Kerusso Daily Devotional

In May 1962, an intimidating figure delivered a final public speech at West Point Military Academy. Douglas MacArthur, who led America to victory in the Pacific during World War 2, addressed cadets. He told them simple truths, ones that define honor and glory. The hall was completely still as the old general spoke in hushed tones. Everyone heard him speak of the honorable soldier who must rely on...

Do you know Who Jesus is? Do you really understand His identity? We know from the Bible that He is many things: a child, a carpenter, a leader of men. We know that He is our Savior, the One who went to the cross to take on our sin. He is also our King. 1 Timothy 1:17 - All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. In this...

Keanon Lowe was walking to a classroom to meet with a student. Not an unusual task for the security guard & football coach at an Oregon high school. As he made his way down the hallway, Mr. Lowe spotted a student standing alone and realized something was amiss; the young man was armed with a shotgun, hand on the trigger. What would you do, in a fight-or-flight moment like that? Lowe made a spl...

On Today’s episode of the Kerusso Daily Devotional, we talk about remaining cool under fire when life is a battle. Psalm 27:3 says, “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” In both literal and figurative combat, our confidence comes from faith in the Lord’s promises to go before us. Like today’s message? We love it so much...

Have you ever thought about the fact that you have an obligation to defend our nation’s freedoms? You live in the Land of the Free; your contributions are needed. We all have a role. Joshua 1:9 commands 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.” Sure, maybe you’re not a Navy SEAL. Maybe...

As we talk through the Good News of Jesus this week, we must always make it personal. In other words, deciding to believe in Christ is a very personal thing. We all come from different backgrounds and belief systems. In the end, though, what will you do with the story of Jesus? Do you believe it is true? Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Over and over...

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 bou...

When you think of ships, whether you’re thinking of the Titanic, pirate ships of yore, or trading vessels crossing the vast ocean to bring goods and services from one country to another, you probably picture them with an anchor — a heavy metal hook designed to catch on the ocean floor and keep a boat or ship in place. Wikipedia says this about anchors: There are two main types of anchors: temporar...

On Today’s episode of the Kerusso Daily Devotional, we talk about the resilience that comes from belief in Jesus Christ. Romans 12:12 says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." The Apostle Paul spent two years in chains and under constant guard, and from this place of experience he shared a meaningful message of hope, patience, and a faithful prayer life -- no...

When the winds of life blow fiercely, rain pours down, and the water rises, it is tempting to give in to panic. In the midst of the storm, sometimes we let the noise and chaos of our present circumstances become louder than the voice of our Lord and Savior. The still small voice in our hearts may only be a whisper, but the power behind that presence outranks any circumstance of this life. Colossia...

Colossians is a very informative book. Originally, it was a letter written by Paul and Timothy to believers in a small city. Chapter One tells us that Jesus made everything we see (and plenty we don’t see!). The universe was brought into being by Him. That’s kind of a comforting thought! This great source of Love also made it all and He sustains it all. Colossians 1:17 says, “He is before all thin...

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 bring 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. But t...

Carol had really messed up in her personal life. The career wasn’t going so well, either. But it was one particular relationship that kept her up at night, and she felt like things were coming apart. Instead of going to lunch with co-workers one day though, she ducked into a coffee shop and found an empty seat in the back. There she pulled out her phone and fed her soul by looking up Scripture. Sh...

On Today’s episode of the Kerusso Daily Devotional, we talk about the fact that Jesus holds your life together, even as you think you’re falling apart. Colossians 1:17 says, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Nothing is too difficult for Jesus; He has proven this over and over. Trust Him today! Did you know the average message-based T-shirt is read over 3,000 times? We...

The Bible contains a huge amount of wisdom for us. It’s the Word of God, after all. Usually, that wisdom is most valuable to us when we are living through tragedy. Those days and nights can be among the hardest we’ll ever have, because the pain seems to be too strong. Have you ever felt like that? Our topic this week has to do with Walking By Faith. Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by fai...

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, to t...

Under Construction Have you ever visited a construction site, or lived near one? A construction site is a unique kind of mess. Dirt and mud mingle with piles of wood, shingles, and other building materials. Utility flags poke up from the ground like man-made weeds. Trampled grass and dirty sidewalks give further evidence of the work at hand. Eventually, what began as an empty field will grow into...

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 to find. 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...

We all screw up. Fail in some way. We fall short of goals or get embarrassed in some kind of career implosion. It’s easy then to feel like we’ll never win again. That’s not how God sees you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Hope and a future. That’s what’s ahead, not depre...

Do you like scary movies? Is an evening spent looking through your fingers appealing to you? It is to a lot of people. Some of us really like to be scared! But hopefully that doesn’t translate to real life. Screaming in a dark theatre can actually be fun, but you don’t want to live a life of fear. Psalm 23:4 tells us, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no ev...

Have you ever been in such a dark place that you wondered if God cares about you, or even exists? Maybe it’s all some cosmic joke, right? We’ve all been there. Humans doubt. We doubt ourselves, we doubt product labels, we doubt our kids. We question everything. But that worst one is trying to figure out where God is in the middle of great difficulties. Sometimes the world is just flat-out mean and...

The giant redwoods of the American Pacific Northwest are among nature’s most beautiful scenes. As tall as skyscrapers, and big enough to drive a truck through. It is said that the redwoods are so powerful and strong in part because even these plants have a sense of community. Separated, or as a single tree, the root system is more vulnerable. But planted with partners all around, the picture chang...

At an address in Columbus Ohio in 1900, former slave Booker T. Washington kept the room spellbound. This man, who had built Tuskegee Institute to lift blacks out of economic bondage, was revered around the world. But he said something that surprised more than a few in the audience. He said that one of his main priorities for the Institute was hiring more Bible teachers! Washington, who had been fo...

If you’ve ever been to a trade show, you know that products for the Christmas season are presented and pre-sold in July! Sort of like the Laurel & Hardy film in which they sold Christmas trees in summer! Hopefully we have better marketing than the comedy duo, but there is one superb gift we can make people aware of year-round. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, throug...