Don't be too proud to receive

"Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage."   2 Kings 5:12   NLT

Pride can rob a person of receiving a blessing. It is a sense of one's own proper dignity, value and self-respect. When we feel proud of ourselves we feel a deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities or possessions. To a degree these feeling can lift our spirits, especially when we have spent years at Uni and finally earned a degree or other qualification. It is a wonderful feeling of achievement. However, there is a downside to feeling proud and this is seen in a person who openly brags about their possessions and status and looks down their nose at people who don't fit into their class.

Let us look at Naaman. He was a captain in the Syrian army - a great hero and well thought of by the king of Aram for the success he brought to his rule. All of this made Naaman proud of his abilities. And yet, he had leprosy. Through a young girl who was an Israelite captive, the king learned of Naaman's sickness and sent him to the king of Israel to see Elisha the prophet. 

Now Naaman was a proud man, a man who when he clicked his fingers, servants attended to him. However, expecting to see Elisha face to face didn't happen, and Naaman was outraged when a messenger came out of Elisha's house and told him to go and wash himself in the Jordan river seven times and he will be healed. Naaman expected a great welcoming from this prophet, not a message from a servant. He was livid and went to walk away. 'Why should I wash in a filthy river when I could bathe in the best?  However, officers with him, persuaded him to go and do what the prophet had directed. Much against his will, he did this and on the seventh time, he rose from the water a clean man - not a sign of the leprosy. He was understandably elated and went to seek Elisha out, praising his god and offering him payment. He couldn't understand it when Elisha refused any payment. 

There is a lesson here. Firstly avoid the class distinction, none of us are better than the other. The rain falls on both of us and we are all subject to death. Secondly, lose the pride. If Naaman had walked away that day refusing not to wash in the Jordan, he would have lost his healing. He had been puffed up with pride. He acted in arrogance to the other people, expecting far more than was offered. If we become big and mighty and have a feeling that we are better than others then, we will get nowhere with God. He looks for humility not arrogance. At all times follow Jesus' example.

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 blaming God for things Part 2

“Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame!"   Hosea 4:4. NLT

Carrying on from yesterday, let's continue to look at the area of blaming God and other people. When someone else appears to be more prosperous and successful than you are, it can be easy to be envious and wonder why God hasn't given you what they have. It can be doubly hard when the people are not even believers and they are living the life while you may be scraping by and only just making it each week. This is called envy, which is closely related to jealousy. It can open up times when we may not voice our envious feeling to God but, He still knows about this and is not pleased with you, after all, He may be working on these people to bring them into the kingdom and, He may choose you to do the job. So watch your feelings!

Blame is a bad thing to have in our lives. It can start at a very young age where young children squabble over who plays with what toy. The toy may become broken because of it, and the blame game commences. Blame continues throughout our life where each person refuses to accept the blame, always pointing the finger at someone else. 

Let's take an average day. You wake up late for work and it's a mad dash in getting ready for work, dealing with the kids and any other ';must do it now' task. You dash out and drive off at a high speed. Along the way, traffic seems to be building up more than normal and this begins to raise your blood pressure adding to the stress that has built up. You finally get a clear road so you put your toe down to try and catch up on the time wasted. Too late, you drive through a speed camera and notice the flash of the camera in your rear mirror. You drive on, moaning and groaning about stupid people who put stupid cameras on the roads. 'Haven't they better things to do?' you shout out. You know it was your fault for driving too fast but, you refuse to admit it.

Finally, you drive into the car park next to where you work, only to find that there are no places available. After several moments of ranting and raving, you decide to park in a disabled bay, although you're not disabled. You run into the office and your boss is looking at his watch and you shout, 'Don't you even think about asking why I am late.' The rest of the morning is manageable, mostly because you ignore everyone there because they keep asking if you are all right. Finally, it's lunch time and you desire to drive to a supermarket to get something to eat. There is a clamp on one of your wheels and a sticker on the car with a telephone number on for you to ring, pay a fine and have the clamp removed. It is like armageddon in that park as you let your temper flow out.

The thing is, who is to blame here? Not the alarm clock that you forgot to set, Not your spouse or the kids who didn't really help you. Not even the traffic or the fact that you drove through a speed camera, not your boss for looking at his watch in a gesture to why you were late, not your work colleagues who were checking that you were ok and definitely not the wheel clamp man because you were illegally parked. The only one to blame here is yourself. No one else is responsible for your actions, so stop pointing the finger at other people.

Play back the video of your day and you will see where it all went wrong for you. Determine that you will never react in such a way like this again, repent and then get on with what's left of the day.

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 blaming God for things

"In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God."      Job 1:22  NLT

When things begin to go wrong in our lives, it is so easy to blame others. This can be especially true as far as God is concerned. We may have prayed about a certain thing, but God, doesn't appear to have listened or done anything about it. Many times there is a tendency to blame other people for our bad choices. What may have seemed a good idea at the time, may have turned out bad and instead of looking at the one who made the choice - yourself, you can end up blaming others.

Job didn't do this and let's face it, He had more things happen to him than the average human being. He never once blamed God, in fact scripture tells us that:

'Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.' Job 1:20. Even though he had lost his wealth, children and his health, he would not blame God at all and felt that he must bow before the Lord to worship Him.

Job couldn't understand what was happening to him but he never once contemplated blaming God. He also never felt that this had happened because of his sin as three of his friends had mentioned. They were adamant that there was sin in his life that was the cause of all of this pain and suffering. They tried to persuade him to repent as his sin was the reason for all of this. But suffering is not always a direct result of personal sin. Satan was the cause of all of this and God allowed him to test Job's resilience and faithfulness. He did so and tried to drive a wedge between Job and God.

God does allow Satan to test us. And when he does, he uses his scheming and ability to convince us that someone else is the reason behind all of what has happened to us. You may have had this happen to you. It may very well be true that such a person is causing you so much pain but, Satan is the one that is behind it all. So be wise. 

When you find yourself in such a position, ask God if you are responsible for what is happening because of sin in your life. David had such a problem and wrote in Psalm 139:23-24:

'Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.'

This is a good way to clarify whether you are to blame for what has happened and it gives you the opportunity to put it right, if you are.

Just be aware that Satan doesn't like you. and when he sees you being successful for God, he will try and take you out. But don't lose your hope or your faith by worrying about it all. It is an attack from Satan's kingdom but is only temporary because he can't stand very long before God. So stand tall in the righteousness that Jesus has given you and you will come through this with victory.

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.

 

Jesus' love for me

"There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command."      John 15:13   NLT

This is one of the most astounding verses in the whole New Testament. Jesus' love for each one of us knows no end. God loves each one of us as He loves Him. (John 17:23). As we live our lives for Him He calls us His friend and we have the privileged position that He speaks to us and keeps us informed  about things.

This alone is amazing when you think that our government head's - King, Presidents, Prime Ministers etc share nothing with us and yet the King of kings is totally open about all, and let's us know all things. This is such a privilege. However, there is a condition: 'You are my friends if you do what I command' v14 which is understandable. 

The thing is, this condition must be adhered to. We can't be Jesus' friend if we obey one thing but refuse to consider and obey the next. It is an all or nothing condition. This doesn't mean that if we sin, we will lose His friendship. Not at all, He has already made provision for this in 1 John 1:9. '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.' It is the blatant ignorance of His Word and refusal to live by all He says that disqualifies us from the friendship that He offers.

I suppose that friendship can be classed as a person who is loyal and trustworthy to another. Someone who makes the other person feel safe and there is no ulterior motive behind this. Jesus is this and much, much more. His friendship is loyal and trustworthy and someone who makes you feel safe. There is no one like Him - anywhere. Therefore, why not learn to trust Him much more. He is to be trusted; one can tell Him anything and He will respect you with His faithfulness and kindness. He can also heal that hurting heart.

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.

 

That guilty feeling

"He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”                       Genesis 3:!0.  NLT

Guilt causes us to hide from God or from other people. Why? Because we usually know deep down that it was deliberate. Therefore, we carry a burden of condemnation around with us. But, if we have repented to God for something, then we are no longer condemned, but free. 

Romans 8:1-2:

1So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Did you get that? If you have repented then you are free from any charge. But there are other ways what people can do to make us feel guilty.

You may have a long term understanding with someone to do a particular job for you periodically. This arrangement is not a contract but an understanding. If you no longer wish for this to continue, it is your right to terminate this without acknowledgement. However, it may be kinder to let the person know that you are changing the arrangement for a particular reason. Now, normally, this may not cause any hardship but, if the arrange is built around a family, it may be kinder to let the person know to avoid them being hurt.

Terminating this arrangement can make you feel guilty whether you tell them or not. Whatever you do means you are in a Catch 22 - each comment will be received as a letdown. Should this bother us? Well, what would Jesus do here? Well for one thing He has business acumen, He knows how to discern things, whether right or wrong and if something is a bad deal or not. Also this arrangement is built upon reliance or trust, not a contract as mentioned earlier. What if, the shoe was on the other foot and they could no longer do it for you? Would they let you know or hide it until you mention it? The bottom line here though, is I feel Jesus would be honest and let them know instead of just dropping it on them.

And if you haven't done this, perhaps that is why you are feeling guilty. Food for thought!

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.

He always was; He always is and He always will be!

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”       Revelation 4:8   NLT

Before I came to know Jesus, He was already there, I just didn't give Him the time of day. I may have called on Him in times of very great trouble but after this, I totally forgot about Him  But, He never forgot me. He has always been here, even though I never really knew that fact. Wherever I went, He was with me and He put up with all of my wrongdoings too. And, He will always be with me no matter what happens and one day, possibly soon, He is coming to take me to Himself in heaven.

The great thing about all of this, is that He has been the same way in your life and will be when the end of time comes upon us. I wonder what it will be like in heaven. It is something that we cannot get our head around. Many times in conversations, we may discuss what we will do, will we work? It is beyond our comprehension at this time but when our day comes, in the blink of an eye we will be with Jesus.

In the blink of an eye is probably a good way to describe it but, for many grieving families, the deceased is still with them on earth. They have died and been laid to rest whether by burial or cremation. However, the grieving person will continue to visit the grave side to be with their love one. But for the deceased, if they knew Jesus, they are in heaven, not in the grave.

It is difficult to understand it properly but, if we were to accept that time has stopped for the deceased, they are no longer here in this time frame. But, for the grieving people, time still carries on together with the pain that death brings to loved ones. When we die, we will also go to heaven and will meet again.

One thing is for certain, you will see Jesus and, you will also see those you knew and loved while you were on the earth. It will be a different setting of course, but a pleasant one, we believe. Until then, continue to believe that, Jesus always has been, He is now and He will come one day and we will spend eternity worshipping Him, along with our loved ones in heaven

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.

Your Appraisal

23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.                           Psalm 139:23-24.    NLT

In many professional jobs these days, each person has an annual appraisal to see how they are getting on and, clarify if they have met objectives from the previous year. Thankfully God doesn't do this with His people but the above two verses are a similar thing that helps us to be focused on God and to have Him check where we may have gone wrong or, what needs to be changed.

God wants us to be transparent both with Him and the people we are with during our daily walk with Him. So therefore, one of the requirements is to ask Him to search us to check if there are ways within that need changing or sharpening. How would you rate your heart - your spiritual heart? What is in the heart comes out to others when we are with them. So, if you are carrying around bad feelings about something or someone, God will know of it and will help you change this. People hurt us that's true but, are you open to the fact that you also, may have hurt people and they are suffering from this?

It's not all about what people have done to you, but what you have have done to them. Do you need to put this right with someone? Anxiety causes us stress and can lead to anger. Our hearts send out signals to our minds which in turn process these signals and can lead us to want to get even with someone who has hurt us. The thoughts can be like a bitter root that if not attended to can cause upsets and bad feelings that can quickly end friendships, job positions and other relationships.

God wants to become involved in your life so much, that it can change things for the better. Without going into it deeply, we all know what needs to be changed within ourselves and God gives us the opportunity to approach Him and allow Him to help. It may be painful to face up to things. There may be deep-rooted stuff that your have tried to forget but they keep popping up. Whatever it is, why carry ithem around? Ask God to relieve you of this right now so that, His righteousness can shine through you once 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.