Kerusso Daily Devotional

Do you need a miracle? If we’re honest and open to the truth, miracles have always been a part of our world. In the beginning, God made a dazzling world full of diversity, beautiful animals, gorgeous sunsets, streams of water. He also made us to enjoy it all, and to keep it for Him. But just like the entrance of sin into our world, which marred the original beauty, we sometimes get weighed down with worry and cares of life. We look up one day, and the drudgery of our days overwhelms us. The supernatural seems far away, and that’s the very moment God will act. He has always been with us, and one of His greatest promises is that He will be with us to the end, to the moment He ushers in an eternity too wonderful to fully know now.

Revelation 22:1–3 says, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing 12 crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse.” 

In the meantime, maybe you’re really going through a challenge in your life. You need a miracle. Do you know that you can simply ask Jesus for this? He’s answered too many people, too many times, not to be real. And if we’re honest, the presence and regularity of miracles today are staggering. They’re everywhere. 

So why not you?

1 Corinthians 1:1–2 says, “To those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours, grace and peace to you from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” There’s such peace in this. Put aside your doubts and your fears. Just ask Him to help you, and He can. He will. In fact, He will bless you so much, you won’t be able to stay quiet about it. You will have to tell people. You are a miracle.

Let’s pray. 

Father God, you rescue us all the time in ways big and small. Your faithfulness in helping us is worthy of our worship. Thank you for making miracles part of everyday life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Only a person who is willfully blind could deny that miracles happen today. They didn’t end at the shore of the Red Sea. Malachi 3:6 says, “I the Lord do not change.” From this, we can logically see that the Bible’s powerful and majestic miracles didn’t stop in the first century. They’re still happening. God didn’t suspend the love he dispenses in the form of miracles. 

Taylor McCaffrey was an alcoholic as a teenager. He was also a preacher’s kid, and these combined to weigh him down with guilt. From the age of 16, he drank heavily, but God didn’t leave him there. He says, “On my 21st birthday, I’d been drinking about eight hours straight and simply heard the voice of the Holy Spirit inside me say, ‘Either do what I’ve called you to, or I will not continue wrestling you.’”

It sounded so stern. However, so loving, “I was instantly sober.” And that was several years ago. Today, Taylor is still sober. There are also countless examples of what we might call ‘corporate’ miracles—those that bless whole communities. At Christmas time of 2004, a group of 400 believers wanted to hold a Christmas service. The local authorities, though, told them that they could not do that in the city of Meulaboh in North Sumatra. The 400 decided to hold their service in a remote mountain region, and they stayed overnight. Early the next morning, an earthquake and resulting tsunami flattened their city, but they were safe in the higher elevations. Had they opted not to worship Jesus during their holiday, they would have perished.

The fact is, our world is miracle-heavy. They happen all the time. Miracles happen to ordinary people and to whole nations every day. This is one of the clearest evidences of the power and the majesty of the living God. We can choose to be witnesses for Him by pointing out to everyone we come in contact with that, though our world has problems, God is still working in a mighty way.

Let’s pray. 

Father God, thank you. The example of miracles. They give us strength in our faith and a boost to our days. We’re forever grateful to you for routinely doing things that some say cannot happen. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Charles Darwin and some of his friends saw a certain beauty and order in evolution, believing that random processes can bring about living systems. That anyone survived what a poet has described as ‘nature, red in tooth and claw,’ is a miracle for naturalists. Others believe miracles, if you can call them that, happen because some impersonal cosmic force allows them.

There’s not much comfort in that, though. 

Remember the account of ancient people who longed to see a miracle from their God? The Egyptians developed a complex system of gods that operated on a whim, but when the God of Moses showed up, they very clearly understood the true source of miracles. And that was the point of the 10 plagues: to show them that the Creator God was infinitely powerful and capable of producing miracles. 

We’ve been given a reasonable source that tells us where miracles come from: The Bible. Deuteronomy 29:2–3 says, “Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. With your own eyes, you saw those great trials, those signs, and great wonders.’”

Here we see clearly that the source of any and all miracles is God Himself, not a force in the universe. Not a spirit guide. Miracles are from God alone, and He wants you to experience miracles in your life. He wants you to live an abundant life, not one of defeat and misery and oppression. His limitless power was seen by the ancients, and today, people on every continent see that miracle-working power. There’s a beautiful description of this in Isaiah 43:13, which says, “Yes, and from ancient days I am He. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” And this is the truth we can expect from the One who really does want to help you, and help you today. 

Let’s pray. 

Father God, you have put within each of us the knowledge that tells us you are the source of all miracle-working power. And this is part of the good news of Jesus that we get to tell others about. Thank you for the miracle of Jesus. Thank you for all of Your miracles. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The late writer Christopher Hitchens was a skeptic who claimed that miracles are born from nightmarish ignorance, and that they often are simply 10th-hand reports from illiterate peasants. Wow. The flaw in his argument, of course, is that it isn’t really an argument. It’s simply a rant against God, and the fact is, unexplainable miracles happen every day in our world, but Hitchens’ views are shared widely by certain influential people in our time, and their claims that miracles are impossible do tend to have an effect on how others think of miracles. 

Another reason some have trouble really believing in miracles is because when one is needed, doubt and fear crowd out our belief. Remember, even the ancient Israelites who saw historic miracles almost on a daily basis sometimes complained that God had left them to die in the desert.

Man, our attention span’s short. 

Maybe the most famous example of doubting a miracle is seen in the New Testament when one of the disciples of Jesus, Thomas, refuses to believe reports of His resurrection. John 20:25 says, “But he said to them, unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” The 18th-century philosopher David Hume thought that miracles violated the laws of nature. In fact, his views and others like him influenced many people in Europe and America in the next two centuries. So, they believed that reason cannot believe in miracles.

Notice that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. The opinions of men too often influence people who haven’t really thought this through. As the Christian writer Timothy McGrew has said, “Science properly understood will tell us the limits of nature, but it will never tell us that nothing lies beyond those limits.” In the case of Thomas, we could say that he didn’t have enough information. Once he saw the risen Lord with his own eyes, he could believe. 

For others, it’s a matter of the heart. Perhaps you’ve been wounded, and you’re shutting God out. This can cause you not to see what’s right in front of your face. So, do this. Allow yourself one day to be open to the possibility of miracles. Scan the news. Listen to friends. Scroll through social media. It would be a miracle if you don’t find a miracle. 

Let's pray.

Father God, you are good to us in big ways and in small ways. You make miracles happen in our lives. From healing to repaired relationships, we know that we can ask you for your good gifts and you will give them. Help us to be ambassadors for your miracle-working power. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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We’re starting a series today on miracles. They’re one of the most popular subjects in culture. We’re fascinated by them. We want them to happen, and we love it when they happen to us. But what is a miracle? Do they happen in our world today? Lots of questions. 

Skeptics claim that miracles are impossible.

Chad and Mandy Stacy saw one of them when their son, Ethan, was born with leukemia, and over a period of three weeks, he developed tumors all over his body. He couldn’t eat. His heartbroken parents began to make his funeral arrangements and took him home. But one night at his lowest, he began taking nourishment, and over the next week, he improved so much that his doctors were not able to find evidence of the killer disease in his body. One doctor said it was just remarkable to witness it.

One scholar has a thought that skeptics might consider: “To say that miracles are scientifically impossible is one thing, but to say that they can’t happen is another thing. We might even define a miracle as an event which is scientifically impossible, but which happens anyway.” Well, there you have it. 

The Bible, in fact, has much to say about miracles, and because Scripture also tells us that our God does not change, we can reasonably believe He gives us miracles. We might say that the very first miracle was the creation of everything out of nothing. A marvelous world that still retains great beauty. The moon is just the right distance from Earth to allow perfect tides that clean our oceans. The sun is just the right distance so that we have heat, but not too much. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

One of the first of what we might call personal miracles is recorded in Exodus 3, the burning bush. Moses is allowed to talk with God up close as the Lord’s presence was in a bush nearby that wouldn’t burn up. Another use of fire we see in 1 Kings 18, when Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to sort of a dual, each is to call on his God to answer. And Elijah says, “The true God will answer by fire.” And He does, as fire comes down from heaven and consumes the altar they’ve built.

An especially heartfelt miracle occurs in the New Testament in John 4, when Jesus heals a nobleman’s son. Jesus doesn’t force Himself on anybody. But as we will see, He’s in the miracle business. If you need one, tell Him that. Tell Him your friend or relative or a stranger needs a miracle. He’s the God who answers by fire.

Let’s pray. 

Father God, you have proven yourself to us so many times that we don’t need to doubt anything in Your Word. We believe that You grant miracles in different times and places, and no one is beyond Your miracle-giving gifts. Thank you for that. And help us to carry them in our hearts and our minds so that we can be witnesses for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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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 12:11–12 says, “Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord. When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful.”

Do you see what God is urging us to do in Scripture? He says to never let the fire go out! Never doesn’t mean sometimes, when we’re tired or annoyed about something. This is too important to mess up. Remember that Jesus saved you. And more than likely, through someone keeping their own inner fire going, they saw you through the eyes of compassion.

Let’s pray.

Lord, give us a passion for the souls of all people, at all times. And help us to be ready to share Christ with them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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As followers of Jesus, we are meant to be witnesses. And Christ’s majesty and power are meant to blanket our world.

He is intimately aware of you, and where you are in life.

Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.”

When we trust Christ—when we believe the simple Gospel—we are called to get in the game. Sitting on such good news doesn’t make much sense, does it? Are you guilty of failing to shine a light in a dark world?

It’s not too late, friend! If you’re a friend of God, just as the Bible says Abraham was long ago, you are to invite others to live in his healing light.

The glory of the Lord rises on you each morning, it really does. Put your feet on the floor and share His glory with friends, family, and people who travel your path only briefly.

God is so good! Walk in His light and see what He’ll do in countless lives!

Let’s pray. 

Lord, there are so many opportunities to share your light. Give us opportunities to do that daily, and give us the energy to seize them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Think of what Jesus was asking of His followers.

He had just risen from the dead. That doesn’t happen every day.

His ministry had been destroyed, so they thought. He wasn’t coming back. But then He did. Only days after being killed on a brutal Roman cross, Jesus was standing in front of his friends, looking very much alive. And He was telling them their futures were dicey.

Mark 16:15 says, “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”

Jerusalem at the time was under occupation by an unforgiving empire. The empire required all from each individual and never gave anything back. Jesus was telling His disciples that if they would give up all for Him, He’d give it back and more.

Forever.

This was the first great command to preach the Good News everywhere. The first marching orders for a spiritual army.

We are called to be in that army, to give our all in order to shake things up for eternity.

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you for giving us the chance to share your love with others, all over the world. We love you! In Jesus’ name, amen.

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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 in the Roman Empire, it was used as currency! Mainly, it was used as a critical food preservative.

Matthew 5:13–16 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 trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.                                      Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

God tells us we are to be the instrument that preserves and makes known the Gospel, and salt is the analogy.

Let us say to our friends, loved ones, and even strangers: Taste, and see that the Lord’s promises are good!

Let’s pray.

Lord, help us to be salt and light for your Word in this world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Defending the faith can sometimes be a subjective thing. As examples of extremes, we have seen the Crusades, and the modern form is perhaps an aggressive “pitch” to someone who isn’t a believer.

The thing is, it’s great to be zealous for our faith, but let’s also be disciplined. We don’t want to alienate a person who might otherwise listen. To put it simply: an angry Christian is usually a lonely Christian.

Jude 1:3 says, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.”

We can defend our faith in a strong way. We can be bold in what we believe, sure of our eternity with Jesus Christ. But our messaging is all-important. It could be that having a conversation with someone is the right approach. Don’t feel pressure. Don’t press. Jesus has the job of saving; we just have to be available to share about Him.

Let’s pray.

Lord, please always remind us to share the Gospel with love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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