Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-January 19, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ Or what shall we drink?’ Or what shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need these things.”

(Matthew 6:31-32).

They need a worry anonymous club. The problem is there would no meeting spaces available to hold so many people! I know I am guilty of worrying. Worry isn’t an epidemic, it’s a pandemic.

When I was growing up we had an old time expression, “don’t be a worry wart.” Worry warts only worry about two things: anything and everything. They must worry about something everyday or else they worry what they aren’t worried.

Worry is a sin. It shows we don’t trust that the Lord to provide what we need. Our heavenly Father loves us and cares for us. We are His dear children. It must hurt His heart so much when we worry.

The word worriless is defined as, “free from care or worries.” Did you ever notice that young children have no worries. They trust that their parents will provide for them. Why can’t we stop worrying? It is so habitual. There is no rationale for worry in the Christian life.

Worry should be a banned substance. Athletes take PED’s (Performance Enhancing Drugs). They take them to get faster and stronger. Worry works has opposite effect: it ruins our day, distracts us from what is important, and makes us a nervous wreck. What then is the answer: pray, trust God, and thank Him. And when we turn to the Lord in faith, worry and its twin brother fear will be driven out.

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

You can’t worry and praise God at the same time. Choose to trust the Lord and lay your worries before Him in prayer.

Dean

-January 18, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him.”

(Matthew 9:9).

Christianity is not just a religion, a movement, or cause; it is a way of life. To be ardent followers of Christ we must be committed, obedient, and faithful to Christ, without reservation or hesitation.

The word ardent is defined as, “enthusiastic or passionate; characterized by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support and activity.” Are you an ardent follower of Christ?

Jesus called Matthew the tax collector with two simple, clear, and direct words: “Follow Me.” Some like Matthew followed right away, others it took more time. In Matthew’s case he was a tax collector for the Roman government. Tax collectors cheated their own people, overcharging them and pocketing the rest. They were hated by the Jews and despised by the Romans.

Tax collectors had few friends, especially outside the circle of tax collectors. Jesus showed that He was the friend of tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees blamed Him for it, God commended Him for it.

We may have one or more passions in life. As believers Jesus should be our passion; the Word of God should be our passion; the people of God should be our passion; the love of God should be our passion. Paul was so passionate for Christ, He said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). He was willing to live for Christ alone, and die for Christ and he did.

Nothing and no one can stymie, slow down, or stop an ardent follower of Christ. There is a wonderful hymn entitled, “I Have Decided to Follow Christ.” The first verse says, “I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.”

Let us be ardent followers of Christ, with no turning back. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Following Jesus is living with Him, for Him, and by Him with joy and zeal.

Dean

-January 17, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28).

There is very little rest in this world, because so few find the true rest in Jesus Christ. We can rest our bodies, but only God can give rest for our souls.

This portion in Matthew 11:28-30 is both a gospel invitation for salvation and a receipt for rest for the believer in midst of trials, burdens, and difficulties. The key to this text is found in Jesus’ words, “Come to Me.” There can be no rest without Him.

Only Jesus can make the promise, “I will give you rest.” There is a close link between peace and rest; Jesus gives us both. Peace is the absence of conflict and agitation; rest is the comfort of relying on what He has done for us and will do for us.

Jesus gives a very interesting way to appropriate His rest in our lives: by taking His yoke and learning from Him. Two animals that are yoked together are joined to together to work as one. Often to similar animals, such as oxen, would be paired up to pull a plow and furrow a field. It was best to put one mature, experienced one with a younger, inexperienced one. The former helped the latter to stay focused and get the job done.

The lesson for us is to take the yoke of Jesus and be yoked together with Him. He will bear the brunt of the labor and give us the bulk of the rest. When we try to do things on our own, we fail, fall short, and get frustrated.

My friends, come to Jesus, rest in Him, yoke yourself to Him, and rely fully on Him. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

The hymn writer Mary James wrote, “O what wonder! How amazing! Jesus glorious King of kings, deigns to call me His beloved, lets me rest beneath His wings. All for Jesus! All for Jesus Resting now beneath His wings; All for Jesus! All for Jesus! Resting now beneath His wings.”

Dean

-January 16, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“And it came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brethren, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.”

(Genesis 38:1).

Here in He today’s text, Judah started a downward spiral in his spiritual life. He left his brothers and took up with a worldly friend named Hirah. He forsook fellowship, encouragement, and accountability and went into the world, into sin.

One misstep costs him dearly. He saw a Canaanite woman, and married her. It opened up Pandora’s box. All kinds of bad things resulted for him, his daughter-in-law Tamar, and especially his testimony for the Lord. It became a very bad and sad situation.

The key to his downfall is the words, “he departed from his brethren.” In effect, he departed from the Lord. God detests sin in the lives of His people. God is so merciful and gracious, and brought him back.

Even though he did these things, the line of Christ went through him. God never gives up on us. His love will never let us go.

Have a blessed day, remembering there is a way to avoid sin and trouble, if we take it; and there is a way back to God. Stay safe and healthy.

If we stay close to the Lord and the saints, we can be far from the world.

Dean

-January 15, 2025-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“Then Isaac sowed in the land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.”

(Genesis 26:12).

The Lord doesn’t bless the lazy, but pours out a blessing the diligent, those who do their part for His kingdom and glory. When we do our part and God will do His part.

In Genesis 25:5 it says, “And Abraham gave all he had to Issac.” He did this while he was still living. To all his other sons he gave gifts and sent them away to the east.

Issac could have just kicked back and enjoyed all the riches, instead he worked hard to carve his own way. He followed and obeyed the Lord. When conflicts arose, he trusted the Lord and humbled himself waiting for God to lead him and provide for him.

He sowed in the land. Sowing takes hard work and diligence. He reaped what he sowed and became very prosperous and successful. The definition of a hundredfold is, “a hundred times as big or as much.” Genesis 26: 13 says of Issac, “This man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous.”

Material prosperity is important, but not nearly as important as spiritual prosperity. 1 Samuel 2;30 was directed to the priest Eli, “Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said that indeed your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me, I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.’”

God honors those who honor Him. How do we honor Him? By living for Him and serving Him; by putting Him first; by giving Him all. God blessed Isaac as He had Abraham. He didn’t try to be another Abraham but a better Isaac, the man God wanted him to be.

God wants us to be fruitful. Jesus said in John 15:8, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you shall be My disciples.” Let us work hard for the Lord and sow the seeds of His love wherever we go. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

When we make ourselves available to God, He will make us useful and fruitful for God.

Dean