Why Lord, Why?

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"Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

Things can be so difficult at times. So very difficult in fact, that words fail to make any sense. One can be riding high one moment and then sink into a sea of darkness, in which it seems impossible to be able to stay afloat. Life is so short; it is so unpredictable. One doesn't know what is going to happen from one hour to the next.

One thing is certain though; the love and faithfulness of our friend, Jesus Christ is rock solid. He is always there, ready to pick up the pieces; ready to hold our hands and hug us; always ready to say, 'I am here, right beside you.'

Weeping and crying out is good. It helps to de-energise the hurt and stress that is burning within us. It is a safety valve that brings release just when we need it. It is ok to cry; ok to shed those tears. Weeping brings a freedom that leads to another emotion - joy. Joy is where our strength lies. It gives us the ability to laugh in the face of hurt, numbness and depression. It lifts our soul.

Hurts come, but life goes on and somehow, we go on with it. Joy eventually returns. This is the way we're made. The numb feeling, where we can't make any sense of what has happened begins to disappear. As born again believers of Jesus, we're survivors. We've read the book and we know the ending, we win; we have eternal life and that is where the joy springs from.

Bereavement can rob us of that very special person that brought us more happiness and joy than we had ever known. However, loss brings with it change and even though change can be so hard to negotiate, with time and healing, it is manageable. There are no answers to the many questions that buzz around at times such as this; it would be foolish to even try. However, one person knows the hurts that we are going through, better than anyone else. At times such as these, it can be so beneficial to just sit in His presence and in ordinary language (it doesn't have to be long drawn out prayers) tell Him how you're feeling and allow Him to take care of you. Give it a try.

'Lord Jesus, I am hurting and I feel so confused and totally numb. Please help me in this hour of sheer sadness. I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen

If this has affected you, why not contact me
dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Our God will deliver us; in whatever way He chooses

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"If that is the case, our God, whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."   Daniel 3:17-18 NKJV

King Nebuchadnezzar, had set up a gold statue and he ordered that every one should bow and worship this at certain times (Read Daniel 3). Certain Jews informed the king that Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were refusing to do this and the king was enraged. The penalty for this was to be thrown into a fiery furnace. The king interviewed them and threatened this certain death upon them unless they complied. He was so arrogant that he said to them, 'But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands.' Dan 3:15.

This did not deter the young men and they replied,"If that is the case, our God, whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."   Daniel 3:17-18 NKJV.
 And as you read the account in chapter 3, you will see that, even though they were thrown into the furnace, they survived without a burnt hair and the Angel of the Lord accompanied them too.

What a wonderful demonstration of men of God making a stand against evil. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego trusted the Lord. They knew He wouldn't let them down but even if He didn't deliver them, they would not bow down to evil.

Sometimes we face the most difficult of circumstances and it is so easy to literally beg Jesus to help us. Sometimes, He doesn't answer our prayers the way we would want Him to. However, He is still God and deserves our love and worship. 

Perhaps, you may be in a situation that is desperate at this time, and you are calling out for God's help. You may be tempted to think that God will not help on this occasion and feel that you should give up on your prayers because they will not work. That is the devil talking. Ignore this and stand firm in the knowledge that God loves you and whatever happens; whatever the outcome; He is still God. It's not over until it's over.

There comes a time when we have done all that we can - given it to God, prayed and appealed to God for His help. However, the situation hasn't changed. There's many questions that go unanswered at times like this; and much emotion rules. Sometimes we just have to accept that God has answered our prayer and this is the answer that needs to be accepted. 
However, don't give up yet, there's still time for God to deliver. He's still on the throne. He still loves you. Just let Him hug you at this moment.

     Why not drop me an email                                                Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard                                                                dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

From hopelessness to hope

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"This I recall to my mind, therefore, I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness."   Lamentations 3:21 - 23. NKJV

Jeremiah, who probably wrote this book, was depressed. He had done all he could to turn the hearts of the people, but all to no avail. Therefore, he, himself, was feeling God's wrath on the people. It was a hopeless situation and Jeremiah felt for the people. He had compassion. However, he had done all he could. But he then focused on something from his memory and this lifted him; his hope returned and the shackles of depression began to leave him. He had done all he could; and he had made no mistakes at all. He grabbed hold of the hope with all he had. He knew that there was still hope in God so he changed his focus by remembering times of restoration and victory. (Verse 21).

Quite often we need to change how we think (Romans 12:2). And we need to change our self talk - how we speak to ourselves when the chips are down. We can even build ourselves up or turn ourselves down. Jeremiah went from negative to positive thought and this led him from depression to hope. When things are not good, try and think back to more victorious occasions and let God meet you in these memories.

God's mercy is abounding. Each day He gives us a brand new start. He is so faithful. We are only human and we blow it quite often, every day sometimes if you're like me. We make mistakes; but as Jeremy Pearsons says, 'My mistakes may be great but His faithfulness is greater.' (KCM.org). Think about that for a moment. When did you last let God down? His compassion grasped hold of those mistakes and you are forgiven. You may not feel forgiven, that's where faith comes in. We make mistakes and mess up really badly. We may ask God to forgive us but many, many times we carry on as if we are still guilty. Jesus' death on the cross declared us not guilty. As soon as we say that we're sorry, He forgives us.

Now that's something to shout about. I make more mistakes than the average human being ( I consider ), but God's daily faithfulness and compassion gives me a brand new start. Wouldn't you like to start again? Try Jesus, He's great at giving new starts.

Even if you're going through the darkest of times, try an grab some hope, NOW!

Please send me some feedback on this email. dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Wounded and battle-scarred but still moving on

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"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts  of the wicked one . And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit , which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." 
                                                                                                           Ephesians 6:14-18

We used to sing a chorus back in the 80's and the words that I remember go like this:

'I am a wounded soldier, 
But I will not leave the fight, 
Because the great physician is healing me! 

So I'm standin' in the battle, 
In the armor of His light, 
Because His mighty power is real in me!'            Copyright Danny Daniels

It was a battle song, one that was built around the Armour of God and as we sang it, we were making a declaration that, we will continue to stand, no matter what we may face. We will not surrender, we will not leave the fight even though we are battle-scarred. The Lord God is our great physician and He is healing us; He is providing a way to get through what we are facing at this time.

You may be wounded at this time. You may be thinking, 'Why has this happened?' There's probably no answer to that, especially at this time. However, should we throw the towel in and quit? NO! A loved one may be sick at this time and you may not see a way through at this time. You're wounded but you can still stand, so stand. Don't give in, the devil would love this. Stand up and fight; establish your ground. You're in a battle, that's true. But Jesus is right beside you, fighting for you. 

Wounded soldier, God is talking to you at this moment. There may be no explanation for what has happened or what you are facing right now. You're hurting, but you're not finished yet. Wounded yes, but you've still got some fight left in you, and what you don't have, Jesus will give you. Stand up, pray, pray and then pray some more. Do some Spiritual warfare. Fight, fight and fight some more. You're not defeated, even though you're wounded. Get up!

I am a wounded soldier, 
But I will not leave the fight, 
Because the great physician is healing me! 

So I'm standin' in the battle, 
In the armor of His light, 
Because His mighty power is real in me! 

Please send me some feedback.   dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Forgive

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"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that You Father in Heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will Your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses."  Mark 11:25-26. NKJV

When someone hurts us, we must forgive them. If someone says bad things about us and injures our reputation, we must forgive them. What about when people lie about us and falsely accuse us, what should we do then? Forgive them. Of course, this is if we are a Christian. In the secular world, people will repay the person in a whole different manner, even involving court cases and personal vendettas. But as a Christian, we must forgive them; otherwise we won't be forgiven by God, what we have done wrong.

It's difficult isn't it? Especially when we want to go up to someone and rip their head off. This however, is taking things into our own hands. God wants us to forgive them,  
then He will handle things His way. God's Word says, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay', says the Lord.'
And believe me, He will repay them, but possibly not straightaway and not in the way we would expect Him to. After all, He loves them too. Now that is hard to handle when these people have done what they have to hurt us. It's hard, but we need to trust Him. He will repay them at some stage.

Sometimes, people hurt us because they're jealous of us; of what we have; what we do and how successful we may be. So what should we do about this. We do have to do something. We need to forgive them and -  wait for it -  pray for them, in fact bless them. It sounds like God has a sense of humour, but doing this is very worth it in the long run. We will be the one who is blessed by forgiving and praying for the person who has done us wrong.

