Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-August 14, 2023-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.”

(Psalm 41:3.)

After my wonderful vacation I got sick when I got home with a fever, a very bad sore throat, and chest congestion, and a cough with phlegm. I missed church yesterday. Last night I had to sleep in my chair, and I kept waking up all through the night, coughing up lots of phlegm. I am going to call my doctor for an appointment and possibly get some antibiotics. I would appreciate your prayers.

David recognized how God takes care of us when we are sick. The Lord promises to do two things for us: He will strengthen us and He will sustain us. This a two-fold promise from the Great Physician, our Lord Jesus Christ. He uses doctors and medicines to help us. In the NT, Jesus healed many who were sick.,

• He will strengthen us on our bed of illness – Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. She had a very high fever that was life threatening. He took her by the hand and restored her to full health. Mark 1:30-31 says, “But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.” The Lord knows when we are sick, how long it will last, and what the outcome will be.

• He will sustain us on our sickbed – Bed rest is is very important part in our recovery process. The word sustain can be translated restore. We can only self medicate only so far. We need medical help. The Lord uses doctors for our good. Luke was a physician who traveled with Paul. Sometimes we are sick on an airplane or other public place. There is the common expression, “Is the a doctor in the house?”

The Lord often uses sickness to get our attention, slow us down, and help us to rely more on Him. Paul healed the father of Publius, the leading citizen on Malta when Paul and those on the ship were shipwrecked. Acts 28:8 says, “And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul went into him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.”

May the Lord heal us whether doctors are present or not. Epaphroditus a servant of the Lord got sick and the Lord healed him. Philippians 2:26-27 says, “Since he was longing for you all, and distressed because he you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto to death. But God had mercy on him, but not only in him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.”

Have a blessed day whether you are sick and get well or be well and stay safe and healthy.

Trusting in the Great Physician,

Dean

-August 13, 2023-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen”

(Romans 11:30).

Paul wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. His writings were so beautiful, encouraging, and uplifting. He gave all the glory to our Lord and Savior. Paul mentions three things: “of Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”

• Of Him – Salvation, eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and so much more are of Him. He is the Creator, Redeemer, and Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says,”But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory the Lord.”

• Through Him – Everything comes to us through Christ. It says in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

• To Him – We give Him all the glory. We give Him, thanks, praise, and worship. We give Him honor. One day we will see Him in all of His glory. Psalm 136:4 tells us, “To Him who alone does great wonders, His mercy endures forever.”

Let’s give the Lord all the glory. That of Him and through Him and to Him. Have a blessed Lord’s Day. Stay safe and healthy.

Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,

Dean

-August 12, 2023-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“Brethren, my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”

(Romans 10:1).

All of us have people we are praying for to be saved. We all have family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and fellow students that we are burdened for and are praying for. They are on our hearts and in our thoughts. We love them and want them to be saved and with us in heaven.

Paul wrote. “…my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” Paul loved his fellow Israelites and wanted them to be saved. The Jews were the major persecutors of the church and especially of Paul himself. This didn’t lesson Paul’s burden and love for them, but increased it. We know Paul’s love and burden he had. By reading Paul’s epistles we see how he prayed for so many people. He had a very long prayer list for the unsaved and the saved. He wrote, “that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:2-3).

The word burden is defined as, “something that is carried, load; duty, responsibility.” We often hear someone say, “I am burdened for you.” Bearing each other up in prayer is so important. Paul was so burdened for his fellow Jews that he could wish he be accursed and they be saved. That’s a heavy burden and a deep love.

Have a blessed day praying for those we love that don’t know the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

The Lord desires them to be saved even more than we do,

Dean

-August 11, 2023-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“The Lord will record, when He registers the peoples: this one was born there.”

(Psalm 87:6).

As a society we keep all sorts of records. Many records are now digital and on line, but others are on paper. From the time we are born until we die, there this a record on us. A baby’s birth is recorded on a birth certificate with the baby’s name, the parent’s names and ages, the day and time of the birth, and the name of the physician, and the name of the hospital. It has to be signed by three people: the informant, usually the mother or father, the attendant, the physician who attended this birth, and the registrar who recorded it.

There are many other records issued to us in life, such as social security cards, drivers licenses, vehicle registrations, insurance policies, bank accounts, credit cards, clubs or associations, and many more. It is a lot to manage and keep track of. Some of our records can be lost, stolen, hacked, or destroyed. All can be replaced, though not easily. In life we must register for many different things.

God, on the other hand, has perfect records. When we are born again, God records it in heaven in the Lamb’s Book of Life. There are books for the unsaved which records everything they said or did. The Lord will judge them for their works of rejecting Him and the gospel of His grace. Nothing is missed, no detail overlooked.

John wrote in Revelation 20:11-15, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away. And there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened., which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up their dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire, this is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Praise God when we are saved and forgiven of our sins, we are given eternal life, and our names are written in the Book of Life. We are saved from the wrath to come. The Psalmist says, “The Lord will record, when He registers the peoples: this one was born there. We as believers have two births, one physical through our earthly parents, and the other through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit when we are born again. Are you the “this one?” The saint of God, the child of God? There is no greater blessing on earth or in heaven.

Let us rejoice in our salvation today. Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 10:20, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Grateful to be written in the Book of Life,

Dean

-August 10, 2023-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Even to my old age, I am He, even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.”

(Isaiah 46:4).

The older I get, the more thankful I am for the Lord carrying me through this life. My vacation has been wonderful, but it is time to travel back home. It is bittersweet in a sense that I wish it was longer, but I am looking forward to getting back home and seeing the saints at our Friday Singles Group and at church Sunday.

For now I have a long drive of 442 miles. I need your prayers for the Lord to sustain me and get me safety home. A dear couple in our church posted this verse on Meta this morning and it was just what I needed to hear, “I am He who will sustain you.” This version uses the word sustain. It doesn’t say that He may sustain me, but He will sustain me. It is God’s promise for you and me.

The definition of the word sustain is, “to give support or relief to; to supply with sustenance, nourish; keep up or prolong.” I need the Lord to sustain me on the road. He does carry us all the way. The Lord is with us and takes us all the way through to our destination. His grace is sufficient at this moment and for all things that lie ahead.

The Lord sustained the Israelites all through the wilderness for forty years. He bore them on eagles’ wings. Deuteronomy 29:5 says, “And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet.” Their journey was not without perils, problems, trials, and difficulties, but the Lord got them through all. The Lord Jesus sustained the disciples through the storm on the Sea of Galilee and got them safely to the other side; the Lord sustained Paul and all 276 people on the ship that went through a very rough, dangerous storm. They all survived and Paul eventually got to Rome.

The Lord never fails. He sustains and maintains us, day after day, hour by hour, minute by minute. He is with us mile after mile, through the ups and downs of life. He cares for us and carries us. Have a blessed day on the road of life. Stay safe and healthy.

Looking to Jesus, the Controller for control, the Captain for the voyage, and the Driver for the journey,

Dean