FAITH CAPSULE: Know to commit to no one but the word of God.

Numbers 13

Do you have trust but not hope?
In the journey of life, to have trust but not have hope will not gain the testimony of God.
To trust and hope is the completion to gain the blessing of God.
Jeremiah 17:7 admonishes all, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.”
Are you one who demonstrated trust but could not live with hope?
For example, the Israelites trusted the leadership of Moses to bring them out of the bondage of over a hundred years.
The Israelites saw the miracles of God before they departed from bondage.
The Israelites trusted in God to lead them out of Egypt.
The Israelites failed to demonstrate hope in God.
During the wilderness journey, the children of Israel could not trust and had hope to see in the word of God to take them to the Promised Land. 
They trusted God to bring them out of bondage, but could not demonstrate hope by repeated complaining.
The Israelites complained, confessing their negative feelings, and could not demonstrate hope in God.
Numbers 14:1-2 records the demonstration of the lack of hope of the Israelites, stating, “So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.  And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!”
Having trust without hope will not experience the blessing.
Jeremiah 17:7  clearly states, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.”
Give yourself to the word of God, experience the goodness and mercy of God.
The lack of trust and hope is rooted in fear.
The Israelites were unendingly complaining.
Except for Joshua and Caleb, the Israelites complained and confessed negatively before God.
God responded to the negative confession of the Israelites: Numbers 14:28-30, “As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.”
Know and understand that God is not careless to deliver in His plans and promises when there is no full attention to the conditions to receive from Him. 
Give full attention to the word of God that provokes the blessing of God for those who trust in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:7)

Prayer for today: Ask that God enable you to live life by His word, know to trust and hope in His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: What is your position, your location from God?

2 Kings 6

Do you know if you are near or far from God?
To be close to God is a position to be near.
Never position in distance from God.
Elisha and his servant faced a challenge that demanded nearness to God for deliverance.
Elisha knew they were near to God, but not his servant.
The servant of Elisha was not aware of the presence of God for their deliverance because he did not know the nearness of God.
A believer of God, living life by the word of God, will know that God is near at all times, for His intervention never fails to deliver. 
The bible records, “So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, ‘Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:18)
A believer should live in the consciousness that God is near, the evidence of faith, the expression of expectation for the protection of God. 
Do you know that God is near to you?
Are you living life exposed to the world that is outside of God? 
The Psalmist expresses, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20) 
God made all, but many live life outside of God, not as a child of God, not keeping to His command, and far from God. 
Near to God is the protection of God.
Elisha walks before God and knows God.
He can see that the forces of God are waiting for his command before they can act on his behalf.
The life of Elisha is evident in being near God.
Near to God is the position of His presence.
What does it take to gain and maintain being in the presence of God? 
The Bible identifies what it takes to gain and maintain His presence:
Acts 6:4, “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Acts 20:32, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
Jude 20, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
According to the word of God, seek God diligently by: 
Give yourself continually, not casually, in the Word of God.
Give yourself to be built up and be able to claim the blessings of God.
Give yourself to be a prayerful believer.
Give yourself to the word of God to become a faithful believer.
With desire, ask God that you live life in the consciousness of His care all the days of life He has for you. 
Be near to God, who is always near for all who walk in His word.

Prayer for today: Pray that you know how to gain the nearness of God.

FAITH CAPSULE:  Understand and know that God magnified His word.

Isaiah 55

It is the understanding of God that will know God, not know about alone.
It is important to know that God magnifies His word above His name. (Psalm 138:2)
Understanding is to know.
Know that God magnified His word.
Know that among the characters of the word of God, with desire, will experience the presence of God.
The word of God is moveable.
The living word of God will move to locate whomever God chooses to give direction in the journey of life.
For example, the word of God moves to locate Jonah for direction.
Jonah 1:1-2 records the movement of the word of God, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
The word of God that is moveable went to locate Jonah.
Jeremiah, at several times, for direction, with attention, to see in the unseeable situation, the word of God moves to locate Jeremiah, “the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.” (Jeremiah 1:11-12)
The living word of God does not stagnate but moves to call Jonah for direction, to call on Jeremiah to see the unseeable situation, to move forward, not to be a failure in life. 
The word of God is with character not to fail.
The word of God is God, God does not lie, and will not fail. 
Isaiah 55:11 confirms, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
It is the character of the word of God not to return void to God without accomplishment for God.
Are you with understanding to call, to remind God of the promises in His word?
The word of God is the work of His hand. 
All the work of His hand has never failed.
Call on God to experience His unfailing hand. 
God encourages all, “Thus says the Lord, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: ‘Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.” (Isaiah 45:11) 
With understanding, always remember to command the word of God that does not fail.
The only thing that God cannot do is that He cannot fail.
Through the pages of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, the characters of the word of God are. 
Give yourself to the word of God to mark your life, excelling for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask for the enablement of God that you will live life by the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is important to know oneself in God.

Mark 8

Live life for the glory of God to answer who you are.
Who are you before God or before your world?
Who are you?
Can you identify yourself?
It is important to know oneself in God.
Jesus wanted to know what or who He is by asking,                                                                                            “Who do men say that I am?” (Mark 8:27) 
Jesus’ question was not to evaluate Himself but to teach all to be aware of who they are.    
On a serious note, who are you? 
Are you a believer or just a claiming believer?
Are you one with a mouth full of the word of God, with an empty heart of the word of God?  
Does your life reflect Christ? 
Are you a Bible that people can read, or just an acclaimed Bible that no one can read?
Man is deceivable, but no one can deceive God. 
Many are with promotion, with titles inside and outside the church, but not promoted before God. 
There are self-acclaimed figures with titles such as prophet and apostle, but they cannot answer who they are. 
All should know who they are before God. 
One who deceives the neighbor, the family, or the world can live to lure deceptively; God cannot be a victim of deception devices. 
Without a doubt, the walk, the stand, and where one sits are pointers to who one is like before God.
Who are you in all endeavors?
Psalm 1:1 records, “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.” (Psalm 1:1) 
When the word of God declares blessing, it is established in heaven and on earth. 
It is how one walks, sits, and stands by the standard of God that will determine who one is.
Life is a journey, and who you surround yourself with shall determine what you get out of life. 
Think, on a serious note, who are you? 
Whose word do you believe? 
Are you living life by the word of God or the word of this world? 
The word of God is an assurance to lead man to be walking, sitting, or standing for the name of God, if one will turn back to the wicked world. Assurance and reliance on God matter to be delighted in the life of one who lives by the word of God.
Meditating on the law (word of God) is the avenue not to walk outside the way of God. The Psalmist identifies the blessing of walking, sitting, and standing in line with God, stating, “He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3)
Get to know who you are.

Prayer for today: Pray that God enables you to live life for His glory.