Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-September 14, 2022-

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

(James 1:12).

Today is the last in our series on the blessed man. The blessed man is chosen by God, trusts in God, whose strength is in the Lord, who fears the Lord and greatly delights in His commandments, and who endures trials and temptations. All of us want to be blessed and happy in the Lord and the Lord has shown us how to be.

The King James and New King James translate the Greek word as temptation, and but other versions translate it as trials. It is really includes both. There are holy trials which God sends us to grow our faith and strengthen us, and there unholy temptations which Satan uses to get us to sin. The New Living Translation puts it well, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

We all experience both trials and temptations throughout our walk. God wants us to patiently endure them without complaining or giving up. The Lord promises a crown, called the crown of life. Joseph experienced both trials and temptations. He was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery by his brothers, and he was falsely accused and thrown into prison. He was also tempted by Potiphar’s wife day by day and was the one who falsely accused him. He endured and persevered through it all and became second in command in Egypt under Pharaoh. God richly and abundantly blessed him. He bore trials and fled temptations.

God wants the best for us and desires we trust Him no matter what trials He sends our way. James 5:11 says, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” The devil tries his utmost to tempt us. We must resist him, use the Word to thwart him, and flee the temptations.

It is so easy to feel sorry for ourselves when we are going through difficult trials and let them get us down. Holy trials bring out the best in is; unholy temptations bring out the worst in us. God works all things together for good in our lives. One day when our lives on earth are done, God will reward us for our faithfulness to Him. He will say to us, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.” Let’s keep enduring all the way.

Have a blessed day enduring trials and fleeing temptations. Stay safe and healthy.

In the happiness and blessing of the Lord,

Dean

-September 13, 2022-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.”

(Psalm 112:1).

The blessed man man is chosen by God, trusts in the Lord, and his strength is in the Lord. Today we will think about the blessed man fears the Lord and delights greatly in His commandments. We are blessed when we fear the Lord and obey His Word.

Psalm 112 is one of of quite a few psalms that are anonymous. The term the fear the Lord means to revere, respect, and reverence God in all things. Psalm 33:8 says, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” Recently Queen Elizabeth passed away. She was widely respected in Great Britain as well as throughout the world. When someone comes into the presence of royalty or a leader of a country, one must show the proper respect and honor to that person. It is often appropriate to bow or curtsy before them. How much more does the Lord deserve our highest reverence?

God is our Heavenly Father and we should come before Him with the greatest respect and not take Him lightly or for granted. The Psalmist said in Psalm 95:6, “Oh, come, let us worship and bow down; let kneel before the Lord our Maker.” In Proverbs Solomon tells us that the fear of the Lord is both the beginning of wisdom and the beginning of knowledge.

Obedience to the Lord is closely connected with the fear of the Lord. I like how it says, “he delights greatly in His commandments.” Just as we hold God in the highest respect, so too, we should also honor and obey His Word. To delight in something is to long for it, desire it, and treasure it. God’s Word is sweeter than honey and more precious than gold. Often, people put gold coins in their safe deposit box for safekeeping; however, with God’s Word, we need not worry about using it. God wants us to use it not leave on a shelf or table.

We are so blessed to know the Lord and to have His Word in our hands and hearts. We treasure His precepts, principles, and promises. We don’t live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The 119th Psalm, the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses, speaks of the Word of God in nearly every verse.

Have a blessed day in fearing God and obeying His Word. Stay safe and healthy.

Holding God and His Word with the greatest respect and honor,

Dean

-September 12, 2022-

Good morning happy Monday,

“Blessed be the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.”

(Psalm 84:5-7).

The Blessed man is chosen by God and trusts in God. Today in Part III, we will consider how the blessed man has his strength in the Lord. God is omnipotent and no one and nothing can stand against Him. We have no strength in ourselves. We need His strength every day.

The Lord told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And He said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, My strength is made perfect in weakness.” God shows us our weakness, and utter helplessness that He then manifests look in us His mighty power through our weakness. It also says in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence may be of God, and not of us.” Blessed is the man who relies on God’s power.

The lives we live are like a pilgrimage in this world. We live in a wilderness. Just as the Lord was with the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years on their way to the Promised Land, so He is with us all the way to heaven. The Lord sustains and strengthens us. Where we get into trouble is when we rely on our own strength. God never designed us to be dependent of Him or self-reliant.

The Lord can turn our “baca,” meaning weeping into blessings, like springs of water. He can help us and turn our weeping into blessings of joy. The hymn writer Charlotte G. Homer wrote, “Lord, as of old at Pentecost Thou didst Thy pow’r display, with cleansing, purifying flame descending on us today.”

Have a blessed day walking in the strength of the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

In His mighty power,

Dean

-September 11, 2022-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.”

(Jeremiah 17:7).

Yesterday in Part One we considered that the blessed man is chosen by the Lord. Today, we will look at the blessed man who trusts in the Lord. We are so blessed to have the Lord in our lives. We can trust Him at all times and in all ways. We can always rely on Him. He is so faithful to us and He is our hope for the future.

The problem is that we say we trust in the Lord, but in actuality, we trust in ourselves, others, or some outside resources. It takes deep soul searching and honesty to admit it. We can’t fully trust the Lord while clinging to anything or anyone other than the Lord. Psalm 40:4 says, “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” Psalm 84:12 also says, “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You.”

In order to trust in the Lord fully, we must surrender everything and leave matters in His strong, capable hands. We need to lay our needs and burdens before the Lord on the altar, then leave them there without taking them back upon ourselves. Who are you trusting in today? Life only works for the believer who trusts in the Lord, walking by faith.

Today is Patriots Day, September 11th. We were attacked by terrorists flying planes and well over 2,000 people were killed. It has been 21 years since that fateful day it happened. Let us never forget what happened nor those who were killed.

The word trust is found in so many of the Psalms. Trust is something we learn and develop over time. God has proven Himself to us over and over again. There is a strong bond we have with the Lord. Each time we trust the Lord and He comes through for us, that bond and relationship grows closer, deeper, and stronger. The definition of trust is, “The firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength, of someone or something.” The Lord is fully reliable, true, able, and strong. We can always count on Him.

Have a blessed day trusting in the Lord. He alone is faithful always. Stay safe and healthy.

In His wonderful presence,

Dean

-September 9, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.”

(Psalm 65:4).

Today we begin a five part series on “The Blessed Man.” The five are: Blessed is the man God chooses, who trusts in the Lord, whose strength is in the Lord, who fears the Lord, and who endures temptation or trials. The blessed man is really any man or woman of God who centers their life in our Lord Jesus Christ and looks to Him for everything. In Christ, we are very blessed.

What a blessed privilege to be chosen by God to be His child, to be part of His family, to be saved, forgiven, have eternal life and to have our eternal inheritance in Him. The question is: why would God choose me? Why would He love me? All of are sinners, but now through Christ we are sinners saved by grace.

The offer of salvation goes out to everyone and those who come to Him are saved. The ones who come are those chosen by grace. The two great doctrines are both true: election and the free will of man. In fact, in John 6:37 they are both found in the same verse. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” The former is election, the latter is the free will of man. Both are taught in the Scriptures.

Jesus said in John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should remain, and whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” It is such a blessing to be among those chosen by God. None of us deserve it. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:4-6, “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

Blessed is the man whom God has chosen. We may never comprehend why He would love us or choose us, but we should be thankful to Him every day. He also chooses to use us in His blessed service. We are chosen and blessed and blessed and chosen. It doesn’t get any better than that. Part Two tomorrow is, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.”

Have a blessed day day you chosen of the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

Saved eternally,

Dean