FAITH CAPSULE: Wickedness one in the heart knows self.

Psalm 73

The agenda of the wicked is to do evil. The existence of wicked ones in life sometimes appears better and glamorous, but one with fear of God will wonder why wickedness exists. However, no man should focus on how wicked ones are living life but to only be careful and have heart directed to the love of God.  None is judge except God, and all should allow God to do as He pleases. The book of Ecclesiastes 8:11-13 stated, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.”
Are you walking in the word of God or walking in the wickedness of the world? God is not sleeping but sees all that exists under heaven and in position to judge at His appointed time.
What kind of heart do you have before God?
Jeremiah 17:9-10 buttressed, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart; I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” The deceitful heart can be the unbeliever’s heart or the acclaimed believer’s heart.
Can you identify if you are wicked or not wicked?
Psalm 73 identified some glaring wicked heart:
Pride serves as their necklace.
Violence covers them like a garment.
Their eyes bulge with abundance.
They have more than heart could wish.
They increase in riches.
They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression.
They speak loftily (arrogantly)
They set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walks through the earth.
Are you one that is claiming the word of God but not living life by the word of God? It is wickedness to be living outside of God to incur the sentence of God at God’s appointed time. Today, come out of wickedness to avoid God’s sentence against evil work.
As regard to the wickedness of the wicked ones, Jeremiah stated before God, “Righteous are You, O Lord when I plead with You; yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bear fruit…” (Jeremiah 12:1-2) Jeremiah called on God’s attention to the way of wickedness out of his concern. Are you walking the way of wickedness? Keep your heart diligently not to become a wicked one before God.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s fear to become your garment keeping you for being wicked.

FAITH CAPSULE: In the life of all, God is absolutely in control to allow or disallow.

Exodus 2

The birth of Moses at the appointed time of God made it impossible for the law of Pharaoh to kill male born. Moses escaped death at birth; he later turned out to be a murder that has to run from the palace where he was raised. Moses’ effort to run from Pharaoh’s reach after the killing of an Egyptian on behalf of his Hebrew brother brought him to Midian. Nothing happens by accident.
God alone is in a position to allow and disallow all that happens in the life of man. God is in absolute control either we like it or not. For example, He alone allowed Job’s challenges when Satan asked for Job. God responded to Satan, “And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” (Job 2:6-7)
In the life of all, God is absolutely in control to allow or disallow.
In Moses’ life, all that happened prepared him for where he was going. In order for Moses to become a shepherd in the hand of God, he has to be trained as a shepherd. Where you are going, you do not know, you only know about where you are now. Are you paying attention to God? When Moses was living in the palace, he would not have imagined becoming a shepherd. Nevertheless, he ended up becoming a shepherd in the hand of God. To be used by God is a great attainment that cannot be compared or traded for anything. You know who you believe, and that is enough to encourage you to stand firm in whatever condition or situation you encounter.
If Moses missed his training, he probably would have been out of place and miss the calling upon his life.
When he was received by the priest of Midian, he did not allow pride or anger to get in the way of God’s plan for his life.
The character was in place in the life of Moses. It is written, “Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.” (Exodus 2:21) Contentment is what made the difference in the life of Moses. Life from the palace to tent could never have been an easy transition, but he was contented. Do you have God in your life? If you do, it is a good thing to ask Him to impact you with the spirit of contentment. 1Timothy 6:6 buttress the importance of contentment stating; “Now godliness and contentment is a great gain.” With contentment, Moses was in place to engage the calling upon his life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to impact you with strength and wisdom not to miss out His plan for your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: By your action or word, do not add to God’s command.

Genesis 3

Whatever God says is important and it demands full attention to avoid misrepresentation. God does not waste His word and He means what He says. God spoke to Adam in the Garden of Eden, “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17) When the chief of all deception cunningly approached Eve with its destructive agenda, he asked Eve, “…Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Eve opened the door for the devil when she responded to the devil by adding to what God does not say when God gave Adam the command. She added to God’s command stating, “…Nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” (Genesis 3:3)
Are you one that consciously or unconsciously adds or take away from the word of God? It does not matter who you are when you add to the word of God, you are set for failure. Before God, it is not acceptable for any man to add or take away from His word.
By your way, not only by His word, are you adding to the word of God? Romans 3:7-8 records: “For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?  And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come?” Deception in the name of God is adding to God what does not belong to God. There is no way by which any testimony that is loaded with inexactness is going to please God and same it is when one consciously or unconsciously say what God did not say.
God gave a detailed word of command to Jeremiah directly for His people. After giving His word, He commanded Jeremiah, “Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you.” (Jeremiah 1:17) Delivering God’s message demands preparation because with preparation comes detail presentation. A well-presented message is what keeps the messenger from sinning against God. He sent Moses, “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” (Numbers 20:8) Moses went as directed, but presented Gods command according to his own desire. Moses did not speak but struck the rock twice with his rod. (Numbers 20:10) Moses, by his word and action he added to God’s command which failed him to step on Promised Land.

Prayer for today: Ask from God that you will not walk outside of His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Hope is rooted in believe.

Numbers 20

Claiming to have hope in God is not only by mouth but must be rooted in the heart. Anyone that does not keep heart diligently as requested by God’s word cannot and does not understand and know to have hope in God.  The word of God stated: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
Do you have a heart with hope in God?
The Bible records what it takes to have hope in God: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…”
A heart that is sanctified (separated) for God will have hope in God.
A heart that is sanctified to God is a heart that seeks God diligently.
Among ways to sanctify heart for God, to have hope in God is meditating the word of God.
Meditating the word of God:
Joshua 1:8 records the meaning of meditating to have the heart for hope: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Giving self’s heart to God in His word day and night will no doubt do according to the word of God and have hope in God. Giving self to meditating God’s word day and night will know God enough to trust and remain standing in hope for God’s response. Meditate the word of God but not just to memorize God’s word.
Sanctifying heart to God is hallowing God:
Hallowing God according to His command is the evidence of heart with hope. When the word of God locates a man for direction, hope in the man’s heart will do as commanded. Moses could not do as commanded by God but do against the word of God. The Bible records about Moses failure to hallow God when God said: “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”  Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Matthew 20:7-12)
A failure not to believe God for His word is not having hope to do as commanded by God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to establish His word in your heart to trust and hope in Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: To fear God is a must for all man to avoid living a wasteful life.

Deuteronomy 6

Fearing God without ceasing is finding and gaining access to God without failure. Do you fear God? There is none that is born to this world with the fear of God. To fear God is rooted in studying the word of God to have faith in God. God treasures those who fear Him. To fear God is the way not to live a wasted life.
With fear of God is taking a position to be claiming the promise of God.
Among the promises of fearing God are:
The fear of the Lord prolongs days. (Proverbs 10:27)
In the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence. (Proverbs 14:26)
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom. (Proverbs 15:33)
By the fear of the Lord, one departs from evil. (Proverbs 16:6)
The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. (Proverbs 19:23)
By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. (Proverbs 22:4)
The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them. (Psalm 34:7)
The fear of the Lord is His treasure. (Isaiah 33:6)
To fear God is a must for all man to avoid living a wasteful life.
The Bible’s question is for those who claim serving God: “serve the Lord with fear.”(Psalm 2:11) Are you serving God with fear? Does your way of life demonstrate the fear of God?
Is it your desire to live life by fearing God?
The desire to have the fear of God is not in determination without prayer. Peter determined not to deny Jesus but the prayer of Jesus answered for him not to fail but stand for Christ.
Jesus told us to ask, seek and knock in Matthew 7:7 and God also said the He will give when He said, “…I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.” Why not begin to pray earnestly to God, to give you one heart, one way to fear Him?
Make it a serious point to live life with the fear of God. In the journey of life, Abraham served God because he feared God. Hebrews 11:8 testified, “By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
To be living life year after years without the fear of God is not God’s will for all His creation. Just like Abraham, fear God to be obeying His word for remaining in His presence.

Prayer for today: Ask God to give you a one heart and one way to fear God in all days He has given you.