Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Friday 8 December 2023

Walking through mud

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

Let's be honest, some days it's like we are walking through thick, sticky mud. The further we go, the deeper the mud gets until we feel that, we can't go any further. Do you feel this way? Just lately, you have had to face great trials and tribulations. When you thought you were through to the other side, some other problem came along, more problematic. Now, after going through all of this, you're exhausted and have nothing left to give. That's ok, you've done your best and now, it's time to have a rest - with Jesus. "Come to Me all you who labour-...I will give you rest.' (Matt 11:28-30).

You've done nothing wrong for all of this to happen, sometimes life is like this, problems and more problems. One thing you must be aware of, and that is your heart. Keep it clear from wanting to blame anyone for the time that your have been through. It may be their fault, to degree but, it may also be the devil who has used certain people to wind you up. He does this and he longs for you to give in to his lies and get yourself into criticism, blame and anger.

Things will come along and test our faith and resilience. Often we can feel justified to have bad feelings to the one who you feel has caused all of this pain and upset. The thing is, the moment you rise to this by throwing a wobbly, you are listening to the wrong one. Yes, you may feel that you're right, but just stop and analyse how you are feeling about it all. The moment you get into being judgemental, critical and accusatory, you are wrong in God's eyes. You see, the devil acts in this way and he wants you to do the same but, stop a moment, you belong to the King of kings and therefore think, 'What would Jesus do here? I know it's hard to accept when someone tells you this but, it is true, you know it is.

You've walked through thick mud; Jesus walked along a dirt path carrying His own cross. You have been mistreated, badly; Jesus suffered the worst mistreatment ever. He died an agonising death but, what did He say, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do' Luke 23:34. Jesus knows what it's like to suffer, He's had it all thrown on Him, but, it's His reactions that stand out time and time again.

There's lessons to learn, very much so, in our Daily Life with Jesus as, it can be so demanding. But when you feel exhausted and mistreated as you walk through the mud of life, think of Jesus and, take His offer of spending some restful time with Him. You'll feel much better if you do.

If you don't know Jesus or have fell away, here is a prayer for you:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Thursday 7 December 2023

The Benefits of God

"And forget not all His benefits' v2. Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV

One of the many things that we, as humans, forget, is to thank God for all He does for us on a daily basis. This is why, David wrote this; he was reminding us that every day God brings us benefits that bless us. We need to remember this on a daily basis and yet, it seems to slip our minds. If we did this with someone close to us, such as a spouse, they would soon become upset and feel like we are using them as a doormat. So, how does God feel about this? From one point of view, He doesn't judge us for forgetting Him and He doesn't point the finger at us for it. However, He loves us so much that He hurts when we forget to say thank you. It is like taking Him for granted.

Just look at the benefits David mentions in this Psalm:

FORGIVES US. Just think of all the things that we do, each day, that we know are wrong. We know they're wrong because the Holy Spirit convicts us. Yet, we still do them. But when we confess these to God, He forgives. We don't deserve this but, get it anyway and it's called Grace.

HEALS US This is not always physical healing. It can be the healing of our emotions. Many things fill our lives with pain and sometimes, they are unbearable, but He is there to comfort and support us through them all.

REDEEMS US We were heading for destruction because of our sin. But, at the right moment Jesus was there to save us. He paid the price for us at the cross

CROWNS US WITH HIS LOVING MERCY His lovingkindness is always there, especially when the devil is telling tales about us, accusing us of this and that. Jesus puts a crown on our heads and declares us holy.

SATISFIES AND RENEWS Think of those days when we have been walked all over, cheated on and defeated and left to rot. Those days when there is no-one who wants to help us or even care. Days like this, you know who your friends are and, your greatest friend is Jesus. He satisfies your needs and makes you feel completely new.

These are the things we know about but, we are so familiar with them that we tend to take for granted. Possibly it is time to place these uppermost in our mind. They are solid and reliable areas that keep us from sinking and draw us closer to Jesus as we tell Him how grateful we are for all He does.

If you don't know Jesus or have fell away, here is a prayer for you:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

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

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Wednesday 6 December 2023

Jesus, the Way

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6 NKJV

A lot of people feel this verse is 'splitting hairs'. However, when we read it and understand it properly, we can see the truth that Jesus was conveying. Jesus said, 'I am the way.' And what He said is true. Jesus is the way into heaven. This doesn't mean that He is like a signpost, rather, He is the way to heaven. In other words, He was saying through Him people will get to heaven. Some people of other faiths, have said that this statement is a lie. They maintain that Jesus is only one of the ways into heaven, there are others. In saying this, they are not only contradicting what Jesus said but creating another lie. He is the way and there are no other ways to heaven. Complicating? Not really; understand that Jesus was not saying, 'This is the way' but 'I am the way.' He then goes on to say, 'No one comes to the Father except through Me.' Jesus is the truth, He doesn't lie and, by accepting Him He offers life. As a Christian, there is no other way.

Some may say that people are not really lying about this; it's just that they don't want to offend another faith so, they speak a 'little white lie'. Just what is a 'White lie?' Some use this statement when they don't want to offend people, for example, 'Do you like this dress I bought today?' Now, the dress may look awful but, as we don't want to upset the person, we may say, 'Yes, it's lovely. And we do this in so many other ways too. But really, there are no white lies, they are lies and Jesus said we shouldn't lie.

As Christians, we believe in Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Saviour and through believing in His death on the cross, we receive forgiveness for our sins. Therefore, the way is open to us (through Jesus) into heaven and life eternal. We should never water this down even if it means offending someone else. We may respect their choice of faith but, if they mention it, we are given the right to tell them what we believe and therefore what is their error. Remember, we are ambassadors for Christ. We are on a commission to bring souls into the kingdom. Jesus told us to go and do this (Mt 28:18-20, Mk 16:15-18).

Yes, members of other faiths may have a similar mission to go and make disciples but, the difference is, there is only one Jesus, one Lord and one Saviour. Jesus is the one we serve and take notice of. There is no other way.

If you don't know Jesus or have fell away, here is a prayer for you:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

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