Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-May 27, 2022-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.”

(Psalm 37:16).

David, the writer of this psalm, understood what he had in the Lord and was happy with it. The word righteous in today’s verse and throughout the OT, indicates a believer in the Lord, while unbelievers are called the wicked. They are are also referred to as the unrighteous. The advantages of being saved, knowing the Lord, and being a child of God are tremendous. It is better to have a little with the Lord than vast riches in this world without Him.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 15:16-17, “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of herbs (or vegetables) than a fatted calf with hatred.” The hymn writer Kittie Louise Suffield expressed it so well, “Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth or fame; There’s a crown and you can win it it, if you go in Jesus’ name.” God takes the little we have and multiplies it to accomplish His purposes. In the feeding of the five thousand, a young lad gave his lunch, five loaves and two fish and with it Jesus fed so many to the point where each one was satisfied. John is the only gospel writer to mention the young lad.

Most Christians are not rich, although some are. Little in the context of our verse has to do with material things. Spiritually, every one of us are rich in Christ and have all spiritual blessings in Christ; He has given us all things richly to enjoy. Even beyond what we have now, think of what we will enjoy in heaven forever. David taught his son Solomon that with the Lord little is much.

Wouldn’t we rather have Christ and have a little than to have all the vast revenues of this world? Even the richest people in the world have this in common with all people: they will leave it all behind when they die. What we have, though a little is better with the love of Christ, the peace that surpasses all understanding, and the joy that overflows. We are truly blessed beyond measure with heavenly treasure. Let’s be reflective and have the right perspective.

Have a blessed day rejoicing in what God has given us whether it is little or much. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal gratitude,

Dean

-May 26, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

(James 1:19-20).

James always tells like it is. He gives us three ways to avoid trouble: be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. If we take his advice, things will go much better for us in every aspect of life. These principles are timeless, tried, and true.

I. Be swift to hear – God gave us two ears to hear with. It is one thing to hear the words, but do we really listen when others are speaking to us? Or are we just thinking of what we are going to say next? Developing good listening skills comes with time, experience, and most of all wisdom. How do we do it? Maintain eye contact, and focus on what the other person is saying. Others can tell if we aren’t listening. Listening takes a lot of practice.

II. Be slow to speak – Most of us are better talkers than we are listeners. In fact, we talk too much: about ourselves, our successes, our achievements, our kids, and our interests. We must talk less, especially about ourselves, so that when we do speak, others will listen. James spent most of chapter three speaking of the untamable tongue. The more we talk, the more apt we are to say something wrong or harmful to others. James wrote, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8).

III. Be slow to wrath – Along with the tongue our temper anger can get us into hot water. Some Christians have a greater propensity to anger than others, but all if us must be on guard. Whenever we get angry for some wrong done to us, it is sin. The only permissible anger is righteous anger, meaning we get angry when God’s cause is hurt. Losing our tempers is never good and can tarnish our testimony before the unsaved and affect our relationships with others. Just remember anger is stored before it it poured, and it hurts us more than it does those we are angry with.

Praise God for these three simple, yet important admonitions to follow: be swift to hear (be a good, attentive listener); be slow to speak (be a person of few but impactful words); and be slow to wrath (be cool, calm, and collected). We will save ourselves so much trouble. May the Lord enable us to build and maintain healthy relationships.

Have a blessed day trusting the Lord to help us. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal grace,

Dean

-May 25, 2022-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“Oh, that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!”

(Deuteronomy 5:29).

Have you ever wished out loud that something might happen. It is called often called “wishful thinking.” Perhaps that all the violence will stop, peace will prevail, love, courtesy, and cooperation will replace division, hatred, prejudice, and war. Today’s verse is God’s wishful thinking for His people. The difference is we often don’t have power to change circumstances, but God does.

When God created mankind He gave us a free will. He will never force us to obey Him, His commandments, or to do His will. We must make the choice. This is also true of people getting saved. He could have made us all like robots, making us be be obedient to Him. But where would the glory for Him be in that? The IRS has a policy of making you comply with heavy collection tactics. The called it “forced compliance.” God doesn’t operate that way at all.

God tells in His Word what we should and shouldn’t do, but it is up to us to follow His instructions. We are blessed if we do and suffer the consequences if we don’t. In our text we see what we should do: fear God and always keep all His commandments; and there is a blessing for us and our families if we do. Doing God’s will and desires are always best for us in the short term and in the long run as well.

• That they would have such a heart in them to fear Me – We often read in Scripture of the fear of the Lord. It doesn’t mean to be afraid of the Lord as the Israelites were when they received the Law at Mount Sinai amidst strong earthquakes, loud thunderings, and darkness. Instead, it means to reverence Him, respect His power and authority, and have the desire to please Him.

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Solomon also wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). We must choose the fear of the Lord over the fear of man.

• And always keep all My commandments – We can’t obey God whenever we please or it suits us; God desires that we obey all His commandments always. Under the Law, there was a penalty for disobedience. Under grace, we obey the Lord out of love. Jesus said in John 14:15,”If you love Me, keep (or as it can be rendered “you will keep”) My commandments.” Love is always the best motivation for obedience.

The two key words in this verse are short, simple, and inclusive: “all and always.” Faithfulness and consistency are hallmarks of our faith in the Lord. When someone is genuinely saved, it results in a changed life. No one can be an imitation Christian, one must be the real thing. It isn’t enough to talk the talk, but we must walk the talk and walk the walk!

The results of fearing the Lord and always obeying Him are found in the words, “that it may be well with them and their children forever.” God tells that when we obey willingly we will be blessed and so will our children. There is a ripple affect in our lives that extends to our families. Parents who obey God show a great example to their kids. Even so, our kids will have to make their own choice to fear God and keep His commandments. At the end of Ecclesiastes, Solomon wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Have a blessed day fearing God and always obeying Him in all things. Let us remember it is for His glory and for our good. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal love,

Dean

-May 24, 2022-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”

(Romans 12:10).

Romans chapter 12 is one of the most practical chapters in the whole Bible. It gives so much instruction on how we should live as Christians in this world. Today’s verse delves into how we should give preference to others. The word preference is defined as “a greater liking for one alternative over another or others.” Putting the needs, desires, and preferences of others before our own is how we show them honor and love.

Paul in writing to the Philippians said, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). It may sound simple, but try putting it into practice daily, it is extremely challenging. This is exactly what the Lord Jesus taught us to do. This is where we get the acronym J-O-Y (Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last.

Giving preference to the needs, desires, and preferences of others is like the oil that lubricates our relationships with others. Husbands should give preference to their wives, and wives to their husbands; parents should give preference to their children, and children to their parents; employees should give preference to their bosses, and bosses to their employees; and all of us should preference to one another. It also means we should listen to the ideas and suggestions of others. The best teachers, coaches, and leaders illicit input from those under them. The best ideas are still the best ideas whether they come from us or others.

Can you imagine if every believer obeyed and applied this verse in genuine love all of the time? It is like coming to a four-way stop where each one must yield and take his or her turn. They recently put one in at a nearby Costco where they put in a Costco gas station right across the street from the store. Most people have managed it very well, but there is always the few that are very aggressive. It seems to me that we learned this lesson back in kindergarten or even preschool. It is a choice to give others the first choice. As Christians, we should be examples of this to others.

May we give preference to others in brotherly love and honor. It comes down to treating others as we wish to be treated. Jesus told us in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” The hymn writer wrote, “Yes, others, Lord, yes, others, let this my motto be; Help me to live for others, help me to live for others, that I might live for Thee, that I might live for Thee.”

Have a blessed day giving preference to others in love and honor. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace and mercy,

Dean

-May 23, 2022-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.”

(Psalm 92:12-14).

Throughout Scripture, believers in the Lord are likened to trees. Tree have their roots deeply in the ground, bear fruit continually, and live to be hundreds and even thousands of years old. In the Bible two trees in particular stand out among the many trees: the palm tree and the cedar in Lebanon. The former is unique in that just about every part of it is useful for man; and the latter are majestic for their beauty, strength, and longevity.

There are many wonderful trees in the world, such as the California redwoods and others that are amazing to behold. I recently read of the Bristlecone pines that are the oldest living trees. Several are estimated to be 3,000 to 5,000 years old. In 1957, scientist Edmund Schulman found one he named “Methuselah.” This tree is nearly 5,000 years old and was an old tree when the Egyptians were building the pyramids. Bristlecone pines live in the Western United States at elevations of 10,000 to 11,000 feet. They are able to withstand the harshest living conditions on earth: arctic temperatures, fierce winds, thin air, and little rainfall. Like these amazing trees, God sends hardships in our lives to produce extraordinary strength and staying power.

As believers, we are like these Bristlecone pine trees. We grow strongest and most fruitfully through the severest trials. Here in our text we are told that we still bear fruit in old age. We are tough old trees that maintain our usefulness. Twice the word flourish is used and once the word flourishing is used. The word flourish is defined as, “of a person, animal, or other living organism) to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment.” God knows what the best environment is for us to grow and flourish for His glory.

We grow best planted by rivers of living water. We need God’s Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, trials, hardships, afflictions, and pain. God knows the right balance of trials and blessings to help us grow and flourish. God’s trees are tough, tested, and tall. How are you growing and flourishing? I know that the Lord has deepened my roots in Jesus Christ through the years. He isn’t finished with me yet! Let the winds blow, the rain pour, and storms overspread the skies, but we will grow stronger and stronger in our Christian lives. The difference between usefulness and uselessness is found in the words full and less. Let’s be fresh and flourishing.

Have a blessed and fruitful day no what the circumstances may be. The Lord is so good. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean