FAITH CAPSULE: In the journey of life, breakdown often comes before breakthrough.

Job 1, 2

The bible described Job, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” (Job 1:1) Man with the fear of God is set to be complete before God. However, the story of Job was not exempted from experiencing the wicked one. Despite of Job’s faithfulness he was exposed to the attack of Satan but could not be terminated. Job, a man that feared God lost all of his wealth; Satan attacked his health; Satan attacked his character; Job lost His property and children. Above all, his wife and friends ridiculed his faith. In the midst of it all, Job remained persistently faithful and not reviled God.
Job was broken in all area of his life but his breakthrough was intact when God responded to his faithfulness. Job 42:12-15 recorded God’s response to Job’s faithfulness, “Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.  He also had seven sons and three daughters.  And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch.  In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.”
Job was broken down but his breakthrough was upheld by God.
So many were broken before breakthrough in the Bible and all were meant for the glory of the Almighty God. You love the Lord and your walk has been consistently relevant in line with God’s word. Things have changed overnight; you are down, friends can no longer help, and desertions are showing their faces everywhere you turn. You can hardly count on anyone for help and it seems you are the only Christian that is out of place. All that surrounds you is beginning to wonder how long you will go through what you are going through. Complaint, discouragement or self-destruction is not what you need. You need to know that God will see you through if you will keep seeing through with the mirror of the word of God. God has a plan for you. Isaiah 63:14 buttressed, “As a beast goes down into the valley, and the spirit of the LORD causes him to rest, so You lead your people, to make yourself a glorious name.” The point here is that God constantly want to be glorified and make Himself a glorious name. When your breakthrough arrives, He will be gloriously glorified concerning your life. Job is a testimony. God will see you through. You are not alone.

Prayer for today: Ask God, “O Lord my God, look upon me and let me not be a failure, in Jesus’ name.”

FAITH CAPSULE: Lord helps in time of troubling challenge.

Psalm 3

When trouble increase it becomes a challenging trouble. A challenging trouble graduates to a permanent trouble. It is tolerating trouble that terminates troubled ones. In time of challenging trouble man’s faith is questioned. David, a man after God’s own heart had increasing trouble when he stated in Psalm 3:1-2, “Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.””
David testified how he dealt with his own increasing trouble.
First, David acknowledged God for His awesomeness by stating, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.” (Psalm 3:3) David did not allow his challenge to cloud is worship. David worshiped instead of worrying when he acknowledged God for what He has done and what He was doing in his life. Acknowledging God in a time of troubling challenge is a way of thanking God and it provokes God’s hand of intervention.
Secondly David testified, “I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.” (Psalm 3:4) Crying is not a sign of weakness. David did not let pride but he cried out loud. It was a cry with his voice not in his heart; it was a cry that went out loud to God’s (His) holy hill.The word of God requested open mouth wide and God will fill with one’s request. (Psalm 81:10) David testified that the Lord heard him from His holy hill.
Thirdly David mentioned, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.”(Psalm 3:5) After having demonstrated worship in the place of worrying, David slept over his trouble just like Jesus. Once, during Jesus’ cross-over journey with His disciples, a troubling storm became a troubling challenge. (Mark 4:35-41) In the midst of storm, “Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.” (Mark 4:38) When the disciples were no longer able to hold to faith, they woke Jesus up and Jesus rebuked the storm. With trust in God, David lay and slept despite troubling challenges. David rested his case in the hand of God.
Fourth, David disallowed fear to have a place in his troubling challenge. He stated, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.”(Psalm 3:6) It is true that when fear rises faith will sink and when faith rises fear must sink. Faith and fear does not tolerate each other and that is why a believer must eliminate fear. David made a conscious stand against fear when he declared, “I will not be afraid.” In the face of your troubling challenge, take a conscious stand of faith and not be afraid.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to hold on faith in the place of fear.

FAITH CAPSULE: His spoken word is to remain in us so that our joy may be full.

Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4

Jesus’ speech to His disciples confirmed that His spoken word is the source of joy when He stated, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) John also confirmed the word of Jesus as source of joy stating, “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:4) Paul the apostle buttressed, “…Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:18) Evidently, rejoicing testifies to being filled and full of the word just as stated by the word of God. Ones that truly receive and believe in the living word of God shall be full with joy.
As an acclaimed believer, think about it, why are you not rejoicing always?
Is the word of God gaining access in you? If yes, are you being filled by the word that is entering? Jesus wants His spoken word in us so that our joy may be full.
It is important to know that it is the fullness of joy that grants man to the presence God. Psalmist pointed out, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11) One must be joyful because the word He has spoken is true and it cannot return back to Him void.
Has He promised and not do?
One that is not rejoicing is the one with worrying in the world. One that have received the word and believe in the word should have no place for worrying but rejoicing because He commanded, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33) As one that claims to have accepted Christ as Lord and savior; one that is called according to purpose of God should not allow challenges to fill the place of joy. What are the things that are causing you not to rejoice? As a true believer, let it be known “…that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) In time of every challenging situation, engage the word of God by knowing that challenging situation shall eventually work together for good as promised in the word of God.
Be full of His word, allow joy and rejoicing become your portion regardless of challenging things of the world.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to enable His word have permanent place in your life.

FAITH PRESCRIPTION: Jesus is Lord and there is nothing He cannot do.

Mathew 11

What is it that is causing you to have doubt instead of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? With doubt fear will eventually come to place. Where there is fear or when fear is rising, faith will sink. The Bible identifies the source of faith stating, “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Engage hearing and hearing by the word of God, allow faith to rise so that fear will sink and doubt will have no place in you. Deny your present situation or your location from operating as an agent that causes you to doubt.
John the Baptist doubted Jesus. It is written, “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:2-3) Is there any representative of prison in your life that is causing doubt of what Jesus can do? John the Baptist, while spending time in prison doubted Jesus. It was John that baptized Jesus. It is written, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him” (Matthew 3:13) John the Baptist bears witness of Jesus, “…Behold The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.”’ (John 1:29-30) John also exalted Jesus when he stated that, “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all.” (John 3:31)
Despite all which John the Baptist knew about Jesus, when he was in the prison of his life, he doubted Jesus. John wanted to know what he already knew. Remember you have heard it all and you have seen it all; if you will hold on to all that you have known you will depart from doubt and not dwell in it. Jesus’ response to John’s doubt speaks to all with doubts, “…Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Mathew 11:4-6) Where there is doubt faith has a tendency to drown. Hebrew 11:6 recorded, “…But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” With faith, declare to your situation that Jesus is Lord and there is nothing He cannot do.

Prayer for today: Ask for grace of God to keep you that your faith will not fail.

FAITH CAPSULE: Before God, incomplete obedience is a full complete disobedience.

1 Samuel 15

Obedience demands commitment but denies convenience. Obedience is often demands agreement or submission. Think of it, obedience is sacrifice. The word of God demands full obedience without any excuse or compromise. Rising in response to the word of God is not enough without rising and moving in direct of the word of God.
King Saul was an example of rising in obedience to the word of God but could not answer fully in direction of the word of God.
God sent Samuel to Saul, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. ³ Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” (1 Samuel 15:2-3) King Saul rose up in obedience but failed to fully answer to the word of direction. Saul spared some and destroyed as decided on his own against the word of God. Saul failed and was rejected by God.
Rising in obedience to the word of God is not enough without rising and going in the direction of the word of God. Many are failing to fully answer in the direction of God’s word. Jonah answered but failed to fully answer. It is written, “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 ’Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.’ 3 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 1:1-3) Jonah responded by hearing but followed the dictates of his heart.
Disobedience of Jonah led him in the belly of a fish. It was a dark place; an unfamiliar ground for Jonah. An act of disobedience is to be disoriented just as it was like Jonah’s incomplete obedience. So many have started in the calling of God but failed as incomplete before God.
Jonah knew he entered self-affliction; He called on God. Jonah 2:1-2, “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: ‘I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, and He answered me. “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice.”” God answered Jonah and his repentance to God delivered him from incomplete obedience. Full obedience is all that counts before God. Excuse for disobedience could not deliver King Saul. Before God, incomplete obedience is a full complete disobedience.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you and not be a failure.