Kerusso Daily Devotional

Of all the themes of the Bible, God’s grace through His Son, Jesus Christ, is the greatest example. It’s the most critical element in a person’s life, and the choice to receive it is ours. 

The Bible tells us that before the world was created, God already had a plan to redeem mankind from sin. And because He knows all, He already knew what would take place in the Garden of Eden. 

Acts 15:11 says, “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved just as they are.” 

The greatest act of grace then was given at the cross, when Jesus willingly died in our place. 

Because God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He decides what is best for human beings. And since He cannot tolerate sin, someone had to stand in as a substitute. Otherwise, each of us would be required to receive the punishment for sin, which is death. And Jesus took all of that away from us. 

In Isaiah 50 and in Psalm 22, we read very graphic descriptions of the ways Jesus suffered during the crucifixion. He himself tells us what it was like.

In the Greek and Hebrew, the concept of grace is a picture of someone stooping to help another, and more specifically, it is a picture of a superior person freely offering to help a person in great need, and incapable of doing it for himself. 

2 Timothy 1 gives us a clear picture of how God’s grace came into the world, emphasizing that we can do nothing to earn it, and this requires us to get rid of our pride. The passage also tells us that this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. 

Although we think of the Old Testament as more about law, while the New Testament focuses on grace, there are examples in the Old Testament reminding us that God has never abandoned anyone in any era. Whether you have plenty and don’t feel you need any help from God or you’re in great need, won’t you consider accepting the free gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins that God is offering? 

Let’s pray.

Father, just like the old hymn says, Jesus paid it all, and that reality fills us with joy. Our salvation promises that one day when you make all things new, we will be able to fully enjoy that grace for all eternity. You are the great God, and we praise you for your grace. 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.

Corrie ten Boom made a decision at the height of World War II. She would hide Jews from the Nazis in her Dutch home, and she was found out. Surviving the war, she told people for the rest of her life about God’s grace. Though her sister, Betsy, died at the notorious camp called Ravensbrück, Corrie survived.

One night two years after the war, she found out just how meaningful grace really is. After she had spoken to a group of Germans, a man approached her. She then realized that he had been a guard at Ravensbrück. He told her that her talk was very meaningful to him, and that since the war he had become a Christian. He put his hand out and asked her for forgiveness.

Not so easy to acknowledge, Corrie realized. For an eternity of seconds, she couldn’t make her hand move, but when she did and reached for his hand, she said it was like an electric current running through her arm. She told the former guard that she did forgive him, and that single act made all the difference.

Ephesians 4:7 says, “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

In our lives we want grace, but we struggle when God gives that same grace to people we feel don’t deserve it. But that’s the point of grace as we’ve already discussed. God’s grace is favor given that is not deserved. We can’t do anything to receive it. The Lord offers it for free.

Maybe you haven’t done anything in life as bad as that Nazi guard, but the Bible says that God hates sin, and sin comes in many forms and we’re all sinners. It was Alexander Solzhenitsyn that said, “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”

In a sense, underneath it all, we’re all that camp guard. His horrific sin was out in the open and the pain of that time still affects people, but a woman he persecuted decided to model the love of Christ in forgiveness and that was a moment of divine grace. The Bible is full of stories of God giving His grace freely to people who are broken in one way or another. Our loving Father gave it to them free of charge, the same way He gives it to you. 

Let’s pray.

Father God, sometimes we just don’t understand. Injustice bothers us. Please help us to see that you look on all of us—everyone—with compassion. You gave your son to pay the penalty for the sins of people the world over. Help us to see others, God, the way that you see them. 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.

Theresa Rosenthal had a rough start in life. She watched her father abuse her mother, and then when she was six, a family friend sexually abused her. Like so many that suffered at the hands of a predator, Theresa pushed the pain down into a secret place, and for decades, she battled with depression and substance abuse. Finally, one day she was sitting in front of her house and just blurted out to God, “What am I supposed to do?”

Within 24 hours, she had a Bible from a new friend who reached out to her, and even though some of Theresa’s bad choices would land her in jail, her friend and that Bible were constant sources of healing. Today, she’s a member of a loving church, and she tells anyone who will listen about God’s grace in her life. 

Daniel 4:2 says, “I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me.” 

Too often we are too tribal. We think God only works in our circles, but the fact is, God has always been the definition of inclusive. The Bible makes it very clear that God’s grace is available to anyone in all times and places. 

Matthew 5:45 is a very interesting verse that illustrates this. It says, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” 

That’s fascinating. What might seem unusual or even unjust to us is routine for God. Because God takes the long view. He knows that our lives on Earth are brief. So if He gives grace to a bad person, He’s thinking of that person’s eternal place. And let’s face it, there are plenty of times in our lives that we didn’t deserve grace. But He gave it anyway. 

In God’s economy, a Babylonian brickmaker from 3,000 years ago is as valuable as you are. Theresa Rosenthal was warmed by that grace at a time when she was doing drugs and spiraling into depression, and she had no ability to improve her life. And that's the point of grace. God gives it to a variety of people and circumstances. And life would be unbearable without it. 

Let’s pray. 

Father God, your grace sustains us, in bad times and in good times, and we might take our focus off you. Sometimes that grace is almost unseen. We might not be aware of it until years later when looking back gives us insight. Thank you for giving us what we don’t deserve. 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.

It’s been said that grace is simply favor from God, and we didn’t do anything to earn it. Often, grace comes when we need it the most. 

The word grace is used about 170 times in the Bible. Most of those occur in the New Testament as the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ unfolds. His sacrifice for all of us—dying on the cross for our sins—was the backdrop for a lot of other moments in grace He gave to those He came in contact with.

Jesus perfectly understood that there’s a lot of suffering in the world. Those poignant moments when He stooped to heal a person in distress, or when He unlocked the emotional chains of people like Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene. That is supernatural grace. Grace is a moment in time when the living God intervenes in someone’s life. We often hear stories of people being surprised by grace. It arrives when they least expect it, but is really needed. 

James 4:6 says, “But he gives us more grace. That is why scripture says, ‘God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble.’”

What we learn about grace from the Bible is that although God is the originator, we are also capable of giving grace. 

Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive? Maybe that person is badly in need of that forgiveness. Swallow your pride and give that grace. There are many more ways to give grace. That family in your church that is struggling financially. Can you find a way to discreetly help them out? That kind of grace can be just the boost people need to rise above their circumstances. 

Some people are prideful, but the truth is all of us need God’s grace. We need it for the duration. So think about that the next time a grudge or stubborn pride is blocking you from being a blessing to others. One day you might just find yourself on the other end of that situation. 

Let’s pray. 

Father God, you are so good to us, all the time. If we stop and think about the unmerited favor you give us each day, amazing. Help us to keep this in mind as we find ways to pay it forward in our daily walk. 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.

“Amazing Grace” is one of the most recognizable hymns in the English-speaking world. Written almost two and a half centuries ago in 1772, the words for “Amazing Grace” were borne from the heart, mind, and experiences of the Englishman, John Newton.

As a member of the Royal Navy, Newton faced many perils on the open sea. In the midst of a terrifying storm that almost sank the vessel he was on, he cried out to God.

The vessel was spared, but Newton’s change of heart was short-lived. He went on to become a slave ship master, bringing many enslaved Africans to Europe for several years, and often treating them terribly.

In 1754, John Newton left the slave trade and seafaring altogether. He was ordained as an Anglican priest, and later fought to abolish the slave trade, publishing a pamphlet uncovering the horrors of slavery.

I once was lost,

but now am found,

Was blind,

but now I see.

Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so

that no one can boast.”

God’s grace isn’t a one-time offer! When we turn to God in faith, His amazing grace is waiting for us—time and time again.

Let’s pray.

Lord, let your grace be a song of praise on our lips and in our hearts. Remind us to follow your ways, and to seek forgiveness when we go astray. 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.

Have you ever paused and thought about how rarely people see you for who you are? Have you ever done something that you feel is almost unforgivable? You need to know that is not the way God wants you to feel. 

Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a pure heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Some of the most famous people in history were very unrighteous at times. King David, described as a man after God’s own heart—he was loved that much—did dreadful things. Guess what, though? His life ended well. God had cleaned him up on the inside. 

Nothing you’ve done is fatal. It really isn’t. 

Call on God to heal you on the inside and put a spirit of love, hope, and peace in you. He will—and He’ll do it sooner rather than later, and you’ll be able to breathe again, guaranteed.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your desire to make us clean has been told for centuries. We believe it and we claim it. Thank you, Father God, for the work of renewal you do all day, every day. 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.

John Kralik was in a bad place. The LA attorney was generally miserable…divorced again, broke, and living in a dingy apartment with no air conditioning. He was also struggling to pay his employees because clients wouldn’t pay him. Not exactly glamorous, but then John did an amazing thing. He decided he would concentrate on things to be grateful for, and follow that up with writing a thank you note every day for an entire year.

Over time, and not too slowly actually, John’s life began to improve. Life looked good again. One of the greatest outcomes has been the influence he’s had on others. His book, “A Simple Act of Gratitude: How Learning To Say Thank You Changed My Life” sold like crazy. He said that the year-long thank you notes helped him prioritize good things, and helped him focus on that.

