Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-November 12, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.”

(Lamentations 3:25).

Jeremiah the prophet wrote the book that bears his name and Lamentations the book that follows it. He warned urged the people of Judah to repent, turn from their idols, obey God, and follow Him. He also warned them of the impending judgment to come if they didn’t. Judah was taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Jeremiah wept over them, and book of Lamentations reflects his deep sorrow and agony.

In the midst of Jeremiah’s tears and sorrow, he found comfort and hope in the Lord. He mentions the Lord’s mercies, compassions, faithfulness, and hope in Lamentations 3:22-26. After seventy years, Judah would be brought back to their land. God promised to restore and regather them, and He did. He will do the same in the future.

It is helpful to remember how good the Lord is, no matter what we are going through. Only a believer in Jesus Christ can have joy, peace, and hope in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him and seek Him. In Lamentations 3:24, it says, “The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him.” God is a God of hope who gives us hope to us for a better future on earth and even better one in heaven. We are waiting and watching for His coming. We must wait on the Lord quieting without murmur or complaint.

Isaiah wrote, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). The Lord tests our faith and commitment to Him. He will never fail or forsake us. Let us take courage and be strong in the Lord. The Lord is good. I use the phrase all the time.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day, waiting on the Lord for His will, His guidance, and His solutions. Stay safe and healthy.

When things look bad, remember the Lord is still good,

Dean

-November 11, 2023-

Good morning, beloved, happy Saturday, Happy Veterans Day,

“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4).

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Today is Veterans Day; it always falls on the eleventh day of November. It is one of our most important and beloved holidays. There have been millions of men and women who have served our country over the years, and we owe them a debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay. Many paid the ultimate price, giving their lives to preserve and protect us and the freedoms we hold dear.

We also need to appreciate the families of our military men and women who have supported them, sacrificed for them, and grieved at their loss. When someone joins the service they take an oath that states, “I, —, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

Pastor Allen Jackson wrote, “Veterans are our friends, relatives, neighbors, coworkers, and church members. Many are rightfully proud of their service. Others have been told that their service to our nation, was not given in an honorable cause, and they are conflicted about that period of their lives. Some of them were wounded physically and bear the scars. Others bear psychological scars that are not visible but they are very real nonetheless.”

Let us appreciate, salute, and support our veterans as well as those who are currently serving our country. They deserve better housing, better jobs, better healthcare, and all other necessities of life. Let us pray for them, give to them and help them as much as we can. To those of my readers who are veterans, thank you seems so inadequate for all your have done for us. We love you so very much.

Have a blessed Veterans Day. Stay safe and healthy.

Standing with and for our veterans,

Dean

-November 10, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“However, Jesus did not permit Him, but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.’ And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.”

(Mark 5:19-20).

Jesus performed many miracles and healed so many people. In Mark 5:1-20 we have the story of the demon-possessed man in the land of the Gadarenes, also called Gerasenes. Like all without Christ, his life was out of control; he was demon possessed with seven demons. He was helpless, hapless, and hopeless. He was uncontrollable. He lived among the tombs. People tried to subdue him with chains, but because of the power of the demons, he broke them off with his bare hands. He used to even cut himself with stones.

He came up to Jesus and our Savior cast out the demons, saved his soul, and changed his life. Mark 5:15 says, “Then they (those who fed the swine) came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were afraid.” His life was radically changed and he became a follower of Christ.

This newly saved man wanted to be with Jesus, but Jesus had another plan for him. Jesus told him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” He had a new life, a new purpose, and a new mission. We have the same mission today: to proclaim Christ to our family, friends, and people who know us. He went obediently to the Lord and spread the Word all over Decapolis which was really a region of ten cities. Everyone saw the difference in his life and marveled.

This man was one of the first missionaries. We as believers are all missionaries where God has placed us among those who know us, the old version and the new. All of us have a personal testimony of how we got saved and how the Lord changed our lives. After His resurrection and before His ascension, Jesus sent forth His disciples with the instructions, “But you receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Are we willing to fulfill the Great Commission to the world? It is a huge task and a great responsibility. Unfortunately, in many ways we see instead the great omission. We fail to testify and witness to those who are lost around us. May the Lord give us the desire, courage, and opportunities to share our faith with more people wherever God has placed us.

Have a blessed day with the Lord, bearing His precious, personal, and powerful gospel message. Stay safe and healthy.

Letting our light shine wherever we are, whether it’s near or whether it’s far; telling others of Jesus, and pointing the way, sharing our faith every day,

Dean

-November 9, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.”

(Hebrews 5:13-14).

The writer of Hebrews is chiding the believers for their spiritual immaturity. Hebrews 5:12 says, “For by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” Today there is a great need for spiritual maturity.

When we get saved, we are babes in Christ feeding on the milk of the Word. Everything is new. God does not want us stay babes but to grow to maturity in Christ, and feed on the solid food or meat of the Word. The Corinthians had this same issue. Paul addressed it 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. Are you mature in Christ? Are you growing to and maintaining maturity. Knowledge and understanding is important, but practical application is even more important.

There are some signs of spiritual maturity:

1. To accept trials joyfully and learn from them.

2. To be flexible and adaptive to change.

3. To make good choices and decisions in keeping with God’s will.

4. To take responsibility for our actions.

5. To forgive those who wrong us and ask for forgiveness when we have wronged others.

6. To not get upset if we don’t get our own way or if our plans change.

7. To give credit to others and be happy when they are blessed, do well, and are successful.

There many others you can probably to add to this list but these give us food for thought. May the Lord help us be mature Christians, learning and growing and being like Christ. Let us be examples and teach others and mentor them. Have a blessed day striving for maturity. Stay safe and healthy.

Challenging ourselves to show maturity humbly before God and others,

Dean

-November 8, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“When he (Barnabas) came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.”

(Acts 11:23).

Barnabas was a great servant of Christ who won many souls to Christ and strengthened them in their walk with the Lord. His real name was Joses, but was affectionately and appropriately called Barnabas, meaning, “Son of Encouragement.” He sought out Paul in Tarsus and they formed a partnership in the Lord’s service. They were truly a dynamic duo for Christ.

They spent quite a bit of time in Antioch where the believers were first called Christians. They shared the same vision, burden, and passion for people. Acts 13:34 says, “Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.”’

Grace is one of the most vital virtues in the life of all believers. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. We are saved by grace, kept by grace, and we live by grace. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” He used the word grace three times in this verse, showing how important it is in our lives.

When Paul prayed three times that God would remove his thorn in the flesh, the Lord answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a). Grace is like the air that we breathe, necessary for our spiritual survival. Let us then continue in it, trusting the Lord for His strength, guidance, and wisdom in all we do and say. We will then be victorious, overcomers, and more than conquerors through Christ who loves us. Christians don’t quit, give up, or give in—they just press on by the grace of God.

Have a blessed day living by and through His amazing grace. Stay safe and healthy.

By looking at the Savior’s face, we live our lives by the Savior’s grace,

Dean