No one will ever be argued into the kingdom of God. No one will come away from an adversarial debate with a believer—after winning or losing—with a desire to “join the other side.” Ultimately, people are going to believe because the Holy Spirit convicted them of their sin. Our job is to simply bring them the essential gospel message in a way that’s compelling, thoughtful, and personal.

Reflection question: How do you use tact when you share the gospel with others? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both. 

—Ecclesiastes 11:6 NLT

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 11:6 

Here’s something amazing to think about. Saul, who would later become the apostle Paul, was doing the work of God’s kingdom before he was even in it. Remember, Saul was one of the early enemies of the Christian faith. He zealously persecuted believers, which led many to flee their homes and move to distant lands—taking the gospel with them.

Had Saul not been so relentless in his persecution of the church, I think the first-century Christians probably would have been content to stay in their little holy huddle in Jerusalem and never leave town. After all, their situation was almost ideal. God had blessed their evangelism efforts in the city, so there were believers all around. They had no need to leave Jerusalem. But because of Saul’s persecution, Christians were forced to spread out. They took the Good News of Jesus to places where it may not have gone otherwise, or at least not as quickly as it did.

Eventually, of course, Saul stopped persecuting believers and became a believer himself. And I think the person who might have had the greatest influence in bringing about his conversion was Stephen, the church’s first martyr. I believe it could have been Stephen’s bold testimony that threw fuel on Saul’s fire because Saul was under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Stephen didn’t have a long ministry. He never wrote a book of the New Testament. But if his only convert was Saul of Tarsus, then his ministry was profoundly successful.

The same goes for your Christian ministry. You may not reach millions with the gospel. You may not reach thousands. You may not reach hundreds. But you may be the person whom God uses to reach someone who will, in turn, change the world. Or it may be a child you raised in the way of the Lord who reaches someone else, who talks to someone else, and eventually shares the gospel with someone like Saul. So, here’s what you need to realize: It’s not over until it’s over.

Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, “Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both” (NLT). You don’t have to know what your spiritual work will yield. All you have to do is seize every opportunity that’s presented to you.

That’s the takeaway from the story of Saul and Stephen. As believers, we need to be faithful in sowing the seed of the Word of God, because we don’t know where that seed will go—in this life, in the next generation, or in the generation after that.

We sow the seed; God takes it from there.

Reflection question: What would sowing the seed of the Word of God look like in your life right now? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene. Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities. 

—Acts 26:9–11 NLT

Every person in your life who doesn’t know Christ represents a spiritual opportunity for you. If you’re like most people, you probably have some acquaintances who seem as though they would be receptive to the gospel message. It takes no great stretch of the imagination to picture them as fellow believers, worshipping and serving the Lord alongside you. On the other hand, you probably have other acquaintances who seem so far from God—whose lives are so broken and whose priorities are so mixed up—that you’re tempted to write them off as lost causes.

If that’s the case, God’s Word has a message for you: Don’t. Don’t fall into the devil’s trap of believing that certain people are beyond God’s reach. The reality is that no one who draws breath is beyond redemption.

In Acts 26:9–11, the apostle Paul describes one of the most amazing conversions of all time—a conversion so unlikely that even Jesus’ disciples didn’t think it was possible. He’s describing, of course, his own conversion.

“I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene. Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities” (NLT).

When he was known as Saul of Tarsus, Paul was one of the most radical antagonists of the early church. It was Saul who presided over the death of Stephen, the first martyr of the church who courageously stood up for his faith. It was Saul who went out of his way to hunt down Christians, imprison them, and even destroy them. This man was bent on the eradication of the Christian faith.

Yet God saved him and changed his life beyond recognition. That’s the power of the gospel.

If you know an antagonistic person, someone who seems to go out of their way to make your life miserable, someone who’s always trying to stump you with a hard question, it just may be that they’re closer to the kingdom of God than you realize.

Sometimes the people who attack the most or resist the hardest are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Their lashing out is the last struggle of their old self. They may be closer to conversion than you realize.

No one is beyond the reach of God.

Reflection question: How can you reach out to someone who seems unreachable? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 

—1 John 2:6

I have a problem when I walk with my wife. I always walk a little faster than she does. Every time we go out together, I find myself walking ahead of her. I have to stop and wait for her to catch up. I make a conscious effort to walk more slowly—at least for a while. But the next thing I know, I’m walking fast again.

Many believers face a similar challenge when it comes to walking with God. Some people want to run ahead of Him. They grow impatient waiting for Him to answer a prayer or reveal His will, so they take matters into their own hands. Other people lag behind Him. They’re reluctant to act when He prompts them. They’re hesitant to step outside their comfort zone without two weeks’ advance notice.

Our goal should be to move in harmony with the Lord. We need to stay close to Him and adjust our steps so that they match His. Enoch is listed in the Faith Hall of Fame (see Hebrews 11:5). Yet we know little about him beyond this note in Genesis 5:22 (NKJV), which is repeated in verse 24: “Enoch walked with God” (NKJV).

Referring to our daily relationship with God’s Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul wrote, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25 NIV).

But what does that mean in practice? How do we do it? What does it look like to “keep in step with the Spirit”? It means that we prioritize the things of God. It means that when we get up in the morning, we take time to read the Bible. If we neglect the Word of God, it will show in our lives. Keeping in step with the Spirit also means that we spend time in fellowship with God’s people.

The apostle John put it this way: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6 NLT). In short, make time for the things of God. Be proactive in your walk with the Lord. Don’t wait for spare time simply to materialize. Be deliberate about carving out room in your schedule. If it means one less hour of sleep, so be it. If it means delaying a meal, put your appetite on hold. If it means missing a television program, deal with it. Do what you need to do because these things are essential to spiritual growth, to abiding with God, and to bearing spiritual fruit.

Never lose sight of what a privilege it is to walk with the Lord. Any sacrifice you have to make for the sake of that walk will be well worth it. Your walk with God will bring indescribable richness to your daily life.

Reflection question: What would keeping in step with the Spirit look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. 

—1 John 2:19

Scripture:

1 John 2:19 

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus delivered some sobering words to the people who followed Him: “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21 NLT).

Many people in the audience that day believed that upholding the Law of Moses—that is, being “good enough”—was the ticket to the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus helped them see that changing their entire outlook was necessary. They needed to repent.

Four chapters earlier, He said to the Pharisees and Sadducees—the people whose entire lives were dedicated to upholding the Law of Moses—“Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God” (Matthew 3:8 NLT). The proof of a changed life is found in a person’s response to sin. Those whose faith is genuine will be profoundly affected when they give in to sin. They will repent and restore their relationship with the Lord.

Look at David’s words after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband to be killed. “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night” (Psalm 51:1–3 NLT).

Look at the apostle Peter’s reaction after he denied being a follower of Jesus three separate times: “And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly” (Luke 22:62 NLT).

The cost was too great for us to take sin lightly. Isaiah 53:5–6 says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (NLT). First Peter 2:24 says, “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed” (NLT).

People who claim to be believers, but then fall away and never come back, were not, in fact, believers. That’s the point John makes in 1 John 2:19: “These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us” (NLT). True believers will be miserable in sin and eventually will beat a path back to the cross of Calvary. True believers will repent and receive God’s forgiveness.

Reflection Question: What does genuine repentance look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 

—1 John 3:2

Scripture:

1 John 3:2 

Human ingenuity has devised countless ways to transform the human body. From plastic surgery to weight-loss drugs. From tattoos to piercings. From hair dye to colored contact lenses. Many people, it seems, will stop at nothing to have a new body.

In the third chapter of his first epistle, the apostle John addresses the topics of transformation and new bodies from an eternal perspective. His point is this: Every believer will have a new body in Heaven. Those who are disabled on earth won’t be disabled in Heaven. Those whose bodies are broken by the ravages of age or disease on earth won’t experience that brokenness in Heaven.

John says that our resurrection bodies will resemble the resurrection body of Christ. Think of it! In 1 John 3:2, we read, “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is” (NLT).

