Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-January 31, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

(1 Peter 5:7).

We can say unequivocally that God cares for us. He has cared for us in the past; He is caring for us in the present; and He will care for us in the future. There are numerous incidents in Scripture where God has taken care of His own.

His care doesn’t just happen, we must cast our care upon Him. As long as we hold onto our cares in our own own strength, our burdens, our problems, our pain, our sorrows, we can’t have victory in His grace, which is sufficient for us each day. We can’t rest on our own spirituality, mentality, or physicality.

He cares about every detail of our lives, from the smallest to greatest. Last night I felt a bad pain in my right calf that had me remembering the calf injuries I suffered when I used to run. I prayed earnestly that I could sleep and the Lord would heal it. I had the best sleep and woke up so much better. It was a wonderful, amazing answer to prayer.

When we look at the Word of God, we find so many verses on how the Lord cares for us. David wrote, “You have hedged (or enclosed) me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me” (Psalm 139:5). The Lord Jesus taught us in Luke 12:7, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. If our Father remembers and cares for birds and other creatures, how much more does more does He care for us?

God knows our names, He writes them in the Book of life, He inscribes us on the palms of His hands, and loves us with an everlasting love. Let us cast our cares upon Him day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. We shouldn’t worry, fear, or doubt for He is with us.

The chorus of the great hymn, “God Will Take Care of You,” by Civillia Martin says, “God will take of you, through every day, o’er all the way; He will take care of you, God will take care of you.”

Have a blessed day under God’s care. Cast your cares on Him and see what He can do. Stay safe and healthy.

God will take care of us because He is control and works all things together for our good.

Dean

-January 30, 2025-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘See, we left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have.”

(Matthew 19:27).

Peter once again speaks up for all the disciples. He asks a question that so many ask today, ‘What’s in it for me?’ After all had not the disciples stuck to Jesus and followed Him. What would be their reward?

Jesus gave a two-fold answer to Peter’s question: first the disciples and second for everyone who follows Jesus. There will be rewards for every follower and servant of Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

For the twelve, each will sit on remove thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Each of them went on to stand for Christ and serve Him. All except John were martyred for their Savior.

Then Jesus adds a reward to everyone who left everyone and everything to follow Him, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for My name’s shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal” (Matthew 19:29).

Have a blessed day serving the Lord from heart with full devotion. Stay safe and healthy.

No sacrifice is too great for the One who sacrificed Himself for us.

Dean

-January 29, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Today’s verse is found in the context of the conversation Jesus had with the woman at the well, also called the Samaritan woman. Jesus asked her for a drink of water, but turned the discussion to spiritual water that quenches the soul, and springs up into everlasting life.

At the tail end of his conversation with her, He spoke of true worship: where it should be and how it should be. Worship is both private and public; silent or vocal.

• Where We Worship – Jesus addressed the age long controversy between the Jews and Samaritans on where to worship. The Jews believed it was Jerusalem, the Samaritans felt it was the mountain of Samaria. Jesus demonstrated it wasn’t the place as much as the heart of the worshipper.

We can and should worship the Lord at church, at home, or wherever we are, as long as we are right with God through faith in Jesus. Some have mistakenly taken this to mean that we don’t need to go to church, which is so wrong. Just look at Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

• How we are to worship – Jesus simply states, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” To worship God in spirit means that in our spirit we worship God through the Holy Spirit. We need to give our whole heart to Him in worship.

We must also worship God in truth, following the Scriptures. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Worship should always be reverent, holy, Christ-centered, and joyful. Worship is all never about us, but about Him: His person and His work. Worship is focusing on His worth, His works, His power and His glory.

There is a beautiful hymn written by Inglis Fleming entitled, “We Worship Thee.” The last stanza and chorus says, “Exalted to the Father’s throne, with glory and with honor crowned, all at Thy glorious name shall bow, as Lord of all by each be owned. We worship Thee, all glorious Lord, forever be Thy name adored! We worship Thee, all glorious Lord, forever be Thy name adored!”

Let us worship the Lord today in spirit and truth, giving Him all the honor and glory due to His name. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Worship Him with hearts full of wonder and gratitude.

Dean

-January 28, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Love for God and for our neighbor is the most important. When a scribe asked Jesus, which is the greatest commandment, He responded, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these” (Matthew 12:30-31).

Jesus taught it and Paul spoke of how love fulfills the whole law. John in writing of loving one another said in 1 John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

May the Lord help us to love everyone: our brothers and sisters in Christ, our families, our friends, our neighbors, yes, even our enemies. Loving the unlovable is the most difficult thing to do, but shows the love of Christ to the highest degree.

Have a blessed day loving God and others. Stay safe and healthy.

The law of love comes from God above.

Dean

-January 27, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

(1 John 5:14-15).

John tells us that our prayers reach beyond the ceiling, beyond the skies, and reach the throne of grace. Twice in today’s text John uses the word know. It speaks of the confidence we have in the Lord.

Every petition we make should be according to God’s will. God knows what is best for us, so we can trust our wise, loving Heavenly Father to do the right thing at the right time, in the right way.

There are so many verses that teach us that God hears and answers prayer. We must be sure there is no unconfessed sin in our lives, that we pray in the name of Jesus, and we pray in faith. God not only answers us, but He delights to answer our prayers.

Jesus told us to ask, seek, and knock. Jesus said in John 14:13-14, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

Let us then pray with confidence knowing that He hears and answers our prayers. We should pray and keep on praying. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

As good soldiers of Christ, let us stay in communication with headquarters.

Dean