Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-January 4, 2024-

Good morning brothers and sisters, happy Saturday,

“Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.”

(Psalm 96:3).

As believers in Christ, we have a front row seat in seeing the glory of the Lord. Our God is a great God who does great things for us.

Our privilege and responsibility is to declare His glory and His wonders to all people. Declaring God’s glory may be in speaking or in singing, or in praising Him when we spend time with Him.

Even the heavens declare the glory of the Lord. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” God was glorified long before we before He created mankind. The angels gave Him glory, the sun, moon, stars, yes all the universe.

God doesn’t need man’s praise, but He is honored and pleased by it. The greatest glory goes to the Lord for saving wretched sinners like us and making us His adopted children.

Every day we should declare the glory of God for who He is and what He has done for us. When the Pharisees complained to Jesus that His disciples were praising Him as He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, He told them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Have a blessed day declaring God’s glory. Stay safe and healthy.

As the psalmist said, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”

Dean

-January 3, 2024-

Good morning brothers and sisters, happy Thursday,

“This the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation. Noah walked with God.”

(Genesis 6:9)

Noah did a great work for God by building a huge ark for the salvation of his household and the countless animals and other creatures. It took 120 years to construct such a craft. Kids learn about the story of Noah and the ark in Sunday School.

As great as that was, and it was great, his character before God and men was even greater. Because of his faith, he appears in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. He obeyed God in every detail. Genesis 6:22 tells, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him.”

The Bible describes him as a just man, that is, he was righteous before God; he was perfect in his generation, meaning that he was blameless and a man of integrity; and he walked with God. What a great goal to follow his example. Conduct is what we do; character is who we are.

He had a wife and three sons who helped in building the ark. He took on a great responsibility and did his job with great results. The Lord knew he could count on him to finish on time with exactly the result He intended.

What has God called you to do this year? God is always less concerned with our ability and more concerned with our availability. The TV series, “Mission Impossible,” and movies that followed began with Jim hearing a recording of what his mission was. The tape always self-destructed in 15 seconds. It was always a mission impossible. Noah took on the impossible by faith and the rest is history.

May you be blessed in your life and service of the Lord. We can all be like Noah. Stay safe and healthy.

As the hymn writer wrote, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way; to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”

Dean

-January 2, 2025-

Good morning brothers and sisters, happy Thursday,

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

(John 16:33).

It didn’t take long into 2025 for terrorists to strike our country in New Orleans and Las Vegas. I have heard that the cases may be related. Bad things can happen to anyone at any time. For us as believers, we have peace in Christ not in this world.

We are living in this sinful, broken world; nothing will ever be perfect because people are not perfect. We can’t expect perfection from ourselves, others, or from our circumstances. Only the Lord is perfect and unchangeable.

Jesus said we have tribulation in this world. No one is immune. There are trials, tribulations, troubles, afflictions, difficulties, challenges, obstacles, opposition, sickness, injuries, and persecution. The Lord uses them to grow and strengthen our faith and cause us to trust in Him not in ourselves.

Instead of looking around us, let us look up to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Him we have abundant joy, peace, comfort, and hope. People may disappoint us or let us down; circumstances may go against us; and we ourselves may fail—but Jesus never fails.

Arthur A. Luther wrote, “Earthly friends may prove untrue, doubts and fears assail; One still loves and cares for you, One who will not fail. Though the sky be dark and drear, fierce and strong the gale, just remember He is near, and He will not fail. In life’s dark and bitter hour love will still prevail; trust His everlasting power—Jesus will not fail.” The chorus says, “Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails, Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus never fails.”

Let us trust the Lord and live for Him and serve Him each day this year. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Seek perfection and peace only in Christ; He is our hope in a hopeless world.

Dean

-January 1, 2025-

Good morning, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, happy Wednesday,

“Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which you have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!”

(Psalm 31:19).

Happy New Year to you all! God was good to us in 2024; I can’t wait to see what He has in store for us this year. David wrote this wonderful psalm, which is entitled, “The Lord a Fortress in Adversity.”God is our rock and our fortress.

Only the Lord knows what lies ahead this year, but we can be assured He has everything planned for us and it will all be good. Why? Because God is good. He does two things for us: He lays up His goodness and prepares it for us for each day of this year. This is why David wrote in Psalm 31:15, “My times are in Your hand…”

The blessings of today’s verse is for those who fear the Lord and trust in Him. He will lead us, guide us, and direct in His will. He knows the way through the maze and wilderness of life—He is with us on our journey. We are assured that He has for stored up His goodness and prepared it for us. He will provide the sufficient grace we need each day this year.

Frances Ridley Havergal was a prolific English hymn writer. She wrote the great hymn, “Another Year Is Dawning.” The first stanza says, “Another year is dawning: Dear Father let it be, in working or in waiting, another year with Thee; Another year of progress, another year of praise, another year of proving Thy presence all the days.” We always sing this hymn on the first Sunday of the year.

Have a blessed and wonderful first day of the year. Stay safe and healthy in the arms of Jesus.

We can face the day because God knows the way.

Dean

-December 31, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday, happy New Year’s Eve,

“So he answered and said to me: ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.’”

(Zechariah 4:6).

Today is the last day of the year, day number 366. We had an extra day this year in February due to leap year. Sometimes we put things off until the last minute, which is not good. It is always important to finish the year strong.

Just as Solomon had the responsibility of building the first temple, which bears his name, Zerubbabel was tasked with building the second temple, which bore his name. They Jews had come out of captivity in Babylon and returned to their homeland, just as God promised through the prophet Jeremiah.

Under Nehemiah and Ezra the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, but the temple still lay in ruins. The prophet Haggai tells us that the people built their own homes, but neglected the house of God. They needed a spiritual push to complete the project, which they finally did.

Today’s verse is the push Zerubbabel and the people needed to finish the task. The prophet Zechariah speaks God’s Word reminding the people that God’s work must come first and be done in His power not man’s.

God’s promise of enablement is, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.” We like the Jews can’t do it on their own; they needed God’s help. God gives them the key to success and victory with the words, “but by My Spirit,” says the Lord.

How often do we say, “I can’t do it.” While that is true we can’t do it on our own, we need the Lord. God calls His people, trains and equips them, to do His will and His work for His glory.

Paul understood this principle when he wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Just look at what can be done when God is in it: Noah built the ark; Solomon and Zerubbabel built the respective temples, Nehemiah built the walls; and the apostles built the church. Were these assignments easy, no way! It took strength and effort, but most of all God’s Spirit and power.

What has God given you to do? It may be something big or small; but it is important to God. The hymn writer Kittie Louise Suffield wrote, “Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth or fame; There’s a crown and you can win it, if you go in Jesus’ name.”

Have a blessed last day of 2024 in the strength and power of the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

As Solomon said in Psalm 127:1, “unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

Dean