Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-May 20, 2021-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

-Do Not Judge According To Appearance But With Righteous Judgement-

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

(John 7:24).

It is so easy to jump to conclusions based upon on what we see and hear. We often use our personal experiences, and make assumptions. We also hear one side of a story and take sides without even hearing the other side.

The Jews in Jesus’ day, judged Him based on their traditions and not upon the Word of God. They thought they knew Jesus, His family, His hometown, His upbringing, and His education; they made their conclusion accordingly. They rejected Him and because of envy, sought to kill Him. Jesus said of the Pharisees and scribes in Matthew 15:6-9, “…Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, saying, ‘These people draw near with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Bill MacDonald, in his Believer’s Bible Commentary, wrote, “The trouble with the Jews was that they judged things according to outward appearance not inward reality. Their judgment was not righteous. Human nature always tends to judge according to sight rather than according to reality.” Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

We must base our decisions and conclusions not on our emotions but on the Word of God. We need to ask ourselves, what does the Bible say? What would Jesus do? We need God’s wisdom and insight into a matter. The word discernment is key. It is defined as, “The ability to judge well.” For us as believers it means “In the process of spiritual discernment God guides the individual to help them arrive at the best decision.”

Do you need to make an important decision today? Perhaps regarding which college to attend, which job to take, what home to buy or rent, which church to attend, or what to buy? Seek the mind of Christ, read the Word of God and pray, and seek godly counsel. Things are not always what they seem. There are repercussions and ramifications we may not consider by ourselves.

May the Lord help us to judge with righteous judgment not according to appearance. Something may seem so good but be so wrong; or seem so wrong or less desirable, but be God’s perfect will for us. He gives the peace in our decisions when we are in His will.

Have a blessed day seeking God’s will and praying for wisdom, insight, and discernment. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-May 19, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-Heavenly Wisdom For Earthly Living-

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13).

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is down in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:17-18).

Heavenly wisdom is needed every day of our lives. Wisdom is putting knowledge and understanding into practice. Solomon was the wisest man and king on the face of the earth since God gave him wisdom from above. God asked him what he wanted Him to give to him; he chose wisdom and understanding.

God’s wisdom is always available to us as believers. James wrote in James 1:5, “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.” There is an old axiom that says, “He is so heavenly minded, he is no earthly good.” That should never be said of us. Being heavenly minded with heavenly wisdom should make us even more useful for earthly good.

In today’s verses we see how practical heavenly wisdom is in our lives. We show by our good conduct that our works are done in the meekness of wisdom. James contrasts heavenly and earthly wisdom by showing its sources and its results.

Earthly wisdom is from earth, originated by the devil, and leads to sensuality, envy, self seeking, confusion, and every evil thing (James 3:14-16). When we read the news or watch it on TV or the internet, we see the results of man’s wisdom all over the world.

By contrast in James 3:17-18, we see that God’s wisdom is the total opposite: it is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Oh how different the world would be if God’s wisdom prevailed in society today! We would all get along well in peace without conflicts.

As believers in Christ, by practicing heavenly wisdom from God, we will be examples of Christ in this world. We will peacemakers, role models, and good citizens of heaven and of earth. No one can find fault in any of these characteristics; And best of all we will represent Christ and point people to Him.

May the Lord help us to pray for wisdom daily in order to live lives pleasing to Him. We will thus be a blessing to the saved and the unsaved in all righteousness, holiness, and godliness, and peace.

Have a blessed day walking in God’s wisdom. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-May 18, 2021-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

-God Never Forgets Our Service For Him-

“For God not unjust to forget work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and so minister.”

(Hebrews 6:10).

Because we are so forgetful of what we have done, we tend to think of God that way, especially in remembering what we have done for Him over the years, some big things but mostly a lot small things. The Lord sees and hears everything, and He will reward us for them all. As long as we serve Him with pure motives and do all the name of Jesus and for His glory.

The writer of Hebrews is unknown but is mostly regarded to be the Apostle Paul. Today’s verse is so encouraging. There are three things that are true of our service for the Lord: it is a work and labor of love, it is shown to His name, and is a ministry to the saints.

• Work and labor of love – God’s work in the NT was not done by professional clergymen but by all believers working together side by side in unity and love. The leaders taught and equipped the saints to do the work of service. Ephesians 4:11 says, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Ministry is another word for service. Our service is work and labor, yet it is joyful work done out of love for our Savior. We can call it our delightful duty.

• Shown toward His name – Our service for the Lord is not to elevate self but to glorify Christ. Everything we do should be in His name, for His sake, and for His glory. In Mark 9:41, Jesus said, “For whoever gives a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will be no means lose his reward.” If we are rewarded for such small acts, we will be rewarded for the larger ones as well. The Sunday School teacher will be rewarded the same as the pastor, preacher, and missionary; those who set up and clean up the church will be rewarded the same as the elders and deacons.

• Done to the saints – When we serve the saints, we serve the Lord. Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” With this mind, no job is too menial or insignificant. The hymn writer Kittie Louise Suffield wrote, “Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth or fame; there’s a crown and you can win it, if you go in Jesus’ name.”

May the Lord remind us how important our service is to the Lord and He will never forget our work and labor, shown to His name, and ministered to the saints. All service, great or small is important, and He will reward us for them all. One day He will tell us, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.”

Have a blessed day serving the Lord in His name and for His glory. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-May 17, 2021-

Good morning, happy Monday,

-Do Not Be Afraid, Jesus Is With Us-

“Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’”

(John 6:18-20).

This incident of Jesus walking on water is recorded in Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-51; and John 6:15-21. It is an amazing sign and miracle that He showed His disciples. There were present in the boat that night four experienced fisherman who were familiar with the Sea of Galilee, with its strong winds and storms: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Yet, even they were greatly afraid, for no one ever saw anyone walking on the water before.

In Matthew’s account he includes the part of Peter walking on the water to Jesus. At first the disciples did not recognize Jesus, for they supposed that He was a ghost. Jesus was testing their faith. He made them get into the boat to travel to Bethsaida while He dismissed the multitude and went up on the mountain to pray. The wind became so strong that they had to strain at rowing the boat. It was in the middle of the sea in the middle of the night; it was pitch dark.

Our Savior saw them in need and came to their rescue. He spoke to them these beautiful words, “It is I; do not be afraid.” There are many things in life that can make us afraid: loss of health, job, family, money, home, possessions, and even of our own lives. This Coronavirus pandemic has made the whole world terribly fearful. Fear leads to stress which causes many health issues. Even young children and adolescents are feeling it just like grown ups.

How do you handle fear? Do you turn to Jesus and seek His help and guidance? Or do you seek man’s solutions or answers ? The disciples received Jesus into the boat and immediately reached their destination safely. Peter learned a big lesson himself about trusting in the Lord. Matthew records how he asked Jesus if it was really Him, to ask him to walk on the water to Him. At first all was well until Peter saw that the wind was boisterous, then he doubted and began to sink. He cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!” Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him and brought him safely into the boat. Our Lord asked him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” As soon as Peter was safely in the boat the wind ceased.

God allows storms in our lives. There are things that are out of our control. It tests our faith and causes us to fully depend on Him. The hymn writer William C. Poole wrote, “Just when I need Him, Jesus is near, just i falter, just when I fear; Ready to help me, ready to cheer, just when I need Him most.” The Lord promised us in Matthew 28:20, “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Never fear when Jesus is near! He is with us in the boat, in the storm, in the very things that make us afraid; yet He says, “It is I; do not be afraid.” The end of our journey is heaven where we will spend eternity with Him. Someone once said, “Feed your faith, and your fear will starve to death.” Let us feed on the Word of God and pray in faith. God will do great things for us.

Have a blessed day walking with Jesus safely and securely. Let us not be afraid, He is our heavenly aid. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-May 16, 2021-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-The Lord Is With Us To Give Us Victory With Joy-

“The Lord your God is in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

(Zephaniah 3:17).

The book of Zephaniah is one of the minor prophets. The minor prophets are called that not because they are less important or significant, but because they are short in length compared to the major prophets. Zephaniah’s message focuses on the Day of the Lord and God’s dealings with Israel and the other nations.

God is always faithful to His earthly people Israel and to us His church. He is the One who is with us and gives us the victory. There are three promises in our text today in the form of “He will’s,” that are so encouraging: He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, and He will rejoice over you with singing.

This past 15 months or so have been extremely hard on the whole world. The pandemic has brought sickness and death to millions across the globe. We in America have been hit especially hard. We are now toward the end of it, but we still must be very careful and conscientious to the very end. The Lord has been with us all the way, in our midst to save us and protect us. He is so faithful and so powerful. He is the Mighty One and He is still on the throne and nothing can thwart His plans for the end of times. Even while this pandemic has raged on, there have been racial tensions and social unrest, political conflicts, and right now things are boiling over in Gaza. It is so important to cling to the Lord and trust in Him for the victory.

• He will rejoice over you with gladness – Joy is not based on our circumstances but on our relationship with Christ. Because He cares for us and is with us, we can and should choose to rejoice. Paul writing from prison because of his faith in Christ wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). We as believers need to be an example to others in these difficult times.

• He will quiet you with His love – This phrase reminds me of a mother holding her child, burning up with fever and crushed with pain. As she rocks her dear one, she assures him that everything will be okay and he will get well. She quiets him with her love. The Lord also does this Dior us. Psalm 107:30 says, “Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.” This world is not our home, heaven is our desired haven, our haven of rest. He will take us there in His time.

• He will rejoice over you with singing – Singing has always been part of worship and praise. In glad times it increases our joy and thanks to God for the victories He gives us; In sad times, He strengthens our hearts in the midst of sorrow and pain, giving us His sufficient grace. Right after Jesus spent time with His disciples in the Upper Room, and right before they went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He would be arrested and shortly go to the cross and die for us, He sang a hymn with them. He knew that He would bring us victory, forgiveness of sin, salvation, and eternal life through His death on the cross. He tasted death so that we might have life, abundant and eternal.

The Lord rejoices over us with gladness, quiets us with His love, and rejoices over us with singing. May we be thankful that we are His people and He will give us victory. He will be with us no matter what we go through, and will never give us more than we can handle. Praise be to our faithful God.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day rejoicing and singing praises to Him for our salvation and all His blessings. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean