Kerusso Daily Devotional

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.”

Rolling on the ground wrapped in silk, Curtis realized he had followed his instructions to the letter. With his landing, he graded out the highest of anyone in his company.

That story is exactly how we are to interact with our Savior. When we let go, confident that Jesus has us, we have no more pressure on us. He is carrying us to safety.

And we land in the right place every time.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we have so much gratitude for the countless ways you lead us through life. We love you. Thank you for every safe landing, and for holding us safe in the palm of your hand. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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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 command us, ‘Thou shalt always be chipper,’ but these wise words from Paul remind us to think—before we sink. No matter what hardships we face, our hope is found in Jesus Christ, and this hope is an infinite well of joy we can turn to in times of trouble. 

Paul also reminds believers to be patient no matter what befalls us. Paul was a respected missionary, even honored and admired by powerful officials of his day who didn’t share his Christian beliefs. Despite his good standing, for a period of two years he was in prison—literally chained and under constant guard. And from this depth of experience, he’s able to tell others to be patient in affliction. Whether our chains are literal or figurative in nature, the trials we face can mold our character and build our patience if we choose to let them. 

The most important part of Paul’s message in this verse is the reminder to be faithful in prayer. God is worthy of all honor and praise, but He also knows us, understands our weaknesses, and loves us anyway. On the days life feels too difficult to approach the Lord with a smile on our faces and joy in our hearts, He still wants to hear from us. Prayer is not a sometimes thing; it’s an all-the-time practice that grows our faith, strengthens our relationship with God, and changes our lives. 

So, be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. 

Let’s pray. 

Lord, you are the source of all our hope, the teacher of patience, and the one who listens to every prayer. Help us to choose joy over despair, patience over exasperation, and to pray faithfully. Sometimes fear and frustration threaten to overwhelm us, but you are near, and we pray you will turn our hearts to you. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

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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 recorded. Others might have been answered later, but there are indications that—no—God does not always answer a prayer. And this is where our human perspectives can hamper our ability to see the full picture.

Isaiah 55:8 says, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.”

From our limited perspective at this moment in time, we might not understand how or if God is answering our prayers. Remember Job and his friends prayed and tried to figure out for some time just what God was up to in this suffering man’s life. The most interesting takeaway from the Book of Job is that, in the end, when God addresses Job, he never once tells him why he suffered.

He basically puts Job in his place by saying that He, God, knows and understands everything, and we obviously do not. It’s worth noting that in Job’s case, God restored everything to him and more. As we read in Luke 18:1, part of our responsibility in praying is perseverance. We’re not supposed to act like children and throw a fit if we don’t get our way.

In those times when we think God is slow in answering us, it’s necessary for us to have some patience. Nowhere are we promised a quick answer or even an answer at all. Sometimes we just have to have faith that God will work everything out for us. 

Let’s pray. 

Father God, like Job, we want to trust you no matter what. Even if an answer to our prayer is slow, we love you anyway, and we thank you that you love us for eternity. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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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 of faith. We can’t know and understand everything about the mysteries of God. But we can accept by faith that God the Father was manifest in earthly ministry as Jesus. So, He models for us how to pray to the one true God.

In Matthew 6:9–13, we read, “Pray like this, Our Father in Heaven, Your name is holy. May Your holy nation come. What You want done, may it be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us the bread we need today. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” 

That’s from the New Life version, Matthew 6:9–13. And this is the famous Lord’s Prayer. It's when Jesus tells His disciples how to communicate with God. Immediately before the prayer itself, He tells them to go find a quiet place, and God will see the sincerity of the heart offering a prayer.

He also says something else amazing. God knows what we need even before we ask Him. Confusion over who we are praying to is one of the most commonly asked questions, yet God is not waiting to turn away or shut the door on us if we fail to use some formal greeting. There are plenty of examples in Scripture of prayers to God the Father, of course. God exists as God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And the point is, this is not a trick that is set up so that you can fail. The triune God wants to hear from us, and a sincere heart wishing to talk to God will get through just fine.

Let’s pray.

Father God, there are some things that are hard for us to process. We can have assurance that talking with You anytime is available to us, and we don't have to be perfect. Thank you for that, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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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, faithful in prayer.”

Truthfully, God isn’t obligated to do anything for us. He does it because He loves us. That’s it. But within each difficult night and day, it is important that we take the scripture to heart. Keep your joy, be patient, and pray.

If you’re in a dark place, pray to the Lord for help. Even if you’re emotionally exhausted, take the time to simply talk to Him.

He’s promised that He’ll be listening.

Let’s pray.

Oh Lord, may we never be hopeless! May we never be without your love. Remind us daily that You will never leave us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Have you ever had a power outage and pulled out your favorite flashlight, only to discover the batteries are dead? Bummer, am I right?

How about light bulbs? For some reason, they all seem to go at the same time, leaving you in the shadows and looking for that flashlight — you know, the one with the dead batteries!

Light bulbs burn out, tires go flat, umbrellas turn inside out on a windy day, and batteries die. Many of the things we use on a frequent basis are designed to be temporary — and sometimes they let us down when we need them the most.

Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.”

God’s Holy Word, the Bible, promises that His compassion never fails. Each day is a new opportunity to experience God’s love and benefit from His grace, and His faithfulness to us will never end. Not because we’ve earned the Lord’s favor — simply because He loves us.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, your mercy is new every morning, and your steadfast love for us is amazing. Thank you for loving us so much, and thank you that we can depend on you, always. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Noah was far from perfect, but he was a humble man, and protective of his family. He stands out among fathers in the Bible as a man who remained loyal to God, in spite of the wickedness of the world around him.

Doesn’t that sound a lot like life today? Fathers who choose to follow a life of faith are surrounded by temptation and downright evil in this world, but God is pleased by our devotion, and He has a plan for each of us — even when circumstances are frustrating or difficult. 

Genesis 6:5–8 says, “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

The Bible tells us Noah, father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, was a righteous man, and walked faithfully with God. For this reason, God chose Noah to build an incredible boat – the ark – that would save not only mankind, but every variety of living creature on the earth — from peril.

Sometimes fathers feel like their job is a thankless one. They tackle the honey-do list on weekends, help with dinner, keep the kids in line, and help to wrangle them at bedtime...and they don’t hear “thank you,” or “great job,” often enough. But God knows everything you do for your family, from breadwinning to caretaking and everything in between, and He takes delight in your devotion to your family, and to Him.

Deuteronomy 30:2–3 says, “And when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.”

Modern-day fathers can learn valuable lessons from Noah:

God promises to bless and protect those who faithfully follow and obey him. A man who obeys the Lord will inspire faith in his children as well. 

Obedience is not a sprint but a marathon; It means a lifetime of faithful devotion, even (and especially!) when the going gets tough.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for calling out Noah’s faithful obedience to you so many years ago, and for providing for the safety and provision of his entire family when the world had gone astray. Bless every father who hears this message, Lord, that they might grow closer in their walk with you, and inspire their children to follow in their footsteps. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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One of the biggest criticisms of those who follow Jesus Christ is that such a model is very exclusive. In other words, it seems on the surface that Jesus leaves some people out of the salvation plan, because He says that He is the only way to God.

But what is He really telling us?

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.’”

Jesus is actually showing us the way. He gives us the path to being reconciled with God the Father. Sin separated us from Him long ago, but in His mercy, we can find eternal peace. In that way, we are able to fill the “God-shaped” hole in us. Solomon wrote about that.

When it comes to loyalty, we see that Jesus is in fact totally inclusive. He offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin for all men, women, and children in every era of history. What could be more open and loving than that?

If you’ve rejected Christ because you heard His love isn’t inclusive enough, we hope you’ll realize the opposite is true. He loves everyone equally.

Especially you.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your Word shows us the expansive love that you have for all people. Help us share that Good News with everyone we come in contact with. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Who is the most loyal person you’ve ever known? A parent? Spouse? Friend?

Truthfully, we all crave loyalty. It gives us a sense of safety. We feel that if there is some loyalty in our world, it’s like a warm blanket on a cold night. Life seems less scary.

As we discuss the role of Jesus in our personal stories, it is good to remind ourselves often of ultimate loyalty. In turn, it encourages us to be loyal to that One person we can always count on.

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.’”

Jesus gives us loyalty that cannot be broken. Are we willing to stay true to Him, as well? In other words, if life’s road gets rough, do we stay on the path He has set for us? Like Peter, we tend to think nothing could pry us from Jesus, but our choices can do that. Then we regret being disloyal to Christ.

Resolve to never let that happen to you. Keep His sacrifice for you in your mind and heart. That will help you stay true to Him when life isn’t so great.

He promised to never leave you. Tell Jesus that you love Him for that, and keep your eyes looking ahead to the eternity He has made for you.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, make us strong in our loyalty to our Savior. Then let that light shine for those who see us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Do you tend to be a fair-weather friend? Do you stay strong when times are good, but run away if things are difficult? Nothing will ruin a relationship more than that.

Let’s be honest here: There is someone in your life who needs your help and strength. Maybe you need to step it up in that area.

Jesus is a perfect example of loyalty to others; by following His lead, we can learn what genuine loyalty looks like. 

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.’”

Jesus stuck to you like glue when He experienced the most danger to Him personally. His death on the cross was frankly so much bigger than anything you’re facing…we don’t have an excuse to let down anyone in our life.

Jesus held out His hand and told you that He would lead you home. Practicing that type of loyalty in our daily lives will serve as a remarkable example to those who need to see some loyalty.

Let’s pray.

 Lord, your love inspires us every day. Thank you most of all for what Jesus has done for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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