The Power to Change - Greg Laurie Devotion - April 8, 2026

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“To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning,festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them,though they have been deserted for many generations.” (Isaiah 61:3–4 nlt)

Because Jesus lives, all those who follow Him are no longer slaves to sin. And that means we’re capable of an amazing transformation.

I’ve been astounded by the testimonies of certain people who tell me the way they used to be. I’ve looked at themand thought, “There’s no way they used to be that way,” because Jesus Christ has so radically changed them.

Isaiah 61:3–4 promises that God “will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning,festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations” (nlt).

For those who have made a mess of their life—a pile of ashes, so to speak—God says, “I will bring beauty.” Forthose who mourn because of the people they’ve wronged and the sins they’ve committed, God says, “I will bring joy out of it.”

Only God can take a tangled mess of a life and transform it so completely that you wouldn’t even recognize the person it used to be. The Bible offers several such examples.

Think of the demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes who met Jesus when He got out of the boat. Luke 8 says, “For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town. . . . Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power” (verses 27, 29 nlt). Moments later, “He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane” (verse 35 nlt).

Think of Saul, the zealous defender of the Jewish faith who terrorized the early Christians. After an encounter with the risen Christ, he became the apostle Paul. He was speaking from personal experience when he wrote, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 nlt).

Every such transformation gives hope to others who may still despair over the condition of their lives. If you cometo Christ and say, “Lord, here I am, forgive me of my sin,” He can transform you and change you. He can take yourmistakes and your sins, turn them around, and even use them for His glory. When you commit your life to Christ, puttingthe broken, stained, twisted pieces into His hand, He will transform it into a thing of beauty.

Reflection question: What evidence of transformation can you see in your life?

Copyright © 2026 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Sarayut

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
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.

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