Kerusso Daily Devotional

Sudden or even long-term setbacks in our lives can disorient us, impairing our decision-making. Circumstances beyond our control leave us where we can’t focus, and we can’t see what’s behind our difficulties. It’s then that we can’t make good decisions. 

If we don’t know if our problems are caused by emotional, mental, or physical challenges, we can’t see our way out of the forest. Identifying the source helps us settle into God’s p...

It’s been said that in the Fruit of the Spirit list, all of them collectively, practically define the nature of Christ. Even David the Shepherd knew his Messiah was coming. Remember what he said about following his loving God? He said, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!”

We instinctively know what goodness is. It’s a kind touch, a gentle word, a gift that was unexpected.

Micah 6:8 says, “He has told yo...

Celebrated songwriter Fanny Crosby wrote over 9,000 hymns in her lifetime, often writing as many as 6 or 7 songs a day. Despite being blind from infancy, she also played harp, piano, guitar, and other instruments, as well as singing soprano. She wrote the lyrics to many well-known hymns and while she did compose music to accompany a few of her songs, she partnered with many talented composers to write the music that accompanied her...

How would you feel, if you suddenly lost the gifts so many of us take for granted, such as vision, hearing, or the ability to walk? 

Fanny Crosby was struck blind at just 6 weeks of age, but God had a plan for her. She was raised by her mother and grandmother after her father’s death when she was about 6 months old, and although she grew up poor, she was blessed to attend an excellent school for the blind in New York state, near whe...

Fanny Crosby was a prolific songwriter and poet born in 1820, and she overcame challenges including blindness and poverty from an early age — but she didn’t allow her disability, or her circumstances, to hold her back.

As a Christian, Fanny understood the importance of looking forward. When a preacher once remarked that it was a pity Fanny could not see because she had been given so many other gifts, she responded:

“Do you know that ...

Francis was just 6 weeks old when she became ill in the spring of 1820. The family doctor was out of town, and a charlatan pretending to be a doctor prescribed a treatment that rendered the baby completely blind, although she recovered from the initial illness. A few months later, her father died, and her mother went to work as a maid to support the family. She was raised by her grandmother, a devoted Christian who taught her grand...

Who is the author of your story? Is it your parents, or maybe a grandparent or special mentor who had a hand in raising you? Maybe your best friend gets some of the credit, sharing in adventures the two of you recall with laughter every time you’re together. Or perhaps your spouse is a co-author of your personal story, as you make decisions together that honor your partnership, or help your family grow and thrive.

Psalm 102:18 says,...

Sharing our faith should be exciting to us. It is exciting. When we consider the free grace God gave us through His Son, telling others about Jesus should be on our priority list every day. For whatever reason, many find it very awkward to talk to others about Jesus. We can talk about just about anything else, though. That’s why it’s crucial that we look at sharing the gospel as an intentional thing we do. Intentionality is a great...

Keeping things simple is usually the best path forward. For Christians, that means following Christ’s lead in everything.

This includes sharing and standing up for our faith.

The Bible is full of examples of how Jesus did this. Occasionally, He got mad, as when He threw out the moneychangers. Other times, He just quietly sat and taught what His Father had shown Him.

This is our model. When you share Christ with someone and that person...

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 ...

Table salt today is so common, it becomes another thing we take for granted. You go to the store, pick a cylinder or jar of salt off the shelf, and then go home. You don’t even think about it.

Now, consider that 1,000 and more years ago, if a person wanted to use salt on his dinner, this required some prior work. A lot of work! The Romans boiled seawater in huge, lead-lined pans. So valuable was salt in the Roman Empire, it was used...

Do you ever feel that you aren’t suited for sharing your faith in Christ? Maybe you’re not comfortable around people. Maybe you’ve encountered some who are hostile to faith. 

If so, then we are speaking to you about sharing your light in a dark world.

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

Have you seen the movie, “The Ten Commandments?” It’s doubtful the real Moses looked and talked like Charlton Heston. And do w...

We think of her as a genteel Southern lady, and she was that, for sure.

But Ruth Bell Graham was so much more. While her husband was away so much, preaching to the masses, she was preaching to her own little flock. The result was children who became adults, and in turn, shared the Good News of Jesus with others.

Anne Graham Lotz and Franklin Graham didn’t just fall out of the sky!

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man ...

Some of the greatest stories of believers down through time have involved those who really studied God’s Word. These people have gone before us to show us the way. From Charles Spurgeon to a missionary mother in China, daily study of the Word and prayer prepared them to mentor entire generations.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

We also read in Romans 10 that faith comes by hearing, and hearing...

Have you had an experience in your life that has prepared you for helping others? Has life dealt you circumstances that speak to a situation in a younger person’s life?

If so, you might be ready to help in such a way that will bring honor and glory to God.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

The apostle Paul suffered much for his faith in Christ. Beyond a dramatic shipwreck, prison, beatings, and h...

Do you struggle with being humble, and yielding to God’s will? Most of us do. This extends to accepting an iron-sharpening-iron relationship He has set in our path.

Yet the benefits are so good for us.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Make no mistake, God sets people in our path for a reason. That Bible teacher in your church might have words of wisdom for you from her rich and varied life. Be o...

The Bible is full of wonderful analogies. One of the best is found in Proverbs, which paints a picture of godly mentoring and accountability.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

The idea is that as pieces of iron are drawn against the other, each piece becomes sharper. A further application is made in Hebrews 4:12, which talks about Scripture as being a double-edged sword, and it is with His Word ...

You know, someone may have tried to convince you at some point in your life that we’re alone in the cold void of the universe, but that has never been true. 

It’s especially false for the believer who understands what God has done for all people everywhere. 

He, the Creator of the universe, formed us long ago, and His Word tells us clearly that He never takes a second off in His pursuit of us. 

Consider this: If you’re stuck in a bad ...

Today, we continue our series on healthy relationships, and we’re talking about managing difficult relationships. 

There’s a wonderful scene in the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird, when the attorney Atticus Finch is confronted by the father of a girl who has accused a black man of rape. The father, enraged, walks up to Finch—played perfectly by Gregory Peck. He spits in Finch’s face as the attorneys’ children watch. 

You can see t...