Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-November 7, 2022-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“Then Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, ‘Please put these old clothes and rags under your armpits, under the ropes.’ And Jeremiah did so. So they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him up out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.”

(Jeremiah 38:12-13).

Jeremiah the prophet was in a desperate situation. The Jewish leaders had taken him out of the court of the prison, where conditions were bad, and thrown him into the dungeon where they were deplorable. They threw him in the dungeon where there was mire that he sank into. Left there he would have died for lack of food. Ebed-Melech was an Ethiopian eunuch who served the king of Judah. He heard of Jeremiah’s plight and went to the king to gain his intervention and help on Jeremiah’s behalf. There were wicked men who had gotten the permission of the king to do whatever to him what they saw best because he prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, and the upcoming Babylonian captivity.

There is an old expression that says, “Don’t shoot the messenger,” They blamed Jeremiah for their plight. He was simply proclaiming God’s Word to them. God brought judgment down on them because of their sin of idolatry and disobedience. The king gave Ebed-Melech orders to take thirty men and pull Jeremiah out. He joyfully carried out the king’s orders. He took ropes, old clothes, and rags lowering them to Jeremiah. They got him out carefully and safely. Not only was Jeremiah happy and relieved, but God was pleased by Ebed-Melech, a foreigner.

Later on in Jeremiah 39:15-18, Jeremiah sent word to Ebed-Melech that God would deliver him and spare his life for what he had done putting his trust in God. God wants us to help others who are in trouble and need. We like Ebed-Melech must employ any and all means to lift up others and encourage them. God blesses us when we help others in need. It takes effort, time, and money to help those who are in hard times. The Lord always ensures our blessing and when we are need God will send us help.

There is a wonderful hymn written by Mary Maxwell that speaks of this. The chorus says, “Channels only, blessed Master, but with all Thy wondrous pow’r, flowing through us, Thou canst use us, every day and every hour.” We are His vessels to serve Him. When we are emptied of self and filled with His Spirit, we can do so much good. Let us be willing and available for God to use.

Have a blessed day helping others in need. Stay safe and healthy.

In the service of the Greatest Master,

Dean

-November 6, 2022-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”

(Romans 13:1-2)

With an election coming up on Tuesday for many people across the country, it is a good time to remind ourselves of our responsibilities toward those running for office and those in office. In our text we find the word “authority,” used three times. Though we vote, it is God who appoints our leaders. It doesn’t mean that our elected officials are perfect. No one is perfect, not even us. Like in all professions, there are good ones and bad ones, and many in between.

There are three Scriptural responsibilities we have toward those who rule over us: to pray for them, to honor them, and to pay taxes and customs to them. These things are true whether we like them or not, and whether we voted for them or not. Some us are Republicans, some are Democrats, and some are either Independents or belongs to a small party.

1. Pray for them – Paul makes this very clear in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, He wrote, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” We should pray for them and thank the Lord for them. We gain the benefit and blessing of living quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

2. Honor them – God wants us to honor and obey our rulers. Peter wrote, “Honor all people, love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17). First we fear God and put Him first in all things; then we honor the king. We must do both or God will not be pleased. There are some Christians who go beyond voting and can become too involved in politics. It can take their time away from church and serving the Lord, which is sad.

3. Pay taxes and customs – The Bible clearly says in Romans 13:6-7, “For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Jesus taught this and apostles confirmed it. When the Jewish leaders asked Jesus, “Tell us, therefore, is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” He asked them whose image was on the Roman coins, they replied that it was Caesar. He then told them “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (See Matthew 22:15-21).

Let us then pray for our leaders, honor them, and pay our taxes and customs to them. God will be pleased and honor us with quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and reverence.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day and exercise your suffrage on Tuesday. Stay safe and healthy.

Fearing God and honoring our public officials,

Dean

-November 5, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’”

(2 Corinthians 12:9).

Like all of us who suffer some trial, especially the ones that last awhile, Paul prayed that God would make it depart from him. In fact, he prayed three times and pleaded with the Lord that the Lord would take it away. We too want the Lord to remove the trial, take away the thorn in the flesh, and calm the storm. Sometimes God takes these things away, other times He has a different plan.

God had a different plan for Joseph to exalt Him to the second highest rank in Egypt; He had a different plan for Paul, despite his thorn, he glorified God, winning souls and planting churches; God also had different plan for Peter, the fisherman turned into a great preacher, teacher, and elder. Like these three and many others in Scripture, none of us can serve God in our own strength or wisdom. He wants us to realize our weakness and the good results we see are from Him and for His glory.

God always gives us the strength for each day, and is always sufficient. Tomorrow He will give us a fresh supply. It is never about us, but all about Him. The grace He gives us may be spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional. His reservoir of grace never runs out. His strength is always made perfect in our weakness.

Have a blessed Saturday by His strength. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-November 4, 2022,

Good morning, happy Friday,

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

(Malachi 3:6).

One of God’s attributes is His immutability, meaning He is changeless. He never changes in His character, His ways, or any of attributes. He is always the same. We have his word on it. Everything else in the world changes. We grow older as do all people; nothing today will be exactly the same tomorrow. We try to be consistent and faithful, but we fall short.

The writer of Hebrews wrote of our Lord and Savior, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Thus we can count on the Lord and rely fully on Him. He is perfect in all His ways. In James 1:17 it says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” God never changes but He desires that we change and grow in Him. He wants to conform us into the image of Christ.

Job wrote of God’s sovereignty in Job 23:13-14, “But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, so He does. For He performs what is appointed for me, and many such things are with Him.” There are times when God relents and does not bring His judgment on a person or persons if they repent. He says, “Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” God is merciful and doesn’t give us what we deserve, and He is gracious, giving us what we don’t deserve. He loves us so much and is patient with us. God also acts in answer to our prayers according to His will.

The Lord tells us to ask, seek, and knock. He wants us to pray in faith, seeking His will, bringing our requests to the throne of grace. He delights to answer our prayers and surprise us with many blessings. Our God is the unchanging God who is ever faithful. The hymn writer Thomas O. Chisholm wrote in the first verse of His Great hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not: as Thou has been Thou forever wilt be.”

Have a blessed day and weekend trusting in the Lord who never changes. Stay safe and healthy.

Resting in God’s faithfulness,

Dean

-November 3, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are are the everlasting arms…”

(Deuteronomy 33:27a-b).

There is nothing better than to walk on solid ground not having to worry about stumbling or falling. We all get mesmerized watching a high trapeze artist carefully walking on a thin wire high, high above the ground. One mistake could him or her their life. Fortunately there is a net underneath them just in case. The same is true of the eaglet learning to fly. The mother eagle flies below and can catch the little one in midair.

For the believer in Christ we have God’s everlasting arms underneath us. He loves us so much and cares for us. In trials the Lord is our stability and strength. He is our refuge. Whether we are driving, walking, working, even sleeping, the Lord who never slumbers or sleeps is watching over us. It gives us such encouragement and comfort. He will never leave us nor forsake us. His arms are strong enough to hold us up and carry us through.

One of my favorite hymns, among many, is “Leaning On The Everlasting Arms” written by Elisha A. Hoffman. He wrote, “What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms; What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, leaning on the everlasting arms; O how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms. What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms.” The chorus says, “Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.”

May the Lord strengthen us by His everlasting arms that are always underneath us. The Lord dispels our fears, anxieties, and doubts. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Under His everlasting arms,

Dean