How do you respond?

"1A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare."  Proverbs 15:1. NLT

Our actions depict what side of the road we are walking on. They are important factors to how we will benefit in our relationships at work, at home or even in church. Our response to people or situations are closely connected to how we are feeling on a particular day. For instance, you may have a stack of things to do on this day and just thinking about it all can create stress, so you are already at your limit of tolerance. Then someone may come up and say the wrong thing at the wrong time and BOOSH!! you lose it and fly off the handle. You know you shouldn't but you do. The person who was trying to speak to you becomes offended and says equally upsetting words and war has begun.

What happened? You weren't in control of your mouth. If you had given a gentle answer to the person explaining that, 'I'm rather busy at the moment but I'll ring you later, I promise' that would have probably saved the day but, sadly you didn't. If this is you, you may regret it straightaway and apologise but, then again, it may go on for days without repentance. Solomon said, 'A hot- tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them' Proverbs 15:18. What are you?

So we're looking at harsh words v gentle words and hot tempers v cool tempers Assessing the above example, the problem started with you and at that particular moment when you thought and then looked at the work load and the stress of it all was created in your mind. From thereon, you had the choice to either look at it in a positive manner such as, 'Wow, I have a lot to do today, but I'll get through it all, please help me Lord,. we can do this.' There was also the negative route, which you took, 'I'm never going to get through all of this,

 I've got so many other things to do as well. I'll never cope.' Just look at the negative words you said; and realise that you confessed that you'll NEVER get through this, and, I'll NEVER cope. You confessed negativity.

James 1:19 says: 'You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.'

How you talk to someone, including yourself, can dampen the situation or cause it to flare up. No one can change this for you except God and yourself. The bible is your training manual so adhere to its teaching. Mark off the verses that point to anger or peace and start to put it into practice. You'll be more popular when you do.

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.

Watch the trip ups

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith

                                                                          Hebrews 12:1-2.  NLT

Paul teaches here to  follow Jesus with endurance and imitate His supreme example of faithfulness. Let us remind ourselves of the suffering He endured and the way He disciplined Himself in reaching this standard. It was the only way to give us freedom.

As we walk with Jesus, we are, not only surrounded by witnesses, who know that we are Christians and view us accordingly, but we also walk in the footsteps of many mighty women and men of God who travelled the same road many years before us. Therefore, we need to 'strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.' v1 If we are in a race or just doing a heavy job, we need to avoid carrying extra weight because it hinders our progress. It's the same with sin, if we say we are Christians and yet fail to live the life then we  trip up and become entangled in its grip. It takes discipline to live this way but it pays dividends and of course, essential to our walk with Jesus.

Jesus is our supreme example of faithful endurance. This is why in moments when we are in a tight corner, we can say with confidence, 'Would Jesus do that/say that?' It gives us a good guideline to how Jesus would handle things. It all comes down to being focused on Jesus. We keep our eyes on Him. He is our champion - our role model and so, we copy or imitate Him, wanting to be more and more like Him. We can do this because scripture tells us we can, 'For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength' Philippians 4:13. So be encouraged, we are like Jesus but occasionally we have the grotty moments that let us down. However, thankfully, Jesus forgives us and points us in the right direction.

Be honest, what is the sin that so easily trips you up? We all have these moments and it is being prepared for them that helps us to avoid these times. Pray about it; talk in depth to Jesus who knows all about these times and also how to avoid them. But, it is not easy, it takes discipline, dedication and endurance to overcome these things. However, with Jesus' help we are able to do 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.

Don't look back

"When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”              Genesis 19:17.  NLT

We can see from the consequences of this scripture that it is very unwise to disobey God. Sodom was a city full of sexual sin, so bad that God decided to destroy it. He sent two angels who met with Lot. He persuaded them to stay with him overnight. However, men from the vicinity heard about this and pounded on Lot's door, wanting to have sex with them. The conclusion to this was, the angels blinded the men and grabbed Lot, his wife and daughters and encouraged them to leave the city. The one warning was, 'Don't look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.' Lot persuaded the angels to allow them to go to a small village not too far away. The angel agreed. On the way out, Lot's wife looked back to the city and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. v26

When God speaks to us, it is wise to take notice of what He tells us. For Lot's wife, life was over - she paid the price. We need to think about this and match it with other scriptures. In Luke 9:62, Jesus said: “Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Jesus was basically saying if we commit to do something, don't look back or you may give up and go back. The Israelites had cried to be rescued from Pharaoh in Egypt but when Moses brought them out, after a time, they started moaning about this and that and wanted to return. The result was, they didn't make it to the Promised Land.

Paul said in Philippians 3: 'Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us v13-14. There is no point in looking back to 'what was'. If it is a pleasant memory then that is ok. However, yearning for what you had, where you lived and what you did, is pointless. You no longer have that life so, what's the point in yearning for it. If you have given something up in order to serve Jesus, don't look back from the plough. If your heart is still there then you will be unsettled to where you are now. Forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. That is the method to take; it may be hard-going initially but press on so that you can reach your goal. It will be well worth it in the end.

You may have left a certain place to enter new beginnings. It may feel strange and you may begin to miss what you left behind. It's natural but, with perseverance you overcome this. Just think, God may well be wanting to bless and prosper you. You may not see it at first but don't give in, things will get better. That's a promise.

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.

A Song of love and gratitude Part 2

"But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. 7Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger.
8Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. 9He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet."    Psalm 18:6-9    NLT

Can you remember the time when you were so distressed that you didn't know what to do? This is the distress that David had been feeling. He feared for his life because he thought that he may die because of it all. God heard him and He will do you too, no matter what is happening in your life. In His sanctuary He sees everything. He knows what is happening to you before it ever happens. Sometimes, He will intervene before things do happen but, them again, at other times He watches and waits for your call to Him.

David here could be describing the Lord's descent from heaven to earth, what with the reference to earthquakes, flames, darkness and rain. This will be a time when the whole of creation will shudder at God's coming. This destabilisation of the whole earth will be a means of God's judgement. Mountains will shake because of the Lord's anger. David could see the end of the earth years before it would happen. David may also be describing how he called on God and He opened the heavens and came down to rescue Him. Whatever he envisaged it was happening or will happen.

Have you ever thought about what happens when you call on God for help? As David writes here, He hears us from His sanctuary. However, we have Jesus right beside us and we only have to speak to Him and He will help. It can be a complicated issue when young Christians try to get their heads around what happens in such circumstances. Do they call on God in heaven such as David did? Or, because Jesus is with us, should they just ask Him for help?  I suppose it all comes down to the Trinity, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit and God the Son, three separate persons in one God. As they are all fully God, we have the opportunity to call on Jesus or God. So whether we pray to God in heaven or Jesus in heaven or on earth, as they are the same God, it doesn't matter. Jesus dwells within us as does the Holy Spirit. The easiest way to accept this is to just pray to God in Jesus' name or Jesus Himself. As I've said, the Holy Spirit, still fully God, dwells within is or around us.

Whoever we call on, we need to remember all that they have done for us and, will do in the future. We are so privileged.

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.

A Song of love and gratitude Part 1

"1I love you, LORD; you are my strength. 2The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my Saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. 3I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and

he saved me from my enemies."         Psalm 18:1-3   NLT

Over the next few days, let us look at David's song of love and gratitude to God. He wrote this song on the day of his deliverance from his enemies, including Saul. Just look at some of the things he sang about. 

First he thanked God for being strong for him in a time when he couldn't possibly have helped himself. There are many times when we need to do this. Think of a time, probably recently when you know that Jesus reached down and rescued you from something. You may have been on ground that was making you sink under the weight of fear and anguish. But, Jesus was there to put your feet upon solid ground - rock,  and built a fortress of protection around you. Where else could you ever receive this type of protection; even a bodyguard falls under greater strength. Jesus is the bodyguard to beat all bodyguards, and He is never taken over by anyone who is stronger - never!

Jesus is our shield, our image of protection, salvation and victory. He is the one that we can rely on when everyone else has deserted us. Think of those lonely, scary times when you thought some human help was around you, only to find that they had left you on your own. The going had become too tough for them and in order to save themselves, they deserted you. This happened to Jesus prior to His crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane, His disciples chose to sleep instead of being there to support Him. And when He was being led to His place of crucifixion, many deserted Him, even His own Father 'My God, my God, why have You deserted Me?' Mk 15:34. Jesus knows what it is like to be left on His own and therefore, He will never allow you to go through problems without being by your side. He is our place of safety.

When we call upon the Lord, we can be sure that He has heard us, therefore, this gives us an opportunity to praise and worship Him. King David wrote a song of praise and gratitude to God on the day of his rescue and then sang it, no doubt at the top of his voice. We can all sing and praise God. You may sing like a Nightingale but then again it may sound like a Jackdaw with a sore throat. It doesn't worry Jesus, it is what is in your heart that matters to Him. So why don't you spend some time just worshipping your friend, your protector, your rock and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let Him know the gratitude that is in your heart for all that He has done and will do. He really is on your side.

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.

Sin and Forgiveness

"1Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."   Ephesians 2:1-10.  NLT

Everyone is prone to sin, it is something that we struggle with daily and will continue to do so until we reach heaven. I John 1:9 says 'But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.' However, this does not include the deliberate acts of sin, where someone commits sin blatantly, believing: 'Well God will forgive me anyway, so let's do it.' This a dangerous way of living - a very risky thing to do and one that we should avoid at all costs because we are risking our salvation.

Dr David Jeremiah writes 'Christians who do not regularly confess their sins, weaken their relationship with God and their relationship with Him becomes distant and strained.'

David Jeremiah here, is talking about the Christians who struggle with their sin daily and forget all about asking forgiveness. This leads to a weakness in our walk with Jesus and should point to the fact that we're not in tune with Him. The people who blatantly and deliberately commit sin - adultery, fornication and lust - just to name a few, are living in a precarious position.

But for the majority of us, Jesus has provided freedom, hope and salvation to all who walk in His name. He knows how difficult life can be at times. Remember this, when you say or do something that was not what Jesus would say or do, and repent straightaway. ~You will then be forgiven.

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.

Strategy, Blessing & Encouragement

1Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land. 2You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town.”

                                                                               Joshua 8:1-2   NLT

Confession and repentance to God brings freedom and opens the way forward. When God next spoke with Joshua, it was with a different outlook, God had a plan and Joshua was listening. God told him to take all of his troops to attack. 30000 would go first and hide in ambush waiting for the enemy to come by. The next day, Joshua would go with the rest of the troops and when the enemy saw and attacked them, they would run away as they did before. When the enemy had ran by after Joshua, the troops in ambush would go into Ai and completely destroy it. The enemy would see this but, it would be too late because Joshua and his men would turn around and attack and kill them. This time they would be allowed to take the spoils of war for themselves, the king  would be executed and the land destroyed.

It was like a game of chess; the strategy was amazing; God was the chess master. As long as Joshua held up and pointed his spear at Ai, victory would be theirs v18. God was totally in charge this time. As God had said to Moses in the Book of Instruction, an altar was to be built on Mount Ebal from uncut, unworked stones with details written upon them. Joshua did this and the altar was finished. Archaeologists have recently discovered an altar on Mount Ebal but, there were no instructions written on the stones. However, this could still be the altar Moses referred to.

Assessment  

*  When we confess our sin to God, He hears our confession and through Jesus' blood they are wiped out. He doesn't hold grudges; He chooses to forget the wrongs and He blesses us

*  Note how Joshua's listening skills had improved. He ensured that all of the troops went into battle this time and, they had the victory. We should always listen properly, getting all of the information before we step out

*  Look what happens when we are in God's blessing and involving Him in the planning. Sometimes, God tells us to do things that we can't work out, rather like Joshua holding up and pointing his spear at Ai. Whether or not it seems right, it is always best to do what God is telling us to do. It brings victory and success

*  Building the altar according to Moses' instructions may also have seemed pointless to some but, it was a matter of honouring God, honouring Moses and obedience to our Father. Obedience is the way to God's heart. He loves us to do what He tells us.

Conclusion

When we put God in the driving street, it is a smooth ride but, as I say many times, if we allow Satan into the back seat, pretty soon he is going to want to drive himself. Avoid this at all costs. It is the difference between Blessing and Chaos.

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.