Don't think small

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us"   Ephesians 3:20   NKJV

Let us pick the bones out of this verse. Jesus can do much, much more that you or I could ever imagine. More than you could ever ask. He knows more; He is more and He wants you to have more, firstly more of Him and then above all you could ever ask. Extremely in this piece of scripture means to advance to an unusual degree or to the extreme. Abundantly means that He wants you abounding with more than enough; that it may be plentiful and above and beyond.

David Guzik comments:

'Now that is some blessing He has for us, more than we could ever think or dare to ask. Paul then goes on to write, 'according to the power that works in us.' 

This doxology does not only belong to the prayer that precedes it, but also to every glorious privilege and blessing spoken of in the first three chapters. Who is able to bring such things to pass? Only God can do this because He can do far beyond our ability to think or ask.
ii. Paul says that God is able to do above all that we ask or think. The 'we' included Paul and the other apostles and they certainly knew that Jesus could do great things.
· You can ask for every good thing you have ever experienced – God can do above that.
· You can think of or imagine things beyond your experience – God can do above that.

· You can imagine good things that are beyond your ability to name – God can do above that.'

                                                       David Guzik. Enduring Word

Therefore, according to the power that works in us, God is able to do this in our life now, not beginning with heaven. This power works in us now!
i. The things Paul prayed for in the previous verses (spiritual strength, the indwelling Jesus, experiential knowledge of God’s love, and the fullness of God) belong to us as children of God. However, they must be received by believing prayer and can be furthered in the lives of others by our prayers for them.

Oral Roberts said, 'Don't ever think small again'. We have a big God and we can expect big things from Him. However, we must stay in sync with Him and the Holy Spirit. As Jesus told us in John 15:5 'Without Him we can do nothing' 

When we are with friends or relatives, and are offered a piece of cake, we often out of politeness, take the smaller piece. With God, don't be afraid to take the larger piece. He's a big God so, go for the bigger piece. This is what He is saying.

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

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It will come in due season!

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."                                        Galatians 6:9   NKJV

When we are waiting for something, it can be awful. We can adopt that feeling that it is never going to happen; and when we do this, there's a chance that it never will. Here, Paul is speaking of doing good to people; what we sow we will reap. This counts for sowing good but, also to sowing bad things. If you are constantly not in blessing, check on what you sow to people.

Paul mentioned the phrase 'Due Season'. This could also be interpreted as the proper time, reaping at harvest time, the right time, appropriate time or in straight forward language, when God is ready. This shows us there is an appropriate seasonal time gap for the purpose of development between sowing and reaping. When we bless people in one way or another you may receive a blessing from God almost straightaway. Then again, it may mean waiting for a very long time. We should never give to God or people solely to receive something back from God. Everything we have is from Him anyway and we should be content with this. However, God does like to bless His children when He sees the good that they are doing.

Paul mentions that we should never grow weary in doing good. God sees everything that we do and misses nothing. Don't allow weariness to take over your life; it can be very easy to concentrate on this and lose heart. 'Don't get into that mode - stay on the road'. (GH). Think of all the good that you do. It may not seem all that much to you, but to God, it is amazing.

You may be waiting for a promise to be fulfilled, something you feel God has said will happen. If it hasn't come yet, or shows no sign of it, don't give in, don't lose heart, grow weary or lose interest. This harvest may be just around the corner, fix your eyes on Jesus and believe.

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 in Grahame Howard books.

Please renew my strength, Lord

"Let the weak say, ‘I am strong"    Joel 3:10.  NKJV

Weakness affects us all. When was the last time you asked God to renew your strength? Quite often I would imagine. It is not like we are a light-weight and forever weak. It's the ongoing desire to please God when things appear to be crashing down around us. Remember the comedy act where a man had many canes around him and on each one, he spun a plate. When he had them all spinning he was pleased but, after a while, he was dashing around trying to keep them all spinning. It was a disaster and in a short time, they all crashed to the floor. This is the way we can be when we try to keep going.

We should never be ashamed to ask God to renew our strength, He knows that we are but mere human beings and become weak without Him. Isaiah says: 'He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.' Isaiah 40:29. 

Weakness can come through overwork and tiredness. However, when it affects our minds, our thoughts can become distorted making it difficult to make good decisions. When the two are placed together, it can cause us to make mistakes and also become quick tempered. We have to be in control of this and God, as always, provides the answer:

'And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  9And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'  2 Corinthians 12:7-10

There has been a lot of speculation over the years about what was this thorn that affected Paul. However, that's all it is - speculation. No one knows what it was but, it affected Paul so much that God said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Like Paul, this grace is sufficient for all we need; it gives strength to the weak, the infirm, which includes, old age, weakness, frailty, disease and those weak in body and mind. 

As we have seen, our mind can play tricks on us when we are in a weak state so, it is always best to avoid important decisions until you feel that you are able. As I've mentioned, there is no shame in feeling weak because, when we are God will add His strength to the situation and that, is far better. There are things that we can do quite easily and, there are other things that can be a tad bit difficult. God is there to offer His help and His strength. Don't ever be too proud to ask Him. His grace is always available.

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 in Grahame Howard books.

The Appearance of the Son of Man

"Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord."

                                                                  Ezekiel 1:28   NKJV

Even though we need rain to be able to exist, when it is ongoing it can be tedious. Some jobs have to be delayed because they just can be carried out in such conditions; and then. there is the risk of floods which many parts of the world have had these past few months. However, when we see the sign of a rainbow in the sky, we know that God is in charge and taking care of us. It is comforting.

Ezekiel describes it well in our text today. To see the rainbow on a rainy day, we can have the peace and assurance to know that the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord is all around us. This can also be described as the Son of Man as described in Daniel:

'Look', he answered, 'I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God' Daniel 3:25.

The king could not explain this any other way. He had sent three men into the fiery furnace, now there were four and they were all walking around unharmed. In his mind, there was no other explanation.

This was truly a miracle but God doesn't stop there, no matter what the weather; no matter what the problem or no matter what you feel like, there is always a way through the situation. The old song. 'God will make a way where there seems to be no way' really lifts our spirit when we speak or sing it. It is true, there is not a way that is blocked for God. A door may be locked but, He can get in as described in Acts 16 when He set Paul, Silas and the other prisoners free. There may be no money left to buy essential goods or pay desperate bills, but God knows the way. You may be struggling with illness, the doctors may not be able to cure it but, God can because, God can make a way where there seems to be no way.

The appearance of God, by His Holy Spirit, is all around us, all the time. He walks with us, talks to us and watches over us. Take HIs hand and watch how He can change something in the blink of an eye. There is no need to worry or be fearful. He is right there with you.

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 in Grahame Howard books.

You need the Password

"Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King 

of glory shall come in. 8Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. 9Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors!

And the King of glory shall come in. 10Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah".  Psalm 24:7-10  NKJV

It seems like everywhere you go these days and most things you do, they all need a password. This can be very frustrating as I found out yesterday. Having just updated my mobile phone, I carried out the transfer of my apps and data, a simple job the mobile screen told me. And it was, until this morning when I tried to access my online banking, it kept blocking me and refused point blank to give me access. After a few hours of messing around with this, I gave up and knew that I would have to ring the bank and go through all of the; 'Your call is important to us, stay on the line and I will try to connect you.' After what seemed like hours, the problem was solved.

This got me thinking. There is a password into heaven and this is Jesus. Without Him no one will have access. God's Word says: 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.'

So we need this password - Jesus to be able to gain a place in heaven. However, there are many benefits to having Jesus in your life before you even get to heaven. He leads the way for us (if we allow Him) each and every day. He gives us peace while the rest of the world are frustrated with many issues. I remember a time when I was in a position that appeared hopeless. But I did what was the only thing I could do, I called on Jesus to help me, and He performed a miracle for me and rescued from this problem. If I had not known the password, I would have been sunk.

If you know Jesus, perhaps things are going really well in your life. On the other hand, things may be grim. Without trying to teach you to suck eggs, why don't you call on the name above all names - Jesus. He will help sort things out far better than you know how.

If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then there is a prayer below which you can pray. Things may not change for you immediately but, you will know the password - Jesus, and that's all you need.

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 in Grahame Howard books.

When you don't know what to do. Part 2

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight".  Prov 3:5-6. CSB

Let us examine this topic a little closer today. The Hebrew word for Trust means to lie down on

- to put your whole weight on something. For example, when we go to sleep, ordinarily we lie down on our bed because we believe it is strong enough to support us. So, when we trust Jesus for something, we are putting our whole weight on Him to take care of us and show us the way forward and what to do in any situation. In a way, He is our compass and instead of getting lost in the wilderness, we have our compass to take us to the correct point.

Verse 5, also says with our whole heart which means entirely without exception, therefore, God says, 'Trust Me completely and I will sustain you, you won't make it on your own understanding.' When we rely on God in all we do, He will make our paths straight..

Here are three questions by Tony Evans that you may find helpful:

(1)  Why is trust necessary to live according to God's kingdom agenda?

(2)  What are some of the crooked things in your life that need straightening out?

(3)  How do you currently plan to address these areas?

                                         

Basically, when we are faced with the fact that we have no idea what to do in any given situation, we need to remember that God does. However, be honest, do you stop and ask Him for direction, or do you dash ahead blindly hoping for the best? There are many times when we just have no idea what to do or, what we are doing is the right thing to do. This is where we need to consult Jesus. As I've said, if we were on a trek through a forest or desert and became lost, it would be helpful to have a compass to show us a point to concentrate on. Jesus acts as our compass and willingly points the way forward when we consult Him. 

Don't ever try to make it on your own

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 in Grahame Howard books.

When you don't know what to do

For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”  2 Chronicles 20:12  NKJV

We can have times when we just do not know what to do. It seems like we have tried everything to put things right but, alas, nothing changes. What can we do? Jehoshaphat was faced with a mighty problem; enemy forces coming at him from all directions and he feared that they would never be able to cope. He called the people together and informed them what was happening. Then Jahaziel, a prophet spoke out:

'Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.  15And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.  16Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.  17You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.'  2 Chronicles 20 14-17  NKJV

Jehoshaphat accepted this as a direct Word from the Lord and bowed to the ground in praise and thanksgiving. And it was as the prophet had said, they had the victory.

We don't always know the way ahead but we must remember that, God does and it is wise to call to Him. This is why Solomon wrote: 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.'  Proverbs 3:5-6. It is essential that we remember these words as we never know when we will need them.

You may be going through a time of uncertainty; we all do every so often. Take what you are wrestling with and present the problem to God, just like Jehoshaphat did. Note, he was straight to the point and basically said 'Lord, we don't know what to do, but You do and we're counting on You.' God prefers us to get straight to the point and He will answer such kind of prayers as we have just seem. 

We need to cultivate a strong, intimate relationship with God, one in which we are totally reliant on Him, and He knows it. This is where He wants you to be in the situation you are faced with. Just trust Him. Remember, you will not have to do a thing, God will do it all for you - if you leave it to Him.

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 in Grahame Howard books.