The Promise (1)

"For thus says the Lord: after seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place." v10   

                                                                                                Jeremiah 29:10-14   NKJV

These particular Israelites, were in exile at Babylon and they were beginning to wonder if they would ever get a breakthrough and be allowed to return to their own land. These are the thoughts of many Christians today, 'Will we ever get the breakthrough that we need.' You may be in this position at this time and, although you trust God with your life, there doesn't appear to be anything happening that will bring you some encouragement.

The Lord gave Jeremiah a word and he wrote a letter to the exiles letting them know the promise that God was giving to them. 'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.' v11. However, as encouraging as this letter was, they had many questions that required urgent answers. They knew it would be around seventy years before God would rescue them, but there were many more questions that would have needed answering. Think about your own situation and you will know, to a degree, what they were requiring answers for.

They had the promise that God would bring them back home; they roughly knew when, but their situation was still dire, and they wanted more. There was more. Jeremiah had stipulated this in his letter: 'Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you' v12. God had given them the key, and this was prayer. He was not telling them to wait seventy years and then call upon Him by prayer. He was encouraging them to get on their knees and call on Him now. And what's more, He had promised that He would listen to them; that He would hear their calls to Him and the promise included their well-being not disaster. 

God is doing the same thing with His people today. Prayer seems to be an after-thought with a lot of people. Life is so busy that there isn't time to go through the long process of praying things through. This brings to mind - prayer lives. What is your prayer life like? Are you faithful in prayer, patiently going through all the things that need to be prayed for and acting in a diligent manner? Or, are you, the pray as you drive the car person; the one who throws prayers up when they are needed but very rarely listens to what God has to say? You know the category you fit in to and you may need to re-think this through and re-arrange things.

Whatever, God made the exiles a promise and He has you too. You have a hope and a future.

You have peace and not evil to look forward to, perhaps this may promote you to offer up to God some praise, worship and prayer.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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How to deal with past hurts

"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old."    Isaiah 43:18 

Most of us carry around things that have hurt us in the past. Some past hurts are welded into our hearts and seem impossible to let go of. But they do need to be released. Letting go of past hurts is the way to a new future. Hanging on to things of the past can lead to problems when confronted with similar things that happen. Defence mechanisms kick in and the old, 'I'll never let that happen to me again, surfaces. Does this sound familiar?

Let's look at five areas that can help in letting go of past hurts:

(1)  Make the decision to let it go. Things don't disappear on their own.

This decision has to be made before you can move forward in freedom. Hanging on to the past is like walking in chains. You get nowhere and just carry round a heavy load that holds you back.

(2)  Express your pain and your responsibility.

Pain, if allowed to remain internalised, can be difficult to move. Be honest, there are always two sides to something. Perhaps, you need to own responsibility to part of the past, admitting that you too, made some mistakes before, you can move on.  

(3)  Stop being the victim and blaming others.

As we saw above, there is always someone we can find to blame. Perhaps it is time to stop being the victim and admit that you were partly to blame as well.

(4)  Focus on the present - the here and now.

Past hurts are just that - they are in the past. Why take them with you? You have a new life now, the old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Focus on what is ahead - NOW. 

(5)  Forgive them - and yourself.

There is always a need to forgive. You need forgiveness, so do others. Forgiving someone brings a release for the people who have hurt you and for the people you have hurt as well. Therefore, forgive them and also forgive yourself.

Charles F Stanley says: 

'God loves to work in our lives in new ways. We should not always look for Him to do in us, what He has done before, but should learn to expect the unexpected.'

The past has gone , this is why it is called the past; it was yesterday, we live for today and the best way to demonstrate this in your life is to look to the future and be grateful that you have one.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Don't carry your sin around!

"Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance."      Acts 3:17    NKJV 

It is possible to carry your sins of the past around with you because of a guilty conscience. If you are a believer and have asked Jesus to forgive you for your sin, you are forgiven - bottom line. However, the devil will readily remind us of something that we did and although, we later confessed this, it is still raw and we have a guilty conscience. Thus may be where you are right now.

Psalm 103:12 tells us, 'As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.' This is an infinite line, it cannot be determined and God has placed the baggage of the past and deposited it there. Furthermore, God says, 'I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.' Notice the, 'for My own sake.' It is nothing you do that sets you free from the past, it is what God does, through Jesus Christ.

What you did before you became a Christian is washed away in the blood of Jesus. This is what Peter was telling the crowd here in Act 3:17. He said that they did it in ignorance, and this is what you did too. But the devil wants to torment you with, 'Yes, but God will not forgive that.' This is not true. God has forgiven you and remembers it no longer. The devil does remember and he is causing you to, as well; and it is making you weary. Take it to the rubbish bin, you no longer require this charge because you have been declared 'Not Guilty'. It is refuse, so REFUSE to have it in your life any longer.

It is the same with the sin we become involved in right now. We are not perfect and, we will make mistakes and fall into sin. Committing adultery is sin the same as stealing a pencil is sin. It cannot be measured. There is no 'big or small sin', it is sin, and it needs dealing with. The way we do this is to approach the throne of grace with confidence and ask God to forgive us in His mercy, Hebrews 4:16; and He will. Then, remember it no more. Jesus chooses to remember it no more, so should you. However, be aware that the devil will remember it and will bring it up whenever you are not ready to hear it, just to torment and try to trip you up. 

So take on board that, before you were a believer, in your ignorance, you sinned and you have sinned since to accepted Jesus, but on confession of thus, you are Not Guilty. It is washed away and there is no charge to answer.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Can you help?

"And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up - "              Acts 3:7    NKJV

The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) shows us a reversal in stereotypes. A man had been badly beaten up on the road to Jericho and left for dead. After a while, a priest came along, saw him there and then crossed the road and went on his way without a second glance. Later a Levite did the same, but at least he stopped and looked, but then sadly walked on without offering any help as well. These were prominent men and really, would have been expected to offer some help to this poor man. But they didn't. Then along came a Samaritan, hated by the Jews and treated as an outcast. He stopped, checked the man over and seeing that he was badly injured, anointed his wounds and bandaged them up. He then took him to an Inn where he looked after him for a few days and then left. However, he paid for the man to remain there.

Can you see the difference? The priest and Levite passed by, offering no help. The Samaritan saw the need and offered him love, compassion and practical help. The injured man was in need of help and the Samaritan provided it. 

Likewise, Peter saw the need of the disabled man at the gate Beautiful. He spoke hope into this broken life and extended practical help by lifting him up onto his feet. David Guzik comments on this:

'And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up: It was one thing to say, “rise up and walk,” but it was a much greater thing to so boldly take the man’s hand and lift him to his feet. At this moment, Peter received the gift of faith described in 1 Corinthians 12:9 – a supernatural ability to trust God in a particular situation. This wasn’t something Peter did on a whim or as a promotional event; he did it under the specific prompting of the Holy Spirit. God gave Peter the supernatural ability to trust Him for something completely out of the ordinary.'

                                                                   David Guzik - Enduring Word

God will always be on hand to support us when we do the same. There are many people that we meet, who are in need. We may be tempted to say detrimental things such as, 'If they got a job, they wouldn't be like this.' This is not always the case and anyway, we have no right to judge people. We can though, speak hope to their broken lives and offer them some sort of help. Isn't this what the Good Samaritan was doing? He saw the need and met it, the best way he could. We can do the same.

Think, is there someone that you know about who could do with some help? Do they need a little compassion and some hope in their broken hour of need? Can you be the one that can offer this and if you can, will you? Obviously, we have to be wise when we offer a stranger some help but don't forget, God is with you, as He was with the Good Samaritan. You can't solve all of the world's problems; however, you can bring a ray of hope to someone who is desperately in need. Think about it.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Expectation

"So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them." v5     

                                                                                                      Acts 3:1-6    NKJV

This lame man sat at the gate Beautiful as Peter and John walked up to the temple for the hour of prayer. It was not unusual for a beggar to do this, after all, it was considered to be an ideal place to operate as it was felt that people were far more likely to offer them something as they made their way to prayer. It is not unlike today, where people on the streets visit local churches in order to receive love, food and help.

As he saw Peter and John going by, he asked for alms. Peter, fixed his eyes upon the man and said, 'Look at us'. The man did this promptly expecting to receive some finance. Notice that the man asked for what he wanted but, he was about to receive what he needed. There is a big difference. Peter told him, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.' v6. And he did and he was totally healed.

Tony Evans says, 'Don't settle for what you want from God. When God meets your needs, He may not give you what you asked for, but what He provides will always be greater than what you wanted.'                                                                   The Tony Evans Bible Commentary

David Guzik comments further: 'Many have yet to come to the place where they really expect something from God. This is faith, plain and simple – even if the man expected less than Jesus wanted to give. Better yet, we should expect the right things from God. We are often much too ready to settle for much less than God wants to give to us, and our low expectations often rob us.                                                                           David Guzik  -  Enduring Word  

God wants us to operate in an atmosphere of expectation. This is not living with a want, want, want attitude, not at all. It is living by faith, what we should be walking in as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:7. He is a great God and we need to expect great things from our great God. When we walk by faith and not by sight, we look through the eyes of faith; and even though we have not yet received, we know that it is there and will come to us when God is ready 2 Corinthians 4:18. 

So this year, get into the habit of walking by faith, not by sight and living with an atmosphere of expectation. You won't regret it.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Where do I go from here?

"Cause me to know the way in which I should walk."           Psalm 143:8    NKJV 

Many times, we have regular moments in our life when we just do not know the way forward. 'Where do we go from here,' we may call out to God? It can be a time of great confusion especially, when we have several decisions to make and they all seem to be the right one to take. When we are faced with such a dilemma, count the cost of each decision. Often we are tempted to take the easier route because it will be easier to tolerate; it won't cost us so much. This may be a good indication that if you choose this one, it may be the wrong decision. Often the things God has for us in life are more complex and are designed to test us. So be careful there.

The bottom line is though, we reach a time when we must ask God the way forward. It seems an obvious choice to make but, it can be one in which we may not like the answer we will receive from Him. We must be prepared for this. We must request His wisdom in faith and then, listen carefully for His voice. This is the hard bit, some of us can be so impatient for the answer and rush forward into chaos. God will always guide those who really want to follow Him. Psalm 32:8 tells us, 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.' However, also notice verse 9 which says, 'Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding' which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.' Being stubborn is not good; whenever we refuse to submit to the Lord's commands, He may choose to guide us to do His will through the reigns of adversity. He wants us to delight in drawing near to Him, not fight against His perfect will.

So ask yourself, 'Do I really want to know and obey what God wants me to do? Am I willing to do whatever He requires of me? When you say to God, 'Show me what to do next Lord,' be sure that you mean it and are ready to carry out His wishes. If not, it is best not to ask until you feel ready to go forward. God does not mess about; He will take you at your word. So be sure that you want to go deeper with Him.

However, it must be said, that whenever we obey and honour God, He will pour out His blessing upon us. He is 100% for each of us so, there is nothing to fear. If you are wanting the next step with God, go to Him with full assurance that He will only show you what you are ordained for. You can trust Him.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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The Pearl

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."  Matthew 13:45-46   NKJV

This parable shows us the deepness of Jesus' love for each one of us. In ancient times, merchants would go out to find great pearls and when they did, they would have to surrender these to the owner of the property and then try to barter for them. Occasionally, they would be so passionate about a particular pearl, that they would not disclose it but would try to buy the property. If they were successful, the pearl would obviously belong to them. Some of the pearls that were found were immaculate and were instantly recognisable as precious in the right market. Therefore, it wouldn't be unusual for a merchant to sell all he had in order to gain ownership of this wonderful jewel.

Consider this if you would; Jesus acted in the same manner for each one of us. He didn't have to but, love for each one of us, caused Him to give up all He had to buy us, in other words, to redeem us from our sin. To Jesus, we are priceless and precious and He couldn't bear to see us suffer the price of our sin. Therefore, He gave up everything and chose us - His pearls.

 Pearls are made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels as a natural defence against an irritant such as a parasite entering their shell or damage to their fragile body.

The oyster or mussel slowly secretes layers of aragonite and conchiolin, materials that also make up its shell. This creates a material called nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, which encases the irritant and protects the mollusc from it.
When pearls are cultured commercially an irritant is manually inserted into a mollusc to promote the production of mother-of-pearl.
Nacre can form naturally around almost any irritant that gets inside the shell, creating some very unique and precious pearls.
Other bivalve molluscs and gastropods can produce pearls, but these aren't made of nacre.    Copyright The Natural History Museum

This is interesting. An irritant can attack an oyster that would destroy it. Therefore, pearls are made to encase the irritant from such attack. Just think for a moment, The Holy Spirit protects us from attack or irritant. Rather like the pearl which protects the oyster, so the Holy Spirit protects us. He places His love all the way around us, encasing us with His power. It's also interesting to note that the irritant that the pearl encases, turns into a precious jewel, and so do we.

Copyright 2021 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 

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