Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-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

-January 14, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.”

(Revelation 2:25-26).

The context is of our text is John’s messages to the seven churches in Asia. This particular portion was spoken to the church of Thyatira, the corrupt church. What a sad label for any church!

As bad as things were in Thyatira, there were those who loved the Lord and followed the Word of God. John’s quotes the words of Jesus to them, “hold fast till I come,” and he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.”

The term hold fast is defined as, “to remain securely adhered (to something); to remain determined, stalwart, and unyielding, as in one’s position or opinion.” What should we hold fast to? We should hold fast to the Word of God, to what we believe, and most of all, to the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the world deteriorates, we must be resolute in our faith in Christ and commitment to the work of God. To do this we need to cling to the Lord no matter what we are going through. God wants us to be overcomers, all the way to the finish line. There is no room for compromise; no room for giving up; we must stand with and for the Lord.

Have a blessed day in the Lord. Be faithful in all things. Stay safe and healthy.

Standing fast in Jesus firm to the end.

Dean

-January 13, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”

(1 Corinthians 3:23).

Paul’s words are so encouraging and challenging to us. The Scripture teaches us that all things are ours because we belong to Christ. We have it all because He has it all.

Jesus died for us and purchased us with His precious blood. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

We no longer belong to ourselves, we belong to Christ and everything we have belongs to Him. This means all our time, possessions, money, gifts, and abilities are under His control.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

What does all this mean to us in our daily lives? It means it should be foremost in our thinking, decisions, actions, and relationships. I must recognize that what I do reflects on my blessed Savior, either for good or bad.

Joseph understood this very well when after Potiphar’s wife attempted to seduce him, told her, “There is no one greater in this house that I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Let us live today with the realization that we are Christ’s. He is our Lord, our King, and our Master. Let us seek to please Him in all things. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

It is certain that I don’t belong to self, to sin, to the world or to Satan. I’m under new management.

Dean

-January 12, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”

(Romans 12:16).

The Bible teaches us to be both sympathetic (to feel for someone), and empathic (to feel with someone). Both of these qualities demonstrate our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul was certainly one who proved his love for the brethren. He always had concern for the saints that were hurting and prayed for them, and was happy when they were blessed. He left us a great example of love in action.

I. Rejoice with those who rejoice – There is no room for envy or jealousy. It is easy to think “why didn’t I get blessed like he or she did.” Instead we should be happy when others succeed and are rejoicing. In fact, we should be just as happy when others do well as if it happened to us.

II. Weep with those who weep – So often we get so wrapped up in our own problems and trials that we don’t show empathy as we should. We should feel just as bad for others as if it had happened to us.

It is a good reminder of how Christ would have us to respond to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day and let us rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Stay safe and healthy.

The person who rejoices and weeps with others will have others do the same to them.

Dean