Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-May 9, 2021-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day, happy Mother’s Day,

-Honoring Our Mothers And Thanking God For Them-

“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother,’Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

(John 19:26-27).

Of all the words that Jesus spoke while He was on the cross, and there were seven altogether, today’s verse is the most personal and precious. Before He willingly died on the cross for us, He made provision for His mother Mary. By this time she was likely in her upper forties. He loved His mother very much, and highly honored her and respected her.

Jesus knew how sad and devastated she was to see her beloved son crucified on the cross. Simeon had prophesied in Luke 2:34-35, “Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’” Only a mother and her love could know such pain and sorrow to witness her son’s death.

Jesus spoke first to Mary then to John. He said, “Woman behold your son.” This meant from this point on John would now be her son and care for her. And then He said to John, “Behold your mother.” John wrote this gospel and he is the only one of the four gospel writers to include it. John is the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” He was the one who was closest to Jesus literally and figuratively; he reclined on Jesus’ bosom in the upper room. When you think about it, he was the perfect disciple to care for His mother. Jesus knew he could trust Him implicitly. There was no one He trusted more.

Jesus was assured that John would take the responsibility seriously and with a depth of love. John wrote, “And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. This is in effect, the first “Mother’s Day. “

Today, Mother’s Day, is a day we show our love, care, appreciation, and honor to our mothers. For some, their mothers have departed this earthly scene, making the day, in some ways bittersweet. Others may actually have two mothers: their natural mother and their mother-in-law or other special lady who is like a second mother. We are also doubly blessed if our mother is also saved.

Gifts on Mother’s Day are so appropriate it, but even better are cards that we can express in writing how we feel. I like to choose a very appropriate card and then write my own words from my heart. My two mom’s are always touched and blessed. Whatever your tradition, make it a special day for your mother, a day she will never forget. Tell her that you love her and thank her for all she has done for you over the years.

Behold your mother. John did just that. He stayed in Jerusalem and not only preached and taught the Word but He took care of Mary, Jesus’ mother just as if she was his own mother. Did it limit him, perhaps so, but he considered it a privilege and part of his ministry to the Lord.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day and Mother’s Day. We honor the Lord and our dear mothers. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-May 8, 2021-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-How To Live Before The Unsaved-

“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

(Colossians 4:5-6).

Paul in speaking to the saints in Colosse, addresses how they should live their lives before those who are outside, thus those who are unsaved. It is so important to redeem the time. None of us knows the day nor the hour that the Lord is coming nor when He will call us home to heaven through death. We must take advantage of the opportunities to be a testimony and a witness to those who don’t know the Lord.

Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). We must be prepared for the opportunities that come our way. To be a blessing we must do three things: walk in wisdom, redeem the time, and let our speech be with grace seasoned with salt.

Peter, one of the twelve disciples spoke of this same subject in 1 Peter 3:18-19, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct may be ashamed.”

We should always show kindness and love toward those who are unsaved. Our testimony for Christ of how He saved us and changed our lives is so important, as is our sharing of the gospel. It is never good to argue with those who don’t know the Lord, it only pushes them away from Christ. Our speech should be with grace, seasoned with salt.

Jesus taught the disciples that they were both salt and light. He said in Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Let us then be salt to create thirst and be a preservative in our testimony of how we live; and a light to shine before people and lead them to Christ. It is a great privilege and responsibility to be ambassadors for Christ. We are role models; people are watching us and listening to us every day. We must guard our testimony and our words. If we aren’t careful we can ruin our testimony and live to regret it.

Have a blessed day as salt and light so we can point people to Jesus by our actions and words. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-May 7, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday,

-The Will Of God Is Obey The Word Of God-

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Christianity is not complicated, but that does not make it easy. It takes effort on our part, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today’s text shows us that doing God’s will involves obedience to His Word. There are three simple admonitions for us to follow daily that lead to successful and victorious living: rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks. They are simple and clear truths to live by.

• Rejoice always – Being joyful all the time makes no sense to the world. How can we do this even when we experience sorrow, pain, trouble, and loss? The reason is our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. He never changes and neither does our relationship with Him. Our joy is internal and not affected by the external. Rejoicing is what we choose to do. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:4, Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice.” He wrote these words while in prison for his faith in Christ! We must chose to rejoice in the Lord. Someone once said, “Pain is inevitable, misery is optional.”

