Kerusso Daily Devotional

Spring is the season of new life. As we finish up our series on the Psalms, we come to the most famous one of all.

Psalm 23:1–2 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” 

This psalm contains some of the most famous words ever written. It has everything: beautiful language, a man’s raw honest heart for God, and a universal theme of love that God has for all people.

It echoes in the universe.

Think of the picture that God is painting here for us.

We are bone weary, but He has actually made a place for us to rest in a garden. We hear the flowing water. We are refreshed inside and out. And He is with us. 

Do yourself a favor this spring. Memorize every line of the 23rd Psalm. Put it in your heart so that when you’re in that dark valley, you will remember that the one true God loves you absolutely and completely.

Goodness and mercy follow you. Close your eyes and sit in the cool grass. He is with you.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you are the Great Shepherd who provides a sanctuary for us. Thank you, thank you for making a place of safety for us as we go through life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Does your love for God make your heart sing?

The psalms, many of them, were written as songs of worship. King David in particular loved to sing praises to His Lord. Whether he was tending his flock under a night sky, or sitting in his palace in Jerusalem, David had a heart for the Lord.

Psalm 104:1 says, “Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.”

In this kind of worship, we feel especially close to God. It is then we focus on His majesty and His power. We feel close to Him, and we’re able to speak freely with Him.

This kind of intentional meditation on Higher Things also puts us in our place, and we mean that in the best sense of the phrase. Hierarchy in true religion is very important, and when we consider that the God we sing praises to loves us eternally, and always wants the best for us, well—it releases us to worship God with all of our being. And it is then we are free.

Take time today to praise the Lord for who He is, not forgetting the great things He has done for you. Because…He is very great!

Let’s pray.

Lord, you are awesome in ways that we can barely understand. Even with those limitations, God, we love you with abandon. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Watching little kids perform on stage at school or at church is the best, isn’t it? It can be quite entertaining. There are always a couple of shy violets, but many of them sing their hearts out, fidgeting with excitement and performing actions to accompany the songs with gusto.

If Grammy awards were doled out based on sheer enthusiasm, kids in elementary and Sunday School programs would probably win every year. They simply can’t contain the feelings in their hearts when it’s time to make a joyful noise.

Psalm 111:1 says, “Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart…”

The word “extol” means to praise enthusiastically; to go into raptures about, to rave about, to delight over, or to sing the praises of. Imagine if every time we thought about our great God, we fell into raptures of delight—the same way those boisterous kids do when they break into song. Now, that would be something to see!

Let’s pray.

God, you are worthy of our gratitude, our admiration, and our praise. Thank you for every good thing in our lives, and Lord remind us to bring every ounce of joy to our praise for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Nothing is more basic to life than creation itself. The Bible tells us that God alone has the power to truly create, and the beauty of language in Psalm 139 explains this fully. Some believe the psalmist was writing in part about the creation of Adam.

Psalm 139:1–3 says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.”

The writer of the Psalms marvels at the ways in which God understands each of us intimately, and is present everywhere 

Are you aware that God loves you with a supernatural love? He created you to be a singular presence in the world…what we call “unique.” You might feel sometimes that you are worthless, or that no one cares. But that’s not so.

The Creator of the Universe, in that vast space, took time to make only one of you. You are precious to Him and you should never forget it, even when things look depressing.

God sees you when you sit in that chair and when you get up. He knows what you’re thinking and what’s in your heart.

You are on His mind.

Let’s pray.

Lord, it’s comforting knowing that you are with us in each moment of our day. Help us to live in that moment. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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One of the greatest gifts God has given us is the collection of songs known as “Psalms,” originally written as music for worship, especially in the Temple in Jerusalem. 

Today, we celebrate them as prayers for the most part, and they give us a beautiful picture of who God is.

Psalm 1:6 says, “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”

Traditional authorship is assigned mostly to King David, who loved to worship God with music and even dancing. His heart was open to God, and this inner life could be seen by anyone; this earthly king worshiped the King of kings.

In this introductory psalm, we read about the contrast between those who love God and those who don’t. And we are encouraged to “meditate” on His Word every day.

Our God is the great God, and loves each of us more than we can even imagine.

That love is a song in your heart.

Let’s pray.

Lord, your love for us is eternal and we are so blessed to receive it, as David did, all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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One reason people use for rejecting the claims of Christ is that there somehow isn’t enough evidence to prove that the events in the New Testament actually happened. In other words, some say the Bible isn’t true.

We’re talking about the life of Jesus this week. So, what is the true story?

Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” 

There are more than 25,000 ancient copies of the books of the New Testament, in various languages. There are only a handful of accounts of Hannibal crossing the Alps 200 years before Christ was born. Yet no one doubts that it happened.

There are plenty of reasons to believe the biblical accounts of history are true. The apostles gave up their lives claiming that Jesus lived and was resurrected from the dead. That narrative says salvation comes through Jesus, and He is the path to being reconciled to God and eternal life.

But only one thing matters: What do you believe?

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your Word promises us that Jesus saves us from our sins. We thank you that you provided a way of escape from judgment for us. 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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In the book of Romans, Paul tells us the evidence for the existence of God is so numerous in nature that anyone can believe in God. Surely one of the most compelling examples is in our night sky. When we look up at the heavens, it takes our breath away. The twinkling lights are like our own personal message from God.

All those stars…

Philippians 2:15 says, “Shine...like the stars in the sky.”

Astronomers tell us that each star is as unique as we are. We can see some burning dramatically, others are smaller-but-no-less-beautiful. All those infinite numbers dot the black backdrop, causing even the most cynical of us to marvel.

God has always intended for you to share your faith. Like a message written with stars, your story will resonate with people who wonder why you have joy in a crazy world. They will stop and consider what you have to say, because the light of Christ shines from the inside out.

That is a message worth telling!

Let’s pray. 

Lord, give us the courage to tell our stories, to share the Good News of what Christ has done for us! 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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When we as Christians talk about the saving power of Jesus, what exactly do we mean?

In our discussion this week of this all-important topic, are we clear about who Jesus is? 

Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

The facts are that Adam and Eve broke their faith in God by disobeying Him. Some dispute that this even happened in history, or some are just upset that God would demand complete obedience. But if we believe He is the Creator, we understand that He set the rules.

Because of that original sin, it became necessary for someone to pay the penalty for sin. God hates sin, and so He sent Jesus to earth as a human to save mankind. Eventually, He would be crucified, and in this way paid the blood penalty that God demands. As we read in Romans 10:9–10, Jesus is the path back to God. 

He longs to save us.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, there are competing views in this world, but you have set Jesus as the standard. Help us pass on this knowledge. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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