Insights through the Word

YOD

73Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.74Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word.75I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. 76Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant. 77Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight. 78Let the proud be ashamed, For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; But I will meditate on Your precepts. 79Let those who fear You turn to me, Those who know Your testimonies. 80Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.       Psalm 119:73-80   NKJV

God has made us by such amazing skill, so what is more reasonable that He should be our teacher as well? When He created us, like most things, there was a warranty built in His plan. Today, very little is built or sold without a warranty. However, with God there is no need to scrutinise the small print - the bible gives us this information and guarantee. We know that once we have received Jesus as out Lord, this warranty comes fully into action. We are safe.

This warranty that a Christian receives is the Holy Spirit with which we are sealed to God by. 'And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30). It is like God has given us an ID card - 'I belong to Jesus Christ; He is my Lord and Saviour; I, am His child.' Being sealed by the Holy Spirit, is a concept in Christianity, primarily from the apostle Paul's writings, meaning that a believer has received God's mark of ownership, protection and a guarantee of their inheritance in heaven through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

'This seal is a completed action of salvation, showing the believer belongs to God and is a pledge of future eternal life with Jesus.'  Copyright William MacDonald

So there you have it, if you have asked Jesus into your life, you have the seal of the Holy Spirit upon you; you carry His id card around, wherever you go. You have a lot to look forward to in life, and don't forget that this includes eternal life. You will live forever in heaven! Now that is something to shout about. Amen?

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
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If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

The Pricelessness of the Word in good and evil times

 TETH

"65You have dealt well with Your servant, O Lord, according to Your word. 66Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments. 67Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word. 68You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes. 69The proud have forged a lie against me, But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart. 70Their heart is as fat as grease, But I delight in Your law. 71It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. 72The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver."  Psalm 119:65-72   NKJV

How long is it since you thanked the Lord for the wonderful way He has treated you? Remember the old hymn 'Count your blessings name them one by one; and it will surprise you what the LORD has done.'  (Johnson Oatman Jnr.) Think back to before you knew Jesus if you can. You probably had nothing of significance and you may have been in a bad way with no prospects. But since Jesus got a hold of you, there is a hope and a future. You may not be there yet, but you're not where you were either.

Verse 67 says "I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word." NLT. The memory of what our past life cost us serves as a healthy deterrent against repeating them. But following our salvation, Jesus has blessed us beyond our imagination. We also have eternal life. We will live forever in heaven. 

People may talk against us to try and ruin our reputation with slanderous remarks. This is nothing new really, they did this to Jesus, but He wouldn't fall to their hope of an argument. He had nothing to prove and neither do we. People intend their persecution to harm us, upset us and punch a hole in our security. However, God will over-rule this if we just give the whole thing to Him. We have nothing to fear, He is right there beside of us.

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.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Perseverance in the Word

 HETH

"57You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words. 58I entreated Your favour with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word. 59I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies. 60I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments. 61The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law. 62At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments. 63I am a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts. 64The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes."

                                                          Psalm 119:57-64   NKJV

'You are My portion, O Lord.' Basically the author is saying, 'You are mine, Lord.' To have Jesus in your life is to have incredible wealth. You are rich- He is your treasure. He is all sufficient, we are not. So we must be alert and prayerful at all times, claiming the promise of His mercy.

 I find v59-60 to be two-fold: 

(1) v59 says, 'I thought about my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste and did not delay to keep your commandments.' The writer has thought long and hard about God and what He has to offer. He has therefore made the decision to embrace Him with all he has. (2) At times, we don't know which way to go in life. So, let us turn our feet to the paths outlined in scripture. We live in the day of instant foods, instant service etc. What about instant obedience to whatever God is leading us to do? 

The author gives us an interesting comparison in v62. 'At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You.' Paul and Silas, unable to do anything because they were locked in chains, decided to have a prayer and praise session at midnight (Acts 16:25-27). The results were astounding, the chains fell off them and the doors to all the cells came open, and many lives were changed. Now, there is a wonderful message to consider here, if you will. Think about it!

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.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Rest and Comfort through the Word

ZAYIN

"49Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. 

50This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life. 51The proud have me in great derision,Yet I do not turn aside from Your law. 52I remembered Your judgments of old, O Lord, And have comforted myself.53Indignation has taken hold of me Because of the wicked, who forsake Your law. 54Your statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage. 55I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, And I keep Your law. 56This has become mine, Because I kept Your precepts."                      

                                                       Psalm 119:49-56   NKJV

God keeps His promises! They give us hope and comfort as He delivers them at the right time. Just the fact we have His promise, even though the promise has not yet come to fruition, the thought of them is encouraging to our soul. It's not possible that God could ever forget His promise but, it is natural for us to remind Him.

We will be subject to ridicule from both non-believers and sadly, from certain believers who seem to find problems with most things. However, if God's in it, stick to it, no matter what. Also, be encouraged when you remember your past victories. Did God let you down? No, and He won't this time unless, you move away from His plan.

It causes us indignation when people dishonour God's work or people. But God knows about this and He will take care of it. You just look ahead at your victory and the promises God has made to you. Praise can help alleviate any stress and worry. A hearty song to Jesus is far better than medication. The road ahead may be dark but, God shines a light so you won't stumble. What's more, He will be with you every step of the way. 

Finally, we all have sleepless nights where no matter what, sleep does not come our way. These particular nights can be used to study His Word and know more about Him. If you have ear buds, why not listen to God's Word or listen to some soft worship music. It will lift you and, pretty soon you will fall asleep.

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.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Victory through the Word

WAW

"41Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord—Your salvation according to Your word.
42So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.
43And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. 44So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. 45And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts. 46I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed. 47And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love.48My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes."    Psalm 119:41-48   NKJV

(v41) We must never take God's mercies andy salvation for granted. We are as dependant on His compassion and protection as when we were first saved. (v43) Our faith is based on the Word of God which can never fail. Therefore, when we place God in the first place of our life; we can have an answer for all who oppose us - remember David and Goliath? The giant was shouting abuse against David and His God as he approached him, but, it was the giant who fell, not David (1 Samuel 17). When we place God in His rightful place within us, we need to do everything to keep Him there. One thing you could say is: 'How can I do less than give Him my best and live for Him completely, after all He's done for me? (v44).

As we put Jesus first we will walk in liberty (v45). Those (John 8:36). who are set free by the Son of God, are free indeed. The world thinks the Christian life is one of bondage, but that is far from the truth. Jesus gives us perfect liberty. He gives us faith to speak to every type of class, including kings if need be and given, the opportunity. As we meditate on God's Word and walk with Him daily, we are not ashamed, in fact, we are delighted and honoured that He chose us. Let us make the most of it!

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.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

The Power of the Word

HE

"33Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. 34Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart 35Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.36Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way. 38Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You. 39Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your judgments are good. 40Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness."                                    Psalm 119:33-40   NKJV

There is definitely a need to understand the bible. This is common to the non-believer, where they pick up a bible, read a few verses and put it down again, none the wiser. What happened? They couldn't make sense of it and then misinterpreted it, seeing what isn't there. It's the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes and gives us understanding. Even for believers, it can be difficult to make sense of a particular scripture and they search bible commentaries for help find the answer. It takes discipline, understanding and practice to get a clear interpretation. We need to pray for guidance and instruction, and in the case of the non-believer, salvation.

In verse 37, the writer tells us that we should pray for divine realities, not shadows. Think for a moment, could God be telling us to turn the TV off? V37 continues with the thought 'Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things and revive me to Your way.' TV depicts a 'Never, Never Lamd', a world that doesn't exist. We need God to ignite us with the Holy Spirit so that we are on fire for God - a personal revival v40. For those who have been spiritually dry, it's time to dip into the pool of `life, where Jesus 

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.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

Sense of personal insufficiency through the Word

DALETH

"25My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word. 26I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes. 27Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works. 28My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.29Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously. 30I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me. 31I cling to Your testimonies; O Lord, do not put me to shame! 32I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart."

                                                              Psalm 119:25-32   NKJV

Psalm 119 is used deeply as a prayer by its writer. He appears to have a lot going on in his life. In today's section, one can feel his sense of depression: 'My soul clings to the dust' v25, and then, 'My soul melts from heaviness' v28. Life has its valleys as well as its mountain tops. Even when we are cast down in sorrow we can call on the Lord to revive us through the restoring power of the Word. Isaiah reminds us of this when he writes 'The garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness' Isaiah 61:3. As we call upon the Lord, He incites us to praise Him and as we do, He lifts us out of dark valleys.

Notice how the writer mentions his state of mind, 

'My soul melts with heaviness.' Remember that your soul is made up of your mind, will and emotions. Everyone is susceptible to depression. It may come through a variety of life events which we have negotiated successfully but, a final one has broken us and our world becomes a dark, scary and heavy place to be in. Isaiah gives us the answer to this, Isaiah 61:3. Praise lifts us. It may be difficult to do initially, but with determination, we can make a breakthrough.

You may be in a state of darkness at this moment. Don't be intimidated by this, no one can avoid times such as these. But there is an answer and His name is Jesus Christ. All one has to do is speak to Him and tell Him how you feel. Listen to His still, small voice and allow Him to place His peace upon you. Just tell Him you love him. There is no more you need to say. He will respond to this I can assure you. Don't forget that His disciples were prone to depression as King David and Elijah were. He will not point the finger at you and think that you are a weakling that can never be of any use to Him. No, he will look at you as a mighty warrior who needs a little R and R at the moment. As He builds you up little by little, you will begin to count the days when you can get back on to the road He initially placed you on.

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.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard.