The Benefits of God. Part 1

2Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.         Psalm 103:2-3   NKJV

For the next few days, let us build upon verse one from yesterday. As we've seen many times before, the word 'Soul' is made up of our Mind, Will and Emotions. It covers, What we think; Our determination and Our feelings'. This covers pretty much everything. 

In a busy world, it can be easy to forget what God has provided for us. Life is so full of things that distract us. David shows us that there are spiritual and physical blessings that God imparts on us and even though these are very welcome, he shows us that we have to be reminded to thank, praise and bless Him each and every day.

God, through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, forgives every sin we ever committed and will 

commit in the future, as long as we ask Him to. There are some Christian faiths that teach that once you have been forgiven, that is it, there is no need to ask Him again - ever. Many call it Hyper - Grace. They claim that there is no need to confess your sins; it has already been done when you were saved. Don't fall for this; sin will still need to be confessed until the day we stand before Jesus in heaven. If you have asked Jesus to forgive your sins, He has done so and you don't need to ask again. However, from thereon, whatever sins you commit on a daily basis, need God's forgiveness. Don't forget this.

Jesus not only will forgive your sins, He will also heal your body from physical disorders. My testimony is being healed of a bad case of Bells Palsy in 1980. I was truly healed overnight. However, since then, I have suffered other ailments which I have not been healed of. Why? I 

just don't know. He has helped me cope at times like this but there has been no clear healing. He has though, on a number of occasions, literally saved my life, so I have come to the conclusion that He heals in many different ways and uses the sickness to His own advantage by placing you together with someone who is also suffering. So for this, I am grateful.

We must be mindful of what the text above says, 'Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases'. Our God is a good God who deserves all of our blessings, everyday and forever.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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.

Blessing God

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

                                                                  Psalm 103:1    NKJV

In some versions of the bible, you may find the term, 'Praise the LORD', which when you 

think about it, is what we should be doing everyday of our lives. As we will see as we go 

on through this series, we have so much to praise and bless Him for.

Things can get the better of us sometimes and we can go the alternate route and start 

moaning or grumbling about things. Yes there are tedious things that we encounter each day 

but just stop and think, what comes out of our mouth can have an affect on us, 'Do not let 

any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for 

building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who 

listen.'  Ephesians 4:29. Just think about this for a moment and be honest, does what you say 

build people up - including yourself, or does it bring them down. We have to be careful what 

we say because, if we become a grumbly person only grumbly things are going to come out 

of our mouth and whoever is listening - which includes yourself, hears this negativity it can 

give out depressing overtones instead of life. So, endeavour to change your way of thinking 

and re-program your mouth to only speak good, solid stuff.

Look at your life and be grateful for what you have at this time. It may not be a lot but it is yours. If you're in want, ask God to help you and He will. Don't be tempted to be negative because 

you are short of cash this month. Check out Matthew 6:25-34 and stand on Jesus' Words. I 

tell you, in the early days of our marriage we had very little. We managed from week to week 

on a very low wage and only had the basics to get by. When Jesus came into our lives, we 

learnt to trust Him and literally stand on His Word for everything. Little by little, things 

changed and we had better jobs which gave us more money and it became exciting 

trusting Jesus and what He was going to supply today. And we made it and God blessed 

us tremendously and still is doing. One thing we learned, was to tithe our money, even 

though we needed the cash, by faith we gave some to whoever God showed us and the 

blessing came more and more.

So today, find something to bless and praise God for. If a negative word comes into your 

head, ignore it and keep in a blessed frame of mind. This is how to overcome those dark times

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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.

Are you Content?

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world,

and it is certain we can carry nothing out.     1 Timothy 6:6-7   NKJV

Today's question, are you content? Are you content in all you have; content in what you do and content in how you live? You may be more financially solvent if the kids have now left home. When you first created your family, it was sweet but there were always problems - bills, mortgage, rent, clothes, in fact a never-ending list of 'Needs'. Has there been any improvements to this since they went off to start their own way in the world, or are there still pressures? 

