A Walk in the Garden

'I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees."   

                                                                               Ecclesiastes  2:5.  NLT

 Picture the scene, God just ambling along through His garden enjoying His creation. There is something very refreshing and comforting when we have the time to just stroll through a nice garden or park on a summer evening. The smell of the flowers, the bees humming as they hover around the flowers. Although there are more creatures around, the blackbird appears more prominent as he sings his song, so loud and melodic. It is so rewarding and the stress and busy-ness of the day, seems to disappear as one enjoys the serenity of it all.

We need this time out. The stress of life can bring us down and make us a wreck if we allow it. Whether we have a full time busy job, work from home or are retired, the pressure can be intense and a relaxing walk in the peace and quiet of the countryside or park, is so beneficial. We see from our text today that, God instructed Solomon to create gardens and parks. God Himself walked through His own garden Genesis 3:8, so God knew that we needed this kind of relaxation and exercise. 

Exercise is good for the human body. The average person spends about 40 hours or so every week watching TV. Reckon that up and that's a lot of hours slumped on the sofa, eating chocolate, popcorn, crisps and other stuff. The only time they get up is to go to the bathroom and then it's back to the sofa. Then, when their clothes don't seem to fit, they consider that losing weight would be a good idea. They may start some exercise but, this lasts a week and they're back to the sofa.

Going to the gym is good; so is jogging but if you don't do something about your diet, you're on a hiding to nothing. Walking is so easy to do; just a stroll around your neighbourhood can be beneficial. However, with just a little more determination, you can quicken your pace and before too long, you will begin to feel better.

Many of you reading this right now are coming under conviction about this. You know God has been whispering in your ear about getting fit, but it's so easy to think, 'That's me, not God'. If that is so, why do you feel convicted about this? Be honest, you know you need to shed some weight and you know you're out of breath just thinking about it. God's not asking you to be the next Olympic Gold Medalist; He just wants you fit. So, why not give it a go today - yes today! Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today, otherwise you'll never do it.

Just go for a walk in a garden or park for 30 minutes or so and, make it a regular habit in your life. Your Daily Life with Jesus will benefit.

Copyright 2023 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 

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

  

 

  

 

 

 

Honesty

"The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. 3Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. 4This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned."   Genesis 39:2-4   NLT

Being hardworking, honest and reliable, opens door for people; they are noticed because they stand out in the crowd as different. Joseph was an honest young man. Even though he was treated abysmally by his brothers and sold into slavery, there is no reports that he was angry about this, kicking up a fuss. He appears to have taken it on the chin and accepted the position he was in from the start. Pretty soon, Potiphar noticed his honesty and reliability and placed him in charge of his whole household. Sadly though, all did not go to plan, and because of his good looks, Potiphar's wife sought to have sex with him. Joseph refused and fled from the house. Potiphar's wife called rape, and he was found guilty of this act and thrown into prison.

Note, just because you are honest and reliable, this does not exclude you from spiritual attack. The devil does not like you. Most of the people around you, show you favour but, the devil offers hate and contempt and he will go flat out to discredit you. This is what happened to Joseph, But Joseph didn't make a big scene out of it, he just gave it to God and prepared for His 'get out of jail card'.

Being honest means you are reliable. Someone can trust you to look after their house while they're away, a boss can place you in charge of his company and knows he can trust you. Being this way, brings you favour with people - it opens doors. God knows that He can entrust you with greater works. He sees your hard work, your reliability and the fruit you bear. Therefore, His favour is upon you and He blesses you for your faithfulness.

You may be honest and reliable but, have been treated very badly by someone which has led you to lose your job and/or, your credibility. God has seen this and how you have handled it. If you have handled it well, God will sort it. If you've handled it not so well, repent and then God will sort it. You don't have to do anything, unless God tells you to. He will bring about success out of this bad episode. Just continue to be honest, reliable and faithful and, He will do the rest.

The words for your Daily Life with Jesus today is, 'Don't worry!'

Copyright 2023 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 

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

  

 

  

 

 

God wants to share His heart with you

"Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square.21She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate: 22“How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? 23Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise."  Proverbs 1:20-23  NLT

Every moment of every day, God wants each of us to walk in wisdom. In every situation we find ourselves in, God is telling us to get wisdom on whatever we are faced with. Wisdom is not a living being but, the mind of God revealed. If you want to see wisdom in action, just read your bible and watch Jesus. See how He speaks and acts with individuals; watch how He handles difficult situations. This is how He wants us to be each day.

