Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-July 16, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.”

(Acts 9:23-24).

Everyone loves to hear about a great escape, especially an escape from death. There are many great escapes in the Bible. Noah, Jacob, Moses, the two Israelite spies in Jericho, Daniel and his three friends, David, Elisha, Jesus, and Peter, just to name a few.

There is a great movie from 1963, entitled “The Great Escape.” In it Allied prisoners dug a tunnel by hand through the dirt and escaped the Nazi POW camp. The story of Saul, later called Paul rivals it. It would make a great movie!!

Saul had just been saved on the road to Damascus. He spent quite a while in that city preaching, proving that Jesus is the Christ. Some loved him, but the Jews hated him, and plotted to silence him by killing him.

The Jews basically locked down the city, carefully watching it day and night. It seemed impossible for him to escape, but as we know, nothing is impossible with God. I am sure that the saints in Damascus joined in earnest prayer for Saul. The Lord gave them wisdom to devise a great plan for Saul’s escape. At night they lowered him down the wall of the city in a large basket. That had to be one large and heavy basket!

Their plan worked to perfection. God had plans for him to be a great apostle, writer, preacher, teacher, and missionary. The Lord had said to Ananias, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My sake’” (Acts 9:15-16).

How different church history would been if the Jews succeeded in their destructive plot! God protected Paul in a major way.

Let us thank the Lord we have escaped spiritual death through the death of Christ on the cross. He may have even spared us from physical death at some point or points in our lives. I know He did that for me on at least three occasions.

Have a blessed day resting in the Lord’s protection and blessing. Stay safe and healthy.

A believer is immortal until his work on earth is done.

Dean

-July 15, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.”

(Psalm 16:6).

David wrote psalm 16 speaking of God’s faithfulness in the past, present, and future. In today’s verse, David wrote, “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places…” God’s faithful blessings flow to us like a torrent and overflow like a swollen river.

Psalm 16:5 says, “O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.” The analogy here of the lot and the inheritance would be a reminder to the Israelites of how the land was apportioned when they entered the Promised Land. Each tribe had a lot that was measured, and each person had a their own lot within their tribes’ inheritance.

In Christ, we don’t just have a portion of Christ and His kingdom, we have it all. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. We have an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and reserved in heaven for us. Because of what Christ did for us on the cross, our future is bright and our eternity is even brighter. As our Pastor Adel always say, “The best is yet to come.”

Can we not say that Christ has made our lives pleasant, sweet, and rich in Him? God retains us, sustains us, and maintains us. We are His sheep under the care of our Shepherd.

Have a blessed and pleasant day. Stay safe and healthy.

Let us praise and thank Him for the life He has given us.

Dean

-July 14, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’”

(Acts 17:28).

Paul visited Athens while waiting for his traveling companions to join him. With time in his hands and a burden on his heart for the Athenians, he toured the city and spoke to the people.

Paul found the city, “given over to idols” It can be translated, “full of idols.” They worshipped false gods and spent their lives pursuing hearing, and telling some new thing. They even had one shrine with the inscription, “To the unknown God.” Paul used that to preach Christ and the resurrection to them.

Paul tells them the our God is the one true and living God who created us and maintains our lives. He says, “for in Him we live and move and have our being.” Idols can’t do that nor any other gods that man has created.

God gives us life, physical and spiritual; He gives us mobility and the true meaning and purpose in life. In a sense, life for us as believers begins when we are born again. Anything before that was merely surviving in this world, but not truly living life to its fullness.

Paul made the wonderful declaration in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live us Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). We can truly say, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” We live as long as He gives us breath. Our hope is beyond this world, beyond the grave.

Let us thank the Lord for physical and spiritual life. We aren’t just surviving, we are thriving in this world. Have a blessed day living for the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

Christ gives life to the lifeless, help to the helpless, and hope to the hopeless.

Dean

-July 13, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him”

(Psalm 8:4).

David wrote the eighth psalm on the glory of God in creation. You can imagine David and the men who were with being out in the wilderness with time to ponder the mighty works of God.

Psalm 8:3, the verse prior to our text, says, “When I consider Your heavens, and the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You ordained.” David often considered the greatness and glory of God, he realized how small and insignificant he was compared to how big God and great His is.

David asked, “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You visit him?” He wrote these words hundreds of years before the Lord Jesus Christ was born into the world. Jesus was both mindful of us and He visited us.

The word mindful is defined as, “bearing in mind; inclined to be aware.” in other words, God took notice of us and our need to be loved and forgiven. He knows our name, He inscribes us on the palms of His hands, He counts the number of hairs on our head.

He not only is mindful of us, but He visits us. The Hebrew word translated visit, could be rendered, “give attention to or care for.” Our Lord comes to where we are to help us, guide us, and provide for us. He visited our tiny planet earth that He had created and the people He made in His own image.

It is very humbling to think that God knows me and cares for me so much. David asked another great question in 2 Samuel 7:18, “…Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You brought me this far?” David was amazed at how God considered him and brought him to this point in his life.

May we pause to remember who God is and what He has done for us. Have a blessed Lord’s Day. Stay safe and healthy.

When we ask why, it should be why did He love us and care for us, sinners saved by grace.

Dean

-July 12, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

(Matthew 6:10).

The first request in the Lord’s Prayer is, “Your will be done.” We have heard many sermons and sung songs on the Lord’s Prayer. Of all the Scriptures, most people know and quote the 23rd Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer is the model prayer for it begins with worship and ends with kingdom, power, and glory. The believer in Christ wants to please and glory the Lord. To do this we must do the will of God.

Yesterday I had an appointment to meet with the surgeon regarding my hernia. I was hoping the doctor would say it isn’t big enough to be concerned with. I prayed to the Lord and surrendered it to Him, whether it was for surgery or no surgery.

The surgeon examined me throughly and strongly recommended surgery. I had such peace knowing it is God’s will, and that He will give me sufficient grace. There are risks in any surgery, but I am in the hands of the Lord. They will call me to schedule a date. Please pray for me.

There are three keys to the will of God: desiring the will of God; determining the will of God; and doing the will of God. They sound easy but they aren’t, especially the doing part. We must always fight against our flesh which wants its own way.

Someone once said, “When God bolts the door, don’t try to get in through the window. The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”

We must accept God’s will for our good and His glory. His will and timing are perfect. I preach it, I’d better practice it. It takes faith and trust in our faithful and powerful God.

Have a blessed day desiring, determining, and doing the will of God. Peace and joy will follow. Stay safe and healthy.

The best place to be on earth is in the center of God’s will.

Dean