Contentment is a state of being satisfied; could this describe you? You go off on a well needed holiday and it is bliss as you live the life - sun, alcohol, good food and entertainment. When your holiday is near its end, the satisfaction begins to fade and you focus on getting back to reality - work, bills, pressures and the many things that tend to be stressful. In fact, there are many people who dread the feeling of having to return to work after time off. It is natural, especially if you've had a holiday. ~ After I or 2 weeks away you had begun to unwind, and get into relax mode. But it didn't appear long enough and it flew by. Now discontentment is trying to establish itself.

Can you remember when you were a child or teenager; you probably couldn't wait to be an adult and earn money and a fancy life style. The thought satisfied you and you felt that this would make you you content. Now, adulthood has reached you and you may well want to return to your younger days of no responsibility; and when you get much older and your body doesn't work like it used to, now frustration is added to the situation. 

We are not satisfied, check out what Max Lucardo has to say on this subject:

'We are not satisfied. Contentment is a difficult virtue. Why? Because there is nothing on earth that can satisfy our deepest longing. We long to see God. The leaves of life are rustling with the rumour that we will see Him. And we won't be satisfied until we do.'

Therefore, until that day when you see Jesus face to face, learn to take each day as it comes. Just go with the flow, no matter what life throws at you. If you can change it, do so. If you can't, no amount of worrying is going to help, is it?

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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.

You will have success!

"So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away".                                                        Joshua 3:14-16   NKJV

God may give you the most amazing of things to do for Him. This may be to test your faith by assessing how far you would go for Him. Here He chose Joshua to finish the task of Moses and take the Israelites through to the Promised Land. Now this was some mighty task for Joshua but, after being prepped by God and assured that He would go with Him and give him the success that was needed, Joshua went off to prepare his men for this mission.

Now there was much to prepare for, one thing was that, wives, children and livestock would remain on this side of the Jordan until the soldiers had done their work by making the place safe.  Families and livestock would then be allowed to join them. God looks after you, at the beginning of any type of ministry, there is uncertainty and 'What if's' but God covers this by taking care of loved ones until it is safe for them. The River Jordan was in flood and highly dangerous to navigate at  the best of times, but at harvest time, it would break its banks and flood water would be all around. 

They were not only entering the Promised Land but, were also taking with them the ark of the covenant carried by the Levites and accompanied by the priests. It was a tall order, so they made camp for three days in order to plan the situation properly. Joshua also sent out spies to check out the land. Finally, it was time to move and they were assured that the river would part so that they could proceed over on dry land to the other side. However, nothing happened until the priests stood in the water. As soon as they did, the water was forced back instantly so they they could pass through to safety and a new life.

Notice, nothing usually happens until you make the first move. God may have called you to do a certain task but, He expects you to initiate the first move. Now this may be by making a telephone call to accept something; writing a letter of acceptance or whatever else may be needed. Once you do this, God will throw open the door and lead you through to your personal Promised Land.

If this is speaking to you. and you accept, say 'yes' to God and then make the initial move that is needed. God will then take your hand on your next adventure.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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.

Don't fear getting old

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing"

                                                                                 Psalm 92:12-14    NKJV

You're never too old to serve God as there is no retirement in the Kingdom of God. Look at some of the mighty people of God we read about in the bible; some like Moses, didn't really start their ministry until he was 80. At a time when most people have retired and relaxing in their garden, Moses was about to go on a bizarre mission to bring Israel out of captivity. Therefore, don't ever write yourself off and don't allow anyone else to do this either.

As a believer in the Lord Jesus, you are considered righteous and therefore will flourish like a palm tree. Now the roots of palm trees reach to hundreds of yards as they search for water. Their roots go deep and so should you. It's not over until God says it is so, write that book, start the bible study, start street evangelism or whatever. If you ask Jesus, He will tell you. And don't be afraid to preach if you are asked. Always be ready to give an account for your faith ( 2 Tim 4:2 ).

Set your love upon Jesus and Jesus will honour and deliver you. Whatever trouble you may find yourself in, He will be with you and will deliver you. Call on Him and He will hear you and answer you. However, God doesn't always answer us in the way we would expect. A footnote in the NKJV Spirit Filled Bible for Psalm 91:15 says;

'Although the psalmist (and reader) are not promised total immunity from calamities, the Lord assures us that He will be present with those who call upon Him and that, He will deliver and honour him'  Psalm 91:15 Footnote Spirit Filled Life Bible NKJV

It is true that when we become older our energy level can become lower but gentle exercise is there for the taking. Not only can we do physical exercise but we can also keep our mind fit by studying the Word. And what's more, you don't have the problem of work pressures

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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.

Angels

"9Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways".

                                                                                           Psalm 91:9-11   NKJV

An Angel is a spiritual or heavenly being whom God sends as His special messenger or helper to human beings. They are not to be identified with God Himself because He created them (Psalms. 148:2,5). They serve under His direction and are obedient to His commands (Psalm. 103:20). Special functions of an angel are delivering God's messages to human beings (Luke 1:13), protecting God's people (Dan. 3:28), relieving human hunger and thirst (Gen. 21:17-19) and praising the name of the Lord (Psalm 103:20-21). Before the creation of the world, certain angels rebelled against God and therefore were cast out of heaven. The ringleader of this revolt was Satan.

Billy Graham wrote in one of his many books, everyone is assigned at least two angels. Now that is encouraging but have you ever seen them?  Neither have I. However, I have known that they are around; time and time again I have been rescued from certain dangers. It is wonderful to know they are there. I don't believe that we should speak to them, God does that and sends them into action. Many would disagree with this and feel that we should send them out to do our bidding. Opinions differ and until proven wrong, I prefer my way. We must remember that angels are created by God just the same as we were and are messengers. 

God gives His angels charge over us (This is where Billy Graham feels we have more than one angel). They are sent to keep charge over us and protect us. Someone may say,'If that is true, why do Christians die in accidents or murders?' I really don't know the answer to this. What I do know and believe is, that, if God said it, I believe it. 

I am just grateful that God places his angels around us. We are protected in all directions; we are loved from all directions and he is with us from all directions.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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.

Are you being bullied?

"A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth".                         Isaiah 42:5   NKJV

Jesus was bullied; people threatening Him, false statements were being made about Him and let's never forget the cross where He suffered a terribly painful death after being bullied by the soldiers. The difference between Jesus and ourselves at that time was, at any moment He could have overpowered them all scattering them far and wide. But He didn't, you see what held Him to the cross was not the nails that had torn His flesh, but Love. Love kept Him there so that each one of us could be sin-free.

If you can, think back to a time when you remember being bullied. It was frightening and scary and you may have felt intimidated too because of the onlookers expecting you to retaliate. It was an awful time and there may have been a moment when you wanted to retaliate but bottled out at the last moment. The bullying may have lasted for some time but then again, it may have been short-lived because the bully moved to another district with their parents.

The bullying may have carried on into your adult life, where you dread going to work or living in your home area. A word of encouragement, Jesus is in charge -"A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth". He knows all about what you're going through and He is very willing to help. I remember many years ago when a chap gave a testimony at a church meeting. Apparently, where he worked there was a man who continually bullied him and came near to hurting him. This chap told the meeting that he finally called out to God for help. That same day this bully died of a major heart attack. Now you may find this quite extreme but, it happened and it is a lesson that Jesus will avenge when one of His children are in problems.

At this time, do you feel like a bruised reed? Have people been bullying you; walking all over you or treating you very badly. If so, give it to Jesus. Proverbs 16:3 NIV says: 'Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.' The word 'Commit', in the Greek actually means to roll over and gives the picture of a heavily laden camel at the end of it's journey, rolling on the ground allowing the load to slip off. In the same manner, we can roll our problems over to Jesus.

So whatever you are struggling with today, roll it over to Jesus and He will sort it out for you.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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.