Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-February 21, 2022-

Good morning, happy Monday, happy Presidents Day,

“By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.”

(Proverbs 8:15-16).

Today is Presidents Day here in the United States, a day that is celebrated as a federal holiday on the third Monday of February each year. It was established in 1971. I am old enough to remember that originally we celebrated Lincoln’s Birthday on February 16 and Washington’s Birthday on February 22. We used to get both of them off of school. Now it is one combined holiday that honors not only our first and great President George Washington and our sixteenth and great President Abraham Lincoln, but also all our presidents that have served and led our country.

Being president of the United States is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Our president is called the leader of the free world. He works long hours, in stressful situations, is often criticized, with relatively low pay for such a job. We notice that our presidents age exponentially while in office. Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) was elected to four terms. After that the president can only serve two terms in office.

The key to be being a successful president is having God’s wisdom for such a task. The eighth and ninth chapters of Proverbs are all about wisdom. The Lord Jesus Christ is wisdom personified. Wisdom speaks in Proverbs 8:12-36. Wisdom is putting knowledge and understanding into practice to produce good results. Not only do our leaders need it, but so do all of us. Proverbs 8:11 says, “For wisdom is better than rubies, and all things one may desire cannot be compared with her.” Solomon was the wisest king ever because God gave him great wisdom.

Solomon wrote Proverbs and said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). We need to respect and honor all our presidents and pray for them daily. They need wisdom in all the important decisions they make. Romans 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For their is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Paul also wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, “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.”

Let us then pray for our president and all who are in authority that God will strengthen him and give him him wisdom. He has great responsibility and thus needs great wisdom to handle everything he does. May we also as believers pray for God’s wisdom in our lives. James wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

Have a blessed day living by God’s wisdom and praying for our leaders, especially our president to have wisdom. Stay safe and healthy.

In His wisdom from above,

Dean

-February 20, 2022-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

(2 Corinthians 5:21).

Before we were saved we were dead in our transgressions and sins, separated from God, lost, without God and without hope in this world. We were on our way to hell, an eternity apart from God. But God so loved us and saved us. John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” How could a holy God allow us as sinners into heaven? Only through the blood of Jesus. He took our place on the cross, bore our sins, and paid our sin debt.

Oh what an exchange it was! Jesus was perfect and sinless, we were utterly sinful through and through. Jesus died so that we might live. He took our sins and as a result we are made the righteousness of God in Him. God has imputed the righteousness of Christ to us. So when God sees us now, He sees us through our Savior. We are now clothed in white robes of righteousness.

Before our salvation, it was a different story. Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” But now we are made holy and righteous in Jesus Christ our Lord. It says of Abraham, our father in faith, “And he believed in the Lord, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). This took place long before the law was given through Moses. Righteousness could never come through the law. The law exposed our sin, but through the sacrifice of Christ we are saved and made righteous in God’s sight.

As we gather to remember the Lord in the Breaking of Bread, we reflect His perfect sacrifice on the cross and how our sins are forgiven and we stand righteous before Him. We are not worthy nor will we ever be. But God loved us and made us right with Him. We were unworthy but not worthless in the sight of God. The hymn writer Edward Mote wrote, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean Jesus’ name.”

Have a blessed Lord’s Day rejoicing in our salvation. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal love,

Dean

-February 19, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them are forgotten by God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

(Luke 12:6-7).

We are very important to God. He highly esteems us and values us as His children. Jesus speaks about how God does not forget even the sparrows who are the tiniest of birds. The poor among the Israelites used them for their sacrifices to the Lord. Our Savior said that five sorrows were sold for two small copper coins. These coins were called an Assarion, and which worth 1/16 of a denarius. A denarius was about one days wages.

