Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-May 16, 2023-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

“Moreover they did not require an account from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be paid to the workmen, for they dealt faithfully.”

(2 Kings 12:15).

King Jehoash, also known as Joash, king of Judah was the youngest king at just seven years old. He began his rule very well as long as Jehoiada the priest was alive and instructing him. He was burdened to repair the temple that had fallen into damage, disrepair, and dilapidation. He gave the priests the responsibility of collecting the money from their constituents and from all those who willingly gave. The priests continued to collect the money but the repair work never took place. The king called them out for this. Finally, Jehoiada the priest made a chest to collect all the money and the king’s representative came, collected it, and the it, and it was given to those who had oversight of the house of the Lord to pay the workers to get it done.

Those who responsible were very trustworthy men. They then paid out the money to the carpenters, builders, masons, and stone cutters. These men took their responsibility very seriously. The repairs were made in a good and timely fashion. It says, “they did not require an account from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be paid to workmen, for they dealt faithfully.”

Every person who deals with the Lord’s money or anything else should be good stewards. They must answer to the Lord and to the leaders in the church. When someone deals faithfully they don’t need to be micromanaged. They can be counted on. We see many examples of this Scripture where faithful men worked faithfully. Are you one who can be trusted to be honest and faithful to the Lord? I am the treasurer of our church and I have been for 23 years. I take it very seriously and personally. I account for every penny, realizing I am dealing with the Lord’s money. But it goes beyond just money to all the things of the Lord. Every ministry is important.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 says, “Let a man consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” It is important to choose faithful people to do God’s work. May we all be faithful in training others to do the work that we do so that the torch can be passed to them to carry it on. Paul told Timothy, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

Have a blessed day taking responsibility and be accountable in dealing faithfully in the things of the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

Faithful to the Lord, faithful to the end,

Dean

-May 15, 2023-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”

(Psalm 139:13-14).

We have no recollection of what we experienced in our mother’s womb for the nine months we spent there. Only God knows these things. We rely on what doctors and science tells us of what goes on in that warm, protective, and perfect cocoon where we grew and thrived. God not only knew it, but He was actively working on our behalf.

Psalm 139 tells us that God formed our inward parts (v.13); covered or wove us (v.13); made us in secret (v.15); wrote down everything in His book (v. 16); and fashioned our days before there were any (v.16). God had a plan for us before we were born. Not only did David know it but so did Jeremiah, and Paul. It is one of those mysteries of life, those precious, personal things that only God knows.

The Lord tells Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). This in no way precludes man’s free will, choices and decisions, nor does it alleviate his responsibility for his actions. It show that God foreknows, foreshadows, and fashions us while we are still in our mother’s womb.

The Apostle Paul also knew of God’s plan for his life. He wrote in Galatians 1:15-17, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but went to Arabia, and returned to Damascus.”

We are so blessed to be fearfully and wonderfully made! God has used many people, circumstances, and experiences to get to where we are now and what He wants us to be in the future. He is in control. He never makes mistakes, nor does He ever fail. Proverbs 22:2 says, “The rich and the poor have this in common, the Lord is the maker of them all.”

No two people, even twins, are exactly alike. God knows our DNA, our eye color, skin color, physical features, and all about us. He loves us, cares for us, and provides for us each day. Nothing happens to us unless it is will for us. Christian song writers Mason and Cardwell penned the famous words, “When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.”

Have a blessed day trusting the One who knows us best and has the best for us. Stay safe and healthy.

From the womb to the tomb, and the grave to the glory, He is writing our story,

Dean

-May 14, 2023-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day, happy Mother’s Day,

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

(Proverbs 31:30).

Today is Mother’s Day, a day to honor, appreciate, and show our love to our mothers. We love all mothers, especially our own. Godly mothers are the greatest blessing of all. When we look back we trace how our godly mothers raised us for the Lord. A mother’s love is perhaps the greatest love this side of heaven. Eve was the first mother and when she gave birth to her first son Cain, she said, “…”I have acquired a man from the Lord’” (Genesis 4:1b). Adam called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living (see Genesis 3:20).

We find godly women and mothers all through the Bible, such as Sarah, Anigail, Ruth, Mary, Hannah, mother of Issac, Abigail, the wife of David, Ruth, Mary the mother of Jesus, Hannah, Eunice, and many more. There were also a few ungodly, wicked ones such as Jezebel, and Athaliah.

