Category Archives: Greg Laurie

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Greg Laurie – Accepted     

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He made us accepted in the Beloved. —Ephesians 1:6

All that God has done has been because of His grace, which means “unmerited favor.” You aren’t merely forgiven, justified, and cleansed of your sins; you have been received in love by God Himself. This is because of His deep love for His own Son, Jesus. Because His Son lives in you, you have found His favor. You have the approval of God because of what Jesus has done.

Some people have been raised in homes in which their father may have never demonstrated any kind of love toward them. Maybe he was cold and distant. Or maybe they, like me, were raised in a home where there wasn’t a father at all. We can transfer those emotions to God the Father. We can walk around in life feeling as though we don’t have the approval of God: If I just did this, God would notice. If worked a little harder, then God would love me.

God approves of you. You are “accepted in the Beloved” — not because you read your Bible a little bit longer, share Christ with more people, or give a little more in the offering. You are still accepted even when you don’t do all of that. You are accepted in the Beloved when you fail, when you trip up. You are accepted in the Beloved not because of what you have done, but because of what He has done.

In understanding this great truth, however, you should want to do everything for His glory—not to earn His approval, but because you already have it.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Before the World Began    

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Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. —Ephesians 1:4

Before the world was made, even before sin entered into this world that was made, God predestined you. He chose you to be His child. We use phrases like “the day I found the Lord,” and that is true in one sense. But in another sense, God chose us before we chose Him.

Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain . . .” (John 15:16). God chose us before we ever were around to choose Him. We may wonder, What merit or goodness did He find in me that He would choose me to be His child? There was no merit. In spite of our best intentions or the high opinion we may hold of ourselves, God’s choosing had nothing to do with our merit or goodness.

If you knew what would happen before it took place, would you choose something that worked in your favor or against it? God knew exactly how you would turn out. And He chose you from the foundation of the world.

You might say, “I think the Lord made a mistake here because I’m a loser.” But God chose you to win. God chose you to be something that He will make you into. You may look at yourself and see your flaws and shortcomings, but just remember that you are still a work in progress.

God isn’t finished with you yet — not while your heart is still beating! And He will complete what He has begun in your life. So rejoice that He chose you from the foundation of the world.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – By the Will of God     

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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. —Ephesians 1:1

We may look today at people in the church who are called to be pastors or evangelists or worship leaders or elders and conclude they are the spiritual elite.

Meanwhile, someone is laboring away as an accountant or a waitress or a nurse or a teacher and might be thinking, I’m not as significant as they are. They’re really making a difference for the kingdom of God—and what am I accomplishing?

God has called each and every one of us to different vocations. Paul was called to be an apostle by the will of God. But Steve can be called to be an architect by the will of God. Mary can be called to be a nurse by the will of God. Joan can be called to be an attorney by the will of God. Jack can be called to be a police officer by the will of God.

Each of us has a part to play. The highest calling of God is what God has called you to be. There is no higher. We need to be faithful to what the Lord has called us to.

You may think it is a higher calling to preach. Granted, it is a high calling—and a great privilege. But the highest calling is what God has called you to do. So don’t feel like a secondclass citizen if you aren’t in full-time ministry.

When certain people at church are highly visible, you think they are important. Maybe they are, and maybe they aren’t. But then there is the person you don’t know anything about who is very important to God. You might be one of those people. Be who you are by the will of God.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Spiritual Multimillionaires     

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. —Ephesians 1:3

Hetty Green was known as America’s greatest miser, but she was worth a lot of money. When she died in 1916, she left an estate valued at $100 to $200 million. That is a lot today, but it was even more back then.

What is amazing about Hetty Green is that she lived as through she were poverty stricken. She would eat cold oatmeal every day to save the expense of heating the water. She debated the value of skim milk compared to whole milk and how much money she could save. When her son had a severe leg injury, she took so long trying to find a free clinic to treat him that his leg had to be amputated because of advanced infection. She even hastened her own death by not taking care of herself. She lived like a pauper when, in reality, she was a multimillionaire.

Like Hetty Green, some Christians might not realize how much is actually in their spiritual bank account. Such believers are experiencing spiritual malnutrition because they have not taken advantage of the great storehouse of spiritual nourishment and resources that are at their disposal. Because of what God has done for us, we can live full, productive, and effective Christian lives. We don’t have to find insufficient funds when we go to our spiritual ATM machine. God’s heavenly bank has no such limitations or restrictions.

No Christian has to be spiritually deprived or undernourished or impoverished. The Lord’s heavenly resources are more than adequate to cover the cost of all of our past debts, our present liabilities, and our future needs and still not reduce our heavenly assets.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot  

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To everything there is a season . . . a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.—Ecclesiastes 3:1,7

I can think of so many times when I should have kept silent but just had to speak. Have you ever done that? Have you ever said something, and the moment it left your lips, you thought, Why did I just say that? But you said it.

The Bible says, “My dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (James 1:19, NLT). How much better it would be for us if we would pause for a moment before we speak, asking ourselves, Is this the right thing to say? Would this be an appropriate statement to make? Lord, would this glorify You?

Peter was very outspoken, which is why I like him so much. One of my favorite stories about him was when he was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, James, and John. Jesus told His three disciples to stay awake with Him. Yet Peter and the boys fell asleep. When they woke up, Jesus was shining like the sun and talking with Moses and Elijah.

So Peter stood up and said, “It is good for us to be here” (Mark 9:5). I like the commentary Mark’s gospel adds: “He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say” (verse 6, NLT). But he said it anyway!

Have you ever been in a situation like that, when you wanted to say the perfect thing, yet you ended up saying the lamest thing possible?

An old proverb advises, “Better to be silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and dispel all doubt.” Or, as another proverb says, “A closed mouth gathers no foot.”

There is a time to speak. And there is a time to be quiet. We need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in our lives to know which is which.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Good Days and Bad Days  

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To everything there is a season . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. —Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

Sorrows come into all of our lives. And while none of us enjoy them, they are a reality. You will experience heartache. If you ever choose to love anyone, if you ever choose to extend your friendship to another person, then you will be disappointed. You will be let down. You will be heartbroken. There will be great disappointments for you in life.

You also will lose loved ones. And as you get older, you will lose more loved ones. There might even come a day when you will recognize that you actually have more friends who have gone to heaven than you have on earth, and it probably won’t be long until you join them.

But there also will be times of laughter, times of great joy and celebration. One of the lessons I’ve learned from life is to enjoy the good times. Don’t take them for granted. Savor the moment because you can be sure some bad times will come down the road. But thank God they will first go through Him because He continues to be in control of all circumstances that surround our lives.

God can use suffering. He can use it to deepen you and to teach you compassion. He can use it to make you into a different person. And sometimes God even uses suffering to bring you to your spiritual senses.

If your heart is filled with sorrow right now, if it is filled with heartache, then I want you to know that Jesus Christ can bring you comfort. Cast your cares upon Him, and He will give you strength in your time of need.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie –The Missing Piece  

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The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. —Romans 13:12

Have you ever tried to put a puzzle together, and when you were almost done, you realized that someone had lost the final piece? It can be incredibly frustrating.

Maybe you have tried to put your life together, thinking, If I put this here and that there, it will work. . . But where is that other piece?

God holds the missing piece. You won’t find it in your pursuits. The missing piece is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Have you found that missing piece? Or, do you still have a hole in your heart that you’ve tried to fill with everyone and everything, but nothing satisfies?

I was raised around many of the empty pursuits this world offers. And I pursued enough of them to know they were empty — enough to know they weren’t the answer to what I was looking for. So when I first heard about Jesus Christ, the idea of having a relationship with God held great appeal for me. But the Christians I knew were so nice and loving. I thought, I don’t know if I can become one of these people. But God started working in my life. He changed my heart. And if He can do it for me, then He can do it for you. In fact, when I told people I was a Christian, they didn’t believe it. Then a few years later when they learned I was a pastor, they laughed even harder. It was the last thing anyone ever envisioned for me. But God had a different plan for my life.

Who knows what kind of plan He has for you?

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Nothing New     

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History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. —Ecclesiastes 1:9

Joy Davidman, the wife of C. S. Lewis, made this insightful statement about the pursuit of pleasure: “Living for his own pleasure is the least pleasurable thing a man can do; if his neighbors don’t kill him in disgust, he will die slowly of boredom and lovelessness.” And that is true. It has been said that the only cure for hedonism is to try and practice it.

The pursuit of pleasure is nothing new. As Solomon reminds us a number of times in the book of Ecclesiastes, when you boil it down, there is nothing new under the sun. Though our technology has changed and we have had certain advancements since Solomon wrote those words, the basic cravings of humanity have not changed, nor have the basic things we look to. The philosophy of eat, drink, and be merry has been with us for a long time.

When Solomon decided he would pursue everything this world had to offer, He was not considering God in all of it. He was living horizontally — he had adapted a worldview that omitted God. Eventually he came to realize there was nothing to profit from under the sun. It was only when Solomon looked above the sun and looked to God that he found the answers he was seeking. When we see God for who He is, we will see the world for what it is.

If you have a close relationship with God and are walking closely with Him, you will recognize philosophies, concepts, and ideologies being propagated that are contradictory to what the Bible teaches. When you are walking closely with God, you will see this world for what it is.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Living in Lo-debar

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“As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.” . . . So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet. —2 Samuel 9:11,13

The Bible tells us that when David sought out Jonathan’s son to show him kindness, Mephibosheth was living in an out-of-the-way place called Lo-debar. The name actually means “the place of no pasture.” You didn’t want to live in Lo-debar. It was a dry, parched, crummy place to live.

But where were we when Jesus Christ found us? We were living in Lo-debar, a parched, dried-up place. And just like David sought out Mephibosheth, Jesus Christ sought us. It is worth noting that it was not Mephibosheth who looked for David; it was David who looked for Mephibosheth. That might not seem significant, but it really is. David wanted to have a relationship with him. We read in 2 Samuel 9:5, “So David sent for [Mephibosheth] and brought him from Makir’s home]” (NLT). David was persistent. He would not give up on Mephibosheth.

This is a reminder to us that we need to reach out to our friends, neighbors, and even enemies who don’t know Christ. They don’t realize it, but they are living in Lo-debar. They are living in a parched place — separated from God. So we need to ask God to place an urgency in our hearts. We all know people who need someone to reach out to them. That is exactly what David did. And that is what we need to do.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Dropped  

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David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” —2 Samuel 9:1

Mephibosheth was only five years old when his father, Jonathan, and his grandfather, Saul, were killed on the battlefield. Imagine, if you will, life as he had known it up to this point. The privilege and potential of his pampered life as a prince could not have prepared him for the hard life he would face in the future. There was life in the palace as a young prince, with people waiting on him hand and foot, and he was being raised by his godly father, Jonathan. Life was good for this young boy.

But there were dark clouds gathering in his world. In one moment, through no fault of his own, his entire life would change forever. Jonathan knew things were going to change. That is why he persuaded David to make an agreement to look out for his descendants. He made David promise to show kindness to his family forever. David willingly made that promise—and he kept it.

When news hit the palace that Saul and Jonathan had been killed on the battlefield, the nurse who was caring for Mephibosheth, in her frenzied state, dropped this little boy on the ground. As a result, he was crippled for life.

Perhaps you have gone through hardships in your childhood. Maybe something traumatic has happened to you. You have been dropped in life, so to speak. You wonder if anything good can come out of your life.

Mephibosheth was dropped in life, but God intervened. In fact, God specializes in taking people who have been dropped and picking them up again. That is just what David did for Mephibosheth. And that is just what God will do for you.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Didn’t Miss a Thing         

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Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. —Proverbs 15:16

A little with God is better than much without Him. As believers, we will make sacrifices in our lives. There are times, if we were honest, that we will see some people doing certain things, and we think, That looks like fun. You might even be a little tempted. You look at people who live for selfishness, partying, or multiple sexual encounters. But then let the years pass. Look at the course their lives have taken and the course your life has taken.

I had friends from high school who didn’t accept Christ when I did. They went their way, and I went mine. I run into them every now and then, and I think, Thank God that I went the way that I went! Did I miss a few parties? Yes — a lot of them. Did I miss some good times? I missed a few. But I also missed a lot of hangovers and other problems that are associated with that kind of lifestyle. Did I miss out on a few things? Sure I did. But what God gave me in the place of those things has been infinitely better.

It has been said one must wait until sunset to see how splendid the day has been. I know that when you are young, many things look so tempting: Go out and party, or go to church? Go out and have fun, or go sing songs about God?

The point is that you will make some sacrifices. You will deny yourself at times. But then, when you look back on your life someday, you will come to realize that you didn’t really miss anything.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

 

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Greg Laurie – Living with Purpose              

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When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. —Acts 11:23

If you were asked to complete the sentence “My purpose of life is . . .” what would you say? As Christians, I know we would quickly say, “God.” But let’s be honest and not just say what we think is the right thing to say. What really is your purpose in life?

To put it another way, where do you channel most of your energy? What do you think about the most? What is the most significant thing to you in life?

Some people, if they answered honestly, would say, “My purpose in life is to have fun.” Someone else might say, “My purpose in life is to experience pleasure.” Another might say, “My purpose in life is to be successful.” Another might say, “My purpose in life is to make money.”

The book of Acts tells us that when Barnabas came to Antioch, he exhorted the believers there “that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord” (Acts 11:23). And Paul said, “[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly]” (Philippians 3:10, amp). Paul knew where he was going. And if you don’t know where you are going, then you won’t know whether you get there. Paul was essentially saying, “My purpose in life is to know Him. Yes, there are other things that I do, but my primary purpose is to intimately, deeply, and personally know God.”

Is that your purpose in life right now?

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – What Friends Are For          

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Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. —2 Timothy 2:22

One morning after one of our services at Harvest Christian Fellowship, a young woman walked up and asked if I would pray for her about a relationship she was in.

“What kind of a relationship is it?” I asked.

“It’s a relationship with a guy.”

“Let me ask you a question. Is this guy that you are in a relationship with a Christian?”

“Well,” she said, “I . . . think he is. Actually, I’m not really sure if he is or not.”

I said, “You know what? I am not going to pray that God will heal your relationship. I am going to pray that God will give you the courage to terminate the relationship. That is what needs to happen. Here you are in church, and you are struggling and having a hard time with a guy who doesn’t walk with the Lord.”

As we talked further, it was apparent that this was exactly what was happening. The relationship was dragging her down spiritually.

Many times we will pray for the Lord to fix something, and He will say, “You are in a place you don’t belong. You are hanging out with people you don’t belong with. This is bringing about many of your problems.”

In 2 Timothy 2:22 we read, “Pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (NLT). Are you enjoying the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts? Or, are you hanging around with people who are dragging you down spiritually?

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Standing Strong     

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Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. —1 Corinthians 16:13

There will come times in all of our lives when we will be tested in our faith. There will be times when what we believe will be challenged. There will be temptations to do the wrong thing.

We might ask ourselves, Will I be able to stand strong spiritually when this happens? That is entirely up to you. It isn’t up to God. It is up to you. God wants you to stand, but He will not force you to stand. He will give you all the resources you need. He will give you the power to resist. He will even give you a way out. But you have to cooperate. There are some things only God can do. And there are some things only you can do.

Only God can forgive sin. But only you can fall into sin. Only God can give you the power to change your life. But you need to be willing to have your life changed. You need to cooperate with Him. He is not going to force you to resist what is evil. You have to be willing to resist it on your own, then take hold of the resources that He gives you. You decide today whether or not you will fall tomorrow. The stand you make today will determine what kind of stand you make tomorrow.

When you are building a house, the most important time is not when you lay carpet or paint; it’s when you lay the foundation. If you don’t do that well, then all of your decorative additions will be for nothing. You have to get the foundation right.

Therefore, you determine today what kind of situation you will be in tomorrow.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Be of Good Courage   

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The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” —Acts 23:11

Even the most committed believer has those times when fear and worry can kick in. Anxiety can overtake us. Maybe we are concerned about our future. Maybe we are discouraged or afraid. If that is the case, you might be surprised to know that even the great apostle Paul experienced emotions like this.

Paul had gone to Jerusalem, and the next thing he knew, he was locked up in a cold, damp, dark prison cell. All of this happened as a result of his bold proclamation of the gospel. Acts 23:11 tells us, “The following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul.’ ”

That phrase be of good cheer could be better translated “be of good courage.” Whenever we read in Scripture that an angel of the Lord appeared and said, “Fear not,” it was usually because someone was afraid. So I conclude that when the Lord himself stood by Paul and said, “Be of good courage,” the apostle needed that special word of encouragement at that particular moment.

Sometimes it seems as though God is the only one standing by us. But if everyone else had forsaken Paul, Jesus was company enough. If all the others despised him, the smile of Jesus was approval enough. Though his circumstances were less than ideal, I am sure he knew it was better to be in that jail with the Lord than to be anywhere else without Him.

Jesus is there in your prison as well, whatever and wherever that prison may be. And He knows what you are going through.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Healthy Fear  

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. —Psalm 111:10

We all know what it is like to be gripped by fear. We all know what the sensation is like to have a shiver run down our spines, our mouths go dry, and our hair stand on end.

Fear has a close buddy known as worry, and the two often work in tandem. We can get caught up playing the what-if game: What if this happens? What if that happens? In fact, modern medical research has proved that worry can actually break down our resistance to disease—and even shorten our lives. Charles Mayo, founder of the famed Mayo Clinic, said that while he never knew anyone who died of overwork, he knew many who died of worry.

Far too often we are afraid of the wrong things in life, but we aren’t afraid of the right things—or perhaps I should say the right One. We don’t fear God. Yet the Bible tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

But what does that mean? First, let me tell you what it doesn’t mean. To fear God doesn’t mean cowering in terror before Him. Rather, the fear of God has been properly defined as a wholesome dread of displeasing Him. So if I have sinned, it is not the fear of what God will do to me but the fear of what I have done to Him. That is what it is to fear the Lord.

The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear Him, you fear nothing else. On the other hand, if you don’t fear God, then you fear everything else.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Characterized by Joy   

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The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.—Romans 14:17

Today if you were to sum up your life, what truths would you want to emphasize to your family and friends? What regrets would you have?

In Acts 20, we find the final words of Paul to the elders of the church he had started in Ephesus. Here in this chapter, he was delivering his final charge to them. As he looked back on his life, he said, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (verse 24).

There is one word from this verse I want to bring to your attention: joy. Paul was saying, “I am looking back on my life and on what I have done here. One word seems to sum it up well: joy” This word could be translated to say “exceedingly happy.” This was a man who had a firsthand experience of suffering, hardship, and adversity. But in the midst of it all, he also experienced the joy of Christ bubbling up within him like an artesian well.

The fact of the matter is that the happy life is the holy life—the life that is lived for God. Joy is an operative word in the life of the Christian. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). And Jesus not only promises us life beyond the grave, but a dimension of life on this earth that is worth living.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Excited Expectancy    

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Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. —James 5:7

The early rains in Israel usually would come in late October or early November. The farmer would anxiously await these because they would soften the hard-baked soil for plowing. The latter rains would come in late April or May. These were essential to the maturing of the crops. If the farmer were to rush out and harvest his crops before their time, he would destroy them. So he had to wait.

As today’s opening verse demonstrates, James knew that patience also was an important factor in awaiting the Lord’s return. No crop appears overnight. Like farmers, we need to be patient and recognize that it takes time for growth to happen in our lives. However, the word patience does not speak of a passive resignation but of an expectant waiting for the Lord. This is not a casual, nonchalant approach. Rather, it is an excited expectancy, a readiness.

Some believers don’t live this way. They just passively bide their time. But the Bible tells us we should be actively preparing as we await the return of Christ: “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Romans 13:11-12).

Let’s be sure we are living in a holy manner—and with expectant optimism and joy—as we patiently wait for Christ’s return.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Divinely Redirected       

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The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:7

God sometimes will use different ways to show us when we are out of His will. One is by giving us His peace when we are in His will and removing it when we are outside of it. The Bible tells us, “Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15 NLT). Another translation says, “And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state]” (AMP).

Umpires aren’t always the most popular people at baseball games because not everyone agrees with the calls they make. The umpire is there to say, “Safe!” and “Out!” The peace of God can act as a spiritual umpire. Perhaps you can think of certain situations, such as a party you went to, a relationship you were involved in, or a place you were going, and suddenly there was a lack of peace, almost like spiritual agitation deep inside. That might have been God saying no.

Another way the Lord sometimes directs us is by closing a door. By that I mean, there are situations in our lives when circumstances just don’t work. Maybe you set out on a big trip, only to get three flat tires. You were trying to do a certain thing when something went wrong, rendering your plan impossible.

Sometimes God can even redirect us through sickness. It has stopped me on a few occasions. However it is that the Lord may direct you, remember that it may be in a different way than you wanted to go. But God has His will. And God has His timing.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Heavenly Dispatches        

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When they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. —Acts 16:6

I find it somewhat comforting that at times in his life, even the great apostle Paul could be moving in the wrong direction to the point that the Lord had to redirect him. After his first missionary journey, Paul was concerned for the churches that were left behind in the area known as Asia Minor. He wanted to revisit them and check on their progress. But there was one small problem: God had a different plan. Paul made every attempt to go to Asia Minor, but he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been determined to do a certain thing? Maybe you were determined to undertake a certain project or marry a certain person or pursue a certain career, but God redirected you.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could wake up every morning with a little heavenly dispatch at our door with the itinerary for the day? Wouldn’t it be great if He could just map out our entire day, telling us what challenges we would face so we could be prepared and ready and know everything that was about to happen?

But the Lord has never led me in such a way. I have never received a heavenly dispatch. Rather, I have found that divine guidance often comes as a result of taking steps of faith. And God not only has His will, but He also has His timing for each and every situation. The Bible tells us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Therefore, we want to make sure we are in the will of God and are moving according to the timing of God.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013