John also has noticed a really interesting thing. A person’s natural tendency is to focus on nine things that go wrong. Yet what would happen if we focused instead on even a single good thing? He understands that we all can help each other. Rising tide lifts all boats, as they say. Just as we can help others form the discipline of gratitude, they can be our accountability in a very real way.

Every day we can text, email, call, or otherwise communicate to friends and family things that we’re grateful for. In turn, we can receive their good reports. 

Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful.”

Whether it’s a community of believers or simply the wider culture, we can help each other every single day by passing along what we’re grateful for. There’s power in telling another what they mean to you, or passing along thanks for something as simple as a shared meal. Such a choice doesn’t cost anything, but it piles up spiritual treasure for us. Pretty soon you’ll be grateful just for being grateful.

Let’s pray. 

Father God, your blessings to us are endless. From the perfect distance from the sun for proper warmth and light to the love that you placed in our hearts for family and friends, you’re a good God, and you’re deserving of our praise. We look forward to a glorious future with you. 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.

With the tech boom has come concerns that we are constantly under surveillance, or being watched. And maybe that’s not all a conspiracy theory. But no one in the world knows everything about us. There is still some privacy, some places we can go away from prying eyes.

Except…

Psalm 69:5 says, “O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.”

We know that we serve the One True God, the One that made everything we see. Part of His infinite knowledge is every single thing about each person. That’s a mind-bender and can actually seem a little scary, but ultimately it’s for our own good. If we mess up, He is there to restore us and heal our shame.

While others gather data on us that could be embarrassing, God wants only what’s best for us. He holds us up to the light of His righteousness, and that reality should be all the motivation we need to live holy lives.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we can feel very, very foolish in your eyes. But we thank you for the accountability you give us, for our own good. 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.

It’s almost universally believed that tech guru Steve Jobs floated into mega success with Apple, the company he co-founded with Steve Wozniak.

Job’s first go around at Apple didn’t end well in 1985, when he was forced out. His next effort wasn’t a home run either, yet Jobs put his head down like a fullback and plowed ahead. Next up for him was founding Pixar and finally, more than a decade after his humiliating exit from Apple, Jobs returned there as CEO and revolutionized the way people interacted with computers.

Writing about him after his death, Jason Demur said that, “Steve Jobs is lasting evidence that you should never count somebody out—even yourself.” In other words, even if someone pushes you back, you have to keep moving forward. Believe it or not a fellow tech icon, Bill Gates, also had to learn the hard way. His first venture with business partner Paul Allen was a complete failure, but Gates said many times in the years since that learning from failures leads to success, and Microsoft is proof of that.

Christian Ministry leader Jo Walls has some interesting things to say to Christians who have perhaps grown too comfortable in their faith, and she addresses herself first. She says, “God’s been talking to me lately about being too comfortable. He’s challenging me in some ways that I’m not real thrilled about. He’s pushing me to grow,” and in fact, He’s telling her to ‘cheer up buttercup—life can be a grind,’ and that’s when we need to push through.

Even though it can sometimes sting when someone tells us to chin up, it’s ultimately for our good. And let's face it—most of us know it feels good to overcome something really difficult.

Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” 

When your life is spent following Jesus, fear disappears in the light of God’s reassuring love. He has a plan for you, and you don’t have to walk in the shadows when God’s got your back. Every moment of every day is brighter knowing our Heavenly Father watches over us.

The unknown doesn’t have to be cause for worry. It’s an opportunity for God to work on your behalf. Hand the details over to Him and wait patiently and faithfully for His good plan to come to fruition. The joy of knowing we can always depend on God is a message worth sharing.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we need your strength every single day. We know that some things just don’t come easy. Thank you for bringing us along the way you do. We pray and believe. It feels good to emerge from difficulty and realize that the strength you gave us pulled us out of despair. 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.

Honestly…sometimes as Christians, we think things are going to be easy. After all, when Jesus saves you, it doesn’t get any better than that! The joy we feel is genuine, and lasting.

But—that doesn’t mean we escape this world. Bad things can and do happen. This week we’re talking about having enough grit to get to the glory.

Romans 5:3–4 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Part of our Christian walk is developing a personal faith that lasts. As Paul tells us in Romans, leaning-in and learning to last is the key to it all. Listen, if you’re walking through a really dark valley right now, you are not alone! Many, many people have and are going through exactly what you’re going through now.

If you bought into the idea that being a Christian means your life becomes easy, you need to go ahead and let that go. True faith requires us to look to the Lord when things go wrong.

Stand up on your feet, Christian, and let Jesus steady you. Hold fast!

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your strength sustains us. We love you Lord—for that, and for so many more things. 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.