God's Daily Benefits

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name." v1 

                                                                                               Psalm 103:1-5  NKJV  

Most places throughout the world have a benefit system where people on low income; are disabled or unable to work for some other reason, may receive benefits so that they can live as comfortably as possible. This helps people, but God has a better benefit system and this one is not means-tested. This is better than any other system; the benefits not only meet our needs but, they take care of everything we need.

The other day, I witnessed someone completing an in-depth form so they could claim Attendance Allowance - a benefit that qualifies certain people over retirement age, who have some type of disability. Question after question requested information of how the disability affected their daily lives. It made me think how God provides each believer with the best benefits available and, there are no forms to fill out to receive them either. The benefits are offered instantly.

Let's take a look at these benefits:

Forgiveness  No matter what we have done in the past or will do in the future, God forgives us as we repent, confessing this sin to Him.

Healing  God is our healer. He will heal us when we ask Him in faith. It may be an instant healing or, it may take some time and, He may not heal as we would expect Him to. Sadly for some, there appears to be no healing at all. There is no answer at times such as this, but, He can be relied on.

Redeems  He recovers our life from disaster as we turn to Him at conversion and, He continues to redeem us from all types of life events, even near death experiences.

Crowns  He is our King and He treats us like one as well, taking care of all issues that come against us.

Satisfies and Renews  He provides for us so that we are able to eat, drink and be clothed with nice garments. He provides us with family, a home and all we need. This may be something that we have not been used to so, it is a renewing process for some.

He does all of this on a daily basis. The KJV and NKJV both quote Psalm 68:19 as, 'Blessed be the LORD, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation.' He brings us a lorry load of benefits each day because, of His great love for us. This is why David wrote, 'Bless the LORD, O my soul (Mind, Will & Emotions)  and all that is within me (Everything we have) bless His holy name.'

He is our Lord, our King and our friend. He loves us more than I could ever explain here. Words fail when we think of the great compassion and faithfulness, He has for us. Just worship and thank Him

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

        

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What is your Foundation?

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  27and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”  

                                                                               Matthew 7:24-27  NKJV

Many believers have begun a project, such as their own business, new job or even a place at uni, to find it all go wrong. Why is this? If God directs our lives, why do such ventures go wrong? It may be because, more than likely, they have built this project on sand.

Sand sinks; walk out to the water's edge on any sandy beach and, as you step on the sand you will notice that an indentation is formed. The further you go out, the deeper the indentation will be and, on some beaches you will have to be careful of encountering dangerous quicksands. It is impossible to build on this type of ground unless, a strong foundation is laid. For the believer, this can mean if you build something the Lord is not wanting you to build, it could all collapse or be very difficult to manage with many struggles.

So what can we do when God is leading us into something, or we feel that He is? Check these: 

Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) says 'Commit to the LORD, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.'

Psalm 32:8 (NIV) 'I will instruct you and teach you, in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.'

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding 6 'in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.'

Essentially, we need to seek God's direction. If we're not careful, we can rush into something we feel is right, only to realise it was a wrong turn, and suffer a collapse. This can be upsetting, soul-destroying and embarrassing. I read somewhere just recently that' Haste makes waste.' It is true; we should always ensure that we have God's approval before dashing into something. So if you feel something stir within you, or you feel God leading you to do a particular thing, ask Him to confirm it. Don't rush in hastily; pray and wait for God's answer.

When you do this, it will be in accordance with God's Word and if He gives you the 'go ahead' you will be building on the rock - Jesus your sure foundation. If He doesn't give the 'go ahead' for this project, thank and praise Him and then wait for further directions from Him.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

        

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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Are you a Judge

"Judge not, that you be not judged"                       Matthew 7:1-6   NKJV

This is something that we all find ourselves doing from time to time. Possibly the gossip drums have reached our hearing and we have been tempted to offer our own judgement on the matter, too. Judging someone is a form of criticism. We may start off criticising a person and before too long, we have begun to judge them as well.

We need to be careful here because, when we judge somebody, we will be judged ourself. Jesus' words are quite plain about this 'For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you' v2. We cannot get away from this fact, judging is not recommended.

We know this of course; how many times have we read this scripture? We may have thought, 'I'll have to be careful here,' and for the next hour or so, we have been on our guard only to start the judging process again. Others may have skimmed over these verses hardly recognising the significance  of it all. The only way to beat this is by using extreme discipline; watching what we say and refusing to consider unwholesome thoughts about someone.