• Pray without ceasing – This does not mean we go around praying every moment; otherwise we couldn’t do anything else like work, go to school, or do other things. What it does mean is to be in a spirit of prayer always. We need to have a definite prayer time daily, but we also need to call upon the Lord for His help as we go through our day. In other words, prayer is more a circle without beginning or end, rather than a straight line, with a beginning and an end. We would pray a lot more if we kept this in mind!

• In everything give thanks – We should thank the Lord in and for everything each and every day. The Lord delights when we thank Him for things both big and small. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This doesn’t mean we should ignore adverse circumstances but rather thank Him in all circumstances. Things could always be worse, we can always seek His help with them, and we can thank Him for what He is doing in our lives to grow our faith.

These three simple things are God’s will for us: rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks. One of my dear friends, who is an elder in our church, calls these three things our spiritual vitamins. When we do them, we are doing God’s will. They never go out of style! Are you doing them consistently? Why not start today?

Have a blessed day of rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-May 6, 2021-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

-God opens the Scriptures To Us-

“And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road? And while He opened the Scriptures to us?’”

(Luke 24:32).

Luke is the only gospel writer who included this incident in the lives of two disciples on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection. Emmaus was about seven miles from Jerusalem. One was named Cleopas and the other is unnamed. The story is found in Luke 24:13-33 and is such a blessing. The risen Lord Himself appeared to them, spending time with them, sharing a meal with them, and opening the Scriptures to them.

They did not recognize who this stranger was until He had just vanished from their sight. This was not the first time His followers had failed to recognize Him after His resurrection. Mary Magdalene thought He was the gardener; and the apostles thought He was a kind man offering them breakfast on the shores of Galilee after fishing all night and catching nothing. Here in Luke 24:16 it says, “But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know them.”

These two disciples were at first so sad that their Lord was crucified. Jesus changed their hearts and minds; He turned their sorrow into joy. He rebuked them and reminded them of His purpose for coming into this world. Luke 24:25-26 says, “Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’”

Jesus beginning at the law and the prophets

, taught them about Himself. What a Bible study that was. I am sure that He covered Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, along with many others. Jesus is on every page of Scripture in one form or another. In the OT He appears as the Angel of the Lord, in what are called theophanies, meaning appearances of God in human form born His birth into the world.

They were so moved, that after Jesus vanished from they both said, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” They immediately turned and went back to Jerusalem to tell the eleven disciples what they saw and heard!

As believers today we also so blessed to spend time with Jesus in prayer and the Word. Though we cannot see Him physically or hear audibly, He speaks to our hearts and encourages us as He did these two disciples. He turns our sorrow into joy, directs our paths, and feeds our souls. Are you facing some hardship, problem, need, or decision? Jesus knows and cares.

Hebrews 4:14-16, says, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

May we spend time with Jesus our Savior every single day in prayer and in His Word. He will train us, maintain us, and sustain us!

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

Dean

-May 5, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-Be Anxious For Nothing, Pray About Everything-

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:6-7).

Paul’s words to the Philippians are so encouraging to us. Just as in his day, there are so many things to be anxious about. The present has so many challenges with so few solutions; the future is so uncertain. The key to joy is our relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ. When we pray, God hears and answers our prayers, and He gives us the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:25, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will put on, is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” He uses the example of birds and flowers to show us how God takes care of them and we are of much value are we more than them. So often we worry about things that never happen. God takes care of us. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Instead of being anxious, worried, troubled, or stressed out, we should pray about everything, and thank Him for all that He has given to us. As we pray and thank Him, we will not be anxious because we have brought our needs, problems, and concerns to the One who loves us.

God hears us and gives us the peace that surpasses all understanding. There are two types of peace in the NT, peace with God which comes through our faith in Christ. It is once for all, and does not change. Paul wrote, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). The second type of peace is one in our text that comes in the midst our circumstances to comfort and encourage us. It is available to us as we pray and leave matters in His hands. For the Christian, peace is the greatest renewable resource we have available to us. Prayer + Thanksgiving = Peace. It is my favorite mathematical equation. It is like a scale with prayer and thanksgiving, our part, on one side, and peace, God’s part, on the other side; they balance so beautifully. We cannot have one without the other.

May we be prayerful, not anxious, peaceful, not troubled. This will lead to calm, peace, and rest even in the midst of the storms of life.

Have a blessed day resting in Jesus, calling on Him, and experiencing His peace. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean