Sleepless Nights

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."     Matthew 6:34   NLT 

Did you get that last bit? 'Today's trouble is enough for today.' This is all that we can contend with. We can't change the past, it's already happened and can't be any different; and tomorrow, hasn't even happened yet. You don't know how it is going to pan out, what is the point of worrying about something that may or may not, happen? Anyway, the majority of the things that we worry about never come to anything.

Every time we worry, we forget who is in charge - Jesus and He, told us not to worry (Matt 6:31). It is fear and as Bob Gass used to say in his acronym, it's 'False Evidence Appearing Real' and this is the conclusion of believing the lies of the devil. If you have made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, then He is in the driving seat and He is the best rally driver of all, negotiating around every obstacle in the way. So trust Him.

What are your worries? Can they be changed? Are they important enough to lie awake all night worrying about them? Someone said, 'Planning for tomorrow is time well spent; worrying about tomorrow is time wasted.' And it is true, we need to make plans for tomorrow otherwise nothing will get done, but, we don't have to worry about it. When we plan and prepare for tomorrow carefully, we alleviate all worry. But when we allow it, worrying interferes with our plans bringing doubts on what we are planning to do, and introducing fear to everything.

Worrying about whether you have enough money to live on, is not going to pay the bills. But, allowing God to take the lead, will. His Word says, 'Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need' (Matt 6:33). Now, watch this, worrying about this fact means you're calling God a liar. Why? Because you have listened to the lies of the devil. You may have read this verse, believed it, but at that moment, the devil stole the truth from you. How did He steal it? Because you let him.

The God who created the earth and gave you life can be trusted to keep you safe. He doesn't want you worrying all night. Admit it, sometimes you are so tired that you can't even think, so, this allows the devil to think for you and that is always a bad choice. Yes, we have to make plans about tomorrow but, do them carefully including God in the planning, and as you close your eyes to go to sleep, cast all your cares on Jesus because He is very interested. Read 1 Peter 5:7 and take it on board.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Then, Now and the Future

"In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God's salvation. 2 Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. 3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on You."    Isaiah 26:1-3   NLT

THEN

Isaiah's prophecy was saying that when God moves, there will be a mighty praising for the deliverance He has given God's people. He has delivered them out of darkness and the hands of their enemy and given them freedom. He has pulled down strongholds and He is creating a strong city with Him in control, not some pagan king. Return to His everlasting arms and witness what He can do for you - how He will bless you.

NOW

Now this applies to us as well. The ambitions of selfish sinners will crumble but, the LORD Himself is an everlasting rock (Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal rock) v4. He has given us a song and something to sing about. His city is strong with His wall built completely around us guarded by His angels. It is impenetrable yet, all those who call on Him will be allowed to enter and be saved (Romans 10:13). Perfect peace will reign within our hearts instead of confusion and turmoil when, our thoughts are fixed on Him - permanently.

This is a perfect description of heaven and how God wants us to be. There were times in our life when we dwelt in the (THEN) category and be brutally honest, where did it get us - nowhere except of course, heartache and embarrassment. Some of us had strayed off the narrow road and, even more didn't know what the narrow road was and perhaps we were too proud to ask or accept the offer of help. But God has a way of changing lives and situations and this was you. You may not realise it but, you have never been as blessed as you are now. Why, because the Saviour of the world, Jesus Himself, has saved you. And (NOW) you have something to look forward to. You could have died all those years ago and missed all of this, but you are alive and well and have eternity to look forward to. The ROCK is going to make you roll when you get to heaven but until then it's still time to roll and have a ball with Jesus.

FUTURE

You are part of that perfect description of heaven. You have a future. You have been to the University of Jesus Christ and have passed with full honours and wow, does He have a wonderful surprise for you when you step into His arms. You are the blessed of the LORD.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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He's always there for me.

"In my distress, I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple and my cry came before Him, even to His ears."

                                                                                             Psalm 18:6.  NKJV

David sang this song - Psalm 18 - on the day the LORD delivered him from all of his enemies, especially King Saul, who had acted terribly towards him.
In the Psalm, David laments how good the LORD has been to him, even as the closeness of death was on him, God intervened and rescued him.
It was a testimony and years later, when David was in old age, he would sing the same song, as he reflected on His life and how God had been so good to him. (2 Samuel 22).
We often give a testimony too, of how God has rescued us. It is important to do this. Firstly, it shows other people the awesome love and power of God, and secondly, it makes us feel good to talk about God, especially if someone gets saved as they listen to our words.
Verse 6 - our text today - confirms that as we call on God, He hears us, our cry reaches His throne and He actions this request: 'He bowed the heavens also and came down.' (Psalm 18:9). 
When it is a distress call from us, an urgent need of help, He can be relied upon to help us immediately. Psalm 91:11-12, appears to inform us, that we have at least two angels assigned to us and as we call to God, we can ask Him to send these angels to protect and help us. They are our ministering angels, but note that it is God who gives them charge over our life and situation, not us. We cannot order them to do our bidding, God does that.
He may answer us and help us in other ways, but one thing is for sure, He will answer us and quickly if we're in danger. We probably all have those times that we remember when God divinely released us from certain death or sickness or injury. These are the times when we know for certain that He is there for us, watching our backs.
We all have a personal song of praise that we can sing to God, if we choose to. We don't have to be a brilliant musician or performer to get His attention this way. It's not The X factor, it is God and we all win on this show because He loves to hear the praise that we send His way.
Why not write and sing your own personal song to Him? It may not sound all that good to you, but to God, it will sound like a wonderful classic. Think back on those wonderful times that He rescued you and write Him a song or poem. You'll feel good about it and God will be overjoyed!

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Don't be afraid to change the norm

"Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some."

                                                                                 John 21:6   NKJV

There is no logical reason why Jesus should shout to the disciples this direction. After all, to the disciples - skilled fishermen, one side of the boat was no different to the other.

Peter and some of the disciples had been out on a fishing trip and they had caught nothing. All night they had toiled and they were tired, frustrated and hungry. Suddenly, a chap on the shore line was shouting to them, telling them to cast the net on the right side of the boat. They were tired so they obeyed, the result being they had a mega catch of fish. Peter looked at the man again and realising that it was Jesus having what looked like a barbecue, ran through the water to Him.

Now notice something here; Peter wasn't troubled to change things. He didn't struggle with that. We all have our own ways of doing things and sometimes we struggle to change this when someone else suggests we do it another way. At times, we know best, but that isn't always the case, and Peter realised this.

Many times, God will use other people to show us there is a better way. We should always be open to this and listen and weigh it all up. They may just be right. Don't forget at this moment none of the disciples knew it was Jesus. To them, it was just someone walking along the shore. Peter could have thought, 'What does he know?' He would then have missed an amazing catch of fish and an amazing time with Jesus - where he was restored, blessed and commissioned.

The next time things are not going as well as you would hope and someone offers advice that is alien to your norm, stop and consider it very closely. It may be Jesus showing you the right side of things - the right way to go

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Bubble Burster

"So my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immoveable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."                                       1 Corinthians 15:58.  NLT

People with a limited experience of God, may speak to us as if they have a vast knowledge of Him. As they listen to what we say, they may shake their heads and try to extinguish our faith, rather like pouring water on hot coals. 'Be careful,' they may say, 'you could make a fool of yourself -God doesn't speak to us like that.' You've heard them and if you're not careful, they have the ability to rob you of your enthusiasm. I call them, Bubble Bursters, because that is what they do, they burst our bubble of enthusiasm and make us feel inadequate, as if we have not heard God properly. It's ok to receive good, solid advice - we need this. But you will notice the difference in your spirit as you walk with God. The Holy Spirit will let you know.

Enthusiasm spreads like a wild fire if done properly - when it comes from the Lord. We burn with zeal, having a warmth and deep conviction and an eager devotion to do something. In other words, to spread our enthusiasm. 

This is where you may be at this time. God may be stirring something up within you, something new. It may appear exciting and scary at the same time. But, deep down within your spirit, you know it's God. If that's where you are, take notice of it and do it. Avoid the Bubble Bursters, they'll only shout you down. 

Notice the word, 'Immovable,' in our text. This means, unyielding in principle, purpose or adherence, in fact, steadfast. Don't be moved. Your work has value when you do it for God. He will be right behind you, empowering and encouraging you. 

There are talkers and doers, which one are you? Don't get down the road later in life with, 'I wish I would have done that. I know it was God's will. 2 Timothy 1:6 tells us to 'Stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.' Use the gifts that you have been given for the benefit of God's people. 

If this is you, go and do it and watch out for the Bubble Bursters.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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It's over and time to rejoice

"But finally the earth is at rest and quiet, now it can sing again."   Isaiah 14:7   NLT 

The time of captivity in Babylon was over and, the Israelites could enjoy their freedom. It was a time of thankfulness to God; they had been lost, now they had been found and it was time to do what they had only dreamed about. 

We all have times when we felt imprisoned and unable to do what we feel called to do. For you, it may have been an abusive, unhappy marriage. It may also have been a job that  you hated so much, but one, that you not could not leave as there were no jobs available in the area. In fact, there are many things that may have held you in bondage. But now you are free and the relief is amazing, you are no longer subjected to slavery and it feels good. Take a look at our text, the Israelites were overjoyed that: 'finally the earth is at rest, now it can sing again.' They were no longer living in condemnation, God had set them free and they had something to sing about. 

Whatever you have been through just lately is in your past. It is 'today' - -  a brand new start and now it is down to you, how much you make of it.

Conflicts will always come upon us. There is one that will come that will affect all of us who are living at the time. This is the End Times - the  Tribulation. The time when Jesus will come and gather all who are His (The Rapture) and take them to heaven. The other people, which may be you, will be left behind and will have to face the atrocities that will be the worst ever. 

Therefore, are you sure that you belong to Jesus? Have you asked Him into your life and confessed your sins? If not, you need to, that is if you want to be with Jesus and your loved ones and spend eternity with them and Jesus. Why not say this prayer below and really rejoice in your freedom

Lord Jesus, I want to know you, please come into my life and be My Lord and Saviour. I ask You to forgive my sins and ask that Your Holy Spirit will dwell within me for evermore.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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The Golden Rule

"Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and prophets."           Matthew 7:12   NLT 

This verse often gets misquoted in a negative way: 'Don't do to others what you don't want done to you.' Jesus spoke it in a positive manner and this is the way it is intended to be used. A 'don't do this' and a 'don't do that' is quite often received as an order and not received too well. Whereas, the way Jesus put it - in a positive way, can be more welcoming. It's a matter of words and something that we need to practice in order not to offend.

Therefore, Jesus' way would be treating people well, the way you would like to be treated.  There is no room for criticism or to be accusatory when we treat people the right way. When we show people that they can trust us, we will receive that trust back. People need to know that we won't gossip about what they have told us. Sadly, this can happen at prayer meetings when people share something important to them. When they hear about this in the community, they may be devastated and make the decision never to do this again. 

If we do something for someone grudgingly, then we can't really complain if this is done back to us later on. Of course, there are many occasions when we help someone out or do something to bless them and, even though they show their gratitude, when we are in need, they never reciprocate; they never help us out. But stop right there, we don't give to receive. We don't go to someone and after helping them say, 'Right, you owe me one Buddy, don't forget.'  If you are considering doing this, then don't. This is not Jesus' way, He would never act in this manner. 

Just a small thing like helping someone when they've dropped their groceries on the floor can speak volumes. You've helped someone asking nothing in return. This is how Jesus operates. And this is how people can tell that there is something different about you. They feel safe and at peace and yet can't recognise why. This is a great opportunity to tell them about Jesus, if the moment is right. It may not be and the Holy Spirit will guide you in this. Just be ready, on all occasions, to 'do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.'

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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What, or who are you seeking?

"What do you want?" v35-37        John 1:35-39  NLT 

John the Baptist, pointed Jesus out to two of his disciples - Andrew (Simon Peter's brother), and possibly John, the writer of this Gospel. Therefore, they followed Jesus and after a short while, Jesus stopped and asked them what they wanted. They answered, 'Rabbi, where are you staying?' Jesus answered, 'Come and see' v39. And from there, more was added.

See what Jesus asked: 'What do you want?' Initially, this comment could have been offensive, rather like we may say to someone who begins to follow us. It can make the hairs on the back of your neck stick up when this happens. However, Jesus intentions went deeper than this. He wanted to know if:

(1) they recognised Him as the Saviour 

(2) if they had chosen to follow Him and be one of His disciples.

It's no different today. Jesus still asks this question to all who approach Him and searches our hearts to know our motives. Why is this? Because many follow Him for their own self-righteousness, they are out to promote their own Glory, not His. So, the question is what are your motives for belonging to Jesus. Are you after a leading role within your church so that you can be a somebody and be recognised for your great ministry. Or, are you seeking, not your own, but to promote the Name of Jesus, pointing people towards Him.

Self-seeking can take place without us even knowing about it. The moment we expect a pat on the back for preaching, leading worship or running a house group, we are in danger of puffing ourselves up and need to stop, and  give the Glory to Jesus. When Jesus says, 'Come and see,' this is the moment when He is asking you to be open to Him, refuse any self-seeking ideas and allow Jesus to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit; the reason for this is that, the Holy Spirit will always point the way to Jesus.

So are you ready to see what He has in store for you? If so, tell Him and expect Him to respond in whatever way He chooses.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Jesus - the Life

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."                                                        John 14:6 NLT

LIFE

What is life? Life is not always life. Take for example prisoners. Some offenders are imprisoned on a Life sentence but because of good behaviour, are released on licence for the rest of their life. They're free as long as they don't re-offend. More severe case may receive 40+ years and occasionally life is life. Children often use 'Lives" in the games they play. If they are caught in a particular situation, one of their lives have gone. When the lives have been exhausted, that is the end for them.

This is far different to the life Jesus was speaking about in John 10:10 where He said: 'I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.' Life to Jesus, is Life. The Life Jesus gives is Eternal Life. As the NLT puts John 10:10, Jesus has come to give us a rich and satisfying life. In the NKJV Jesus uses the terms 'Abundant Life' which as you study this, you find it is superabundance that he offers - more than enough. Personally I like the 'rich and satisfying' version. Just think of that for a moment. Jesus offers each one of us eternal life in a rich and satisfying way; and this is why we are here on earth, there's far morel to come when we are with Him in heaven.

Have you ever stopped at realised that this, is only the beginning, and this started in Genesis when mankind was created. Since then, many things have happened, the most amazing having God come down to earth, as a man and walk the earth for 3+ years and then bless us with the Holy Spirit. That in itself is amazing, but it is just the beginning. For all believers, eternal life begins when they accept Jesus but, we won't receive the full package until we are there with Jesus in heaven. This is when Life really begins for us. It's not possible to imagine what it will be like but it must be mind-blowing. The singer Keith Green said 'Jesus told His disciples He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father's house, and this includes us too. He has been gone 2000+ years. If it took the Father 6 days to create this place, what will heaven be like when He has taken 2000 years to get things ready of us.'  (Paraphrased) 

Wow, we will see this one day and join up with the many many people who are already there enjoying these comforts. It does our souls good to focus on the future Jesus has for us. This is why others, who don't know Jesus should have the opportunity to share this Life as well. Jesus really is Our Way, Our Truth and Our Life, and this the greatest gift He could ever have given us.

Go and enjoy it throughly!

 Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Jesus - the Truth

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."                                                            John 14:6 NLT

Today, let us take a deeper look at the second point Jesus spoke about:

TRUTH

As the Truth, Jesus is the reality of all of God's promises. Jesus warned us that human beings may deceive us and be unworthy of trust (Matthew 10:17-21), but we may place our ultimate trust and confidence in Jesus because, He is the Truth. Truth is reliable and consistent with God's revelation.

There has never been a time when God has been untrue to you. He has always been there for you, leading you on and repairing damage that has been caused to yourself or others. What about that broken heart that you had? He has been with you from the moment this happened to you, whether you knew this or not. Perhaps he has helped you with the hurt you have suffered or, maybe He is in the process of binding your wounds. If you trust Him and allow Him to, He will fix this for you. Because he is true to you. Remember the 4th verse of Psalm 23: 'Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me'  (NLT). That's the Truth.

He is your Truth, the only one who is, and will be true to you eternally. There's nothing to fear because Jesus is near! A friend, a companion, a teacher and your loving shepherd. This is how Jesus wants you and I to be with people. Think about that accolade when people say about you, 'He or she are so truthful, they make me feel at peace when I'm with them and I really trust them.' How about that? You may say, that could never be me. But, when you have Jesus beside you and you are in sync with Him, you are a force to be reckoned with. You carry the sweet fragrance of Jesus wherever you go. And this is because people look at you and recognise the Truth (Jesus) in you, and they feel safe with you. Now, that is something.

'I could never be like that,' you may tell me, but you can be. If you belong to Jesus, this is the way He wants you to be - available - honest - reliable and truthful, and you can be like this because you are in the Truth and He is in you. Do you get it?

So, start meditating on this - you are the Way, you are the Truth because, you belong to Jesus and He has commissioned you - called you, to reach out to people in this cold and dark world.

More tomorrow

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Jesus - the Way

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."                                                        John 14:6 NLT

Jesus mentioned three very important points in the verse: Way, Truth and Life.

Over the next few days let us dig into this verse, starting with the:

WAY

When we talk to unbelievers about our faith they often come up with a negative point, such as: 'How do your know you will be going to heaven when you die?' It's a good question and one that we may have used before we became a Christian. This verse is very clear that the only way to God is via Jesus. He is the only way in; He holds the door way if you like. The NLT footnote on this verse says, ''Jesus is the way because He is both God and man. By uniting our lives with His, we are united with God. Trust Jesus to take you to the Father, and all the benefits of being God's child will be yours.'

