"I've got this covered'

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."                                        Psalm 46:10  NKJV 

When times are rough or perhaps, in chaos, God wants us to involve Him in the situation. There are times, when we can make things worse by trying to take on what we shouldn't. A footnote in, The Spirit Filled Life Bible grabbed my attention. It reads:

'Be still: This is not a call for silent worship. v10 is the voice of God addressing the wicked, warring nations with a warning. In other words, 'Cease and desist; it is I, God who will be exalted in victory; you do not have a chance at winning.' 

Often this verse is read that we should remain still and leave things to Him. However, this description pads it out much more. God is actually warning the nations that are attacking God's people to step back, stop it right now. They have no chance in taking God on and coming out victorious.

Let's consider this. We often think that it is us that should 'be still' but here, God is quite clearly telling the attackers to be still - to stop what they're doing. Yes, it does refer to us as well; we do need to 'be still' and get out of the way so God can do His work. He has this covered when we do this. But the main message is, the attacker is ordered by God to stop the attack.

This shines a light on what we need to do when people come up against us intending to do battle. All we have to do is turn our heart towards God in confidence and, He'll do what needs to be done. It's that simple. The bottom line though is doing this. We need to check our reactions and get them in line with God's word. I remember some years ago, I was at a Gospel meal and a chap got up and gave his testimony. Apparently, at this man's place of work, a certain chap had been bullying him and making his life a misery because of his faith. After a while, this had begun to get him down and he called on God to stop this man from persecuting and hurting him so much. That very day, this bully died of a heart attack. He had been attacking one of God's people and so the recipient had called on God to help and then became 'still.' You may think this is quite extreme but, God is true to His word and when we get out of the way, He will act on our behalf. Never doubt that.

Whatever you are undergoing at this time, God has got it covered. Don't try to handle it yourself, let God do the work, He's bigger than you and much more experienced. 'Be still' and God will warn the attacker to also 'Be still and cease this action.' If they don't, they must receive what God has for them. He is loving but also, He's a formidable figure to come up against.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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Priorities and Attitudes

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".  Matthew 6:21  NKJV

Tony Evans writes: 'Hanging around a hospital, doesn't make you a patient. And hanging around a church doesn't make you a Christian.'  Tony Evans Bible Commentary

People seem to think that going to church is paramount to them being recognised as a fully fledged Christian. This is not true, unless they have made Jesus the Lord of their life. And, if they have, of course, He reigns in their hearts. Having the biggest bible, does not make you a Christian, not does being able to quote all of the key verses within the bible. That is head knowledge not, heart knowledge.

Just check out today's text, it is saying your treasure will be in your heart. Many people have two priorities in life (1) Cheques books (2) Diaries/Appointment books. These two items rule their life. It shows where they spend their time and where they spend their money. This is what they value.

It is very commendable to be a successful business person and the self-made millionaire has a great talent. But, this will not get them into heaven. The Beatles used to sing 'Can't buy me love' And this is also very true. Many of the people will flock to the successful business person but, what are they after, love or a handout? A rich person must find it very difficult to understand why they are so accepted in society. This can make them very insecure and also explains why so many rich people have pre-nuptial contracts before they are married. Surely this can't be love and trust.

It is what is in a person's heart that determines what they are and where they are going. What is the point in having all the money in the world and then, at the age of perhaps 30, going out and dying in a high speed car crash. There is no point, unless of course Jesus was the treasure within  their hearts. The full words of this piece of scripture reads: 19 'Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also' These verses underpin what we are discussing here. There is no point in making riches and successes more important than your destiny. One day we will all stand before Jesus Christ and He will ask us why we feel we should be allowed into His heaven. The only answer will be, 'Because Jesus Christ lives in my heart.' This answer will open the gates of heaven; nothing else will

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

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It is time to take control

"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honour. 7Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you".

                                                                        1 Peter 5:6-7  NLT

We often hear that things are sent to try us and it's true. God will test us to check how we handle situations and Satan will try and ransack our lives until we are a wreck; he will then attempt to kill us, or what we are doing at the time. We've all had times such as these and it's how we handle them, that God is interested in. Jesus said, 'A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure in his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks'. Luke 6:45. So we have to make our hearts a 'controlled area' because, what happens there determines how we respond to each situation. Bob Gass once said, 'An iceberg represents our life! The 10% above the water is your reputation. The 90% below is your character. And, it's what's below the surface that sinks the ship'.

We all have days and weeks, where everything we touch seems to go wrong. This is stress in itself. But when we add to this the many things that we need to do, all at once - TODAY, we begin to become overwhelmed by it all. If we have a short fuse or are easily stressed, this can bring out the worst in us. We need to find a balance and His name is Jesus.

