Kerusso Daily Devotional

Jenna stopped in her tracks, sighing in frustration as she bent down to pick yet another rock out of her shoe. 

“Why on earth am I suddenly picking up rocks every time I walk the dog?” she wondered.

They finished their usual route, and at home, Jenna slipped off her shoes and discovered the problem: she’d worn those old slip-ons for so long that she wore a hole right through the soles of both shoes!  

Philippians 4:6 reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thank...

Truett burst through the front door with exciting news one afternoon, anxious to share his latest find. “Mom! I found a praying mantis. Can you believe it! They’re pretty rare around here.”

It was certainly one of the biggest bugs they’d seen in the fields around their home. The beautiful emerald green insect crawled from hand to hand, curious about its new environment.

Considered a symbol of peace, contemplation, and prayer, the word “mantis” in Greek literally means prophet or seer. The prayerful pose we recognize in these insects is not actual prayer or meditatio...

Humans were built for language and communication.

It's one of the bits of creative genius God used when He formed His highest creation. And apart from regular communication, whether it's the written word or verbal, we have a great gift from a loving God: prayer. And that's what we're talking about this week in a series we're calling, Prayer 101.

Prayer is an intensely personal way to communicate with our Creator, the One who knows everything about us.

Jeremiah 29:12 says, “Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me and I wi...

1 Peter 5:6–7 says, “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.”

These two short verses tell us several things: One - if we submit to God’s power by acknowledging we can’t solve our problems, He is strong enough to intervene and bring about the outcome we really want.

Second, He does this in his own time, on His own timetable.

Third, we are to leave our problems at His feet. There...

Welcome to Prayer 101, the big question for today is: how do you develop a prayer life?  

The answer to how we develop a healthy prayer life is really not that complicated. It's all about choice. We can learn to pray first by reading Scripture and taking notice of the hundreds of prayers offered by believers just like us. We can also talk with veterans of prayer in our own life, those who are older and deeper in their faith. But notice something about the prayers recorded in the Bible, they aren't contrived or intellectual, oftentimes. Those things d...

Trust issues. Lots and lots of people have trust issues. Someone has hurt you in the past. Maybe it’s been multiple times. This world can be a painful place.

But stop and think about how much your damaged trust affects your relationships now. Is there a way out of this long, dark tunnel?

John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

People who hurt others tend to continue their hurtful ways. Bottom line: that person might not stop targe...

When the last artillery rounds were heard on the Western Front and World War I ended, good men of conscience tried to create a global body that would bring lasting peace to the earth. Their hearts were in the right place. History teaches us, though, that real peace is elusive and rare. 

John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

We see in Christ that there is no fixin...

There are several stories in the Bible that tell us when God’s people obey Him, they are in better physical and emotional shape. Remember, Daniel and his friends refuse to eat the rich food sent by the king. After several weeks of their own diet, they emerged healthier than other young men in the Babylonian kingdom. So, too, do we learn that an attitude of forgiveness leads to peace. 

In Matthew 18:21–22, we read, “‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven tim...

Emily Dickinson, one of the greatest of American poets, attended seminary for a while, and then she went back home to Amherst. And for the rest of her life, she lived mostly in seclusion. That’s kind of weird, right? Maybe not. 

You see, God made each of us with a distinct personality. Sometimes it’s actually unhealthy to try and fit a square peg into a round hole. It hurts. We get more stressed out. Emily Dickinson lived a full life. Her relationships were in correspondence, a whole lot of letters. And guess what? She wasn’t unhap...

Dr. James Dobson has decades of experience coaching people to overcome fear and doubt and put their trust in Christ. He relates a fascinating experience he once had when he learned that sometimes our fear is all in our head.

It seems that he was preparing to graduate from Southern Cal with a PhD in psychology, and as he got ready at home that day, anticipating the happy drive with his family, a cold fear just came over him. He says now that he felt a growing dread, seemingly out of nowhere, that he would be killed...

You’ve probably heard of the Ingalls family, or even met some of the clan through the Little House on the Prairie television series, or the beloved children’s books about pioneer life in the 1860s by author Laura Ingalls Wilder.

The story of the Ingalls family is inspiring, whether you watch it or read it. The fun and camaraderie shared by Charles, Caroline, Mary, Laura, and little Carrie is heartwarming and makes many of us yearn for simpler times, before technology and the hurried expectations of modern life.

In reality, the story portrayed in both...

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 them to place no other gods before Him and to stay away from the evil of graven images. They may have been wary of the king’s wrat...

Are you a person that has walked away from your faith? Maybe you believed once, very much, but it faded over time. Maybe you accepted the promises of God for a little while, but then something else caught your eye.

That’s not uncommon. Starting out on fire for God and then becoming weary is something many of us have dealt with. To use a flying analogy for our talk today, sometimes your flight of faith becomes grounded.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like...

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 thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

There’s an interesting story in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah. We are told that the wicked k...

Have you ever had the pleasure of waking up in a cozy cabin…after you’ve let the fire go out from the night before? If you don’t get out of bed and put more wood in that furnace, the squirrels or raccoons aren’t going to do it for you!

Much more serious is the tendency to get lazy about the fire inside us to share the love of Christ. After so many years of being a Christian—especially living in a free country—sharing the Gospel can be put on the back burner.

Romans 12...

If you’re working your way toward belief and away from doubt, by now you must assume that God exists. Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what he promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but he is long suffering or extraordinarily patient toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.” 

A cornerstone of the Christian faith is a belief that Scripture is God’s word. Psalm 138:2 tells us that God has elevated the Word above His own name.

So, we...

A political science major at a major university was having coffee with a campus pastor. The pastor knew that the student was wrestling with doubt about the existence of God, and said to him, “John, you know, all of us wonder at some point if it’s all real or not. For example, there are quite a few stories in the Bible that are just hard to believe. Jonah and the whale and all that.” John smiled and said, “No, that’s not my problem. What I wonder about is how God could care about me. I’ve done some really...

Because there’s so much easy access to information and ideas today, we can take in a huge amount of stuff. The downside is that much of it is just noise, and a lot of it simply isn’t true. What we hear, even if it sounds good, is not always good for us, especially when we’re talking about spiritual doubt. 

There are many opinions floating around out there on the subject. For instance, some will say that doubt is really something to wrestle with continually, never finding a satisfying answer. While at the other end of the...

Have you ever wondered about how convinced well-known Christians are of their faith? We all know they never doubt, right? Wrong.

A well-known preacher, Charles Spurgeon, once said of doubt, “I think when a man says, ‘I never doubt,’ it is quite time for us to doubt him.” That is a fact of life for many of us, although most don’t like to admit it. In fact, doubt is mentioned often in the Bible. The Bible is full of great faith stories, but it’s interesting to notice that there are plenty of doubters, too.

Sarah simp...

Some of the most important conversations we have can be the most uncomfortable. And when it comes to faith, doubt is near the top of that list. 

Today, we’re launching a five-part series on the topic of doubt. Many Christians wrestle with doubt, but who wants to admit that their foundational beliefs are not so firm? Not long ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, openly admitted that he’s questioned if God is real. When the head of the Church of England says something like that, it makes news. But something interesting came from Welby’s hones...

One of the richest gifts God has given us is healthy relationships.

A marriage in balance, friends who mutually respect each other, and most of all, a strong “God connection” can be the ticket to a healthy, whole life. The full life Jesus spoke about!

Hebrews 10:24–25 says, “And let us consider how to spur one another to love and to good works. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but let us exhort one another, especially as you see the Day approaching.”

With the fast pace of li...

Geraldine Mock became the first woman to fly around the world in 1964. Landing for a short stop in Saudi Arabia, she watched as a man approached her plane. When he saw her, he shouted to his friends that this was no man.

They applauded!

Jerrie Mock’s steadiness at the wheel and in her encounters on the ground were the very picture of self-control. Her journey was wildly successful.

Titus 2:11–12 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the presen...

Fighting one day in the tough Iraqi city of Fallujah, a Marine sergeant decided to put himself at risk in order to get a frightened family to safety. He stepped into a courtyard and spoke quietly for a few minutes with the father. He took time to make sure the kids had water, and the toys his men gave them.

Then it was back to the war.

Gentleness can be misunderstood. Too often we think, for example, that a man is not masculine if he’s gentle.

Not true. This Fruit of the Sp...

Emma used her hand to brush her husband’s white hair from his forehead…Edgar was near death.

Their marriage had been happy, and now she was saying goodbye. The nursing staff talked about the love between the two. Only three days after Edgar went into eternity, Emma joined him.

The Bible often uses marriage as a backdrop for what God has done for us. We know that in earthly marriages, it’s important to persevere. When we think of the Fruit of the Spirit, patience is very closely linked to faithfulness. It is the act of...

It has been said that in the Fruit of the Spirit list, all of them collectively practically define the nature of Christ. Even David the shepherd knew his Messiah was coming. Remember what he said about following his loving God? “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!”

We instinctively know what goodness is. It is a kind touch, a gentle word, a gift that was unexpected.

Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to...

The Apostle Paul wrote that believers are in a spiritual battle all the time against forces that are wickedly strong. He also maintains that we have the power of God with us in these battles, and this New Testament promise is an echo from the days of Joshua, the fearless Israelite commander in ages past. This mindset is a model for all of us. 

Dick Winters was a 27-year-old first lieutenant when he jumped into Normandy, France, in 1944 with other paratroopers during the invasion of Europe. Once the Allies began moving inland, Winters’ unit was given the obj...

Have you ever been in such a dark place that you wondered if God cares about you, or if He 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 the worst one is trying to figure out where God is in the middle of life’s great difficulties. Sometimes the world is just flat-out mean, and it seems like it’s an entity that’s trying to break you in half.

And that...

When Hurricane Katrina destroyed the church and home where E.J. Scott had pastored for 20 years, he and his wife found themselves living a bit like refugees in Dallas, Texas.

After years of being strong for his flock, Pastor Scott needed something to strengthen his own faith. He was devastated.

Joshua 22:5 says, “Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

When we walk with God through a storm, we are told to hold onto...

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be one of the original settlers in America? As a person leaving the safety of England to come to the New World and start over?

Those people came here for religious freedom and risked it all. And when they landed in New England, they literally put down roots as they built and planted the beginnings of an amazing experiment that is still ongoing.

Colossians 2:6–7 says, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and buil...

In all the world, there are almost countless ways people try to find God. Some 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, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with...

From earliest times, God has commanded His people to see their national home through His holy eyes. In other words, countries around the world are to follow the Lord. Of course, many don’t.

Jeremiah 30:22 says, “So you will be my people, and I will be your God.”

Many great civilizations have risen, but few last beyond a couple hundred years. Although history is debated, the foundations of America see a people who wanted to live holy unto the Lord. Modern America is still an ongoing experiment, but our Pledge of Allegiance, adopted in 1942, used the ph...

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be one of the original settlers in America? As a person leaving the safety of England to come to the New World and start over?

Those people came here for religious freedom and risked it all. And when they landed in New England, they literally put down roots as they built and planted the beginnings of an amazing experiment that is still ongoing.

Colossians 2:6–7 says, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and buil...

Do you sometimes feel your job is just too much for one person to handle?

Then let me introduce you to Franklin Roosevelt.

“FDR” was the 32nd president of the United States. By a quirk of history, he found himself leading the free world during a crippling economic meltdown…and a world war! His story is important, as we explore faith in God and country this week.

No one understood more than Roosevelt the sacrifice needed to defeat evil on the battlefield. He said, “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy fo...

We as Americans relish our history…famous eras and the glory of battle and all that. Americans love the beautiful land that we’ve been blessed with, as well.

But the Bible tells us the true source of our blessings. It points us to the One who made all things possible.

Psalm 115:1 tells us, “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

We are incredibly blessed in America for a lot of reasons. From sufficient food to freedom to make our own choi...

Do you ever stop and think about the routine things you do every day?

Buying detergent so that you can wash your family’s clothes. Fixing a couple of boards on your deck. We even grind through staff meetings at work. All this of course, mixed with life, laughter, and love.

But do you think about why you can do these things in our country?

Primarily it’s because of the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers—those men and women who have defended the homeland since colonial times.

Joshua 1:9 commands us, “Have I n...

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 the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Rollin...

When you’re having a bad day, a run-in with an immensely cheerful person doesn’t always turn that frown upside down. Does it? Commiserating with someone else, though—a word literally defined by two or more people wallowing in misery together—that can be a balm to an anxious and worried mind. Sometimes. The relief, though, is temporary. 

Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” 

The apostle Paul was talking about more than mere cheerfulness in his letter to the Christian believers of Rome. Nowhere in the Bible does the Lord comma...

Since prayer is, by nature, personal, we often want to know how things are going to turn out, even before we start praying. We wonder if God will actually answer our prayer. Maybe not as dramatic as some stories, but still if we’re honest, we would like an answer to our prayer. Why else ask? 

Luke 18:1 says, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

The fact is, of the 650 prayers in the Bible, 450 of them were answered, at least as the accounts were re...

Most people at one time or another wonder who they should address when starting a prayer. The Christian concept of the Trinity has caused people to hesitate to pray. It’s like, “Who do I pray to?”

Luke 6:12 says, “One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

Interestingly, when Jesus prayed, as recorded in the Bible, He prayed to His Father. This is a difficult concept for many to embrace. How can someone be God but pray to Himself? In some sense, this is a matter o...

Have you ever felt without hope? It’s a pretty desperate place to be. It’s been said that hope is the one thing a human being can’t be without.

Beth was once accused of some pretty terrible things. She wasn’t guilty of any of them, but it took two years and serious legal hurdles to clear her name. Her future was uncertain.

In the end, she told reporters that her best ally was the Lord. Her story was itself a great witness.

Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction...