FAITH CAPSULE: Canaan maintained her desire and remained focus to receive from Jesus.

Proverbs 20, Matthew 15:21-28

Desire is a like a force that drives one to arrive at expected end. Desire can be described as a strong inner feeling that compels one to attain what the heart sets up for. With desire man is set not to give up but to push on to achieve expectation. A woman of Canaan with desire had a strong inner feeling which compelled her to receive healing from Jesus despite denial held against her from receiving from Jesus.
It is written, “Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’” (Matthew 15:21-22) The woman of Canaan desired positive response from Jesus but response for her was enough to discourage her desire from Jesus. Matthew 15:23-24 recorded Jesus and His disciples’ response to the woman of Canaan, “But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’ But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’”
Life is full of ups and down as the world is loaded with discouragement to work against man’s desire. However, man’s desire and focus will deliver to one without turning back from pursuing to an expected end. The woman of Canaan maintained her desire and remained focus to receive from Jesus. Instead of her giving up, she pressed further. She persisted to receive by resisting all discouragement. The Bible recorded, “Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’” (Matthew 15:25) Despite her desire, Jesus answered her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (Matthew 1:26) Jesus’ answer was not enough to discourage the woman of Canaan’s desire but made her to insist and persist for her miracle. The woman responded to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:27) The woman of Canaan’s desire from the depth of heart was not hidden from Jesus as Jesus ultimately answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:28)
God only sees and moves by desires in the heart of man. When man’s heart moves by his way it is certain that God see the heart. Proverbs 21:2 stated, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.”  For man there is no place for secret in the heart which God cannot see. Proverbs 20:27 buttressed, “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.”
The case of the Canaan woman demonstrated that Jesus answers to all with desire for expectation.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to desire from God without failing.

FAITH CAPSULE: Know understanding to be giving thanks to God instead of thinking thanks.

Luke 9:1-17   

It is the privilege of God but not anyone’s right that keep’s man alive. It is important to know understanding that life should not only be about what you expect from the Lord. Today, know understanding that expressing your appreciation to God for all things will provoke all things to work together for the glory of God. Man, with understand expresses appreciation to God by giving thanks instead of thinking thanks. Turn to giving thanks but not thinking about thanks to God!
By grace, the hand of the Lord has been keeping you from day to days, week to weeks, month after months and year after years. The hand of God upon you is not because of merit but mercy. Living life is not a right but a privilege bestowed upon us by God. Why not turn from expectation to expression of appreciation? Are you consciously aware that God expects our appreciation more than we offer Him? When there is a failure to appreciate it becomes an evidence of foolishness. Foolishness is like saying there is none to appreciate. A failure to appreciate God for His goodness is foolishness; it is an act of saying there is no God. Foolishness says there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) The book of Psalm 94:8-9 buttressed, “Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?” Do not be foolish not to express to Him your appreciation.
Are you expecting from the hand that has been keeping you by grace, and not by work?
Today, be encouraged and not be discouraged that your location or situation can delay but will not deny your expectation. Express your appreciation of God for His grace over your life. Disallow worry but engage worshiping God. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He will extend His hand concerning location and situation which is militating against your expectation. Jesus at the desert of lack with multiplied, five loaves and two fish answered with abundance. At the desert of lack Jesus gave a command, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”  And they did so, and made them all sit down.” (Luke 9:15)
After He observed obedience, “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.” (Luke 9:16-17) People obeyed His command. In every obedience to the word of God, expectation is bound for manifestation.
Are you having challenges but ready to obey His commands?

Prayer for today: Ask God to direct your heart into appreciation of His hand upon your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Trust and hope is same as boldness and character that will make man up as winning combination.

1 Samuel 17

Trust and hope in the Lord; wait on Him by seeking Him diligently. Jeremiah 17:7 is the testimony not to be short receiving from God. It is recorded, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.”
Claim to have trust and not have hope is not complete to mark man as a winner. Trust and hope is like having boldness and character which is certain to make man a winner in the face of challenges. King David is an example of one with trust and hope which marked him with boldness and character. David’s trust on God was his character which is personalizing God for himself. Some of David’s Psalms revealed him personalizing God in his life. Psalm 3:7, “Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone…”  Psalm 5:2, Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray.” David also demonstrated his hope in God marching with boldness against a versed giant soldier while he was a novice young boy fighter. David’s trust and hope in God demonstrated his boldness and character that made him to stand as a winner for the glory of God.
Do you trust and hope in God in times of challenges? In this wicked world, challenges will come. Acclaimed believer of God must trust and hope as in boldness and character. Victory is certain to answer in time of challenge and to mark one as winner for the glory of God just like King David.
The word of God is written for our learning. To learn in His word is to gain and know understanding to be trusting and hoping in God always. The word of God is true to deliver and preserve according to His word for man that will take to the word of God as His testimony. Among the ways of trusting and hoping on God is keeping His testimonies. Psalm 119:2 stated, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!” Keeping the testimonies of God is the keeper of true believer of God in this wicked world. The testimonies of God are the works of God. The works of God are the creation of His word and the word of God is the presence of God Himself. It is important to always reflect it that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4) The word of God is God. Trust and hope in God as to bold and character in Him to make you a winner.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to be living in trust and hope in Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: God created earth for good, but man infested earth with wickedness.

Genesis 6

At the time of the creation of earth, God called all His creation good. For example, “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good.” (Genesis 1:3-4) Earth was created to be good but man’s existence of earth turned the earth to bad with wickedness. God saw the wickedness on earth and responded stating, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:5-7)
Living in this world infested by wicked man with their wickedness can be overcome by getting to know understand in the word of God. Man, that knows understanding in the living word of God will take a position of having a knowing edge over challenges of this wicked world. The book of Proverbs admonished, “Hear my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding.” (Proverbs 4:1) Man must have understanding in the living word of God to be able to live on top of earth created by the word of God. It is unfortunate that many are hearing the promises in the word of God but failing to do and do as word required. It is important to know that the word of God will work for man with understanding in this wicked world. The word of God specifically stated that we should “hear the instruction and give attention to understand.”  Understanding the word of God is the key to living life as an overcomer and not be living as a victim of the wicked world. It is giving attention to know understanding that will make man to excel for the glory of God. God does not waste word and that is why the word of God mentioned, “…and in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7) Hearing is not enough; hearing is only enough when man is able to give attention to know understanding. It is significant that hearing and hearing in the word of God should be receive by doing and doing as the word of God requires. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the only One that was in the beginning realized it that man was not getting the understand that is required for living life abundantly when He questioned and answered retrospectively, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43) Listening disability is the key not to know and gain understanding.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to know understanding in the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Adopt self to giving thanks with understanding to God for His visitation.

Psalm 104

Praising God is seeking God. Psalm 47:7, recorded, “For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.” As praising God is with understanding, giving thanks to God should be with understanding. Giving thanks to God with understanding will grant one that is thanking God with undeniable access to the presence of God. Psalm 100:4 buttressed meaning of giving thanks to God with understanding, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Jesus gave thanks to God with understanding and it brought out Lazarus up from death of four days. It is written, “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me…” (John 11:41-42) A meaning full thanks giving to God with understand will provoke the full of God’s manifestation. The word of God does not lie only the word of man is full of lie.
To be alive is a privilege it is not a right; to be alive is of mercy and it is not a thing of merit. Think of it, you are not just alive, but you are able to see the light of a new day. Your eyes are functioning, your legs are not stagnated, and your mind is in right condition. What a privilege of God to be alive? Think of it, turnaround from whatever is keeping you down from opening your mouth wide, giving God glorious thanks giving. From today, make it a pattern of life to be rising by giving thanks to God with understanding. God alone privilege man with qualification to be alive seeing the light of a new day. It is worthy to be seeking God’s face by appreciating Him for the grace of your being alive for the season. In the place of planning for the season without God is an error that will reduce man before God.
The psalmist praised, “O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.” (Psalm 104:1-4) It is a wise move for man to take just a line out of the above scriptural verses and meditate on it all day long. Indeed, and in truth, thousands of tongues are not enough to thank God enough. God alone is more than worthy of all praise and adoration.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of unceasing thanks giving with understanding to Him.