If God watches over these tiny birds and cares for them, how much more does He watch over us and care for us. He even counts the number of hairs on our heads. The hymn writer Civilia D. Martin wrote, “Why should I be discouraged, why should the shadows come, why should my heart be lonely and long for heav’n and home. When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

We all go through valleys, we feel lonely, discouraged, troubled, anxious, and fearful. We take our eyes off Jesus and start seeing the stormy, tempestuous wind and waves. Our blessed Lord reminds us that He is with us and will see us through. He is the Captain of our ship, the Master of the seas. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He knows what we are going through, feels with us, and strengthens us.

No one loves us like Jesus. He cares for us and provides for all our needs. The One who counts the number of hairs on our heads, also numbers our steps, and collects our tears in His bottle. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.

Have a blessed day pondering His watchful care and being thankful and encouraged. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal care,

Dean

-February 18, 2022-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Why do you spend your money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.”

(Isaiah 55:1-2).

Isaiah records the words of the Lord to His people Israel. Three times the Lord uses the word come. He says come to the waters, come buy and eat, and come buy wine and milk. The word come involves responding to an invitation. God wants only the best for His people. Salvation is free to us, though it cost Jesus everything on the cross. He suffered, bled, and died on the cross to pay our sin debt.

All the we must do is confess our sins, repent, believe in Him, and receive Him as our Lord and Savior. He simply tells us to come, respond to His invitation, and receive the gift of eternal life and be saved. God will never force anyone to come, but the door is open to all who will open the door of their hearts to Him. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him, and he with Me.”

On several occasions Jesus said to come. In Matthew 11:28 He says, “Come to Me, all you labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” It also says in John 7:37-38, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

When we come, He comes to us; when we turn to Him, He takes forgives us and takes away our sins. Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift (or the free gift) of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). You don’t pay for a gift, you just have to accept it. In fact, you insult the giver but offering to pay for it. Sadly, so few take and open the gift.

There are very few things in life that are absolutely free; Most of the time there are strings attached. You have buy something else, or take some effort. With our salvation we just have to come to Jesus. He offers us not only salvation but an abundant life also. Here our text says, “And let your soul delight itself in abundance.” It is such a blessing: eternity in heaven with the Lord in the future and an abundant life here on earth in the present. Jesus said in John 10:10, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Let us come to Him and receive the gift of eternal life, and live the abundant life God intended for Adam and Eve to live before they sinned. He wants the very best for us. Will you come to Him today?

Have a blessed day coming to Jesus, being saved, and living the abundant life that He has for us. Stay safe and healthy.

In His love and grace,

Dean

-February 17, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“But Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.”

(Acts 15:40).

Paul had three main partners in the work of the Lord: Barnabas, Silas, and Timothy. There were several others Paul served with, but these three were the main ones. Jesus sent out His disciples by twos. Partners can encourage and challenge one another. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.”

Paul trusted Silas and worked very well with him, just as he did with Timothy, and earlier with Barnabas. Paul and Silas were arrested in Philippi for preaching the gospel. They were beaten, yet while in the jail, they were praying and singing hymns to God. The other prisoners heard them. God caused an earthquake and all the doors of the prison were opened. None of the prisoners escaped, but praise be to God the Philippian jailer and his whole family got saved. Most of the time Paul was in prison by himself, but in this case his partner was with him.

Partners encourage, comfort, and challenge one another. They hold each other accountable, pray with and for each other, and help each other. We can do more together than we can alone. Partners can see things in us that we can’t see ourselves. Oftentimes one of the partners is younger in years or in the Lord. The older, wiser one mentors the younger one. This was true especially with Paul and Timothy, Moses and Joshua, and Elijah and Elisha. In the Scriptures we see this with Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha.

Do you have a spiritual partner in the Lord’s work? Do you mentor a younger believer? Are you being mentored by an older believer? Strong relationships make for strong churches and fruitful ministries. Paul appreciated all those he served with and honored them by mentioning them when he wrote his epistles to the churches. We need each other so much nowadays, especially as this pandemic continues on. Let encourage others and serve the Lord together. God doesn’t want us to be lone wolves, but work together in harmony and love.

Have a blessed day serving the Lord with our partners. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal service,

Dean