Kerusso Daily Devotional

Carl loved working on his farm. He loved the solitude, and the sense of accomplishment. One day though, working alone, he was injured severely. In fact, if he didn’t get to the hospital, he would likely die. So, he got in his old pickup and took off. He pulled into the hospital parking lot and lost what little consciousness he had. Waking up 24 hours later after surgery, he realized he remembered...

Have you ever been fooled by someone? Doesn’t feel good, does it? But the absolute worst is when we fool ourselves. We try to manage some problem on our own, or analyze a situation gone awry. The Bible has a better way of thinking about it. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” We have to do two things here: give total control to God, an...

Gwen closed her eyes and didn’t dare to even breathe. Japanese troops were right outside her house, looking for her and other missionaries. It was World War 2, and American forces in the Philippines were nearby. Just when Gwen and her friends thought someone would throw open the trapdoor to their basement hiding place, loud voices began to get dimmer. The enemy troops were distracted, and they lef...

Do you find it hard to trust some people? Do you find it hard to trust…anyone? Our society is full to the brim of people who have been hurt, wounded, and devastated. It puts up a wall and we live behind it in silence and fear. After the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the people of that captive country were free for the first time to tell their stories. One woman said that she had been driven near...

When trouble is on the horizon, it can be hard to trust in God’s promises, and to believe He has a plan for us. The book of Judges in the Old Testament gives us an awesome example of trusting God in the story of Gideon. God called Gideon to lead Israel into battle with the Midianites, who had a sizable army of 135,000 men. Gideon gathered an army of 32,000 men to battle with the Midianites, but de...

A common theme today is that people are just tired of chaos—both public and private. It’s exhausting sometimes dealing with bad relationships. Global problems are with us every day. And we wonder when it will end. There is good news for you, though. Literally, Good News. 1 John 5:4 says, “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith....

Rebecca knew just what Craig needed when he lost his job. She knew he felt ashamed that his job performance was a major contributing factor. In other words, he had failed in front of people. The hurried goodbyes and awkward pats on the back actually sort of made Craig feel worse. He threw the small box with his personal belongings in the backseat and drove as fast as he could away from the scene....

One of the things that mark a healthy society is the consistency between generations. In other words, adults who care about the future of their children will invest the time to make sure tomorrow is bright. God the Father is the ultimate parent, and we would do well to model His love for us. Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never gi...

Today in America, two million men and women serve in our armed forces. More than 200,000 of them are deployed to various points around the world. Joshua 1:9 reminds us, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” The Lord has told us directly not to be afraid. We aren’t even to be discouraged...

For most of us, being humble is easier in theory than it is in practice.  Reaching out in Christian Love and kindness often means being a peacekeeper, and letting go of the need to be right or to win an argument. God wants us to walk with humility at work, on social media, and at home.  When we’re frustrated with someone across the table or online, considering the words and deeds of others through...

Since before the world was created, God has had a master plan to deliver people from evil. He cared for us so much that He was willing to endure pain to redeem us.  In Acts 14:20, we read about Jesus and the disciples preaching in a city called Derbe. It says that Jesus then was busy, strengthening the souls of His disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many...

Many times over the centuries, earnest Christians have run out into the world to aggressively and passionately share Jesus, and the world doesn’t always want to hear it.  John 15:19 says, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own and as it is you don’t belong to the world. But I have chosen you out of the world, and that is why the world hates you.”  And this is a hard truth. It’...

Charles Templeton was surging ahead in ministry. Converted at 21—by 1946 the Canadian evangelist founded Youth for Christ. Billy Graham was hired as the organization’s first full-time evangelist, and he and Templeton toured Europe together. A decade later, after a turn at Princeton Theological Seminary and after wrestling with doubt, Templeton began to identify as agnostic, and his world would nev...

There are different schools of thought about just how Christians should share their worldview in a world often at odds with God’s best. Some feel it’s best to jump into the deep end of the pool and look just like the world. Others view it very much the other way. Second Corinthians 6:17 says, “‘Come out from them and be separate,’ says the Lord.” Whole denominations have used this verse to encoura...

Sweat was pouring off Peter as he moved to protect Jesus. As Roman soldiers held the one who had been labeled a heretic, Peter drew a sword and cut off a soldier’s ear. And he was stunned when Jesus told him to put the sword away. You see Jesus knew infinitely more than Peter, or anyone else. He knew the end from the beginning, and He knew He had an agenda to see through to the end, and Peter coul...

There’s a reason the Bible uses so many metaphors. The wisdom God has for us lends itself well to short narratives, as we learn much from stories. A famous passage from Isaiah we’ve been discussing this week uses a powerful mental image to convey deep truths from God. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and no...

Does the future scare you? If it does, that’s understandable, from a human standpoint. After all, so much is unknown. And yet, God gave us His Word as a guidebook. The Bible tells us certain specific things that can bring us great comfort. Colossians 1:17 says, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” For the most part, we know the past. We are navigating through the present...

Part of God’s unchanging nature is that He is sovereign and does things His way. In Isaiah 55, we read that God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. In other words, He’s infinitely more powerful than we are, especially when it comes to perspective.  We read in the Old Testament that sometimes other nations mocked the Israelites when they were exiled from their homeland....

We often hear that it’s harder to raise kids today than ever before. That isn’t true, of course. All eras down through history have been challenging. We live in a world scarred by sin, after all, and children grow up among all sorts of temptations. That’s why the role of a parent is something to take seriously, as a sacred duty. We’ve been discussing the best practical guide for living: the Bible....

Truth makes an appearance in the Bible right at the start, and it sets the stage for everything that comes after it.  The opening scene, if you will, takes place in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve have been placed there in a perfect setting. No worries. Every need is taken care of. It’s hard to imagine that kind of harmony now, but it once existed…briefly. We’re told that a once beautiful being,...

We look for things and stuff to make us happy, don’t we? Especially in the United States, where we are blessed with abundance, people from all walks of life look for more and more. That can bring us to an empty place. Spiritually and emotionally…we begin to look in the wrong places. But as we’ve discussed this week, that spark of joy we look for can be found only in Jesus. Everything else is, yes,...

As humans, we tend to have a problem asking for help. I think we can chalk that up to our proud hearts. Often, when we are really up against it, that’s when we resist seeking help. Jesus does away with all that. Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Ask yourself: is my pride keeping me from asking for help? If so, mull tha...

It’s interesting to watch the outcomes of people who refuse to give in to fear. Many years ago, while America was going through a severe economic depression and a world war, President Roosevelt told Americans that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Those listening over the radio said later that they felt a great sense of relief just from his words! Psalm 23:4 tells us, “Yea, though I w...

Today, just stop and consider that we’re talking one-on-one. We’re just talking over coffee. Go with me here.  You seem like something is really getting to you. Are you about to give up on something important? If so, please listen—just for a couple of minutes. Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Let’s think boldly for a...

Humans were built for language and communication.  It’s one of the bits of creative genius God used when He formed His highest creation. And apart from regular communication, whether it’s the written word or verbal, we have a great gift from a loving God: prayer. Prayer is an intensely personal way to communicate with our Creator, the One who knows everything about us. Jeremiah 29:12 says, “Then y...