FAITH CAPSULE: Watch out never look outside of God’s direction.

1 Samuel 13

Looking away from God is taking a position away from God. It is a wrong decision not to be in position for God. Life is a journey taking position outside of God will terminate man’s journey. Terah, the father of Abraham must have looked away from God in his journey and not arrive at his expected end of journey. The bible recorded, “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.” (Genesis 11:31) Abraham’s father (Terah) must have a reason to engage journey to. However, Terah did not live to arrive at Canaan because he decided to settle in Harran where he later died. Why are you looking away from arriving at expected? Terah looked away from getting to Canaan when God called Abraham to Canaan. In the journey of Abraham, he did not look away from God’s calling on him to Canaan. Looking away from God is not focusing on God.
Turning away from God’s direction is looking away from God. Lot’s wife turned away from God’s direction for her journey of deliverance into journey of self-destruction. When it was time for God to judge Sodom and Gomorrah, He called Lot and his house out of a pending destruction, “As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” (Genesis 19:17) Condition for escape was not only to flee but also not to look back. However, Lot’s wife made a wrong decision to look back against the word of God and she became permanently terminated. The word recorded, “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:26)
Making decision that is based on what seems right in the place of God’s direction is a set for self-destruction. Proverbs 14:12 buttressed, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” Let you decision be rooted in the word of God and be a victim of self-decision.
King Saul’s decision was based on what seemed right to himself to disobey God’s command. In a war against Philistines, Saul disobeyed Samuel’s direction for him to wait for burnt offering on the seventh day. Before Samuel’s appointed time, “…the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets…” (1Samuel 13:6) Saul reacted to the challenge and made a wrong decision by offering the burnt offering which was against the command of God. Saul could not wait for Samuel’s appointed time to violate the word of God. Watch out never look outside of God’s direction.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to remain focus on His direction all the days He has given you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Believe in God’s word to consciously have peace in God’s unfailing word.

Ezra 1

God delivers and preserves His children when He passes. God alone will favor man beyond expectation. Are you a believer? Are you one that sings love for Jesus and live by God’s command? Word of God encouraged, “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.” (Psalm 119:165) Why struggle in the place of rest? God’s favor or deliverance agenda is certain for man with trust and hope in God. Regardless of man’s challenge, unquestionable God is in position to use any man to favor His people.
God stirred the heart of a non-believer to favor His children. Unbeliever Cyrus, the king of Persia, did not just make a way out for the children of Israel; he also made provision for their need and restored back what was taken away by Nebuchadnezzar. Bible recorded how God stirred heart of Cyrus king of Persia and he made a proclamation throughout his entire, “Thus says Cyrus the King of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’” (Ezra 1:2-4)
Who else can deliver like God?
God’s was set to bring the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years when He spoke to Moses, “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.  And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.  But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” (Exodus 3:19-22) Word of God does not return to Him void. Are you expecting His favor in the New Year? This New Year, begin to see favor of God to be able to receive it and become of you.
It is certain that God will stir the heart of man to grant you God’s favor. Consciously have peace in God’s unfailing word.

Prayer for today: Ask God to bring back your captivity as the streams in the south.

FAITH CAPSULE: Know it that, Jesus is our peace from God.

Luke 10

Seeking God diligently is the evidence of knowing God. knowing God is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Roman 10:17) Lack of spending time to be studying the word of God by hearing and hearing by the word of God is the result of not knowing God. Man is too occupied by the world as a result, majority knows about God but not know God. Do you know God, or do you know about God? For example, many claims and celebrates Jesus but do not know Him as their peace. Ephesians 2:14 referred to Jesus, “For He Himself is our peace…” Many know about Him, but they are yet to know Him as their peace. When challenges strike, not knowing Jesus, the peace of God for man will give place to worrying and trouble.
Imagine an acclaimed believer, singing love for Jesus day and night but lack knowledge to maintain peace of Jesus when a challenge shows up? The word of God cannot lie as stated, “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.” (Psalm 119:165) Do you claim to love the Lord? Why are you not holding on to the peace of God? How possible can a man be claiming Jesus but not able to settle in peace when challenges strike?
Martha knew about Jesus to invite Jesus into her house, yet she does not know Jesus as peace in the house. Martha welcomed Jesus to her house but was overwhelmingly distracted. Without knowing peace, distraction will take position as an agent of disengagement to lose focus to open door to worry and trouble. Martha worried instead of worshiping when she stated, “…Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” (Luke 10:40) Martha welcomed Jesus into the house while forces of worry were also active in her house. Does this sound like you? Jesus, the Lord of all knows all and He identified the problem of Martha as stated, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.”(Luke 10:41) Mary (sister of Martha) enjoyed serving Jesus our Lord and Savior, while Martha was dealing with worrying and troubled in her life. As an acclaimed believer, can you carefully examine yourself to identify and deny the silent agent of the spirit of worry in your life. It is important for man to put aside title but to take to the task of knowing God. Gain understanding to be having a knowing edge over worrying. Will you allow peace to reign and rule instead of living life as a vessel of stumbling in the journey of life. Jesus does not want us to worry about our life knowing that worry and trouble will derail the flow of fellowship of man in the presence of God. Know it that, Jesus is our peace from God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to live in His peace for man.

FAITH CAPSULE: Make choice to continually live life for God.

Daniel 6

Serving God continually will draw man near to God. Seeking God at comfort time is sacrificing to seek God diligently. Many are making noise as a believer of God but not living life as a believer of God. Daniel became captive of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon when he besieged Jerusalem. At Babylon, Daniel was among “young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank…” (Daniel 1:4-5) Daniel refused better life of Nebuchadnezzar’s order but gave himself to seeking God diligently. It is written, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.” (Daniel 1:8-9)
As a believer, Daniel made choice to live life for God. Daniel was not just making noise about what he believes but was living for God when he became governor. The notion of a captive who arose to become governor did not fare well among the free people of the land. There was no way for the freemen to bring Daniel down without conflicting with the law of God. It is written, “So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:4-5) Daniel was plotted to become victim of King Darius decree against anyone who petitioned any god or man. The consequence for his disobedience was to be executed.
King Darius knew Daniel for his stand in the Lord but was compelled to abide by his own law. Daniel was ordered into lions’ den. King Darius hope deliverance for Daniel as stated, “Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me…” (Daniel 6:19-22)
Regardless of Daniel’s challenges, he continually sought God and God drew him near for him not to be a victim of his faith in God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to continually seek God.