Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-October 10, 2020-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-Listen And Obey The Lord’s Counsel-

“Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel — that will stand.”

(Proverbs 19:20-21).

There is a vast difference between man’s counsel and God’s counsel, in fact they are polar opposites. The former has only an earthly, temporal aspect, whereas God’s counsel is heavenly and eternal. God’s counsel is beneficial both now and for all eternity. It is this godly counsel that Solomon is writing about.

We need all need godly counsel from wise, mature pastors, counselors, and leaders. Not just anyone can be an effective counselor. It takes the knowledge of God and His Word, understanding of what God’s truth means, and the wisdom to apply that knowledge and understanding to our lives in practical ways.

In verse 20, Solomon, the wisest of all the men of earth, tells us, “Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.” Older, wiser men and women know better than we do. They have the experience, insight, and discernment that we need to guide us in the ways of the Lord.

In the OT, God gave the people of Israel seers, who were later called prophets to instruct and counsel the people in God’s ways and in His will. He also gave them priests to guide them. In the NT, God gave the church apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries, and elders. We no longer have apostles and prophets but we do have the others.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11-13, “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, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

We as believers need to seek out godly counsel in our churches and obey the counsel given to us as from God. If we go to the wrong counselors, we are not going to get the right counsel, and if we do not take heed to godly counsel, it will not help us at all. Some people go for counsel after they have already made their decisions, and that is fruitless and futile as well.

May the Lord help us to seek and obey godly counsel. Psalm 33:10-11 says, “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.”

Have a blessed day seeking godly counsel on important decisions and following it fully. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-October 9, 2020-

Good morning, happy Friday,

-Following And Obeying The Lord-

“You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.”

(Deuteronomy 13:4).

The Lord God gave Israel the Ten Commandments and many other commandments covering all aspects of how they should live their lives. In particular, He warned them against idolatry. The Lord knew their hearts and how prone they were to stray from Him. It is in this context Moses gives them today’s verse to show them how to follow and obey Him in order to please Him. We, like them, are prone to wander.

Moses gives them six things to do that will keep them on track spiritually and walking in God’s will. We as believers in Jesus Christ should take heed to these things in our lives today. This verse was one we memorized in our Bible memory class at church. If you haven’t memorized it already, I highly recommend it.

Walk after the Lord your God – It is so important to follow Christ. Jesus said, “…I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Each time Jesus called someone to Himself, He said, “Follow Me.” He is the way and leads us in the way we should go.

Fear Him – To fear the Lord is to reverence Him, honor Him, and want to please Him in all things. Solomon wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). It is not be afraid of Him, but respecting and having the right attitude toward Him.

Keep His commandments – When one of the scribes asked Jesus which commandment was the foremost of all, our Savior told him to love the Lord with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself. Those two commands summarize the whole law. If God says do it we should do it and if He says not to do it, we shouldn’t do it.

Obey His voice – We should listen to the Lord’s voice as He speaks to us and guides us along the path of life. Jesus said in John 10:27-28, “ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. Since Jesus is our Shepherd and we are His sheep, we listen only to His voice.

Serve Him – Our highest calling in life is to serve the Lord. Joshua told the Israelites to choose whom they would serve, the false gods of the past or present or the Lord God of Israel. He said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). serving the Lord is not just doing our ministries at church, but involves everything we do for the Lord and in His name at home, work, school, or wherever we go. It is a way of life. It is doing anything and everything for the Lord.

Hold fast to Him – Holding fast to the Lord is clinging to our Lord, taking a stand for Him, and not compromising our principles no matter what others say or do. Revelation 2:5 says, “But hold fast what you have till I come.” The Lord Jesus is our Rock and we hold fast to Him in times of adversity and prosperity.

Let us then walk after the Lord, fear Him, keep His commandments, obey His voice, serve Him, and hold fast to Him. It comes down to following the Lord and obeying Him. It is a choice we make and a path we take.

Have a blessed day following the Lord and obeying Him in all things. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-October 8, 2020-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

-The Lord Is God And There Is No Other God-

There are many gods, but only one true and living God; There are many saviors of their people but Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior from sin. Jesus said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Who is with us? Who helps us? Who loves us? Who cares for us? The answer is the Lord. There is no one like the Lord. The song writer wrote, “There is none like You, no one else can touch my heart like You do. I could search for all eternity long and find. There is none like you.”

I can’t wait to be with the Lord and see Him face to face. Peter said it do well in 1 Peter 1:8, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” Oh, what a day that will be! We will see Him face to face in all of His glory!

Gods declares by His own words, “I, even I am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you. Therefore you are My witnesses that I am God.” We as believers are His witnesses in the world how the Lord has saved us and changed our lives. We have a story to tell of His glory!

Have blessed day as His witness in this world. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-October 7, 2020-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-Seeking Joyful Fellowship With The Lord In The Wilderness-

“O God, You are my God; Early I will seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.”

(Psalm 63:1).

David spent a lot of time in the wilderness of Judah while he was on the run from King Saul who sought to kill him. He did not choose this place. He would much rather been at home with his family or serving in the palace where he was before.

The Israelites spent forty years traveling through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. Jesus was in the wilderness forty days and forty nights where He neither ate nor drank, and was tempted by the devil. John the Baptist prepared himself for his ministry while in the wilderness.

The wilderness is hot, dry, and barren. It is a type of this world in which we live on our way to heaven. Spiritual conditions today remind us of a wilderness. So few are saved, even fewer are walking with God, honoring Him and serving Him. Yet in all these things we need to seek the Lord and long for Him. That is exactly what David did. He realized that there was nothing better than the time he spent in joyful and sweet fellowship with the Lord.

The things of this world appear so good, so desirable to our physical eyes, but they offer no real, lasting satisfaction or fulfillment. They are like a mirage in the desert, which is an optical illusion which has the appearance of water but no water is there. On the other hand, Jesus is our oasis in the wilderness, which is a fertile green area in an arid area; something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast.

Yes, Jesus is our true oasis. He provides us with real rest, refreshment, joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment. He gives us the living water which quenches the inner thirst and longings of our hearts. John 7:37-38 says, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, ‘If anyone thirst, 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.’”

We are so blessed to have fellowship with the living God, to spend time in His presence in prayer, and to be encouraged and refreshed in the Word of God. We need to spend time with Jesus daily before going out into this dry and thirsty land. He fills up our cup to overflowing with the joy of knowing Him!

Let us then spend time with the Lord in prayer and His Word today and be refreshed in His presence in this wilderness we are in. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-October 6, 2020-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

-Trust In The Lord Forever-

“Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”

(Isaiah 26:4).

Trusting in the Lord is one of those things that sounds easy but is much more difficult in practice. When you add in negative circumstances, the devil’s opposition, and the difficult trials we go through, it can seem overwhelming for us. This is why the Lord has given us the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to encourage us.

Our trust is in the Lord forever. He is the everlasting God. He has promised to be with us and see His through even the most difficult circumstances. The word trust is found so many times in the Bible, especially in the OT. In Psalm 37:5, David wrote, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”

When we trust the Lord, we must surrender to His will. His timing is always perfect, though we wish He would work faster or in a different way. Waiting on the Lord in patience is often associated with trusting in the Lord. Resting in the Lord is another blessing that goes with trusting. He gives the peace of God which passes all understanding.

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7, “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.” God’s sweet peace is such an encouragement to us as we wait on Lord and trust in Him for answers, solutions, and resolutions.

We must also remember who we trusting: the God of the universe. The word YAH us used here in our text. It is a shortened form of Yahweh, which means Jehovah. It was such a sacred name to the Jews that they would not even say it. In the NKJV the word YAH is found just three other times in Psalm 68:4; Isaiah 12:2; and Isaiah 38:11.

In YAH, the Lord is everlasting strength. He is able to do all things and to do all things well. Nothing is too hard for the Lord, nothing is impossible. He is our strength in our weakness. He is our sufficiency in and for all things. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Have a blessed day trusting in the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean