Kerusso Daily Devotional Kerusso

Welcome to the Kerusso Daily Devotional. Good morning…good afternoon…whatever time it is where you are. Where are you today? I don’t mean on the way to work or your kitchen or a doctor’s office. I mean, is your life stable? Are you on the right road? 
 
Our topic this week is the perfect timing of God. You might be in an okay place, or you might be free-falling. As usual, God’s Word speaks to this.
 
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
 
Wow. That is a description of how your Creator is managing your life. You see it as a disaster. He sees you as beautiful. He is smoothing the path in front of you.
 
Can I give you some advice? If today is rainy and gloomy for you, quiet your mind for a few minutes, wherever you are. Meditate on our verse for today. If you can’t really see where your life is going, you’re not alone. All of us see through a glass darkly, as the apostle Paul said.
 
But God sees everything, and He sees it clearly. He knows where you’re going and just as important, He knows where you are now. God’s got this. Rest in that today.
 
Let’s pray. 
 
Lord, we are deeply grateful that you are in charge and that you love us. We love you, too. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
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You probably know whether you’re a morning or night person. Science has some good news for you early risers: Apparently, the early bird really does get the worm.
 
In a study of early risers versus night owls, researchers at the University of Birmingham discovered strong connections in the regions of the brain that can predict better performance and lower sleepiness; these areas were significantly stronger in study participants who identified themselves as early birds.
 
Whether you burn the midnight oil and sleep the day away or rise before the sun, there is power in beginning your day by connecting with God in prayer—whether that happens to be before dawn, or at the crack of noon.
 
Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
 
Any time is a great time to reach out to the Lord in prayer, and one of the best ways to build a consistent prayer habit is to schedule your prayer time.
 
Try setting your alarm a few minutes early to give yourself a spiritual head start on the day. Thank God for the people and circumstances you’re grateful for. Ask Him to bless the ones you love, and to guide your footsteps.
 
Let’s pray.
 
Lord, thank you God, for wiring us uniquely to be night owls, early birds, or something in between. Your timing is always right. Keep us in tune with you through regular prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
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Have you ever heard someone recall a tough time and be happy about it? Not very often, right?
 
We all go through stuff we’d rather forget. When tough times hit us without warning, it’s natural to just wish it could all be over— immediately! Humans are built to run from trouble. How do you grind through when it’s so bad you want to die?
 
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.”
 
This is something that separates Christianity from other faiths. In the Bible, we see it all: good, bad, and everything in between. Faith isn’t handed to you like a plate of cookies.
 
Faith can be messy.
 
But it is a truism that anything worth having is worth fighting for, and waiting on. God’s timing is often very different from our own, and the story He has planned for us may follow a very narrow path. True faith is joy beyond our full understanding, and the Source of our Faith is always ready to carry us when we can’t make it. That is the essence of holding fast.
 
Let’s pray. 
 
Lord, your Word tells us that you will always be with us, in the good times and the bad. God we believe you, we thank you, and we love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
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In 1943, Winston Churchill wanted an invasion of Europe to defeat the Nazis, but the Americans weren’t ready. They were ready one year later. And when the Germans on the French beaches saw thousands of ships coming through the mist one morning, they knew Franklin Roosevelt, the American president, had been right to wait. 
 
Now the allies were at full strength and aiming for victory. Timing saved civilization. 
 
It’s like that in life sometimes, isn’t it? For all of us. How many times have we been sure that we needed something right now, but then had to wait? 
 
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has set eternity in the hearts of men. Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 
 
God knows what you need, and when you need it. And the Bible says He’s known all of this since before He created the world. His timing wins every time. And that’s a good reminder. 
 
Let’s pray.
 
Lord, you know best, all of our needs. Thank you for delivering on your timing and not ours. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
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Science. It’s pretty cool. 
 
Did you know what we think of as a day—how long it takes the Earth to rotate—isn’t actually 24 hours. According to NASA, it’s 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.2 seconds. A day on the planet Mercury—it's a whopping 58 Earth days, 15 hours and 30 minutes. 
 
Can you imagine a Monday that lasts over 1400 hours? Our Creator God, in His infinite wisdom, gave us the perfect amount of daytime for work and play, and nighttime for rest. He gave us seven days for productivity, and most importantly, he gave us the Sabbath, a time to rest and to gather as believers to acknowledge His goodness. 
 
Humans are busy creatures, and sometimes we wish we had more time to accomplish a task or extra hours in the day. When a situation is difficult, we wish it was over already and gnash our teeth and clench our fists and frustration. 
 
It’s tempting to spend our lives watching the clock, trying to force our circumstances into our own ideal timelines, but there’s a better way. God’s plan is not our own plan, and it doesn’t run on the world’s timeline. 
 
When you’re waiting for that big promotion. Remember, God will promote you when it’s time, when you’re patient and persistent in following Him. When you’re worrying over forthcoming test results. Remember, God is holding you in the palm of His hand. He will give you answers in His time. 
 
Faith means letting life happen all in good time and all on God's timeline. 
 
Let’s pray. 
 
Heavenly Father, help us to trust you and to follow in your path for us, even when we’re not sure what will happen next or when our next steps will be revealed. We know you love us, and your plans for us are good. Thank you for your love, your faithfulness, and your saving grace. In Jesus’ name, amen. 
 
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Since prayer is, by nature, personal, we often want to know how things are going to turn out, even before we start praying. We wonder if God will actually answer our prayer. Maybe not as dramatic as some stories, but still if we’re honest, we would like an answer to our prayer. Why else ask? 
 
Luke 18:1 says, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
 
The fact is, of the 650 prayers in the Bible, 450 of them were answered, at least as the accounts were recorded. Others might have been answered later, but there are indications that, no, God does not always answer a prayer. And this is where our human perspectives can hamper our ability to see the full picture.
 
Isaiah 55:8 says, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.”
 
From our limited perspective at this moment in time, we might not understand how or if God is answering our prayers. Remember Job and his friends prayed, and tried to figure out for some time just what God was up to in this suffering man’s life. 
 
The most interesting takeaway from the Book of Job is that, in the end, when God addresses Job, He never once tells him why he suffered. He basically puts Job in his place by saying that He, God, knows and understands everything, and we obviously do not. 
 
It’s worth noting that in Job’s case, God restored everything to him and more. As we read in Luke 18:1, part of our responsibility in praying is perseverance. We’re not supposed to act like children and throw a fit if we don’t get our way.
 
In those times when we think God is slow in answering us, it’s necessary for us to have some patience. Nowhere are we promised a quick answer or even an answer at all. Sometimes we just have to have faith that God will work everything out for us. 
 
Let’s pray. 
 
Father God, like Job, we want to trust you no matter what. Even if an answer to our prayer is slow, we love you anyway, and we thank you that you love us for eternity. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
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