Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Friday, 6 June 2025

Lessons to learn

4So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai 5chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralysed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away. Joshua 7:4 -5. NLT

It can be described as a disastrous day for Joshua because his army were defeated in a most humiliating manner. What had happened? Where was the elite efficiency they had shown when they took Jericho? Answer - there was a root of sin that had taken hold and caused this defeat. Let's examine this more deeply.

When they had defeated Jericho, Joshua gave the order that nothing should be taken from the camp, except silver, gold or iron for the treasury of the Lord's house. However, a man called Achan couldn't resist and stole some for himself. He hid this in his tent on return. In the meantime, Joshua decided to attack Ai and again, sent out spies. On return, they discussed the strategy with Joshua and told him that just 3000 troops would be enough to attack as there wasn't many enemy to be seen and they could be easily overpowered. The problem was, they underestimated the enemy and after being chased, they suffered terrible defeat.

What caused all of this? Joshua had become too complacent and overconfident and he didn't even consult God about the attack, he just arranged for it to happen. Because of not being in prayer with God, he also failed to recognise that Achan had stolen some of the Lord's treasure and therefore his sin had disabled them.

Assessment Don't ever go into something in your own strength. Commit it to the Lord, you can't do it alone. Don't neglect prayer. Like Joshua, don't become puffed up with pride. it was like he had become too big for his boots. This cost him dearly.It had become devastation and the buck stopped with Joshua, he was their leader. Because of this, they suffered shame and their reputation was smashed in a moment. This led to Joshua feeling sorry for himself and calling a 'pity party'. His protests to God were rather like the previous Istaelites who called out in the desert, 'Oh, Sovereign LORD, why did you being us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us?' V7. Joshua had the audacity to blame God for all of this. But God told him to get up instead of lying on his face crying out. God told him that someone had stolen some of the things He had ordered to be set apart. He said that in the morning, Joshua needed to gather all of the people and He would show him who did this. Joshua would then need to deal with it. Achan was singled out and he and all of his family were destroyed, burned and buried. Where they were laid is called The Valley of Trouble V26.

What are the lessons to learn here?

Doing things your own way. Don't ever leave God out of your life, include Him in the planning Proverbs 3:5-6, John 15:5.

Complacency Don't become so puffed up that you are too sure of yourself. Only God knows the way, not you.

Deal with sin Don't let it fester; remember one bad apple will ruin the whole lot. Sin cannot be swept under the carpet. It needs addressing because it is a blot on your ministry and testimony.

Final word When you have messed up and confessed and dealt with the sin in your life. Thank and praise God and then, move on, don't begin to feel sorry for yourself.

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
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Thursday, 5 June 2025

The walls fell and a promise was kept

"Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” Joshua 6:22 NLT

Read Chapter 6 and you'll get the full story. However, in a nutshell, Joshua gathered his troops and under God's direction, set off to walk around the perimeter of Jericho. Seven priests led the way, blowing their horns, followed by more priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant. Then came Joshua and the fighting troops. They were to march around the perimeter of the town once a day for 6 days. On the 7th day, they had to walk around it seven times and on the seventh time, the priests would blow a lasting blast on their horns and the rest of them had to shout as loud as they could. They did this and the walls of this mighty town fell down, leaving only the house that Rahab lived in. The soldiers rushed into the town and killed everything in sight.

There are a number of things that happened here which are notable:

Obedience Joshua obeyed all that the Lord had told him and he claimed the victory. This reinforces the need to listen properly to what God tells us. Hearing the word properly brings victory. If Joshua had missed out anything that day, it may have been a disaster.

Noise Scripture tells us to: 'Shout to the LORD all the earth, break out in praise and sing for joy' Psalm 98:4-9. Praise opens doors or like here, brings down walls. The priests were up front blowing their horns with all their might. The Ark of the Covenant symbolising God Himself was following behind and everyone else were shouting as loud as they could. Praise brings victory.

Promises God keeps His promises and so should we. There is so much disappointment when a promise is broken. Always, to the best of your ability, keep you word. Joshua was diligent here and reminded the two spies to keep their promise to Rahab and go and rescue her and her family as was planned (v22). Keeping promises makes people feel wanted and secure.

Protection Rahab's family that day, must have wondered what was happening when the walls fell down. Rahab's house was built into the wall and her house was all that was left standing. Rahab though, was a woman of faith, she may have been tempted to fear when this happened but it would have been temporary because she knew she was under a promise - an oath. She knew the spies would come for them as they had said. Do you realise the protection that you are under each moment of the day. God is in you; angels surround you and as you pray for His protecton each day, he is happy to oblige.

Finally, if God promises you something; if He tells you to do something for Him, never listen to other people's attempts to dampen your faith. Get counsel yes, but receiving good counsel and robbing of your faith are two different matters. Be cautious in all you do.

Wednesday, 4 June 2025

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.

Tuesday, 3 June 2025

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

Monday, 2 June 2025

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.

Sunday, 1 June 2025

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.

Saturday, 31 May 2025

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.

Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Friday, 6 June 2025

Lessons to learn

Thursday, 5 June 2025

The walls fell and a promise was kept

Wednesday, 4 June 2025

God can use the most unlikely of people

Tuesday, 3 June 2025

It's time to get ready

Monday, 2 June 2025

Stop being troubled.

Sunday, 1 June 2025

You must be Born Again

Saturday, 31 May 2025

Are you living in blessing?

Called to serve Jesus

Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

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