Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-January 11, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“And Sarah said, ‘God has made me laugh, and all who hear me will laugh with me.’ She also said, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.’”

(Genesis 21:6,7).

At first when God told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son, she laughed in her heart. After all, Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah was ninety, well past the childbearing years. But God had a plan and a purpose to make it happen. Sarah denied laughing but God asked, “Why did Sarah laugh?”

God told Abraham and Sarah, “Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:14). God made Sarah laugh and they named him Isaac, meaning, “laughter.” When God answers in such a powerful, encouraging way, we laugh at His miracles and answers to prayer.

Thank you for praying for me! God provided and I found my Worship Team binder in a most unusual and unlikely place. On our stage at church we have a number of artificial trees in large ceramic pots. Some of them are more than a foot deep. I got close to one, and my binder was inside! I don’t know how it got there, but I rejoiced and laughed. God is so good! I found it just in time to use it for our practice last night. It was a big answer to prayer. God loves us so much, He cares for us, and provides for us.

Have a blessed day trusting the Lord to do good and mighty things for us. He showers us with His mercy and love. Stay safe and healthy.

God turns impossibilities to realities all for His glory,

Dean

-January 10, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

(Luke 19:10).

Just think how many things are lost in a given day around the world. We loose keys, wallets, credit cards, phones, watches, jewelry, and so much more. I lost my Worship Team binder with all our songs in it. We start back to practice this evening after our Christmas/New Year’s break, and I have scoured the church for it. I know it will turn up, someone likely moved it after our last performance in December.

When something is lost we start with recognition that something is missing, then concern, then panic. The more value something has, the more frustrated we are when we cannot find it. We usually solicit family and friends to help us find the missing item(s). In Luke 15, Jesus tells of three lost things: a sheep, a coin, and a son.

Before we were saved we were all lost sinners in need of a Savior. Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in Jericho, was lost. He was rich and made his riches by taking advantage of his fellow countrymen by charging more than what was due to the Romans and lining his own pockets with “a surcharge. This is why tax collectors were so hated by the Jews. Other than their own family or their fellow tax collectors. Zacchaeus had heard of Jesus and what He did for people. He just had to see Him for himself. We are all born lost and need to be found.

He climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus as he passed by because he was short and would have had a hard time seeing over the crowd. Jesus stopped, spoke to him, and told him He must stay at his house. That day salvation came to his house and his heart. Jesus said, “…Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9).

In Luke 15, Jesus tells of the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. A shepherd rejoiced when he found his one lost sheep; a woman rejoiced when she found her one lost coin; and a the father rejoiced when his lost son, his prodigal son returned home. The former slave trader and sinner John Newton wrote, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

There is such joy and relief when we find what we have lost. I am putting out an APB for my lost song book. It has to be somewhere in the church. Please pray I will find it.

Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

The lost are found by Jesus who never loses one of His own,

Dean

-January 9, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

(Matthew 6:33).

Today’s verse is one of the most challenging and encouraging verses in the Bible. Seeking the Lord and His kingdom is of vital importance to every believer. It all comes down to our focus, our priorities in this world. When we put the Lord Jesus first in everything, He will provide for us in everything.

But what does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? It simply means to consider Him first: His interests, His desires, His will above anything or anyone. When Saul of Tarsus, later called Paul, got saved on the road to Damascus he asked the most fundamental question: “What do You want me to do” (Acts 9:6)? God has a purpose and a plan for each one of us. When we discover it and do it, we find true joy and happiness in life.

When we put the Lord first, He leads us in the right path. There are many things we can do and be involved with, but the most important thing is to love the Lord, live for Him, and learn His ways and His Word, applying the truth to our lives. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on things of earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).

It all comes down to living with eternity’s values in view. There is a little chorus by Alfred B. Smith that says, “With eternity’s values in view Lord, with eternity’s values in view; May I do each day’s work for Jesus, with eternity’s values in view.” If we can do this each day this year, it will be a good year.

Jesus always spelled out discipleship in clear, uncertain terms, “If anyone wishes to follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). It will not be easy, in fact, it will be the hardest thing we can do; but it is the most rewarding and satisfying life in this world.

Have a blessed day putting Christ first in all your thoughts, words, and actions. Stay safe and healthy.

Seeking the Kingdom above, living for the King of love,

Dean

-January 8, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

(Psalm 116:15).

Yesterday was the first Sunday of the month and we remembered the Lord, celebrated the our January birthdays, had our Scripture Memory Class, two solos, and a message from our pastor on the new year. Everything was such a blessing. After church a number of us had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants.

As we were having lunch, our pastor received an email from one of our members, who is a retired cardiologist that our dear brother David, 96 was not doing well. He was unresponsive and it seemed he may not live much longer. Right after lunch the pastor and I went to visit him and his daughter was there by his side. He did not look good and was unresponsive to all of us. We prayed with him and left sad, but assured he was in the Lord’s hands. We later got the news through his daughter that he had past away at 7:00 pm.

We sent out a message to all the members of our church informing them of his passing. There is sorrow, there is grief, there is pain in the death of everyone in the world; but the death of a believer it is very different, for we know the person is with the Lord in heaven. Brother David was a wonderful Christian who loved and served the Lord for many years. He headed up the Emmaus correspondence course ministry for prisoners, shared the Word, played the piano, and served the Lord. His lived a rich, full, and long life.

I visited him in the place were he was living just about once a week over the last couple of years. He and my mom were born in the same year 1927. I visit my mom once a week also. Whenever I visited brother Dave I was always the one who was the most blessed. I was so glad I got to visit him one more time at 3:18 pm, less than four hours before he went home to be with the Lord.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and be present with the Lord.” Even in our sorrow, we do not sorrow like those who do not know the Lord. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 says, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”

We have all lost family members, friends, and members of our church family over the years. We remember their lives and what they did for the Lord. Jesus conquered death by dying for our sins are rising from the dead. Now whether we live or die, we live and die unto the Lord. We will all die one day unless the Lord Jesus comes first, then we will raptured altogether. This is our blessed hope.

We will have a blessed memorial service for our dear brother we loved us much. He is truly in a better place in the presence with of the Lord and all the saints and angels. He will have no more pain, nor sickness, nor sorrow, nor tears, nor death. He changed addresses from earth to heaven. In this we find great comfort, hope, joy, and encouragement that we will join him one day. The death of every believer is precious to the Lord and should be precious to us as well.

Have a blessed day of faith and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Stay safe and healthy walking by faith.

Just passing through this world below,

Dean

-January 7, 2024-

Good morning, beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, ‘the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.”

(Psalm 126:2-3).

God is so good, He does good to us, and gives us exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or think. He loves to delight us and surprise us with unexpected blessings. The world refers to “pleasant surprises.” We are more than pleasantly surprised, we bountifully blessed.

A check comes in the mail at just the right time; we get the job or promotion that seemed impossible; some generous family member pays off our car or mortgage unexpectedly; our health condition(s) are much improved or are healed completely. These are just some examples of how the Lord provides in wonderful ways.

Our part is to live for the Lord each day, serve Him faithfully, and put Him first in everything. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” God honors those who honor Him. When we delight ourselves in Him, He gives us the desires of our heart.

Did you have some unexpected blessings last year? We can look forward to many more blessings this year. The hymn writer Daniel W. Whittle wrote, “There shall be showers of blessing, this is the promise of love; there shall be seasons refreshing, sent from the Savior above. Showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need: mercy drops ‘round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.” Let us be joyful and thankful receivers of the wonders of His grace in every place.

Have a blessed Lord’s day with countless blessings, even some unexpected ones. Stay safe and healthy.

Our heavenly Bridegroom gives lavishly to His bride,

Dean