Kerusso Daily Devotional

Have you ever known someone who inherited something of great value from an obscure relative? It happens.   The will is read by an attorney and all of a sudden, the beneficiary goes from struggling to pay the rent to needing a financial planner. It can be an exciting time, even disorienting.   The only downside to receiving a large inheritance is the knowledge that someday it will run out, or you d...

No one is immune from burnout. It comes in our jobs, friendships, and even our church life. Sometimes our hobbies become dry and tedious!   But in Scripture, God gives us hope for the future.    John 7:38 says,  "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."   Jesus is telling us that in Him alone is true life. He is always pointing us...

Jesus has great compassion for everyone. Especially for those society considers unlovable or worth nothing.   One day he stopped by a well and had a conversation with a woman who had been married five times. When He spoke to her, He knew she was now living with another man. Yet Jesus spoke to her in a way that let her know He valued her as a person.   He told her that people could drink the water...

Researchers have long known that even when exploring new worlds, water is the key to life. Without it, nothing can live.   Water is an image used often in Scripture.   When Jesus emerged from the River Jordan having been baptized by his cousin, John, He used the imagery to help people understand that by trusting in Him, they would live forever.   John 7:38 says, "Whoever believes in me, as Sc...

It’s no accident that Jesus chose as some of His apostles a group of fishermen from Galilee. These were men who could understand Him when Jesus told them He would make them “fishers of men.” He meant, of course, that they would share the Good News about Him with everyone they came in contact with.   That’s exactly what each of them did, for the rest of their lives!   John 7:38 says, "Whoever...

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 th...

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 li...

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...

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 pe...

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 Se...

Congregations of faith all around the world use the word amen. Although many people use it in the right context, not everyone knows what this word means.   “Amen” is an ancient Hebrew word, and Scripture uses this word in three primary ways:   At the beginning of a sermon or important statement, the word “amen” often means “verily,” or “truly.” The Old Testament uses the word “amen” to describe Go...

Joshua was called by God to lead the 12 tribes of Israel after the death of Moses. Those were pretty big shoes to fill, and the Lord chose Joshua because he was faithful.   Joshua knew when he called on God in times of trouble, He would answer.   In one powerful example, Joshua asked God to cause the moon and the sun to stand still so that he and his army could continue fighting a difficult battle...

Hannah, one of the two wives of Elkanah, was unable to have children. A woman in Old Testament times who could not bear children was viewed as cursed by God. Not only was infertility heartbreaking for her as a woman and wife, but Hannah would have been looked down upon by her community for her inability to bear a child.   Many of us can sympathize with Hannah. She longed to be a mother, and she wa...

Who are you, exactly, that God should know your name, or care to know your story? Have you ever wondered about the answer to that big question?   In the great scheme of things, we sometimes feel like ants in an anthill: nameless drones, fetching and carrying, an unremarkable face among the masses.   We are so much more than that to the Lord.   1 Thessalonians 5:17 says simply, “Pray continually.”...

Have you ever felt like you’ve just plain run out of juice? The book you’ve been reading seems pointless halfway through. That new sofa or lawnmower or set of wheels was pretty exciting last month, but now you’re not sure what the big deal was. Even your relationships feel lackluster.   Human beings aren’t like cell phones or toy robots. We can’t rev up with a fresh set of batteries...we need othe...

It’s harder to visualize during the hot summer months, but during Christmas of 1944, American soldiers were dug in against the Germans. The dark, frozen Belgian forest added to the bleak atmosphere. Morale was low, ammo was low, and food supplies were low.   But just when things looked the worst, General Patton’s Third Army showed up almost out of nowhere. The men who fought in the Battle of the B...

You probably know whether you’re a morning or night person. Science has some good news for you early risers: Apparently, the early bird really does get the worm.   In a study of early risers versus night owls, researchers at the University of Birmingham discovered strong connections in the regions of the brain that can predict better performance and lower sleepiness; these areas were significantly...

Few of us enjoy chaos. It’s just too... chaotic , right?   The human mind needs order and peace, yet we live in this messy world. Stuff is flying by all the time, and we duck.   Our relationships are a mess, and we have to schedule that root canal...while simultaneously making dinner and cleaning the house.   Is there a way out?   Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the...

Most of us assume that if Jesus had a driver’s license, his listed name would be “Jesus Christ.”   That’s kind of funny, but as usual, our puny human perceptions can’t define Him and box Him in. The Bible tells us in fact that Jesus has many names, each a shining facet of Who He is.   He is called the Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the end. Elsewhere He is referred to as the Prince of Peace.  ...

It’s kind of fun in those moments when the kids are in bed and the dishes are done, to think about the Big Questions. You know the list.   Why am I here?   What is the meaning of life?   A question that people from ancient times to now have asked is, why in the world, literally, did God create people? We are a handful, as past generations used to say. We mess up. Sometimes we’re on our way to bein...

Nikki couldn’t leave her apartment...sometimes for days. Her anxiety about everything from health issues, to the weather, had hijacked her life. She needed help.   One morning after she had talked with a friend on the phone, she heard someone outside her door, and it was her friend. The woman simply announced herself, and then pushed a piece of paper under the door.   The only thing written on the...

We all want to feel secure. We can look fine on the outside, but be something much less on the inside.   And the first step to overcoming vulnerability is to feel okay with who we are.   Psalm 62:5–6 says, “Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on Him. God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe, and he is the fortress where I feel secure.”   The tension comes when we balance healthy self-...

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 th...

Whenever we have to overcome an obstacle in our lives, we are thinking about a million different things. Our minds race. We might even be aware that our Creator is there to help.   But have you ever considered that even when life gets tough, you can still have joy?   Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”   Sheila Walsh has said that what got her through...

A common theme today is that people are just bone-tired of chaos, both public and private. It’s exhausting sometimes dealing with bad relationships. Global problems are with us every day. 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 f...