Kerusso Daily Devotional

A common theme today is that people are just tired of chaos—both public and private. It’s exhausting sometimes dealing with bad relationships. Global problems are with us every day. And we wonder when it will end.

There is good news for you, though. Literally, Good News.

1 John 5:4 says, “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

This is a message to us that we don’t have to win the war ourselves. We don’t have to win a battle. Don’t have to take part even in a skirmish. Jesus has overcome it all. If you wonder how this can play out in practical terms, do this:

Read this verse several times—First John 5:4. Make the choice to believe it’s true. And then just literally sit back and close your eyes for a couple of minutes, and rest in the truth of God’s Word.

He is telling us that our faith overcomes all setbacks and difficulties. Our faith. Scripture tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for. We might not be able to see the end, but we trust God that He will be standing there.

Choose to be a warrior for Christ, and let Him lead. That is what will make the difference.

Let’s pray. 

Thank you, Lord, for winning the war already. We worship you alone. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Rebecca knew just what Craig needed when he lost his job. She knew he felt ashamed that his job performance was a major contributing factor. In other words, he had failed in front of people.

The hurried goodbyes and awkward pats on the back actually sort of made Craig feel worse. He threw the small box with his personal belongings in the backseat and drove as fast as he could away from the scene.

Giving him some space for a day or so, Rebecca called to check on her friend; she had that wonderful quality of not being overbearing, but also sticking with it.

After a couple of weeks, the cloud began to lift, and Craig found not only a new job, but a new resolve to do his very best and succeed. Rebecca’s example of friendship had been a catalyst in Craig’s decision to move on in a positive way.

Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

A lot of people will love you when you’re winning. Everybody loves a winner. It’s fun and honestly, a little self-serving. We can often live vicariously through a friend who’s riding high. But a true friend offers encouragement and love no matter what.

Are you that kind of friend?

Let’s pray.

Lord, you are our example. We seek to do your will for our lives and contribute to the lives of those we come into contact with. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

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One of the things that mark a healthy society is the consistency between generations. In other words, adults who care about the future of their children will invest the time to make sure tomorrow is bright.

God the Father is the ultimate parent, and we would do well to model His love for us.

Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”

Passing the torch, or training up the next generation, involves taking the time to do it properly. If you love your kids, you’ll make time for them. You won’t take the easy way out and settle for schools or the culture at large, to raise them.

Teach them yourself that we all experience tough times in this life, but sticking to God’s plan for their lives is the key to winning. Living the abundant life Jesus taught about, and sharing His Good News is the ultimate win. But we don’t get there by quitting when the going gets tough.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you never leave us, and you never abandon the human community to evil. You are a great God, and we thank you for your commitment to us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Today in America, two million men and women serve in our armed forces. More than 200,000 of them are deployed to various points around the world.

Joshua 1:9 reminds us, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

The Lord has told us directly not to be afraid. We aren’t even to be discouraged! He’s told us through His promises that He’ll be with us every step of the way.

If we stop and think about the amazing history of this nation, we can see that God has literally been with us every minute of every hour. He was at Yorktown. He dropped a last-minute winning strategy into Chamberlain’s mind at Gettysburg. God went with our invasion forces in the Pacific and in Europe during World War 2, because people were enslaved and in need of rescue. He has been with us since the terrible moments of 9/11.

Be strong and of good courage today in the land of the free!

Let’s pray.

Lord, your provision for us in all times and all places is wonderful. Thank you for never leaving us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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For most of us, being humble is easier in theory than it is in practice. 

Reaching out in Christian Love and kindness often means being a peacekeeper, and letting go of the need to be right or to win an argument. God wants us to walk with humility at work, on social media, and at home. 

When we’re frustrated with someone across the table or online, considering the words and deeds of others through the lens of Jesus’ sacrificial love for us can bring clarity. 

Our scripture for today is Ephesians 4:1–3, which says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Let’s pray. 

Lord, we live in a world that praises getting the last word. Being the loudest voice, or the winner of every argument is not your will for us. Bless us with the spirit of humility and guide us in being peacekeepers online and in person. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Since before the world was created, God has had a master plan to deliver people from evil. He cared for us so much that He was willing to endure pain to redeem us. 

In Acts 14:20, we read about Jesus and the disciples preaching in a city called Derbe. It says that Jesus then was busy, strengthening the souls of His disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God.

God wants us to know that the journey we are on ends with a destination. And along the journey, we must be prepared to endure hardship for His sake. 

His compassion for the whole world is summed in maybe the most famous verse in all scripture, John 3:16. It says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” And that’s it. That’s the whole point of living this Christian life. It isn’t complicated in terms of understanding. But it can be hard to live out. 

There are currently 7.4 billion people on the planet, and most have not received Christ. Many have not even heard of Him yet, hard as that is to believe. There is still a lot of work to be done. 

700 years before Jesus, the prophet Isaiah saw God’s throne in a vision. And the Lord said there, “Who can we send? Who will go for us?” Isaiah eagerly said, “Here I am. Send me.” This is the willing heart God is looking for. We live in this world, with all its misery and beauty and chaos and harmony. We are to share the Good News of Jesus. If we do that from a willing heart, God is faithful to use our efforts to advance His kingdom, and that is our purpose.

Would you pray with me? 

Father God, your great plan from the beginning is right on schedule. It’s always on schedule. We love you. Nothing and no one stops you from accomplishing your will. See us through to the end, Lord, that we can accomplish your will for our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Many times over the centuries, earnest Christians have run out into the world to aggressively and passionately share Jesus, and the world doesn’t always want to hear it. 

John 15:19 says, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own and as it is you don’t belong to the world. But I have chosen you out of the world, and that is why the world hates you.” 

And this is a hard truth. It’s discouraging to missionaries at home and in other countries who want nothing more than to see everyone saved. The Bible even tells us that God wants all people to be saved, and that’s the goal. Yet we know that’ll never be. 

Jesus brought life-giving truth to the masses in His day. Some of them tried to kill Him, and of course, some were eager to see Him crucified. His reminder to us is that if we have the mind of Christ and the modern world, things might get dicey for us. It’s not like hoards of people are beating down the doors of churches so that they can hear and believe. 

In this fallen and sinful state, man runs from the things of God. Both the Bible and history document this. In Roman times, the empire hunted Christians. They were even fed to wild animals for sport, and it’s been that way all through the modern era. Remember the photos in recent years of ISIS terrorists escorting captured Christians to their executions? Pagan mind fights against God. 

Knowing these things, we must resolve to ask God for courage to speak when opportunities present themselves. We also must keep in mind that boldness for Christ will cost us something. Maybe everything. 

God in His Word also assures us that some are being saved. Kingdom is being added to daily, and this reality is enough for us to continue to be salt and light in a dark world. 

Let’s pray. 

Father God, we ask you earnestly—send your spirit to people who need to hear Your Word. Help us to be willing to share Christ even when it’s dangerous or uncomfortable. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

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Charles Templeton was surging ahead in ministry. Converted at 21—by 1946 the Canadian evangelist founded Youth for Christ. Billy Graham was hired as the organization’s first full-time evangelist, and he and Templeton toured Europe together.

A decade later, after a turn at Princeton Theological Seminary and after wrestling with doubt, Templeton began to identify as agnostic, and his world would never be the same. 

Colossians 2:8 says, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ.”

Sometimes for various reasons, people walk away from their faith. In the strictest definition of this, one becomes an apostate. Sometimes a person goes on quietly about his or her life. Other times the effects are far-reaching. Joseph Stalin once studied for the priesthood, then he read Karl Marx. It’s often true that the people who are most passionate about sharing Christ can also sort of burn out. They run hot for a long time, and then the bottom falls out.

We’ve all seen celebrities that claim to know God. Some even identify as Christian, but their lives are anything but, and this calls to mind the famous passage in Matthew 13:20–22, in which the parable is given of seed being thrown onto various kinds of soil. Some of the seed, which represents the gospel, finds its way onto rocky ground or among weeds. Those hearing the Word at first are taken with it, but later abandon the faith. 

In the Old Testament, some good life lessons were given to the Israelites who struggled living among pagan nations. Jeremiah 10:2 says, “Thus says the Lord, learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them.” The idea was to maintain spiritual purity so that the storms of life would not take away a person’s faith.

We’re the same way today. If we aren’t careful, the world can look too good, and before long we’re looking in the rearview mirror at a faith that we once had. 

Let’s pray. 

Father God, help us to always keep in mind the gift that Jesus gave us on the cross. Help us daily to meditate on your grace and the mercy for our lives so that we can stay spiritually healthy. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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There are different schools of thought about just how Christians should share their worldview in a world often at odds with God’s best.

Some feel it’s best to jump into the deep end of the pool and look just like the world. Others view it very much the other way. Second Corinthians 6:17 says, “‘Come out from them and be separate,’ says the Lord.” Whole denominations have used this verse to encourage believers to stay as much out of the world as possible. And this might include physically removing yourself to a remote location, giving up television, or providing an education in the home.

Now, we should note that there’s nothing wrong or unhealthy with resisting the world’s temptations. That should probably be tempered, though, with a common sense approach. If it’s impossible to physically remove yourself from the culture, what do you do? Balanced biblical approach should be the ideal.

In 1 Peter 2:1, we are told to “Put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy, and all slander.” In other words, don’t do the things that unbelievers do. They don’t know God, and so they don’t have rules to live by. That kind of life is ultimately destructive.

Rather, we should be Christ-like in our approach to people. And at the same time, we have to make sure that we look after our own spiritual condition and constantly do an assessment. Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” It’s true that some people are won to Christ by believers who look like the world. There’s nothing wrong with that. And again, a Christian as passionate as Paul said, “Sometimes he was all things to all people.” 

But it’s also true that some are won to Christ because the Christian they’re watching is so different from the world. Philippians 2:14–15 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish, in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

By remembering that we’re citizens of God’s kingdom at the same time we live in this fallen world, we strike the proper balance and can then be that example Christ commanded us to be. 

Let’s pray. 

Lord, help us to remember who we are in Christ. Give us a desire and a passion to witness to those who need to hear it, and at the same time, to guard our own hearts, that we don’t stray from the things that you’ve taught us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Sweat was pouring off Peter as he moved to protect Jesus. As Roman soldiers held the one who had been labeled a heretic, Peter drew a sword and cut off a soldier’s ear. And he was stunned when Jesus told him to put the sword away. You see Jesus knew infinitely more than Peter, or anyone else. He knew the end from the beginning, and He knew He had an agenda to see through to the end, and Peter couldn’t see that. And impulsively He moved to change the facts on the ground.

And that’s so typical of us as humans. The authentic Christian wants to do something to fix things or change the world. The theologian Francis Schaeffer wrote a whole book titled “How Should We Then Live” on the role of a Christian in the modern world. And there are arguments over whether America is still a Christian nation, or whether postmodernism has won the day.

But what does the Bible say about being a witness in the world? 

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” 

Notice it doesn’t say engage. We’re in fact told not to become like the world in all its anti-God stuff. Yet we also know one of the last things Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended into heaven was that we should go into all the world and make disciples. The Apostle Paul made an interesting observation in 1 Corinthians 9. He said that he was free from conformity to the world—it had nothing he coveted—but that he chose to be a servant to all, so that his example might win some to Christ.

In Hebrews 13, we’re told to practice hospitality. And this echoes many Old Testament passages, too. The idea is a believer is to be an example of what life with God looks like in hopes it will draw unbelievers. And this must be done with sincerity though, especially in our jaded modern culture. First Corinthians 10 tells us whatever we do, do it for the glory of God alone.

To sum up, the Bible tells us to absolutely live in this world and be appealing to people, but to do all this while holding onto our convictions. Balancing being a gospel witness, while also being seen as personable, is the approach for our modern world. 

Let’s pray.

Father God, you’ve given us direction for all that we do. Help us to continually have a burden for the lost and to always remember we’re to be salt and light for a hurting world. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, 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.