The late Billy Graham wrote, “Only God Himself appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children. Someone has said, ‘Like mother, like children.’ Most of the notable characters and fine leaders of history have had good, God-fearing mothers. We are told that George Washington’s mother was pious, and Sir Walter Scott’s mother was a lover of poetry and music. On the other hand, we are told that Nero’s mother was a murderess and that Lord Byron’s mother was a proud and violent woman. The influence of a mother upon the lives of her children cannot be measured. They know and absorb her example and attributes when it comes to honesty, temperance, kindness, and industry.”

As Solomon says, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Proverbs chapter 31 is the picture of a godly woman, wife, and mother. Proverbs 31:25 shows who praises her, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her.” And even her own works praise her. But of course, her greatest commendation comes from the Lord. She will receive many crowns at the Judgement Seat of Christ.

Let us praise, honor, and appreciate our mothers, especially the godly ones. Cards and gifts are wonderful, but beyond these let us lavish our love on them. Mothers we love you so much. Keep up the great work for the Lord and your husbands and kids. Stay safe and healthy.

Words fail us in describing our mothers who never do,

Dean

-May 13, 2023-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“But He needed to go through Samaria.”

(John 4:4).

Jesus, was always obedient to the Father’s will. In this case it meant going through Samaria to meet a woman in need at Jacob’s well. This a divine appointment. The Jews and the Samaritans were enemies. The Samaritans traced their roots back to ancient times. They were half Jewish and half pagan. The Jews believed that they were superior to them and wanted nothing to do with Samaritans. Both sides hated the other.

The disciples left Jesus for a short time to go and buy food. This gave Him the opportunity to speak to woman commonly known as “The Samaritan Woman.” Many people in the Bible are not named, and she is one of them. She was a sinful woman who was married five times and the man she currently was with was not her husband. Jesus knew all about it but didn’t come to condemn her but save her. We are all sinners and Jesus came to save sinners.

Jesus asked her for a drink of water from the 1well, but He offered her living water. John 4:13-14 says, Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Not only did the Samaritan Woman get saved but many of the town’s people believed in Him as well. They said to her, “…Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world” (John 4:42). Herein is our responsibility to share our personal testimony, and witness to the lost, leaving the results to the Lord. Each individual must make their own decision to receive Christ. We point them to Christ but we can’t make them believe.

This beautiful story all started with the words, “But He needed to go through Samaria.” May we be faithful to go and speak, and do what is needed. The Lord needs us to be His ambassadors in this world, representing Him and His kingdom. Are you willing to do what is needed? To overcome obstacles, hindrances, and challenges to meet the needs of others?

May the Lord help us to do what is needed, when it is needed, to help those in need. Have a blessed day being “need meeters. “ Stay safe and healthy.

Being willing and ready to be used by the Lord,

Dean

-May 12, 2023-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”

(Psalm 40:2).

To say that we were in a bad situation is a understatement of epic proportions. We were born in sin and conceived in iniquity; we were sinners and dead in our transgressions and sin; we were separated from a holy God; we were spiritually bankrupt; we were lost in this world; we were under the control of the devil; we were in deep darkness; we were aliens and strangers; we were outside the commonwealth of Israel and the covenants of promise; we were on our way to hell; and were without God and without hope. Ephesians 2:1-3 vividly describes our plight. It wasn’t pretty!

Talk about the depths of sin and shame, that was our “B.C. : Before Christ. One of the worst things a person can fall into on earth is quick sand. If you are like me, you’ve seen TV shows or movies where an unsuspecting person falls into it and begins to sink and can very easily and quickly perish under its downward pull. As bad as it is, being a sinner without Christ is far worse. Jesus came down from the highest heights of heaven to die in our place, that by grace through faith, we might have eternal life, salvation, and forgiveness of our sins. He endured the depths of pain, sorrow, and separation from God in order to transport us to the heights of glory in heaven.

Now we have become the children of God, forgiven, brought into a right relationship with God; our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life; we are delivered from the domain of darkness and transported into the light; we are set free from the devil’s control and sin’s dominion; and we have been delivered from a horrible pit to sit with Christ in glory; He has set our feet on a rock, the Rock which is Christ.

What a change in our lives, from night to day. Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Have you been born again? Have you become a new creation in Christ? Our story is the best “before and after” scenario of all time! Like some sports teams, we went from worst to first. We have some great verses in Scripture of what heaven will be like, but it will be even better, greater, and more wonderful that we can imagine or dream of: from the depths to the heights!

Have a blessed day and weekend. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus who has His eyes on us always. Stay safe and healthy.

Looking to Jesus “till glory doth shine,”

Dean