Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-December 28, 2020-

Good morning, happy Monday,

-Jesus Gives Rest For Our Souls And Our Bodies Too-

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

(Matthew 11:28-30).

In these days of high stress and anxiety, many health care professionals recommend that we get plenty of rest and sleep. Jesus, our Great Physician understands this need for physical rest, but also knows how even more important is our spiritual rest in Him. Mark 6:31 says, “And He said to them, ‘Come aside into a deserted place and rest awhile.’ For there were many coming and going, and they did not have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.” Often spiritual and physical rest go hand in hand.

In both spiritual and physical rest, the source of our help and rest is in Jesus. We notice that He said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In our text today, Jesus gives three keys to rest for our souls which also apply to our bodies as well: Come to Me, take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me.

• Come to Me – Far too many people are seeking rest and peace in the wrong places. Only Jesus can save our souls and give us rest and peace. There is no greater rest that to be in Christ, forgiven of our sins, having eternal life. Hebrews 4:9-10 says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” Being in this Coronavirus pandemic so long has caused so many spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional issues. Come to Jesus, He will give you true rest.

• Take My yoke upon you – When are yoked with Jesus there is no better place to be. There is greater strength when two animals are yoked or joined together such as in pulling a plow. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” He does the work and gives us the strength to carry on each day. Our Lord told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” We cannot do anything without Him, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

• Learn from Me for I am gentle and lowly in heart – We have so much to learn from Jesus. He is so patient with us. He is always gentle, kind, and loving toward us. We must depend on Him fully and not on ourselves. He wants the best for us so He brings trials into our lives to strengthen our faith.

Thank God we don’t have to make it on our own. Let us come to Jesus, take His yoke and learn from Him. The result is rest for our souls. May we also take time to rest our bodies as well. When we are yoked with Jesus we find rest and success in all we do. It requires we surrender to Him, submit to His will, and stay close to Him daily.

Have a blessed day in Jesus in His peace and rest. He will see us through. Stay safe and healthy

Dean

-December 27, 2020-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-Praise And Thank The Lord For All His Benefits This Year-

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”

(Psalm 103:1-2).

By reading the Psalms, especially those written by King David, you find how much he praised and thanked the Lord even in the midst of some extremely difficult circumstances. He looked beyond his present distress to the Lord and what He had done for him. He also looked to the future while trusting God for the present and thanking for past blessings.

This Coronavirus pandemic has led so many in the world to be glad to leave 2020 behind, considering it a bad year, a lost year. They think that a calendar change make things different. With the vaccines being rolled out that will be true but it is still going to take time for everyone in the world to get vaccinated. Experts tell us things will get worse before they get better. We need to be patient and vigilant.

Despite Covid-19, there are so many blessings we have had in 2020. Just to be alive, healthy, living in our homes, having jobs, food to eat, cars to drive, and so much more. We are saved, our sins are forgiven, we have eternal life, and we still have our families, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. The list of our blessings and benefits is long. The Lord is with us all through the journey. Whatever God allows and brings into our lives is for our good and His glory.

Who are we to question the Almighty? He is the Potter, we are the clay. 2020 has been quite a year, unlike anything we have experienced before. Life on earth will never perfect because of how sin has wrecked havoc on our planet. Our hope is not in this world but in Christ, in heaven. It takes faith to thank the Lord in a pandemic and takes hope to look to the Lord for the future.

Can we not see God’s mercies still shining like sun? Can we not count our blessings and find them so numerous? None of us know how much time on earth we have left. We should thank God daily and use all our time, talents, and treasures to serve the Lord. Let us say with David, “Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It is so easy to complain, but it is more challenging to trust God for His plan and thank and praise Him for each step of the way.

Have a blessed day thanking God and trusting Him for your future. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-December 26, 2020-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-Faithfully Doing Good To the Brethren And To Strangers-

“Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church.”

(3 John 1:5-6).

The Apostle John wrote the Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation. After the Apostle Paul’s thirteen books, he wrote the most second most books in the NT, five. He was known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” He reclined on Jesus’ bosom, and was always mentioned along with Peter, and his brother James as the closest followers of Christ. He had a great love for Jesus and for all the saints.

In all his writings, he addressed the believers as beloved. The theme of God’s love permeates all his writings. Here in 3 John, he addresses his epistle to a brother named Gaius, whom he calls beloved Gaius, whom he loved in the truth. We know little about him nor do we know if he is the same Gaius that Paul speaks about.

Herbert Lockyer, in his book, “All the Men of the Bible,” writes, “Gaius means, ‘I am Glad, and is a common Roman name shared by four men, and some writers find it hard to differentiate between them: a companion of Paul and native of Macedonia who was seized in the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:29); a man of Derbe in Lycaonia, likewise a companion of Paul, and is sometimes called Gaius of Corinth (Acts 20:4); the Corinthian converted and baptized by Paul, who hosted Paul while he was in Corinth; and the godly man to whom John addressed his third epistle that we have before us today.

John commended Gaius for his faithfulness in doing good toward the brethren in the church as well as to strangers. He acknowledged how they bore witness before the church. John rejoiced to hear of how Gaius walked in the truth. He had such a wonderful testimony for Christ.

As believers, we too must have a good testimony before the saved and the unsaved, between those we know and love much in the church and those who are strangers to us. In Galatians 6:9-10, Paul wrote, “And let us not grow weary of 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 those who are of the household of faith.”

Anything we do for others in Jesus’ name and for His sake, is seen by the Lord and we will be rewarded for it at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Hebrews 13:1-3 says, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them — since you yourselves are in the body also.”

A man of God is a man of love, generosity, and kindness. Gaius was such a man. May the Lord help us to follow his example by showing love and doing good faithfully to the saints, whether they are friends or strangers. Leviticus 19:33-34 says, “And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

Have a blessed day faithfully serving the Lord and His people, going good and showing love to all. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-December 25, 2020- Christmas Day-

Good morning, happy Friday, Merry Christmas,

-Simeon Sees God’s Salvation-

“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.’”

(Luke 2:25-32).

Today’s text and the entire story of Simeon is found in Luke 2:25-35. It is a wonderful account of this godly man Simeon who was waiting to see the Messiah before he died. In fact, God gave him the promise that it would be the case. He was a believer in the Lord who waited upon Him. He is described as “just and devout, and waiting for the Consolation of Israel. He was not alone, for other godly Jews were waiting as well.

We do not know how old he was, but likely quite old considering what we read of him. He stayed near the temple in Jerusalem waiting to see the Lord’s Christ. Three times in this passage Luke mentions the Holy Spirit: “The Holy Spirit was upon him” (v. 25); “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (v.26); “So he came by the Spirit into the temple” (v.27).

Simeon believed God and the Holy Spirit was upon him: leading, guiding, and directing his life. The Holy Spirit teaches us the Word of God. We who are living in the church age have the Holy Spirit indwelling us. We have God’s promise that Jesus is coming again to take us home to glory. God always fulfills His promises.

When Jesus’ parents brought him into the temple when he was eight days old to circumcise Him, which was the age mentioned in the Scriptures, Simeon knew right away that He was the Christ. You may ask, how did he know? It was also by the Holy Spirit. He took Jesus into his arms and blessed God for fulfilling His word. He was now ready to die and depart this earthly scene to go to be with the Lord.

Simeon joyfully proclaims in verse 30, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation.” He recognized that this Child was prepared for all peoples, the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. For each person on earth, they must see Jesus by faith, believe in Him, and receive Him as Lord and Savior before departing this world. The clock is ticking and the time of death is getting closer. Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. Don’t leave this world without Him!

May we rejoice this Christmas in the birth of our Savior. Our spiritual eyes have seen the salvation of the Lord. Peter wrote, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9). One day soon will see Jesus face to face and be with Him forever.

Have a blessed Christmas Day in the presence of the Lord thanking Him for His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-December 24, 2020 – Christmas Eve

Good morning, happy Thursday, happy Christmas Eve,

-Jesus Came To Destroy The Works Of The Devil-

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

(1 John 3:8-9).

The Devil was not always the devil. He was Lucifer, the most beautiful angel who occupied the highest place among the angels, but he fell due to his pride, and was cast out of heaven. One third of the angels joined him and became demons. Ever since he has opposed God, the other angels, and all the people of God.

The devil first appeared on the earth as the serpent, tempting Eve to sin. In pronouncing judgment on him, the Lord said, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:14-15).

From this time forward, the devil has spread his evil and wickedness. He works to keep people from receiving Christ and does his utmost to destroy the church, which he can never do. Jesus came to break us from the hold he had on us by dying for our sins on the cross. Jesus dealt the devil a mortal blow on the cross, thus He bruised or crushed his head. Even though he is a defeated foe, he fights on. He knows his ultimate fate is the lake of fire and his time is short.

In speaking of Satan, Jesus said in Mark 3:27, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” Luke wrote, “When a strong man fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils” (Luke 11:21-22).

Jesus is far stronger than the devil and He is the One who bound him, plundered his house, took away all his armor, and divided his spoils. Jesus thus destroyed the works of the devil. He can no longer control us nor can he harm us. We remember even back in the book of Job, Satan had to get God’s permission to strike him.

Paul wrote of the ultimate victory we will have over the enemy of our souls in Romans 16:20, “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” Until then, we must put on the whole armor of God to stand against the schemes of the devil and be protected from his fiery darts. We are on God’s side, the winning side. The devil is the biggest loser.

Let us thank God that He sent His beloved Son Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross and destroy the works of the devil. We can’t wait to see him crushed under our feet and in the lake of fire forever.

Have a blessed day as you consider the victory we have in Jesus. Stay safe and healthy. Merry Christmas.

Dean