Kerusso Daily Devotional

Standing in the door of the plane, with a fierce wind whipping his whole body, Curtis wondered why he’d volunteered for the paratroopers.  It was glamorous, they said. It’ll make a man out of you, they said. Shutting his eyes, Curtis prayed the most honest prayer of his life. He stretched out his hands and took a step... Lamentations 3:25–26 says, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, t...

When you’re having a bad day, a run-in with an immensely cheerful person doesn’t always turn that frown upside down. Does it? Commiserating with someone else, though—a word literally defined by two or more people wallowing in misery together—that can be a balm to an anxious and worried mind. Sometimes. The relief, though, is temporary.  Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,...

Since prayer is, by nature, personal, we often want to know how things are going to turn out, even before we start praying. We wonder if God will actually answer our prayer. Maybe not as dramatic as some stories, but still if we’re honest, we would like an answer to our prayer. Why else ask?  Luke 18:1 says, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not...

Most people at one time or another wonder who they should address when starting a prayer. The Christian concept of the Trinity has caused people to hesitate to pray. It’s like, “Who do I pray to?” Luke 6:12 says, “One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” Interestingly, when Jesus prayed, as recorded in the Bible, He prayed to His Father. Thi...

Have you ever felt without hope? It’s a pretty desperate place to be. It’s been said that hope is the one thing a human being can’t be without. Beth was once accused of some pretty terrible things. She wasn’t guilty of any of them, but it took two years and serious legal hurdles to clear her name. Her future was uncertain. In the end, she told reporters that her best ally was the Lord. Her story w...

Have you ever had a power outage and pulled out your favorite flashlight, only to discover the batteries are dead? Bummer, am I right? How about light bulbs? For some reason, they all seem to go at the same time, leaving you in the shadows and looking for that flashlight — you know, the one with the dead batteries! Light bulbs burn out, tires go flat, umbrellas turn inside out on a windy day, and...

Noah was far from perfect, but he was a humble man, and protective of his family. He stands out among fathers in the Bible as a man who remained loyal to God, in spite of the wickedness of the world around him. Doesn’t that sound a lot like life today? Fathers who choose to follow a life of faith are surrounded by temptation and downright evil in this world, but God is pleased by our devotion, and...

One of the biggest criticisms of those who follow Jesus Christ is that such a model is very exclusive. In other words, it seems on the surface that Jesus leaves some people out of the salvation plan, because He says that He is the only way to God. But what is He really telling us? John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through m...

Who is the most loyal person you’ve ever known? A parent? Spouse? Friend? Truthfully, we all crave loyalty. It gives us a sense of safety. We feel that if there is some loyalty in our world, it’s like a warm blanket on a cold night. Life seems less scary. As we discuss the role of Jesus in our personal stories, it is good to remind ourselves often of ultimate loyalty. In turn, it encourages us to...

Do you tend to be a fair-weather friend? Do you stay strong when times are good, but run away if things are difficult? Nothing will ruin a relationship more than that. Let’s be honest here: There is someone in your life who needs your help and strength. Maybe you need to step it up in that area. Jesus is a perfect example of loyalty to others; by following His lead, we can learn what genuine loyal...

The story of the Prodigal Son is one we can all relate to. The Bible tells the story of a brash young man who leaves his home after asking for his inheritance. His loving father complies, and let’s just say the son learns some valuable lessons on his travels. Eventually, he humbles himself and comes home; he needs his father and his family. It’s really a story of Jesus and us. Matthew 7:7 says, “A...

Who likes to wait for what we need or want? Basically, nobody. Of those nine elements that make up the Fruit of the Spirit, patience may be the hardest. Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” And patience is learned, which makes it one of the sweetest fruits the Spirit gives us. Waiting for a “payoff” of some kind makes the end result that much mor...

Usually, when we’re looking for some kind of emotional lifeline to get us through the day, we only want to know what God can do for us. How do we get that peace of mind we desperately need? One component is obedience. At first, this sounds like a test that’s too hard. We need relief right now! Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of you...

Have you ever been downright stuck in a difficult situation? Maybe you’ve held a job with a colleague or supervisor you didn’t see eye to eye with, and other career opportunities were scarce. Maybe you’ve been halfway through the semester and realized you’re headed for a poor grade, but it’s too late to drop the class. Maybe you’ve struggled in a relationship with a spouse or close family member,...

Carissa was having one of those days. Instead of hitting the snooze button on her alarm clock, she had turned it off. Now the kids were late for school, she was late for work, and the tone for the day was one mad rush—emphasis on the mad.  As the day wore on, she thought about her impatience and frustration with her children as everyone got dressed and grabbed a granola bar on the way out the door...

How many different colors can you name?  There are seven colors in the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. As it turns out, the human eye is capable of discerning color to an incredible degree. According to laboratory tests, humans are capable of detecting a total of 10 million colors. That's a pretty big box of crayons.  Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s maste...

As a believer, have you noticed that it’s often easier to stay in God’s will when you’re at home? At work, it gets a little dicey. It’s at work that people see us, and our decisions can have such impact. Not being in God’s will in that setting can be catastrophic. Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Terry Looper is the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company. Once, he wa...

In every generation, it falls to believers to spend some time in defending our worldview as Christians. Honestly, it’s not the nicest part of the gig, but it’s necessary. Usually, it involves simply explaining what your faith is all about. Followers of other religions do the same thing, but for us, we are sharing the person of Christ with those who don’t know Him. That makes it a big deal. Jude 1:...

It’s been said that in the Fruit of the Spirit list, all of them collectively practically define the nature of Christ. Even David the shepherd knew his Messiah was coming. Remember what he said about his loving God? He said, “Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” We instinctively know what goodness is. It’s a kind touch, a gentle word, a gift that was unexpected. Mica...

Have you ever wondered what your place in this world is? Of course, you have. That’s the human experience. Alone with our thoughts, we wonder who we even are, and what we are meant to do. It’s a mysterious journey, but the fog lifts and the way becomes clear when we get to know King Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared...

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three young men from Judah who found themselves in a heated situation. They were brought into the court of King Nebuchadnezzar II, and ordered to bow before the king’s golden image. The alternative was a one-way ticket to the fiery furnace. The king’s command would have been easy for these guys to follow, but their own King of Kings had already commanded them t...

Have you ever pondered what it means to be ‘born again’ as a Christian believer? When we give our hearts to the Lord, asking Him to forgive our sins and guide our lives, we are making God a promise: we no longer claim the right to follow our own paths or to focus on our own agendas. We are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross on our behalf so that we can be forgiven and live wi...

Are you the enviable sort of person who was born with an innate sense of direction? Some of us know instinctively whether we are traveling North, South, East, or West. And some of us...would be lucky to find our way out of a paper bag, even with a map in hand. If you’ve ever been lost on a country road at dusk, no road signs, no one to ask for help, and no idea which way to turn — you know how ver...

It was late at night, and Kelly’s family was on the way to visit family out of state. It was raining, and they had just entered a construction zone. Narrow two-lane traffic became even narrower as they entered a bridge. Suddenly, a deer materialized in the headlights. Orange cones and flashing lights indicated there was nowhere to go other than right off the side of the bridge, and at 55 miles per...

Ann was in her late eighties when her adult granddaughter asked, “Grandma, what was the very best time in your life?  Ann was one of 10 kids born to Norwegian immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island and settled on the North Dakota prairie. She came from tough stock and was raised in the kind of circumstances where you either made do — or you did without. She and her husband briefly moved to Seattle...