Unity

"Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"   Amos 3:3   NKJV

God is calling His church to unity. Too long have they been in division. He uses men and women to take His Word to the nations so that, they may hear the Word of God and repent and follow Jesus. This is not an easy thing to do because not everyone agrees with what the bible teaches. 

Amos was a good example. He was a humble shepherd who God had called to be a prophet, taking His Word to a people who loved the making of money much more than  religion. Amos declared God's judgement not only on the Gentile nations but, also on Israel and Judah. It was a call to repent of ritual religion and seek the Lord sincerely.

When a prophet declares such strong teaching to people, there will always be a backlash; many don't want people trying to change situations. It was no different for Amos; he had two struggles: one with the Lord and, one with the authorities, especially King Jeroboam and his priest, Amaziah, who wanted him to take his preaching elsewhere. Being a prophet, evangelist or preacher is not easy. Many times, they have to live in the location that they are evangelising and trying to change. 

We even have this problem today, where families live under the same roof but, are divided when it comes to faith. One side, can't see the importance of Jesus and fight against it and any mention of the name of Jesus. Many families can fall apart because of the rift. That is not God's intention. He wants the family to be united in Him. If you're living in a situation like this, be confident in the knowledge that Jesus knows about this and all He wants you to do is show them Jesus in all you do and say.

The division may come from extended family. They may not live with you but, when they visit, they don't want it to seem like entering into a church-like setting. This is up to you, you can water it down to please them or be the same as you are. The sad thing about this is, they may not want to see you again, it's almost like a blackmail situation. So when someone is visiting who can be contentious this way, don't deliberately force your faith on to them but, also let them see that you will never compromise your faith. Don't forget, you want your family in heaven with you when you die, so draw them in, not force them away. This is so difficult I know, I think we all have a problems such as this.

Two people can walk together when they are not in agreement but, it takes great diplomacy on your part, because without this, contention gathers ready to strike. Exercising diplomacy can bring about a type of unity. It may be fragmented but at least, there is a type of togetherness in it. If you can adopt this style of operation, you are more likely to leave some seed in their hearts and as you water it whenever you are with each other, that seed will begin to grow. It may take a long time, but, God knows what He is doing.

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  

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.

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

He is there with you, right now

"But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God."   Psalm 31:14   NKJV

David had already said, 'For You are my rock and my fortress' v3. Now, he was underpinning this with the words of our text and adding, 'My times are in your hand' v15.

David was in distress, people were backstabbing him and leaving him  to fend for himself. He was almost at rock bottom. But, he knew His God and, he knew that He would never turn away from him. He knew without doubt that His God could be relied on.

When we are in a place such as David was, we need to know that Jesus is right beside us.  It can feel like He isn't, if we haven't involved Him in what we are doing and what is happening to us. Don't allow yourself to get into this state. You may say, 'It can't be helped' and I agree, things just happen. However, if we start the day placing Him in charge, then He will be. Things may still happen to us that we don't want, but, we have His backing, He will handle the situation if you don't interfere yourself. Look at David, He called out to God; there was nothing else he could do. He was too tired and distressed. He said, 'My times are in your hand' v15 and he meant it. This is all he could do.

What are you struggling with at the moment. Things are sent to try us and usually, we can handle them well enough. But, there are days when we can't do this; this was how David felt that day. The thing is, he knew God was his rock and fortress. He trusted Him and knew his times were in God's hands. So he called to Him. He was no different to you. He bled, he hurt, he became tired and he had days when he didn't know what to do. You're no different. Therefore, realise what David realised. God is right there with you.

The effects of being short of cash at the moment - give it to Jesus. The fear that you may have about someone doing you an injustice, give it to Jesus. Are you frightened that you may be made redundant? Then again, give it to Jesus. In fact, whatever is on your mind at this moment give it to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). He is the champion and so, we are champions too. He has it all in hand. He knows what will happen from beginning to end, so it makes sense to allow Him to take charge. Amen?

He is there with you, right now. You can't see Him but, you may feel His presence. Allow Him to sort things out for you. He is good at doing that! 

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  

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.

