God can use the most unlikely of people

1Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.       Joshua 2:1.  NLT

Joshua was tasked with transporting the Israelites over to the Promised Land. The previous generation had spent 40 years refusing to go over there because of their fear. Now, Joshua would use the east side for entry but first he needed to send out two spies to recce the situation. When they arrived, they needed somewhere to stay for the night and discovered a prostitute called Rahab who let them stay over. Note this was not for pleasure purposes, they were on God's business.

When the King of Jericho learned that two spies had come over and had stayed at Rahab's, he sent word to her. However, she said that they had only stayed for a short time and had now left; if they hurried, they would probably catch them. This was a lie because she had hidden them on the roof. What is your opinion of this? Should Rahab have lied? Let's look at the situation, her actions in hiding them on the roof had saved them from certain execution and also God's plan had not failed. If she had not lied, it would have been game over. At times, we have to rely on wisdom and grace. Do you agree?

As it was, the spies were very grateful to her and noticed that this woman had a form of godliness about her. She told them to flee to the mountains and wait 3 days until the King's men had finished their search for them. They agreed but told her to go and fill her house with the whole of her family and to keep them inside. They also told her to let the scarlet rope hang from the window of which they were going to be let down. They would then see that all was well when they returned and they would take them all to safety. They fled to the mountains and rested up for 3 days and then travelled back to their camp and told Joshua all about this. He then made plans for them all to head to Jericho taking the land and rescuing Rahab and her family.

Rahab was an astounding lady, she took a great risk doing what she did and would be hailed as a hero in days to come. What a witness this would be to other people of what God can do in someone's ordinary lives.

Conclusion

*  What you sow, you will reap Galatians 6:7. Rahab gave all she had that day at great risk to her whole life, and God would bess her for it. She and her family had a long term stay in the Israelites community to look forward to Joshua 6:17

Faith/Risk

*  As we have seen, Rahab's faith had been amazing. She put herself in a dodgy position, one in which she would also have been executed for treason. It was a big risk to take but she considered it worth it. God's grace saved her day

We must never look down at people who are not living how we and especially God, would have them to. We are not their judge, God is. She may have been a prostitute but didn't Jesus spend much of His time talking to them and changing their lives?

Probably there are things in your life that people can point the finger at. If God has or is, changing you, don't be intimidated by any of this. Your life may not fit into the Christian world as it should, but if God is pleased with you, that is all that matters. Ask Rahab.

 

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.

It's time to get ready

2“Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— 4from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Seaa in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ 5No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.   Joshua 12-5  NLT

Moses had died and now it was time to choose another leader. God had seen the potential of this young man and commissioned him to cross over into the Promised Land. The earlier generation had refused to to enter this land from the south and this wasted 40 years. God, therefore intended for them to enter the land from the east, across the Jordan Rover.

It doesn't seem from the text that Joshua was fearful or worried about this task. He may have been though and this could account for the words God spoke to Him 'Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you.' God had his back and reassured him that He would go with Joshua and the Israelites. However, one more thing God pointed to - God's Word. He instructed Joshua to mediate on it and study what it says. This would probably be the book of Deuteronomy that Moses wrote with instructions.

Note how God promised him that he would be strong and courageous and he should not deviate from God's Word. Then he would be successful in all he did. This is what I feel God is telling us as well. He wants us to serve Him but there is a cost. We must place Him first and ensure that we are equipped for whatever He shows us to do. We need to learn but, what we learn must be the truth not some slogan we may have heard from a movie or book. The only book that we should take note of is, the bible. I know you hear this a lot from me and others too. But it is essential for your protection and success. We must listen to the Holy Spirit and take on board what He is saying.

Joshua was God's choice at that time. Today, if you feel Him leading you out then, you are God's choice and this is such a privilege. It is also vastly important and shouldn't be taken lightly. If you are called to do a particular thing for God, don't be afraid; don't worry and don't run away. Get prepared because He has something for you to do. Amen

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.

Stop being troubled.

1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4And you know the way to where I am going.”                        John 14:1- 4   NLT

Jesus knew what it was like to be troubled. On three occasions in John, He became troubled when He saw Mary weeping over the death of her brother Lazarus (11:33). Then again in 12:27 where He was about to predict His coming death to His disciples; and again in 13:21 when He told His disciples that one of them was about to betray Him. However, His confidence in His Father made it possible for Him to face these crises. When His disciples realised that He would soon be leaving them, they too became troubled but, only by trusting in God would they be able to get through this ordeal.

Troubles come and go in our lives; one moment we are at peace and the next something happens to shatter this and we can become panicky. And this day, the disciples were worrying about their future. Jesus had told them, 'You know the way to where I am going.' In retaliation, Thomas said, 'No, we don't know Lord; we have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way' (v6). It was a time of great anxiety for the disciples. They had been with Him for about 3 years and now, He was going to disappear. It certainly would have been a testing time for them but, let's not forget how Jesus would have felt. After all, He was in His humanity and had feelings too. He had told them all He could about His pending death but they just couldn't grasp it all. 

We can be like this too. We may trust Jesus but when troubles come, we tend to lose our way and the troubles begin to take over. Panic sets in and once this happens, we can't think straight. Let us examine Jesus' words here. He said: 'Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.' v1 He also told them in v 27, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Really, Jesus had said it all to His disciples and the same goes for us too. Whatever we are facing, it is not too big for Jesus. With the Disciples, He left for a short while but, He will not leave us - ever! And what's more, as we trust Him and believe in Him and receive the peace of mind He has left us with, we will make it.

So today, whatever troubles you may have, roll them over to Jesus and He will tell you what to do or, will take care of it Himself. DON'T BE TROUBLED OR AFRAID.

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.

You must be Born Again

"3Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”            John 3:3   NLT

Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. He was strangely attracted to Jesus but, because of his status among the Pharisee society, he arranged for an evening appointment with Jesus. It would have been too risky for him to be seen talking with Jesus during the day, so it was more suitable for him in the evening. 

There were many things that Nicodemus wanted to ask Jesus, so the meeting was an important one, he believed that Jesus had the answers. Nicodemus had:

Strengths and Accomplishments  He was one of the few religious leaders who believed in Jesus. He was a member of the powerful Jewish high council; a pharisee who was attracted by Jesus' character and miracles. Later, he joined with Joseph of Arimathea in burying Jesus.

Weakness and Mistake  He was limited by his fear of being publicly exposed as Jesus' follower.

Lessons Jesus taught him  Unless we are born again, we can never be part of the Kingdom of God. God is able to change those who we feel are unreachable and He is patient but persistent.

If we make ourselves available, He will use us.

We don't know much else about Nicodemus except, perhaps, after his meeting with Jesus he was born again that evening. We can't prove this but I personally believe that he was saved and a changed man. Later when the council spoke about ways that they could eliminate Jesus, Nicodemus raised the question of justice. He was overruled but, at least he had stood up for Jesus (John 7:50-52). He also joined Joseph of Arimathea in requesting Jesus' body so they could give Him a decent burial. This was such a risk for him to take but, it shows how much he was growing in the Lord. (John 19:39)

Nicodemus was afraid to reveal his belief in Jesus because of reprisals. But, he was no different from all of us who have struggled at disclosing our faith to certain people, especially family, friends and the workplace. But he did his best and started taking the risks as he grew in faith. As we grow in faith, most of us become more confident in sharing our faith, but like Nicodemus was worried about it, it can be risky. People who don't believe in Jesus can make it difficult, especially at work, demanding that you don't 'preach Jesus' at work. But, the Holy Spirit within us leads us forward to make stands for Jesus. Don't ever be frightened to talk about your Saviour, Jesus Christ. He has done so much for you and will continue to. In addition, Nicodemus' meeting with Jesus underpins the importance of knowing Jesus and being born again.

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.

Are you living in blessing?

 "10A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance".        John 10:10   CSB

Are you being blessed? Jesus wants this for all of His followers but, oftentimes, Satan will come along and steal it before they know what has happened. Jesus doesn't want us to just possess eternal life; He wants us to experience the fullness of the life He has for each of us now! This is the meaning of abundance. The Greek word for abundantly is perissos and actually means superabundance and this equates to excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, above the ordinary and more than sufficient. The NLT puts it this way: 'My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.' Therefore, we could say that Our Father is Our excessive God - the God of too much.

Satan does not like this one bit and will try to rob you of all that you have. He will try to make you feel guilty because you have so much and many, many people in the world are starving. He will try to make you feel pretentious because you are blessed so much when others aren't. If he can, he will make you feel so bad about your riches that you feel inadequate in your life. Don't let Him.

Jesus, has chosen to bless us with life and everything else that goes along with it. However, the same rain that falls on the starving world, falls on us too. We are susceptible to illness, problems and other things. Christianity does not make a person perfect. They will still have sons or daughters who go off the rails and get into problems. There will still be the addictions within a Christian home, disloyalty and family squabbles. Being rich abundantly does not make us any different to anyone else. 

However, what we do have is the certainty of eternal life - a place in heaven where we will live eternally, and that is worth more than anything, and was part of what Jesus was saying that day. He will give us an abundance here and now and a major blessing when we are transported to heaven. When we talk to people about Jesus, we can tend to lean on the eternity in heaven more than anything. People need to know what Jesus can do for them NOW. Many are desperate and need change at this moment, the thought of going to heaven is too far away to them. We need to let them know what Jesus can do in their lives at this moment in time.

So try and focus on the here and now and live in the blessing and abundance that God has given you and, let others know this too.

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.

Are you feeling guilty?

18Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.                     1 John 3:18-20.  NLT

Are you one of those people who always feel guilty about something? You forgot to send someone a birthday card. Or may be you told someone that you had other arrangements when they invited you out somewhere. At the time you may have thought that it was only a 'white lie'. But there are no white lies, if you tell someone a lie then, it is a lie. Can you see how the devil can water down God's truth by giving you untruths as an excuse? Even if you don't tell a white lie, your excuse to not go to this invitation can make you feel guilty. It may have been better to just be honest and say that you don't feel like going.

There are many ways where we feel guilty about something. You may have taken some person's car park space when they had been queuing to drive in there. You just came in another direction and got the space. Probably you didn't acknowledge the other person and now you feel awful. You can't say you're sorry to them because you don't know them. The best thing to do is to tell God that you shouldn't have done that and you are sorry. Who knows you may see them again and have the opportunity to apologise.

Have you ever felt guilty even though you have confessed your sin to God or apologised to someone for upsetting them? Romans 8 1-2 is a good place to deal with this:'So now, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.' Once you have repented, there is no need to keep on saying that you're sorry. God heard you the first time and forgave you. The devil however, wants to keep you in condemnation. 'No way Hosea', you are forgiven so get on with your day.

I read something the other day that I had never really considered, The whole human race is on death row, justly condemned for repeatedly breaking God's holy law. Without Jesus, we would have no hope at all. But thank God, He has declared us Not Guilty and given us freedom. If we have Jesus in our heart, we have nothing to fear; He has redeemed us and given us a new start. So from thereon, whenever you feel guilty about something, check whether you need to repent or apologise to someone and then receive forgiveness and get on with your life.

You are Not Guilty!

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.

So much to do, but no time to do it

"15So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days".     Ephesians 5:15-16.  NLT

There are times when we feel this way, 'So much to do, but no time to do it.' Let us just assess this phrase. Who says that there is no time to do the things you need to do? Answer - you! You can be your worst enemy when you don't manage your time well. There is always a need to prioritise what is most important. You can't do it all at once; you can try but it will be a disaster and nothing will get done. Therefore, you need to assess your daily plan.

To you as a Christian, what is the most important thing? Answer, it is Jesus. He should always come first in your planning. However, this doesn't always mean that you should always read your bible and have a quiet time before you do anything else. It should be but, there are times when your workload is busier than normal and Jesus realises that you would not be giving Him 100% of your time. Therefore, He leads you to do this and He helps you too. This must only be on busy occasions though.

Normally, it is best to commence your day by having some time alone with God. You may say, that you don't have time to do this with your busy schedule. Then, I will ask you, 'Have you got things wrong? If you haven't the time to spend with Jesus, Your Saviour before you start your day, then you need to change things so that you do have the time. It is that important. Like breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day, a quiet time with Jesus is even more important.

You may disagree with me, then that is fine. I am just the messenger, the word comes from God, so you decide. Many people dash out of their homes in the morning to go to work. Some shoot out to the car with toast and coffee in their hands because their day is so busy. Do you realise that some of these never make it to work because they have a fatal accident on the way? Their minds are full of what they need to do but in the end, they have nothing to do at all. For many of these, perhaps if they had just spent a little time with Jesus before they went off, they may have been given some wisdom on their day. Your daily quiet time with Jesus is essential, before anything else, so please take note of this.

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.