God offers us the chance to spend time learning about wisdom. He says: ''Come and listen to My counsel. I'll share My heart with you and make you wise' v23. What an amazing offer He gives us - He offers to share His heart with us.' How incredible is that? 

The wise give encouragement, the foolish lack common sense, and we will only be able to give encouragement when God equips us with His knowledge. Wisdom promotes what is right, lack of wisdom promotes the opposite. Whatever God promotes, Satan promotes the opposite. This is why wisdom is so important and God wants to share His heart with you about it.

Just ponder that for a moment. Jesus wants to share His heart with you. The one who created the world and died and was resurrected for each of us, is still offering His love and care. James 1:5 instructs you to ask God for wisdom and receive it. You must not waver in receiving this, rather like a yoyo - one minute up, the next down. You must act and receive it in a solid manner. It is serious stuff, possibly like the difference between heaven and hell and life and death. Don't reject God's offer.

Whatever you are doing to day, try and take some time out and think about all of this.We all mess up at times; we all make the wrong choices. But ask yourself, 'Am I acting in wisdom? Do I seek God's heart before I make a decision, or do I just plunge in and hope for the best? Today God offers you the chance to sit with Him and allow Him to share His heart with you. Are you going to take Him up on His offer?

Copyright 2023 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 

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

  

 

  

 

 

Don't be enticed

"My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!11They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
12Let’s swallow them alive, like the graveb; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.13Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.14Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.”15My child, don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths.
16They rush to commit evil deeds. They hurry to commit murder. 17If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away.18But these people set ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed. 19Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life."  Proverbs 1:10-19. NLT

If we're not careful, we can be easily enticed, 'Come and join us' they my say. This is usually ok where people are like-minded e.g. a Christian like yourself. When they are not and you have befriended them, just be careful that you don't get carried away with  their ways of enjoying themselves. For instance, drugs, too much alcohol, and wild parties. It is so easy to be led away when you are not in control. For teens, there is peer pressure and v11 speaks loudly about this, 'Let's hide and kill someone. Just for fun, let's ambush the innocent.' This may account for some of the stabbings and murders on our streets almost everyday. Like ASBO's were a badge of merit, it now seems that stabbing someone has taken its place. Kids are led astray; they want to look good in front of the others, even at the cost of someone's life. Then there are the muggings; robbing people, again on the streets to get hold of what they can to feed their habits. It certainly is a dangerous place to live at times.

Some feel that theft can be a good way of becoming rich; break into a house and take the trimmings, hold someone up on the street to rob them. If you are a teen and reading this, do not let anyone entice you and lead you astray. It's a dangerous walk to take and, you will get found out.
You may not have a lot of money and you may be living from benefit to benefit/pay cheque to pay cheque, struggling every inch of the way. Someone may say, 'I know a way you can earn a little extra money. Why don't you come and join us. There's no harm in it, let's face it, others do it. You won't get caught.' etc. etc.' Don't fall for this. It is a temptation to follow someone else's wrong doing and, you will get caught out in the end. 
Do not listen to the tempting whispers and the false advice about fiddling the taxman, having extra jobs and not declaring what you earn. Do not fall for the offer to push some drugs, or offer sexual favours to make ends meet. Some do it and many are caught and the shame is loud when you read about yourself in the evening news. 
DO NOT BE ENTICED, IT WILL BRING YOU NOTHING BUT HEARTACHE. LET JESUS HELP YOU INSTEAD.

Copyright 2023 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 

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

  

 

  

 

 

Making excuses

"And remember, when you're being tempted, do not say, 'God is tempting me.' God is never tempted  to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else."   James 1:13  NLT

Temptations come from evil desires from within us, never from God. They start with a bad thought and, as we concentrate on this, it can lead us to action rather like a snowball rolling down a hill gains more snow until it is massive. When we do wrong, it is so easy to blame other people, or the environment that we're in. When we do this, we are making excuses instead of taking the responsibility. We may say: 'It wasn't my fault, I couldn't help it. They made me do it. Anyway, God was tempting me to see if I would do it.'

Wrong! God does not tempt you. Own up to it and stop trying to blame someone else. Be responsible. This reminds me of Eve in the garden. She hadn't listened properly and the devil tricked her (Genesis 3:3-4). Then the excuses began. When God questioned Adam, he had the audacity to say that it was not his fault, 'It was the woman You gave me  who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.' Then when God asked Eve what she had done, she blamed the devil. Excuse after excuse, lie after lie. 

A person who makes excuses is trying to shift the blame from himself, or herself, onto something or someone else. They are refusing to take the responsibility, and this is one of the biggest problems that we have today - blame, blame and more blame, making excuses instead of admitting the truth. When you think about it, Eve was willing to accept Satan's viewpoint instead, of checking it out with God. After all, He was with them right there in the garden. Surely it would have been far easier to walk up to Him and confirm the truth. Adam was weak, he should have taken the responsibility from the start instead, of hiding behind his wife's back. He was the leader, not her. In Christian marriage, does this sound familiar?

Be honest, do you make excuses for things instead of making a stand and declaring your responsibility? Whether we are married or not, the Christian man and woman have to face up to their own particular responsibility; there should be no excuse made unless there is a valid reason for this. God is looking for people who will serve Him well, people who will carry out His mission, a person who doesn't keep looking back. Are you that person?

Copyright 2023 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 

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

  

 

  

 

 

Struggles with sin part 2 - dying to self

"It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  Galatians 2:20  NLT 

This verse is in conjunction with what we were looking at yesterday and, reminds us that, the whole concept of life with Jesus is to die to self. I read somewhere that Martin Luther had a visitor to his house one night. When he opened the door, the person asked to see Martin Luther. Luther's reply was 'He no longer lives here, he has died. Jesus Christ lives here now.' I have no reference to underpin this statement but, I have heard this repeated so many times that I believe it is the sort of thing Mr Luther would have said.

Dead men don't react. A person can touch a dead body but there is absolutely no reaction at all; they are dead to reaction. Do you get the point here? A body will no longer react no matter how hard you try, and this was Martin Luther's point. He had given his everything to Jesus and He no longer lived. Some may find this quite extreme but as you think about it, he had a good point. Examine this:

(1)  DYING TO SELF  You're dead to reaction. A decision has been made to live for Jesus.

(2)  DEAD TO SELF   You no longer live but Jesus Christ lives through you. You have discovered the art of surrender. There is no more self-centeredness about you at all.

To be able to live in such a way takes discipline. Everything in your old life must be dead. You can't deliberately hang on to certain sins. They must be a thing of the past. This is how Martin Luther could make his statement. However, as we saw from yesterday's study, this is not easy. If the apostle Paul found it difficult to control his flesh, we definitely will struggle. Remember, our flesh is still active and this, is where we struggle with sinful temptations. It is a matter of accepting that we are not perfect - far from it but, we have made a decision to die to self, and live for Jesus.

This is an ongoing struggle, one in which will follow us all the days of our life. But, let us remember that, 'goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.'  Psalm 23;6. Yes struggles may follow us but, Jesus Christ does too and His power is mightier than any struggle. So die to self and live for Jesus!

Copyright 2023 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 

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

  

 

  

 

 

Struggles with sin

"I want to do what is right, but I can't. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don't, I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway."   Romans 7:18-19   NLT

Sound familiar? Of course it does, but not only for you, but all of us. We are all the same, we all want to do great things for God and we may well achieve it, but then, we go and let ourselves down by getting involved in sin. Why is this? Well, when we came to Jesus, we were born again, baptised in water and possibly baptised in the Holy Spirit. In other words, our nature was renewed, but our flesh wasn't; it is still active. Tony Evans gives an interesting description about this:

"When you come to Christ, your identity changes, but your location stays the same. There is now a distinction between who you are and where you live. You are totally redeemed, totally sanctified, totally brand new in Christ, but you live in a body contaminated by flesh, Thus, when we as Christians sin, we are no longer the one's doing it; it is the sin that lives in us (7:20). In saying this, Paul is not excusing our sin. He is reminding us that our true identity is no longer found in our actions, even if we keep sinning. When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me (7:21). Note that it's me. My 'I' has changed from sinner to saint. Therefore, when sin wants me to define myself by what I've done wrong, I remember that God defines me by who I am in Christ"

                                                           The Tony Evans Bible Commentary

Paul recognises that, mostly we are helpless when it comes to resolving our problems in this area. He recognised it himself and this is why he wrote: 'Who will rescue me from this body of death? (7:24). Some days it was like he was walking through quicksand and the harder he struggled, the more he sank. We are so like this; what we don't want to do, we end up doing and it's almost like we have no control over this. Like Paul, we have to recognise that Jesus Christ can and will, rescue us from this. Paul says, 'thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord (7:25). 

Therefore, we need to pray regularly each day and, ensure that we are clad in the armour of God. If you take a look at Galatians, there is a great prayer we can use:

'My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me'  (Galatians 2:20  NLT.

So remember in your Daily Life with Jesus, you will struggle with sin but, God is there to rescue you.

Copyright 2023 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 

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2