FAITH CAPSULE: Against wicked and darkened world are you giving self to the word of God for deliverance?

Judges 14

The word of God, the Spirit of the Lord is power of God. Through the pages of the bible, the power of God demonstrated healing, deliverance and preservation. The Bible recorded about Samson and the Spirit of God that worked for him. It is written, “So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.” (Judges 14:5-6) With the Spirit of the Lord there is nothing a surprising challenge can do but to fail and not prevail. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson when a surprise lion came at him and Samson prevailed against the lion.
In man’s every day journey in this wicked and darkened world, unexpected lions roam back and forth ready to devour man. In your daily journey, are you encountering unexpected lion? A journey that is yet to encounter a lion is not an evidence of a journey that is free from lion. Wisdom is the way to prepare for expected or unexpected lion that is meant to devour man. Taking to the word, the Spirit of God is wisdom. Jesus spoke in John 6:63, “…the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” The Spirit of the Lord that is power is the word of God. The word of God is also the light generator and when it enters, it gives light that that keeps man not to stumble. In your journey in the wicked and darkened world are you giving self to the word of God? The word of God is true to deliver. The Spirit of God delivered Samson from his enemies.
Are you spending time to study the word rather than skim through the word of God daily? Encountering the journey of today, in this wicked and darkened world, demands not to leave home without the word. Meditate the word of God that keeps man to God and not to be far away from the presence of God. The lion that encountered with Samson was a surprise, but the Spirit of the Lord upon Samson made him an overcomer of the lion. Give self to the word of God; the Spirit of God that is able to deliver man from known and unknown lions in the journey of the wicked and darkened world.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to increase studying word of His deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: Work the works of God, be a believer, with faith be rewarded by God.

John 6:1-40

Jesus was asked, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:28-29) Jesus identified that believing God is working the works of God.
Working the works of God is to believe and have the Bread of Life with no hunger and thirsty.
Working the works of God is to believe and have everlasting life.
Obviously, working the work of God (believer) will be rewarded.
God is a rewarder. Working the works of God is taking a position to be rewarded by God. Working the works God is a believer while faith is also identity of a believer. Evidently, God is the rewarder of worker (believer) that is a faithful one. Hebrews 11:6 testified, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” God is a rewarder of those that work the works of God, the believer, the ones with faith in God. Are you working the works of God, are you a believer, one with faith? Work the works of God, be a believer, with faith be rewarded by God.
Faith is like the live wire to believe. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) With the activation of the source of hearing and hearing the word of God, believing (working the works of God) shall set believer for being rewarded by God.
Among the source of hearing and hearing by the word of God are: meditating, studying, listening and praying.
Studying word of God is a source of hearing and hearing by the word of God. Studying word is not skimming through the word of God. It is studying that will lead to discovery of the treasure in the word of God; to work the works of God.
Meditating day and night is a way of hearing and hearing by the word of God to become a believer of God’s word. Meditating is observing to know to do the word of God. (Joshua 1:8)
Listening to the word of God brings understand which increase faith. (John 8:43)
Praying and ministering of the word continually builds up faith. (Acts 6:4)
When man is full of word, faith increases for man to work the works of works of God. Working the works of God is to believe as stated by Jesus. Studying, meditating, listening, praying makes man a believer which positions man for God’s reward such as peace. Philippians 4:9 buttressed, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Prayer for today: Ask for the word of God to become established in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: In all, for all, give glory to God.

Psalm 150, Jeremiah 48

Our Lord our God, the ancient of days, the King of Kings, hallowed be thy name.
God is worthy of our acknowledgement. He is a jealous God that demands attention. Exodus 34:14 identified God, “for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” God also spoke, “…For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” He is worthy of all our all adoration and praise at every breath. Psalm 150:6 said it well, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” At every breath, it is never too much to be praising God.
A failure to acknowledge Him demonstrates that we trust and rely on our own self-effort as strength. Are you resolving to your effort in every step of life? Is it self-trust that has brought you far in life? God sees it all concerning all man. God spoke against Moab in the book of Jeremiah 48:7, “For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity.” (Chemosh: The chief deity of Moab.) The word of God against Moab is worth for our attention to be provoked not to fail trusting God. The word of God against Chemosh should be a strong warning for man that only acknowledges self-trust.
It is clear that the people of Moab could have resolved to self-sufficiency whereby looking to their work and treasure as a measure of self-effort. A dangerous way to captivity is assuming self-effort as strength and source of blessing. God alone is our source. God wants to be glorified and exalted for every blessing that comes our way. Jeremiah 9:23-24 recorded, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says the LORD.” Have you been counting on self-effort in all areas of living life? Acknowledging God is counting God’s blessings; naming blessings one by one to give God all honor and glory. The Moabites are not around to tell us what it means not to be reduced by not acknowledging God. The Moabites ended up in captivity after having been in control of treasures. Testimonies of God are enough for us to learn, live to praise and glorify the name of God. It is time to turn around and give Him all the glory and honor that belongs to Him not to your efforts.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be living life of glorifying and praising God.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is a rewarder not a slave master.

Exodus 10

God alone is God. God is a perfect creator. 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.” Day after days; week after weeks; month after months; year after years God alone exists. God has been before the creation and He will forever be. God is a purpose God. He created man to serve Him. God expect man to serve Him.
The Israelites were in the bondage of over four hundred years. Serving outside of God became their portion as they built for Pharaoh. Exodus 1:13-14 mentioned, “So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. ¹⁴ And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.” Evidently, the Israelites were not able to serve God; living life in bitterness with hard bondage took over the Israelites. Before any situation, in any form of situation, God deserves to be served. For the Israelites in bondage, God demanded for their service through Moses. God requested, “So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” (Exodus 4:23) God repeatedly sent Moses to Pharaoh, “And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness” (Exodus 7:16) God’s emphasis for the Israelites’ service in the bondage is not different of calling for man to serve Him today.
How is your service to God?
Man that does not love the Lord cannot serve Him. Also, if man does not serve Him, man cannot love Him. Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Do you love God? Are you serving God? Serving God is working the works of God. Working the works of God is to believe in Him. Jesus said it, “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29)
God is a rewarder. Working the works of God is taking a position to be rewarded by God. Evidently, God is a rewarder of worker as stated, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Give your God given days to serve God. He is jealous God. God is not a slave master but a saving master.

Prayer for the day: Ask for the grace to serve God and live life for the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: In times of challenging situation, direction from God never displaces the steps of man.

1 Kings 19

Regardless of man’s title or position inside in the church or outside of the church, waiting on God is the key of overcomer. Elijah was a prophet in the hand of God but could not wait on God when challenging situation became his portion. With the execution of the prophets of Baal by Elijah at Brook Kishon, Jezebel the wife of Ahab the king of Israel wanted to execute Elijah. Elijah a prophet of God could not wait on God for direction to approach challenging situation of Jezebel. Elijah went further to respond to the threatening of his life, “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 Kings 19:4) Elijah desired to die when he failed to wait and seek God for direction. Elijah had no peace but was in fear by asking for death. Elijah could not wait on God but resolved run away from his challenging situation.
Are you allowing challenging situation to take over your direction?
Waiting on God for direction should always be a priority for children of God. In times of challenging situation, direction from God never displaces the steps of man. Isaiah 40:31 buttressed, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
Is your challenging situation causing you to run in the place of walking? Are you responding to your challenging situation by walking in the place to run? Weariness or fainting as a result of challenging situation is not the evidence of waiting on God. David’s testimony is the evidence of one that waits on God in the face of challenging situation. In the testimony of David, it is clear that waiting on God made David to walk and not run in the valley; David did not ask for death but went further regardless of his challenging situation. Elijah, a prophet could not walk but ran with prayer for death.
Without doubt, trusting on God is waiting on God. In your challenging situation, God cannot be rushed out of His salvation plan. God is not a sleeping God that will not attend to His children’s waiting on Him. Man’s title or position in the church or outside of the church demands waiting on God as a priority. Understand and know waiting on God otherwise failure shall become inevitable in the life of not waiting on God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of waiting on God in all direction and not become a vessel of failure.