It can be the same when someone gives a word of knowledge in church. As we listen, we may straightaway think of someone who it relates to. Eyeballing them, we can almost point at them and shout, 'they need to hear this, Lord,' and then wait for them to react and go to the front of the church for prayer. When they don't, we can almost hear ourselves say, 'Go on, you know this is for you.' Let me just say, the word may well be for them but, it is also for you, in fact more so. Why? Because you know you shouldn't be judging anyone. Jesus uses some very strong words about this: 'Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye' v5

Notice this, Jesus was saying that you are more at fault than the other person. He tells you to remove the plank - which is big - from your own eye, and then you'll be able to move the speck - much smaller - from your brother's eye.

If you judge someone else, you will not please God. If you criticise someone, you will also not please Him; and if you gossip about someone, He will not be pleased. You will end up being the one who will be judged. So be careful. Take an inner look at yourself and decide if you are a judge.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

        

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Have you hit rock bottom?

"Do not be afraid; only believe"                                 Luke 8:50   NKJV 

You may have tried everything and all you have done has failed, the problem is still there. You have called on God, as the bible tells you to, but He appears not to be listening. At times such as these,  it feels like you are totally alone; no one can help you and you are sinking fast. You are aware of what Jesus said, 'Do not be afraid; only believe' but how can you not be afraid when all this is going on in your life and God appears absent.

Is this the way you are feeling? You are not alone; people all over the world pray for things urgently but, receive no answer. Why is this? Well, many may ask from selfish needs, 'You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you spend it on your pleasures' James 4:3. If you're asking God to allow you to win the Lottery, it will probably not happen. If He allowed this, you may make the money more important that Him, the money could take over your life.

But, for people who are in desperate situations and are asking God for help, let me tell you, He hasn't deserted you, His Word is true, He cannot lie. When He encourages you to cast every burden upon Him (Psalm 55:22) He means it and will honour His Word. Jesus tells you not to worry but believe, so as you call on Him, trusting Him to help you, He goes deeper into your situation to find a solution. Let me give you an example, you may have hit rock bottom, but who is the rock? Yes, it is Jesus, He is the rock (1 Corinthians 10:4). Therefore, take comfort in the fact that if you do hit rock bottom, He is there and will help you back to the top. It is a strong discipline to learn but, it must be done. You need to deepen your faith. You must believe that what He has said He will do, He will do. As I have said, He cannot and will not lie, He is truth. 

Let me encourage you; take our text today and own it, believe it and make it your personal prayer - your declaration that, 'I will not be afraid - I will believe'. When you are in fearful situations, use this. When you are wondering if you are able to pay your bills, use it. You belong to King Jesus, He will look after you, He is your Rock, you'll never stay at the bottom because, He is there with you and will raise you up.

Do not be afraid; only believe

Copyright 2022 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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Live for Today

"So don't be anxious about tomorrow, God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time."                                                Matthew 6:34  The Living Bible 

In Matthew 6:25, Jesus tells His disciples not to worry about their life, what they will eat, drink or wear. Many feel this is a command, others feel that it is wise advice. If it is a command, then we are guilty of disobedience if we worry. If it is only advice, then it makes sense to carry it out. On looking through the scriptures, I would say that it is a command because this ties in with Jesus' comments on faith issues e.g. 'Do not be afraid - only believe" Luke 8:50. Throughout the gospels, there is further evidence of this. But just the statement, 'Do not be afraid', is linked to worry and fear. Therefore, let us agree that Jesus commands us not to worry.

Anxiety, fear or dread all relate to worry. You can spend about 90% of your time worrying that something will happen and it rarely does. Probably around 10% of worries happen. This is a small percentage for a lot of worry and sleepless nights. If you belong to Jesus, why do you put yourself through such things? Haven't you enough on your plate without adding to it? It doesn't bring blessing to your day, does it?

Worry robs you of your effectiveness and joy. If you lose your joy, then you lose your strength Nehemiah 8:10. Answer this question, do you really believe that Jesus will take care of things for you? If you don't believe He will do what He says, you will have no peace. Let's look at a few scriptures, 1 Peter 5:7 says 'casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.' Psalm 55:22 'Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you', and Proverbs 16:3 'Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established'. The word 'Commit' means to roll, so this a a brilliant example of rolling your burdens over to the Lord.

Do you acknowledge Jesus as your provider? Your answer has everything to do with your anxiety level. Don't get me wrong Jesus still expects you to work and provide for you family, wherever possible, but He doesn't want you fretting about how you will manage rising energy costs or whatever. Inflation may be rising but, there is no inflation in God's Kingdom, of which you belong.

Rise above this and throw every care on Him and then, leave them there! Live for today.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

        

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Adultery

"you shall not commit adultery"                         Matthew 5:27-30   NKJV

In a world where there is every conceivable temptation possible, it is most difficult to keep one-self pure. In our text, Jesus tells us, 'whoever looks at a woman to lust for her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.'  v28

The early Jewish law was so strict about this, that if anyone committed adultery they were to be punished by death - usually to be stoned. But what about Jesus' words in this text? If everyone who looked at another woman, or man, were to be punished by death, there would not be many people left in our world. No, Jesus was actually talking about the person who deliberately looks at another person with lust in mind. They are guilty of adultery.

In our world, we have easy access to pornography, sexually explicit videos and films and even our TV. This sort of thing, can be described as a stumbling block. It accelerates temptation and unfulfilled desires and, if we are in the wrong place at the wrong time, the temptation can be so great that adultery can so easily take place.

Jesus mentions a grim solution of plucking out the eye or chopping off a hand. However, He was not suggesting physical mutilation here. Rather, He was suggesting a radical approach to the problem - a rigid self-denial, which could bring about an inward change. Taking control of the heart, mind and body begins with taking control of the eyes - what we view; what is readily available to look at.

This requires finding the root cause that needs to be destroyed. A person needs to identify what causes the temptation. The eye views something and the thoughts then begin to process this; the heart then makes the decision of what to do. One solution could be to go away into the remotest place on earth, one in which no one is around. However, the thoughts that have been recorded in our memory bank will still be there to tempt us. 

Another solution could be to make a declaration that, 'I will not think these things anymore.' Some believe that if words such as these are spoken frequently, it will eventually change things. This is doubtful because, whenever a tempting situation arises, they will begin again.

Possibly the best way to deal with this situation at the time, is to think wholesome thoughts -  Philippians 4:8, then connect these thoughts with Romans 12:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 10:4-6. Check these scriptures out as they are life-savers. It must be stressed however, that conquering adulterous thoughts is never easy. But, if you can be disciplined to replace the bad thoughts with good ones, you can be victorious.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

        

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Light of the World

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."                                                Matthew 5:14-16   NKJV

Jesus had already told His disciples that He was the Light of the world  (John 8:12), so what a compliment He was paying them, and us, that He wanted us all to be like Himself - a light of the world. This was not to be our own light however, but a refection of His Light to the world.

There is a certain radiance in this, reaching out from our heart to the hearts of whoever we meet. Jesus wants us lighting up the darkness wherever we are, so that our lights are visible to all.This means, not only in the church, but the supermarket, the restaurant, driving the car, at work, the workplace, in fact everywhere we are.

The light should shine in our daily language too, no matter what is happening to wind you up. You may be under pressure but, your light should still shine making the way clear for people. Shining your light for Jesus also means refusing to be party to certain things such as, unwholesome talk and behaviour. Lead, don't be led. 

Be a guiding light. In Jesus' day, people lived in small homes with perhaps only one small window. Hence it was very dark. Therefore they used a utensil, very much like a gravy boat in which they poured oil and placed a wick. If they went out, they would place a cover, like a basket over the light to make it safe. The light was still burning underneath. When they returned they took the basket away and light flooded inside again. Note, don't ever let your light go out, let it remain lit.

Watch this, in verse 16, Jesus talks about letting people see your good deeds in the light. Now the word 'Good' in the Greek is a word called, kalos that means that a thing is not only good but, is captivating, beautiful and attractive. This is the good, that people should see in you. However, be humble about it. Don't draw attention to yourself, looking for a pat on the back. The glory must always go to Jesus, never ourselves.

Allow me to challenge you. Consider this and answer honestly:

Are you a light among your family at home, your friends, work colleagues and your community?

This is not to make you feel bad if you don't measure up. It is to demonstrate that this is never easy to perform. In fact, it can seem impossible at times. Jesus understands this and asks that you keep trying. He knows you will get there in the end. It just takes a little bit of discipline. Start by proclaiming that you are a 'Light in the world' and then aim to reach this goal. You can do it.

Copyright 2022 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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