Kerusso Daily Devotional

A really cool thing about God is that He has a solution for literally every situation. And that includes mental health. 

We see this especially in the ministry of Jesus, who walked the land healing people of all sorts of terrible things. One day He encountered a man driven insane by demons.

Mark 5:15 says, “They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the ‘legion’; and they became frightened.”

The “Legion,” those who possessed this man’s mind, were no match for Jesus, who simply commanded them to leave the man in peace. And they did!

Now, not every mental health problem is related to possession. But—mental illness is so devastating to the patient, and family and friends, that it often feels like evil lives there.

Not so in the peaceful kingdom of our Lord. 

If you or a loved one struggles with mental issues, ask God to help you. He has done it many times. That man with the peaceful face and clear mind all those years ago is proof of that.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you own the universe and can solve any problem. Please especially today be with those afflicted by mental illness. Come to them and comfort them and heal them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For some reason, people sometimes tell big lies when it comes to fishing. You know—what was really a small fry becomes a man-eating shark in the retelling of the story.

But that is nothing compared to a really incredible story in the Old Testament book of Jonah.

It seems the prophet didn’t want to preach in the pagan city of Nineveh, so he sailed away on a ship. He forgot that God controls the sea and everything in it, and Jonah found himself tossed overboard, and then swallowed by a huge fish.

Jonah 1:17 says, “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

Let’s just say that Jonah learned his lesson, and God delivered him in a dramatic way.

This story is also a picture of Jesus, lying for three days in the tomb, only to be raised to life by the Father.

He will do the same for you, if you call on Him to rescue you!

Let’s pray.

Lord, when life swallows us up, you are there for us, never forgetting us. We praise you for your provision. In Jesus’ name, amen.

One of the extraordinary stories in the Bible involves a young woman named Rahab. This story beautifully expresses God’s love for all people.

Rahab lived in the Canaanite town of Jericho, which was near the border of the Promised Land God had promised to His people, who had been wandering for years in search of a home after slavery in Egypt.

Because the Canaanites were so powerful, Joshua sent a scouting party into the land to see what they were up against. The men sent ahead were hidden from harm by Rahab, because she had heard of the power that followed the Israelites.

When she talked with the men, she showed remarkable understanding that their God was in fact the true God, and she made a bargain with them.

Joshua 2:14 says, “So the men said to her, ‘Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the Lord gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.’”

In the end, as the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, Rahab’s family was spared death. In this way, we see how God’s inclusive love for all is worked out in practical ways that lead to life.

Remember Rahab when you think that you are beyond God’s protection!

Let’s pray.

Lord, what an example of faithfulness this woman displayed. Bless all those who look for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

Daniel, God’s man in exile in Babylon, insisted on worshiping 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. Thank you for being our rescue. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have you ever gotten so tired of life that you wished you could disappear and start over somewhere else? Ever wish that fantasy would just pull you out of your circumstances? They make movies about things like that, but it’s not real.

John 14:2–3 says, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

How incredible that Jesus is actually going to do this for us someday. If you live long enough, the cares of life sort of wear you down and you need a good, long rest.

Good for us that our Lord cares enough for us that He has already gone ahead to prepare a place of peace, rest, and joy for each of us. And it will be a real place, not just a scouting location for a film. One day, in His perfect time, He will call you out of this groaning world, and take you to a spot that has literally been prepared with just you in mind! 

Let’s pray.

Lord, you are good to us in countless ways. We thank you so much for the home you have prepared for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Few of us enjoy chaos. It’s just too...chaotic, right?

The human mind needs order and peace, yet we live in this messy world. Stuff is flying by all the time, and we duck. Our relationships are a mess, and we have to schedule that root canal...while simultaneously making dinner and cleaning the house.

Is there a way out?

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

It’s all perspective.

Yes, you might have a hundred things to do before 4 p.m. today, but remind yourself of this: sometimes we miss the best days of our lives because we don’t focus on the good. God brought order out of a vast chaos long ago…formless, empty—to create a world of beauty, and He did it because He loved us.

If He did that, can we handle our busy day of meetings and yes, even that root canal? 

Let’s pray.