He doesn't want us taking on too much but, let's face it, we often do because we don't want to say no to someone's request. 'It might hurt their feelings'. But what about your own feelings? You have got to take control of your day. He wants us to give Him all of our worries and cares because, He loves us and is concerned that we may take on more than we can handle. 

Each of us has our own measure of coping skills. We know our limitations but often we tend to bend the guidelines a little and get ourselves in a stressful situation. This is where we are going wrong. It is not wrong to say 'no' when we need to; in fact, it is essential at times. When we become stressed and full of pressure at all we have to do or, places to go, it is when the things that are buried within us are exposed and our true feelings let us down. Yes, we need to deal with this and, Jesus will help us if we ask Him. But, first of all we have to take stock of ourselves and let our 'no' mean 'no', even if it offends. Some people will take and take if we allow them to so, now is the time to take control. Once we do, we will be ready to deal with the hidden things below the surface.                         

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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From small things to victory

 "Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said 'There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising out of the sea'"  1 Kings 18:44  NKJV

Elijah had just had victory over the prophets of Baal adding further anger from Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah met with Ahab and told him to eat and drink because the drought was about to end. Ahab did this and Elijah went to the top of Mount Carmel and prayed that it may, once again rain. He sent his servant to go and look toward the sea for a weather check. There was no sign of rain. But Elijah persisted in prayer. Again and again he sent his servant to check but it was the same story - no rain. On the seventh time, the servant reported that there was a cloud as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea. Excited, Elijah sent his servant to tell Ahab to to prepare his chariot and head off to safety before he was cut off by the rain. Elijah, gathered himself and also set off running and because the Lord was with him, he actually beat Ahab back home.

Just check this out; there was a small cloud rising from the sea but that was all the faith-filled Elijah needed. He knew there would be rain - lots of it. Remember, small acorns turn into great oak trees. Zechariah 4:10 says, 'For who has despised the day of small things.' Things may not be great at the moment but, don't give up, things will get better. Small is ok to start with but, faith turns it into big. Remember, Walt Disney began with a mouse, now look at that organisation. Do you get the idea? It would have been so easy for Elijah to give up after the first 3 or 4 attempts at prayer, but he persisted and received the reward. 

Amazingly, Elijah went into depression shortly after this adventure. Ahab had told Jezebel all about what had happened and she was seeking Elijah's life. Elijah ran away and ended up in the wilderness and sat under a broom tree. He prayed and asked God to take his life (1 Kings19:4-5). God sent His angel to touch him. He fed him and gave him water. Very soon after this, the LORD said to Elijah, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' 19:9. Sometimes after a great time of ministry, we can become burnt out and, this can lead us to feel sorry for ourselves, like Elijah was here. We need God to speak to us in such a way, breathing proactive-ness into us with encouraging words. This worked for Elijah and he eventually went on his way.

There's a lesson to learn here, Listen to God not, your fears. Jezebel had inflicted great fear upon him because he had listen to this report sent by this evil woman. Don't listen to it. Decide there and then, whose report are you going to believe, God's or bad reports and the gossips of the world. Remember, God's word builds you up, Satan's doesn't.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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Give & Give = Receive & Receive

"For thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.'" 

                                                                           v14 of 1 Kings 17:8-24  NKJV

Obedience will always bring provision. There may be a waiting period but, it will come. Elijah had told the evil King Ahab that there would be a drought until he commanded otherwise. Because of the danger he was in from Ahab and Jezebel. God told him to get away from there and hide by the Brook Cherith; He promised Elijah that He would command ravens to feed him and that he could use the brook to drink out of. 

The key to releasing heaven's power is to do exactly what God tells us to do. You will always miss your place of divine provision when you stop listening to God and start relying on yourself.

After a while, the brook dried up because of the drought so, God told Elijah to go to Zarephath where he would find a widow to provide for him. This he did and on arrival, he met with the widow. Initially, he asked her for water but as she was going for this, he asked her to bring him a morsel of bread. She told him the truth, she had no bread, just a small amount of flour in a tin and a few drops of oil. Elijah gave her a test of faith; he asked her to go and do as she was going to do - bake some bread for herself and her son but, to bring him a cake first. Notice, he wanted her to serve him first which would have been quite difficult for her to do under the circumstances. He told her that the flour for her tin would not be exhausted and that the oil would not run dry until the day God sends rain upon the land again. She did as Elijah asked and the blessing began, the flour tin was always full and she had enough oil each day. 

Now a short time after, the widow's son became very ill and died v17. She was understandably upset, especially with Elijah - she had taken care of him but this was how she was treated. Elijah, instantly took the boy in his arms to the upper room and called on God for this unfair treatment. He stretched himself out on the boy 3 times calling out to God for His help. Finally, the LORD heard his prayer and gave the son life. 

Now, first of all the persistence of Elijah in prayer. Never give up, keep praying The widow had to trust God with all she had and she was given an instant reward from God. As often happens, the devil can rob us of our blessing as he did here - her son died. But God intervened and used Elijah to restore him back to life. What a blessing.

Notice though, God's plan is for us to give first (Matt 6:33) and He will then bless us in return. This is an excellent example of how God wants us to give what we have - a tithe, even though it may hurt and put you under fear and pressure just like the widow was. When we do this, God always gives us a return.

Question - Do you give tithes and offerings? If you don't, you are missing out on being blessed - totally. Give it some thought! Give and receive.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out

Facing Adversity

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls - 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17.18. NKJV

Habakkuk was mourning the events of the invasion by the Babylonians. They had lost practically everything and yet, he was able to pray the above prayer. He was waiting patiently for God to take action against the invaders. He was quiet and refused to make a fuss about their situation. He trusted His God.

Sometimes, we must too, be quiet and patient as we give God the room to work on our behalf. It is not easy, I know but, in the face of adversity, it is the only way through the situation safely. Habakkuk had the attitude that said,'Whatever happens, I will still praise God. He is my strength.' v19.

Facing adversity such as this, we need to focus on Jesus because, He is taking us to the next level. Therefore, be careful what you say because in such moments the devil, who is your accuser, will suggest to God that you have been cursing God, and other people and you've had enough and want to die; anything to get out of this situation. Remember, Satan is not a friend, never has been and never will be. He is out to get you so, don't make it easier for him. He is a liar, a thief and the accuser of the brethren. Be wise, don't try to take him on in your own strength. Jesus is right beside you, let Him fight for you, and He will.

The word 'joy' in verse 18 is a Greek word that means gil (geel). To joy, rejoice, be glad, be joyful. Gil contains the suggestion of 'dancing for joy,' or 'leaping for joy,' since the verb originally meant 'to spin around with intense joy.' God dances for joy over His people and over their praise through difficult times. He loves to hear this praise and it encourages Him to come and help us and rescue us.

At the moment, you may be going through great battles and wondering why and how long it will last. I can't answer these questions for you but, I can tell you that what is happening to you, has happened to many other Christians throughout our world, and like them, you will come through this stronger and more blessed. As difficult as it may be, begin to joy (Gil) and as you are dancing and praising God, you just may feel Jesus doing the same. He is with you. I promise!

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

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Get to the heart of the matter

"So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands."  Psalm 78:72  NKJV 

Yesterday, we had a gardener round to cut and square off a couple of bushes and a row of conifers at the bottom of our garden. The bushes were easy enough to trim but the conifers, which had grown to around 12 feet high, were not so easy. They were full of brambles and the sprigs of sycamore trees. As I watched the gardener from the house, I could see him scratching his head and wondering how to approach them. The depth of them went back some 8 feet and as the gardening trimmers were only about 5 feet with an extension fitted, it was going to be a tricky job. However, it didn't bother the gardener, he trimmed the front and then cut half of the top away before getting inside the conifers with his heavy trimmers and a ladder. The next minute, he appeared at the top and started trimming away again.

I thought this was amazing and would never have thought about this technique myself; but this is why I'm not a gardener. What he actually did was get to the heart of the matter. He knew that there was no chance of trimming the conifers properly the conventional way, so he went to the centre of the problem. When he had finished, the tops and sides of both the conifers and the bushes, were totally straight - a really good job.

This had me thinking for the rest of the day. the gardener's success was getting to the heart of the matter and, we need to adopt this method. Many is the time when we are floundering around wondering what we are going to do, or how to handle a situation that has become a problem in our lives. Yes, we may pray about whatever it is but, then, because the answer isn't imminent we go off in a tangent doing this, and doing that and making the matters worse. You may have a breakdown on your car but if you know little about engines, pressing this button or un-doing this screw can lead to disaster instead of success. 

David was a skilled shepherd, who knew his trade well. God placed him in this position knowing that it would be people he would be shepherding next. God is the king of shepherds and knows the way forward. He knows how to tackle a job such as trimming high and brambly conifers. He also knows how to fix that problem you have; He will help you find the solution to all you need. But, you need to get to the heart of the matter. Embrace Jesus with prayer and worship. Seek Him with ALL of your heart and when you do, He will be there for you. That is a promise! 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out