FAITH CAPSULE: God does the planning; we do the preparing. 

Matthew 25:1-13

Seeking God is a plan of wanting to see God, but preparation is to seek God diligently to see Him.
The values you have to see God is the evidence rooted in your act and behavior.
In seeking God to find God is “What you do is what you believe; everything else is just religious talk.” 
The wise virgins value the invitation and adjust their behavior accordingly to be ready. 
They are women who have pure hearts, cultivate goodness, and guard their speech. 
They are righteous and have faith. 
In the parable, faithful waiting involves preparation and readiness, not planning and predicting.
The teaching encased ten virgins of Jesus points to being ignored by the world.
Are you preparing and ready?
Are you planning and predicting? 
Ten virgins waited.
Five virgins prepared.
Five virgins only had a plan.
Five virgins who got shut out represent irresponsible ones not prepared.
Preparation is to be calling upon God by and seeking Him diligently.
Preparation is not seeking Him how one way but having a relationship with God. 
Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches people about living and growing in a relationship with God. 
Jesus stresses that being spiritually alive means not just knowing religious information or being with a denomination but doing what Jesus teaches regarding love for God and neighbor.
The biblical truth is this: God does the planning; we do the preparing.
Jeremiah 29:11 informs us what God says: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.
In Genesis 12, God told Abram to begin a journey and didn’t even tell him where he was going. 
Abram couldn’t plan the itinerary but prepared by telling his family, wrapping up business details, packing his tent, and setting out. 
The Exodus from Egypt is a story of prayer and preparation. 
God planned the Exodus, but no person could. 
No one would have written the story God did, and Moses didn’t get to see the whole plan ahead of time. 
The Israelites prepared by marking their doors, taking everything they could carry, eating fast food, and waiting for the word to move out. 
John the Baptist preached: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” He didn’t say, “Plan the way of the Lord.”
Are you planning in the place of preparing before God?
Proverbs 19: 21 informs all: There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
It is the wisdom and character of one that lives by the word of God (believer) to prepare in the place of the plan. 
All are limited to planning the future, much of what happens, but to give to prepare in watching and praying.
The biblical approach to the future involves prayer and preparation more than prediction and planning.

Prayer for today: 
Ask that seeking God in preparation be meaningful and be established in your way of living life before Him. (Seeking God diligently)
Ask that none of your plans shall offset the place of your preparation before God.
Ask that the plan of God for your life shall stand all the days he has given you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Know to listen and to see the direction in the Word of God.

Joshua 6

John 1:1 records to make it known to all that, in the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 
The Word of God is sent for man to behold God in His Word.
The ability to listen to God in His Word will make one behold (see) God for direction, to live life for His glory.
The Word of God is God. 
Without a doubt, when one listens to the Word of God, one must behold (see) the Word of God and be built up with boldness and character.
In the Word of God, there is a direction not to fail. 
For example, Joshua needed to behold (see) the Word of God to gain boldness and character to win over Jericho. 
Jericho posed as an enemy to stop the Israelites from advancing to the Promised Land. 
Joshua 6:1-2 records the calling of Joshua to see (to behold) in the Word of God, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.”  
Until you see what the Word of God speaks to you, you cannot receive what you see to become of you.
Joshua listened to behold (see) direction in the Word of God as he gained character and boldness to become the winner over Jericho. 
God wants all to see in Him (His Word) to engage His direction, not to be a failure. 
Are you seeking direction by listening to the Word of God to gain boldness and character in the face of challenges? 
Jacob was to engage in a journey, his course of running away from his brother, and he needed boldness and charter to drive him through.
God responded to the need of Jacob when He commanded him to behold (see) in His Word saying stating “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:15) 
From today, listen to see (behold) in the Word of God, obtain boldness and character, having trust and hope in God.
To behold (see) in the Word of God, one shall replace fear with a faith rooted in boldness and character gained in the Word of God.
God magnifies His Word above His name. (Psalm 138:2) 
The Word of God is worthy to deliver; His Word is mighty and will preserve one that beholds the Word of God.
Do you listen to God?
Listen to see in the Word of God, and gain boldness and character to be a winner for the glory of God.
God is power; God that delivered Israelites is still in the business of deliverance and preservation if one will take a position that one sees (behold) God in His Word.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to always see in His direction, not to be a failure.

FAITH CAPSULE: The desire for God must be in the mind of all and not just in the mouth.

1 Samuel 13

Desire is to express a wish to obtain, a strong feeling that compels one to attain what the heart wants. 
As a believer, what do you desire?
Do you desire to be a churchgoer believer or a believer with sincerity for God? 
What you desire is what you seek. 
One that desires to live in heaven on the heart will seek after the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. 
Jesus declares, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
The whole matter that counts and works perfectly is to fear God and keep His commandments, for this is all that counts. 
God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
To fear God and to keep His command fulfill the desire to seek God. 
1 Samuel 12:24 states, “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” 
Does your heart sincerely desire to seek God?
Do you question yourself if you are serving God in truth with all your heart?
God has done great things, and He is doing more for all.
God only sees and moves by the act rooted in the heart of all. 
God once corrected Samuel in his attempt to make the brother of David the king, “Do not look at his appearance or his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) 
Without doubt, the heart of David is what God saw when His word declares, “…The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people” (1 Samuel 13:14) 
David sought God, and He saw the desire of David.
God knows that his heart is for His name.
What do you desire? 
The desire for God must be in the mind of all and not just in the mouth.
Anyone with a desire for God is in the heart, and God will deposit the grace to become devoted to Him to be decorated by His presence. 
King David knows what is best to desire when he said, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
As an acclaimed believer, think if you sincerely desire the Lord.

Prayer for today: Ask for the desire for God to become rooted in your heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: Seeking God is serving Him, following His word.

John 12:23-32

The book of Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 states, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” 
To fear God will keep His command and will seek Him. 
Seeking God is serving Him, following His word.
Jesus points out, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (John 12:26)
The whole matter is to Fear God, seek God, serve God, and follow Him so that the Father will honor such.
Seeking God leads to serving Him. 
In serving God is to follow Him. 
Jesus declares clearly, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”(John 12:26)
Are you serving God fully?
Are you serving God for your material gain?
Search yourself to identify how you are serving God.
Apostle Paul encourages, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”(Romans 12:1)
With understanding, know to serve God sacrificially, and let your serving God be acceptable before God alone. 
Do not serve God casually but serve God by following God fully as Jesus requests, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me.” 
Following Jesus means putting all away to follow him. 
Following Him is stepping after the same way that He stepped while He was on the face of the earth. 
The expectation of Jesus from His disciples to follow Him records, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)
Do you have the desire to follow Jesus? 
Jesus made fishermen of those who desired to follow Him. The book of Matthew 4:19 records, “Then He said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” 
Serving Him is following Him. 
Following Him is a sacrifice by giving up everything for Him. 
To follow Him is not to be a spectator but to learn and to become fishers of men. 
Jesus’ request for a man to follow Him does not identify Him as a slave master. 
Matthew 19:28 records the reward for all that follows Him, “…Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  
Serve Him fully to experience the fullness of the reward for following God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to serve Him fully by following Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you a soldier who will always need a constant introduction as a soldier? 

2 Timothy 2:1-13

Are you a Christian soldier by mouth or by act? 
A Christian soldier need not be introduced as a soldier because warlike disposition will always point such out as one operating as a sold-out soul for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
What kind of a soldier are you? 
Are you a soldier who will always need a constant introduction as a soldier? 
A soldier should contend or serves in any cause as a soldier of the Lord. Soldiers are to persist steadfastly in their cause and to persevere until an assignment, as expected.
An eligible and qualified soldier for Christ should be a sold-out soul for the cause of the cross that Jesus carried to Calvary.
Paul, the apostle, admonishes Timothy by using an illustration of a soldier. “You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
Paul’s illustration for faithfulness is that a soldier (follower of Christ) must endure hardship. 
Unfortunately, Christian soldiers today do not want to endure hardship but will like to enjoy worldly pleasures or live lives of convenience and not commitment. 
Are you an acclaimed Christian with no iota of desire to live life to experience the endureth life of Christ?
Endurance can be painful and can generate unwanted suffering.
Enduring hardship brings a good soldier out of a Christian soldier of Jesus Christ. 
Christian soldiers cannot escape hardship in this world of wickedness. 
The Christian soldiers without endure challenges in this world are soldiers that often entangle themselves in the affairs of this life. 
It is evident in the word of Paul that no soldier engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life and answers to the cause of Christian soldiers.
Peter 2:11 warns against fleshly lusts: “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” Fleshly lust is the affairs of this world that will derail a soldier for Christ.
With lust, it is not possible to answer as a sold-out soul for the assignment of Christ. 
Undoubtedly, fleshly lust is a principal target which Christian soldiers should not take for granted because it launches its attack regularly. 
Are you working not to walk living lust?
Living lust will present great or small temptation that does not spare grave for fleshly lust ones. 
It is so deadly that it only goes after its target, the soul of every Christian soldier.
As a soldier of Christ, you become captured by the enemy of all, the evil one, then your role as a soldier will mark you as a victim soldier in the hand of the chief of all wicked, the evil one himself.
Are you a Christian soldier by mouth or one with a sold-out soul for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to live life for Him.