Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-March 14, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

(Philippians 4:9).

I have found the best way to learn something is to hear it, see it, write it down, apply it, and practice it. This is especially true of the Word of God.

Paul wrote the epistle to the Philippians, the book of living joy, from prison. It is both personal and practical. Paul was an excellent Bible teacher. He loved the saints so much and wanted them to get it. He mentions four important ways to take in God’s truth: hear, receive, learn, and see. I put them in the order that that seems to fit best.

1. Hear – God gave us two ears to hear. Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9)! To really hear, we must listen. It takes concentration and focus. There is nothing more important than the Word, but listening to hymns and praise and worship songs are also very profitable and encouraging.

2. Receive – Once we hear and listen, we must embrace it and believe it. The words must get past our ears and reach the heart. To receive something is to take it in and understand it. Job 22:22 says,”Receive, please instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.”

3. Learn – Once we hear and receive it, we must learn it. Learning requires both a teacher and a student. I have learned so much from my teachers and mentors in the Lord; in fact, I am still learning at age 67. Proverbs 1:5 says, “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.”

4. See – Seeing the truth practiced by our preachers and teachers helps is to follow it in our lives. Paul wrote, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” None of us are perfect, but we should try our best to show Christ in our words and actions.

When we follow this simple, yet important steps, God will give us peace in our hearts and lives. Have a blessed day hearing, receiving, learning, and seeing. Stay safe healthy.

From the ears to the heart, is where we must start.

Dean

-March 13, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.”

(Philippians 4:2).

It seems there were sisters in the fellowship in the church in Philippi who couldn’t get along: Euodia and Syntyche.

We don’t know what the conflict and argument was about, but it had reached the ears of Paul in his Roman prison cell. It must of serious for Paul to intervene.

It is always sad when two believers can’t get along. Sometimes discussions can turn to arguments, and arguments can turn to feuds. Even the apostles had disagreements and disputes over who was the greatest. Paul himself had a sharp disagreement with Barnabas over taking John Mark with them after John had left them and went home.

The key to any discussion between believers is show the love of Christ, to be patient, to not make it personal, and to be humble, respectful, and gentle.

We don’t know how the matter turned out, but I would like to think each apologized to each other and made up; the fellowship was restored. They may have even become close friends.

These principles apply to all relationships and with all people. Some people are hard to get along with. In such cases, God gives greater grace.

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

Love covers a multitude of sins.

Dean

-March 12, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

(Deuteronomy 14:2).

Israel was and God’s earthly people. They were both privileged and responsible to represent Him in this world. We as believers in Christ are His heavenly people; we are blessed even more.

You and me are special to the Lord Jesus for He loved us and gave Himself for us to bring us life eternal and abundant. He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. All things belong to us because we belong to Christ (See 2 Peter 1:3; 1 Corinthians 3:21-23).

Notice how special we are to our Savior in today’s verse, we are holy, chosen, and special to Him. We are so blessed above all the peoples of the earth; not because we are better than anyone else, but because we are saved by grace through faith in Christ.

• A holy people – Before we were saved were nothing resembling holy; we were lost, separated from God, dead in transgressions and sins, living for ourselves apart from God. Jesus died and shed His blood to bring us near God as His holy people.

Peter wrote, “But as He called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Living holy lives means we are separated from the world and set apart for the Lord.

• A chosen people – This is an amazing truth to consider that Christ would choose us in Christ before the foundation of the Lord. Jesus told His disciples John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” We should never forget this in whatever we are going through.

• A special people – The Lord has made His special people, a special treasure. In 1 Peter 2:9-10 we read, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” We are special to the Lord. We are royalty because we are children of the God.

Let us rejoice in our position in Christ as a holy, chosen, special people. Because of this high position, let us lives for the Lord, by the Lord, and with Lord today and every day. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Live like Christ in word and deed, for we are His people, of His holy seed.

Dean

-March 11. 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made is better.”

(Ecclesiastes 7:3).

What makes sorrow better than laughter? I know I would rather laugh than cry; I am sure you would concur. But God looks at things differently than we do.

Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. He was known as the Preacher and here in chapter 7 he speaks of certain things are better than others.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways’ says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”

God considers what is best in our lives and brings more good from sorrow and than from pleasure. Sorrow draws us closer to the Lord, pleasure doesn’t have that same effect. It is not to say everyone doesn’t need some laughter and pleasure; we definitely do, but it shouldn’t be the dominant force in our lives.

It is interesting that we read of Jesus weeping but nothing of Him laughing or joking. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus and over the city of Jerusalem for their rejection of His love and grace. Sorrow makes the heart better and helps us rely on Christ not ourselves; it teaches us so many lessons.

Robert Browning Hamilton wrote, “I walked a mile with Pleasure, she chattered at the way, but left me none the wiser, for all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow, and not a word said she; but oh, the things I learned from her when Sorrow walked with me.”

There is greater value in pain than pleasure; in sorrow than laughter; in seriousness than in levity. God makes our hearts better and stronger through the hard times.

Have a blessed day whether in joy or sorrow, for He brings joy through sorrow. Stay safe and healthy.

The Man of Sorrows knows how we feel and what we are going through because He went through them as we do and will see us through.

Dean

-March 10, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”

(Micah 7:7).

It is easy to look to others for our confidence and help. Today’s verse shows the true source of our confidence is in the Lord.

The Lord always has time for us and hears us; you don’t need an appointment. He already knows what we need and when we need it. There are two things we can do: look to the Lord and wait for Him. Both are in tandem with each other.

Everything demands our attention in this hectic, fast paced world. We see many things around us on a daily basis. We can’t see the Lord with our natural eyes, but we can see Him with the eyes of our heart.

Another of the hymns I love so much is, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus written by Helen H. Lemmel. The chorus says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Looking to the Lord takes both effort and desire. Yesterday I panicked when I lost my wallet. I had just given a message on faith yesterday morning at church and I believe the Lord was testing me to see how I would handle this situation, not as well as I would have liked. I prayed earnestly that I would find it. When I couldn’t find it at home I figured it must have fallen out at the restaurant where we had lunch after church. So I jumped in my car in search of my wallet. The pants I wear do have short pockets.

When I arrived at the restaurant I looked first where I sat earlier but I couldn’t find it. Then I asked the proprietor if anyone had found a wallet. He said no. I was thinking I would have to cancel my debit and credit cards, get a new drivers license, and all the rest. I walked out in sadness, but thought I am going to look one more time inside the restaurant. Sure enough I found it. It had fallen out of my pocket and into a crevice behind the booth where I was sitting. It was not easily seen, but there it was, fully intact. I felt such relief and learned an important lesson to look to the Lord, trust in Him, and wait upon Him, and never give up looking.

Let us then look to the Lord in our times of need, yes, even when things are going well. It reminds me of the parable of the Lost Coin in Luke 15. She had 10 special coins and lost one of them. She swept the house and turned it upside down. She finally found it and rejoiced and her neighbors rejoiced with her.

Have a blessed day looking to Jesus and keeping our eyes on Him. Stay safe and healthy.

One look to Jesus is better than a thousand looks anywhere else.

Dean