Kerusso Daily Devotional

A huge benefit of being a believer is the knowledge that we can help others after going through the valley ourselves. It’s one thing to endure and overcome and find your joy, but it’s maybe even better when you see a friend emerge into the light because you were there for them. Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” When you’re in the middle of something...

Some of the greatest stories of believers down through time have involved those who really studied God’s Word. These people have gone before us to show us the way. From Charles Spurgeon to a missionary mother in China, daily study of the Word, and prayer, prepared them to mentor entire generations. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” We also read in Romans 10 t...

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 mo...

Tribes usually think a lot of themselves. Exclusive groups are sometimes arrogant. Even whole nations can be this way. In the 19th century, several European countries felt they were the descendants of the first people in the world. With religion, this can be infinitely worse. With Christianity, critics often say the exclusive nature of it is just unfair. They cite the Christian view that the only...

In all the world, there are almost countless ways people try to find God. Some people are drawn to the mystical, while others chase after the practical. Does it work? God knew we would all look to fill the void in our spirits, the one put there when man first sinned. He also already knew what our escape route would be, the path back to Him. Romans 10:9–10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Je...

Identifying where our problems originate is one thing, but locating the Divine Healer is key in getting clear of obstacles in our lives.  At each mile marker in our life journeys, God is standing alongside the road, smiling at us, and holding out His strong hand to guide us. And from the indispensable wisdom of scripture to stories of human triumphs over tragedies, He is always there reminding us...

When fear takes control, God just crushes it. None of us are immune from feeling unsettled at times. Circumstances have a way of knocking us off balance. How we respond not only affects our lives, but those who are watching us. In the film “The Patriot,” a colonial militia leader sees the British kidnap his son. Taking the two younger sons with him, they wait in ambush in the forest. One of the so...

No one is truly alone. Some people have many relatives and friends, others just a few. Occasionally, someone will have no real friends or family, but all of us interact with humans, and that over time, has proven to be dicey.  The health of our relationships is one of the biggest factors in how we function each day.  Turmoil and chaos at home or work, or both, puts us in emotional quicksand. On th...

A really cool thing about God is that He has a solution for literally every situation, and that includes mental health.  We see this especially in the ministry of Jesus, who walked the land healing people of all sorts of terrible things. One day, He encountered a man driven insane by demons. Mark 5:15 says, “They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed...

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 simple 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...

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....

If you’ve been fortunate enough to hold a newborn, you know what it’s like to be thunderstruck by the delicate features. Everything is miniature. And then the eyes open. You’re in love. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” A baby is a blessing and gift from the Lord. All life is precious; it doesn’t matter if the parents are famous or completely obscure. In that warm bu...

Picture what it would be like to lose everything in one fell swoop. Your house burns to the ground. The stock market plummets, and all your money is gone. Worst of all, your children fall ill and die. Suddenly, you’ve lost not only your material possessions, but your family, too. When people refer to someone as having “the patience of Job,” they say that for a reason. Job was a man of immense weal...

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...

Moses was the father of two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, and he also served as a father figure to the entire Hebrew people as they escaped from slavery in Egypt. He loved his people and helped discipline and provide for them on their 40-year journey to the Promised Land. Imagine leading a frustrated, tired, hungry group of travelers through the desert — without air conditioning or handheld electroni...

Are you struggling right now? Are you listening to this while gripping the steering wheel, wondering how you’re going to go on?  1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.” He has a purpose for you; He really does. God wants to...

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is widely looked upon as the most famous painting in the world. By some historical estimates, the Mona Lisa took as many as 16 years to finish! Capturing Mona Lisa’s famous smile on a poplar plank was no hack job; Leonardo accepted a commission for the work in the year 1503, and completed his masterpiece supposedly around the time of his death in 1519. Clearly, t...

Do you struggle to wonder what God’s will is for your life? Many of us do. Although it isn’t a quick answer, the best way to find God’s will for your life is to read His Word. The Bible will tell you the answer to that question. Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Actually, finding God’s will isn’t the hardest part. Deciding to follow His will is where we get tripped u...

Roaming, travel, wandering…all have been part of the human psyche since the beginning. Because we all have that God-shaped hole in us, needing to be filled with Him, we search. Some find God, and some don’t. The sense of aimlessness and lack of purpose haunts some. We think of the classic novel “On the Road,” which is the story of two characters traveling the country. At first, the lure of freedom...

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’re 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 b...

A lot of us like action movies. And if they have a faith theme or element, even better. The iconic film “Raiders of the Lost Ark” comes to mind. In fact, the wild ride taken by Indiana Jones really typifies what we’re talking about this week: finding the grit to move beyond failure. As he pursues the famous Ark of the Covenant, Jones chases and fights Nazis, and his own doubts. Along the way, his...

Have you ever recorded minutes for a meeting? Whether you were taking notes at work or for a volunteer organization, such as the PTA at your child’s school, taking minutes and reporting on them at a follow-up meeting is an important responsibility. What ideas were discussed? How were those ideas followed up on? Who, including yourself, agreed to complete certain tasks before the next meeting? And...

Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ means that we don’t just sit in our houses and shut away the world. Scripture is an action item. Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” If the Bible is true—if God’s story intersects with our story—then a hurting world is in need of a Savior. The pain many are enduring will have no end until they me...

We “love” all sorts of things. We love a friend’s new hairdo. We love pistachio ice cream and travel to exotic places. Many times, the word itself loses all real meaning. It’s like homemade chicken soup without the chicken…and without the soup.  1 John 3:16–18 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If an...

As humans, we compartmentalize things. It’s in our nature to make lists, and rank priorities, and really box certain things in. We’ve got our work-life over here, and our family life over there, and our faith...somewhere else. And this can often lead us to confusion about which direction we’re supposed to go. This confusion even extends to our faith. We wonder: when am I supposed to pray, and when...