What were the differences between the resurrection body of Jesus and the body that was put to death on the cross? When Jesus walked among us on this earth, He voluntarily exposed Himself to the limitations of humanity. Just like everyone else, He got sleepy, thirsty, tired, and hungry. In His resurrected body, there were similarities to the old body but major differences, too. His disciples recognized Him, yet something in them wondered, “Is it really You, Lord?”

Then again, Jesus did things in His resurrection body that He never did in His old body. He suddenly appeared in a room without using a door. He ascended through the air until He disappeared into the clouds.

Will we be able to do similar things in our resurrection bodies? No one can say for sure, but we can know this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT).

That’s why Paul wrote, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:1–4 NLT).

Reflection Question: What is most exciting to you about having a new body in Heaven? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 

—1 John 1:8

Scripture:

1 John 1:8 

Visitors to San Francisco can’t help but be amazed at the architectural marvel that is the Golden Gate Bridge. But its beauty and innovation came at a tremendous cost. During the initial phases of construction, several workers lost their balance and plunged to their deaths in the San Francisco Bay.

The builders were concerned about the human tragedy, of course. But they were also concerned about the delays in the schedule because of the deaths. They needed to find a way to keep their workers safe under the most dangerous conditions. The solution they arrived at was something that had never been done before.

The builders installed a giant safety net under the construction area. The workers knew that if they fell, the net would catch them. The experience wouldn’t necessarily be pleasant for the unfortunate worker, but at least he would live to tell about it. Thanks to the net, workers could go about their business without the fear of dying. With the threat removed, they were able to move quickly and finish the project.

Did you know that God has put a safety net under you? By that I mean, when you slip, when you fall, when you make a mistake, you don’t have to worry that your name will be blotted out of the Book of Life. You don’t have to face the prospect of becoming persona non grata with God.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:23–25 NLT).

If you believe in Christ, you have a spiritual safety net. You have a barrier against spiritual death. Because Jesus came into your heart, forgave you, and committed Himself to you, He now protects you, seals you, and justifies you because of that commitment.

The fact is that we as Christians will sin and fall short. The Scriptures, as well as our own experiences in life, tell us this is true. According to 1 John 1:8, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (NLT). This isn’t an excuse for ungodly living. Nor is it a license for sin. It’s a simple acknowledgment of reality.

Yet Paul wrote, “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38 NLT).

Nothing can dismantle our safety net.

Reflection Question: What does your spiritual safety net mean to you? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. 

—1 John 4:20–21

Scripture:

1 John 4:20–21 

One of the first things I remember taking place when I committed my life to Jesus Christ was the erosion of bitterness and anger in my heart and the growth of a love I had not known before. That surprised me because that bitterness and anger had been constant companions of mine. I had nurtured them for longer than I could remember. But such is the power of God and His love.

If we claim to be followers of Christ and harbor bitterness or hatred in our hearts toward someone, that should be a warning sign. The apostle John left little wiggle room when he wrote, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers” (1 John 4:20–21 NLT). He’s saying that if we have hatred in our hearts toward fellow members of the body of Christ something wrong in our spiritual life. Something that must be addressed immediately if we’re going to grow in our faith.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other” (Romans 12:9–10 NLT). He’s talking about something more than a passive tolerance here. Something more than simply spending an hour or two together on Sunday mornings. The love he’s talking about involves actively growing closer to others. And often that means finding ways to heal past hurts and remove the obstacles that keep us at a distance from others.

Maybe someone has wronged or hurt you. If so, take it to God. Let Him deal with it. Your job is to heed His call to love and forgive that person and not to avenge yourself. Here’s why: That bitterness and hatred will do more harm to you than to the person you’re directing it toward. It will eat you up inside. It will destroy your life. It will hinder your time of prayer with God. It will hinder your worship. It will, for all practical purposes, act as an obstacle in the relationship God wants to have with you.

There’s no room for hatred, bitterness, or prejudice in the heart of a child of God. God wants our love to be honest and without hypocrisy. That’s the kind of love that changes lives and changes the world.

Reflection Question: How can you remove an obstacle that’s keeping you at a distance from someone else? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 

—1 John 3:13

Scripture:

1 John 3:13 

This week we’re going to focus on passages from the first epistle of John. And we’re going to start with one that addresses the topic of Christian persecution.

