Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-October 23, 2022-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do you not hear how many things they against You?’ But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly” (Matthew 27:13-14).

“Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing” (Luke 23:9).

Jesus spoke many words in His preaching, teaching, and healing ministries. He never turned away anyone who came sincerely to Him. There were three occasions though when He didn’t answer a word: once to Pilate, once to Herod, and once to the Syrophoenician woman, a Gentile before healing her daughter.

In our verses today, Jesus wouldn’t answer the charges of the chief priests nor would He answer Pilate the governor. It says that he marveled greatly. Pilate, upon hearing that He was in Herod’s jurisdiction, sent Him to him. Jesus wouldn’t answer him either. Our Savior was innocent of all the charges, but He refused to answer a single word. The only answer He gave was when the Jews asked if He was the Christ, He acknowledged that was. He did the same when Pilate asked Him if He was the King of the Jews, He responded, “It is a you say.”

Jesus refused to defend Himself, trusting in the Father’s will to go to the cross and die for our sins. The lesson is clear, we don’t need to defend ourselves either when others wrongfully accuse us. We should just say, “It’s not true,” and leave it at that. God will vindicate us. The truth will come out either on earth or heaven, or both.

Let us thank God that Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified on the cross as our Substitute and Savior. The hymn writer wrote, “He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free. He could have called ten thousand angels, but He died alone for you and me.” May we thank, praise, and worship Him today and every day.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day as we ponder that He didn’t answer a word. May God defend us and vindicate us when we are falsely and unjustly accused. Stay safe and healthy.

Looking to Christ as our example,

Dean

-October 22, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“For you are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.”

God is great and does great things that no one else can do. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient; He is the Almighty God; He has many names and titles, with each one pointing to His attributes and His wondrous works in creation and redemption. Best of all He is a God who has immeasurable love for us.

Of all His wondrous works, the work of salvation is the most glorious of all. God saved sinners through the death of His Son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 is likely the most familiar verse in the Bible, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God loved the whole world, all of us, and made salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life possible to those who believe.

Not only has God done great things in saving us, He does great things for us every day. He is our heavenly Father. He cares for us and provides for us. The Psalmist David said in Psalm 145:3, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.” The word unsearchable can be rendered as, “beyond our understanding.” Trying to understand God’s greatness is like measuring the universe, finding the depths of the sea, or climbing Mount Everest. Man may be able to reach these limits, but no one can comprehend God’s greatness.

This is why the sons of Korah wrote in Psalm 48:1-2, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” Let us give Him all the praise that He deserves!

Have a blessed day rejoicing in God’s greatness. He does great and wondrous things for us daily. Stay safe and healthy.

In amazement of God’s greatness,

Dean

-October 22, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

(Proverbs 27:1).

Each day has its share of good times and bad times, positives and negatives, successes and failures, burdens and blessings. How do we maintain an even keel? The best way is to begin the day with prayer committing our day to the Lord and seeking His guidance from the Word of God. When we do this, we can accept anything and everything that happens to us as from the Lord.

There are days that start off so well but then problems and issues come. Others days start off poorly but end up well. Whatever the case, God is in control. He uses our circumstances and turns things to our good. There are things that happen that are beyond our control and we must trust God. So often we make plans but God redirects us. Change is hard for us to accept, but God knows what is best for us. God sometimes takes us out of our comfort zone, not to make us uncomfortable, but to make us more fruitful and useful to Him.

James 4:13–15 tells us, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit;’ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’”

The best place to be is in the center of the Lord’s will and be thankful and content. Tomorrow may bring sorrow, pain, adversity, and trouble; but God will bless us and give us grace at the needed time. He also knows when to send His blessings at just the right time.

May the Lord guide the ship of our lives as the Captain at the helm. He knows what lies ahead and will be our help, guide, and comfort. Stay safe and healthy.

Guided by the greatest Guide,

Dean

-October 21, 2022-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“I hate and abhor lying, but I love Your law.”

(Psalm 119:29).

Lying may seem like a small sin, but it a sin nonetheless. What makes it so insidious is that so many people do it. Often, one lie leads to another to cover up the first lie. The old expression is so true, “Honesty is the best policy.” The truth never changes, and when you tell the truth you don’t have remember the lie you told. Lies not only hurt us, snd sin against God, they also hurt others, especially those we love.

The Bible says in Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” God is a holy and righteous God and cannot lie. On the other hand Jesus told the Jews in John 8:44, You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Truth and honesty should characterize our character, our words, and our lives. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:25, “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each of you speak truth with neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.” Lying is part of our old nature and truth is part of our new nature. The Psalmist prayed, “Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Your law graciously” (Psalm 119:29). If we do lie we must confess as sin to the Lord and also ask others to forgive us to forgive us for lying to them. Exaggeration and flattery are also aspects of dishonesty.

May God help us to hate lying or dishonesty in any form, but let us please God in telling and living the truth. Have a blessed day walking in the sunshine of truth and haying lying. Stay safe and healthy.

Abiding in the truth,

Dean

-October 20, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.”

(Psalm 92:13-14).

The Psalmist recognized that those who are planted in God’s house and serving Him will flourish in the courts of the Lord. God is the One who makes us fruitful. In and of ourselves we can do nothing, but when we abide in Him He works through us. Ideally we should serve the Lord in our youth all the way through old age. If we don’t serve now, we won’t serve Him in our retirement from our jobs.

In God’s service there is no retirement. We continue to serve Him until He comes or calls us home through death, whichever comes first. Our golden years should be a flourishing and fruitful time in our lives. The Psalmist uses the palm tree as an illustration of usefulness for the Master. Every part of the palm tree is useful in one way or another. Psalm 92:12 says, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon.”

There is a wonderful promise in Isaiah 46:4, The says, “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” We have great confidence and assurance that the Lord will take care of us and use us even when we are old. The Lord is so good!

Have a blessed day serving the Lord, whether you are young or old. Stay safe and healthy.

In His service,

Dean