Kerusso Daily Devotional

No matter who you are, there has probably been some time in your life that loneliness closed you in like dark curtains in a cold house.

Being alone can be healing, and it can be depressing. If you are experiencing the latter right now, we have good news for you. Your ‘alone’ feeling is an illusion.

Psalm 139:7–8 says, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.”

God’s Word tells us that there is no place in the universe that is without His presence. That includes the terrible news you just got today. It also includes the severed relationships and any other depressing thing that can dog us.

He is with you, everywhere, and at all times. Best of all, you can call on Jesus to take away your feelings of being alone.

All day, and all night.

Let’s pray.

Lord, without you, we are literally nothing. There is never a time you don’t hear us as individuals, and step in with your healing. Thank you for loving us! In Jesus’ name, amen.

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No one is immune from burnout. It comes in our jobs, friendships, and even our church life. Sometimes our hobbies become dry and tedious!

But in Scripture, God gives us hope for the future. 

John 7:38 says, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Jesus is telling us that in Him alone is true life. He is always pointing us to the future, to a time when that dry creek bed will be filled forever.

In Revelation 22, He showed John a river flowing with the water of life, crystal-clear and coming from the very throne of God.

The whole picture is one of healing and new life. He promises us that this scene will be very real and very permanent! The key is what we read in John 7:38…we must choose to believe! If you long for a new start and a bright future, you will find everything you need and want in the person of Jesus Christ.

The living water He offers is perfect, and the supply is limitless.

Jesus is the well that never runs dry.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you are calling to each of us to follow You and let You lead us to a place of perfect paradise. We eagerly look forward to joining you in Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Jesus has great compassion for everyone. Especially for those society considers unlovable or worth nothing.

One day, He stopped by a well and had a conversation with a woman who had been married five times. When He spoke to her, He knew she was now living with another man. Yet Jesus spoke to her in a way that let her know He valued her as a person.

He told her that people could drink the water from that well, but again, they would eventually be thirsty. He said to her that the water He gives is a spring welling up inside them, pointing to eternal life.

John 7:38 says, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Do you believe in Him? Have you had your encounter with Jesus? If you are thirsty for a new life, reach out to Him and listen to what Jesus has to say.

Your life will no longer be dry and lifeless.

New life will flow out of you so that others will notice and want what you have!

Let’s pray.

Lord, much of what the world offers doesn’t satisfy us. We need the living water that only you can provide. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Researchers have long known that even when exploring new worlds, water is the key to life. Without it, nothing can live.

Water is an image used often in Scripture.

When Jesus emerged from the River Jordan having been baptized by his cousin, John, He used the imagery to help people understand that by trusting in Him, they would live forever.

John 7:38 says, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Did you catch that? You must believe that Jesus is who the Bible says that He is, the very Son of God. In Him is life, rivers of living water. It is a refreshing experience that has no end, because when we drink water now, we know that eventually, we’ll get thirsty again.

But Jesus has told us in John 4 that whoever drinks from the water He gives them—spiritually—will never thirst.

He is talking about eternal life, always new and forever clean and clear.

He is inviting you. He stands at the water’s edge and waits.

Let’s pray.

Lord, your Word uses powerful imagery to help us see the wonderful things you have for us. Thank you for satisfying the thirst we have for fellowship with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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It’s no accident that Jesus chose as some of His apostles a group of fishermen from Galilee. These were men who could understand Him when Jesus told them He would make them “fishers of men.” He meant, of course, that they would share the Good News about Him with everyone they came in contact with.

That’s exactly what each of them did, for the rest of their lives!

John 7:38 says, "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.'"

Fishing requires patience, and a feel for your surroundings. The men Jesus picked were steady, and used to adapting to shifting opportunities. They were perfect for the work He gave them to do.

Just as Jesus knew what his disciples were suited for in order to build His Kingdom, He also knows exactly the purposes He has for you. You are invited to flow into the River of Life He has created, in order to see the Kingdom grow.

Others will see the life flowing from within you, if you’re willing to follow God.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you invite us to participate in the beautiful future you’ve planned for people everywhere. Help us be willing to look for those fishing opportunities. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Have you ever pondered what it means to be ‘born again’ as a Christian believer?

When we give our hearts to the Lord, asking Him to forgive our sins and guide our lives, we are making God a promise: we no longer claim the right to follow our own paths, or to focus on our own agendas.

We are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross on our behalf, so that we can be forgiven and live with the Lord for all eternity, when our temporary earthly lives are over.

In Romans 14:8, the Apostle Paul says, “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

When we profess our faith as Christian believers, we are saying we will live for the Lord, and we will die for Him as well. Living or dead, our souls belong to the Savior. 

As believers living for the Lord, this means we will make choices that honor Him and ultimately serve His goals and plans. We will ever and always belong to the Lord. Understanding that should impact how we view every choice we make, and how we tackle every challenge.

Let’s pray.

Dear Lord, we give you everything. Our choices, our actions, and our reactions. We ask for clarity in the decisions we make, and that you make us ever dependent on your wisdom and your perfect plan. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Are you the enviable sort of person who was born with an innate sense of direction?

Some of us know instinctively whether we are traveling North, South, East, or West. And some of us...would be lucky to find our way out of a paper bag, even with a map in hand.

If you’ve ever been lost on a country road at dusk, no road signs, no one to ask for help, and no idea which way to turn — you know how very useful it is to have directions. You’re burning daylight, and you aren’t sure how to get back to civilization.

Or maybe you’ve driven to a job interview in a new city. Unfamiliar cross streets, busy traffic, and the sound of blaring horns can be a distressing soundtrack when you’re trying to pinpoint one office building among many.

Romans 14:8 says, “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

When we’re living for the Lord, we have a North Star to guide us on our way. When you aren’t sure which road to take, or which choice to make, remember Who you live for. Ask the Lord to direct your path, to keep you safe from harm, and to be present every step of the way. Country roads, bustling city thoroughfares, and life itself are all so much more enjoyable when we navigate them with Jesus.

Let’s pray.

God, forgive us for those times we prove ourselves aimless on the road of life. Be our guide, and reveal your presence and direction to us on the journey. We are lost without you! In Jesus’ name, amen.

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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 bad things and have had some really bad things done to me. I just can’t understand the concept of forgiveness.” 

There you have it. Doubts about the faith come from all directions. While one person cannot bring herself to believe in miracles, another cannot forgive himself for the wrong things he's done — and can't fathom how God could. 

Thomas Jefferson actually cut out the miraculous sections of the Bible. He couldn’t believe in what some would call the God of the Bible. Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of DNA, thought that Christianity was just a collection of mythical stories. And what about those who want to see the proof? They like evidence and feel a need to make an intellectual case for our faith. 

The New Testament writer, Luke, was like that. He wrote in Acts and the gospel of Luke about the importance of eyewitness sightings of Jesus and His miracles. Lots of people debate whether evolution and religion are compatible or not. And this is a big stumbling block to believe for many. 

We all believe something, but our minds can struggle at times to grasp the big stuff, the infinite universe, while for others who doubt, the struggle is more internal. They’re so grieved by their own sin they can’t accept that God could love them. 

Maybe the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” 

However, few quote the next verse, which says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” It isn’t God’s wish to condemn you. Instead, He loves you and wants to give you assurance that life is more than struggle and molecules. 

Whether you’re looking for evidence to believe the Bible, or you just need to know that God loves you, try not to focus too much on your objections. Own them, but just tell God, as a child would, that you’re struggling to understand it all. 

Will you pray with us? 

Father, your grace saves us from a life of struggle with sin, and we are accepted by you. Thank you for putting up with our up and down faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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God does things on a big scale, but He’s also in the details. He knows our thoughts, hopes, dreams, and every detail of our lives. 

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

In Ecclesiastes, God spends considerable time speaking to our innermost needs. Through the stories of Paul and the apostles, we see that He cares about our physical needs and comforts us in times of danger.

The diversity of God’s intervention is awesome! Hannah couldn’t have children, but she prayed, and the Lord answered her…blessing her with six children! Gideon was facing an army much larger than his own, but God told him everything would be okay — and it was! 

Down through time and into the present, God speaks to us with words of comfort and courage. He is actively working in our lives now, and always.

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The Bible is full of stories of God doing amazing things for those He calls. One of the most famous seems to be good to be true, but it is!

Daniel, God’s man in exile in Babylon, insisted on worshipping the Lord, and not a human king. This was against the law. When those who were jealous of him urged the king to punish Daniel, the prophet was thrown into a lion’s den overnight.

And that was that. Or was it?

The next morning, the king was so anxious about Daniel that he ran to the den and called out to him to see if he was still alive.

Daniel 6:21–22 says, “Daniel answered, ‘May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.’”

When life threatens to rip you up, remember that the Lord has you. God is on your side, knows where you are, and will hide you in the palm of His strong hand.

Believe that He will.

Let’s pray.

Lord, this story inspires us to rely on you when times are really bad for us. Thank you for being our rescue. 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.