Lord, our lives get so busy we forget that you made order out of chaos. Help us to slow down our brains and hearts and learn to savor the moment. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jill felt like she couldn’t keep up anymore. Four years out of college, she was doing well in her chosen career. But it had not only taken her far from home, it took her away from the values she had known her whole life. This new place she lived in pressed in on her mind and heart.

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

Burdened by her stresses, Jill realized something had to change. But in that unique way He has, God showed her that she didn’t necessarily have to move home, or even change careers. What she needed to do was continually give her burdens to Jesus.

She did that and she continued to do it, and one day, months later, she realized with great joy that she had at some point come back to her place of peace. And her parents and loved ones were still several states away!

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you so much for caring about us. For loving us. Teach us to rely on you as our only source of peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In the spring of 2014, Daniel and Colleen Jaquith, American missionaries to the Philippines, were awakened suddenly by the sounds of gunfire and shouts. Before they could react, a gunman appeared in their bedroom doorway, and he was holding a gun to the head of a pastor. 

Demanding money, the intruder was distracted when that pastor suggested he look in another part of the room for money. This gave the pastor just enough time to overpower him. 

This whole time, the Jaquiths were on their knees—praying. 

Now, how many of us would’ve had the steadiness to do something like that, instead of diving for cover? This couple, full of faith and trusting in the strength of the Lord, had the discipline to pray while the pastor struggled with the intruder. 

Incredibly, the intruder yelled at them to stop praying. The scene was surreal. And yet the spirit of the Lord was in the room that night. As the pastor began to overpower him, a wild shot hit Dan in the arm. This began another ordeal in the following hours, as they made their way by boat, a 16-hour trip, to a mainland hospital in Luzon. 

While relaxing back in the U.S., Dan recalled the lessons they learned in the aftermath. Here’s what he said, “I share this testimony with deep gratefulness to be alive, and for the ability to give the Lord praise for His mighty deliverance during that desperate time of trouble.” His wife Colleen remembered what it was like helping her bleeding husband, aware that many more hours of praying were coming. 

Little more than six months later, they returned home to Oregon for a visit, where they were able to enjoy seeing family and friends. Truly, they were so happy to be alive and thriving they forgot about the stress of their ordeal in the Philippines. 

In this amazing story, we’re reminded in Luke 1:45 that God supernaturally takes away our stress when we believe in Him: “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.” 

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you for the path you’ve secured for us in a stressful world. Your kindness to us is almost too much to process, because you not only make a way for us to receive your promises, but you bless us, too. You’re a good God, and if we just claim the promises you’ve already provided, we can experience abundant life—even in a chaotic world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When Richard Winters stood in the doorway of a huge glider in the pre-dawn over Normandy, France, he thought about a lot of things. The young army captain was preparing for the invasion of Europe, to free the continent from the Nazis.

He knew one thing first: he could not survive on his own skill.

Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

A disciplined soldier, Winters literally took these verses to heart. Each night after the invasion, he would pray and thank God for the good things in his life, and he only asked that he survive the next day. His prayer life and the calming effect of attending church in England during his training saw him through.

When battle came and chaos was all around him, Richard Winters stayed calm. Are you calm? Do the stresses of life’s battles overwhelm you?

Stop relying on your own ideas and your own wisdom! Some of it is good…but some of it’s not. God’s wisdom is only good—all the time. Ask Him for that wisdom in your life!

Let’s pray.

Lord, we have to stay steady in this life. Please continue to remind us that you are in charge and that you will see us through. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Do you get tired of being alone or afraid? Have you had enough of feeling like you can’t take any more stress? If you’re honest with yourself, there are times when you think you’re just going to lose it.

The cares of this world can be like that. You stress about not having enough money each month just to pay your bills. You can’t sleep at night because your mind is racing, striving to create a workable plan for every possible scenario.

And no one can actually do that successfully. So what do you do?

Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

God—who has proven Himself billions of times, literally—tells us exactly what we need to do. It’s so simple.

Give your cares to God. You can’t take any more stress. Your body and mind can’t sustain it. Truthfully, that realization opens you up to a whole new way of looking at things.

Give your cares to God. Feel that stress dissipate. Have the best nights’ sleep tonight you’ve had in ages. He won’t let you fall.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, your mercy and grace are so easy for us. We can cry out to you and give you our tired minds and hearts. Thank you for loving us no matter what. In Jesus’ name, amen.