Kerusso Daily Devotional

In a world full of man-made gods and goddesses, the Creator God stands alone. He is a King of the first order, and everything was made by Him. His majesty and power are awesome.   Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”   Usually, when people are in the presence of royalty, they get nervous. Kings and queens make us...

Joseph was a hardworking tradesman who God hand-picked from all the men in the world to be the earthly father of His own Son, Jesus Christ. What an honor! And in some ways, what an incredibly challenging task.   Joseph wasn’t a king, a politician, or a recognized leader of any kind when he was betrothed to a young woman named Mary. A simple carpenter, he was also a man of compassion. When he learn...

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 is really a story of Jesus and us.   Matthew 7:7, “A...

In thinking about different kinds of love, it’s a beautiful thing to realize that God has placed certain people in our lives for specific reasons.   Friendship is one of His great gifts to us, all-time.   Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”   Do you have someone in your life that is not blood-related, but it sure feels like it? In fact, often it...

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 “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 anyon...

God’s Word is a collection of individual books about the history of the world including poetry, worship songs, letters, and the beginnings of the Church.   But it’s also all about Jesus!   Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the he...

The world is full of interesting ancient books. The Indian Vedas, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, even ancient clay tablets from Sumeria.   In the Bible though, we read that God’s Word is alive, not dead.   Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and at...

Did you know God’s Word is indestructible? Many ancient books have been lost to history. Others sit still buried under the sands of the Middle East. But after thousands of years, the Bible is more widely read than ever. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the t...

The Bible. Audaciously, it’s been called the foundation of our civilization, a sacred book, even our guide for life. And actually, it’s more than that. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” From ancient times, God decided...

God’s Word is a collection of individual books about the history of the world including poetry, worship songs, letters, and the beginnings of the Church.   But it’s also all about Jesus!   Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the he...

Many modern phrases have their origins in the Bible. A couple that come to mind are, “She’s worth her salt,” or, “He is the salt of the earth.” They remind us of what Scripture says when using salt as an analogy.   Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and tr...

If a product or idea is worth promoting, it must be seen by the “end-user,” to borrow a marketing term. There is so much competition in business today…it is pointless to have a store unless people know you’re open for business.   Thousands of businesses open and close every year. It’s a shame, but too often practical planning isn’t a big enough part of the picture. The Lord understands the importa...

During the Civil War, Southern states relied on salt perhaps even more than their Northern counterparts. The commodity preserved various foods—such as fish—and allowed more people to eat and even keep food supplied for a rainy day.   As the Union troops began capturing Confederate saltworks, the food supplies there literally began drying up. It was one of the things that led to the end of the war,...

Table salt today is so common, it becomes another thing we take for granted. You go to the store, pick a cylinder or jar of salt off the shelf, then go home. You don’t even think about it.   Now, consider that 1,000 and more years ago, if a person wanted to use salt on his dinner, this required some prior work. A lot of work! The Romans boiled seawater in huge, lead-lined pans. So valuable was sal...

The Dead Sea, bordering the countries of Israel and Jordan, is also located at the lowest point on Earth. The landscape is so barren, it looks like a moonscape. Not exactly a place for a vacation or rest stop.   And yet…did you know that one of the valuable things from that area is the vast amount of salt that rings this body of water? Besides the salt content, the minerals in the Dead Sea are val...

Does your life feel out of control? Are you experiencing that common feeling of weaving down a busy highway, about to crash?   It’s a metaphor for life that most internalize at some point. All of a sudden, what you were sure of isn’t there anymore. You might as well be behind the wheel of a fast car that’s heading into oncoming traffic.   1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God,...

You’ve heard that every good thing comes from God, right? Of course, it’s true. He is our example, both of how to live and how to react to others. This week we’re talking about practicing gratitude, and as usual, God shows us the way.   Psalm 107:1 says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."   Often, we can become disappointed if we don’t get everything, we...

The lack of gratitude in society can be contagious. Kind of like a negative “Pay it forward.”   How did we get to this place? Are we too prideful to thank each other, or even to thank God? Too busy? Too self-absorbed?   As believers, we know life is a rich blessing from God.   The clearest path to becoming a person of gratitude is to choose it. If we don’t choose gratitude, we choose ingratitude....

Do you ever feel like life is passing you by, or worse – running right over the top of you?   When we focus on unpleasant circumstances or people, life can really bring us down. This perspective is a downward spiral, and not a place we want to dwell.   Author John Kralik was there, once. A long hike one day led him to an emotional crossroads; there he decided to devote the rest of his life to bein...

Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday – it’s an attitude we can choose to fill our hearts with every day.   The Bible shares many examples of gratitude in the midst of challenging circumstances.   Imagine Mary, a young Galilean girl given the news that she was to be the mother of the Messiah? She didn’t panic or protest. Instead, she embraced the news and nurtured the One who would bring healing to th...

Keeping things simple is usually the best path forward. For Christians, that means following Christ’s lead in everything.   This includes sharing and standing for our faith.   The Bible is full of examples of how Jesus did this. Occasionally he got mad, as when he threw out the moneychangers. Other times he just quietly sat and taught what His Father had shown Him.   This is our model. When you sh...

Have you ever tried to follow God in a half-hearted way? You know what that means. You like the idea of God, but His perfect will for our lives also can feel restrictive.   That’s the moment you are walking along the highway of life completely alone.   Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall...

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 around the time of his death in 1519. Clearly, this level...

Life can be overwhelming sometimes, right? A huge wave of despair can come out of nowhere and push us toward disaster.   Anita’s life was like that, growing up in Hong Kong where revolutionary movements brought violence and loss of hope. She couldn’t see how the pieces of her life could be put together. She would ask herself, “How do you make peace with a potential that is frustrated?   That happe...

Micah had a tough job. The prophet that lived in the time of Isaiah warned the people in the land at the time that God was not pleased with their behavior.   He was not exactly a popular guy! He told them that the rituals they performed did not bring them closer to God.   Micah 6:8 says, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”   In Mic...