Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-March 6, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Be of good cheer. Rise He is calling you.’”

(Mark 10:49).

Today is the story of the healing of the blind man, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus. Not only was he blind, he was also poor, a beggar. His life would be transformed forever. This man represents a sinner blind and begging, helpless and hopeless.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, and His disciples and a multitude of people were following Him. He knew that He would soon be betrayed, mocked, condemned to death, scourged, and nailed to the cross. It was under this dark cloud, Hos sunlight shined on this blind beggar.

Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by. He cried out for His help. The disciples tried to make him go away so they could move on from Jericho to Jerusalem. He kept crying out all the more for the Lord to have mercy on him. Jesus stopped and stood still; He commanded him to to be called. Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Our Savior knew his need but wanted him to ask.

Jesus healed him by giving him his sight. What a great miracle! The lesson for us as believers is: ask great things of the Lord. He will hear and answer. Jesus will stand still to focus on us and our needs.

The wonderful story was not complete without Bartimaeus following Jesus on the road. He could see, his life was revolutionized spiritually and physically. Your prayers can make Jesus stand still and act on your behalf.

Have a blessed day following Jesus as if you were His only follower. Stay safe and healthy.

Jesus never passes a sinner by when He hears their cry; He stands still to accomplish His will.

Dean

-March 5, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

(Hebrews 4:16).

Yesterday we looked at how we have access to God spiritually and positionally through Christ’s sacrifice for sin and His shed blood. It came at a very high price, through the new and living way. It is all by His grace. Today, we will consider how to utilize our access fully on a daily basis.

Imagine being the son of the president and not going to the White House to see the president. Our current president Biden has a lot of legal issues swirling around his legal issues and is he is laying low and staying away. I also remember a number of years ago, Billy Carter, the brother of then President Jimmy Carter, was eccentric and always in the news for one thing or another.

We are sons of God have the blessed privilege of coming before the throne of grace 24-7. We are invited and encouraged to come, and to come boldly. We can never ask to much. There is power in prayer. The question is: how much do we pray? Do we take full advantage of our access to the throne of God?

James put it bluntly in James 4:2-3, “You you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Do we have the fervency, urgency, and immediacy that is required? Is prayer the desire and necessity of your heart?

I recently heard a story of Martin Luther who was very busy but spent two hours a day in prayer. As he got even busier and took on more responsibilities, the amount of time he spent in prayer changed: he did not shorten his prayer time, he actually prayed longer. What a challenge to us, to find time and make time to pray.

There are two things we find at the throne of grace: mercy and grace. Prayer takes time and effort. Mercy doesn’t give us what deserve and grace gives us what we don’t deserve. We have so many needs, problems, challenges, obstacles, fears, and worries. Let us bring them all to the Lord and leave them there, in His capable hands. He is in control, He has all the power and resources.

Let us take advantage of our access daily. Have a blessed day and pray without ceasing. Stay safe and healthy.

When we stay in touch, our prayers accomplish much; when we seek His face, we find His mercy and grace,

Dean

-March 4, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh.”

(Hebrews 10:19).

I trust that everyone had a wonderful Lord’s Day yesterday in worship, praise, remembrance, fellowship, and in the Word. There is something special when we gather in Jesus’ name, with Him as our Head, our center, our focus.

Under the old covenant we as Gentiles were excluded, far from God. Ephesians 2:12-13, says of our former condition as Gentiles, lost sinners, “That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Through Christ and His shed blood we have immediate and complete access to God. In fact, we have boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Christ. Even under the OT system, only the high priest could enter the Holiest or as we often call it the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. Now the least believer has access to God through the new and living way. Jesus is our great High Priest, and we are believer priests.

When Jesus died on the cross for us, the veil or curtain of separation was torn from the top to the bottom by the hand of God, signifying our access to God forever. What a blessing, what a privilege! Jew and Gentile, men and women, rich or poor; all come through the blood of Christ.

Tomorrow we will consider what this access means to us in a practical way. Have blessed day rejoicing in our nearness to God. Stay safe and healthy.

Outsiders became insiders, sinners became saints, aliens became sons, enemies became friends,

Dean

-March 3, 2024-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.”

(Isaiah 26:3).

Peace is one of the greatest gifts the Lord gives us. There is so much conflict, angst, turmoil, fear, and stress in this world. As believers, we have peace with God and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

In today’s text we notice that God keeps us in perfect peace because we trust in Him. Isaiah 26:4 says, “Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord is everlasting strength.” YAH is a shortened form of Yahweh or Jehovah. It was a very sacred name for God to the Jews.

God is faithful to give us peace in the midst of the storms of life. When we are late for work or an important appointment; the traffic is horrific; an appointment or vacation gets cancelled; we get sick or injured; there are layoffs; loved ones die. There are so many things that can go wrong at just the wrong time.

Our peace, like our joy, isn’t dependent on our circumstances. Perfect peace is, well, perfect. The Lord is with us day by day, moment by moment. He gives the rest in our souls. I remember seeing a painting of a beach with a storm raging all around. There was a solitary little bird perched securely on a rock, unbothered by it all. Jesus is our Rock, and nothing moves Him.

It is up to us to stay our minds on Christ and the things above, and trust in Him. Isaiah 26:12 tells us, “Lord, establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us.” In us can be rendered for us.

The hymn writer Edward Bickersteth wrote, “Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round? On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.” We can be calm on the inside while things are unraveling all around us.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day being filled with peace, kept in peace, and wrapped securely in peace. Stay safe and healthy.

Encircled, enveloped, and encouraged by His wonderful peace,

Dean

-March 2, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine.”

(Isaiah 43:1).

The Lord Jesus calls each one of us by name. We mean so much to Him. He died on the cross to save us and shed His precious blood to redeem us. The word redeem means to buy back.

1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” We are His children, His servants, and His friends.

He knows all about us: our needs, problems, trials, cares, fears, and issues. He promises to take care of us. He has given us His Word with its precepts and promises. He never forgets us, though we may forget Him. He is always faithful. He wipes our tears and calms our fears; He captains our ship through the tempestuous storms of life.

God who named the stars, considers us His stars. Let us shine brightly for Him. Daniel 12:3 says, “Those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”

Have a blessed Saturday preparing for church tomorrow. Stay safe and healthy.

When God knows and calls us by name, we are blessed by His fame,

Dean