When we consider the road to Jesus being narrow it can be daunting. Jesus Himself said, 'The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it' Matt 7:14. However, it is wide enough for the whole world to pass through, IF they choose to. That is the important bit. The only way we can get into heaven - to possess eternal life - is through Jesus and, many refuse to walk through this gate and so lose their position in heaven. The strong bit is, they will possess eternal life but, they will have this in hell, and that is not a recommended place to go to because, there is no turning back from there. So, Jesus is our path to our Father.

Jesus is also the way we should do things - the way we speak, the way we act to other people and basically, the way we live our lives. As we know, not many unbelievers go to church, except to weddings, funerals or Christenings. As Christians, we are the bible or the church to them. The way we handle our lives gives them an example of how the Christian life should be. And this doesn't mean walking around with the largest bible you can find, in our hands and a massive cross around our neck, singing hymns at the top of our voice. This only makes people believe that we are weird. Look how Jesus went around, people were just drawn to Him because they could see and feel there was something different about Him. He drew people to His Father.

What about the way we drive? You know, that annoying person in front of you driving at 20mph on a major road. Is your way to tailgate him or her, blasting them with the horn and then overtaking at 70mph, cutting them up? Let me ask you, would Jesus do that? I don't think so; He would wait patiently until he had the chance to pass - safely. That's His way and, should be our way too. (Memo to self - take note of this Grahame). Joking aside, if Jesus is the way, which He is, then we should be living in this 'way.' Because Jesus wants us to.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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You can't hide sin

"Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then, not do it."   

                                                 James 4:17  NLT 

How many times do we fall for this? We know that we shouldn't do or say a particular thing but, we do it anyway. We tend to think that doing wrong is sin but, as we meditate on this scripture, it tells us that sin is also not doing right, when we should do. An example of this is finding out that a person within the church is sexually abusing a minor. Just because this person may be an upright member, does not give us the right to be quiet on this subject and sweep it under the carpet because you know the person well and revealing it could cause a major scandal. As citizens of the UK we have an obligation to report this matter to the authorities. It is against the law and in the eyes of God - sin.

It is a sin to lie and also a sin to know the truth and not tell it. In God's eyes, it is sin to speak evil of people by criticising and judging them. It is hard to like some people. No matter how hard we may try, there is just no connection. We are to love people but it may be hard to like them. Some people have a problem with this one. How can you love someone without liking them? It's a faith thing; we love them through Jesus Christ, we don't say bad things about them, we just love them. Ephesians 4:32 says: 'Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." Being kind to one another is showing people love. It doesn't mention that we should like everyone. As long as we are loving and kind to whoever we meet, we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do. Keller says:

‘The Bible says we should do all we can to live in peace with everyone, love them, but we are not commanded to like them. Are we commanded to love them? Without a doubt. If love means wanting the best for someone, we should desire that everyone we meet know and love God and accept Jesus, His Son, as their Savior.’

Read more at: https://www.lobservateur.com/2020/01/15/keller-are-we-commanded-to-like-everybody/#

And there it is in a nutshell. Not liking someone is not sin as long as we show them the love of Jesus; they may not know Jesus so, by loving them we are giving them this opportunity.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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God didn't answer my prayer

9“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.   Matthew 7:9-11  NLT

You may say after begging God for something: 'Why doesn't God answer my prayers if His Word says, "Ask and Receive?'  There is a very simple answer to this, He gives what He feels is right for you and what you need, good gifts. God knows your future, He knows that if you asked Him to allow you to win the Lottery, you may not handle it properly. Many would go crazy and spend money like there is no tomorrow. Alcohol, the good life, adjusting overnight from what they were into what they are now. Some people have died because of this process. It may appear extravagant to pray to win such a large bulk of money, but many people do and it changes them because, they have not been used to this lifestyle. 

God is a loving God that longs to bless us but, He must be allowed to know what is best for us. To Him, some of the things that people ask for are like a poisonous snake and will only ruin a life. As we learn to know God better, we begin to ask for what is good for us and then, He grants it - good gifts. He is not stingy - not at all. He is our Father and therefore, He knows what is right for us. If you are a parent, would you give your child something that will be no good for them? Of course not. So, God is the same. He only gives us what we need but at times He will throw in a blessing too, like parents do.

If you have made Jesus your life, then He is the one that is responsible for ensuring that you have the best in all things. When scripture says, 'Ask and Receive,' as you ask with God in mind, He will bless you. As you walk closer with Him you will begin to realise just how much he loves you and how much He wants you to depend on Him for everything. So, if you get into a financial problem through no fault of your own, you can rely on Him to work on your behalf. If someone is wronging you, as you say to Him, 'Help Lord,' He will be right there to deal with the situation. In fact, you can rely on Him for everything. Don't get me wrong, He still wants you to be responsible and do whatever in the right way. But, when you find yourself in a scrape, He can be relied upon to help you.

So in all honesty, when you do things God's way, your prayers will be answered.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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The Qualities of Love

"Love is patient and kind."                 1 Corinthians 13:4   NLT 

What is love? Well, if we take a look at 1 John 4:16, we read: 'God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.' The creator God is not only our Father but, He is love. Therefore, straightaway we know what love is, it is God. Let us look at this love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

'Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.8Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages b and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!'

This piece of scripture perfectly describes God. Thankfully, He is patient with us, even when we make mistake after mistake, He remains kind and never asks 'Why did you do that? We don't even have to give Him an explanation why we have messed up. Check out The Prodigal Son in Luke 15. As he returned to his father he was rehearsing what he would say but, when he arrived he never had the chance to say it all, such was his father's love for him v18-21. God is love or Love is God.

God does not even keep a record of our wrongs; thanks goodness for that. He would have lorry loads of mine if He did. Don't laugh, you would would be the same. Can we say the same about the record we keep of wrongs that people have made against us? Let's be honest, we all have records of the wrong that people have done to us. I have a library of them at home but, come on, so do you, be honest. Don't you think it's time that we all threw them away - shred them and remember them no more. 'Well, that's impossible,' you may say. No it isn't, with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26 NKJV). If God holds no wrongs against us, we have no right to hold them against other people. Time to throw them out, people.

Verse 8 in the NKJV says 'Love never fails' So, if God is love, then this means that God never fails - never ever. I know it sounds strange calling God love but hey, I didn't write the bible and the bible says, 'God is love.' If this wasn't so, why would John write this, it wouldn't make sense. Tony Evans comments:'God is love. This truth is revealed to us in the Word, but it was also revealed on the cross, where Christ died for us.'God is love' is not simply a doctrine in the bible; it is an external fact clearly demonstrated at Calvary (Rom 5:8). God has said something to us, and God has done something for us.'

                                                         The Tony Evans Study Bible

Therefore, God is love and Love is God.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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'What shall I do Lord?'

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."   

                                                                                       Proverbs 3:5-6   NLT 

You have the offer of a job; it looks tempting but what are you going to do? The job you are in is ok, it pays the bills, but this offer is a dream come true. It's a new company and with an elevated position, you will be on a good salary, but you may think, 'what if the company goes bust after a few months? I'll have lost everything.' Decisions and more decisions.

From time to time, we all have to make some sort of decision - where to live? What area to work in? Should I get married or should I join the Armed Forces? These are all important questions to ponder and they need a wise answer for us to process. Perhaps you are wanting to go to Uni and go through all of the entrance exams and interviewing but, halfway through this process, a good job offer comes your way. Should you go for the years at Uni with practically nothing to live on or, should you take this very good job that is offering a good salary right now?

As a Christian you can ask God for direction, but when He doesn't answer quickly, you may not have the time to wait, so you go rushing in and make a hasty decision, just hoping it's the right one. Take a look at this verse and make up your own mind:

'Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes'

                                    Proverbs 19:2  NLT

Is it really worth dashing in before you are fully persuaded it is the right decision? Of course, we can't always be certain, However, with God, you can be. Take a look at our text above. We either believe God's Word or we don't. He will never mis-lead us, He is always truthful. But the thing is, He doesn't always give us the answer straightaway and we just have to remain patient. This is not because He wants to keep us guessing, not at all. There are things that He knows that we don't and He needs to test the way ahead for us. There is no rush no matter how much you think there is; God is always on time, never late, never early. Just the fact in our earlier example of waiting for a place in Uni and also being offered a job, speaks of confusion and the only one who promotes this is the devil. Don't go there.

At this time, you may be waiting for something that is important but also something that is causing you stress. Now the devil loves stress, so once again, don't go there. Just relax and wait for the divine decision. You will know when it comes because your heart will pound with excitement but, also with relief and the knowledge that this is God.

However, until that moment, (that may come sooner than you think), keep alert to God's wishes and refuse to rush into anything.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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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