Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-July 26, 2021-

Good morning, happy Monday,

-Understanding Faith And Practicing It-

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

(Hebrews 11:1).

Hebrews chapter 11 is the “Hall of Faith.” It is to faith what 1 Corinthians 13 is to love. It is fitting that the very first verse defines faith. The rest of the chapter mentions various men and women of faith and the actions they took that resulted from their faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

It is a beautiful definition of faith found in today’s verse, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith always looks forward to what God will do by believing Him and believing in Him; faith trusts God and trusts in Him; and faith obeys God no matter the possible outcomes are.

• Faith is the substance of things hoped for – Faith hopes in God for who He is and what He has already done for us in Jesus Christ. He has a perfect track record in our lives. Saving faith is based on Christ’s finished work on the cross; keeping faith is believing in His daily presence and help in whatever we face; and fulfilling faith is what God will do for us as He promised.

• The evidence of things not seen – This statement seems to go against all that we know in this world of proof and evidence to support a conclusion. In court, evidence must be provided, presented, and proven in order to be accepted; in medicine, drugs and other forms of medication must be based on facts proven in a laboratory. People often say, “Show me the proof, then I will accept it” or “I will believe it when I see it.”

Faith operates on a higher plane, in the spiritual realm. It is not however based on blind faith, but rather is based on the Almighty and what He says in His Word and does for us. Martin Luther said, “Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible. Then, it accepts the impossible, does without the indispensable, and bears the intolerable.”

This is why Paul wrote, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). To believe and trust God leads us to depend on Him no matter what we see and hear. Jesus told Martha in John 11:40 at the tomb of her dead brother Lazarus, “Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you believe you will see the glory of God.’” And sure enough she did believe and saw Jesus raise her brother from the dead.

May the Lord build and strengthen our faith to believe, trust, and act on that faith. In the case of each man or woman of faith in Hebrews 11, it says their name and the words, “by faith.” All of them put their faith in God into action. They took the substance and the evidence of who God is and what He can do, and looked to God for the results.

May the Lord help us to walk by faith not by sight, to believe and trust, and act on what God has said. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 25, 2021-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-Hasten To Obey God’s Word-

“I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments.”

(Psalm 119:60).

The psalmist hastened to obey the Word without delay. The word haste is defined as, “Excessive speed or urgency of movement or action; hurry.” The word hasten means, “Be quick to do something.” When something is very important to you, you do it immediately. There is no time to waste, no room for procrastination. On the other hand, when you don’t want to do something, you put it off as long as possible.

Spending time with Lord in prayer and in the Word is not only important but vital to our spiritual growth. It should be the first priority of our day. When Jesus was here in earth, he rose very early in the morning, while it was still dark to commune with the Father. Our days are hectic and it so essential that we seek the Lord and His guidance for our day. He speaks to us through His Word as we read it and meditate on it.

When God tells us to do something, we need to do it right way without delay. When God told Abraham to take Isaac, his beloved son, and offer him to the Lord, it was the hardest thing he had to do. Even so, he arose early in the morning and set out to obey God’s command. God tested his faith as well as his obedience. God stopped him from slaying his son and provided a ram in his place for Abraham to sacrifice as a burnt offering.

When we do God’s will and obey Him right away, we are pleasing Him. In the military when your commander gives you an order, you do it immediately; in the workplace, when the boss says to do something, you do it now; when your teacher gives you an assignment, you get it done forthwith. How much more should obey the Lord who loves us so much!

The hymn writer James H. Sammis wrote, “Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, or we’ll walk by His side in the way; what He says we will do, where He sends we will go, never fear only trust and obey.” The priest Eli told Samuel what to say when God called out to him, “Speak, for Your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:10).

Let us then hasten to obey God’s Word. Mary told the servants at the wedding at Cana of Galilee, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5). They filled the water pots with water, Jesus turned the water into win. God always blesses immediate and willing obedience.

Have a blessed day obeying the Lord right away in every way. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 24, 2021-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-Living Graciously And Lending Generously-

“A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.”

(Psalms 112:5).

Everyone wants to be known as a good man or good woman. The standards the society is one thing, God’s standards are quite another. To be good, we must do good to others without any hope of getting anything in return. The old expressions are true, “Actions are louder than words,” and “What you do speaks so loud I can’t hear what you say.”

It so so important to practice what we preach. Our character and our conduct must match our conversation. The psalmist says, “A good man deals graciously and lends…” A good man in God’s sight goes good not to show off, but to show God. In Acts 11:23-24, speaking of Barnabas, “When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all with purpose of heart that they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great number of people were added to the Lord.” Barnabas was a good man who encouraged others in the Lord. He was known as “the son of encouragement. We need more like him today.

The word gracious is defined as, “Courteous, kind, and pleasant.” This is exactly how we as believers should treat everyone, saved or unsaved. We should show the love of Christ and point people to Him. Galatians 6:9-10 says,”And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to the household of faith.”

Lending, or giving to those in need is a very big part of showing the love of Christ in action. In the OT, the Lord commanded the Israelites to lend to their fellow Israelites with no interest. They could only charge interest to the Gentiles. The Lord Jesus taught us to lend and give freely, especially to those who can’t pay us back.

When we deal graciously and lend freely, God will bless us and we will guide our affairs with discretion. Psalm 112:6 says, “Surely he will never shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.”

Are you a good man or good woman by God’s standards? Do you deal graciously with others, lend, and do good for others in Jesus’ name? Do others see your courtesy, kindness, and pleasantness?

Have a blessed day being good and doing good with no hope of return. God will bless you and reward you. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 23, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday,

-Jesus Loves And Blesses Little Children-

“Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ And He laid hands on them and departed from them.”

(Matthew 19:13-15).

Jesus loves everyone and wants everyone to come to Him. In Scripture, God has a special love for those who the weakest and most vulnerable such a widows and orphans, and as we see in today’s text, little children.

The disciples reacted poorly in this situation and actually rebuked the parents who brought them to Jesus. In Mark’s account of this incident, it says in Mark 10:14, “But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.’” There were a few times when Jesus got angry with His disciples, and this was one of them. Jesus used this incident as a teachable moment.

There is a double lesson for us in this story: how He loves and cares for little children and how coming to Him in salvation we must come like little children. We are blessed in both of these lessons for our lives.

• Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them – Parents have a big role in bringing their children to Jesus. They are with them 24-7 and have the greatest impact on their spiritual lives. Often, we do not think that the very little ones can grasp the gospel, and while it is true they must be able to understand sin and their need of Christ, we still need to impart to them from their youngest days the message of the gospel. It is amazing what they can understand from a very young age.

Sunday School is a big blessing to the little ones, but parents should not rely on the teaching their kids are getting on Sunday morning. The parent’s and Sunday School teaching must be complimentary. Both together provide children with the biblical foundation for their lives. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

• For of such is the kingdom of heaven – When we come to Christ, we must come like little children with a simple, child-like faith, fully relying on God. This why it much easier to win children to Christ than adults. Adults as the experience life become more skeptical and self-reliant than children. We as Christians are children of God and we must learn to trust our Heavenly Father to provide for us and protect us.

When the disciples argued among themselves over which one of them was the greatest, Jesus brought in a child to show them a lesson in humility. Little children don’t debate among themselves who is greatest. They just get long with each other and play together.

May the Lord help us to teach our kids about Jesus and lead them to Him. Children are precious to the Lord and to us. Let us also remember that we as believers are His children. He loves each of us and cares for us. We need that child-like faith and trust in our Heavenly Father. He is our Abba Father, which means daddy.

Have a blessed day living lives as children of God and being good role models to our children. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

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-July 22, 2021-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

-Who Do You Say That Jesus Is-

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am.’ Simon Peter answered and said to Him, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”

(Matthew 16:15-16).

Jesus first asked His disciples in Matthew 16:13,”Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” In these days they did not have public opinion polls like we have today. Even, so it was known how people felt about the issues of the day. The disciples had no shortage of answers: “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

While public opinion is important, one must answer this question for themselves, “But who do you say that I am?” The answer we give determines our eternal destiny. It interesting what various people actually called him: Pilate called Him, “the Man;” the centurion at cross called Him, a righteous Man;” Nathaniel called Him, Rabbi;” and John the Baptist called Him, the “Lamb of God.”

Peter, as he always did, spoke up and answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus blessed him for his accurate answer and noted that flesh and blood had not revealed this to him but the Father who is heaven. Jesus is no ordinary man, prophet, teacher, rabbi, or leader, He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

Jesus came into this world to die in our place on the cross, bear our sins in His own body, endure the wrath and judgment of God B against sin that was our due, and rose from the dead for our justification. The message of the gospel is simple, yet sublime. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

It is not enough to believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world, one must believe that He is your personal Savior. You must repent of your sins, confess them to God, believe that Jesus died for you, and receive Him as your personal Lord as Savior. This decision determines your eternal destiny.

Who do you say that Jesus is? Martha also confessed Him by saying, “…Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, who is come into the world” (John 11:27).

Each person must decide to believe in Jesus and receive Him into their lives. John 1:10-12 says, “He was in the world, and that world was made through Him, and the world did not known Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

Can you say, “I believe in Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior?” Jesus is the one and only way to God. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is Son of God who gives us life abundant and eternal.

Let us rejoice that God has saved us from our sins and given us eternal life. Our faith is in Jesus who must be Lord of our lives. We must put Him first and give Him our full submission. There is only one question on the test, it is pass or fail. There is only one correct answer who Jesus is. The unknown hymn writer wrote, “He is Lord, He is Lord! He is risen from the dead and He is Lord! Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Have a blessed day walking with Jesus and following Him. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean