Kerusso Daily Devotional

Helen Amelia Thompson was gifted, and her parents knew it. Later, everyone knew it as she married a fiery young evangelist named Billy Sunday. What a name for this Gospel power couple! What God brought out in Helen is a perfect example of our “Star week” topic found in Philippians. Philippians 2:15 says, “Shine...like the stars in the sky.” Billy was naturally shy and not great at organization. Gu...

In the book of Romans, Paul tells us the evidences for the existence of God are so numerous in nature that anyone can believe in God. Surely one of the most compelling examples is in our night sky. When we look up at the heavens, it takes our breath away. The twinkling lights are like our own personal message from God. All those stars… Philippians 2:15 says, “Shine...like the stars in the sky.” As...

Jerry wasn’t very good at a lot of things. He was shy and his grades weren’t stellar. He was bullied at school. Then he was given a part in the Christmas play at church. No one ever gave Jerry a part, but his Sunday school teacher took God’s Word to heart and knew that if she could help this shy boy, it could change his life. She knew that Jerry was good with mechanical things, so she put him in c...

Are you like a lot of people when it comes to the instruction booklet with a new item? We stare at it and eventually toss it, guessing we can just figure it out. Yeah…that usually ends like dropping a carton of eggs. The Bible is there for a reason. God’s Word is healing and light and a guide for each of us. That’s why it’s important to read it, and meditate on the words. To the church at Philippi...

God gives us good gifts all the time. All through the year, not just at Christmas. One of the truly joyful gifts is the ability to be kind to others. It sounds simple and maybe to some even quaint, but there is power in choosing to be kind. Choosing to be kind. That’s one of our themes this week. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us to, “Always be joyful.” Paul uses this chapter to describe the heart of...

Our world needs many things. We have environmental concerns, broken relationships, and disease that still stalks too many countries. It is also true that God doesn’t leave us in despair. He doesn’t allow our problems to overcome us, if we trust Him. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Ho...

The Birth of Jesus as told in the book of Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1-20.   In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.   So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the...

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son as told in Matthew Chapter 1, Verses 18-25   This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.   Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to div...

In a world full of manmade 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 uneas...

Have you seen the movie “Napoleon Dynamite”? The character of Kip is one of the offbeat people in an Idaho town. But he is also one of the neediest in terms of peace in his life. Kip sort of defines our theme of peace this week. At one point, he changes his persona and his signature line is, “Peace out!” It’s hilarious, but also poignant because the peace he found came about because someone chose...

Do you especially need the gift of peace right now? Is your life so busy, you can’t find time to take a breath? There is Good News for you: Jesus already knows. Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” When Jesus ascended to heaven, he told the apostles, “My peace I leave with you.” Because He lives, we know for sure that this peace is available to u...

Have you ever thought of yourself as a catalyst for peace? It’s something to think about as we continue our discussion this week about peace. Donna and Betty were sisters, but in mid-life they were both tired of the fighting and mistrust and hurt. Each had their grievances. Both were stubborn. Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” At one particula...

Being positive really is a mindset. As we talk about “pockets of peace” around the world this week, we will notice some amazing examples. Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” God pulls wins out of the most difficult challenges, and one of the toughest was the ongoing conflict between Egypt and Israel. Both nations are mentioned for blessing in Sc...

It’s all in how you see it. The world we live in has plenty of problems, and they are huge. Don’t need to list them here, but it’s fair to say we even suffer from some existential threats. And yet, God’s Word tells us that this present life can have, and does have, peace. That’s our connection this week. Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” Remem...

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 being smar...

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...

As humans, we compartmentalize, don’t we? By that we mean, it is in our nature to rank priorities, then even lose sight of some of them. This can often lead us to confusion about which direction we’re supposed to go. This confusion even can extend to faith itself. We wonder, When am I supposed to pray, and when am I supposed to act on faith? Psalm 34:1 says, "I will bless the Lord at all time...

Scores of people today, even many in our churches, walk around aimless. They work their jobs and take care of their families, but struggle to understand what it is that God wants them to do. He’s told us in His word! As with every other situation, His Word speaks directly to our circumstances. Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To...

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 prepa...

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 tram...

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 importanc...

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, a...

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 valua...

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 salt...

We have come to the end of the week and our discussion of gratitude -- of being thankful to the Lord. But that doesn’t mean our thankfulness has come to an end! In fact, it’s just beginning. Psalm 107:1 says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." If you’re like many people, you are just starting your journey of discovering what it means to be truly grateful...