Don’t Forget - Greg Laurie Devotion - July 20, 2026
Monday, July 20, 2026
Don’t Forget
“What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12 nlt)
A few decades ago, the 75th anniversary issue of Forbes magazine featured a theme that still resonates today: “Why do we feel so bad when we have it so good?” The magazine noted that most Americans live better than almost any other people on the planet, yet many people in our culture struggle with depression and an unfavorable outlook on life.
Editor James Michaels wrote, “Why is this nation that marched so proudly into the 20th century slouching so dejectedly toward the third millennium?” The article went on to cite the alarming loss of values, absolutes, and meaning in contemporary life.
What’s gone wrong? The person on the lowest rung of the economic ladder in America still has it better than most other people in the world today. We enjoy things that citizens of other countries can only dream about, yet we still have a sense of emptiness. Why?
I think Abraham Lincoln answered that question well when he said, “We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.”
President Lincoln was right. We have forgotten God. And it’s even truer today than it was when he made that proclamation in 1863. We’ve tried to push God out of the courtroom, out of the classroom, and, for all practical purposes, out of our culture. As a result, we’ve lost the joy, fulfillment, and sense of purpose that come from remembering, celebrating, and obeying our heavenly Father.
The psalmist wrote, “What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance” (Psalm 33:12 nlt). The flip side of that would be, “What misery for the nation whose God is not the Lord, whose people have rejected His inheritance.” And that’s where we find ourselves today.
Will good ever prevail over evil? Or are we simply doomed to failure? The answer to America’s problems isn’t political; it’s spiritual. We need to turn back to God. We need to take Him at His Word. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Lord said, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (nlt).
Therefore, it is my belief that our country has two choices before it. One is judgment. The apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7 nkjv). That goes for nations as well.
The other option is the one we’ve been focusing on this month: a spiritual awakening or revival. And that’s what we need to pray for today in the United States of America.
Reflection question: What can you do to remember God more often in your daily life?
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Greg Laurie is the pastor and founder of the Harvest churches in California and Hawaii and of Harvest Crusades. He is an evangelist, best-selling author, and movie producer. His latest film ‘Jesus Revolution,’ from Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company, is now available on-demand worldwide.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
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Long before America became a nation, a young evangelist named George Whitefield stood in open fields and town squares proclaiming a bold message: You must be born again. His preaching helped spark the First Great Awakening and shaped the spiritual foundation of a generation.
The powerful new film A Great Awakening brings this remarkable true story to life with compelling performances, rich historical detail, and a timely reminder of what God can do when people respond to the gospel.
Request your copy this month with your gift to Harvest Ministries.
