The View From the Pew

By Chaplain Johnny D

The View from the Pew began in the form of email encouragers sent to a group of Christians involved in a church plant. Its purpose was to share biblical thoughts which were both encouraging and reflective. Each encourager was written to be viewed as one sitting on the pew, letting the Word speak to the heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645596158

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The View from the Pew

Chaplain Johnny D

ISBN 978-1-64559-614-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64559-615-8 (Digital)

Copyright © 2019 Chaplain Johnny D

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

About the Author

Acknowledgments

To my wife of fifty-two years, Kathy DiMarzio, who has continued to encourage me in all my endeavors. My children Toni Coalson, Lisa VanNatta, John DiMarzio Jr., Joseph DiMarzio, and Jennifer DiMarzio who are a constant blessing to me and God’s kingdom. A special thanks to the following individuals who have assisted me along the way: Nicole Kirk, Carrie Curry, Jane Gardner, Holly Reinoehl, and my daughter Lisa VanNatta. Also to Covenant Books for their investment in me as an author.

January

Reflections on New Beginnings

January 1

In the beginning God… (Genesis 1:1).

The only way to begin is with God. The earth begins with God, life begins with God, the commandments begin with God, the church begins with God, and salvation begin with God. Make a commitment to begin everything in your life with God. Especially this year, see you in church Sunday.

January 2

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail? (Job 38:22).

Where does all the snow come from? God’s storehouse! Job’s insight into God’s creation is proof of the inspiration he and the other ancient writers had. Although the scientific knowledge of the day was limited, Job knew something others did not. Job posed the question to help us see that God has more answers than we have questions. As we take our next shovel full of God’s marvelous creation, we should consider the great treasures in each uniquely-formed flake. Remember, whatever God does, he does for our benefit. If God so intricately crafts each flake of snow, how much more forethought has he given to his crowing event of creation—you?

January 3

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalms 90:12).

King David, who wrote the Psalms, was possibly the first to teach time management. The psalmist is telling us to take inventory of our time. We do this by numbering our days. How many days have we lived? How many days do we have left? This also encourages us to take stock of our accomplishments or lack thereof. We gain a heart of wisdom from this inventory of our time because it gives us a sense of accountability to self. The insight that is gained helps us make better use of the future. Those who fear numbering their days shun the wisdom that comes from honest evaluation.

January 4

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalms 118:24).

Each day is a new page in history. Much of what happens this day will be the result of circumstances. However, your actions and reactions to the circumstances will determine the value of this day for you. If you view it as God-given, you will not take it lightly. You will consider each word spoken, each thought fostered, and each person touched as significant. You will cherish all 86,400 seconds of April 28, God gives you, keeping in mind, this is the first and last April 28, 2004, you and I will ever have. Now I wish to congratulate you because God has made you the author of today’s page. Get out your pen and start writing. What will you write first? Why not start with a prayer?

January 5

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15–16).

God has meticulously crafted each day to last twenty-four hours. You have seconds to think good thoughts, minutes to accomplish small tasks, and hours to work your plans. He gives you daylight for work and recreation, nighttime for rest and solitude. You have no less or no more time than anyone else. Each second, minute, and hour can be a burden or a blessing. They can be building blocks for the future or nails in your coffin. When used wisely, they are priceless jewels to be valued by which one can amass a fortune of memories and accomplishments. May the rest of your days see the fulfillment of all that is important to you and may you bless the lives of others as God has blessed you.

January 6

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead (Philippians 3:13).

It seems there is always one more thing to do. The one thing the Apostle Paul said he needed to do was to forget the past (i.e., what is behind). Two things we need to forget from the past are failures and successes. Both can keep us from making future progress. Past failures haunt us with the possibility of present and future failures. Past success can be a good place to get comfortable and make us feel like we have arrived. You cannot pay the price for future success (straining toward what is ahead) if you are still indebted to the past. The price of future success is release from the past. One cannot go forward by looking backward.

January 7

Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’ (Luke 9:62).

Looking back can become a full-time vocation. When you put your hand to the task, you commit to the future. Continuing to look back only slows your progress and leaves you a prisoner of the past. Your obligation is to the future. Focusing on past mistakes and/or past successes can keep you from future accomplishments. You should experience the present and live for the future. Then we will be fit for service and for the kingdom—which is the future.

January 8

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name (Psalms100:4).

To come before God without thanksgiving is to co-opt your efforts. One cannot stand in the presence of the Almighty, making a request without being thankful for what has been received. Praise must follow thanksgiving as it verbalizes and pays homage to who he is and what he has done and can do. Each time you bow your head to give thanks, summon your heart to explore the vast universe of who God is. Daily thanksgiving will build into your life acceptance of the past, appreciation for the presence, and optimism for the future.

January 9

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act (Proverbs 3:27).

This is a passage that challenges conventional thinking on being good. We consider ourselves good based on our not being bad or doing bad things. Solomon takes us to a different level. Not being bad is not good enough. There are those who deserve good because they have been good. There are also those who deserve good because they need help in bad circumstances (i.e., encouragement). In either situation, we are not to withhold good. Selfishness, jealousy, and apathy are reasons we withhold good when it is in our power. Remember, we cannot store up good. If we don’t dispense it, we will diminish our desire to do good.

January 10

Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you (Proverbs 4:25).

Are you a winner or a whiner? When you live your life according to your whims or the whims of others, you end up becoming a whiner. As the result of honest evaluation of your life’s lack of accomplishments, you are left blaming others or circumstances, which is whining. The solution is to follow Solomon’s advice. In a world full of distractions, determine your direction and stare straight ahead. Don’t look back at past failures. Don’t look to the left at missed opportunities. Don’t look to the right at others’ accomplishments. Don’t look down on yourself. Finally don’t look up at the clouds. Just look at where you are going and, with God’s blessing, if you don’t reach your goal, you will still enjoy the journey. Have a winning day.

January 11

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees (Psalms 119:71).

We learn the most about God when he has our undivided attention. To get that attention, he may have to stop us in our tracks and take away our wiggle room. When there is no place to go, no one else to talk to, and human hope no longer fills the voids, we may be ready to listen. When difficulty strikes, do not be discouraged. Be silent, listen carefully; and trust completely; allow God to speak.

January 12

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed (Proverbs 11:25).

Generosity is not measured in amounts nor is prosperity measured in possessions. A generous man prospers in many ways. His acts of kindness are treasures laid up in heaven. A generous person is one who does not limit his giving to a certain amount or percentage. Rather he responds to the needs of others. As one responds to the needs of others, their needs are met. To refresh others is to energize them. To understand this Scripture, you must first put it into practice. If you need to be refreshed, start now by refreshing a coworker, family member, or a neighbor!

January 13

Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food (Proverbs 12:9).

Being a nobody or a somebody has more to do with how one views himself than how God does. In God’s eyes, we are all somebodies. God would not allow his son to die for a nobody. Being pretentious and trying to be more of a somebody than we are will bankrupt us and leave us in want. By accepting who we are, even if it is a nobody in the eyes of the world, we are better off. We still maintain our household. When it boils down to it, we are all nobodies wearing somebody’s clothes. I’d rather be God’s nobody than Satan’s somebody.

January 14

Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor (Proverbs 12:24).

Laziness is caused by a lack of motivation. There is pure laziness that seeks no motivation and prefers doing nothing. There is situational laziness caused by the lack of a challenging task. There is comfortable laziness that likes doing things the easy way and dislikes change. There is a hate-driven laziness that dislikes one’s boss or one’s job, causing him to do just enough to get by. Finally there is a temporary laziness that hits all of us, but we refuse to allow it to become a way of life. The conclusion is—be diligent, work hard even if you dislike whom you are working for or what you are doing. If change is not an option, start working for God, family, and self-respect or spend the rest of your life subordinate to others. Remember, diligent hands will rule whether they are yours or others.

January 15

Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness (Proverbs 14:22).

Straying from God can take many forms. When plotting evil, one’s mindset becomes contrary to godly thinking. By slipping into a thought process that compromises our beliefs, we leave the foundation off of which we build our spiritual integrity. Soon scheming becomes a way of life. Planning what is good takes objectivity. By looking past the weaknesses of others, we find that which motivates good, love, and faithfulness. When we seek opportunities to do good, our search is always rewarded. God not only gives us the opportunities, he supplies the motivation. The more we plan good, the more we will see God and the more others will see God in us.

January 16

With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall (Psalms 18:29).

How many walls have you come face-to-face with this week? The inescapable walls of mediocrity, temptation, frustration, opposition, and persecution are ever surrounding you. As you try to tear them down, others seemingly keep building them up more quickly. Or are you the wall builder, not realizing that you are mentally building these walls. God just wants you to jump some hurdles to challenge you on to better things. Next time you see a wall, look at it as a hurdle with God on the sidelines, coaching you to jump it.

January 17

Do not say, I’ll pay you back for this wrong! Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you (Proverbs 20:22).

I don’t get mad. I just get even. How many times have you heard or thought that? There are some things in life that just do not fall under human scrutiny. When it comes to paybacks, since we cannot not be completely objective, we must go to a source outside ourselves. This is where God’s deliverance comes in. He relieves us of the burden of paying back any harm done to us. The debt of payback acquires exorbitant interest. Both parties (the one who owes and the one who is due) pay that interest. If you feel you must make some response, pray, pray and pray.

January 18

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty (Proverbs 21:5).

The difference between profit and poverty is planning. There are multitudes of individuals who would like to enjoy the fruits of success but do not want the burden of planning. One who chooses not to take the time to plan places limitations on the future. Plans give