“David asked the soldiers standing nearby, ‘What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?’” (1 Samuel 17:26 NLT)

David may have thought to himself, “This is a joke. This guy can’t be serious!”

David was on an errand for his father, who had sent him to the front lines to deliver food to his brothers. He arrived to find Goliath bellowing from the valley, mocking the God of Israel, blaspheming his Lord that he loved so deeply.

Goliath was a gigantic Philistine—nine feet and six inches of solid muscle, covered in armor. Every day he would taunt the Israelites, shouting something to the effect of, “I’ll make you a deal. Send someone out to fight me. If he wins, we’ll be your servants. But if I win, you’ll be our servants. Any takers?”

No one wanted to go near him.

Meanwhile, there stood David. Though David was a musician, a poet, and a tenderhearted guy, he was also as tough as nails. When there were threats against his sheep, he took them on. He had killed a lion and a bear. He wasn’t afraid. And he wanted to know why someone wasn’t responding to Goliath’s challenge.

“David asked the soldiers standing nearby, ‘What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?’” (1 Samuel 17:26 NLT).

David wasn’t intimidated by this giant because David looked at things differently than everyone else. Everyone else saw a giant of a man and, apparently, a small God. David, however, saw a big God. That giant didn’t intimidate David the way he intimidated everyone else. And we know how that perspective paid off for David in the end.

Maybe you have a giant in your life that’s taunting you right now. Maybe it’s some kind of threat. Maybe it’s a habit or an addiction that has you in its grip. Maybe it’s a situation that needs to be dealt with once and for all. Or, in keeping with the theme of preparing for the Harvest Crusade next month, maybe your loved one does not have a personal relationship with Jesus. This giant, so to speak, seeks to control you. It seeks to hurt you. It seeks to torment you.

What should you do? Like David, you should see God for who He is and your giant for what it is. Align your perspective with spiritual reality. Nothing in your life is too big for God. Nothing is too complex for Him to solve. Nothing is beyond His experience or expertise. Call on the Lord and pray for His power. Pay attention to His prompts. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone in faith, to do the hard—but doable—things necessary. Attack your giant and see what God does in and through you.

Reflection question: How can you attack the most prominent giant in your life right now?

Harvest Crusade tickets are fully claimed—but it’s not too late to participate and witness what God does on July 11. Invite your loved ones to watch online with you and make sure you join the waitlist in case more tickets become available.

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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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“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” (Titus 3:4–7 NLT)

Self-righteous people don’t think they need forgiveness. Self-righteous people don’t think they need Jesus. A self-righteous person will say, “You go preach that gospel in the prisons and on the streets and to the criminals. But don’t bother with me. I’m an educated and intelligent person. I’m a moral person. I don’t need it.”

The Bible takes a different stance on the matter. The apostle Paul wrote,

“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” (Titus 3:4–7 NLT)

Self-righteous people are different from what I would call garden-variety sinners. Self-righteous people are kind people. They are considerate people. They volunteer and help wherever they’re needed. They do benevolent things. We all know people like this. In fact, I’ve met some non-Christians who are nicer than some Christians I know.

It isn’t wrong to say that there are some relatively “good” people from a worldly perspective, because there are. The Bible acknowledges that, in a human sense, some people appear more moral than others. But the Bible does say that no one is good enough to get to Heaven. We don’t get to Heaven based on niceness. Heaven is not a place for near-perfect people; it’s a place for forgiven people.

We see classic examples of this in John’s Gospel. In John 3, we’re introduced to Nicodemus, who was an upstanding, respected, religious, moral guy. In John 4, we’re introduced to a Samaritan woman, an immoral person who was living in sin. What do these two have in common? They both encountered Jesus. And they both were confronted with their need for Him.

Their encounters remind us that everyone needs Jesus—both the moral and the immoral, both the down-and-outer and the up-and-outer. That message is at the center of our Harvest Crusades. It’s why we do what we do.

Look around at the people in your life. Every one of them who hasn’t received Christ as Savior and Lord needs Him, whether they realize it or not. Your mission is to help them recognize that need and then lead them to the One who can fulfill it.

Will you accept that mission?

Reflection question: How can you convince an unbeliever of their need for Jesus?

Harvest Crusade tickets are fully claimed—but it’s not too late to participate and witness what God does on July 11. Invite your loved ones to watch online with you and make sure you join the waitlist in case more tickets become available.

—

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.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23 NLT)

Years ago, I was a guest on a morning television show. The host and I were having a nice chat when, near the end of the program, he dropped a bombshell. He said, “Greg, I have a question for you. You believe that most of the world is non-Christian and that because of that, they are going to burn in Hell for all eternity. What kind of loving God would ever create such a scenario? Is that like a petty boss that some people have created, not understanding God?”

I had about two minutes to respond to that question. But after the show ended and the cameras stopped rolling, our conversation continued. He went on to ask me about good people and how a God of love could allow them to face judgment.

I pointed out that we must define what “good” is. As humans, we have a sliding scale of good. Everyone seems to believe that they are good. They are always the moral center of their universe. They immediately give themselves a free pass and believe that other people aren’t as good as they are. The problem is that we have conflicting views regarding what is good.

So, how do we determine what good is? We all have the answer, and it’s found in the Bible. God says, “No one is righteous—not even one” (Romans 3:10 NLT). This doesn’t mean there aren’t good people in a broad sense; it means no one is good enough to get to Heaven on their own merit.

In the end, it’s not our standards of goodness that matter; it’s God’s. And, as the apostle Paul makes clear a few verses later in Romans 3, God’s threshold for goodness is much higher than ours. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (verse 23 NLT).

Our efforts to be “good enough” on our own don’t impress God. Isaiah 64:6 says, “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags” (NLT). Our good deeds can’t help us escape the judgment we deserve for our sin. Only God’s forgiveness can do that.

From an eternal perspective, being good isn’t about being the nicest person or the kindest person. It’s about being a forgiven person. That’s who will be in Heaven: forgiven people.

If you’ve always put your faith in your own goodness, now is the time to reevaluate. Consider the warnings of Scripture carefully. Admit that your best isn’t good enough. Confess your sins to God and ask for His forgiveness. Trust in the righteousness of Christ for your salvation.

If you’ve already done that, embark on your own personal mission to take the gospel message to the people around you. Help them understand why good isn’t good enough.

Reflection question: How would you respond to someone who believes that they’ll go to Heaven when they die because they’re a good person?

Harvest Crusade tickets are fully claimed—but it’s not too late to participate and witness what God does on July 11. Invite your loved ones to watch online with you and make sure you join the waitlist in case more tickets become available.

—

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.