When you have lost your way

"Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."     Psalm 119:105   NKJV

Have you ever been out at night, completely in total darkness, and in  the middle of nowhere? You may know where you are but, until you receive your night sight, it could be anywhere. Suddenly a light is shone in the darkness and you may be able to get a bearing where you are, although a good fieldcraft person would have a compass and be guided by that or the stars. It's the same in a dark tunnel, when there are no trains about. Some tunnels are very long and as you walk along, you have no idea of where you are because you can't see the stars. A compass from a 'phone may not even work as you have no signal. All you can do is follow the rail tracks, obviously avoiding the high voltage one. Suddenly, you may see a light as you reach the tunnel's exit and it is jubilation.

In a way, it is a similar experience when a person has lost sight of God. It can be a dreadful time. You may feel that the Holy Spirit has left you, but He hasn't, it is you who has moved. This has happened because of a situation that has completely taken over your thinking. It could be anything, debt, worry, illness, a marital breakdown or something very similar. Your brain has been so absorbed in this problem and perhaps you haven't even prayed about it because, it has taken over.

At times like this, you need to focus on the Light - Jesus Christ but, sometimes that is the last thing you want to do because you are so discouraged. King David knew all about times such as these. In Psalm 42, we see how everything appears to be getting on top of Him and he becomes so discouraged. He starts going down Memory's Lane and remembers how he used to be a somebody (v4). He then comes to his senses and speaks to God and himself

5Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

                                     Psalm 42:5

We need to do this quite often. Life events come our way, and we become overrun by them and they take over everything. They can reduce us to being disarmed - the battle is taking us over. Don't let it. You will have times such as this but, seek the Light (Jesus). He is right next to you just waiting to help. However, He's a gentleman and won't jump in unless you ask for His help. So ask Him.

He is the Light. He illuminates your path and shows you the way forward. Your light bulb may have gone out but, Jesus is the ever ready Light.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. 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, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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Newly created

17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.      2 Corinthians 5:17.  CSB

Romans 8:1-2 reminds us that the old has gone, the new has come. Again in Ephesians 4:24, we read 'and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness'.  When we ask Jesus into our life, we become a new creation - a new person. Take notice of this following statement and possibly write it down: 

'The forgiven worshiper is not the old person cleaned up; he is a new person.' This one line statement was taken from a footnote to Psalm 51:10 in the The CSB Apologetics Study Bible. 

To get a glimpse of all of this, we need to pick the bones of Old Testament Times. David asked  'God, create a clean heart for me and renew, a steadfast spirit within me.'  Psalm 51:10.

The heart is the spiritual nature of a person; the centre of the will with the capacity for making choices. This prayer of David, is for God to re-create that spiritual side, so that he doesn't continue to make wrong choices. Forgiveness may not be enough to solve the problem; there must be a complete spiritual renewal. 

Before the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit appeared to function differently. The spirit came upon people responsible for administering the rule of God, such as - prophets, priests and kings etc. However, His indwelling was not always permanent as it became in the New Testament. For instance, look at how it was when Saul sinned against the Lord. He was rejected from his kingship (1 Sam 16:14). The Spirit left him. David's plea was for this never to happen to him.

Since Jesus lives and reigns within us, the Holy Spirit dwells permanently within us as the seal of eternal life. Some may say that we are sinners saved by grace and there is a truth to this. However, before we knew Jesus we were sinners but since we have become saved, the old has gone and the new has come. As our text today tells us: 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.' 

                                                                                           2 Corinthians 5:17.  CSB

We must therefore, take on board and understand that we once were sinners but the 'old man' was taken away by Jesus when He entered our lives. Therefore, we are re-created people.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. 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, 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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Overcome worry

25“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?                                  Matthew 6:25   NKJV

If there is one thing that we are good at, it is worry. We worry about this; we worry about that. When there is nothing to worry about, we worry because, it's not right, 'we should be worrying.' Possibly about 90% of the things we worry about never happen, but even then, we worry and ask, 'why?. When are we all going to learn that God does not want us worrying about anything.

(1)  Worry is inconsistent (6:25)  If we are able to trust Jesus for our life, can't we trust Him to provide our daily needs?

(2)  Worry is irrational  (6:26)  If our Lord cares for the birds, will He not care for us too, since we are more valuable than our feathered friends?

(3)  Worry is ineffective. (6:27)  Who among us can add one cubit (the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger) to our stature by worrying?

(4)  Worry is illogical  (6:28-30)  If God can clothe the Lillies of the field, can't He clothe us?

(5) Worry is irreligious  (6:31, 32). When we worry, we act just like those who do not know God; in this case, the Gentiles.

To overcome worry we need to re-arrange our priorities. Jesus said, 'Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness' (6:33). We also need to involve strategy into our program of thought. 'Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow, will worry about its own things' (6:34).

Worry means to 'divide, tear, rip apart, and to pull in opposite directions. This is what anxiety is made up with. Be concerned yes, but never be anxious or worried because Jesus tells us not to. When you think about it, to worry is not to trust Jesus and after-all, this is a command, not a request.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. 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, 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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Check out the land firstly

18and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; 19whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds;  20whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.”                                        Numbers 13:18-20   NKJV

Ensure that whenever you are going to do a task, that you have given it much thought - what are the pros and cons. If you were going to build yourself a house, you would need to size the job up. Get what you need and consider whether you have the ability to carry out the job. Surely, you wouldn't just jump in and do the job without checking things over. That could be a recipe for disaster.

In briefing Moses about the Promised Land, God instructed that he send in men to spy the land out and see if it was suitable and it could be a plan. God obviously knew the answer to this, but Moses would have to be assured of its success. Therefore, Moses sent the 12 spies from Kadesh into Canaan to see whether the people who live there were strong or weak; few or many. It was information that was vital for success.

Even Jesus recommended such action: 31 'what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  Luke 14:31

Great military leaders didn't just rush into war without obtaining key knowledge and information. They checked if attacks were possible and then planned, accurately what needed to be done and by whom. WW1 and WW2 show us this fact. It is the same with anything that we may face. We need to 'Know our enemy' and the possible risks. 

So, what are you planning at this stage in your life? Has God dropped an idea into your mind and now you are wondering what it's all about and how it could be done? Probably you may have a job proposal or you're thinking about starting your own business. Don't write it off thinking it can't be done. Think and pray it through; allow God to give you suggestions and take note of them. It may be nothing but, it may be the best thing that ever happened to you. Consider it; plan it; seek answers from God and imagine it all happening. It may just be a dream but, dreams do come true occasionally. 

Take it slowly, pray and listen, do the pros and cons stuff and if you have a bubbly, exciting feeling within you, it may be the right thing to do. But take it slow.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. 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, 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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Excuses

13Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”   Exodus 3:13.  NKJV

Excuses, Moses seems to have had a catalogue of them, but wait a minute, don't we? When someone asks us to do a certain thing that we are not sure about, don't we back away from it. Don't we think, "I could never do that, I'm not able.' It's the same if God asks us to do something, don't we feel inadequate and want Him to send someone else? It wasn't just poor old Moses that felt this way. Moses thought of many excuses when God told him He would send him to Egypt to bring the Israelites out to freedom. 

In one of David Jeremiah's Teaching Points, he gives us a bullet list of things that we may say:

*  Insufficient theology God basically told Moses, 'I do not want to help you do this through Me; I want to do it through you. 

*  Insufficient knowledge It is not what you know that counts, but who you know

*  An inferior self-concept It is not who you are that matters; it is who I am

*  Inadequate ability to(speech) It is not your ability that counts but mine

*  Incomplete trust (send someone else) God always has a man or woman ready when He needs one

We shouldn't be too hard on Moses, for we've been in that same position

We say:

*  'I can't do this for You'  God says, 'Then let Me do it through you

*  'I don't know enough'    God says "You know Me; that's enough

*  'No one will respect me' God says 'That's not important. What is important is that they respect Me

*  'I don't have the ability'  God says 'My grace is sufficient; it's My ability that counts'

*  'God, send someone else'  God 

               Teaching Points Dr David Jeremiah

God knows our weaknesses, and He's heard all the excuses that go round, but He still wants you to do what He asks of you. There is no need to fear, you can do this through Him, He'll be there right with you. It is such a privilege when God asks you to do something for Him, so enjoy the feeling. Yes, it is scary at first, but once you get started, there is no stopping you. Whatever it is, God knows that you can do it. Therefore, let Him bless you with serving  Him in whatever He has for you. You won't regret it.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. 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, 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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Pleasing God

"4But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts."  1 Thessalonians 2:4   NKJV

The thought of pleasing God certainly sounds a lot better than displeasing Him, that's for sure. But we need to be aware of a few things. As a very young Christian I visited a certain Baptist church where a visiting preacher from abroad was ministering for the night. He had a good reputation and as I had nothing special to do, my wife and I went along. He went through a very long sermon but the main message was, 'Lord, have I please you today?'

This thought has stayed with me all those years and I have often thought long and hard about it. Here's what I have come up with. The thought of pleasing God is right, we love Him and serve Him so, it goes without saying that, we want to place Him. However, pulling the bones out of it, I  came to the conclusion that God's approval cannot be earned. We just cannot earn smarty points and coloured stickers by trying to earn His approval. It doesn't work that way. We can though please Him with our efforts; it's a fine line one in which, we may find ourselves competing if we re not careful.

Stay with me on this, Ephesians 2:8-9 says:  

'8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  9not of works, lest anyone should boast. 

Bibleref.com gives an explanation of this:

In Galatians 1:10–12 Paul writes: "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ."

The point that I am making here is, we cannot earn God's approval  by doing things to please Him. He's pleased with us anyway otherwise we wouldn't be serving Him. But it is so easy to do your best for Him and expect a round of applause from Him or, if you've preached a sermon, a standing ovation from the crowd. It won't work so, don't try it. Just stay humble.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. 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, 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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Do you have your favourites?

1My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.                                                  James 2:1  NKJV

Partiality or favouritism can ruin relationships. God is never shows any sign of this to any of us. Let's face it, it would devastate our whole relationship with Him. But many people - possibly ourselves at times, show favouritism to people. It may be in our family, where one gets more attention and favour than the other receives. This is a root for jealousy to give birth. We may also have our favourites within a church circle. I'm not discussing friendship here, this is different. We have best friends, this just comes naturally. But we can and probably do, show love and favour to people who are not so close to us.

What we are saying here, is showing individuals or groups special treatment. This can happen  where someone wants to impress the individual or any onlooker. They receive better treatment that others would ordinarily receive. Take a look at James 2:2-4:

2For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,”4have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

It can happen when a person who is living rough on the streets turns up at church. He or she, may be frowned on or given a wide berth because of their clothes, body odour or general appearance. They could be turned away because of this. I know of a pastor who was asked by his superiors to hold two different services - 'one for the people and another for these down and outs'. (Please excuse the derogatory statement). Thankfully, he refused. People may not want someone like this sitting next to them and may take offence. It is a difficult situations but we must honour God and do what Jesus would do.

We should never look down on or judge such people. We don't know what has brought them to this type of lifestyle. Yes, they may have a dodgy background and be a risk. But good leadership should kick in on these situations. One the surface, they should never be turned away.

Just think, we may be turning away an angel who has come to visit us Hebrews 13:1-2.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. 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, 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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.