Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-November 27, 2021-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”

(Ecclesiastes 9:10).

A happy man is a busy man, and a busy man is a happy man. This is true in the world, and especially in the Lord’s work. I try to live this way every day of my life. It makes the days go more quickly and brings me great joy. If I see something that needs to be done, I do it with the strength God has given me.

My mother used to always quote the saying, “Busy hands are happy hands. She worked for over 30 years for AT&T, then took retirement, then she opened her own business as a travel agent and worked for another 25 years, and is now fully retired. She is about to have her 94th birthday next week.

Hard work is fulfilling and satisfying indeed, but the Lord’s service even more so than anything else. When Jesus was in the world, He worked very hard as carpenter in Nazareth. Then at the age of 30 began His earthly ministry. He got up very early every morning and spent time in prayer. He came to do the Father’s will and He did it. I am sure He got tired and weary, but He kept on going. Wherever He went He covered a lot of miles. He healed and helped so many.

God gave us two hands to use. We just have to be available for His service. Yesterday is past, we can’t change it; tomorrow is future and we are not certain of it; but today we have to serve our Lord. I really believe the Lord has given me strength even as a young senior of 64. I served the Lord for many years while working at secular jobs. Now I am retired from work but never retired from the Lord’s work. They say “Time flies when you are having fun.” That is true, but even more, time flies with great joy when serving Jesus.

We all have ministries, but even if you don’t have a ministry in the church, we can still serve the Lord. Solomon tells us “whatever our hand finds to do, do it with your might…” Time is short, life is short, let’s get busy and stay busy. Sylvia, our pastor’s wife always says, “If you need something done, give it to a busy person.” Busy people for the Lord will get it done, faithfully and without complaint or excuses.

Have a blessed day using your two hands to meet needs, help people, and be hardworking servants. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-November 26, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

(Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Today’s verses were spoken by the Lord to His people Israel, though they have application to the conversation of a soul to Christ, and the change that God makes in a person’s life. Only God can save a person and change his life. He changes us from the inside out. 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes the miraculous change, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

When the Lord saves a soul, He takes our heart of stone, hard, stubborn, and unyielding; He gives in its place a soft, tender, surrendered heart. Oh, what a change! What a transformation! We all know how hard stone is and how hard it is break. Only the Lord can break us, our will, and our pride. On the other hand, we also know how soft and tender a baby’s skin is. When we get saved, there is a huge change in our lives. Our hearts are new, in fact all things are new.

We are not the same anymore. We have different desires, different friends, different motives, and a complete change of lifestyle. The things we once did while in our sins no longer has the lure it once had; Satan is no longer in control, Christ is our new boss. We want to live for Him, please Him, and serve Him. Once we were slaves to sin, now we are slaves to righteousness.

I know of a lady in our church whose husband is unsaved, and not only uninterested in gospel, but his heart is very hardened and resistant to the truth. He gives her such a hard time. We have been praying for him for years. There is hope because God is the God of hope. In fact it is actually easier to save someone like this than to save a person who thinks they are saved. Many people think they are good, and somehow their good deeds will outweigh their bad deeds and God will allow them into heaven. That is the worst fallacy in the world. Only those who come to Jesus, confess their sins, believe that He died for their sins, and receive Him as Lord and Savior, are saved. Sin must be paid for, and Jesus paid our sin debt in the cross.

My prayer for those who are unsaved is that they will humble themselves and come to Christ. They don’t know what the are missing. He gives us joy, peace, forgiveness, and eternal life. So often they say, “Why did I wait so long to receive Christ?” God will use them in the remaining years of their lives to serve Him, then when they die or the Rapture happens, will go to heaven to be with the Lord.

That familiar phrase, “He had a change of heart,” was never more true of a new believer in Christ. Old friends and others we live with, work with, or go to school will notice the change. They may say, “I am happy for you, but that’s not for me.” People whom we once hung out with, don’t want to hang out with us anymore. God gives us new friends, brothers and sisters in Christ who share our faith in the Lord. We are so incredibly happy and joyful in our new life. We are indwelt and led by the Holy Spirit. We no longer hunger for the things of this world, we have riches and blessings in Christ which are incredible and eternal!

That old sinful, hard heart is gone, and we have that new, soft, and loving heart in its place. We are still sinners, but sinners saved by grace. We still have the old nature but we now have a new nature which grows stronger and stronger through prayer, the Word, and fellowshipping with other believers especially in a sound Bible believing church. Let us rejoice that God gave a new heart of flesh, having taken away the old stony heart.

Have a blessed day following the Lord and leading others to salvation in Him. Let us obey the Lord and serve Him with all our hearts. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-November 25, 2021 – Thanksgiving Day-

Good morning, happy Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving Day,

“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(Ephesians 5:20).

Paul was a thankful man. He thanked the Lord for His salvation and for the many blessings God had bestowed on him. He once persecuted the Christians, but after he received Christ, he became a leader for the cause of Christ. He never forgot where he came from and what the Lord did in his life. Even while in prison for his faith he thanked God and rejoiced in the Lord.

Yesterday we discussed the verse: “In everything give thanks,” today we have “Giving thanks for all things.” When we remember who the source of our blessing is, our Heavenly Father, we are humbled because we do not deserve any of His blessings. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

We have so much to thank God for. The list is endless. We have spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, social, material, and financial blessings; we have schools, jobs, family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and brothers and sisters in Christ. We are thankful for our ministries and the ability we have to serve the Lord. The hymn writer Johnson Oatman, Jr wrote, “Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your many blessings, see what God has done.”

I find myself saying, “Thank You, Lord,” many times a day. Whether it is for a small thing or a big thing, and in any and all things. There are blessings everywhere even in hard times and difficulties. The Lord delights when we thank Him for everything. Today, as a nation we thank Him individually and collectively. It is good as we sit around the Thanksgiving table to share what we are thankful for. The Lord is so worthy of our thanks and praise.

The two key words in today’s verse are “thanks always.” One day a year is not enough to thank the Lord, one day a month is not enough, one day a week is not enough, and even once a day is not enough. The more we love Him, the more we thank Him, and the more we thank Him, the more we love Him.

Let us then thank the Lord today and everyday. May we thank in all things and for all things.

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving Day. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-November 24, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Today is the day before Thanksgiving which is a busy day for traveling by car, plane, or other means of transportation. As the nursery rhyme says, “Over the river and through woods to grandmother’s house we go.” Roads and airports will be packed. For those staying home, it will be a busy day of preparing the house, cooking, baking, and picking up last minute things. Sound familiar?

In the midst of our busyness, or shall I say hectic times, we need to remember what the day is all about. Yes, it is about family, food, and football, but more than that it is about pausing our busy lives to give thanks to God, who is the source of every blessing. It is much easier to thank God for all the good things and good times, but much more difficult to thank Him for our trials, hardships, and struggles. Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Not only do we need to thank God in everything, but it is God’s will for us. One of my favorite quotes is, “Pain is inevitable, misery is optional.” It takes a surrendered heart coupled with a grateful heart to make a joyful heart. When we realize that everything is from God, either His perfect will or His permissive will. He has a purpose for everything and works all things together for good to those who are the called according to His purpose, as Paul told us in Romans 8:28.

I heard a story years ago, given by a preacher whose son was a college running back for San Jose State University. I never forgot it. The young man was a believer and played his heart out. The seconds were ticking down at end of the game. He took the handoff and thundered toward the goal line, but he came up just a yard short and his team lost. He told his dad later, “It was sure hard to be thankful at that moment.” There are times in life we fail, come up short, lose, don’t get into our chosen college, don’t get the job or the promotion we’d hoped for, or any other disappointing circumstances. It shows our spiritual maturity when we can thank the Lord in all things. We thank Him He is in control and He knows what is best for us. Things could always be worse.

So as we thank the Lord, let us thank Him in everything, every time, and everyday. Not only will we be doing God’s will, but we will be giving Him glory. God’s clouds do have silver linings for those who look carefully for them. Rainbows appear on rainy days as the sun breaks through. There may not be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but there will be the sunshine of God’s grace.

Have a blessed pre-Thanksgiving Day and please take the time to thank God in everything, the bitter and the sweet. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

p.s. – Part II tomorrow will be “Thank God For Everything.”

-November 22, 2021-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

(Psalm 118:1).

Did you ever notice in the Bible that those who are the most tried are often the most thankful? Why is this? I believe that thanksgiving comes from a heart that loves the Lord and sees everything as coming from Him for a purpose. Just as there are four seasons, God allows changing seasons of our lives. We may bask in the warmth of summer, or experience the changes of autumn, or the chill of winter, or the newness of spring. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

Genesis 8:22 says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” God is good even in the cold, dark times, as well as the bright, sunny times. His mercy is everlasting. When we thank Him in true contentment and joy, He gives us peace and encouragement. Thanksgiving Day is quickly approaching this Thursday, and we have so much to be thankful for. We have experienced this Corona virus for such a long time, but praise be to God we are alive. He has provided for us all along the way. Many of us are looking forward to getting together as families once again to celebrate Thanksgiving. Praise be to God. The first thanksgiving by the pilgrims was fraught with cold, loss, and hardship, but they gave thanks that they made to this new land.

God’s goodness and mercy are ever present in our lives. David wrote in Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” David himself experienced pain, loss, difficulty, adversity, and hardship; yet he loved the Lord and thanked and praised Him continually. He praised God on the mountaintops and in the valleys; He praised God in the good times and in the bad times. He found the Lord to be his Lord and his Friend.

The hymn writer Seth Sykes wrote, “Thank you Lord for saving my soul, thank you Lord for making me whole; thank you Lord for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free.” The gift of our salvation should be at the top of our Thanksgiving list. Our list should be long for all our blessings.

Have a blessed day thanking God for His goodness and mercy and all He has done for us. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean