FAITH CAPSULE: Desist wickedness and know that the righteous will live with God forever.

Psalm 73

Do you know if you are wicked one? Jeremiah identified the wicked by stating, “Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, they have taken the root; they grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.” (Jeremiah 12:1-2) The identity of wicked in Jeremiah’s word is those with the word of God in their mouth but not in their heart. In the church, among acclaimed believers, the word of God is very conversant in the mouth but word of God is not evident in way of living.
The Psalmist pointed out several characters of the wicked in Psalm 73 stating that: The wicked are not in trouble as other men, pride serves as their necklace, violence covers them like a garment, their eyes bulge in abundance, and they have more than eyes could wish. Psalmist further identified that the wicked scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression, they speak loftily, they set their mouth against heaven and their tongue walks through the earth. The psalmist called the wicked ungodly. According to the psalmist, wicked are always at ease and they increase in riches.
The psalmist could not hide his feelings as regard to wicked ones when he stated, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:2-3) Wicked ones in the days of the psalmist are still same of today. Nothing has changed in the characters of the wicked ones. However, God sees all and He is neither slumber nor sleep. Just like the psalmist, are you weary about seeing how the wicked prosper? God is in total control of all and it does not matter how much the population increases, He is still in control. True believers who want to see the end of the wicked reigns should only remain focus on God and not be partaker the acts of wickedness. True believer should rest on God knowing that the prosperity of the wicked shall not last; the pleasure of the wicked shall surely vanish and it will not be recognized before God. In the ways of life, desist from wickedness and know that the righteous will live with God forever. Do not be envious of the wicked, take heed to the word of Psalm 73:28 as stated, “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works.” (Psalm 73:28)

Prayer for today: Ask God for the heart that lives in the fear of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Know God to love Him by looking upon Him and He will look upon you for your salvation.

Daniel 6

God is a jealous God. He desires and deserves our attention. Giving Him attention is looking upon Him. God look upon us because of His love for us. Psalmist testified, “Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your name.” (Psalm 119:132)
God looks upon us but not look away from us. He looks upon us to keep us with direction and correction for those who will pay attention by listening to Him. Direct your love to God for His looking upon you.
The Israelites cried out in pain for His attention, He did not look away from to them but He looked upon them for their deliverance. Exodus 2:25 recorded, “And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” God will look upon us to acknowledge our need.
God Looking upon His children comes with action and no delay. He is an awesome God that exceedingly and sincerely cares for His children. God cares much by looking upon us to see if we care to look upon Him. Bible testified, “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” (Psalm 14:2, 53:2)
It is proven through the bible that knowing God is to love God by looking upon God.
Looking upon God is taking a position to possess His promises in His looking upon man. Praying constantly is looking upon God. Praying casually is not consistent and not enough of looking upon God. Daniel customarily prayed, looking upon God to gain God’s attention to look upon him. When a firm decree was in place against any that petitioned God, death in the lion’s death was established as punishment. Daniel became a target for lion’s den because he was looking up to God. It is written, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” (Daniel 6:10) Praying to God was Daniel’s way of looking upon God as his way of life. He was eventually placed in the den of lions as King recognized Daniel as petitioner of God when he declared, “…But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”(Daniel 6:16) Indeed, Daniel came out of the den with no injury or scratch on him because he believed in his God. (Daniel 6:23) Daniel was looking upon God as God could not look away from him for his deliverance and preservation all his life. Know God to love Him by looking upon Him prayerfully and He will look upon you for your salvation where there is no way out.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of looking upon Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: In your marriage, restore the good purpose of God.

Genesis 1, 2

It is written, “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters…”(Genesis 1:3-4) God, by His word created but when it came to the creation of man, the Bible stated, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26) Man was hand made by God. Just as man was created differently so were greater light and lesser light. Genesis 1:16-17 stated, “Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.” God, our creator, knew exactly what He was doing after the creation of man.
God recognized the need for His special handmade (Adam) and He put him to sleep. It is written, “…He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman…” (Genesis 2:21-22) The purpose of making a woman out of Adam was to create a comparable helper. God meant for good but the devil meant for evil. Devil is always in the midst of doing evil with no good. God’s plan for both man and woman (comparable helper) was and is to function successfully. Transparent relationship was the key of healthy relationship. It is written, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25) Helping each other evidently became hurting each other when Eve ate from the fruit which God had warned against eating. With transparent relationship, Eve would not have eaten against God’s command before telling Adam. Eve opened door for the violation of the command of God for comparable helper.
Is your relationship with your comparable helper transparent? When you begin to eat where your comparable helper does not know about then the enemy is enabled a position in your relationship. The absence of transparency between you and your comparable helper is the evidence that nakedness is no longer in your relationship. Adam faulted when Eve opened door for the devil. As a comparable helper, deny the evil one from sowing the seed of asunder. God knows what is good for your relationship. Be transparent with your comparable helper to restore the good purpose of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God this day for His word to have its place established in your marriage.

FAITH CAPSULE: God’s promises always go through process before manifestation.

Exodus 3

The promise of God is undeniable for man that takes His promise and sees it as true to be delivered by God. His promise belongs to any that behold, see in His word. Man is without any iota of doubt and ready to remain focus by beholding God the promises becomes one’s possession. God was not a garrulous (a talkative), He is not a garrulous; He will not become a garrulous from eternity to eternity. Awesome gracious God, a caring loving and long-suffering God that acts for His children that waits on Him. Isaiah 64:4 buttressed it, “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.” (Isaiah 64:4)
God promised to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of over four hundred stating, “So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.” (Exodus 3:8)
The promise of God for the Israelites was with process that demanded faith that demonstrates beholding; looking up to God regardless of challenges of the enemies. The promise of God is in the word of God that does not return void but shall accomplish what pleases God and shall prosper in the thing which God sent. (Isaiah 55:11) Unfortunately man only hears promise but ignore paying attention to challenges in the process of promise. Are you one that wants to claim the promise of God in His word but ignore the challenges in the process of promise? Challenge will come with process but man should rest in God by beholding Him. The Israelites paid attention to enemy instead of beholding God as stated, “So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid…” (Exodus 14:9-10)
Beholding enemy is an avenue to fear which encases self-destruction of man. God’s promise always remains unchanging while beholding challenges of the enemy in the promise will lead man out of God’s promise. All the Israelites that left Egypt, from twenty years old and above did not get to the promise of God by beholding challenges. Beholding enemies will lead to rebellion and complaint which is evil before God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to rest in the promises of God in His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: He is with you if you will behold Him to see you through.

Genesis 28

Jacob’s escape from his brother (Esau) from Beersheba toward Haran brought him to a certain place to sleep. In his sleep, he had a dream, “And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.  Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 28:13-14) In the dream was the promise of God for Jacob that called for his attention. Behold means to observe; to look at. God was calling Jacob’s attention to observe; to look at; to see the dream. Are you sincerely beholding Him?
Truly, the dream was loaded with great promise for Jacob as he encountered his journey of life. Just as dream sounds promising so the word that sounds in our ears are promising. However, the challenge of man with dream or word of God is: Are we observing; looking or seeing in the dream or word of God that sounds in our direction? God purposely called Jacob’s attention before delivering His promise to Jacob stating, “Behold”.
With the promising dream for Jacob, God also assured Jacob with promise of manifestation of the dream by calling is attention as stated, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:15) God used the word “Behold” to call Jacob’s attention for the promise; He also used the word “Behold” for His assurance to the manifestation of the promise for Jacob.
In the word or dream of God, He has promised you and assured you through the pages of the bible but you are not beholding Him. Are you looking or seeing in what He has spoken? A failure to behold (look or see) in the word of God is self-denial from possessing God’s assured promise. Pay attention to His promise; He shall see you through for manifestation. God’s promises always go through process before manifestation. In all process challenge is not exempted. However, beholding God for His promise is looking up to God which is the evidence of faith in God. In all the word or dream of God for your life, have faith; meditate His promise for manifestation. Jacob repeatedly engaged discouraging forces against God’s promise for his life but he beheld God through his journey. Do not become self-denial of God’s promise for your life. Deny discouragement in your life but be steadfast beholding God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be steadfast looking up to God.