Kerusso Daily Devotional Kerusso

Today, our big question is, can we find contentment in relationships? 
 
How many times has this scene been repeated? A guy sees a girl he can’t live without. He thinks she will bring him happiness—and for a while, that's how it plays out. But then one day he’s melancholy just like he used to be. Or how about the woman who believes marriage will fulfill her heart’s desires, but then over time her husband isn’t so perfect? 
 
You see the common denominator in these two scenarios. Partners aren’t the issue. The lack of contentment comes from the person seeking it. It comes from within. They’re looking in the wrong place. 
 
Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world. Let God transform you into a new person. By changing the way you think, then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” 
 
Author Rob Kuban sums up right relationships for those seeking contentment. He says the Bible calls us to allow our convictions, not our circumstances, to govern our sense of contentment. If you aren’t willing to do the work of changing from within, your desires will largely go unmet, and honestly, you will not be attractive as a potential friend or mate. 
 
Our first assignment is to find peace with God, and then seek the one He has for us. You see, choosing to be content is the first step. It’s just that so many people want shortcuts. 
 
Read Ecclesiastes sometime, it’s a leadership book, really, but it opens a window into Solomon’s mind and heart. Here we see his thoughts on what happens when a person looks in the wrong places for real happiness. Solomon was the richest man of his time, and he also had hundreds of wives. But as an old man, he was bent in body and spirit from too many years of pursuing everything but his creator. Learn from his example and fix your eyes on the ultimate relationship. People will then be able to see the contentment on your face. 
 
Let’s pray. 
 
Father God, our first priority should be a right relationship with you. Only you can bring peace to our hearts and minds long-term so that in turn we can bless others. Thank you, Father, for making a way for us to be content. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

The diversity of life on this planet is astonishing, good, bad, beautiful, painful. Our world is a place of blessing and it’s also a struggle for a lot of people. Each of us has a whole batch of issues to deal with every day, ranging from physical challenges to emotional needs. And a fascinating element in all this is how we see contentment. 
 
What is it? 
Where is it found? 
Is it lasting?
 
Matthew 6:32–33 says, “For the pagans run after all these things and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them but seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” 
 
Our old friend balance is so important. In every aspect of our lives, we should have a goal of keeping steady. Solomon spoke to this in Proverbs 30, when he asked God to give him not too much or too little. He reasoned that if he had great wealth, he might forget God. If he was in poverty, he might be inclined to steal. This effort to find balance is the heart of finding contentment. God is the ultimate source and He gives us the capacity to be content, using scripture as our guide. And as usual, God has a comprehensive plan for you, especially in the area of contentment.
 
Notice what Proverbs 14:30 says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” 
 
The actor Chris Tucker discovered all this after the huge success of “Rush Hour” and other projects. But he became a Christian, and now he’s selective in what he does, and he keeps it clean and real. It’s been estimated that since he turned to faith, Tucker has turned down a hundred million in projects. What’s his take on all that? He says, “But I've got a hundred million great experiences.” 
 
Whether you’re hard-charging and ambitious, or you’re simply neglecting the pursuit of peace in your life, you’re damaging your spiritual health.
 
Finding spiritual harmony makes you a complete person. Anything short of that, you’re flying with a broken wing. Bottom line is, if you look at all the verses in the Bible that speak to being truly content, you’ll quickly understand that Christ is the answer. 
 
Let’s pray, 
 
Father, You’ve provided the only way to true peace and contentment, and we thank You for that. Help us to keep this in front of us every day as we seek to live life well and abundantly, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Jane was the last child to receive a handmade blanket from her great grandmother. Pink and blue, festooned with angels and sprinkled with stars that sparkled in the light, the much-loved blanket was the little girl’s constant companion.
 
This childhood treasure became even more important when Gramma Ann passed away—a reminder of her love for her family, and her faith in God.
 
Jane’s blanket kept her warm in sickness and in health, but the washing machine proved its eventual undoing. One day, the last remaining fragment of Gramma Ann’s very last blanket was lost.
 
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.”
 
A few years after the remaining bit of Jane’s ‘Gramma Ann Blankie’ was lost to time (but not to memory), her mom stumbled across the best yard sale find of all time: the very same blanket, likely created from a quilting kit, in brand new condition. Jane and her mother cried together right there in a stranger’s driveway, certain that Gramma was smiling down on them from Heaven in that moment of discovery. It was the best two dollars the pair ever spent.
 
Grace can show up when we least expect it—even in the form of a long-lost family heirloom returned to us in the unlikeliest of ways.
 
Let’s pray.
 
Lord, your grace is a constant delight. You are faithful to us when we seek Your face, and Your gift of grace shows up in incredible ways. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Sandra was a single mom with little family support. Her ex was not exactly helping repair a tough situation. Her days slowed down only late at night when everyone else was asleep. That’s when fear got into bed with her…and wouldn’t budge.
 
Psalm 23:4 tells us, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
 
Every human being in history is faced with trouble at some point. But how we handle the rough times is key. Fear has no place in our lives.
 
In the dark, when fear really wanted to rattle her, Sandra prayed to the Lord. She told Jesus that she was scared and needed His help. And guess what? Jesus showed up for her.
 
She really believes that the Bible is true, and that Scripture shows us the heart of God. It is His desire to love us through the pain and the uncertainty.
 
Trying to fear less is a good place to start. It’s not where we’re called—we’re called to NOT fear. But you can whittle it down a little at a time if you need to. Then one day, you’ll wake up and realize you aren’t afraid at all. You don’t have to fear evil, because God is with you!
 
Let’s pray.
 
Lord, you are with us in every situation and your mercies never end. Thank you for loving us all the time, not just here and there. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Are you a woman blessed with the gift of a wonderful mother-in-law? We can hardly think of a more important relationship. Through the ages, this mentoring friendship has sealed families and nurtured them. Likewise, we easily see the pain inflicted when this relationship isn’t good.
 
In the Old Testament, we read of a really remarkable mother-in-law. She showed great kindness to a young woman at just the right moment.
 
After returning home to Bethlehem after a famine is over, Naomi wants the best for her young daughter-in-law Ruth, whose husband has died. Although she must have longed for security herself and companionship, Naomi encourages Ruth to marry Boaz. Eventually, Ruth has a son, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David!
 
Ruth 1:22 says, “So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.”
 
Naomi’s unselfish act, her encouragement to the vulnerable Ruth, is the model for all such relationships. It’s intentionally about the other person. It’s the story of a woman mentoring and loving another she sees as a daughter.
 
So how will your mother-in-law's story be recorded? Have you ever thought about that? How will the women in your family remember you?
 
Let’s pray.
 
Lord, people are watching us, and they’re watching how we treat others. Nowhere is that more important than in our own homes, and in our own families. Help us think of others before we think of ourselves. In Jesus’ name, amen.

She’s not very well known, even though she’s in the Bible. But Jochebed…who’s heard of her? Go ahead—raise your hands. This great woman deserves a bigger story in our culture because she modeled what it means to act with bravery, and to value all life.
 
Exodus 2:3 says, “But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.”
 
Jochebed, you see, was the mother of Moses. Knowing that Pharaoh had ordered all Hebrew baby boys to be killed, she hid her infant son in a basket among the reeds of the Nile. And when Pharaoh’s daughter found the boy, she felt sorry for him and took him in; the rest as they say, is history!
 
It’s been said that the love a mother has for her children is the strongest human bond. Long ago, a slave defied the empire and saved her son. He went on to change history.
 
Sometimes we just have to step out in faith and be intentional about courage.
 
Let’s pray.
 
Lord, this woman inspires us today. Thank you that the story of this sweet mother, Jochebed, was recorded for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.