Alternative thinking

"But I have trusted in Your mercy." v5.                                  Psalm 13:5-6       NKJV 

If you remember, yesterday's word focused on how David wondered where God was in his situation. Now, here in verse 5, he says one small word; a word that can change everything, 'But'. 'But I have trusted in Your mercy.' This word, gave David an alternative view of his circumstances. By saying it, did it change the situation? No, however his thinking changed.

This little word carries a massive amount of punch with it. Used in the negative, many will say, 'I know what you mean and I agree that I can do it, but...' The 'But' forms a barrier that can prevent a person accepting something and thus, moving forward. Once a person has spoken the word in this manner, it is difficult to get them to change it.

Alternatively, David spoke the positive 'But'. He knew things hadn't changed but, he also knew who he trusted and that was God. Deep down within himself, he knew God had never let him down. He also knew that the devil was tempting him to be negative. He decided to sing; why? Because praise forges a way forward. It creates joy and joy brings strength Nehemiah 8:10. 

Be honest; do you say 'But' a lot? Is it in a positive or a negative manner? If it is the latter, perhaps you need to spend more time in the Word; finding out just how much God can be trusted and how much He can be relied on. When you feel yourself about to say 'But' in the negative manner, stop right there and alter it to the positive. It'll take practice but you know you can do it.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Where is God in all of this?

"How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?                                                                                              Psalm 13:1-2    NKJV 

David uses the term 'How long' 4 times to emphasise the point he is making to God. He felt abandoned and forsaken and his thoughts were not wholesome. He felt that God was allowing his enemy to dominate him. When things are not going well for us, it is easy to assume that evil is winning and God is nowhere to be found.

Many times, we forget that God sees things much differently to us:

'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways, My ways.' says the LORD. 9 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways; and My thoughts than your thoughts.'     Isaiah 55:8-9

He doesn't work the way we feel that He should. 

'How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?' v1 is the term David  used to emphasise his problem had been going on for a long time. You may be able to relate to this. You may have been waiting for God to act on your behalf for a very long time, but up to now, no breakthrough. You may be ill and longing for healing; you may be on your own and need someone to love you. There is a host of things that you may be praying for, but it doesn't seem to arrive. What about the woman with the issue of blood. Matthew 9:20-22. She had suffered this for twelve years or so and spent all of her money on doctors that got her nowhere, except broke. She didn't give up. That day, when she saw Jesus, she thought, 'if only I may touch the hem of His garment, I shall be healed'. She did and she was. She could easily have felt forgotten and abandoned but she hung on to her faith and the right moment. God may be speaking to you right now about this!

It can seem that, one moment God is here with us and the next, He seems far away. And yet, He says 'I will never leave you or forsake you' Hebrews 13:5. 

David's third 'How Long?' addressed his soul. His thoughts were often in turmoil as he wrestled with this. Our thoughts can so easily be hijacked by the enemy when we are feeling low in spirit. We may feel that we are all alone and that no one, including God, cares at all. But, problems are God's way of allowing us to grow in faith. It breeds experience every time, and this experience is what we can pass on to others who may be in similar situations. 

Bottom line, 'Where is God in all of this?' He is right beside you. His ways may be beyond our understanding but it will always turn out ok.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Walk in the favour of God

"For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield."                                                                                               Psalm 5:12    NKJV 

There it is again - the Shield. This time David is talking of a Shield of Favour. What actually is favour? It can be defined as, pleasure, desire, delight, grace and hesed. Those who take refuge in God and His favour, will be glad and sing for joy.

A regular example of favour in practice is asking God to find you a parking space. You may laugh, but it is true. He cares enough even for this. Many is the time I have driven round endlessly searching for a space, all to no avail. Then, I have remembered - PRAY. When I have prayed about it, success. It may not always be instant but, it works. You see, if you are surrounded by a Shield of Favour, God will perform the most amazing things.

I remember being told by a university, that there was no room for me on a very important course. I would have to wait until next year. I knew God wanted me on this course and at this particular university, so I prayed about it. Fifteen minutes later, I received a telephone call from the same person, telling me that the most amazing thing had happened, someone had just dropped off the course and there was now a place on it. Would I like it? You bet I would.

This is God's favour on His people. You can ask Him for a nice spot in a restaurant and you'll get it. Yes you will, because He cares about you. You may have a very demanding job and a busy life outside of work making it difficult to balance it all. If so, ask God for His divine favour, in fact, as you are surrounded by it, 

'Confess and believe that you are walking in the favour of God and receive all of His benefits.'

This includes the benefits of a Shield of Favour and the benefits mentioned in Psalm 103:1-5.

Your life will begin to be transformed for the better!

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Don't let your dream die

"Many are they who say of me, 'There is no help for him in God." v2   

                                                                                                              Psalm 3:2-4    NKJV 

Joseph was a dreamer; his brothers were dream killers. However, as we know, they learned their lesson. Here David is facing the same type of thing - dream killers and faith robbers. But note what David says in v3, 'But You O LORD, are a shield for me, the glory and the One who lifts up my head.'

Wherever we go, we will come up against opposition, but like David we need to allow God's shield to be around us. The shield protects us from fiery arrows, and let's face it, this type of flack is not of God. It comes from the devil, otherwise we wouldn't need the shield.

'You won't get healed, that's ridiculous.' This is a regular statement today. Well, in a way, it may be true, because we're healed already by His stripes 1 Peter 2:24. Think how many times you have been so tired and confused as you listen to such comments as this. But remember, He is your glory and the One who lifts up your head.