I heard a story about some fish suppliers who were having problems shipping cod from the East Coast. By the time the cod reached the West Coast, they were spoiled. The suppliers tried freezing the cod, but en route across the country, they turned mushy. The suppliers tried shipping live cod, but they arrived dead. Finally, the suppliers tried sending live cod, but with one difference: They included a catfish in each tank. You see, catfish are the natural enemies of cod. By the time the cod arrived, they were alive and well because they had spent their trip fleeing the catfish.

Believe it or not, there’s a spiritual lesson in that story. Have you ever considered that, spiritually speaking, God may put catfish in the tanks of believers to keep us alive and well spiritually? And that, often, the “catfish” takes the form of persecution?

Maybe you get singled out in your friend group for refusing to go along with certain activities. Maybe you have a coworker who tries to trip you up with hard questions about spiritual things. Maybe you have a neighbor who openly mocks your faith in Jesus. Maybe you have a spouse or family member who doesn’t believe in Christ and can’t understand why you do.

If you’ve ever faced these or other types of challenges to your faith, you may have wondered why God allows them to happen. Think of them as catfish in a cod tank. They keep you alert and focused. As strange as it may seem, they can strengthen your faith in ways that an easy, unchallenged Christian life never could.

Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:18–19 NLT). In other words, “You’re in good company.”

So, rather than ask God to shield you from persecution, ask Him instead to give you the strength and wisdom to deal with it in a way that brings glory to Him. Ask Him to give you the perspective to see the big picture—that is, what’s behind the persecution and what’s to be gained from withstanding it.

If you’re experiencing persecution, here are two things to remember: First, persecution confirms that you are a child of God. Second, persecution causes you to cling more tightly to Jesus. That’s a win-win.

Keep in mind, too, that this world isn’t your real home. If you persevere with a steady, peaceful spirit, trusting in Jesus to help you, your welcome into Heaven will be more glorious than you can possibly imagine.

Reflection Question: When have you experienced persecution because of your Christian faith? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 But Joseph replied, ‘Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.’ So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. 

—Genesis 50:19–21

Scripture:

Genesis 50:19–21 

Joseph’s words to his brothers in Genesis 50:19–21 underscore a hard truth for God’s people. We are called to forgive everyone who wrongs us. Keep in mind that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. He spent the better part of his life separated from his beloved father. He became a servant. He spent years in an Egyptian prison for a crime he didn’t commit. All because his brothers couldn’t control their jealousy.

Yet, years later, when he was finally reunited with them—when he was perfectly positioned to exact revenge on the siblings who had taken so much from him—this is what he said: “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children” (Genesis 50:19–21 NLT).

Some people get to the end of this story and say, “I could never forgive someone who did that to me.” But the spiritual reality is that they can—and must.

Jesus said, “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:25 NLT). There is no asterisk or fine print listing the offenses that are excluded from His command. Jesus expects us to forgive those who have wronged us. Those who have taken advantage of us. Those who have slandered us. Those who have made fun of us. Those who have betrayed us.

And if we try to argue that someone doesn’t deserve our forgiveness, we’re left with an inescapable truth: That’s what makes us the perfect people to forgive, because we know how it is to receive forgiveness we don’t deserve. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT).

We may not always feel like forgiving. We may see people who have wronged us and feel our blood begin to boil. That’s when we need to say, “As an act of faith, as a step of obedience to Jesus Christ, I forgive this person.”

It’s been said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” We should forgive not only for the sake of others, but also for the sake of our own mental and spiritual health. We must place our anger, pain, and desire to get even in God’s hands so that we’re no longer tormented by them.

Is there someone you need to forgive today? Are you harboring a grudge toward someone? Forgive. Forgive whoever has hurt you. As Jesus said in Luke 6:37, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven” (NLT).

Reflection Question: What would forgiveness look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. 

