Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Thursday, 19 February 2026

The Pain of the Sting

"The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ". 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 NKJV

The first time I remember being stung was when I was around 7 years old. I was with my dad and we had gone to this open air sports ground to watch baseball. This game was new to me so, I was excited about going. As I sat back on the grass enjoying the summer sunshine, I propped myself up with my hands. This was when a bee stung me on the palm. It was agony and yes, I cried from the pain that it had given me. My dad, didn't know what had happened and tried to ask me. However, through the howling, all I could do was raise my hand. One of the American baseball players came over and took my hand. Straightaway, he could see a sting in my hand and very gently, managed to get the sting out. It still hurt a little but nothing like when it first happened.

Now, many years later I can still remember the pain, and the gratitude I felt for that man who had relieved me of it. Today, I can see how the 'Sting' of death is sin and why there is such a need to be free of the pain, sorrow and finality of it all. Rather like if the sting from the bee had remained in my hand, it would have become infected causing more pain as the venom was increased causing further problems. This may have become dangerous so the sting had to be removed.

Sin spreads around our world like chemical warfare. The results, as we know, are death. However, when we know Jesus, who died and paid for our sin, we are saved from this pollution and we have the victory. So my question has to be, do you have the victory in your life?

Think about that before you jump straight in with the answer. You may not have the victory, so why say you have. This is nothing to be ashamed of because, Jesus can fix this right now. It's just a matter of faith. That is the criteria. We have to believe. I had to believe when the man took my hand and removed the bee sting. In the same manner, you and I have to believe that Jesus can remove the sting above all stings - death. If you are a Christian, He has done this but, you may not be walking in the reality of it. You may believe that part of it, but, still be dead to the belief that you can do all things that Jesus has given you to do. You see others excelling in this area but, you are being left behind.

If so, Get up and stand firmly on your feet. God has no favourites. He didn't make one person better than you. Where others are succeeding in their faith and belief in Jesus, when you start believing in the same way, you will catch them up. Come on, you can do this. Say this prayer:

'Lord Jesus, your Word tells me that I have the victory through you but, somehow I'm lacking in this area. Send your Spirit to boost up the power within me and help me to be victorious in You Lord. 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
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If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Wednesday, 18 February 2026

Honour your God, He deserves it

"O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5For You have made him a little lower than]the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honour". Psalm 8:3-5 NKJV

Have you ever considered that the King of glory - the Creator, considers you and I to be a prized possession. If we were to stop there, and really meditate deeply about this, it would blow our minds at the very thought of it. Just the very thought makes it seem impossible. Yes, we know who God is, but, do we really know who God is? Have we grasped the whole concept of Him being God and we, being His child and, not only that, but His prized possession.

Years ago, our God created the world we live in. It wasn't a big bang theory and it wasn't a mistake either, it was God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit creating this wonderful world, But, He didn't stop there, He created us that we could live here and enjoy what He has created for us.

Just think, He not only created you but, if you have children, He gave you the ability to bring them into this world. He gave you education so that we would be able to go into the world, following school, and train and earn a living. Some, He gave the talent to create their own company. He gave health, wealth, homes, cars. He gave us family and then wives, husbands and the excitement of making our own family. He has given us so very much.

But it doesn't stop there, He has given all of His committed children, a place to look forward to for eternity - heaven. We don't know what it is like but He has been getting it ready since creation so, it must be spectacular and again, mind-blowing. How can we not praise Him for who He is and what He has done and will do for us in the future.

You go to school, He is there with you. You go to work, again, He is there. In fact, He is all around, wherever you go. All you need to do is speak to Him and He will speak back to you. Probably, He won't speak out loud; His usual way is the still, quiet word or in the bible. This is why it is essential to be connected to Him.

You may be on your own but, really you are not. Jesus is right there with you, encouraging you, guiding you and protecting you. We need to remember to speak to Him, He waits for this moment patiently and loves every minute that you converse with Him.

Jesus, we salute you

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and 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, CLICK HERE

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Tuesday, 17 February 2026

"It can't be done - It can be done"

"But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of greatstature. 33There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." Numbers 13:31-33 NKJV

Spies had been sent out to check out Canaan - the place which God had promised was theirs. On return, Caleb and Joshua had given a glowing report of the land, stating that they were well able to take this land. The other 10 men however, described the situation as bad. There were giants there and it was not the place that we could overcome.

There were two things going on here, one of fear and doubt, the other of faith and victory and this was turning the people into achievers or avoiders. Achievers are not avoiders. Not only do they find solutions to the problems of life, but they discover a tremendous power within themselves - Jesus 'You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world'. 1 John 4:4. Bob Gass says 'Our attitude will either lift us above our circumstances, or bury us beneath them.'

Caleb said in v30 'Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it. But the other 10 were telling the people that it can't be done. Faith vFear. So it was coming down to 'Whose report are you going to believe - a good report or a bad one?'

The remaining 10 spies were giving the people information that was giving them a low self-image a grasshopper image in their own sight v33. Whereas, Caleb and Joshua were sowing a Giant mentality within them. You know, people see us as we see ourselves. So if we portray a Giant mentality, people are more likely to model themselves on the same image. This is what leaders do, they inspire people and incite them to follow suit and be a winner; and, let us not forget that, God sees you and I as winners.

Therefore, whatever you are facing today, face it with Jesus with a giant mentality - 'IT CAN BE DONE' attitude. You are an achiever and you can achieve so much when you are side by side with Jesus. Grasshoppers get eaten by other birds or insects when they hang around and do nothing, but Giants can move mountains with Jesus.

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

Monday, 16 February 2026

Dig in deep

"Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." John 21:6 NKJV

When we are in a distressed and depressed state, we can tend to be unable to settle. Peter was like this and told the others that he was going out fishing. The others said they would go with him. Alas, they caught nothing. We can have so much influence on others that, they pick up our moods and will follow us, just like the disciples did. But, it was the wrong thing to do. Without Jesus, we can do nothing. It would have been better to just rest. Then Jesus came along asking for food, and finding they had none, instructed them to go out again and 'cast the net on the right side of the boat'. They did and they netted so many fish they thought they'd sink.

Now this is similar to the account in Luke 5:4-6. On this occasion, Jesus told them to 'Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.' They did so and caught a massive load, again the net nearly breaking. Now it's a well-known fact that in Israel, fisherman do their job at night, and close to the shore because, this is where the fish will be. In daylight, they swim back into the deep. Hence, why Jesus sent them out into the deeper water.

Note here, that, it was quite unusual to cast a net on the right side of the boat; it was usually the opposite side. So what did Jesus mean by 'The right side?' It obviously worked, but opens up the theory that, things are not always rigid or set in stone. Jesus always has a way to meet our needs and tailor it to fit, very nicely.

These scriptures also explain the necessity to dig deeper. People can give us excellent advice but, it is not always helpful in solving our problems. It is far better to seek our friend Jesus for expert instruction. Things may have worked well for others but, this doesn't mean they'll work for us. What is right for one, may not be right for another. One can go on a degree course and receive flying colours. Another can fail miserably, we're

all different.

The disciples followed Peter to go fishing and received nothing. There is a lesson here, don't follow people, they may take you the wrong way. Always follow Jesus.

If you are not born again and want to be, below is a prayer of salvation. Also, you may have drifted off from your faith. Don't you think it's about time to return to the open arms of Jesus. There is safety and security there

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and 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, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle

Check it out

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Sunday, 15 February 2026

The Virtuous Wife

"My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. 11For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. 12The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. 13The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!" Song of Solomon 2:10-14 NKJV

Here in the UK we've had weeks of bad weather - storms, heavy, practically non-stop rain, flooding and a lot of misery where people's homes have been ruined. And there doesn't appear to be any let up in it either. In fact, weather professionals are now predicting freezing conditions and heavy snow soon. But at least, we have weather, we'd be lost without it 😄

One day soon, rather like the beloved says here, 'For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone'. The beloved is desperate to see this young lady and has been running and leaping over mountain tops in a bid to get to where she is. It is a wonderful vision of marriage, one in which many dream of.
In a lot of marriages today, the husband has to be aware of all that his wife does to make his home peaceful and loving. There are many chores such as washing clothes, ironing, cleaning house, cooking, shopping and many other things that crop up all the time; and we haven't even mentioned having children, coping with bringing them up, teaching them, taking them to school etc etc.

Most 'Today's men', are pretty good at helping out within the home when they are available. Sadly, some don't and still act as if they are in the 40's & 50's, where sociologically, the man went to work while the woman had children and then did everything else, without complaint. Today, some men don't have jobs but they still act this way. Husband, you are supposed to be the spring to your wife's winter, if not you can't complain if things don't sail peacefully throughout the home. Read this lengthy scripture prayerfully:

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.11The heart of her husband safely trusts her So he will have no lack of gain. 12She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. 13She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands.14She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. 15She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. 16She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. 17She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms. 18She perceives that her merchandise is good And her lamp does not go out by night. 19She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. 20She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. 21She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet. 22She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants. 25Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. 26She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. 27She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: 29“Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” 30Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 31Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates".

This is The Virtuous Wife (Proverbs 31:10-31). So husbands, if you want a summer wife who consistently bears good fruit, don't bring home winter weather. It's all down to you.

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

Saturday, 14 February 2026

Watch those foxes

"Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes". Song of Solomon 2:15 NKJV

Many have tried to understand this verse; what was the gender of the person who wrote it? Why did they write it and to whom?

Hudson Taylor thought of the “little foxes” that may ruin our relationship with Jesus Christ. “The enemies may be small, but the mischief done great… And how numerous the little foxes are! Little compromises with the world; disobedience to the still small voice in little things; little indulgences of the flesh to the neglect of duty; little strokes of policy; doing evil in little things that good may come; and the beauty, and the fruitfulness of the vine are sacrificed!” James Hudson-Taylor

I agree with the interpretation of this great man of faith and also add relationships between married couples to the discussion too. Little things can wreck a relationship. Marriages aren't usually destroyed by major events but the little things that go unaddressed. If these things are allowed to go on, after a time the marriage can reach a decay. Therefore, it is imperative that this is dealt with before that state is reached.

Counselling can help but, I believe that finding the time and the space to discuss this with each other, laying the faults before them and prayerfully assessing how each one is damaging the other, can be a bonus. Allowing God to control the situation and being honest before Him and each other can be so rewarding. Take time to identify and resolve potential problems to your marriage. Face them honestly and candidly. Otherwise, the little foxes will run wild and ruin the crop - your marriage.

Little foxy problems can also crop up in Christian friendships. One of the key factors is gossip. God wants us to uphold the banner of trust but, if we dishonour this, the trust is broken and things that may not be true, may be seen as such, and friendships are broken down. Have you ever noticed too, that after periods of blessings, things may suddenly start going wrong - things breaking down, sickness and a host of other things that can be frustrating to say the least. Without becoming paranoid, one has to consider that a spiritual attack is taking place against you. Therefore, it is time to make that stand in the armour of God and squash any foxes, before they cause complete havoc. The devil loves to send his demons out to give us a bad time. But we are members of Team Jesus and belong to Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and He will give us the victory over such as this.

Don't bow the knee to anyone or anything except, Jesus. He is our friend but He is also our King of kings and Lord of Lords. So when we stand with Him, we are standing in victory. Amen? Amen.

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

Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Thursday, 19 February 2026

The Pain of the Sting

Wednesday, 18 February 2026

Honour your God, He deserves it

Tuesday, 17 February 2026

"It can't be done - It can be done"

Monday, 16 February 2026

Dig in deep

Sunday, 15 February 2026

The Virtuous Wife

Saturday, 14 February 2026

Watch those foxes

The Pain of the Sting

Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

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