Daily Devotions with Greg Laurie – Wednesday,
8 January 2014 – “From Ordinary to Extraordinary”
The eyes of the Lord search the whole
earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.(2
Chronicles 16:9)
Before he became the great evangelist, D.
L. Moody had a conversation that deeply impacted him and would direct the
course of his life from that point on. Someone said to Moody, "You know,
the world has yet to see what God can do with and through the man who is
totally committed to Him." Those words went deep into Moody's heart, and
he prayed, Lord, I want to be that man. He sure came close.
The book of Acts is a story of ordinary
men and women who did extraordinary things because they allowed God to have His
way in their lives. In the same way, God wants to use you to turn your world
upside down for Christ. It starts with your saying, "Lord, I want to make
a difference. I don't want this world to turn me around. I want to turn it
around. Use me."
The world has yet to see what God can do
with and through the man or woman who is totally committed to Him. Will God
find such people today? I wonder if you would say, like Moody, "I want to
be that person." If you will, then your life can make a difference. It will
be exciting in the days ahead to see what God will do through and with you. But
He wants you to be available to Him.
One of these days, your life will come to
an end. What will you say about your life? What will others say? How great it
would be to say, like Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished
the race, and I have remained faithful" (2 Timothy 4:7, NLT).
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Today's Bible Reading:
Genesis Abraham and Sarah at Gerar
20: From there Abraham journeyed toward
the region of the Negeb, and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While residing in
Gerar as an alien, 2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” And
King Abimelech of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a
dream by night, and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman
whom you have taken; for she is a married woman.” 4 Now Abimelech had not
approached her; so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent people? 5 Did
he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my
brother.’ I did this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my
hands.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in
the integrity of your heart; furthermore it was I who kept you from sinning
against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man’s
wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if
you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all that are
yours.”
8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning,
and called all his servants and told them all these things; and the men were
very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have
you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such great
guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that ought not to be
done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What were you thinking of, that you
did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, There is no fear
of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12 Besides,
she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my
mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my
father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every
place to which we come, say of me, He is my brother.’” 14 Then Abimelech took
sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham, and
restored his wife Sarah to him. 15 Abimelech said, “My land is before you;
settle where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your
brother a thousand pieces of silver; it is your exoneration before all who are
with you; you are completely vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God; and
God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they
bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the house of
Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
The Birth of Isaac
21: The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had
said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. 2 Sarah conceived and bore
Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3
Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. 4 And Abraham
circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Now
Sarah said, “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh
with me.” 7 And she said, “Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would
nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
8 The child grew, and was weaned; and
Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw
the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her
son Isaac.[a] 10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her
son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son
Isaac.” 11 The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. 12
But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because
of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is
through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. 13 As for the son of the
slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.”
14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water,
and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and
sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
15 When the water in the skin was gone,
she cast the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down
opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Do
not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she
lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy; and the
angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you,
Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18
Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great
nation of him.” 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She
went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
20 God was with the boy, and he grew up;
he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in
the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of
Egypt.
Abraham and Abimelech Make a Covenant
22 At that time Abimelech, with Phicol
the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you
do; 23 now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely
with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but as I have dealt loyally
with you, you will deal with me and with the land where you have resided as an
alien.” 24 And Abraham said, “I swear it.”
25 When Abraham complained to Abimelech
about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized, 26 Abimelech said,
“I do not know who has done this; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of
it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech,
and the two men made a covenant. 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the
flock. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven
ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 30 He said, “These seven ewe lambs you
shall accept from my hand, in order that you may be a witness for me that I dug
this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba;[b] because there
both of them swore an oath. 32 When they had made a covenant at Beer-sheba,
Abimelech, with Phicol the commander of his army, left and returned to the land
of the Philistines. 33 Abraham[c] planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and
called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.[d] 34 And Abraham
resided as an alien many days in the land of the Philistines.
The Command to Sacrifice Isaac
22: After these things God tested
Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take
your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and
offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show
you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two
of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt
offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown
him. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5 Then
Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will
go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham
took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he
himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt
offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
9 When they came to the place that God
had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He
bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then
Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill[e] his son. 11 But the
angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And
he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do
anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld
your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham looked up and saw a ram,
caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it
up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place “The
Lord will provide”;[f] as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it
shall be provided.”[g]
15 The angel of the Lord called to
Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, says
the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only
son, 17 I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as
the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring
shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18 and by your offspring shall all the
nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my
voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went
together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham lived at Beer-sheba.
The Children of Nahor
20 Now after these things it was told
Abraham, “Milcah also has borne children, to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the
firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo,
Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These
eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine,
whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Footnotes:
a. Genesis 21:9 Gk Vg: Heb lacks with her
son Isaac
b. Genesis 21:31 That is Well of seven or
Well of the oath
c. Genesis 21:33 Heb He
d. Genesis 21:33 Or the Lord, El Olam
e. Genesis 22:10 Or to slaughter
f. Genesis 22:14 Or will see; Heb
traditionally transliterated Jehovah Jireh
g. Genesis 22:14 Or he shall be seen
Luke Some Women Accompany Jesus
8: Soon afterwards he went on through
cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of
God. The twelve were with him, 2 as well as some women who had been cured of
evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons
had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and
many others, who provided for them[a] out of their resources.
The Parable of the Sower
4 When a great crowd gathered and people
from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: 5 “A sower went out to
sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and
the birds of the air ate it up. 6 Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it
withered for lack of moisture. 7 Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew
with it and choked it. 8 Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it
produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone with ears
to hear listen!”
The Purpose of the Parables
9 Then his disciples asked him what this
parable meant. 10 He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets[b] of
the kingdom of God; but to others I speak[c] in parables, so that
‘looking they may not perceive,
and listening they may not understand.’
The Parable of the Sower Explained
11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is
the word of God. 12 The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the
devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not
believe and be saved. 13 The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the
word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a
while and in a time of testing fall away. 14 As for what fell among the thorns,
these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by
the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15
But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the
word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient
endurance.
A Lamp under a Jar
16 “No one after lighting a lamp hides it
under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those
who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be
disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light.
18 Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be
given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be
taken away.”
The True Kindred of Jesus
19 Then his mother and his brothers came
to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told,
“Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21
But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of
God and do it.”
Jesus Calms a Storm
22 One day he got into a boat with his
disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the
lake.” So they put out, 23 and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A
windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they
were in danger. 24 They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master,
we are perishing!” And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves;
they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that
he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”
Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac
26 Then they arrived at the country of
the Gerasenes,[d] which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a
man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn[e] no
clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus,
he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to
do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”— 29
for Jesus[f] had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many
times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and
shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the
wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for
many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back
into the abyss.
32 Now there on the hillside a large herd
of swine was feeding; and the demons[g] begged Jesus[h] to let them enter
these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and
entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and
was drowned.
34 When the swineherds saw what had
happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then
people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they
found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it
told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then
all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes[i] asked Jesus[j] to
leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and
returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with
him; but Jesus[k] sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare
how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the
city how much Jesus had done for him.
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman
Healed
40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd
welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41 Just then there came a man
named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him
to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old,
who was dying.
As he went, the crowds pressed in on him.
43 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve
years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians,[l] no one could cure
her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and
immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 45 Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When
all denied it, Peter[m] said, “Master, the crowds surround you and press in on
you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone
out from me.” 47 When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came
trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the
people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 He
said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
49 While he was still speaking, someone
came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the
teacher any longer.” 50 When Jesus heard this, he replied, “Do not fear. Only
believe, and she will be saved.” 51 When he came to the house, he did not allow
anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father
and mother. 52 They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, “Do not
weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53 And they laughed at him, knowing
that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get
up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to
give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them
to tell no one what had happened.
Footnotes:
a. Luke 8:3 Other ancient authorities
read him
b. Luke 8:10 Or mysteries
c. Luke 8:10 Gk lacks I speak
d. Luke 8:26 Other ancient authorities
read Gadarenes; others, Gergesenes
e. Luke 8:27 Other ancient authorities
read a man of the city who had had demons for a long time met him. He wore
f. Luke 8:29 Gk he
g. Luke 8:32 Gk they
h. Luke 8:32 Gk him
i. Luke 8:37 Other ancient authorities
read Gadarenes; others, Gergesenes
j. Luke 8:37 Gk him
k. Luke 8:38 Gk he
l. Luke 8:43 Other ancient authorities
lack and though she had spent all she had on physicians
m. Luke 8:45 Other ancient authorities
add and those who were with him
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Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie
P.O. Box 4000
Riverside, CA 92514-4000 United States
Phone: 1(800)821-3300
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