So, we should not blast them out of the place. We should not even confront them; unless this is going to be a viable option. The trouble is, they may deny it and then an argument can begin and this can make it even worse, unless of course, you have concrete proof, but that can be dodgy too. It is far better to leave it with God and forgive and pray for them. He is far more experienced than we will ever be.

Let us be Holy Spirit led and not head led. Let us be open to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide the way through this problem. The blessing will then come.

I would love to hear from you.  dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Go Forward - take that step

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"Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"  Mark 4:40. NKJV

Yesterday we looked at rare monkeys in the rain forest. Today, let us look at the African Impala. The impala is an incredibly, agile animal and can jump around 12 feet high and about the same distance all around. Therefore, when a leopard or other threatening creature attacks it, by using this skill it can sometimes survive. However, if someone were to capture the impala and place it in an enclosure with a metre high fence around, it would go nowhere. There would be no need to tie it up, it would remain in the enclosure. Why? Because, it is such a tiny little animal and wouldn't be able to see all around, over the fence. There may be a predator out there. So, through its fear, it would stay in the realms of safety, its comfort zone.

Does this sound familiar? Jesus said to His disciples during the wind and the waves escapade, 'Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?' They had been with Jesus and seen Him do the most amazing things. He had taught them, and yet, They were petrified of the sea. 
Faith and fear cannot reign in the heart at the same time. They are opposites and will repel each other. Fear is looking at the problems - the circumstances. Faith is looking at Jesus. Faith is taking Jesus at His Word. Once we do, we need to claim the promises and own them. There is no fear when Jesus is aboard. Remember the nobleman in Luke 8. He had asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter who was close to death. Jesus agreed but on the way, became involved with the woman who had the issue of blood. Jesus noticing that the nobleman was getting fearful, said to him, 'Do not be afraid, only believe (Luke 8:50).

There may be things in your life that need addressing. However, fear is holding you back. You may have a new job; be starting a business, or a new relationship. Fear makes you think, 'perhaps it would be better to give this a miss. It may go wrong.' But what if it goes right and you miss it. You may have given up the break that you have been waiting for. 

When Moses went over the Red Sea, he had to take his stand before the water parted. Joshua too. The flooded Jordan River didn't part until the priests stepped into the water. Do you get the drift? Faith means we have to act first before we see the result. Fear will keep you in the same place forever, rather like the impala. 

Probably it's time to bite the bullet and make a move. You'll be ok!

Please let me know how things go.   dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Let go of the greed

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"Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness."  Luke 11:39. NKJV

A few years ago, a collection of wildlife people went to some dark and distant rain forest in search of a very rare breed of monkey. When they arrived and had set up camp, they erected a specially designed table on the uneven jungle floor. This table was wooden with vases bolted to it. The vases were wide at the bottom but slimmed out towards the neck and then became slightly wider again. Each jar was filled, halfway, with very aromatic nuts. After they had done this, they took cover and waited. 
After a time, several monkeys came along and were drawn towards the aromatic smell from the vases. Included in these bunch of monkeys, were the rarer ones. The monkeys began sniffing around and eventually plunged their hairy hands into the vases grabbing a fist full of these delights. However, because of the fact that the necks were very slim, and their hands were now fists full of these nuts, they were unable to pull them out. The monkeys tried all they could but to no avail. They never gave it a thought that if they let go of the nuts, they could draw their hands out and be free. Thus, they were caught. The monkey's greed and stubbornness imprisoned them.

Let's look at this from a human point of view. How many people are imprisoned by their greed. Years ago, one had to go to great lengths to take out a loan. Criteria was quite strict. Today, things are so different. We have credit cards that make it so simple to overspend in order to get that special something that someone else has. This may be the latest iPhone, Macbook, sound system, TV, car or a bigger and more extravagant home. 
For many, before too long, the bills are so high that it is impossible to keep up the payments and then the pressures really start.

Stop and think for a moment. Do you really need the item that is burning a hole in your finances? Can you manage without it for a time; at least until you have saved enough money to buy it without credit? At times, there is a sense of urgency that we must have this certain thing, right now!. That's ok if you can afford it. However, closing your eyes to the fact and saying to yourself, 'I'll worry about this when the bill comes in,' is not the way to handle your finances. If you can't meet the payments, it will mean court action, bailiffs and all types of stress. Think before you spend. The monkey's wanted aromatic delights and in their insistence to have them, they were caught and imprisoned in their plight. Don't be like them.

I would love to hear from you. dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com