FAITH CAPSULE: Do not be careless but be careful to move only in the word of God.

Jonah 1

The word of God is His command. God’s command is His way. Proverbs 19:16 admonished, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.”  In the command of God, His way will guide man to arrive at expected end without failure or destruction. Are you keeping His commands that sounds in your life for self-deliverance and to shape a man’s destiny in this wicked world? Is it your ways that you are keeping instead of His ways? It is important not to look over the word of God as His command in every step of life.
Jonah made choice to place his way over the way of God by disobeying God’s command. Jonah 1:1-3 recorded, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,  “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet of God (2 Kings 14:25) could not make the choice for God’s command but made the choice of his way. Jonah’s careless response to the word of God caused him to be stumbled and took a position of self-destruction. Regardless of any challenging situation, Jonah’s business was to obey as commanded by God alone.
It was God Himself who called Moses out to go and lead the children of Israel out of the bondage that lasted over four hundred years. Moses was careless not to be careful to the word of God. He reacted to the rebellious act of the children of Israel towards God. Moses took it upon himself to strike the rock instead of speaking to the rock for water. Before God, no excuse will excuse man from answering to God’s command. There was no excuse for Moses before God when he took to his word. God responded to Moses, “…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.” (Numbers 20:12)
Do not be careless to God but be concerned and not be corrupted in responding to God’s command. Disallow your concern; allow His command for you to become established in His command. Regardless of your stand before God, remain careful and not be like Prophet Jonah and Moses a great man of God who were careless but not careful to move in the word of God. At all step of your life consistently attend to God and God will give you unshakable attention.

Prayer for today: Ask God for grace to be walking in His way all the days of God’s given life to you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Among ways existing for God is worshiping God by doing good that gives Him glory.

Luke 10:25-37, Revelation 4

Revelation 4:11 stated, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” The key will of God is: man is to exist for God. Angel worship God non-stop. Man (as God’s creation) exists for worshiping God. Among ways existing for God is worshiping God by doing good that gives Him glory.
Always, at all time, is it in you to exist doing good for the glory of God?
Bible recorded, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) The need and the importance for us to be doing good as we engage living life cannot be emphasized enough. Think about the statement that, if knowing to do good and not do it is a sin, knowing to do good and doing it must be a blessing. In the book of Galatians 5:22, doing good is listed among the fruit of the spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” Many scriptural passages emphasized the importance of doing good. Romans 12:9, “…Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13, “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.” Hebrews 13:16, “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Jesus identified an example to be a good one in the parable of the Good Samaritan. In the parable, a stranger from Samaritan saw another stranger from Jerusalem who fell among thieves; badly wounded and was stripped off his clothing. The Samaritan could not walk away like others before him did but he engaged the stranger from Jerusalem and spent his resources to make sure the stranger from Jerusalem received proper medical attention. Jesus our compassionate savior referred to the good doing of the Samaritan stating, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” (Luke 10:33) Doing good is having compassion. Compassion is the heart of Jesus. Evidently, it is godly to be doing good.
Are you a believing believer or you are an unbelieving believer? As a believing believer, make the choice to consciously have mind of doing good to the glory of God. Be constantly concern for doing good. As a believing believer become care active where caring for good calls for. know fully well that what you are doing is in the name of God and for the glory of God. To be concerned for others is heaven acknowledgeable and it is blessing provoking. Gain the understanding that doing good glorifies God.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s grace to be doing good for the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Deny distraction to deny doubt in the promise of God for your life.

