FAITH CAPSULE: Are you experiencing negative situation that is rooted in your faulty foundation?

Judges 11

Man’s story is always possible to change for good regardless of faulty foundation. Ugly faulty foundation that is painful in life is possible to turn around for good. The extension of God’s hand is always in place to turn around faulty foundation which man does not plan or demand for as a way of life. Does that sound like you? What about your life? Are you experiencing negative situation that is rooted in your faulty foundation?
Consider the story of Jephthah:
In the story of Jephthah, the Gileadite, he gained the title: A mighty man of valor despite the truth that he was a non-entity, one that was a son of harlot. By his identity (a son of harlot) he was driven out of his father’s house. Jephthah’s faulty foundation (a son of harlot) was not his plan in his life. Jephthah’s faulty foundation was outside of his control; Jephthah was paying for what he did not bargained for.
Are you experiencing any analogous situation like that of Jephthah? Jephthah’s situation demanded for a divine intervention to turn around his story. Without doubt, his situation called for a true redemption. With God, redemption is certain. In your situation, know and wait to see how the Lord will change your story. He is the only God who waits to act for those who wait on Him. (Isaiah 64:4) At appointed time of God, Jephthah, a son of harlot was approached by the Israelites asking for help. When the children of Israel were confronted by enemies, a need for a commander became their agenda. The elders of Gilead had to go and seek Jephthah for help. Judges 11:6, “Then they said to Jephthah, ‘Come and be our commander that we may fight against the people of Ammon.’”
Story of Jephthah is the evidence that whenever man is condemned, God alone has His way of redemption for the condemned. Jephthah, son of harlot became the need by his people to be there commander. Imagine a son of harlot, one that was driven out by brothers became one that was sought for as a leader. Jephthah responded in Judges 11:7, “So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”” The same God that set up a situation for Jephthah to be called back and rise above his faulty foundation will not look away from turning your story around for His name to be glorified. God, in His deliverance plan or redemption plan, He will not be too late or too soon, God will extend His hand for your story for good.
Jephthah accepted the assignment for his people and victory was delivered to the children of Israel. Jephthah did not just end up as a commander but he became the head for his people because victory was delivered into his hand. As the story of Jephthah was changed for good, your story will also change for better.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that will turn your faulty foundation around for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting or looking up to God is certain for man to get His unfailing attention.

John 11:1-44

Waiting on God is looking up to God. Looking up to God is waiting on God. Who do you wait or look up to in times of challenging? Waiting or looking up to God is seeking God and will get attention of God that is looking down on us. Psalm 14:2 testified, “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” Waiting or looking up to God is certain for man to get His unfailing attention. Waiting and looking up to God is action which is a demonstration of faith. When God sees action (faith) of man, God will always act for man. Isaiah 64:4 recorded how God will response to man that wait on Him, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.”
Jesus demonstrated what it is like waiting on God, looking up to God.
Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus got to his cave. Stone was rolled against Lazarus’ possibility to come back to life. For Lazarus, hope was shattered, mourning and grieve became the portion of his people. Above all, there was no medical practitioner recorded to be on ground to help because trust and hope was not in place for dead Lazarus. Jesus, the Commanding commander gave a command asking for the stone (door) be removed. Jesus requested for open door for hope to be restored. It is written, “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me. When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” (John 11:41-44) Among the actions of Jesus for Lazarus to come back to life was that, Jesus looked up for divine intervention. Jesus set up example for us to know and to always look up when all hope is lost. Also, Jesus looked up and gave thanks. Jesus did not wait or look to man; He did not wait or look up to complain but He looked up to giving thanks for expectation that was yet at hand. In your challenging situation, who are you waiting or looking up to? Are a true believer or a believing believer or an unbelieving believer? A true believer should not wait or look outside of God. Learn to be expecting your expectation from the Almighty God; Omnipotent and Omnipresent God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God over your waiting and looking up to God to always look up only to Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Apply discretion for your preservation; exercise understanding to keep you.

1 Kings 3

Confusion is not of God but the evidence of the lack of understanding. Making right choice in God’s direction is taking a step to be preserved for the glory of God. However, when man make right choice by doing as directed by God understanding of right choice will keep man to live life for the glory of God. Proverbs 2:11 stated it better, “Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you.”
God instructed man to fill the earth stating, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) Instead, they made the choice to build a unified culture and constructed a tower as symbol and seal of their common identity. God wanted them to fill the earth but they wanted to build a city for themselves. (Genesis 11:4) People’s move to Shinar was a direct opposition to God’s instruction to multiply and fill the earth. Building Babel was a wrong choice against God’s direction as a result, they were not taking a place to be preserved. The people then were lack of understanding as confusing took charge over their life activity.
Man’s choice against God’s direction is always a wicked execution which never escape God’s attention. For the people at the construction of Babel, God visited their disobedient to scatter them and confused their language. (Genesis 11:8)
Are you applying discretion for your preservation and exercising understanding to keep you?
After Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord, the Lord appeared to him. It is written, “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5) Solomon could think of nothing better but responded to God’s question asking, “… give to Your servant an understanding heart…” (1 Kings 3:9) Understanding is for man to be kept in the journey of life. The bible recorded in 1 Kings 3:10, “The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” God added wisdom to Solomon’s request for understanding. Truly, wisdom compliments understanding and it is the combination of both that will give a knowing edge over confronting challenges of the world. Proverbs 4:7 admonished, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Listening to God’s word of direction is the assured way of gaining understanding that will keep man in the journey of life. Today, make the choice which preserves man; gain understanding that will keep you to live life for the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of making right choice and applying understanding from God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Encased in the word of God is what it takes to escape wicked agendas of wicked world.

John 1:1-38

The word of God of God. His word is astonishing (meaning that it is shocking, it is AMAZING…Acts 13:12)
The word of God is for warning in preaching (Colossians 1:28) and it is not for preachers to be reaping man’s possession. The word of God is testified in Psalm 18:30, “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Hebrews 4:12 described the word of God stating, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Without doubt, Jesus is the word of God. John 1:1-5 recorded, “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.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
The book of John 1:1-5 is not proving or forcing the truth about the word of God but introduced need to know and understanding the word of God. Any man with choice to adapt and adhere to the living word of God as a mirror will not fail but to reflect the word of God in this wicked world. The living word of God is all that every man need to prevail in every area of living life to the glory of God in this wicked world.
How do you engage the word or will you take a position to be engaging the word of God? Without holding back, begin to behold and see in the word of God as mirror. Behold the word of God constantly by hearing and hearing with effective listening ability. In beholding the word of God as mirror, begin to see and receive in the word of God. Seeing indeed and in truth in the word of God there will be no doubt that shame will not locate man as garment. What man sees and receive in the word of God will make up man’s life.
Have you received enough in His word to be living in the word of God? Encased in the word of God is what it takes to escape and not be a victim of the wickedness of this world. If you will seek, you will see and be able to capture a secured future in the word of God which cannot be broken nor return to Him void.
Prayer for today: Ask God to be giving self to the word of god for unfailing in all areas of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Humility makes you a leader from God.

Matthew 26:47-56

Your title is not your task but to serve your people. As an acclaimed believer of God, be living according to the word of God. For example, as a believer of the word of God, live life with humility outside or inside of the church. As a believer of the word of God, with humility live as a server of the people you are in position to lead.
As an acclaimed believer of God, do you have humility?
To be a leader is to be the one that serves not to take a position as god. Jesus was mindful of the things of God and could not be a vessel of deception. God exalted Jesus and God gave Him a name that is above all names. (Philippians 2:9) Lying, deception and manipulation should not be the character of a titled leader. As a believer that is living by the word of God how do you handle your leadership role?
Does your role as a leader separates you or blends you with those that you serve? Can you be identified with the people that you are leading? Your identity as a leader that serves should not only be in your attire or material but in humility. Jesus taught humility, He demonstrated humility and at the time of His arrest it was evident that He lived and ministered humility. When it was time for Judas to betray Jesus, it was through kissing. Jesus was so much identical with His disciples. Matthew 26: 48-49 “Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.”  Jesus’ humility extended to His appearance; He was so blend with His disciples and He could not be identified except with a kiss.
What does humility mean to you?
Humility can be described as a condition of being humble. One that is humble is courteously respectful; not proud or arrogant. Humility is what preserves the soul. Psalm 69:32 buttressed, “The humble shall see this and be glad; and you who seek God, your hearts shall live.” Humility is one of the keys to live life as a true believer. It takes humility for man to think of others before thinking of self. Apostle Paul bolstered, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3) Do you constantly think of yourself more than how you think of others?
Without doubt, humility is a state of mind well pleasing to God. Humility is a branch of faith and without faith God is not pleased. Be humble and live life to the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to live life with humility as your character.