Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NLT)   “God is love; He doesn’t punish people.” “God wants us to be our authentic selves and not listen to people who judge us.” “God doesn’t care about rules; He cares about what’s best for each person.” How many variations of these statements...

“May the Lord bless you and protect you.   May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.   May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26 NLT)   Attention is becoming a scarce commodity in our modern culture. Attention spans have become alarmingly short. Algorithms are constantly being tweaked and perfect...

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 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 1:3–4 NLT)   Years ago, our grandson Christopher was playing in our backyard. Suddenly,...

“Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.’   And that is just what happened. When Gideon...

“She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.’ But the Lord said to her, ‘My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.’&r...

“Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.” (Psalm 141:3 NLT)   It’s been said that God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason: He wants us to listen more and to speak less. Think of how often we jump to conclusions or pass judgment in a situation. The writer of Proverbs warned, “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish&...

“I said to the Lord, ‘You are my God!’ Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!   O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me, you protected me on the day of battle.” (Psalm 140:6–7 NLT)   Few people in Scripture had a better understanding of God than David did. David knew what it was like to be favored by God. In 1 Samuel 13:14, he is referred t...

“O Lord, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent,   those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long.” (Psalm 140:1–2 NLT)   There’s an old saying that goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” David’s words in Psalm 140 offer compelling evidence of that. David begins the psalm...

“I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!   If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.   If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,   even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” (Psalm 139:7–10 NLT)   One of God’...

“This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments.” (Psalm 119:56 NLT)   What makes you happy? What brings you peace? Where do you find meaning, purpose, and a sense of fulfillment in your life? One of the biggest tragedies of our modern culture is that many people can’t answer these questions. They may find moments of excitement or distraction. They may have fun. But...

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 NLT)   You’ve probably heard the old saying that a Bible that’s falling apart is usually the sign of a life that isn’t. I must admit that I like to see beat-up, marked-up Bibles that are coming apart, because it tells me that they’ve seen heavy use. Their pages are well-w...

“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.” (Psalm 119:1 NLT)   The psalmist wrote, “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord” (Psalm 119:1 NLT). That may come as quite a surprise to people who fail to see the connection between following instructions and joy. Many unbelievers—and believers—have...

“What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?” (Psalm 116:12 NLT)   A farmer who was known for his frugality owned a cow that gave birth to two calves. He said to his wife, “I’m going to dedicate one of these calves to the Lord.” Knowing his miserly ways, she was very surprised and asked which one he was planning to give to the Lord. “I haven&rsquo...

“Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.” (Psalm 107:8 NLT)   In the Old Testament we find an interesting story of how King Jehoshaphat took an uncommon approach when his enemies waged war against him. “After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him...

“So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it.” (Psalm 106:15 NLT)   The psalmist’s words in Psalm 106:15 remind us that prayer isn’t something to be taken lightly. Referring to God’s response to the complaints and cravings of the Israelites, who were freed from slavery in Egypt but then proved unfaithful in their trek to the Promised L...

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12 NLT)   Often, people’s reputations precede them. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Sports heroes and other celebrities are welcomed and celebrated in most places. Sometimes, however, it’s not such a good thing. If you’ve ever been in a social setting in which everyone suddenly...

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.   Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.” (Psalm 91:4–5 NLT)   I read a story about a farmer who watched in dismay as his farm burned to the ground. After the fire, he walked around the charred rubble...

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.   This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” (Psalm 91:1–2 NLT)   In the first two verses of Psalm 91, the psalmist provides some great insights into the person of God by using four different titles for the Almighty...

“My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!” (Psalm 57:7 NLT)   He came from the humblest of beginnings and rose to become the greatest king in Israel’s history. In battle, he was fearless. As a ruler, he was without peer. God once referred to him as a man after His own heart. I’m speaking, of course, of David: shephe...

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 NLT)   Love is not always a pretty or pleasant thing, especially in its earliest form. No matter how long you’ve been married, you probably still remember the first stirrings of love and passion that you felt for your spouse-to-be. You remember the feelings of butterflies in your stomach that s...

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:11 NLT)   It’s not unusual for sincere believers to have days of doubt, discouragement, and despair. Even the heroes of the faith struggled in these areas. Moses was handpicked by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery and to deliver the...

“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 36:7 NLT)   First Kings 18 tells the story of the prophet Elijah’s epic showdown with the prophets of Baal and Asherah. But before that decisive contest occurs in the chapter, we find a brief encounter between two of God’s servants that illustrates what real, di...

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8 NLT)   We need to remember that God’s will is good. It may not seem like it at times, but it is. His plan for us is good. However, He usually doesn’t give us a detailed blueprint. Usually, God reveals His will to us in bits and pieces. He sees the big picture, while we see...

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” (Psalm 32:1 NLT)   Without a doubt, one of the greatest blessings of the Christian life is that our God gives second chances. The apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). But even if we’ve failed miser...

“The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.” (Psalm 27:4 NLT)   It’s been said that the greatest danger in life is to permit the urgent things to crowd out the important things. You see, the rabbit holes in life can caus...