Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

“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?’” (Genesis 3:1 NLT)   Shortly before he died, the comedian W. C. Fields was spotted flipping through the pages of a Bible. When someone asked what he was doing, Fields replied, &ldq...

“But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14 NLT)   When I was a kid, I collected snakes. I’m not sure why, but I used to be fascinated by them. I had all kinds. I would read books about snakes. I would go out looking for snakes and bring them home. I was bitten many times. I discovered that you never really know what a sn...

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)   The Bible doesn’t tell us how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden before temptation reared its head. The devil certainly had heard God’s warning to Adam: “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the gard...

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)   One of the most jaw-dropping passages in all of Scripture is found in Hebrews 4:16: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us...

“Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, ‘It has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night.’” (Revelation 12:10 NLT)   Victor Hugo, the author of Les Misérab...

“Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” (Revelation 12:12 NLT)   Imagine a life with no opposition—where everyone wants what’s best for you, where people celebrate your strengths instead of looking for you...

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12 NLT)   When you’ve had an encounter with death—a near-death experience of your own or the sudden passing of a loved one—it inevitably leads to a few essential questions: “What is life all about, anyway? Why am I alive, and what am I really living for?” In other word...

“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.’” (2 Peter 3:3–4 NLT)   No mini-set of devotio...

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.   Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT)   Worry is an obstruction that keeps us from seeing the brigh...

“Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.” (1 Samuel 2:3 NLT)   Long ago, when prognosticators and science fiction writers envisioned life in the twenty-first century, few anticipated the outsize role that a culture-wide sense of entitlement would play. And by...

“‘I have made no trouble for Israel,’ Elijah replied. ‘You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.’” (1 Kings 18:18 NLT)   In yesterday’s devotion, we talked about the impossibility of knowing what lies ahead and the importance of trusting an...

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)   In this week’s devotions, we’re going to be talking about the future. We’re not necessarily going to focus on specific events in the future, but rather on how Christians should...

“Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we wi...

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:2 NLT)   When I was in high school, I went out for track and field. I was a fairly decent short-distance runner, but I was horr...

“So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: ‘Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.’” (Hebrews 4:7 NLT)   An attorney was trying to deliver an important paper to a man who was determined to avoid him. The man reasoned that the attorney had some t...

“Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” (Hebrews 1:14 NLT)   Movies such as It’s a Wonderful Life , The Bishop’s Wife , and Angels in the Outfield have led many people to wonder whether angels really play a role in the lives of people here on earth. According to Scripture, if those people are Christians, t...

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)   A professional concert violinist once was asked about the secret to her amazing performances. She replied, &ld...

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)   In this week’s devotions, we’ll focus on the New Testament book of Hebrews. Today’s passage contains some crucial wisdom regarding faith, but first we need a biblical definition of...

“The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, ‘Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire f...

“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 NLT)   Several years ago, I was talking with a young woman in a wheelchair and her friend after church. The young woman had a severe disability. As we talked, I asked her, “How are you doing?” “I&r...

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25 NLT)   There is a story of an infamous pirate named Juan Carlos was rumored to have buried an enormous treasure in a location only he knew. One day a man approached Juan Carlos in Mexico, pushed him to the ground, and said, “Tell me where all your money is buried, or I will ki...

“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)   Many 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....

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:3–4 NLT)   There’s an old saying that goes, “You wouldn’t worry so much about what other people thought of you if you knew how infrequ...

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT)   The Bible is full of amazing truths. In this week’s devotions, we’re going to focus on six specific truths and what they mean for us. The first amazing truth is this: God can use you in a profoundly impactful way. I remember when, as a young Christian, I would...

“Then the Lord said to Elijah,  ‘ Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River.   Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.’” (1 Kings 17:2–4 NLT)   King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were among the most wicked rulers in Israel’s history. Not only did t...