Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-July 26, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call you.’”

(Acts 24:25).

Paul preached gospel everywhere he went. He shared his personal testimony of how Christ saved him. He spoke to Roman government authorities and Jewish religious leaders, to men and to women, the great and the small.

Acts 9:14 says, “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. Felix the Roman governor was moved by the Word of God, and was so close to receiving Christ. His problem was fear of what others might think of him, a man of his position.

Felix tells Paul, …Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call you.” Procrastination is never good, especially when it comes to Christ. No one knows whether they will have another chance. As far as we know, he never got saved. He was replaced by Porcius Festus. He lost the opportunity by putting if off to a “convenient time.” He in effect was saying, “Don’t call me, I’ll call you.”

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:2, quoting Isaiah 49:8, “For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”’There is no better time than the present.

Even King Agrippa was ever so close to being saved, when he said to Paul in Acts 26:28, ‘You almost me to become a Christian.’” A convenient time may never come, and almost never is good enough.

The rich young ruler was close to faith in Christ as was a certain scribe who was “not far from the kingdom of heaven.” Even we as believers must beware of putting off decisions until another time, for the other time may never come. Only today is certain.

Have a blessed day. If you are almost persuaded or waiting for a better time, you may miss an eternal opportunity. Stay safe and healthy.

Today’s opportunities can slip through our hands like oil. This happened to five of the ten virgins in the parable Jesus told.

Dean

-July 25, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“Call upon the Lord in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

(Psalm 50:15).

This verse is our memory verse in this week’s Scripture Memory Class. It is so encouraging to our hearts. The main emphasis is how to handle our troubles.

There are two commandments and one promise in this beautiful verse. We often focus on God’s deliverance in the day of trouble, and rightly so, but we mustn’t overlook our responsibility: calling on the Lord and glorifying Him when He delivers us.

• Call upon the Lord in the Day of trouble – Certainly troubles will come to all of us at one time or another, sometimes every day. When trouble comes, how do we react? David also says in Psalm 86:7 a similar thought, “In the day of trouble I will call upon You. And He will answer me.”

In speaking of not worrying, Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care of its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). All we must do is call upon the Lord in the day of trouble. He is only a prayer away.

• I will deliver you – This the promise from God is to deliver us. His deliverance is not just sparing us from it, but taking us through it. His grace is always sufficient for us. Whatever God chooses to do for us, we should trust Him.

• You shall glorify Me – So many times we are quick to ask from the Lord but slow thank and glorify Him when He answers our prayers. God shows His power so that we will show our appreciation to Him. Sometimes it may be public at a prayer meeting and other times in our private daily devotions.

Let us then call upon the Lord when we face trouble, and glorify Him. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Lord, my troubles may be many or few; but let me always thank and glorify You.

Dean

-July 24, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”

(Psalm 37:23).

It is so comforting and encouraging to know that the Lord orders our steps. The word ordered can be rendered, “established.” The Lord is our Guide and establishes us on this journey of life.

Someone once said, “The Lord directs our steps and our stops.” He leads us like He did the Israelites in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. In those days, God led them by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

We don’t always understand why God directs us as He does and why. The Lord is in complete control of our lives. He never makes a mistake.

God delights in every step we take. He wants us to delight in Him as He delights in us. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

May we take every step in the Lord, with the Lord, and for the Lord.

Dean

-July 23, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

(Romans 12:18).

With all the conflict in this world, believers have a challenging responsibility to live peaceably with everyone. Sometimes it depends on us and at other times it depends more on other people.

We have all known people who are just plain hard to get along with no matter what we do. We can speak soft and gentle words, and show love and kindness, and still it doesn’t work. This why Paul says, “as much as depends on you.”’

Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Jesus said in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

May the Lord help us to behave like Christians in a non-Christian world. Our testimony of what Christ has done in our lives makes a huge impact on those who are unsaved. Let us pursue peace and live peaceably with all men.

Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Only those who have peace with God can live in peace with others.

Dean

-July 22, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”

(Psalm 34:8).

We can see by our knowledge and understanding that the Lord is good, but even more by personal experience. David, the author of this rich and beautiful psalm, walked with the Lord and praised and thanked him continually.

David found the Lord to be his rock, his deliverer, his fortress, his hiding place. He spent time with the Lord and trusted Him to see Him through. He said in Psalm 34:4, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” In fact, he uses this word, “Oh” three times in this psalm (verses 3, 8. 9).

This expression found in our verse today is so wonderful, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.” When you taste something that is toothy you want more. It may be for example, delicious ice cream. The expression is so true, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.”

When you taste the Lord, you want more of Him. Often, grocery or club stores offer free samples. It is just a small amount, just enough for you to get you to buy it so you can have more. Anyone tastes Jesus will want more and more of Him.

David also uses the word, “see.” We not only taste but we see the goodness of the Lord. God’s goodness is best seen in the trials we are going through. We don’t always know why we experience what we do, but we trust His goodness and love one day at a time.

Have a blessed day tasting and seeing Jesus. Stay safe and healthy.

We need more, we want more, and in Jesus we have all that He has in store.

Dean