Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-August 23, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.”

(Psalm 119:71).

Which one of us would choose affliction for ourselves? Exactly zero, none. Affliction is painful but it produces spiritual lessons and benefits we couldn’t learn any other way.

The unknown psalmist who wrote Psalm 119 extolled the Word of God. The Scriptures give us such comfort, hope, and peace in the midst of our affliction. So much so, that the psalmist spoke of his personal experience, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted…”

The word afflicted is defined as, “a cause of persistent pain or distress; great suffering; something that causes pain or suffering.” It is often physical, but can also be spiritual, emotional, or mental. Something hurts, continually or intermittently; and we don’t know what to do. We try all kinds of remedies, but only the Lord can heal. Often physicians treat the symptoms not the causes of our pain.

Here in Psalm 119, the writer speaks of affliction as a good thing spiritually in several verses:

• Comfort – Psalm 119:50, “This my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.”

• Kept From Going Astray – Psalm 119:67, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.”

• Teaches Valuable Lessons – Psalm 119:71, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.”

• Shows Affliction Comes From God – Psalm 119:75, “I know that Your judgments are right, and in Your faithfulness You have afflicted me.”

• Avoids Perishing – Psalm 119:92, “Unless Your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”

• Promotes Revival – Psalm 119:107, “I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.”

Affliction thus has many spiritual benefits as we allow God to have His way in our lives. Our faith deepens and grows stronger; we draw closer to the Lord and rely more fully on Him. Affliction also helps us to feel with others in their pain.

Have a blessed day in your affliction. Stay safe and healthy.

Affliction doesn’t take a toll, it makes us whole.

Dean

-August 22, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”

(1 Corinthians 3:6).

One the the biggest problems in the church in Corinth was divisions. There was way too much carnality. Some followed Paul, others favored Apollos. Paul wrote, “For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?”

We all belong to Christ, and everything we have we share in Christ. There is no room for rivalry or competition among God’s servants. Everything we do, we do for the Lord, for the same goal of saving souls and the building up of God’s people.

It is God who does the work through us. He gives the increase. Sometimes we plant the seed, others water it, and still others reap the harvest. All tasks are equal and all are important to o God. God gets all the glory.

Paul also said, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). We serve together, side by side. We need each other, and most of all we need the Lord.

May the Lord help us to do our part in the kingdom of God. Stay safe and healthy.

Working together to serve our Master.

Dean

-August 21, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

(1 Corinthians 1:18).

The message or word of the cross is the message of the gospel: “That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Now through faith in Jesus Christ we have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. We come as repentant sinners, confessing our sins, trusting in His finished work on the cross. The message of the cross is a life line to life, hope, peace, and joy.

To us who are being saved it is the power of God. He didn’t reform us, He transformed us. He set us free, and we are free indeed. The Christian life is not just a good life, it is the best life.

Sadly, those who are perishing view the message of the cross as foolishness. That is so ludicrous! So many are on the broad road that leads to destruction. They think they are ok, living as good of life as much they can. It gets them only a one way ticket to hell. God loves everyone and wants them to be saved. All they have to do is turn to Him and be saved.

The world is like a sandy beach and Jesus has drawn a line in the sand. Each person must make a decision to follow Christ or reject Him. The gospel message will never be popular among the masses. Jesus said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

The message of the cross divides spouses, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Which side are you on? There are only two sides: God’s or the devil’s.

Have a blessed day following Jesus and spreading the good news. Stay safe and healthy.

The cross is the bridge to heaven; and there is no toll to pay. ✝️✝️✝️

Dean

-August 20, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord His God.”

(1 Samuel 30:6).

The events of 1 Samuel 30 marked a low point in David’s life. He went into a deep, dark valley of depression and despair. He loved his loyal, mighty men who followed him, but now they spoke of stoning him. They were so grieved over the fact that the Amalekites descended on Ziklag while David and his men were away and captured all the their wives and children.

David’s wives and children were taken as well as those of his men. What could he do? What would he do? Where would he turn? He had no one to comfort or help him. He turned to the Lord for help. The end of verse six says, “but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

There are times we are hurt so badly and are suffering so much, and there is no one to help us. The best thing we can do is seek the Lord and cry out to Him for His help. Tell Jesus about it. Only the Lord can handle it and heal the wounds of the heart.

David called Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son to bring the ephod to him to seek the Lord’s guidance on what to do. He asked the Lord, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? The Lord promised, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

The story had a happy ending just as God said. They recovered all their wives and children, not one was harmed or lost. David and his men also took spoils in great abundance from the Amalekites. David learned a great lesson when he left matters in God’s hands, He brought about a complete victory. He found the Lord to be his refuge, his hiding place, His strong tower, His shield.

Have a blessed day seeking the Lord and finding strength in Him. Stay safe and healthy.

When all hope seems lost, trust the Lord and He will make a way.

Dean

-August 19, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.”

(Psalm 107:8).

The writer of Psalm 107 is anonymous and is one of the longer psalms with forty-three verses. The title of the psalm is, “Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance.”

The same words are repeated four times in verses 8, 15, 21, and 31. These words tell us to be thankful; what we should be thankful for, and to whom we should be thankful to. It represents God’s desire for us all.

• Give Thanks to the Lord – The psalmist wrote, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord…” God is the source of every blessing. The words of the Doxology say, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise Him all creatures here below; praise Him above, ye heavenly host, praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” It is like picking a ripe fruit off a tree. Someone had to plant the tree, water the tree, and let you take one of its fruits.

• For His Goodness and His Wonderful Works – God is good and He showers us with His goodness at all times, in all ways. Even in our times of suffering and pain. He has saved us and given us all things in Christ. His blessings are past, present, and future. In our analogy of the fruit tree, the owner tells us to come by as often as we desire to eat from it at no cost.

• To the Children of Men – God’s offer goes out to all people, but only few choose to respond to it. They are either too busy, too preoccupied with other things, or think they have plenty of time to decide to come at a later time. In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve that they could eat from any tree in the garden except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The devil in the form of a serpent craftily lied to them, making it seem God was depriving them of something good. He is still employing the same deception today.

The very next verse demonstrates what God has for us, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness” (verse 9). Our souls are longing to be satisfied, our hungry souls to be filled. God always fulfills His promises to us. Our cups run over, over and over.

The song writer wrote, “He is my everything, He is my all; He is my everything, both great and small; He gave His life for me, made everything new; He is my everything, now about you.” God is our enough.

Have a blessed day seeing His goodness and wonderful works all around us, and thanking Him. Stay safe and healthy.

A thankful heart is a happy heart.

Dean