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

 

If you had been there

"Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died"

                                                                                John 11:21   NKJV

This statement can be normal for many people. Non-believers say it to their spouses, family or friends - 'If you had been there, I wouldn't have made this mistake.' It's all part of the blame game - 'If you had, it would have been ok.' 

Martha was similar but, she added a more faith-filled statement -'But even now, I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you' v22. Martha said this in the long term - the resurrection v24. Jesus answered her in the 'Now'. Martha loved Jesus and trusted Him yet, she couldn't imagine Lazarus being raised before the delegated time. It was not in her thinking. But she was about to be proved wrong. 

And many of us are like this. Sometimes before Jesus answers our prayers, there is a waiting time. Let's look at Psalm 27:

'I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage,And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!' v13-14

We can be very much like the Psalmist - David. He too, appears to be wanting God to answer him quickly. But he believed that God would answer and that kept him going. This was what Jesus was intimating to Martha that day; 'Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!' v13-14. He was willing Martha to look through faith-filled eyes - 'walking by faith not by sight' 2 Cor 5:7. 

And this is what He wants us to take on board. it may not be here now but it is coming. Just be patient. Forget the blame game. Things are what they are but if Jesus has said it, it will come. you can be sure of that. What is it that you are waiting for? Are you tempted to get fidgety and blame someone for the time it is taking? Don't do that. Look at it through the eyes of faith and pray it in. See it how Jesus sees it. It will come!

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  

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.

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Lifted to Jesus' level

"When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

                                                                               John 8:10-11   NKJV

The woman caught in adultery, was the centre of gossip as she sat on the dusty floor of the Temple Courts in Jerusalem. She had just been found in adultery and brought out to meet with Jesus who was teaching there. It was early morning and the place would have been packed with people, watching, gloating and no doubt, gossiping about what was happening. It takes two to tango but, there was no sign of the man, it was a total sexist event.

The Pharisees wanted to see what Jesus would say about the matter. He knew they were testing Him to hear what He said. But He shocked them with: 'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.' This cleared the place. The only one who would have been qualified to do this, was Jesus, but He was not about to fall to their level. Instead, He asked the woman where her accusers were and who had condemned her. She told Him that no one had done this. He replied to her:  “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

This must have felt amazing to this woman. She was guilty of adultery, but no one had been able to condemn her and, neither was Jesus going to either. Instead, He gave her back her self-respect. He stooped down to her level and then brought her up to His. She had been a reject, and now, she was free from shame. People who knew what she had done, may well have continued to gossip but, she didn't care. She had met with Jesus and she was a new woman. There is no more details about this woman. Some have debated it but, we do not know. What we assume, is that this woman became a follower of Jesus from thereon.

When you consider your own life, once you were far away from Jesus - totally lost. But then, Jesus came along and gave you the opportunity to have a new life. He stooped down to your level and brought you up to His. We have so much to thank Him for! 

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  

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.

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Lead a worry- free life

“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.                                          Jonah 2:7.  NKJV

Sometimes, people go for some time, suffering and going through a bad time, before they call on God for help. Why is this? Jonah is one example. This rebellious man had already refused to obey God's call to go to Nineveh. In fact, he went the other way and caught a ship to take him to Tarshish. On the way, there was a mighty storm and after some discussion, the sailors threw him overboard because they felt he was a bad omen. Fortunately for Jonah, a great fish swallowed him whole and saved him from drowning.

Now, one would have thought that Jonah would have called out to God straightaway, it must have been a smelly environment to stay in. But, Jonah stayed 3 days and 3 nights before remembering God and crying out to God to save him. When he did, God ordered the fish to vomit him onto dry land. Boy, he must have stunk.

It seems unbelievable that Jonah took so long before he called out to God. It may have been because he was a stubborn man who often sulked when he couldn't get his own way. Why do we leave things so long before we actually ask God to help us? Jonah must have been stressed out, wondering what his fate was going to be. But, the long and short of it was that he wouldn't back down because that would show his weakness and he was unlikely to do this. But at least, in the end, he remembered God and prayed.

David had a similar experience. He and his men returned to Ziklag following a battle, to find that their village had been burnt to the ground by the Amalekites. Not only that but, they had taken all the wives and children with them. The men wept until they had no more power to do so and, as can happen, they begun blaming David, threatening to stone him. Whenever things go wrong, people do get blamed for it all and, David, who had also lost his two wives and was also grieving, was no exception. However, David strengthened himself in the Lord, just like Jonah, had remembered the Lord God. And God was right there to help them all and retrieve their loved ones.  (1 Samuel 30)

Why do we leave things so late at times before we pray? David was distressed and fearful too but, he remembered the Lord and this brought him the strength he needed. We need to take this on board. What's the point in getting all wound up and angry? It leads to to further stress, high blood pressure and heart attacks.

A song that has lifted my wife and I over the years is"

WHY WORRY

'Why worry, God's in charge, the Lord of the land and sea. I'll put my trust in the One who saves, for He takes care of me'.        Writer unknown.

This is only the chorus, the verses I have lost, unfortunately, over the years. But for us, the chorus says it all. There really is no need to become distressed, blaming other people for it all or fearful. Lead a worry free 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  

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.

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

 

 

They had better not touch you!

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things."

                                                                                          1 John 2:20   NKJV 

David's song of Thanksgiving to God, included the words, 'Do not touch My anointed ones and, do My prophets no harm' I Chronicles 16:22. We need to remember that God has sworn to protect those He sends to proclaim His Word. Be careful how you speak about and treat God's servants.

David had the chance to kill Saul. He and his men were hiding in a cave, in the recesses. Saul went in to relieve himself and David cut off a piece of Saul's robe instead. Later he felt guilty because he had touched God's anointed (Read 1 Samuel 24:4-7). It was such a sacred thing that David had to obey this.

Many people today attack ministers about how they run their church or teach or preach the bible. In a way, they are touching God's anointed by doing this. However, others believe differently because they are not attacking them physically by doing this. However, it is a fine line, because they are criticising God's man or woman and the work they have been sent to do. There are ways to do this properly and criticising and judging them is not it. 

Do you realise that in God's mind, all believers are anointed by God; 'But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things'. We all carry the anointing of the Holy One and therefore we need to respect this. When we criticise or judge another believer we are criticising God and worse still, judging Him. That is a foolish and dangerous thing to do.

Peter's shadow falling on people, was associated with healing (Acts 5:15-16), and Paul was associated with the handkerchiefs or aprons (Acts19:11). It is said of the great but controversial preacher, Charles Finney, that when the train carrying him to his

 destination, travelled through a station, the Holy Spirit fell and people came under the power of the Spirit, due to his anointing. This must have caused confusion and even, criticism and judgmental voices. But many people benefitted from it.

Believe it or not, God will do what He chooses and the Holy Spirit will fall and do the most incredible of things. So, don't refuse the anointing and, don't complain about it or touch God's anointed. And, others need to realise they had better not touch you also.

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  

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.

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

We have nothing to fear because, God is near.

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. 6He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God."   Psalm 62:5-7.  NKJV

There are times when we should just sit quietly and allow God's Word to drift through us and to just allow ourselves to soak in it. Today, is one of those days. Why not sit quietly and reflect on how things have been in your life just lately.

Think about the good things that have happened to you; the blessings you have received. and allow them to fill your heart with thanksgiving as you think about all of those things. God may have rescued you from danger and saved you. He'll often use someone else to do this - to save you from death or some kind of injury. You are blessed; the person who helped you is blessed and so is God. 

Jesus is our rock. He wants to:

 'Lead me to the towering rock of safety, 3for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me'  Psalm 61:2-3 NLT. He wants to be our safe refuge; He wants us to realise that we can run to Him and find refuge whenever we need it. He will not allow any enemy to overcome us, and He will come down and rescue us whenever we need this. 

We have nothing to fear because God is near. We have angels all around us to protect us and He will use other people to to help us too. There may be violence all around but, in the presence of God, there is hope, salvation and protection.

Reflect on this during this day and allow His Words to melt your heart. Use Psalm 63:6-8 as a personal prayer and just sit in His presence for as long as you can. You will feel the benefit: 'When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.'

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  

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.

Copyright 2026 Grahame Howard. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk