“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 even the most spiritual people to have days of doubt. Moses, on one occasion at least, was overwhelmed by his circumstances. After he had listened to the constant complaining of the children of Israel, he said to the Lord, “I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” (Numbers 11:14–15 NLT).

Elijah, after his contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, heard that Jezebel had put a contract out on his life. He was overwhelmed by his circumstances, discouraged, uncertain, and filled with doubt. First Kings 19:3–4 says, “Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died’” (NLT).

The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah struggled occasionally, too. He was ridiculed and harassed for sharing the Word of God—so much so that he wanted to stop. He prayed, “O Lord, you misled me, and I allowed myself to be misled. You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked every day; everyone laughs at me. When I speak, the words burst out. ‘Violence and destruction!’ I shout. So these messages from the Lord have made me a household joke. But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!” (Jeremiah 20:7–9 NLT).

Even the great apostle Paul had moments when he was discouraged. He wrote to the church at Corinth, “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it” (2 Corinthians 1:8 NLT).

So, if you struggle with doubt, uncertainty, anxiety, or depression, you’re in good company. And, like the heroes of the faith, you need to be reminded that we can’t always see the big picture of God’s plan. But we can echo the words of the psalmist who said, “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).

Remember: We can always trust God’s heart, even when we can’t trace His path.

Reflection question: How will you respond when doubt, anxiety, or depression threaten to overwhelm you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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“Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us, ‘Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.’” (Romans 4:1–3 NLT)

The Bible doesn’t teach that if you’re a Christian, you’ll never stumble or periodically fall short. But it does teach that if you’re a true believer, when you’ve had a lapse or a stumble, you will always get up and move forward. That’s the way to determine whether a person is really a believer or not.

When God came to Abraham in Ur and told him to break away from his family, Abraham basically refused and didn’t go for years. Even after he left, he only partially obeyed God by dragging his nephew Lot along. This only resulted in more friction down the road, when he and Lot eventually parted company.

Abraham told his beautiful wife, Sarah, to say that she was his sister because he was afraid someone would kill him if they realized he was indeed her husband. He did that on two occasions.

After God promised him a son—an heir to continue his lineage—Abraham tried to force the Lord’s hand by fathering a child with Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar. That decision resulted in immeasurable heartache and strife.

These were just a few of the lapses of faith and acts of disobedience that marked Abraham’s life. It’s important to note, however, that although Abraham deviated from God’s path on occasion, he always came back. He never drifted too far from the One who made a covenant with him. That’s why the apostle Paul wrote, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith” (Romans 4:3 NLT).

No stumble is too great, no fall is too steep, to recover from. First John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (NLT). Acts 3:19 says, “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away” (NLT). When you turn to God and away from the sin that caused you to stumble, you regain your forward momentum on the right path, just as Abraham did time and time again.

If a person says he or she is a believer and falls away and never comes back, then that person is not a believer. The apostle John put it this way: “When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us” (1 John 2:19 NLT). But if a person is a true believer, then he or she will be miserable in sin and eventually will beat a quick path back to the cross of Calvary.

Reflection question: What does moving forward after a spiritual fall look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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.

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“One day David asked, ‘Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” (2 Samuel 9:1 NLT)

Mephibosheth was only five years old when his father, Jonathan, and his grandfather, Saul, were killed on the battlefield. Imagine, if you will, life as he had known it up to that point. The privilege and potential of his pampered life as a prince could not have prepared him for the hard life he would face in the future. Mephibosheth enjoyed life in the palace as a young prince, with people waiting on him hand and foot. He enjoyed the further blessing of being raised by his godly father, Jonathan. Life was good for this young boy.

But there were dark clouds gathering in his world. In one moment, through no fault of his own, his entire life would change forever. His father, Jonathan, anticipated that things were going to change. That’s why he persuaded David to make an agreement to look out for his descendants after he was gone. He made David promise to show kindness to his family forever. David willingly made that promise, and he kept it.

When news hit the palace that Saul and Jonathan had been killed on the battlefield, the nurse who was caring for Mephibosheth, in her frenzied state, dropped the little boy on the ground. As a result, he was crippled for life.

Perhaps you’ve gone through hardships in your childhood. Maybe something traumatic has happened to you. Maybe you’ve been dropped in life, so to speak. Maybe you wonder if anything good can come out of your life. The answer is a resounding yes—thanks to God’s love, compassion, and mercy.

Mephibosheth was dropped in life, but God intervened. In fact, God specializes in taking people who have been dropped and picking them up again. God prompted David to ask, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1 NLT).

And when David learned of Mephibosheth’s plight, he showed extraordinary kindness to the man who had suffered so much. Not only did David make sure that Mephibosheth was cared for and provided for, but he also made sure that his life had purpose and meaning. He gave Mephibosheth the land and servants of his grandfather. He invited Mephibosheth to dine at his table. Through David, God picked up the one who had been dropped. And if you’ve been dropped, God will do the same for you.

This story from 2 Samuel 9 offers comfort to those in need. But it also presents a challenge and opportunity to God’s people. Though we aren’t bound by a promise as David was, we have a responsibility to reach out to people in need. We have the opportunity to be instruments of God’s love and compassion to lift those who have been dropped.

Reflection question: What would caring for someone who’s been “dropped” look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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.