Be the husband God wants you to be

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,  26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,  27that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  28So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself." 

                                                                             Ephesians 5:25-28  NKJV

Christ's love for the church means that everything that He does and says is designed to bring the best out of her. And this is how husbands ought to love their wives. Many years ago, the role of the husband was to go to work, earn his pay and provide for his family. Usually, that was all he was required to do. The wife would stay at home, have children, cook the meals and look after the house. Usually, the husband wouldn't even help around the house or wash a cup. That was the wife's role. Many women were used to this and did it without complaint. Much has changed since that time.

Look above and and we see how Jesus expects the husband and wife team to work. The bible does not put males over females, but what it does call for is for husbands to accept responsible leadership in the same spirit of self-giving and devotion Christ has shown for His church. Wives are never made to be second to men in general, but the wife is specifically called to accept her husband's leadership which should never be bossy or intimidating. 

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:7 '7Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. This term used by Peter is not derogatory. He was quite literally saying that, physically the woman should be treated as a precious item that might break if not treated properly. Some women are strong and able and that is great but, some are not and, the Christian wife should be free of all the hustle and bustle of human life and cherished by her husband.

To have a husband or wife is a blessed gift, as they come together in Christ, they both grow towards a deep relationship with Jesus. Sadly, this is not possible if, one of the partners is not saved. It can cause division and even argument. However, the partner who is saved, should stand firm in Jesus and do everything they can to allow Jesus to be shown and witnessed.

Lord Jesus, we pray for married partners to be jointly saved and walking with You. Bless those with encouragement as they stand firm with their request that their partner be saved. In Jesus' name. Amen.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

There is no such thing as hopeless with Jesus

"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."                                 Romans 8:11   NKJV

When you think about it, there is no such thing as hopeless with Jesus. He is hope and can do whatever He chooses and what's more, He knows what is best for you and I. The word 'hopeless' is a very weak word and there isn't a shred of weakness in Jesus. So, this means that with Him in our lives, we too are never in a hopeless situation. Don't we read in Romans 8:37 that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us? I see no mention of the word 'Hopeless'. Only the devil uses that type of language.

When you were young, your parents may have told you that 'you are hopeless' when you failed at something. Another thing you may have heard from them is, 'You'll never come to much', referring to your future in the world. You may have heard this from school teachers, HM Forces training or other places. Whoever told you this, was being used by the evil one because, it was a lie. You are special in Jesus' eyes.

If you had this kind of treatment when you were younger, discount this and refuse to be tainted with the negativity again. Don't discount the power of God to bring about hope in your life. He can turn hopelessness into pure biblical hope in you. It is imperitive that you see yourself as Jesus sees you:

 "The Lord their God will save them in that day, As the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown"               Zechariah 9:16

Yes, that's you, you are a special jewel in God's eyes and He is so proud to have you as His Child. Believe it, this is not a lie it is a truth. 

Nothing is hopeless in the Kingdom of God; everything is precious and important to Him. Don't forget He took your place on that cross so that you could have this biblical hope. You are a winner and one day He will tell you this face to face.

Don't allow people to put you down. Words can cut deeply if you take them on board. Learn to shrug them off with the shield of faith, after-all, they are fiery darts of the evil one. Stand tall with Jesus, walk with Him and as you do, hold your head up high, because you are a son or daughter of the King.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

Be a Joy Maker

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."                  James 1:2.  NKJV

No matter how well we stand with our feet rooted in Jesus, we must realise that, we will be tested. Trials are a way that God shapes us into the type of person He wants us to be. It sounds good but, at the time, we don't particularly like it or think so. Things go wrong despite how careful we have been and when we have a lot to do with no time at all to spare, the car breaking down; the computer playing games and not working properly and the traffic on the road are no real blessing.

But let's look at what James meant when he wrote this piece of scripture. When we're under pressure, we meet the 'real you.' You may be all smiles and happy go lucky most of the time, especially when in the presence of other people. However, when things begin to go wrong, the last thing you want to do is be joyful. But the thing is, the world expects you to be this way when you're under pressure; Satan designed it this way. But, when you are able to overcome this and exercise joy, you are being contrary to what the world and Satan expected. In fact, you are making a stand and finding a way through all of the things that are going wrong around you. This is the type of joy James was describing because it gives you the strength to be able to stand tall.

I like to call it a 'Joy explosion' but, that doesn't mean I don't fall like anyone else does. When you think about it, being stressed and pushed into a corner because of problems, is just another opportunity to bring glory to God because of the way we handle the situation or circumstances. I like what Craig W Hagin, Kenneth Hagin's grandson once said, No matter what, I am still happy because God is on the throne and He has things in control.'

And this is the way forward to overcoming frustration with pressure and things going wrong, remembering that Jesus is still on the throne, He is right there with you and is willing to help you overcome this obstacle successfully. It's a test and He knows that you can pass this by the choice you make. You can either choose to throw a wobbly and fall apart or, you can choose to roll your sleeves up and say, 'Right Lord, this is a minor set back, but with your help I can do this.' And then do what Satan wouldn't expect - sing praise to God, pray and be joyful. Of course, you don't have to do this out loud but, it would have an impact if you did.

Patience is difficult but, joy helps a person attain this and let's face it, there is a lot of frustration and hate in our world so, it can be a mood changer to whoever is watching.

Be a Joy Maker

 If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

He will never leave you

"The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them."

                                                                   Psalm 34:7.  NKJV

Jesus is true to His Word, He will never leave you. In John 10:28, we read: 'And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.' 

Those who fear God are protected and assured that He will deliver them from dangers seen and unseen. No sheep of His will ever perish. Bob Gass once said 'When God doesn't deliver you immediately, He'll be your thermostat in the furnace'.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego could certainly confirm this. Nebuchadnezzar had erected a very tall gold image in his courts and had ordered that everyone would bow down to worship this figure. However, these guys refused and were warned that they would be  thrown into a fiery furnace ( Daniel 3). Now this would have been certain death.

However, these three men of God said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  17If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3 :16-18.

When these guys were in the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar looked into the flames and was totally perplexed 'Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselers, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”    Daniel 3:25. What a witness to the king.

God is true to His Word, He will never let us down and what He says, is the truth - always. This is something that we need to grasp hold of. He may not answer immediately or resolve the matter as we feel He should, but He will always act on your behalf, so be patient. I felt God give me the statement below, and wrote it in my bible, why don't you:

(1) Our God is able (2) And He will (3) But if not, I'll still trust Him.  

In closing, allow me to share something that CS Lewis wrote in his book The Screwtape Letters. 'Satan warns one of his junior demons, "We are never in greater danger than when they look around and all traces of God have forsaken them, yet, they still choose to obey Him.'

This is the way God wants us to be, always believing, always trusting and never giving up no matter what we come up against.

(1) Our God is able (2) And He will (3) But if not, I'll still trust Him. 

 If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

Be careful what you look at

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?

                                                                           Job 31:1   NKJV

Job wisely makes the commitment not to look at a woman and lust within himself. He knew that the eyes are the lens of temptation and can lead a man or woman astray. It is a very difficult area for both man and woman because, sin dwells within us and, even though the devil can't make us sin, he knows what our weaknesses are and will try and push us more and more towards them. This temptation is everywhere, walking around the town, in pubs, gyms, on tV and in films. Every effort should be made to make this covenant ourselves.

James 1 gives us an idea of the temptation we can fall for and a blue print of how to avoid it:

"each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death". 

Let us break this down:

DRAWN AWAY AND ENTICED  

This expresses the intensity with which desire lures an individual until he or she is tragically in captivity. Sin does not force it self on the unwilling, but it is chosen because of the attractions it presents.

CONCEIVED

This suggests the image of our will pulling towards and finally seizing the evil. This same idea is sadly seen by the tragic path of someone with an addiction. A habit once acquired, completely controls that person eventually.

FULL GROWN

This suggests bringing a goal to completion. The sin has reached its maturity and has possessed the very character of the individual.

DEATH

Here, this refers to physical death (Proverbs 10:27), which may happen if we don't overcome the power of this evil. We must die to this desire - this lust, which is the root of the problem. Desire is unsatisfied longing - something that may not have happened yet but has been boiling within us for some time. Take for example where the serpent tricked Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3). 

We must study this blue print so that we can learn to see what is happening around us and be able to rise above the temptation to take part. This is never easy as many can testify. However, it can be accomplished with God's help and this is where being fully committed to Him comes in.

Another important area in which we have to be aware of are our thoughts:

'Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.'    Matthew 15:17-19

This paragraph must also be linked to the blue print that we have been discussing. All of these areas need to be dealt with before they trip us up causing a great calamity in our spiritual life. Study them and incorporate the teaching into your daily life.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

Why have you allowed this to happen, Lord?

"For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. 26I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.”

                                                                        Job 3:25-26   NKJV

Why do so many awful things happen to  people, especially Christians. Life can be so unpredictable and all we can do is trust God that He knows what He is doing. Take Job for example. Satan had been watching him and took note of his honesty and faithfulness to God. On a day of Celestial meeting, all of the angels were there before God and Satan was also there as the adversary. God spoke with him and asked if he had seen Job, a most blameless and upright man (1:6-13). Satan said that if the hedge of protection God had placed around him, was to be taken away, he would curse God to His face. So God, said, all he has is in your power, go do whatever but do not lay a hand on him.

As time went on, Satan attacked the household of Job and Job's family were wiped out and he lost much of his wealth and businesses, but, he still refused to blame God. In fact, he worshipped and praised Him (1:20-22.

Later, Satan met with God again and the discussion came round to, if Satan was allowed to bring disease and sickness upon him, Job would curse God. God allowed this and Job was stricken with dreadful boils all over his skin. Some scholars have suggested that the description sounds as if he had elephantiasis - which results in great pain and disfigurement. Whatever it was, Job was in a bad way.

Job cursed the day he was born, so much had happened to him that he became ready to crack. It can happen to us all. Things go wrong on a regular basis and the more we think it will get better, it gets worse and we go through a turmoil. Job was like this and found it hard to relax. 'Why Lord has this happened to me?' 'For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. 26I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.” 

To many people, this statement is a self-fulfilled prophecy - the type that says, 'You'll get what you confess'. However, Job does acknowledge his human fears - a common example of our humanity. His fears though, do not reflect on his understanding of God's nature, but on his knowledge of life's unpredictability. 

We can learn a lot from Job. God recognised his suffering, acknowledged his human weakness but also noticed his loyalty to Him and He repaid his faithfulness with twice as much as he had before (42:10). And it wouldn't surprise me to know that the children he had lost were among the ones that he was given. However, I have no evidence of this just a feeling of how compassionate God can be.

So, if you're going through a bad time at this moment, prayerfully read the book of Job and accept in your heart that Jesus is on your side and how much the world tries to show you differently, just believe that He is on your case and as long as you focus on Him and keep praying and believing, He will come through for you. Do not be tempted to confess any negative words that may negate all that He is doing for you. Only speak the truth of God. 

One final thought, if like Job, Satan has spoken to God about you and how he could stop you in your tracks; believe that God will have said the same thing to Him about how faithful you are  and how much He is with you. Now, that's something to shout about so begin to praise Jesus and don't allow anything to get in your way to stop you doing this.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

    

Walk in the Spirit

"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."                         Galatians 5:16-18    NKJV

As we know, there's a war on in the heavenlies. Spirit v flesh and we, as followers of Jesus Christ have a duty to shine the Light of Jesus wherever we are. It is a constant battle and will last until we are safely in heaven. So we are to 'stand fast, therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage'. Galatians 5:1.

The flesh lusts  against the Spirit  and the Spirit against the flesh v18. They are contrary to one another. So, if you are planning to drop your guard and walk on the wild side, consider the fallout before you indulge:

(1)  ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A BATTLE ON between Spirit and flesh and the devil is out to trip you up and get you to turn away from God, even if it is for a night, and don't forget that night could be very costly. Is it worth it?

(2). ADMIT THAT YOU'RE POWERLESS AND SUBMIT TO GOD. When you consider this, you will discover that it is the only sensible thing to do. You can't make it alone (John  15:5). 

(3). EXERCISE SELF-DISCIPLINE 1 Cor 9:25-27. This is the hard bit, nobody enjoys discipline. Also when it is self-discipline, it is easier to keep doing it, thinking that no one is watching, but, they are 👀 Jesus is. Christianity is difficult, that is why we are in a battle.

(4)  IGNORING THE CONSEQUENCES BRINGS DISASTER. This is so true. How many times in your life have you wished that you could turn the clock back? Quite a few I would think. Learn by your mistakes and be careful you avoid them in the future. 

These areas will help you to make some improvements. However, you must want to make a difference. If you adopt a lackadaisical effort, you will never overcome it. You need to be determined if you want to walk in the Spirit. Are you sure that you want to walk in the Spirit? Are you fully persuaded that this is what you want and you're willing to take the consequences? It won't be easy; the devil will throw everything at you so, you will have to use your armour to be able to survive. It will though be well worth it.  

'Lord, please help me to walk fully in your Holy Spirit from this moment. I offer myself to You Lord. Please help me through this period'.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard.