“The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.” (1 Kings 17:6 NLT)

When the Bible says that ravens brought Elijah food each morning and evening, it doesn’t mean that they took his order, flew through the local fast-food restaurant, and then delivered his meal. Ravens are scavengers. They brought little bits of meat and bread to Elijah. What’s more, the water in the brook from which he drank would have been somewhat polluted. So, Elijah didn’t enjoy an idyllic situation by any stretch of the imagination.

How easily Elijah could have said, “Well, Lord, I don’t really want to be in this crummy little place, drinking river water. I kind of like being in front of people. I like the limelight.” But the Lord was preparing Elijah for something beyond his wildest dreams. Not long after his sojourn by the brook, Elijah found himself standing on Mount Carmel, engaged in a great showdown with the false prophets of Baal (see 1 Kings 18:20–40).

Sometimes we don’t like where God has put us. We say, “Lord, I don’t like this situation. I don’t like where I am. I want to do something great for You. I want to make a difference in my world.” Maybe the Lord wants you to be effective right where you are. Maybe He wants you to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you and be faithful in the little things. Who knows what God has in store for you?

One theme that works its way through Scripture is that God’s people are blessed when they trust in His timing and plan. The author of Proverbs advised, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5–6 NLT).

God Himself said, “Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28–31 NLT).

The apostle Paul offered this reminder: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT).

And the author of Ecclesiastes wrote, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT).

If God has you by some muddy little brook, so to speak, just hang in there. Make the most of the season you’re in. Be faithful, do what He has already told you, and wait on Him and His timing. God will do something wonderful for you or with you. Just be available and open to do what He would have you do.

Reflection question: How can you thrive in the place you are right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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“And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.” (James 1:13–14 NLT)

We all know what it’s like to be tempted. But where does temptation come from? It does not come from God. James 1:13–14 says, “And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away” (NLT). We play a key role in our own temptation.

It’s like the scorpion who wanted to cross a pond. Scorpions can’t swim, of course, so he needed a ride. He walked up to a rather unsuspecting turtle and said, “I was wondering if you might give me a lift across this little pond.”

The turtle said, “Are you joking? You will sting me, and we’ll both drown.”

The scorpion said, “My dear turtle, if I were to sting you, I would go down with you. Where would the logic be in that?”

As they made their way across the little pond, however, the scorpion pulled out his stinger and gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle turned to the scorpion and said, “There was no logic in stinging me. Why in the world did you do it?”

The scorpion replied, “It has nothing to do with logic. It’s just my nature.”

This is a good point for Christians to remember. When we give in to temptation, it has nothing to do with logic. It’s just our nature. We like to say, “The devil made me do it,” or “Circumstances overwhelmed me,” or “I couldn’t control myself.” But in reality, it’s just our sinful nature.

Let’s be clear here. We don’t have to give in to our old nature. The only power it has over us is the power we give it.

The apostle Paul wrote, “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin” (Romans 6:6–7 NLT).

We have everything we need to resist our old nature. We can turn to God for help. We can find comfort, strength, wisdom, and encouragement in His Word. We can talk to other believers. If we ignore these resources, we give our old nature a foothold in our lives.

God’s Word urges us to be strong and steadfast. To opt for something better when our old nature rears its head. As Paul wrote, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:14 NIV).

Reflection question: How do you resist the pull of your old nature? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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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

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“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:7–10 NLT)

A successful building contractor called in one of his employees, a skilled carpenter, and told him that he was putting him in charge of the next house the company was building. He instructed the carpenter to order all the materials and oversee the entire process from the ground up. The carpenter excitedly accepted his assignment. It was his first opportunity to oversee an entire building project. He studied the blueprints and checked every measurement.

Then he thought, “If I’m really in charge, why can’t I cut a few corners, use less expensive materials, and put the extra money in my pocket? Who would know the difference? After we paint the place, no one would be able to tell.”

The carpenter set about with his scheme. He used second-grade lumber and ordered inexpensive concrete for the foundation. He put in cheap wiring. He cut every corner he possibly could but reported the use of higher-quality building materials.

When the home was completed, he asked his boss to come and see it. His boss looked it over and said, “This is incredible. You did a fantastic job. You have been such a good and faithful worker and have been so honest all these years that I am showing my gratitude by giving you this house.”

We will reap what we sow. Just as we can’t plant weeds and reap flowers, we can’t sin and reap righteousness. There are reactions to our actions.

The apostle warned, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith” (Galatians 6:7–10 NLT).

Every day, we either live to please the Spirit or live to satisfy our sinful nature. The seeds we plant determine the results we get. What kind of seeds will you sow today?

Reflection question: What does living to please the Spirit look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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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.