Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-March 4, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

(2 Corinthians 5:7).

Today’s is one the shortest verses in the Bible, but it packs a great punch and it is a great verse to live by. There many such verses in Scripture. We all need more faith in our walk with the Lord.

The apostles sensed their need of greater and stronger faith. They said to Jesus in Luke 17:5, “Lord, increase our faith.” We begin the Christian journey by believing in Jesus and receiving Him into our hearts. That is saving faith; then our faith grows through the trials that the Lord brings into our lives, which is faith to believe God where we are living in this world.

To walk by faith is to see beyond our circumstances and trust God one day step at a time. The eye of sight sees merely the difficulties, roadblocks, and challenges; the eye of faith looks beyond human sight to see who God is and what God can do.

Caleb was a man of faith. He was one the twelve spies that Moses sent to spy out the land of Canaan. Only he and Joshua brought a good report, the other ten brought a bad report. All twelve saw a very fruitful land but was occupied by giants in fortified cities.

Caleb challenged the majority opinion of the impossibilities. Numbers 13:30 says, “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we well able to overcome it.’”All the spies saw the same things; but Caleb and Joshua looked to the Lord who is greater than all. Bill Bright once said, “With God life is an endless hope. Without God life is a hopeless end.” It is a good reminder of what we have in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let us then walk by faith today, trusting God moment by moment, and look beyond our circumstances to Him. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Looking at the giants will bring us down; looking to Jesus by faith will lift us up and give us victory.

Dean

-March 3, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

(Psalm 4:8).

David, the writer of this psalm, worked hard and fought hard for the Lord; for the Lord was with him. God prospered him wherever he went. His sleep was peaceful, restful, and safe.

The older I get, the more I appreciate a good night’s sleep. Most people nowadays don’t get enough of it. We all know what happens when we don’t get enough sleep. God gives sleep both in terms of quantity and quality. I always pray before going to sleep. I like to thank Him for what I was able to accomplish with His help that day. Then in the morning I thank the Lord another day to live for Him and serve Him.

David wrote, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep.” He realizes it is God who gives him peaceful sleep. It is said, “A good conscience is the best pillow.” It is so true. Many people have trouble falling asleep and or falling back asleep after waking up in the night. Sleep is a God-given gift.

We can lie down in peace and sleep and dwell safely. We can rest in the fact that while we are sleeping God is awake. He never slumbers nor sleeps so that we can rest on His comfort more than on our comfortable beds.

The old Irish hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” is such a blessing. The first verse says, “Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart, nought be all else to me, save that Thou art—Thou my best thought, by day and by night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.”

Have a blessed sleep in the Lord and a wonderful day of life. Stay safe and healthy.

God grants us sleep—Let’s not take it for granted.

Dean

-March 2, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

(Galatians 6:14).

There is no boasting in heaven, neither should there be on earth. We have nothing to brag about in our own self worth, accomplishments, or talents. Paul recognized this early on in his walk with the Lord.

He simply says, “But God forbid that I should boast,” but gives the one exception, “except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” He was right on point; it is never about us, it is all about Him and what He has done for us.

If anyone had reason to boast in his earthly achievements it was Paul. His resume included: “circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5-6). Pretty impressive wouldn’t you say? Yet, counted all things loss, like rubbish when comparing them all to knowing Christ.

I love hymns, as you well know. There is a great hymn, entitled, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” The second verse is especially moving. Issac Watts wrote, “Forbid it, Lord that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.”

As we go to church today, let us remember who Jesus is and what He has done for us on the cross. He paid our sin debt to see us free. All boasting should be in the cross, in Christ alone. Let us think soberly and thankfully as we bow at the foot of the cross to see Him by the eyes of faith.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day giving Christ all the glory. Stay safe and healthy.

“Boasting excluded, pride I abase, I’m only a sinner saved by grace.” – James M. Gray).

-March 1, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

(2 Timothy 1:7).

God is not the author of fear and doesn’t want us to be fearful. Fear immobilizes and paralyzes us. We live in a world of fear with many fearful things happening on a daily basis.

God wants to be fear-free. He has made provision to change our vision from fear to faith. Instead of being fearful we must have faith in Him. Paul speaks of three things God does give us: power, love, and a sound mind.

• Power – God’s power is the most potent power in the world. We have the same power in us that raised Jesus from the dead. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and works His mighty power through in and through us.

• Love – Another tremendous reason not to fear is God’s perfect love. John wrote, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).

• Sound Mind – God gives us a sound mind, the mind of Christ to think clearly, insightfully, and rightly. They used to tell in school, “you have a brain, use it.”

May the Lord encourage us to dwell on God’s power, love, and soundness to mind. It will give great stability and tranquility.

Have a blessed day without fear. Stay safe and healthy.

Fear robs us, faith enriches us.

Dean

-February 28, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

(Psalm 46:10).

It is so encouraging to know that we have a God who is with us and will help us in all we are going through. Another rendering for this phrase is, “an abundantly available help.”

The Lord is with us 24-7 and we can run to Him, seeking His help. He is our refuge and strength. I know that I need God’s help for everything. As the song writer Bill Gaither wrote, “The One who knows me best, loves me most.”

Psalm 46 begins with God being our refuge and ends with the same thought. Psalm 46:11 says, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” God is the ultimate aid giver.

We can look to the Lord in the dark times, the silent times, the stormy times, yes, in all times. He is a very present help just when we need it most. All we have to do is call upon Him.

Psalm 121:2 says, “My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth.” The word help is defined as, “to give assistance or support to someone; to provide someone with something that is useful or necessary in achieving an end.”

God is our help, He is our Helper. The hymn writer Issac Watts wrote a wonderful hymn entitled, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” The first verse says, “O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.”

Have a blessed day seeking God’s very present help. Stay safe and healthy.

When God is our help, we need nothing more; we can truly rejoice forevermore.

Dean