Kerusso Daily Devotional

Isn’t it funny how we come to certain conclusions in life fairly late? In other words, sometimes the obvious things aren’t obvious until we’ve stumbled around on our own, trying to find a solution.

Take the simple act of asking for help. It isn’t uncommon for a person to be reluctant to ask for help. Then he finds he wasted a lot of time!

That’s what we’re talking about this week.

John 16:24 says, “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

Jesus makes it simple. Here He is telling us that we don’t have what we need because we haven’t asked. That’s an amazing concept, but one He has proved many times.

Are you in a serious situation right now? Do you have a big need? Are you depressed because of a relationship, struggling at work, or overwhelmed by a health or financial situation?

Why don’t you try just telling Jesus what your problem is? Yes, He already knows, but you participate in the solution by entering into a relationship with Him. Talk to him, and take comfort in the fact that He knows everything about you. He isn’t judging you when you ask. He just listens.

And if you think all this is childish…be a kid today! Ask Jesus to help you, He’ll answer, and your faith will surge.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, forgive us for not trusting you. You are a good God, and your love is appreciated. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Have you ever seen the film, “Saving Private Ryan?” If not, it’s about a group of American soldiers sent into enemy territory during World War 2 to find one lost soldier. The order comes from top leadership.

This small group has single focus the whole mission. Eventually—at great cost—they locate him and return him to his loved ones. Much of it is difficult to watch, as we see the incredible sacrifice the many make to find the one.

Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Long ago, Jesus did the same thing for all of us. God sent His Only Son to find those that are lost.

If you feel totally lost, call on the Lord. Just tell Jesus you really need Him. Then you’ll have your own memorable story to share! Jesus loves you and will find you if you call on Him.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, thank you forever for the sacrifice Your Son made for us, to take our sin. We love you for it. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Of all the themes of the Bible, God's grace through His Son, Jesus Christ, is the greatest example. It's the most critical element in a person's life, and the choice to receive it is ours. 

The Bible tells us that before the world was created, God already had a plan to redeem mankind from sin. And because He knows all, He already knew what would take place in the Garden of Eden. Acts 15:11 says, “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved just as they are.” The greatest act of grace then was given at the cross, when Jesus willingly died in our place. 

Because God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He decides what is best for human beings. And since He cannot tolerate sin, someone had to stand in as a substitute. Otherwise, each of us would be required to receive the punishment for sin, which is death. And Jesus took all of that away from us. In Isaiah 50 and in Psalm 22, we read very graphic descriptions of the ways Jesus suffered during the crucifixion. He himself tells us what it was like.

In the Greek and Hebrew, the concept of grace is a picture of someone stooping to help another, and more specifically, it is a picture of a superior person freely offering to help a person in great need, and incapable of doing it for himself. 2 Timothy 1 gives us a clear picture of how God's grace came into the world, emphasizing that we can do nothing to earn it, and this requires us to get rid of our pride. The passage also tells us that this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. 

Although we think of the Old Testament as more about law, while the New Testament focuses on grace, there are examples in the Old Testament reminding us that God has never abandoned anyone in any era. Whether you have plenty and don't feel you need any help from God or you're in great need, won't you consider accepting the free gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins that God is offering? 

Let's pray.

Father, just like the old hymn says, Jesus paid it all, and that reality fills us with joy. Our salvation promises that one day when you make all things new, we will be able to fully enjoy that grace for all eternity. You are the great God, and we praise you for your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Corrie ten Boom made a decision at the height of World War II. She would hide Jews from the Nazis in her Dutch home, and she was found out. Surviving the war, she told people for the rest of her life about God's grace. Though her sister, Betsy, died at the notorious camp called Ravensbrück, Corrie survived.

One night two years after the war, she found out just how meaningful grace really is. After she had spoken to a group of Germans, a man approached her. She then realized that he had been a guard at Ravensbrück. He told her that her talk was very meaningful to him, and that since the war he had become a Christian. He put his hand out and asked her for forgiveness.

Not so easy to acknowledge, Corrie realized. For an eternity of seconds, she couldn't make her hand move, but when she did and reached for his hand, she said it was like an electric current running through her arm. She told the former guard that she did forgive him, and that single act made all the difference.

Ephesians 4:7 says, “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

In our lives we want grace, but we struggle when God gives that same grace to people we feel don't deserve it. But that's the point of grace as we've already discussed. God's grace is favor given that is not deserved. We can't do anything to receive it. The Lord offers it for free.

Maybe you haven't done anything in life as bad as that Nazi guard, but the Bible says that God hates sin, and sin comes in many forms and we're all sinners. It was Alexander Solzhenitsyn that said, “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”

In a sense, underneath it all, we're all that camp guard. His horrific sin was out in the open and the pain of that time still affects people, but a woman he persecuted decided to model the love of Christ in forgiveness and that was a moment of divine grace. The Bible is full of stories of God giving his grace freely to people who are broken in one way or another. Our loving Father gave it to them free of charge, the same way he gives it to you. 

Let's pray.

Father God, sometimes we just don't understand. Injustice bothers us. Please help us to see that you look on all of us—everyone—with compassion. You gave your son to pay the penalty for the sins of people the world over. Help us to see others, God, the way that you see them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Theresa Rosenthal had a rough start in life. She watched her father abuse her mother, and then when she was six, a family friend sexually abused her. Like so many that suffered at the hands of a predator, Theresa pushed the pain down into a secret place, and for decades, she battled with depression and substance abuse. Finally, one day she was sitting in front of her house and just blurted out to God, “What am I supposed to do?”

Within 24 hours, she had a Bible from a new friend who reached out to her, and even though some of Theresa's bad choices would land her in jail, her friend and that Bible were constant sources of healing. Today, she's a member of a loving church, and she tells anyone who will listen about God's grace in her life. 

Daniel 4:2 says, “I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me.” 

Too often we are too tribal. We think God only works in our circles, but the fact is, God has always been the definition of inclusive. The Bible makes it very clear that God's grace is available to anyone in all times and places. 

Matthew 5:45 is a very interesting verse that illustrates this. It says, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” 

That's fascinating. What might seem unusual or even unjust to us is routine for God. Because God takes the long view. He knows that our lives on Earth are brief. So if he gives grace to a bad person, he's thinking of that person's eternal place. And let's face it, there are plenty of times in our lives that we didn't deserve grace. But he gave it anyway. 

In God's economy, a Babylonian brickmaker from 3,000 years ago is as valuable as you are. Theresa Rosenthal was warmed by that grace at a time when she was doing drugs and spiraling into depression, and she had no ability to improve her life. And that's the point of grace. God gives it to a variety of people and circumstances. And life would be unbearable without it. 

Let's pray. 

Father God, your grace sustains us, in bad times and in good times, and we might take our focus off you. Sometimes that grace is almost unseen. We might not be aware of it until years later when looking back gives us insight. Thank you for giving us what we don't deserve. In Jesus' name. Amen.

It's been said that grace is simply favor from God, and we didn't do anything to earn it. Often, grace comes when we need it the most. 

The word grace is used about 170 times in the Bible. Most of those occur in the New Testament as the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ unfolds. His sacrifice for all of us, dying on the cross for our sins, was the backdrop for a lot of other moments in grace He gave to those He came in contact with.

Jesus perfectly understood that there's a lot of suffering in the world. Those poignant moments when He stooped to heal a person in distress or when He unlocked the emotional chains of people like Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene. That is supernatural grace. Grace is a moment in time when the living God intervenes in someone's life. We often hear stories of people being surprised by grace. It arrives when they least expect it, but is really needed. James 4:6 says, “But he gives us more grace.” That is why scripture says, “God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble.”

What we learn about grace from the Bible is that although God is the originator, we are also capable of giving grace. 

Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive? Maybe that person is badly in need of that forgiveness. Swallow your pride and give that grace. There are many more ways to give grace. That family in your church that is struggling financially. Can you find a way to discreetly help them out? That kind of grace can be just the boost people need to rise above their circumstances. Some people are prideful, but the truth is all of us need God's grace. We need it for the duration. So think about that the next time a grudge or stubborn pride is blocking you from being a blessing to others. One day you might just find yourself on the other end of that situation. 

Let's pray. 

Father God, you are so good to us, all the time. If we stop and think about the unmerited favor you give us each day, amazing. Help us to keep this in mind as we find ways to pay it forward in our daily walk. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Few of us enjoy chaos. It's just too…chaotic, right? The human mind needs order and peace, yet we live in this messy world. Stuff is flying by all the time and we duck. Our relationships are a mess and we have to schedule that root canal while simultaneously making dinner and cleaning the house.

Is there a way out? 

Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters." 

It's all perspective. 

Yes, you might have 100 things to do before 4:00 PM today, but remind yourself of this: Sometimes we miss the best days of our lives because we don't focus on the good. 

God brought order out of a vast chaos long ago, formless…empty—to create a world of beauty. And He did it because He loved us. If He can handle that, can we handle our busy day of meetings and yes, even that root canal? I think we can.

Pray with me. 

Lord, our lives get so busy we forget you made order out of chaos. Help us to slow down our brains and our hearts and learn to savor the moment. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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 can also feel very…restrictive.

That’s the moment we walk 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 direct your paths.”

Notice the precise language in these verses. We are to trust Him with all of our heart. Don’t take your eyes off Him and follow your own choices. Be upfront that He is your peace. It’s then He picks you up, protects you, and carries you home.

Today is the day you’re thinking about all this. You’ve messed up. You’ve messed up in the most spectacular and disheartening way.

And it’s exactly at this moment that God is ready to do the greatest miracle in your life. Tell him you’ve messed up, and have no idea where to turn.

There—you’re learning to completely trust Him. Commit your life to Him, and be consistent about it.

Remember: the turning point to an awesome future begins with reliance on God. Commit your ways to Him, and He will direct your paths. 

Let’s pray.

Lord, help us to reject our own flawed wisdom, and rely totally on yours. Amen.

Do you remember the last time you laughed? Do you remember the last time you laughed from sheer joy?

Many of us don’t. The weight of life presses down on us…it weakens us.

Proverbs 31:25 says this of a godly woman: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

Did you know that God means for you to be strong? He wants you to have dignity. You are a child of the King. You are a woman of faith. Or maybe you are a man who seeks God.

That beautiful proverb reminds us that it is God Himself who dresses us each day with the respect He has for us as His creation. Because of His favor and His blessing, you can meet today with boldness in who you are, not shaking with fear or worry.

So, today as you head to work or as you do whatever you’re about to do, take as your own promise that the all-powerful, true God made you to live this life not with fear of the future, but with strength and dignity — because you know what’s in store for you, in the next.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we are better than what the enemy tells us we are. Thank you for clothing us in strength and in confidence each day. We get that strength only from you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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 things, and in him all things hold together.”

Many people, maybe rightly so, worry about the planet. Certainly, there are lots of issues that are problematic.

But what if we focused on the fact that everything Jesus has told us is 100 percent true? That would mean that He sustains our beautiful planet, so designed for human life to thrive.

It also means He sees into your heart and mind and knows just what you need.

He holds you together.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your sustaining work keeps evil at bay in our world. We are grateful for your promises for the future. Amen.