He's always around us and all we need to do is call on Him and the result will be, 'I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill' v4. As we pray before we go to sleep, He sustains us v5. David said, 'I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around' v6. In other words he was saying, and we should say the same, 'I believe what I choose to believe. If you don't agree with me, then that is your choice. However, you will never stop me following God no matter what you say.'

Never let your dream die

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

You've still work to do

"(Growing in grace) they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age. They will flourish and be vital and fresh (rich in trust and love and contentment.)"   

                                                                                Psalm 92:14    Amplified Study Bible 

If you are thinking of retirement, forget it. You can retire from your job, that's ok. However, there is no retirement in your Christian life. You have work to do for God.

You may think that you are too old to keep being involved in such things. Wrong! He gives us strength in old age to fulfil what needs to be done. (Psalm 92:10). As we press on, regardless of age, He allows us to grow in grace. So this tells us He will continue to shower each of us with favour and will give us wherewithal to enter His gates with thanksgiving and Praise.

He wants us to thrive and bear fruit, thus prospering in our old age. This way, we will be a mentor to younger people as they grow older too. If there was retirement in old age, Mose, Caleb and Joshua wouldn't have been serving God until they died in service. Then, of course, what about King David and a host of others throughout the bible.

As we serve God in such a way, we will flourish and be vital. Stop there for a moment. Vital, among other things, means 'to be necessary to continued existence and effectiveness; extremely important and essential.' The Free Dictionary. That is you. As you serve God in old age, you become necessary to continued existence and extremely important. God shows people that you are vital to His work, and you are. You need to believe this.

You will also become fresh, like you have a new strength within your soul. That is the Holy Spirit who gives you the power to achieve what He wants you to achieve. He trusts you, immensely and and is content to send you out to do whatever He has planned for you. That in itself is wonderful. The world may write you off when you become old, but Your Father in Heaven believes you are vital to His work.

Therefore, believe and receive this, It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about you, it is what God thinks about you that matters. And He thinks you are pretty wonderful.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

And then 'Suddenly'

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind."   

                                                                                                                  Acts 2:2    NKJV 

The 'Suddenly's' figure in most people's lives from time to time. Everything can appear peaceful, when 'suddenly' something happens. Do you know what I mean? I remember one of these 'Suddenly's' a few years ago. I was walking along the seashore with my dog during Storm Brian, when 'Suddenly' the dog broke free and tried to run into the water. Well, it couldn't really be described as water but a raging torrent with very high waves. I rushed to pick him up and 'Suddenly,' the biggest wave I've ever encountered swept over me and dragged me out to sea. By the time I realised what was happening, I was in deep water about forty feet from the shore, The tide took me back to shore and before I could get out, it dragged me back out again. This went on for a few minutes and I didn't think I was going to get out. 'Suddenly,' there was a woman there, from nowhere and she took my hand and pulled me out.

That was a scary 'Suddenly' I can tell you. Thankfully, not all 'Suddenly's' are like that. The Apostles were sitting in the upper room when 'Suddenly' there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind.' The power of God came upon them with tongues of fire and their lives were changed forever. In fact, that day, more than 3000 souls were saved. That is a great 'Suddenly'.

Like we've seen, 'Suddenly's' can come when we are least expecting them. We can be broke one minute and rich the next, all in the blink of an eye. You may be at work, at home or minding your own business, when all of a 'Sudden,' God turns up. It can be exciting but also scary too. 

We can encounter both positive or negative 'Suddenly's'. Some may have an accident or be taken very ill quite quickly. We never know what's around the corner. Therefore, we need to make the best of what we have got. Life can change quite 'Suddenly'.

The great thing though, as Christians, we know that God has our back. He is watching our every move and, as we involve Him daily in our lives, He will guide and protect us. He is our Shepherd (Psalm 23).

Today, determine that you are going to live every moment walking in the power of God. Everywhere you go, everything you say, allow Jesus access to each moment. Then, when the 'Suddenly's' turn up, you will be more in control of what happens.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

What is your giant?

"There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight and so we were in their sight."    Numbers 13:33     NKJV

There will always be differences in opinions, wherever you go. People will not always agree with you because they may have a different perspective of the situation. This was the case here; Joshua and Caleb were saying that, no matter, they were well able to overcome the situation. The others that had been in the spy team, was giving the people a bad report bringing fear and doubt upon them. 

Joshua and Caleb, were coming from the perspective which Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 4:18,  'While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.' In other words, they were saying that they were looking through the eyes of faith - the kind of faith that says, nothing is too difficult for the Lord. This is the type of faith that gets things done.

People bring bad reports into our lives whenever we mention that we feel God is leading us to do a particular thing. They may be saying it from concern, but it can still stop us from achieving what God wants us to achieve. Faith-people don't believe bad reports, they only believe good reports. There may be giants ahead but, with God on your side, they are going to have to move.

What is your giant? Do you have one and do you allow it to limit you? Some people will always try to squash your faith. 'You need more experience, you're too young' And when you're old, 'You're too old for something like that, you need someone younger, with more energy'. You can never win, so why try. There are quite a few faith robbers around, they suffer from defeatist mentality, read you bible and you'll find quite a few.

Giants will come our way - a new job; a house move or starting your own business. You can easily be talked out of taking the step. It's a confusing time. Therefore, many people back out and later, live to regret their decision. Others go forward and they too, may regret it if it is a bad decision, but then others, are blessed in their efforts. It really is a difficult time and one where you need some wisdom. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says: 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths,' 

This is where we should look first - God. The proof that we are not trusting God, even when we say we do, is when we turn to other sources first.

Who do you turn to first?