Kerusso Daily Devotional

Having the patience of Job is a common saying, even if people don’t really know its origins. Job, of course, was the biblical character that suffered greatly before God restored him. 

But if you read the Book of Job, it’s not at all clear that he really had much patience because patience is really, really hard. 

1 Corinthians 13:4–5 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

In 1 Corinthians, we have our blueprint for practicing perfect love, pure love. And when it comes to patience in this context, we are to train ourselves to be patient with those around us. That requires a willful choice to be patient with someone—as long as it takes—in an effort to project Christ’s love outward. 

If a situation calls for you to be patient, just remember that someone in your life has had to be patient with you, too. 

Let’s pray. 

Lord, you call us to be patient and we want to obey, even though it’s against our natures. God, help us to follow you in this. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jesus—the greatest teacher who ever lived—spent a lot of time sharing wisdom in the form of stories. Once, He told His disciples a story that illustrated the importance of understanding that God never quits us, and we should not quit Him.

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

That story was about a woman who didn’t give up in her pursuit of justice. Jesus then said that God hears our pleas for what we need, and He acts accordingly. He doesn’t forget or lose interest. Ever.

Isn’t that one of the most comforting things you’ve ever heard? In all the messes of our lives, God does not give up on us—no matter where we are. He knows everything about us, and His infinite strength is far too much for evil to overcome. And His grace covers all of our brokenness. 

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you for your willingness to stay with us in the worst of times. You are our strength now, and forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.

It seems that a positive in our culture today is that we can admit our shortcomings. 

In the past, it was sort of taboo to tell the world you were not exactly all put together. Back in the day, a ‘hot mess’ usually referred to an overturned pot on the stove. But today, we know the phrase ‘hot mess’ has a whole new meaning—and our lives are often exactly that.

Thank goodness the outcome is not dependent on us.

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

Recognizing that you don’t quite have it together is a positive first step to moving beyond your circumstances. But the real key is internalizing the fact that God—and not you—saves the day. 

All we can do is admit our shortcomings, and then rest in the knowledge that God has it from here. And that’s an attitude the Lord will bless. 

God’s got you covered and blessed all at the same time!

Let’s pray.

Lord, you are so good to us. And you have been so much more for us than we can even imagine. Thank you for blessing us and not leaving us where we were. In Jesus’ name, amen.

One of the things that mark a healthy society is the consistency between generations. In other words, adults who care about the future for 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.

Billy Joel says that his hit song, “Pressure” really is about the pressure of daily life: providing for your family, putting food on the table, and career obstacles.

Even the way he sings the song—with power and anger—makes the point. It’s quite a statement on life. And we’ve all felt it.

2 Corinthians 1:8 says, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.”

But as believers, we can take heart in the fact that Paul then writes that difficulties happen in life so that we will rely on God. The apostle reminds us that God has delivered us from desperate times, and will again.

What a powerful promise!

The pressures of life sometimes come suddenly, leaving us off-balance and fearful. When that happens, remind yourself of the promises of God’s Word. He knows where you are and where you’re going.

He’ll be waiting for you when you get there.

Let’s pray.

Lord, sometimes we feel like we’re going to explode. We thank you that you never abandon us, and are always ready to protect us and preserve us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Today, just stop and consider that we’re talking one-on-one. We’re just talking over coffee. Go with me here.

You seem like something is really getting to you. Are you about to give up on something important? If so, please listen, just for a couple of minutes.

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

Let’s think boldly for a second. Whatever your problem is, God can fix it. He can. The Bible is full of these fixes. So is our present day, when story after story of miraculous rescues shows us clearly that God exists, and that He cares for you as a person.

Jesus knows your story, and more importantly, He knows the ending of your story.

Victory is waiting for you, but you must not give up. Don’t give in to that voice urging you to stop. Listen to the voice of love. Tell Jesus what you need—right now.

Let’s pray.

Lord, this thing hurts so much right now, but we aren’t going to give up, because you never give up on us. Thank you for that! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Think of what Jesus was asking of His followers.

He had just risen from the dead. That doesn’t happen every day.

His ministry had been destroyed, so they thought. He wasn’t coming back. But then He did. Only days after being killed on a brutal Roman cross, Jesus was standing in front of His friends, looking very much alive. And He was telling them their futures were dicey.

Mark 16:15 says, “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Jerusalem at the time was under occupation by an unforgiving empire. The empire required all from each individual, and never gave anything back. Jesus was telling His disciples that if they would give up all for Him, He’d give it back and more. Forever.

This was the first great command to preach the Good News everywhere. The first marching orders for a spiritual army. And we’re called to be in that army, to give our all in order to shake things up for eternity.

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you for giving us the chance to share your love with others, all over the world. We love you! In Jesus’ name, amen.

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 was 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 and 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. 

Have you ever had the pleasure of waking up in a cozy cabin…after you’ve let the fire go out from the night before? If you don’t get out of bed and put more wood in that furnace, the squirrels or raccoons aren’t going to do it for you!

Much more serious is the tendency to get lazy about the fire inside us to share the love of Christ. After so many years of being a Christian—especially living in a free country—sharing the Gospel can be put on the back burner.

Romans 12:11–12 says, “Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord. When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful.”

Do you see what God is urging us to do in Scripture? He says to never let the fire go out! Never doesn’t mean sometimes, when we’re tired or annoyed about something. This is too important to mess up. Remember—Jesus saved you; more than likely, through someone keeping their own inner fire going, they saw you through the eyes of compassion.

Let’s pray.

Lord, give us a passion for the souls of all people, at all times. And help us be ready to share Christ with them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you’ve ever wondered what the best way is to share your faith and defend it in the modern world, it might help to look at past examples:

In the Bible, the husband-and-wife team of Priscilla and Aquila shared Christ with Apollos, who would become a famous early evangelist. 

In colonial England, the abolitionist, William Wilberforce, shamed his own government into freeing slaves.

Jude 1:3 says, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.”

Today, more than ever, truly, it’s really important that Christians prepare to defend their faith. The world is hurting and dying. People the world over desperately need the love of Christ, and they’ll have questions. They might wonder about the divinity of Jesus, or ask you specifically how to be saved. Be ready to answer, and do so with a heart full of love and compassion. And don’t be afraid to be bold!

Let’s pray.

Lord, give us a spirit of courage in this chaotic world. Help us to love as you love. In Jesus’ name, amen.