1 Samuel 13

Promise of God is power to deliver. God is not a talkative or loquacious God which His word returns void to Him. Are you holding to the promises God in His word with negative? Delay in the promise of God is not to be denied but delivers at an appointed time of God. Doubt is what denies man from claiming God’s promise. Affliction can be a challenge. The word of God promised, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) In your challenging affliction, take to the unfailing promise of God as stated, “…but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
In life, what a man observes will determine what a man sees to receive. Do you observe to see and receive in the promise of God? God promised the children of Israel with the Promised Land. God’s promise wanted to deliver them out of bondage of over four hundred years for their fulfilment of better life. The Israelites came out of the bondage of Egypt as a package of the promise of God to take them to the Promised Land. However, on the journey to the Promised Land, the Israelites unpacked from the promise to bring them to the Promised Land. Focus was shifted to the Egyptians attempt to deny their escape and bible recorded, “…the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptian marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10) The Israelites behold their enemy and fear took over the Israelites. What are you beholding as your focus? Beholding the challenges of life will hold back man from moving forward in life. A believer that sees in the spoken word of God which does not fail is enough to eliminate negative in time of challenges. God is abundantly able.
Saul’s win against Philistines battle was in the promise of God through Samuel. King Saul was commanded to wait for seven days in the face of intimidating challenge. King Saul could not wait and Samuel came stating to Saul, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore, I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”” (1Samuel 13:11-12) Saul could not deny distraction; the Israelites lost their focus against their enemy. Are you opening for doubt that is the agent of distraction which denies God’s promise in man’s life? God is able, allow the promise of God to preserve and promote you at all time.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to always see in the promises of God to overcome your challenges.

Faith Capsule: Know to engaging the wisdom of God for His hand to be established over your life.

Psalm 31

Today, the wisdom of God is important to navigate through the evil days that are here like the days of Noah. Jesus warned, “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.” (Luke 17:26)
However, when there is lack of understanding of God’s wisdom there will be no knowledge. Isaiah 5:13 is true when it stated, “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge.” It is knowledge to gain understanding that there are two distinct kinds of hands that operate in the life of man: the hand of God and the hand of evil one. Are you engaging the wisdom of God for His hand to be established over your life? The hand of God, of course, should be the one that is strongly desire.
The hand of God delivered the children of Israel from the bondage of over four hundred years and it added favor. Exodus 3:19-21 stated, “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…” The hand of God was also in place for Ezra to complete his journey. It is written, “On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. (Ezra 7:9) The hand of God is a source of encouragement for those who set their mind for His hand to answer on their behalf. Ezra 7:28 testified, “…So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me”
It is possible to rise and not able to build. However, to rise and able to complete is also in the hand of God. Nehemiah testified, “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ Then they set their hands to this good work.” (Nehemiah 2:18). Do you consciously desire the hand of God upon your life? There is no deep place one cannot reach, neither is there any height one cannot climb because, “In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also.” (Psalm 95:4) God is a complete God with outstretch hand. The hand of God is not shortened that it cannot save those who desire His hand to work on their behalf.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of understanding, wisdom and knowledge of God in this evil days.

FAITH CAPSULE: Is your case like that of Gehazi?

2King 2, 5          

Whatever one desires in life one must devote to attain one’s desires. With devotion to attain one’s desirer in place, desires become deposited in one’s life. What you want God to do in your life to enhance the fulfillment of
Do you know your God’s calling upon your life? Knowing your God’s calling upon your life calls for your understanding that God demands your consistent devotion. Calling of God upon the life Elisha through Elijah made Elisha to realize the calling upon his life. Elisha also realized the channel for the flow of his calling when he gave up distraction and entered following Elijah.  Elisha saw what Elijah had done by the hand of God upon his life. By God’s testimony over the life of Elijah, Elisha followed Elijah everywhere he went.  Elisha was fully devoted as he denied agents of distraction such as discouragement and mockery. Elisha, in his journey of life could not be distracted from focusing on God’s calling upon his life. It is written, “And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel. Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today? And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” (2Kings 2:1-3) Elisha disregarded the sons of prophets from their attempt to be discouraged.
After Elijah, Elisha took the position of Elijah by answering his God’s calling. Elisha’s graduation to the place of Elijah is the lesson for all to deny distraction. Elisha denied distraction but Gehazi the Elisha’s servant could not deny distraction from living in the center of his calling.
Gehazi could not keep his focus. Once, Elisha turned away the gift from Naaman for his healing. Gehazi went behind Elisha to collect gift of Naaman. Gehazi was distracted when he pursued Naaman to reclaim the gift. Gehazi lost focus because of distraction; his purpose was altered and his heart went after material things. Is your case like that of Gehazi? Do you know what your calling is about? Elisha found out Gehazi’s search for material things in the center of God’s calling upon his life. Elisha reacted to Gehazi’s action when he pronounced a curse upon Gehazi stating, “… the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.’ And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.” (2Kings 5:27)
Do not lose focus which may bring upon you everlasting or generational curses.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to keep you away from evil agents which goes after the calling of God upon man’s life.