“Then he told John’s disciples, ‘Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.’ And he added, ‘God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.’” (Luke 7:22–23 NLT)

*Enjoying Pastor Greg's devotional podcast? Let us know what you think with this quick survey!*

John the Baptist was a forerunner of Jesus. He prepared people for Jesus’ arrival. He also confronted Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for his immorality. That landed John in prison, where he began to struggle with his faith. Specifically, John began to doubt who Jesus was. Like many people of that time, John probably thought Jesus, the Messiah, was going to overthrow the Roman government and establish His kingdom immediately. When no such thing happened, John’s doubt got the better of him. He sent a message to Jesus, asking, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Luke 7:20 NLT). John’s faith didn’t falter because God had failed him. He doubted because he failed to understand God’s purpose and plan.

Many believers today struggle for the same reason. Our faith falters not because God has been inconsistent or unfaithful, or because God has broken His promises. We experience lapses of faith because we have a false perception of what God is supposed to accomplish. Our expectations of Him are built on misconceptions and misguided thinking. We offer our prayers to Him and expect Him to answer with exact precision. And when God doesn’t come through like we asked Him to, we—like John—may start to doubt who God is.

This is especially true if you’re experiencing—or want to experience—a rejuvenation in your relationship with Christ. If the devil starts to see spiritual embers catching fire in your life, he will do his best to extinguish them. One of his most effective strategies is to throw the cold water of doubt on them.

John the Baptist made a spiritual mistake by not fully recognizing or understanding God’s will. But even in the depths of his doubt, he did something very, very wise: He looked to Jesus for an answer. He didn’t try to sugarcoat his struggle. He asked Jesus point-blank, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Luke 7:20 NLT).

Look closely at Jesus’ reply in Luke 7:22–23 above. He wasn’t offended by John’s question. He didn’t condemn John for his lapse in faith. And He didn’t say, “Just believe—or else!” Instead, He pointed to verifiable evidence: “The blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life” (Luke 7:22 NLT). Jesus didn’t give John a reprimand for his doubt; He gave him the hope and assurance he needed.

If you struggle with a lapse of faith as John the Baptist did, don’t despair. Rethink your expectations. Take your doubts straight to Jesus. Ask Him to help you understand His purpose and His plan. When you open your heart to His truth, you’ll find that it far exceeds your greatest hopes and dreams.

Reflection question: In what areas and in what situations are you most vulnerable to spiritual doubts? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (Romans 5:1–2 NLT)

*Enjoying Pastor Greg's devotional podcast? Let us know what you think with this quick survey!*

When we come to Christ, He not only forgives us of our sin, but He also justifies us. The apostle Paul explained justification in his letter to the Romans: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1 NLT).

Salvation has to do with what takes place in believers’ hearts, but justification has to do with our standing before God. In salvation, God gives us new life, but justification goes beyond that. When God justifies us, He declares us righteous in His sight. “Just-as-if-I’d never sinned” is one way the word justified has been explained. God not only forgives us, but He sees us as if we had never sinned. He removes our sin, and in its position, He places the perfect righteousness of Christ.

That’s a difficult concept for a lot of people to grasp. Our human instinct is to remember those who wronged us. We elevate holding grudges to an art form. We like to throw around phrases like, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

The Bible makes it clear, though, that God has a different way of looking at things. As far as He’s concerned, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross—the blood He shed there—covers our sins. The apostle John put it this way: “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 NLT). The author of Hebrews wrote, “For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT). And the apostle Paul wrote, “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them” (Romans 4:7–8 NIV).

When God looks at believers, He doesn’t see people who have failed Him time and time again. Instead, He sees His Son. And He made His feelings about His Son quite clear in Matthew 3:17: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (NIV).

Sometimes we allow our sins to linger in our consciousness long after they’ve been forgiven. They live rent-free in our heads, messing with our self-esteem. In extreme cases, they can play havoc with our spiritual and emotional health. That’s why it’s important to see ourselves as God sees us.

Imagine that your checking account is overdrawn, and you owe your bank thousands of dollars. Not knowing what else to do, you go to the ATM, enter your PIN, and discover that you have a balance of five million dollars. Best of all, it’s a legitimate transaction! You did nothing to earn it, but the windfall is yours.

God has done something much more meaningful for those who believe in Christ. He has given us righteousness. He has made us justified.

Reflection question: How would you explain justification to someone who’s struggling with guilt? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5 NIV)

*Enjoying Pastor Greg's devotional podcast? Let us know what you think with this quick survey!*

From the day that we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, everything changes for us. Gone is that ever-present guilt that used to nag us day and night. There is no longer an empty hole deep inside of our soul. In the place of those things, God gives us what the apostle Paul referred to as His “peace, which exceeds anything we can understand” (Philippians 4:7 NLT). God places a new joy in our hearts and gives us the hope of Heaven when we die.

But when we commit our lives to Christ, we also gain enemies. That’s what David was talking about when he wrote, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5 NIV). These enemies want to weaken our commitment to Christ and throw up obstacles to our spiritual growth.

The three primary enemies Christians face are the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world is the external enemy. It entices us with temptations, diversions, and false teachings. It points us down paths where God doesn’t want us to go. The flesh is the internal enemy. It plays on our weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and appetites. It tries to convince us that satisfying our own needs and wants should be our highest priority. The devil, who works in and through the world and the flesh, is the infernal enemy.

The apostle Peter warned, “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). Jesus said the devil “was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 NLT).

This unholy trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil creates a powerful opposition, especially for new believers. The best strategy to combat it is to nurture an intimate relationship with the Lord, whom David describes as a shepherd in Psalm 23, as we sit at His table. We do that by studying God’s Word, where we find His promises, His wisdom, His will for our lives, and His guidance. And we do it by talking and listening to Him in prayer, keeping the lines of communication open at all times.

When we sit at the table of the Lord, we’re satisfied because we know that everything we need is there. We don’t hunger for anything else. I’m not saying that we’ll become temptation-proof. What I am saying is that we won’t be as drawn to temptation as we once were. We’ll see the diversions of the world, the appetites of the flesh, and the schemes of the devil for what they really are: dead ends, worthless enticements, and cheap imitations of the truth.

The Lord has set a table before us. We have no reason to fear our enemies.

Reflection question: What would sitting at the Lord’s table look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.