FAITH CAPSULE: Do you know where your setback situation is taking you to?

Exodus 2

Moses’ attempt to rescue his brethren from the bondage of Egypt he encountered unexpected his own relocation from palace of Pharaoh to the desert. It is written concerning Moses, “Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” (Exodus 2:11-12) Despite being raised in the palace of Pharaoh, Moses’ desire for the welfare of his brethren was his passion. He killed the Egyptian, thinking none had seen him. When he went out the next day, in an effort to settle a fight between two of his Hebrew brethren, the killing of the Egyptian was brought up to him when he was asked, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian…?” (Exodus 2:14). Moses realized that his doing was no longer a secret as he fled from Pharaoh’s palace to the desert. Fleeing from a great palace of Moses time to a desert was a setback for Moses.
When Moses had come to Midian he helped in delivering the daughters of a Midianite priest from their oppressor. The Bible recorded that the seven daughters of the priest of Midian came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. (Exodus 2:16-17) The daughters of the priest reported their encounter with their oppressors and how Moses stood up to help. As a result, Moses was offered a place to stay by the priest of Midian. Moses’ response to the offering of a place was the root of the grace that placed him in the center of his divine assignment.
The Bible recorded Moses’ response, “Then Moses was content to live with the man and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.” (Exodus 2:21)  Moses plunged from living in a great palace to desert where all kinds of lack was prevailing but yet continued on his journey of life. Moses remained content in time of his situation of setback. Do you know where your setback is taking you to? Who knows where setback situation will lead to? God alone is taking man to divine destination but man does not know the route to divine destination. This year, trust God and hope in God that your situation is only a setback that is a set stage for where God is taking you to. Moses’ lifestyle was altered; but life continued. Does this apply to your situation?  Focus on God, for “Godliness with contentment is a great gain” (1Timothy 6:6).

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of contentment in all areas of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Maintain what His word says so as to attain His promises.

John 3

In the word of Moses to the children of Israel, there is a testimony of God’s loving care for His children. It is written, “The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God,  who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.” (Deuteronomy 1:30-33) God, the unchanging changer remains consistent with His love for us. The same way God cares in the bible days is still the same today. The book of John 3:16 also testifies the love of God stating, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Absolutely, there is nothing a father need to do for the salvation of his children that God is yet to do. God is a good and caring God.
When was the last time you have acknowledged God’s consistent love for you? All man is doing is serving and walking in His word inconsistent? Despite our inconsistency, God continues to be consistent. If you will take a moment, ask for His forgiveness; thank Him for His unswerving patience in listening and forgiving all your shortcomings and wicked ways. God is worthy of all honor and adoration. Seeking God at   convenient time is not seeking Him consistently. Ask God for intervention in every area of your life that does not glorify His name. It is never too late to turn to God for forgiveness. God will not overlook sin and the word also confirms in Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”  Take to the word of God with commitment because He will bring His word to perform it. The bible recorded in Acts13:18, “Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness” Despite His putting up with the Israelites, the Israelites could not maintain the word of God but repeatedly failed. God faithfully endures man’s inconsistency. It is up to man to give self to the word of God and not be a victim of the wicked world. Maintain what His word says so as to attain His promises.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to miss out of His promise for your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Knowing God is to remain steadfast in the Lord.

Philippians 4

Telling lies before God is telling lies to God. Truly, telling lies day after days is the evidence of heart that is not steadfast with God and not faithful to His covenant. The Israelites were example of lack of steadfast and not faith to God. It is written for our understanding in Psalm 78:37, “For their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant.” God is merciful but His merciful is not for us to be taking it for granted. Romans 6:1-2 stated it well, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
Are you steadfast faithfully in the Lord?
To be repented and become acclaimed believer without becoming steadfast before God does not get any man closer to God. To be steadfast in the Lord is to remain and become stayed in the Lord by dwelling and abiding in the Lord. David desired for God when he stated, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) Knowing God is to remain steadfast in the Lord.
Steadfastness in the Lord demands meditating day and night to have encounter with the presence of God. Meditating is crucial to remain steadfast in the Lord God.
God did not hide the secret of meditation when He approached Joshua after the death of Moses. Joshua 1:8-9, “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. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Knowing God steadfastly is to be able to carry out great exploits. Daniel 11:32 buttressed, “…but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”
Retaining the presence of God is the avenue to carry out great exploits.
Paul admonished what to meditate for retaining the presence of God stating, “…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”(Philippians 4:8-9) In meditating, to think right, to think just, to think pure, to think lovely, and to think good report is to be taking position that is good to the glory of God.
Know God by your steadfastness, with your meditation and take a position to be strong and to carry out great exploits to the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the renewal of a steadfast spirit within you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you thinking clearly when it comes to God’s promises and plans for your life?

Numbers 32:1-42

Knowing God is to know that God hears and answers when a call is placed unto Him. When you call on Him, know what you ask for and think all of His promises to your request.
God responded to the Israelites in the bondage of Egypt with promise of land that flows with milk and honey, but they resigned themselves to a land that flows with only milk. The children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a great multitude of livestock. When they saw that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead were regions for livestock (Numbers 32:1), they decided to settle there and not go over the Jordan to the land where God was taking them. Are you denying His promise for your life?
Denying God’s promise for your life is despising His word.
Despising the word of God is setting self for self-destruction.
God is a good God. Thinking (meditating) on His promise is being elevated for good.
Paul admonished the importance of meditating by stating, “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8) Promise of God is loaded with nothing but good. Has He promised you but you are not thinking (meditating) on His promise?
The Israelites could not meditate to possess but went to Moses and requested to stay on a portion of God’s promise. It is written, “Therefore they said, if we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.” (Numbers 32:5) Can you imagine man’s dubious thinking? God was taking the Israelites to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, while the children of Reuben and Gad limited themselves, they were only thinking of their livestock (source for milk). The thought of honey no longer held their interest. Are you thinking clearly when it comes to God’s promises and plans for your life? Deny yourself, meditate the promise of God. Know it that God’s promise for you is lovely and it will deliver good report for you. God was not failure and He will not fail. Meditate His plan for you because He is having a better plan for you than the plan you have for yourself. He said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Do not deny yourself from what God has planned for you. His thoughts for us are better than the thoughts we carry in us.

Prayer for today: Ask God to take full charge of your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Engaging love for worthlessness and falsehood is turning the glory of God (presence of God) to shame.

John 8:21-47

Asking, seeking and knocking are the ways of praying to God to hear us. David demonstrated experience of expecting to pray to God so as to hear from God. David stated, “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.”(Psalm 4:1-3)
Clearly in the verses above, David testified deliverance from distress because in his prayer to God, he was relived.
David also pointed out that engaging love for worthlessness and falsehood is turning the glory of God (presence of God) to shame. David must have been curious by asking for how long will man love continues for worthlessness and seek falsehood.
Are you in the religion of worthless and falsehood? How long will man hang in worthlessness and falsehood religion that does not deliver answer for praying to God?
What is it about worthlessness? What is it about falsehood that is taking charge in the life of man especially acclaimed believers?
Worthlessness can be described as: Insignificance, unimportant, irrelevance. Worthlessness is without doubt good-for-nothing.
Falsehood can be described as: Lie, untruth, misrepresentation. Falsehood is nothing but engaging act of deceiving, the act of lying or making false statements. Are you embracing self with worthless and falsehood? Seek God to express the love of God. God cannot be deceived.
Majority knows the truth but makes the choice not to believe truth. Exchange truth for lie is the evidence of man’s comfortable with emotion that does not extend to God.
Man makes the choice of not to clinch truth which is not to believe Jesus. John 8:45 recorded Jesus’ word, “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.”
Among reasons God will not hear prayer is the result of: Failure not to believe Jesus but take to lie in the place of truth; turning to worthlessness and falsehood is turning the glory of God to shame. Know God by clinching to truth.
–Knowing God will determine our knowing edge (knowledge) to be over the challenges of this wicked world.
–know about God is the avenue to unfailing stagnation; it is the source of limitation of moving forward and not able to have edge over challenges of this wicked world.
Know God to avoid worthless and falsehood to retain the presence of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His hand to deliver you from conscious or unconscious worthlessness and falsehood.