Do a taste test

"I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." v4   

                                                                                                      Psalm 34:4-8    NKJV

David was experiencing many troubles at this time and knew in his heart that, the only way he could go was to God. He decided that he would bless the Lord at all times; praise would be forever on his lips. God responds to this; He responded to David and He will respond to you as well.

Note what David said in verse 4 above, 'I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.' The Lord heard David's praises and cries for help and He delivered him from them all; not just a few but all of them. God is a God of abundance; He gives His all as we give ours. David was saved from all of his fears and troubles that were around him 

You know, we can either walk around with a gloomy, unsatisfied and unbelieving face, or we can walk around in faith with our faces aglow. The choice is ours. No one can force us to have the faith to believe that God saves, satisfies and delivers, it is our own personal choice. What is yours?

Verse 8 is a faith verse. We are encouraged to taste and see that the Lord is good. It doesn't say, have a sip of Him. The verse tells us to go the whole way and taste. If we sip a glass of wine, it is difficult to get the whole bouquet of the drink. Wine tasters sniff and swill the wine around their mouths to get the full taste. In the same manner, we need to taste fully how good the Lord is. 

He doesn't encamp around us because He has nothing better to do. He sets up camp around us because He loves us and wants to protect us. Once we have asked for this, woe betide anyone who tries to harm us. His presence places a hedge around us that no one can penetrate. If we don't ask for this or if sin is present in our lives, then the hedge is broken and we are open for attack. So be careful and wise.

You will have fears and troubles from time to time but where do you go with them? Don't think that prayer is not going to help in a certain situation. It will. And don't think that God will not hear you, He will. So when you need His help - pray. At other times, pray and praise Him (v1) and realise that this is the best way of tasting how good He is. So do the taste test

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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!

When they point the finger, let them find nothing

 "Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned that one who is an opponent may be ashamed , having nothing evil to say of you."                                                     Titus 2:6-8    NKJV

Paul is encouraging Titus to direct the older men and women to teach the younger generation about how to handle themselves the way God would have them. He tells Titus to exhort the young men. Exhort means to strongly urge and advise and this is what was needed. They needed to be self-controlled in everything. 

Today, this is equally needed for both genders; the older men and women, who have a sound, Christian lifestyle, can be used to advise and encourage the youth of today. It is teaching them Godliness. If the younger generation need anything, then it is this kind of direction. In a culture that encourages drugs, alcoholism, promiscuity and violence, teaching self-control is a much required message.

Paul encourages Titus to be an example of good works  that glorify God and others and, the bible encourages us to do the same. As Godly men and women, we are to live such lives that if anyone wants to point the finger at us, there will be no evidence for them to gossip about. Jesus has declared us 'not guilty' and we should remain so. People will always talk about us, especially non-believers. It is as if they have to find something wrong with our testimony that gives them satisfaction to talk about. However, we as Christians can be the same. How many times do we meet up and discuss other people's baggage, quite a lot at times? We have to demonstrate self-control; otherwise, the younger generation who may witness our behaviour, may feel that it is ok to do the same. We need to be above reproach.

It would be good practice to study these three verses above; to explore and dig out what the Holy Spirit is showing you. Apply the verses to yourself and ask, 'Is there room for improvement in my walk with God?' Get a note book and write down what you feel the Holy Spirit is showing you. Be honest with yourself because you, need to guide the future generation in their walk. It is not just the pastor that does this, we should all be doing this. It is so important. We are ambassadors of Jesus.

When you think about it, there is nothing better than to be above reproach; to live your life where if anyone points the finger, they will find only Jesus, nothing else.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Grace and Favour

"For You O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield."                                                                                Psalm 5:12   NKJV 

Warren Wiersbe writes: 'The outcome of our fellowship with the Lord should be joy in His character, His promises and His gracious answers to prayers.' David praised God for the blessings and protection He provides for those who love Him. In Psalm 5:11, He urges God's people to boast about Him and to shout for joy as a way of expressing recognition of who God is, what He has done and what he can be trusted to do. Tony Evans comments: The one who experiences God's favour will be surrounded by God like a shield. There is no safer place to be.'

We see this in the example of Joseph in Genesis 39:2-4: 'The Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that, the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favour in his sight and served him.'

Psalm 1:1-3 reads:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.'

This Psalm resembles Joseph's life, especially while he was in prison. He had God's favour surrounding him. Why? Because, He lived for God, accepted where he was and his whole life was built on doing what God wanted him to do and, because he did, God gave him favour. 

The immediate circumstances in our lives are not always the best indicator of God's blessing or guidance. To Jacob, Joseph was dead, killed by wild animals; however, Joseph was very much alive and he was where God wanted him to be. Just think about that for a moment. At this time, things may not be ideal; it may be hard work and full of disappointments and failures. However, you may be where God wants you to be. Perhaps, if you begin to accept this fact and, give your best to God wholeheartedly, He will surround you with His Grace and Favour and turn on the taps of blessing for you. It is just a case of acceptance and being content where you are and getting on with the job in hand. It's food for thought.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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'Don't be afraid, I am with you'

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."     

                                                                                                  Isaiah 41:10    NKJV

When we face something new and important it can be quite intimidating and fearful. It may be anything - a new job, school, college or university. It may also be a feature of your job or college, where you have to do a presentation and speak to a crowd of people. It may also be where you are required to sing a song or play a musical instrument in front of a crowd for the first time. It can be petrifying.

Fear kicks in at times such as these. It can affect our sleep pattern, giving us sleepless nights, it can also stop us from eating less or even, overeating. It is a fearsome time for many people. We may say, 'If someone that I know well could go with me, I'd be ok'. It is true, it always seems easier when we have someone to support us through something new. 

But you have, as a Christian, you have Jesus. Look at the Lord's words to us above, We are to:

Fear not  This means what it says, don't allow fear to stop you doing either what you want to do or, what God is leading you into. He is the one that will go with you and support you through it. He is all you need.

Be not dismayed  Don't be discouraged, disillusioned or lose you enthusiasm. God doesn't want you getting distressed over this. It's a blessing, overcome it and enjoy it all.

He will strengthen you  Jesus is always ready to share His joy with you and He will most certainly give you the strength to achieve what He is leading you to do. He is your friend and helper; true friends don't desert people when they are in need, neither will He. He will be right there with you.

He will help you and uphold you. When you don't have the words, He will fill your mouth with wisdom; when you are nervous - and we all get this way - He will uphold you. You may not know the way forward but God will make a way where there doesn't appear to be one.

When God says He is with you, then He is with you. Believe me, I have been in some very nervy situations in my life; He has rescued me from things that seemed impossible to escape from. Since I have known Him, He has never let me down, even if I have had to wait for Him to work quite often. He always delivers.

So, don't be afraid, He is with you and He will deliver.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Are you running on empty?

"For My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned Me - the fountain of living water, and they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all."                                                                 Jeremiah 2:13   New Living Translation 

A car needs to have fuel to run. It either needs petrol, diesel or an electric charge. Without it, you are going nowhere, unless you push the car that is. It is the same kind of thing when you try to live the Christian life without spiritual food. It doesn't work. We need to read the Bible to be able to learn what God is teaching us. It's the most amazing book - ever. You can read the same piece over and over and it will show something different every time; because it is a living word.

These people Jeremiah is talking about here, had abandoned God - rejecting Him and had chosen their own way or own god. Therefore, when they did things, such as digging their water cisterns, they were cracked and totally useless. They were sub-standard. Let me say this, everything that we try to do in our own strength is also sub-standard, it doesn't have the hallmark of God on it and, before too long the cracks will begin to show and we will end up with nothing, except despair.

The people had a choice and so do we, they chose to go their own way instead of choosing the Fountain of Living Water - God Himself. They had to live by their choice and, so will we. If the choice we make doesn't contain God, then sooner or later it will collapse. We need a solid foundation and this is Jesus. Without Him, we can do nothing John 15:5.

Be honest, are you flowing in your life the way you would like to do? You may be a Christian but you can still thirst and hunger for things to go well. Ask yourself, 'Am I leaving God out of most things?' This could be why you feel like you are running on empty. You have nothing left to give but you still keep trying. You are actually wearing yourself out - tired, depressed and exhausted. You need to go to the Fountain. You need to tell Jesus how you feel, He knows already but, something wonderful happens when you tell Him yourself. 

When you have spoken with Him, you need to do what you know you should do, read His word, study it and pray. This is the formula that will bring you success and lead you to have a full tank and not run on empty.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Things are changing

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - 17 the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive , because it neither sees Him or knows Him; but you know Him for He dwells with you and will be in you."

                                                                                                  John 15:16-17    NKJV

We all have troublesome times; times where nothing seems to go right and this can include disagreement and disunity; words spoken with attitude and thoughts that are not wholesome. Have you been this way? 

After feeling this way for a short time, wondering if things could ever change, I felt God telling me that He would give me a fresh encounter with the Holy Spirit. I was eager for this to happen. Following breakfast this morning, I looked out of the window and there in the garden was a beautiful white dove just graciously washing itself in the rain water. It was stunning. I knew straightaway, that this was God showing me a symbol of the Holy Spirit and I felt at peace.

When things are difficult, God always shows up and offers His love and direction. He never fails, although sometimes because of circumstances, we miss the moment. He longs to reassure us and build us back up with His anointing oil. We just have to receive it by faith.

Perhaps this is where you are at this moment; exhausted, tired and running on empty. It is like you have been walking through a very dark tunnel, but, take note, when we walk through a tunnel, there is always a light at the end of it and for you, this is the Holy Spirit. He is telling you to, 'Let us go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile'  Mark 6:31 New Living Translation. It is imperative that we do this as often as we can, especially when we are empty and need a re-fill of the Spirit. The quiet place, may be where we do our study or prayer or, it may be that Jesus wants you to go on a walk with Him for a while. You need this because you are run down and battered.

There's no shame in feeling this way, it happens and, it is a sign that you probably should have taken some time out earlier, when it all began. Never mind, God has the remedy and He is ready and willing to administer this to you right now, if you are ready. Why not rededicate your life to Him and ask Him for a re-fill of the Holy Spirit:

Lord Jesus, I rededicate my life to You today. Please forgive my sins and come and live in my heart. Fill me to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit; even the baptism of the Spirit if I have never received this; and be my Lord and Saviour from this day forth. I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now go and have a blast of a day with Jesus.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Forget the hurts of the past

"Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead."     Philippians 3:13    NLT 

We all have memories; some are good and some bad. It is nice to have happy memories - the kids growing up, where you met your partner and the happy childhood you had. For some people however, their memories are not so good, they may have suffered abuse, a broken, painful marriage or the loss of someone very precious. We all have memories but not a single one of them can be changed.

Jesus told His disciples not to look back (Luke 9:62). Memories, especially bad ones can hold us back and in captivity. For many who have hurtful memories of the past, they have had to survive and overcome them to be able to exist. They may have built defence mechanisms to be able to cope and they may have made inner vows that no one else would hurt them in the future, they would trust nobody. But this is not the answer.

As Christians, we are called to forgive and not dwell on these hurts. They are in the past. We have a choice, we can either mourn these things or put them behind us and move forward. You may ask how, because this is not easy? That is true but, for your health's sake, it needs to be done. When you forgive someone, the hurt doesn't just disappear; not at all. However, the hurtful load is given to Jesus who carries you through the healing process. It may be an ongoing process for some but many people have made the effort and managed it.

Past abuse is difficult to forget, however, it needs to be left behind. There is nothing anyone else can do to take this awful period away from you. It has to start with you, it is a choice that you make - keep it and take it with you or make the decision to leave it behind and look forward to what's ahead. God declares in Isaiah 43:18-19 'But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new New Living Translation.' This means, as we give to Jesus all the hurts of the past, He will take them from us and help us, step by step, little by little to be able to cope and find a new way forward.

When you think about it, the hurt happened, it can't be changed but, the future can and Jesus is the answer, He will create a new day for you, so why not allow Him to help you forget the hurts of the past.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

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