Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-March 29, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory.”

(1 Corinthians 10:31).

In the context of this passage, Paul is speaking of the controversy in the early church over eating meat that had been offered to idols. Some said definitely not, while others thought there was nothing wrong with it. Meat sold at the local meat markets had both but they weren’t marketed.

Paul clearly stated, “Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; for ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.’” Satan always tries to cause division and strife between brothers and sisters in Christ.

In stead, Paul says, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” How much we need these words today, though our controversies center on different issues, the principles are the same: tolerance, understanding, and most of all love.

One should all to the glory of God and not stumble our brethren. This should be foremost in our minds at all times; if it’s doubtful, don’t do it; if it’s good do it all the more. The questions we should ask ourselves are, “is it glorifying to God? And, is it profitable and edifying to others?

Let our prayer be today to do all to the glory of God. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:17-18, “But he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.” We strive to please an audience of one: our Lord Jesus Christ. By doing so, we will benefit an audience of many people.

May we do all to the glory of God—whether at school, work, home, church, or wherever we are. Let us give our best effort to please the Lord. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Let it be our story, to do all to God’s glory.

Dean

-March 28, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”

(Nahum 1:7).

Yesterday we considered the first part of this wonderful verse, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble. We are going to face many days of trouble in our lives, but we are not alone, the Lord is with as our stronghold.

Today we will look at the second part of the verse which is such a blessing, “And He knows those who trust in Him.” The Lord knows those who are His people, those who love Him, and those who trust in Him.

Sometimes we may question the salvation of those who show no change in their lives and bear no fruit. Jesus said, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:18-20).

The Lord knows us throughly, even better than we know ourselves for He is our Creator, Savior, and Redeemer. He knows our thoughts and searches our hearts. He knows how we are wired and what makes us tick. I am old enough to remember when we had to actually wind our watches and if they needed service we had to take them to a watchmaker. For years my elderly great Uncle Albert used to repair watches out of his home. He knew all about watches, in and out.

2 Timothy 2:19 says, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’” Are we trusting Him or are we placing our confidence in man, measures, or mechanisms?

May the Lord help us to trust Him with all the details of our lives, relying fully on Him, and walking by faith. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

As the hymn writer Edward P. Stiles wrote, “Simply trusting every day, trusting through a stormy way; even when my faith is small, trusting Jesus—that is all.”

Dean

-March 27, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”

Nahum is a book that shows God’s pronouncement of judgment on the city of Nineveh. God sent the prophet Jonah to Nineveh to proclaim God’s truth to all wicked, sinful people there. The king and all 120,000 inhabitants repented and God heard them, accepted them, and relented of His judgment on them.

(Nahum 1:7).

In the midst of judgment, today’s verse is found. The Ninevites received God’s mercy and grace. Fast forward about a hundred years and we find that they had forgotten their revival and turned back to their sinful and idolatrous ways.

The Lord is good to all of us and He is always merciful and gracious. As I have quoted before, “God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.

Whether we go thru good times or bad times, He is good. He is a stronghold in the day of trouble. God is able and more than able to come to our rescue. The word stronghold is defined as, “a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack.” God is our refuge, our fortress, our deliverer.

The devil does his utmost to temp us, attack us, discourage us each and every day. He never quits or takes time off. God invites us to draw near and rely fully on Him.

Let us savor His goodness and rely on His power. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Tomorrow: God Knows Those Who Trust In Him.

-March 26, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’”

(Mark 7:37).

Jesus came into the world to save sinners and change people’s lives forever. The common people loved Him and listened to Him and witnessed His miracles. They reacted as you would expect: “they were astonished beyond measure.”

The people testified of Jesus, “He has done all things well.” Of course, He was rejected by the scribes and Pharisees, whom Jesus rebuked as “blind leaders of the blind, and hypocrites.” But even so, they could find nothing valid against Him.

Can we not also say, “He has done all things well in our lives?” I know I can! He healed the sick, gave the blind their sight, and caused the mute to speak; He cleansed the lepers and raised the dead; He made the lame to walk. He truly did all things well.

Gregory of Nazianzus said of Jesus in A.D. 381, “He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life. He ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water. He was weary, yet He is our rest. He paid tribute, yet He is the King. He was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons. He wept, yet He wipes away our tears. He was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd. He died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.”

Let us fall down before Him and worship our wonderful Savior. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Jesus continues to do all things well.

Dean

-March 25, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore.”

(Psalm 105:4).

Seeking the Lord is the best thing we can do today. God is so pleased when we desire to spend time with Him in worship, praise, and thanksgiving. This is why the anonymous psalmist says, “Seek His face evermore.”

It is so easy to seek His hand more than His face. Too often we spend most of our prayer times making requests. Sometimes in life people only come to you when they need something. How do feel? Wouldn’t it be great if they came around just to say hi and see how I am doing? How must the Lord feel when all we do is ask, ask, ask.

Nothing is wrong with supplication for our needs, we should ask, but our most first thoughts and priorities should be to praise Him for who He is. This question we should ask ourselves, “Do I seek the Lord’s face or His hand?” Psalm 27:8 says, “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I will seek.’”

The first words of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-10 are, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we come into His presence and seek His face, our focus becomes the Lord not ourselves.

Let us always remember who the Lord is and what He has done for us. The Lord knows what we need even before we ask. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Of the ten lepers cleansed by Jesus, only one returned to give thanks and fall at His feet.

Dean