How Real Change Happens - Greg Laurie Daily Devotion - November 27, 2020
Friday, November 27, 2020
How Real Change Happens
“And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 nlt).
I’ve noticed that a lot of people treat their dogs as though they were humans. They dress them up in humiliating outfits. They buy food for them that looks like people food because they think their dogs will actually appreciate that. And worst of all, they push their dogs around in strollers.
The reality is that a dog would prefer to just do what dogs do, like eat roadkill, drink toilet water, and chase cats. That’s because you can’t change the nature of an animal. The Bible even says, “Can a leopard take away its spots?” (Jeremiah 13:23 nlt).
That brings us to a question: Can people change, or are we just victims of fate?
I think people can change. But we can’t change ourselves any more than a drowning man can save himself.
Sometimes, however, we think that if we change the outside, it will be different on the inside. Or if we lived in a new place, our lives would be better. Or if we made some new friends, we’d be better people.
But those things won’t change who we are on the inside.
Maybe you’ve tried to break free from the power of alcohol or turn away from a lifestyle of drugs. Maybe you’ve tried to live a sexually pure life. And maybe you’ve tried to be a better person. But none of it has really worked.
That’s because the problem is within. Some people say the answer is within, but actually the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.
The Bible tells us that the heart (that is, who we are on the inside) is “the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9 nlt).
But the good news is that God can change you on the inside. God can change your heart.
Copyright © 2020 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com and weekly podcast on LifeAudio.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
In thanks for your gift, you can receive a copy of As It Is In Heaven by Greg Laurie
What is Heaven like? Who will be there? What will we do in Heaven? Can people in Heaven see us here on Earth? Will we know each other in Heaven? These questions and many more are answered by Pastor Greg Laurie in an insightful and inspiring new book. As It Is in Heaven will be sent to you in thanks for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month. Get your copy of As It Is in Heaven when you make a gift to Harvest Ministries today!
