Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-October 9, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.”

(Isaiah 49:29).

The philosophy of the world is: be strong, try harder, pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, you can do it with hard work and effort. That kind of thinking gets us nowhere.

It is only by God’s mercy that He saved us. We couldn’t save ourselves, and now as believers we can’t rely on our own strength or wisdom. Only as we acknowledge our weakness and powerlessness can we experience God’s strength and power.

God gives power to the weak not to the strong. It is only when we humble ourselves and acknowledge our weakness that we experience His power in and through us. He helps the helpless. Paul experienced this when he prayed three times that God would take away his thorn in the flesh. God’s answer was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Paul found that God’s plan was tailored is for him. He said, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10).

Only as we come to Christ in our weakness, unworthiness, and full dependence on Him, can we experience His strength to carry us through our circumstances. The older I get, the more I realize my own weakness and His great strength. We need Jesus, today and every day.

Have a blessed day in God’s strength. Stay safe and healthy.

The anonymous hymn writer wrote, “I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk, let me walk close to Thee.”

Dean

-October 8, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.”

(Psalm 34:14).

Today’s verse is also our verse in our Scripture Memory Class. Peace is a rare commodity in the world. Whether it is peace among countries or among individuals; for we hear a plethora of conflicts daily. Why is peace so elusive? The answer is: that true, lasting peace comes only from Jesus Christ; looking for peace anywhere else is like searching for water from a dry well.

David wrote this psalm when he dwelt with Abimelech, the Commander of the Philistines. It was not one of David’s best moments. After all, the Philistines were the bitter enemies of Israel. David was fleeing King Saul who was unjustifiably pursuing him to kill him.

As believers in Christ, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, we experience the peace of God, and we have received from Jesus the gift of peace (Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:6-7; John 14:27).

Still, with all this, we need more peace in our lives; we are to seek it and pursue it. We are to live peaceably, as peacemakers, in peace. In fact, we can actually be at peace with our enemies. Proverbs 16:7 says, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

It is our duty and responsibility to seek and pursue peace. It can only be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. But how do we do it in a personal and practical way? It starts with prayer and the Word of It involves speaking and doing the things that make for peace, avoiding conflict, and doing good. David wrote, “Depart from evil and do good…”

In Romans 12:17-21, Paul lists several ways to seek peace and pursue it; Repay no one evil for evil (v.17); Have regard for good things (v.17); Live as much as possible peaceably with all men (v.18); Don’t avenge ourselves or take revenge on others (v.19); Show love to our enemies by providing food and drink to them (v.20; and overcoming evil with good (v.21).

Are we seeking peace and pursuing it? Let’s renew our commitment to peace. Bill MacDonald in his Believer’s Commentary, suggests three simple ways to peace: “a controlled tongue, a separated walk, and a peaceful disposition. “

Have a blessed and peaceful day. Stay safe and healthy.

Finding and maintaining peace is a key in any relationship.

Dean

-October 7, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

(Psalm 46:10).

Isn’t it interesting, for most of us, it is easier to be busy than to be still? Sometimes God slows us down or brings us to a grinding halt. The Lord has a plan for us and will bring it to pass in His time.

Psalm 46 is a psalm of the sons of Korah. You can tell right from the outset that the writer is experiencing great trials and is trusting in God through them. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.”

God’s answer is often to be still before Him, wait for Him to work, and to wait patiently. It is never easy, especially for me. I have been sick now for nine days. It started with a minor sore throat and then moved into my nose and chest. I thought I had caught a cold, but it was taking longer to heal than normal.

I am so thankful that yesterday my pastor and friend Adel simply asked, “Did you get a Covid test?” I should have taken one last week but I hadn’t thought it was Covid. I went to the pharmacy and got two home Covid tests—and sure enough, it was Covid.

I am used to being so busy in my retirement and in my service of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is time to rest and be still before me. I am so thankful that Adel brought it up. This is my second bout with Covid in the last three years.

Sometimes I feel more like Martha than Mary. Martha was so busy and distracted in her serving that she lost sight of who she was serving —Jesus. Her sister Mary chose the better part by sitting at Jesus’ feet and hearing His Word. God is never in a hurry!

Moses told the people at the Red Sea who were terrified by Pharaoh and his mighty army, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace (or literally, “be quiet.”).”

When Jesus calmed the Sea of Galilee, He told the sea to be still, and also calmed the disciples. God reminds us that He is still in control, not us. He is with us in and through the storms of life.

Please pray for me to heal and most of all to sit still and rest in His everlasting arms. Have a blessed day being still and hearing God’s voice. Stay safe and healthy.

Let us choose to be still, resting in His perfect will.

Dean

-October 6, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment”

(Philippians 1:9).

Love is the hallmark of the Christian life. It is the first of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. We as believers in Christ do have His love but we need to grow in that love.

The church in Philippi was the first church Paul planted in Asia Minor. He had a special love for them and wanted the best for them. He wrote this letter to them while in prison in Rome, and it is filled with living joy.

Normally, we believe in moderation, such as in sleep, exercise, eating, and in most everything. Love is one of the things you can’t have enough of. Paul wanted the Philippians to abound in it still more and more.

The word abound is defined as, “to be present in large numbers or great quantity, to be prevalent.” When you abound in something you exceed the norm or standard. You go beyond expectations and your cups runs over.

Everyone wants love and more love. The problem is the world’s definition of love is sentimental, romantic, and is based on feelings that ebb and flow. God’s love is more about commitment, sacrifice, and sharing. This is real love, true love. It is the kind of love that lasts.

Paul wrote about love in 1 Corinthians 13. He defined what love is and what it is not. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a says, “Love suffers long and is kind; does not envy; love does not parade itself; is not puffed up; does not behave rudely; does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

The next time you say, “I love you” think of what true love really is. It must come from the heart and be an act of the will. Let us abound in love for one another, still more and more. We can never love enough.

Have a blessed and loving day. Stay safe and healthy.

Live to love and love to live. Love is great when we lavishly give.

Dean

-October 5, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.”

(Revelation 1:18).

The Apostle John is often called John the Revelator because he wrote the Book of Revelation. The Lord Jesus Christ revealed to him the events of the end times.

We all like books or movies that have stirring endings, that bring them to an exciting finale. The book of Revelation is the greatest ending of all. His ending doesn’t just say, “The End.” It says, “The End, Amen.”

Our blessed Lord gave John a fitting way to introduce the book in Revelation 1:19, “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”

Just as Genesis is the beginning, Revelation is the ending. This book is often hard to understand, but it so important to our faith and our understanding of God’s eternal plan.

Jesus said the wonderful words, “I am He who lives.” He is a risen Savior, seated at the right hand of God, and coming again. The message of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again. All other religious leaders are in their graves, Jesus is is not, He rose from the dead and is alive forevermore!

Because He lives, we live also and will live forever with Him in heaven. Many have preceded us to glory and soon we will join them. In the mean time, we live for Him and serve Him, we tell others about Him.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day. The King is coming. Let us use every waking moment for our Lord Jesus Christ. Stay safe and healthy.

Jesus is our greatest aspiration, inspiration, and motivation for living.

Dean