—Job 23:10

Scripture:

Job 23:10 

“Why?” is a very popular question among God’s people. King David asked why his son rebelled against him and why the people of Israel stopped supporting him. Elijah asked why he was the only remaining prophet to stand for God. Jeremiah asked why he was suffering so much for doing what God had called him to do. Jesus Himself asked why God had forsaken Him.

But no one is more closely associated with the question “Why?” than Job. And for good reason. Job was a righteous man who savored God’s blessings in his life. Those blessings included a loving family and great wealth. Then, in quick succession, thieves plundered his livestock. Fire destroyed his servants and his possessions, leaving him with nothing. A house collapse killed his children. Boils broke out all over his body, leaving him in constant, excruciating pain.

His friends told him that he was to blame for his suffering, that he was facing divine retribution for sin. His wife told him to curse God and die.

Job sincerely believed that his suffering had nothing to do with divine retribution. He wasn’t being punished for anything. But that belief raised some serious questions. Questions that a lot of God’s people ask when they’re faced with trials and suffering. Questions that start with “Why?”

Job put it this way: “If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me” (Job 23:3–5 NLT).

The answer that Job received may or may not have satisfied him. And that brings us to a hard truth of the Christian faith: God doesn’t work His will for our ultimate comfort, security, or benefit. He works His will for His glory. He wants His people to recognize who He is and what He’s done—and then to worship and give thanks accordingly. That’s what we were created to do. That’s what puts us in perfect alignment with Him. That’s what gives us a soul-deep sense of fulfillment and joy.

To accomplish that, God occasionally puts us in situations from which only He can deliver us. He allows circumstances to test us so that we will draw closer to Him and rely on His resources alone to “survive and thrive.”

That way, we can’t “thank our lucky stars” or compliment ourselves on our own cleverness or resourcefulness. Rather, we must say, “Only God could have done this.” God clearly says in Scripture that He will not give His glory to another (see Isaiah 42:8).

Job honestly admitted his struggles and his need for answers. Then he added what would become a classic statement of faith: “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (Job 23:10 NLT). Job was saying, “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know why God has allowed these things to happen. But I know this: When I am tested, my faith will become purer and more precious.”

That was God’s objective for Job. And it’s His objective for us, too.

Reflection Question: How can you “come out pure as gold” from a struggle you’re facing right now? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 

—Matthew 23:12

Scripture:

Matthew 23:12 

A woman strolling on a beach noticed a man catching crabs. Every time he caught one, he placed it in an open bucket.

“Don’t you need a lid on that bucket?” the woman asked.

“No,” the man replied, “they can’t get out.”

“Why not?” the woman asked. “The bucket isn’t that big.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” the man explained. “Whenever one crab tries to go over the side, the others reach up and pull it back down again.”

Sounds like human behavior, doesn’t it? There are many people who don’t like to see others reach for the top. When a person begins to climb, they think, “How dare you succeed? How dare you do better than me? How dare you get that promotion? How dare you get that attention? How dare you do well when I’m not doing just as well? You get back down here with me!”

Envy and jealousy are sure signs of misplaced priorities. They spring from a me-first attitude like the kind Jesus was talking about when He said, “But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12 NLT).

It’s been said that envy shoots at another and wounds itself. And it’s hard to deny the truth in that. Left unchecked, envy and jealousy can eat us up inside.

Proverbs 14:30 warns, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones” (NLT).

James 3:16 says, “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind” (NLT).

And Galatians 5:26 warns, “Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another” (NLT).

What’s more, envy causes us to take our eyes off what God has done for us. If we pay too close attention to the good things in other people’s lives, we’re not paying close enough attention to the blessings in our own lives. And we miss the opportunity to give thanks and grow closer to the One who gave them.

The best way to deal with envy is to recognize it as sin and repent of it. We may try to rationalize our jealousy, but we need to realize that it’s wrong and ask God to forgive us. God wants us to put the needs of others above our own, to love one another, and to care for one another. These are essential aspects of our Christian faith.

Instead of worrying about what other people have, let’s be thankful that we’re even drawing breath in our lungs. That in itself is a gift from God. And if God lifts us to an exalted position, then that’s His grace. If He lifts someone else, that also is His grace. None of us deserve it; it’s all the grace of God. Our responsibility is to be faithful to what God has called us to do.

Reflection Question: How can you keep envy from getting a foothold in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master. 

—Genesis 4:7

Scripture:

Genesis 4:7 

Years ago, my son Christopher was lying out in the sun at our house when he woke up to find a huge gopher snake, coiled up and hissing at him, poised to strike. It must have been six or seven feet long. Terrified, he ran into the house and shut the door behind him.

His experience reminds me of a hard truth about the Christian life. Like that gopher snake, sin is poised to strike—usually when we least expect it. And it’s been that way since the very beginning.

When Cain saw that the Lord accepted Abel’s offering but not his, he was angry. So, God gave him a warning. He essentially told Cain what was going to happen to him if he didn’t get himself under control: “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master” (Genesis 4:7 NLT). The passage portrays sin as a dangerous wild animal, always ready to pounce.

The apostle Peter used similar imagery in his description of the devil in 1 Peter 5:8: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (NLT). And while the imagery is certainly sobering, we need to keep these words of Scripture in proper perspective. It’s not so much an emergency broadcast warning as it is a word to the wise. Peter doesn’t tell us to panic, hide, or be afraid. He tells us to be alert.

Our enemy isn’t all-powerful, but he is always watchful. He looks for opportunities to make us stumble, to make us doubt, to make us lose sight of the path God would have us travel. He attacks us when we’re weak—physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally. He also attacks us when we seem to be strong, after a spiritual victory or a “mountaintop” experience. In good times and bad, he keeps sin crouched at our door, ready to pounce.

But we need not fear. As the psalmist wrote, “The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17 NLT).

So, the next time sin comes knocking at your door, you might say, “Lord, would You mind getting that? I’m going to stand in Your strength. I’m going to trust in You. You are the only one who can give me the strength to overpower sin.” If we will master sin, then we must first be mastered by Him who mastered it.

Reflection Question: What types of sin often crouch at your door, poised to strike? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 

—2 Timothy 4:3

Scripture:

2 Timothy 4:3 

There was a time when we were bombarded by a one-sided view of God as an angry deity, ready to throw people into the open fires of Hell. People complained about too much hellfire-and-brimstone preaching.

But when was the last time anyone has heard a hellfire-and-brimstone message? Sadly, the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” that Jonathan Edwards preached in 1741 would not be allowed in many churches today.

Many people have gone too far in the other direction, teaching that God is an all-loving, benign, supreme being that doesn’t seem to have any opinions about the way we live. The assumption is that as long as we’re true to ourselves, then it’s okay with Him. He accepts us the way we are.

We like the qualities of God such as love, forgiveness, and compassion and the incredible fringe benefit of eternal life in Heaven. On the other hand, we’re appalled by a God of holiness who desperately loves us yet requires repentance as well as trust, a God who promises to judge those who refuse to come to Him on His terms.

Others look at God as some kind of pagan deity who simply needs to be appeased. They think that if they go through religious rituals, they’ve done their part and they can build up credit for sinning that week. People can follow that god as much as they want. But that is not the God of the Bible.

When we start picking and choosing the things about God that appeal or do not appeal to us, we are not only diminishing our view of who God is but also believing and teaching a false gospel.

Some preachers today offer weak, watered-down proclamations in the name of the gospel. They tell you to believe, but they don’t tell you to repent. They tell you there’s a Heaven, but they don’t tell you there’s a Hell. And they tell you there’s forgiveness, but they don’t tell you there’s repentance.

If we don’t include those things, then it isn’t the gospel. We cannot edit the gospel according to what we like or don’t like. It’s for us to share it as God gave it. Otherwise, we strip the gospel of its power and effectiveness.

We cannot control what happens in the world. But at the same time, we cannot allow the belief system of a secular society to influence the way we believe. The idea is not to conform ourselves to the world’s way of thinking. It is not to bend the Bible to the culture.

When we desperately want to please everyone and not offend anyone, we will fail to make an impact on our culture.

When we start tampering with the essentials of our faith such as the Bible, the gospel, and the nature of God Himself, we are making God into a different image.

The God of the Bible does love us and accept us as we are. But the God of the Bible also wants to change us. He wants to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ.

Reflection Question: What does it practically look like to share the full gospel—both grace and repentance—without compromising truth? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people. 

—Psalm 17:4

Scripture:

When the devil wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking their minds. According to Genesis 3:1, “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’” (NLT). A simple question was enough to plant a seed of doubt. That seed quickly sprouted into full-fledged action. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the forbidden tree. The devil’s strategy worked so well that he still uses the mind-targeting tactic to this day.

The apostle Paul warned of this when he wrote, “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent” (2 Corinthians 11:3 NLT). The hard truth about spiritual warfare is that the devil attacks our minds incessantly. He knows that our brain, our thoughts, and our imagination are our command center. When you have power over someone’s mind, you can reach into the past through memories, and you can reach into the future through imagination. The devil knows that if he can get us to think about something, to contemplate it, to consider it, then he is halfway to getting us to sin.

Paul also wrote, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5 NLT).

It’s been said, “Sow a thought; reap an act. Sow an act; reap a character. Sow a character; reap a destiny.” What starts with a thought can lead to a destiny.

Eve’s mind certainly wasn’t filled with the things of God when the devil approached her. Had it been, she could have effectively resisted his temptations. The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NLT).

Jesus used God’s Word three times in response to the devil’s temptations in Matthew 4:1–11. The devil had no defense against Scripture. Verse 11 says, “Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus” (NLT).

The devil still has no defense against God’s truth. So, when we hide the Word of God in our hearts, we have everything we need to stand strong against our spiritual enemy and effectively resist his temptation.

In his passage on the armor of God, Paul wrote, “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT). Knowing how to wield that sword will keep our enemy out of our minds.

Reflection Question: How can you fix your mind on God and His Word so that you’re less vulnerable to the devil’s attacks? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 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

Scripture:

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 this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 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

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 7:10 

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 this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 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

Scripture:

Revelation 21:4 

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 this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ 

—John 11:21

Scripture:

John 11:21 

One of the most pervasive headwinds that believers face in daily life is doubt. Our faith seems strong until certain situations or circumstances arise that make us question or rethink certain aspects of it. If Scripture shows us anything, it’s that such doubts are not unusual among God’s people.

As we saw in a devotion last week, Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus, was not one to hold her tongue. People always knew where they stood with her. According to John 11:21, after Lazarus died, “Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died’” (NLT). To put it another way: “Where were You anyway, Jesus?”

Maybe you’ve said something similar during or after some crisis in your life. “Lord, where were You when my parents divorced? Lord, where were You when we got that diagnosis of cancer? Lord, where were You when our marriage fell apart? Lord, where were You when I lost my job? Lord, where were You when my child got into trouble? Lord, where were You when my loved one died?”

Please notice that Jesus didn’t reprove Martha for what she said. It isn’t wrong to tell the Lord exactly how you feel. I think we sometimes get the idea that it’s irreverent or sinful to express our real fears or the doubts of our heart, even to God. But when we read the book of Psalms, we learn that there were many times when David and the other psalmists really “let their hair down” with God. They cried out to Him and emptied the contents of their hearts in His presence.

I’ve done it many times. In my pain, I’ll cry out to God. Sometimes the reality that my son is gone hits my heart like a sledgehammer, and I say, “Oh, God. I can’t believe this! I can’t handle this pain!” But then I’ll preach to myself and say, “Now, Greg, listen to me. Your son is alive—more alive than he ever was before. He’s in the presence of the Lord, and you are going to see him again.” And I’ll remind myself of the promises of God.

My prayers, however, are wide open and honest. I pour out my heart before God, describing my pain to Him. I put my doubts into words. I talk to Him about the things I don’t understand—the circumstances that don’t make sense, the situations, losses, and diagnoses that don’t seem fair. But I also remind myself of God’s truth. And that’s what prayer is.

God wants us to cry out to Him. He invites us to pour out our hearts before Him. David writes, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8 NIV). That’s an invitation you want to accept.

Reflection Question: What do you do when you struggle with doubt? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie