Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-May 21, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of living God.’”

(John 6:68-69).

The backdrop of this passage is when many of the disciples of Jesus were offended by His words that He spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He wasn’t speaking literally but figuratively of partaking of Him. They went back and walked with Him no more.

Jesus experienced rejection, and it had to hurt, but it had to hurt. It is tragic that that were those who walked away after hearing His words and witnessing His miracles. These were not true believers or they would not have dropped out.

The rich young ruler was such a man. He came to Jesus seeking the way of eternal life. Jesus knew his heart was on his riches. Jesus told him to go sell all he has and follow Him and he would have treasure in heaven. It was too much for him to give up and he walked away sad.

Jesus turned to the twelve and asked, “Do you also want to go away?” Peter was always outspoken, not always in good way. But here he speaks for himself and the group, “Lord, to whom shall go? You have the words of eternal life.”

As believers, disciples of Christ, we choose Jesus now and forever. The anonymous hymn writer wrote, “I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.”

True believers have a sense of permanence. They keep going for Christ and with Christ no matter what. It could be cancer or some other severe health condition; it could be the loss of someone we love; it could be the loss of a job, a home, or a car. Nothing and no one is as important to us than Jesus who loves us.

Have a blessed day following Jesus no turning back. Stay safe and healthy.

When Jesus saves you and changes your life, you follow Him through all earthly strife.

Dean

-May 20, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

(James 1:12).

Every day we experience trials and temptations. We need God’s grace to get through these times and be victorious. The big difference between trials and temptations is the source of them. God is the source of our trials; the devil is the source of our temptations.

God is holy and righteous; He has nothing to do with evil nor does He want us to fall into sin. It is a non-stop battle that we fight against our sinful flesh until the Lord takes us home to heaven. Temptation itself is not sin, but giving into it is.

Joseph is a perfect example of one who endured temptation and fled from it, as well as endured trials that tested and built his faith. Jesus in His humanity faced the devil’s temptations and stood strong in God’s truth which He quoted to send the devil packing.

Temptations always compel us to make the wrong decisions and take what is not God’s will for us. James explains how we are tempted from within. James 1:14 says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.”

Once we give sin an inch, it takes a mile. It starts with entertaining a thought, and leads to giving our flesh what it wants, when it wants it. The devil always appeals to our fleshly desires. This was the case with Eve even though God gave her everything good, she took the forbidden fruit and gave it also to her husband Adam. All people since have the sinful nature and sin against God.

We as believers have two natures: the old nature and the new nature. It often starts with a little compromise. We must seek the Lord in prayer and His Word.

Let us endure temptations and in the end we will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Have a blessed and victorious day over temptation and sin. Stay safe and healthy.

We must flee from temptation, and flee to Jesus our strong Deliverer.

Dean

-May 19, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“And in every work that he begun in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart.”

(2 Chronicles 31:21).

Hezekiah was one of the best kings in Israel. After David, he is next in godliness before the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29:2 aptly describes him, “And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.”

Hezekiah was the son of a very ungodly King Ahaz, and the father of Manasseh, who was the worst king of all. King Hezekiah stood out for his reforms, his cleansing of the temple, his restoration of true worship, and revived the celebration of Passover.

He honored God and God prospered him as he did Joseph, Joshua, and David. He wasn’t perfect, none of us are, but he sought the Lord and did what was right in His sight.

We often associate prosperity with money and material things, and God can prosper us in these things; but the greatest prosperity is spiritual. God told Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and the you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

Obedience, faith, trust, dedication, commitment, and submission lead us to godly living and to be pleasing to God. I would rather prosper spiritually than materially or financially.

Have a blessed day honoring God with all you have. Stay and healthy.

Honor God and He will honor you, obey Him and always remain true.

Dean

-May 18, 2025-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“Then said to them, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up His cross daily, and follow Me.’”

(Luke 9:23).

Jesus suffered and died on the cross; the instrument of death brought us life. It has been called the “The Old Rugged Cross.”

As believers we are called on to take up our cross and follow Christ. C.H. Spurgeon once said, “There are no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.” Are we willing to take up our cross daily?

Sometimes our crosses seem too heavy to bear, but God gives us grace. Our cross is a cross of suffering, pain, sorrow, and affliction. Paul had his thorn in the flesh and bore hardship, privation, and persecution.

I have a plaque in my home called, “The Shortened Cross,” which has the following words: “A pilgrim was making his way to the Promised Land. He was carrying his Master’s cross, a burden he cheerfully accepted. Becoming weary, the pilgrim paused to rest. As he basked in the sunlight, he watched a woodsman nearby hew a tree in the forest. ‘Good friend,’ called the pilgrim, may I use your axe to shorten my cross? As I journey, it grows heavier.’ ‘Indeed,’ cried the woodsman, and without hesitation, he obliged.

The pilgrim travelled on, making much progress. The cross was shorter now, and his burden lighter. In no time at all, the Promised Land was in sight. Drawing near, he saw that a deep gulf separated him from the glories beyond. He would use the cross to span the divide.

Though he struggled mightily to span the divide with the cross, it fell short by the very amount he had removed. Suddenly, with tears streaming down his face, he awoke; it had been a dream. Clutching the cross to his breast, the pilgrim pressed on. The cross was just as heavy, but its burden lighter.”

Our cross may seem too heavy for us, but it is just the right size and weight for us. Have a blessed day bearing your cross. Stay safe and healthy.

A different cross would never due, for the one you bear is just for you.

Dean

-May 17, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

(Psalm 56:3).

Trusting Jesus is such a simple and beautiful thing. Though the concept is not complex nor difficult to understand, putting it into practice is another story. The more we fear, the more we need to trust in Jesus.

Did you ever know notice how easy things are when we aren’t under pressure and everything is going well? It is much harder to trust when things are hard, going against us, and things seem to be impossible. This is really where our trust is tested.

I lead the singing at our church and it is a great blessing and responsibility. I get to choose what congregational hymn we will sing at our Sunday morning service. I love to sing hymns, and there are quite a few of them on trusting God.

The hymn writer Louisa M. R. Stead wrote a wonderful hymn entitled, “‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” The fourth stanza says, “I’m so glad I learned to trust Him, precious Jesus, Savior, Friend; And I know that He is with me, He’ll be with me to the end.” The chorus says, Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!”

We can trust Jesus because He is perfectly trustworthy; He is in complete control; and He loves us with an everlasting love. He has never failed us nor will He ever fail us. Trusting Jesus is a lifelong lesson we learn and grow in.

Have a blessed day trusting Jesus. Stay safe and healthy.

Pastor Jaime Cranston said, “We don’t need more from Jesus, we need more of Jesus.”

Dean