Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-July 9, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday, our 400 straight day of devotions. All glory to God.

-God Is Able And More Than Able-

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask our think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

(Ephesians 3:20-21).

Mankind has made some amazing strides in the fields of medicine, science, technology, engineering, athletics, and many other arenas, yet nothing can compare to what God can do. He is perfect in His power, knowledge, and wisdom. He exceeds and far exceeds anything we can imagine or dream of.

I watched many science fiction TV shows in years past that I thought were amazing. We have either superseded them or are on our way to fulfilling them. However nothing can compare to God and what He has already done. God created the heavens and the earth, the stars, all living creatures, and man, his crowning jewel in His own image.

We often run into situations that are impossible. We see no way out, we have no answers, no solutions. Today’s verses remind us just how powerful God is. He is able and more than able. There is nothing that God cannot do. There are two important truths in our text: He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, and His power works in us. When God does a miracle in our lives it is for His glory and for our good. We are amazed at such miracles in the Scriptures as the parting of the Red Sea, David’s slaying of Goliath, the walls of Jericho coming down, the virgin birth of Christ, the feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000, turning the water into wine, and the resurrection of Christ.

• He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think – We are children of the Most High God. We pray to Him who is omnipotent. We limit God by our doubt and unbelief. The people of Jesus’ home town of Nazareth did not believe in Him but rejected Him. They knew Him and his earthly family who came from humble origins. He was a carpenter and the son of a carpenter. Mark 6:5-6 says, “Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief.” It is amazing how man’s unbelief hindered divine omnipotence! Even Jesus marveled at their unbelief.

We who are saved have seen God’s power in our lives. He is not only able to do anything we ask or think but go exceedingly abundantly above it. We often ask so little when God wants to give us so much. Someone rightfully concluded that one day in heaven God will show us all the things we could have had if only we had asked in faith. It is enough to fill warehouses full of things. James wrote, “…yet you do not have because you do not have” (James 4:4c).

• According to the power that works in us – God chooses to display His power through our weakness. It is then that He gets all the glory. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” The twelve disciples are a great example of this. Jesus chose uneducated, untrained men such as fisherman and tax collector, and others, and through them turned the world upside down.

These are both great things: God’s ability and God’s ability through our inability; God’s strength and His strength through our weakness. Let us ask God for great things, for this honors Him and brings glory to His name. Paul said, “to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

The song writers Gregory Ferguson and Rory Nolan wrote, “ He is able, more than able, to accomplish what concerns me today. He is able more than able to handle anything that comes my way. He is able more than able to do much more than I could ever dream. He is able more than able to make me me what He wants me to be.”

Have a blessed day and weekend asking God for great things and trusting in Him. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 8, 2021-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

-Being Filled With Joy And The Holy Spirit-

“And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.”

(Acts 13:52).

The Christians in early church were new, growing, and serving the Lord with great excitement. Souls were getting saved, autonomous local churches with elders and deacons were being established, the Word of God was being taught, prayer was offered up to God, the believers were being edified and strengthen, and of course there was opposition and persecution.

Acts 2:42 gives the simple structure for the gatherings of believers, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. The saints had such a great love for one another, had all things in common, sold their possessions and distributed the proceeds to those in need. There was unity in their diversity. When Peter preached the gospel on the Day of Pentecost, three thousand souls were saved and another two thousand were added the next day to make five thousand. Satan opposed them and the Jews persecuted them, but they continued on in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle James was martyred as was Stephen, one of the first deacons. Still they stood strong in Christ. They shared the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the remotest parts of the earth.

Our text tells us that the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. In the NT, being filled in this context is “to be controlled by.” Joy is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When someone gets saved he or she is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit takes residence in our hearts and changes our lives. To be filled with the Spirit is to be controlled and led by the Spirit. This depends on our submission and surrender to the Lord. There is joy in the Lord Jesus.

• They were filled with joy – The believers were filled with joy because Jesus Christ was their Lord and Savior. Joy is not the same as happiness. The former is based on our relationship to Christ, the latter on our happenings or circumstances. Circumstances change on a daily or hourly basis; our relationship with Jesus never changes. He gives us the inner joy no matter what we are going through at the time. Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I will say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). We have the reservoir of joy, but we must choose to rejoice always.” Someone once said, “Pain in enviable, misery is optional.” The joy of the Lord is our strength. It is our choice to rejoice. We choose to rejoice in the Lord.

• They were filled with the Holy Spirit – As I mentioned, being filled with the Holy Spirit is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Emotions are involved, but it it goes far behold emotion. The Spirit leads us, empowers us, and inspires us. He shows us Christ and helps us live for Him and serve Him. The Spirit is the means through which we share and preach the gospel, teach the word, and encourage others.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:18-21, “And do not be drunk with wine which dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” The Spirit filled life is the Christ centered life. Just as alcohol controls someone’s life and they do things they wouldn’t normally do, so too, the Holy Spirit controls our thoughts, words, and actions so we can please the Lord in all things.

May the Lord help us to be filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. The only thing that interferes with it is sin. That is why we must keep short accounts with the Lord by confessing and forsaking our sin. When we are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit people will notice our Christlike lives and will be impacted. When you overfill a glass with water, it spills over. We want our joy in Jesus to spill over to others.

Have a blessed day of joy in Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 7, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-The Lord Is With Us For Our Good-

“As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

(Psalm 18:30).

Psalm 18 is a rich and beautiful psalm. With 50 verses, it is the second longest psalm. It was written by David after God delivered him from the hand of Saul. The title of this psalm is: “God the Sovereign Savior.” Nearly the same words are found in 2 Samuel 22.

David walked closely with the Lord, trusted in Him, and was victorious in all his battles. Today’s text summarizes how he felt about God’s constant care. We find here God’s perfect way, proven word, and protection.

• His way is perfect – God is perfect and His ways are perfect. We often use the word perfect in our language, but few if anything in this world is perfect and sinful man is far from perfect. God never makes mistakes and never fails. He is sovereign, meaning He is King and everything He does is right, just, and fair. Thus we should never complain or second guess His decisions. Our knowledge of anything is at best limited, God’s knowledge is limitless and perfect. Even when God’s will doesn’t sense to us, it is always right and His timing is the best.

• His word is proven – The word of the Lord is proven. Over and over in both the OT and the NT, God’s word shows us promises kept, principles that work, and amazing answers to prayers. The Bible speaks to every subject and offers answers to our questions, solutions to our problems, and guidance for our decisions.

• His shield is our protection – He is a shield to those who trust in him. David fought with sword and shield. The former was offensive and the latter was defensive. Nonetheless, David knew God was his protection. When Satan complained that God protected Job from and hardship, he said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land” (Job 1:9-10). Satan had to get God’s permission to touch him. The Lord is our shield. One part of our spiritual armor is the shield of faith, by which we can quench as the fiery darts or as can be translated flaming missiles of the evil one.

It is so encouraging to know that the Lord is with us day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. He does not leave alone to fend for ourselves in this world. His way is perfect, His word is proven, and His shield is protective. Let us thank Him every day for taking such good care of us. The hymn writer Martin Luther wrote, “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He — Lord Sabaoth His name, from age to age the same, and He must win the battle.”

Have a blessed and victorious day trusting in God’s power and presence. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 6, 2021-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

-The Words Of Christ Will Never Pass Away-

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

(Matthew 24:35).

Matthew 24 and 25 deal with the end of times and the coming of the Lord. Jesus prepared His people for the events so that everyone will known and be prepared. The tribulation will follow the Rapture and will primarily be focused on Israel. Jesus teaches the parable of the fig tree to illustrate when His Second Coming to earth will be. Israel is likened to a fig tree. When its leaves are tender then summer is near. When all the signs in these verses are fulfilled His coming is very near.

The words of Jesus are eternal and all will be fulfilled in God’s timing. We see all the signs around us today, both in Israel and throughout the world. The generation of Israel since restoration as a country in 1948 will not pass away until all is fulfilled. Jesus tells us only the Father knows the day of His Second Coming. He also says that everything on earth will continue as normal until He comes.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:37-39, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

The Lord’s coming will be like a thief in the night. He will come at a time when no one thinks He will. He will come suddenly. As Christians we need to be waiting, watching, and working until our Lord comes to take us to heaven. The time is short. Jesus told us in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, the flesh is weak.” God has given us His Word to instruct us, warn us, and encourage us in these last days.

Will the Lord find us faithful when He comes? 1 John 2:28 says, “And now little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” Let us stand for and on the Word of God, no matter what people may say. Christianity is becoming less popular and so few are standing for the truth.

Have a blessed day living by the Word and sharing it with others. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 5, 2021-

Good morning, happy Monday,

God Sees Our Ways And Counts Our Steps-

“Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps.”

(Job 31:4).

Presidents, CEO’s, and in fact all of us are very busy in life; yet none can compare to how busy God is. He is always working, especially on behalf of His people. Job was aware of God’s constant involvement in his life. He puts it in the form of two rhetorical questions: Does He not see my ways and count my all my steps?

In the book of Job, his friends contended that these great trials and afflictions were as a result of Job’s sin; Job sharply disagreed and maintained his innocence and righteousness. His friends were wrong, but this did not justify Job. All of us are sinners. God intervened and showed His power and glory. God told Job to pray for his friends that they would be restored. God restored what Job had lost and even more so that his end was better than his beginning.

The book of Job answered the age long question, “Why do the righteous suffer?” God uses trials to test and grow our faith, make us more dependent on Him, and keep us humble. Trials are painful but in the end yield great eternal results in our lives.

• God sees our ways – There is no where we can go to escape God’s presence or avoid being seen by Him. He not only sees everything we do but knows our thoughts, motives, desires, and attitudes. This was true of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God saw them with they both took the forbidden fruit. When God called Adam and said to him, “Where are you.” God knew where he was and what He had done. but he wanted Adam and Eve to realize where they were at and to repent.

David was fully aware of God’s presence and His ever seeing eye. He wrote in Psalm 139:7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” We never need to be afraid of God watching us. He loves us so much. Our goal should be to always do what is right in His sight.

• God counts all our steps – Nowadays, we have so many devices that can count our daily steps. I track mine every day. God doesn’t need man’s technology, He counts our every step. He knows where we have gone and what we have done. Job 34:21 says, “For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.” God knows us so well He even knows the number of hairs on our heads and collects our tears in His bottle.

We thank God for His love and care. One of my favorite hymns is “God Will Take Care of You,” written by Civilla D. Martin. The fourth verse says, “No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean weary one upon His breast, God will take care of you.” The chorus says, “God will take of you, through every day, o’er all the way; He will take care of you, God will take care of you.”

God sees our ways and counts our steps. He desires the very best for us and cares for us day by day and moment by moment. He also uses angels to care for us and protect us. We can’t see them but they are always there as God messengers and ministers.

Have blessed day in every step of the journey, thanking God for His loving care. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean