Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-September 2, 2023-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said, ‘Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

(Luke 9:57).

Today’s verse is the essence of true discipleship: following Jesus. This man said all the right words, but Jesus perceived his heart. The Savior tested his commitment by saying to him in verse 58, “…Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Jesus never sugarcoated His message, nor did He tickle people’s ears, just telling them what they wanted to hear. A life of true discipleship requires commitment, surrender, dedication, and devotion. It is not a life of wealth, luxury, or ease. When we call Jesus Lord, He is the Boss, He is in control. This man said he would follow Jesus wherever He went: no restrictions, limitations, or excuses.

The key to the verse is the word “wherever.” That means to the cross, bearing the cross; to the empty tomb; to preach the gospel in season and out of season; to deprivation, persecution, and consternation by the world. Will we follow Jesus all the way every day?

In the next two days, we will consider two other potential disciples and what Jesus said to them. Each one offers a lesson to all of us. Have a blessed day following Jesus. Stay safe and healthy.

All in, all the time, all the way,

Dean

-September 2, 2023-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.”

(1 Corinthians 12:4).

I was discharged yesterday from the hospital and arrived safely home thanks to my dear friend and brother in Christ, Brad. I cannot thank him enough. I walked into my house and thanked the Lord I was home. Then I thought home, yes, but not yet home to my true home in heaven. There is more work to be done for the Lord until He comes or calls me home.

I started thinking how thankful I am for the staff at Kaiser Hospital in San Francisco, California. There are so many different roles that help a hospital function successfully. Surely there are doctors, surgeons, nurses, technicians, orderlies, those in admissions and discharge, those who prepare the meals and those who serve them, and the list goes on and on. It reminds me of a church. Each person has a gift or gifts and a ministry for the Lord. Each person is important and needed. We should appreciate the efforts of all of them.

I have go back in three months or so to have a similar procedure on my tricuspid value. Now I know how things go and what to expect. The Lord answered so many prayers one after the other. It strengthened and grew my faith.

Let us appreciate and encourage each other as we serve the Lord together. No one person is more important than another. Tell someone this week how much you appreciate them for what they do. It makes all the difference in the world. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Being part of the body of Christ with Him as our Head, and we as members,

Dean

-September 1, 2023-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.”

(2 Timothy 4:6).

We all love departures when we are going somewhere we want to go to. It can be going on vacation, taking a day trip to a favored destination, or going anywhere we choose to go to. For me in the hospital, today I should be discharged to go home. I can’t wait. Please pray I will be released today! I am feeling great and looking forward to it. The hospital is one place none of us like to check into, but we love to depart from.

Though it is nice to be taken care of by excellent doctors, nurses, and other staff members 24 hours a day, I want to go home; to my own home where I have lived for 44 years! There is nothing like it on earth. It isn’t a mansion, palace, or estate; it is simply my abode. To me is is better than anywhere on earth. Please pray with me that they will send him home today. However, I would rather be in the hospital in God’s will rather than anywhere else outside of it.

As believers, as much as we love our earthly homes, they can’t compare to our heavenly home in glory. Paul was torn between his life and ministry on earth, and his final destination in heaven. He said in Philippians 1:23-25, “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh which is more needful for you.” Given the choice, we would all choose heaven today, but if God has more for us to do on earth, let us be about our Master’s service.

As I look out of my hospital room window here in San Francisco, California, I see thick fog, damp streets, people walking, and cars and buses going by, life moves on. One day will be my last day on earth and first day in heaven. Until then I will serve the Lord. In Paul’s case, he may have been able to look out and see the world going by. He knew his time to leave was at hand. The Lord’s coming for all of us is imminent, meaning He could come at any time. Let us be prepared and praypared today!

Have a blessed day serving the Lord wherever we are. Stay safe and healthy.

Living below, looking above, awaiting our departure to our heavenly home in His love,

Dean

-August 31, 2023-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly; that would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

(James 5:17-18).

As I lay in my hospital bed recovering from my procedure, I am so thankful to God for His wonderful answers to prayer. The procedure went very well. Now comes the recovery process. That is in and of itself not without its own set of challenges. I hope to be discharged today, but it may be tomorrow depending on what the surgeon says when he comes by.

I have been doing everything that they tell me to do. I am confident and peaceful in the hands of the Lord. I thank all of you for praying for me. It is amazing that our Almighty God would listen to our prayers and answer them. Jesus said in John 14:14, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” What a great promise! John also wrote, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5;14).

Elijah was a person just like us. He prayed and God answered. I had a lot of things I had to do prior to my procedure, and I will have many things to do in my recovery. Preparation is very important in life, but prayer is even more crucial. Tuesday night I coined a new word, “prayerperation.” It means, “The process of preparing in prayer for any situation that lies ahead.” I plan to submit the word to Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Stay tuned to see what happens.

We can never overestimate the power of prayer, nor should we ever underestimate it. Even doctors acknowledge how important prayer is to our health and wellbeing. Let us worry less and pray more. The song writer wrote, “God answers prayer, God answers prayer, He’s so good to me.”

Have a blessed day of prayer. Pray without ceasing. Stay safe and healthy.

Being prayerful and joyful,

Dean

-August 30, 2023-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

(Romans 15:4).

The past can be a springboard to the future. God has been faithful in the past and will be faithful in the future. As I go in for my mitral value repair surgery today, I draw up what God has done for me through the years. He is the God of hope. We can trust in Him without fear, doubt, or worry.

The OT Scriptures were written for our learning. We have the benefit of the experiences of the saints that have gone before us. The writer of Hebrews said, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

As we read and study the Word, there are good examples to emulate and bad ones to shun. God gave us both for our learning and edification. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” Someone once said, “A smart person learns from their mistakes, but a wise person learn from the mistakes of others.”

The past is an excellent teacher as long as we take heed to the lessons from it. It has been said, “Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. “ May we learn from the Scriptures and from the lives of the great men and women of faith. Have a blessed day in God’s school. Stay safe and healthy.

Learning from the Lord Jesus Christ and all the Scriptures,

Dean