Separation and Deliverance through the Word

AYIN

"121I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors. 122Be surety for Your servant for good; Do not let the proud oppress me. 123My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation And Your righteous word. 124Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, And teach me Your statutes. 125I am Your servant; Give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies. 126It is time for You to act, O Lord, For they have regarded Your law as void. 127Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold! 128Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way."    Psalms 119:121-128   NKJV

In the first verse of this section, the writer emphasises the fact that he has tried his best to honour God and carry out his service. The writer pens that his righteous life was the fruit of his salvation; and therefore a proper basis to ask the Lord not to abandon him. We cannot make demands of God but, we can remind Him that we are obeying His Word and bearing fruit and because of this, we need help from the attack of our oppressors. The writer goes on to discuss this further in verse 126, where he reiterates this fact and states that because of all this, we can remind God of our obedience and plead with Him to act: 'It is time for You to act, O Lord, For they have regarded Your law as void.' 

Jesus is our surety, the One who stands for another and represents him. He's rather like a good barrister but more so. He pleads our cause through our life and will restrain anyone who tries to harm us. However, there may be a waiting period and things may not go the way we have asked because He likes to see how we will respond and act towards such affliction. There may also be times when we feel like turning away from Him, it happens. If it does, we need to speak to Him urgently.

Remember this, the more we know about Him, the more effective we can be. So, we need His teaching on a regular basis. It is almost like His Word is like pure gold. As we flick through the pages of our bible, imagine that you are turning pages of pure gold, because this is what the Word is - Gold! The more you read it, the more you will recognise this.

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

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
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If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

The Wicked and the Word

 SAMEK

"113I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law. 114You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. 115Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God! 116Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. 117Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.118You reject all those who stray from Your statutes,
For their deceit is falsehood.119You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;
Therefore I love Your testimonies. 120My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments."                          Psalm 119:113-120   NKJV

People who flow in double-mindedness are people who one minute are for God, the next the world is their oyster. They present themselves as YoYo people and people who are half and half. They seem to lack a central focus. James gives a good description of these in his first chapter: v5-8: 'Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways' Not a good testimony to have planted upon yourself - 'unstable in all his ways.'

When we are walking close to the Lord, He becomes our hiding place, rather like described in Psalm 91:1-2. He is our hiding place when we are pursued and a shield when are are under attack. Those who place their hope in Him will never be disappointed. The writer also describes the type of person God seeks. That person is the one that doesn't become involved in worldly matters and sinful practices. He or she are in this world but not a part of it; they belong to Jesus. They are willing to maintain contact with sinful people but, to help win them for Jesus. They have a determination not to become overly involved with them and compromise their faith. However, they will not walk by them when they are in need of help. For an example of this check out Jesus' walk. He spoke to many people but, He didn't fall to their practices. There is a difference.

It's not easy being a Christian; where we've come from we don't want to return. However, if we are to win people for Christ, we must be where they are, rather like Jesus when He went to houses of tax collectors and such. People are lost in their sin; Jesus wants them to be saved and this is where we come into play. Do you get what I mean?

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

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Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

The Word, a Lamp and Light for all occasions

NUN

"105Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 106 I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments.107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. 108Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, 

O Lord, And teach me Your judgments. 109My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law. 110The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts. 111Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart. 112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end."                                           Psalm 119:105-112   NKJV

The Word guides negatively by forbidding certain behaviour patterns. It also guides positively by showing the right way. 'Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.' As we serve Jesus, we will have good and bad times (v107). 'I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.' Spurgeon said 'The service of the Lord does not screen us from trial, but rather secures it for us'  © Charles H Spurgeon The treasury of David v1:244

It is so easy to panic or become hysterical when we forget God's Word and the fact that He is in charge. We need to watch for Satan's booby traps. It is right to say that God is in charge but, take note, He is in charge only, when we place Him in charge. The temptation to do things in our own strength is forever among most human thinking. When we accept God's calling, we are there for that reason - to serve. This means that, He is our master; He has called you and not, the other way around. Therefore, to be sure of your calling make sure that you place Jesus totally in charge of all you do for Him. It is the only way we will receive the victory. God doesn't want, or need, any Lone Ranger's. If He did, He would have given us a black mask. Place Him in charge.

How do people see God? They see Him in you, that is if you are clothed in His righteousness. Unbelievers, know what the world is all about, they've seen and heard it all of their lives. They go to church or speak with a Christian because they desperately need to know the answer to life-problems and events. So, ask yourself, 'What would they see in me if they were to come and speak to me? The truthful answer to this will determine if you need to make some changes in your life as well. Is your lamp burning brightly?

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

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Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Wisdom through the Word

MEM

97Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. 99I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts. 101I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. 102I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. 103How sweet are Your words to my taste,

Sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104Through Your precepts I get understanding;

Therefore I hate every false way.                Psalm 119:97-104    NKJV

Our writer describes his love of meditation in v97. It is in moments of meditation that we suddenly discover new beauties and wonders in scripture. A word of warning though, the meditation he mentions is about God, not like the eastern religions or anything that encourage the emptying of our mind. We should always be concentrating our minds on Jesus, nothing else.

Note verse 101 'I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.' This is a very difficult statement to live up to because sin, is all around. We don't have to do anything to sin, the eye will do it, the mind will do it and the mouth will definitely do it. I would suggest that this statement be declared in faith, trusting God that we will do all we can to avoid falling into the sin-traps all around us. This appears to be the only way possible, so do it by faith.

And this is where we see that meditation on Jesus leads us to sweet words, sweeter than honey in my mouth v103. He has the words of eternal life and that is all we need. This is wisdom through the Word.

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.

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Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Eternity of the Word

LAMED

89Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. 90Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides. 91They continue this day according to Your ordinances, For all are Your servants. 92Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. 93I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life. 94I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts. 95The wicked wait for me to destroy me, But I will consider Your testimonies.
96I have seen the consummation of all perfection, But Your commandment

is exceedingly broad.                         Psalm 119:89-96    NKJV

Barnes said 'I should have sunk a thousand times' said a most excellent, but afflicted man to me, 'If it had not been for one declaration in the Word of God, "The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.'

                                                                       (119:92) Barnes, Psalms 111:204

People are lost without God. The comment above is similar to Psalm 27:13, 'I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.' The italics are not shown in most versions of the bible, mostly only in the KJV and NKJV. They were just emphasising a point. We are lost without God. Jesus Himself said in John 15:5 'without Me you can do nothing.' We need Him

Those who have experienced the power of the scriptures in their lives, are not likely to forget them. He is our Lifeguard, rescuing us whenever we are about to sink. You know, it is not a bad experience to rededicate your life to Jesus every single day and then remember to put your armour on.

Remember this, when you are active for God, the devil will do all he can to stop you. You are a threat so, he will attack you. Be ready and alert! v96

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.

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Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

The Afflicted One Sustained By Your Word

KAPH

81My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your Word. 82My eyes fail from searching Your Word, Saying, “When will You comfort me?” 83For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, Yet I do not forget Your statutes. 84How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me? 85The proud have dug pits for me, Which is not according to Your law. 86All Your commandments 

are faithful; They persecute me wrongfully; Help me! 87They almost made an end of me on earth, But I did not forsake Your precepts.88Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.  Psalm 119:81-88.  NKJ 

The writer starts off this section with 'My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your Word.' Believers may be afflicted but, not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair. They may also be persecuted but never forsaken, struck down or destroyed. Taken from (2Cor 4:8-9)

Hope should always be kept alive. Notice the words he uses in verse 82, 'When will You comfort me?' Not, 'Will You comfort me? There is a certain knowledge in the writer's choice of words; he knows that God will never let him down as long as he is in fellowship with Him. We should never lose this certain knowledge, it is vital to our survival.

We must always avoid being dried out like a mis-used wineskin. Skins can easily become dried out, arid and incapable of anything positive. Left to survive on its own, it will become worn and cracked, unable to perform what it was created for. This is the same for us. We need to keep our faith and make sure that we don't sink. Don't forget, the devil will try to drag us down; don't let him. Keep standing. We need to be standing on holy ground not on mirey clay. As a Christian, we do not sink, we rise with Jesus! Amen!

Spurgeon said, 'If we stick to the precepts, we will be rescued by the promises.' In other words, help will come; only believe. God has not brought us this far to leave us on our own. If we demonstrate to Him that, we can do things on our own; that we don't need any help, then that is what you'll get - no help. God is very aware that we need Him and that we can't manage on our own very long before we have to shout to Him to rescue us. So remember that; we need Him; and when we show Him this, He will be right there.

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.

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Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Insights through the Word

YOD

73Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.74Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word.75I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. 76Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant. 77Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight. 78Let the proud be ashamed, For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; But I will meditate on Your precepts. 79Let those who fear You turn to me, Those who know Your testimonies. 80Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.       Psalm 119:73-80   NKJV

God has made us by such amazing skill, so what is more reasonable that He should be our teacher as well? When He created us, like most things, there was a warranty built in His plan. Today, very little is built or sold without a warranty. However, with God there is no need to scrutinise the small print - the bible gives us this information and guarantee. We know that once we have received Jesus as out Lord, this warranty comes fully into action. We are safe.

This warranty that a Christian receives is the Holy Spirit with which we are sealed to God by. 'And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30). It is like God has given us an ID card - 'I belong to Jesus Christ; He is my Lord and Saviour; I, am His child.' Being sealed by the Holy Spirit, is a concept in Christianity, primarily from the apostle Paul's writings, meaning that a believer has received God's mark of ownership, protection and a guarantee of their inheritance in heaven through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

'This seal is a completed action of salvation, showing the believer belongs to God and is a pledge of future eternal life with Jesus.'  Copyright William MacDonald

So there you have it, if you have asked Jesus into your life, you have the seal of the Holy Spirit upon you; you carry His id card around, wherever you go. You have a lot to look forward to in life, and don't forget that this includes eternal life. You will live forever in heaven! Now that is something to shout about. Amen?

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

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

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

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

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Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

The Pricelessness of the Word in good and evil times

 TETH

"65You have dealt well with Your servant, O Lord, according to Your word. 66Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments. 67Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word. 68You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes. 69The proud have forged a lie against me, But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart. 70Their heart is as fat as grease, But I delight in Your law. 71It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. 72The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver."  Psalm 119:65-72   NKJV

How long is it since you thanked the Lord for the wonderful way He has treated you? Remember the old hymn 'Count your blessings name them one by one; and it will surprise you what the LORD has done.'  (Johnson Oatman Jnr.) Think back to before you knew Jesus if you can. You probably had nothing of significance and you may have been in a bad way with no prospects. But since Jesus got a hold of you, there is a hope and a future. You may not be there yet, but you're not where you were either.

Verse 67 says "I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word." NLT. The memory of what our past life cost us serves as a healthy deterrent against repeating them. But following our salvation, Jesus has blessed us beyond our imagination. We also have eternal life. We will live forever in heaven. 

People may talk against us to try and ruin our reputation with slanderous remarks. This is nothing new really, they did this to Jesus, but He wouldn't fall to their hope of an argument. He had nothing to prove and neither do we. People intend their persecution to harm us, upset us and punch a hole in our security. However, God will over-rule this if we just give the whole thing to Him. We have nothing to fear, He is right there beside of us.

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Perseverance in the Word

 HETH

"57You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words. 58I entreated Your favour with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word. 59I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies. 60I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments. 61The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law. 62At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments. 63I am a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts. 64The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes."

                                                          Psalm 119:57-64   NKJV

'You are My portion, O Lord.' Basically the author is saying, 'You are mine, Lord.' To have Jesus in your life is to have incredible wealth. You are rich- He is your treasure. He is all sufficient, we are not. So we must be alert and prayerful at all times, claiming the promise of His mercy.

 I find v59-60 to be two-fold: 

(1) v59 says, 'I thought about my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste and did not delay to keep your commandments.' The writer has thought long and hard about God and what He has to offer. He has therefore made the decision to embrace Him with all he has. (2) At times, we don't know which way to go in life. So, let us turn our feet to the paths outlined in scripture. We live in the day of instant foods, instant service etc. What about instant obedience to whatever God is leading us to do? 

The author gives us an interesting comparison in v62. 'At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You.' Paul and Silas, unable to do anything because they were locked in chains, decided to have a prayer and praise session at midnight (Acts 16:25-27). The results were astounding, the chains fell off them and the doors to all the cells came open, and many lives were changed. Now, there is a wonderful message to consider here, if you will. Think about it!

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Rest and Comfort through the Word

ZAYIN

"49Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. 

50This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life. 51The proud have me in great derision,Yet I do not turn aside from Your law. 52I remembered Your judgments of old, O Lord, And have comforted myself.53Indignation has taken hold of me Because of the wicked, who forsake Your law. 54Your statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage. 55I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, And I keep Your law. 56This has become mine, Because I kept Your precepts."                      

                                                       Psalm 119:49-56   NKJV

God keeps His promises! They give us hope and comfort as He delivers them at the right time. Just the fact we have His promise, even though the promise has not yet come to fruition, the thought of them is encouraging to our soul. It's not possible that God could ever forget His promise but, it is natural for us to remind Him.

We will be subject to ridicule from both non-believers and sadly, from certain believers who seem to find problems with most things. However, if God's in it, stick to it, no matter what. Also, be encouraged when you remember your past victories. Did God let you down? No, and He won't this time unless, you move away from His plan.

It causes us indignation when people dishonour God's work or people. But God knows about this and He will take care of it. You just look ahead at your victory and the promises God has made to you. Praise can help alleviate any stress and worry. A hearty song to Jesus is far better than medication. The road ahead may be dark but, God shines a light so you won't stumble. What's more, He will be with you every step of the way. 

Finally, we all have sleepless nights where no matter what, sleep does not come our way. These particular nights can be used to study His Word and know more about Him. If you have ear buds, why not listen to God's Word or listen to some soft worship music. It will lift you and, pretty soon you will fall asleep.

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard.