Kerusso Daily Devotional

We often hear that it’s harder to raise kids today than ever before. That isn’t true, of course. All eras down through history have been challenging. We live in a world scarred by sin, after all, and children grow up among all sorts of temptations.

That’s why the role of a parent is something to take seriously, as a sacred duty.

We’ve been discussing the best practical guide for living: the Bible. Nowhere is this truer than in its practical wisdom for raising successful children.

Although we all have the freedom to make our own choices, and your kids certainly will make their own decisions, they benefit greatly from a loving father or mother who also loves the Lord.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Start children off in the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

This isn’t the kind of thing you hope for — this is scripture, the Word of God, and can be relied on to bring about the promise made. The Lord will honor your commitment to raising children who love their Creator.

One way to do that is to be bold in your discussions with your children, who likely hear anti-God stuff from school, and entertainment. For example, talk with them as if you believe the Bible is really true. Then point out that the book of Exodus commands all of us to value our parents.

Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God has given you.”

It doesn’t hurt to point out the bonus: long life.

Make sure you also share with your children the wonderful practical tips from the Bible. Much of it will save them a broken heart down the road.

For example, Proverbs 18:24 says, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

This is repeated in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 15:33, which says, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”

God’s Word promises us a sound mind. This state of being will help your children in everything they do from completing school assignments to caring for elderly relatives. A child who knows the Lord, and prays consistently, will become a human being you can be proud of.

Let’s pray.

Father God, children are a gift from you. They are a sacred treasure — entrusted to us for a little while. Remind us daily of our role in shaping their lives, so that they are healthy and content, in the world that you made for them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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If you’ve been fortunate enough to hold a newborn, you know what it’s like to be thunderstruck by the delicate features. Everything is miniature.

And then the eyes open. You’re in love.

Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”

A baby is a blessing and gift from the Lord. All life is precious; it doesn’t matter if the parents are famous or completely obscure. In that warm bundle is a whole lifetime waiting to unfold. Will he be adventurous? Will she run the country?

Man is capable of much, but creating life as God creates will always remain outside the borders. Only a great and all-powerful God could give us such a beautiful life, and He makes each one of us truly unique.

It is an inescapable fact that a human being, separate from everyone else in terms of physicality and emotions, becomes fully formed in its mother’s womb. This is perhaps the greatest miracle in all the universe, and one deserving of our awe and respect.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you form us in the womb, and walk with us each step of the way through life. Thank you for your mercies and grace that you freely give each of us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Picture what it would be like to lose everything in one fell swoop. Your house burns to the ground. The stock market plummets, and all your money is gone. Worst of all, your children fall ill and die. Suddenly, you’ve lost not only your material possessions, but your family, too.

When people refer to someone as having “the patience of Job,” they say that for a reason.

Job was a man of immense wealth, the richest man in the region, and was the father of 7 sons and 3 daughters he loved dearly. He was also a faithful servant of the Lord, and grateful for every blessing.

In a terrible turn of events, Job lost his fortune in a single day. His crops, property, livestock, and servants were gone. Most devastating of all, Job lost his children. But Job didn’t blame God. He accepted that God had a plan for him, and was patient as he waited for the Lord to reveal that plan. He knew that sometimes bad things happen to good people, and he continued to praise the Lord in the midst of trial.

Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Job lost everything, but he didn’t take matters into his own hands to seek justice for what he had lost. He fell to his knees and worshipped the Lord, and then he was still. In the quiet of his soul, Job knew God had a plan, and in the end, God restored to Job twice as much as he had in the beginning.

A godly man is patient.

Let’s pray.

Lord, waiting is hard to do. Waiting for an answer. Waiting for resolution. Waiting for things to get better. Restore peace and patience as we grow in faith and learn to wait on you. We trust you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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One of the things that mark a healthy society is the consistency between generations. In other words, adults who care about the future of their children will invest the time to make sure tomorrow is bright.

God the Father is the ultimate parent, and we would do well to model His love for us.

Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”

Passing the torch, or training up the next generation involves taking the time to do it properly. If you love your kids, you will make time for them. You won’t take the easy way out and settle for schools or the culture at large to raise them.

Teach them that we all experience tough times in this life, but sticking to God’s plan for their lives is the key to winning. Living the abundant life Jesus taught about, and sharing His Good News is the ultimate win.

But we don’t get there by quitting when the going gets tough.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you never leave us, and you never abandon the human community to evil. You are a great God, and we thank you for your commitment to us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Moses was the father of two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, and he also served as a father figure to the entire Hebrew people as they escaped from slavery in Egypt.

He loved his people and helped discipline and provide for them on their 40-year journey to the Promised Land. Imagine leading a frustrated, tired, hungry group of travelers through the desert — without air conditioning or handheld electronics — for four decades!

So many aspects of Moses’ life story seem larger-than-life, and he was indeed a hero of his time — but he was also merely a man. Moses’ perseverance in the face of incredible challenges over the course of his life shows today’s fathers that overwhelming tasks can be achieved when we stay close to God.

Exodus 16:11–12 says, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”

The Israelites were afraid they would starve in the barren desert after fleeing Egypt, and complained to Moses that it would have been better if they had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt, where they had enough to eat, than to wander the desert without provisions. Imagine how frustrated Moses must have been! The Lord had miraculously saved the Israelites from slavery, and now they worried God wouldn’t provide what they needed to survive.

Through God’s faithful guidance, Moses was able to shepherd the Israelites through 40 years of wilderness living. They quarreled with Moses. They accused him of leading them to disaster and ruin. They complained frequently — even after they had seen God’s promises fulfilled. Yet still, Moses carried on. He brought every concern to the Lord, and with God’s blessing and guidance, he was able to keep going.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Moses teaches fathers that with God, all things are possible.

God answers prayer, and desires intimate fellowship with every believer.

No one can follow God's laws perfectly. We all need a Savior.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, sometimes parenting is exhausting! Thank you for the blessing of children, and we ask you to bless dads with patience to spare and to make your presence known to tired dads in the trenches who need your wisdom, and your grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Are you struggling right now? Are you listening to this while gripping the steering wheel, wondering how you’re going to go on? 

1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.”

He has a purpose for you; He really does. God wants to use you for things no one else can do. And He wants you to do these things with a spirit of peace in your heart. Maybe your biggest dream died a really spectacular death. Like—one that everyone saw and still talks about. That doesn’t matter. 

The only thing that matters is that you call on Jesus to comfort you and show you the way. Ask Him to do that right now, right where you are. He wants you to be whole and healthy. And if you ask Him to help you live a holy life, He will cleanse your spirit, leaving you squeaky clean inside and out.

This is very personal. You might feel that you don’t have anyone to turn to; that’s a lie. Your Savior and your champion says otherwise. Turn to Him right now.

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you for making us completely whole. Complete people, capable of sharing the Good News with everyone we come into contact with. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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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 supposedly around the time of his death in 1519. Clearly, this level of artistic achievement takes time.

When you hear the word “masterpiece,” what do you think of? A famous painting? A beautiful building maybe? Your child’s latest artwork?

What about a giant sequoia tree? A symphony? A pink flamingo? The intricate, miraculous design of the human heart?

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Before you were even born, God knew you, and He had a plan for your life. He created you for a purpose, and He considers you one of his personal works of art. You are a living, breathing miracle capable of wonderful things—God’s own masterpiece.

Let’s pray.

God, we thank you and praise you that in all of creation, you have chosen to make us in your image, and to fashion us as a masterpiece—a work of art designed with care. Help us to be worthy of your effort. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Do you struggle to wonder what God’s will is for your life? Many of us do. Although it isn’t a quick answer, the best way to find God’s will for your life is to read His Word. The Bible will tell you the answer to that question.

Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Actually, finding God’s will isn’t the hardest part. Deciding to follow His will is where we get tripped up.

People need the skill and the discipline of being persistent. Too often the impulse is to give up and then, if we’re honest, pretend that God hasn’t revealed His will to us.

Good old Abe Lincoln had it right when he said that the only important response is to make sure we are on God’s side, not whether He’s on ours. God has already told us that He’s on our side. He sent His Son, Jesus, to take the penalty for our sin. It doesn’t get any more “on our side” than that. 

Change your thinking a bit. Don’t focus on what you think God is supposed to do. Resolve instead to follow God, and to do it every day.

Let’s pray.

Lord, your will is the thing that drives us on, to find our purpose in this life. Thank you for sticking with us. Help us to stick with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Roaming, travel, wandering…all have been part of the human psyche since the beginning. Because we all have that God-shaped hole in us, needing to be filled with Him, we search.

Some find God, and some don’t.

The sense of aimlessness and lack of purpose haunts some. We think of the classic novel “On the Road,” which is the story of two characters traveling the country. At first, the lure of freedom is fun to think about, but the truth is, if people don’t fill that God-shaped hole with God, despair can set in.

We are left rootless in the worst possible way.

Colossians 2:6–7 says, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

Wherever you put down your physical roots, your spiritual roots are at least as important. In Christ, we are no longer wandering and discouraged. In Him, we live and move and have our being.

If you feel that you’re not anchored to anything, pour out your heart to Jesus. He will keep you close.

Let’s pray.

Lord, your mercies are always in fresh supply. We thank you that you plant us in good soil and hold fast to us even when we wander. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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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’re 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 prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

You were made for something! You were made to do things for your Lord. The truly beautiful thing is, God created a custom plan just for you. If you aren’t a famous athlete like Tim Tebow, you can still share your faith in wonderful ways. Ways that are life-changing for those you encounter.

Think of that verse again. God made you for a purpose! Created to have the mind of Christ in making this world a better place and making disciples for Him. And God prepared it all long, long ago. 

You are His child. That’s who you are.

Let’s pray.

Lord, when we begin to understand even a little bit of your love for us, it transforms us, and it renews our minds and hearts. Thank you so much for that! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.