Faith Capsule: Trusting God is not just the word of the mouth.

Psalm 34

Trusting God is walking in obedience listening to the voice of God doing as he has spoken. It is written, “Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1) Do you trust Him enough to cast your bread upon waters? Have you been casting your bread upon the waters? If yes, do not lose heart because you shall reap shortly. Do not grow weary because he is about to bless you in ways you never could expect. God blesses in many ways. If you will trust Him enough expect your blessing to come through different avenues.
Have you been placing your trust in man? Do not look to man, but God will use men and women to bring blessing to your life.  God is unlimited.  He has many windows of blessing that will open up. When people trust Him enough to listen and act based on what He is saying there is no limit to the blessings that can locate one. Do you trust Him enough to listen? If yes then you are set for abundance blessing to flow in your direction. With trust in God, expectation will be manifested from ways you least expected. Things that could not move for you shall begin to gain motion. Ideas that seem to have been stalled shall be installed. Mockery shall be converted to miracle. Do you trust God to rely on God? Trusting God is not a mouth act but an act from the heart. Many claims to trust God with no understanding of the root of what trusting God is about.
The foolishness of God is wiser than men. (1 Corinthians 1:25) It is foolishness to trust on what you do not see when you insist praying to One you do not see. God does not sleeps nor slumber, He alone knows exactly all those who trust in Him and He is good to those who trusts in Him. Nahum 1:7 testifies, “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.” Do you truly trust in God or you only talk your trust in God? The Lord spoke in Jeremiah 17:6-7, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.” Have you been placing your trust in a man? Trusting God is not just the word of the mouth. Many claim their trust in God but goes after man for help because they could not trust with all their heart. Some claims to trust in God but constantly lean on their understanding by not acknowledging Him in their ways.

Prayer for today: Ask Him for help that enables man to trust in Him fully.

Faith Capsule: Giving attention to God and not man is the only authentic route for our attainment.

John 5:1-15

The Bible talked about the pool of Bethesda stating, “In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.” (John 5:3-4) Pool of Bethesda was a center where all kinds of disease flock in great multitude because it answered for healing. It was a place where Jesus presents Himself. Have you been able to identify a healing ground where Jesus presents Himself? Where Jesus presents Himself healing and deliverance positions itself to locate those who give attention to attain their healing, deliverance or preservation. Without doubt, the Pool of Bethesda at that time delivers healing. It was at the same healing pool that a man could not receive his healing for thirty eight years.
The bible recorded, “Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”(John 5:5-6)  By virtue of His presence at the healing ground, Jesus asked do you want to be healed. He is still asking today if you want to be healed.
The man was waiting for someone to ask him if there is a healing need for him when it was obvious that he needed healing. For thirty eight years, he could not reach for his healing on a ground where many are reaching out and receiving their healing. The man with infirmity for thirty eight years was at the right track but remained trapped. For thirty eight years, he was a vessel of pity not able to position himself for his healing to prevail. Jesus asked the man, do you want to be healed but he gave an excuse answering Jesus, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” (John 5:7)
What is your hindering excuse for your healing breakthrough? The man with infirmity was looking for a man where everyman was actually looking for their own way to attain their portion. Moving forward for attainment in life demands, giving attention only to God is the only authentic route for our attainment. The man with infirmity remained trapped at the right track by waiting on man for help. Despite man’s inconsistency looking up to God for all situations, God remains consistently merciful. For the man with thirty eight years of infirmity, Jesus showed up. Look up to Him alone!

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to enable you in looking up to Him alone.

Faith Capsule: Listen to the word of God and turn to Him.

Proverbs 1

One that turns at God’s rebuke escapes negative life consequences. When God is set to speak to any of His creation, there will be no way to hide or prevent oneself from hearing from God. Consequences of not turning to God when He speaks can be exceedingly painful and last for life. One that makes the choice not to turn will be empty of God’s Spirit and will not know His word. It is one thing to know about His word and it is another to actually know His word. When the word is actually made known to those who turn at His rebuke, they are enabled to do great exploits to the glory of God and God shall be known in their life.
-A failure to turn at His rebuke is the evidence of having refused Him.
-A failure to turn at His rebuke sets one up for calamity.
-A refusal to turn at His rebuke will cause distress and anguish upon one’s life.
-One that refuses to turn at His rebuke will have a taste of what it means to call on God and not get an answer.
-Those that refuse His rebuke will seek Him diligently and not find Him.
-A failure to turn at His rebuke demonstrates lack of the fear of God.
-Refusing His rebuke is denying oneself a wise counsel.
-To refuse God’s counsel is to take a position of a way that may seem right in the flesh. Proverbs 16:25 warned, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Turn to His rebuke and experience the way that is life and not death.
As an acclaimed believer that has turned to God, be warned and know that there is no turning away from God. The word warned about the consequences of turning away, “For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.” (Proverbs 1:32) The Book of Proverbs 14:15 identifies the simple, “The simple believes every word…”
It is important to know that the word promised, “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” (Proverbs 1:33)
In Exodus 20:5, God identified Himself stating, “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” He is the Almighty Creator; He is the Uncreated Creator and why should He not react against His creation for not turning at His rebuke? The antidote for jealousy is giving attention. Turning away is to disregard Him and not give Him the attention He deserves. Turning away from Him is to provoke Him to jealousy. Give attention to God by turning at His rebuke and He will attend to you in all your ways.

Prayer for today: Ask God to make His word known to you by His power.

Faith Capsule: Turning at the appointed time is the greatest thing that can happen to a man in life.

Act 9:1-30

The book of Acts 9:1-2 stated, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Saul engaged a mission of wicked intention that led him to a turning point. It was a route that led him to turn to his center of divine assignment. Saul’s first response to the calling was with a question, “And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” (Acts 9:5)
Saul received the answer to his question, “Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 9:5) Jesus’ response ushered a turning point in Saul’s life causing him to respond with inquiry as to how he should proceed. It is written, “So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Saul’s answer confirmed his turning to the word of Jesus which directed him stating “…Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:6) It was this turning encounter that changed the name of Saul to Paul the Apostle.
Turning at the appointed time is the greatest thing that can happen to a man in life. It is important to know that where you are, or the challenge that is holding you down or chasing you around is possibly leading you to your center of divine assignment. Listen, no matter what has happened, your past is not enough to wrongly position you when God is set and waiting for your turning.
God is true to His word. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He turned the life of a fugitive to a forerunner of the business of His kingdom. He repositioned a murderer to a mover of His word using him to reach the very farthest corners of the earth. The Word of God in Proverbs 1:23 stated, “Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” God does not waste His word; He means what He says and His word will not return void. Indeed, it is evident in the life of those who turn to Him that the Spirit was fully poured on them as they operated fully in the power of God’s Spirit. The ones that turned to Him did not just know about the word but the word was made known to them and became evident as they ruled their world by the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask Him for the grace to turn you fully so that He can bring you to the place He wants you to be.

Faith Capsule: Live life by His word shame shall not be your portion.

Genesis 3

Shame belongs to the enemy of God. Any believer that is living by the living word of the living God shall know no shame. Shame is the consequence of sinful act. Adam and Eve became ashamed and they hide from the presence of God because they violated God’s word. God gave Adam and Eve a beautiful garden to keep with a clear command to Adam, “…Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) God’s command was violated when both Adam and Eve made the choice to disregard God’s command in regard to eating from the tree of the knowledge.
After their violation of God’s word, “…they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8) Hiding from the presence of God is the evidence of shame. It is only shame that will cause one to hide from the ground where one has been receiving and enjoying glorious reception. Adam and Eve could no longer open up to God’s visitation because they have closed themselves with sin. Sin is the consequence of shame.
As a believer, one that is living by the word of God, shame is not possible at any level except the word of God is no longer valid. Remember, God promised, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) Pay attention to every word of God and God will attend to you in every walk of your life.
Adam and Eve failed not to trust God enough to treat His word with obedience. When man fail to trust the word of God it shall lead to shame. Psalmist buttressed, “In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame.” (Psalm 71:1) It is not possible to be living in Gods command; to be serving God and yet be a vessel of shame. Shame only belongs to the ones who does not believe and serve God but other gods. Psalm 97:7 declared, “Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods.”
Listen, have you accepted Him as your Lord and savior? Live life by His word shame shall not be your portion “For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11)

 Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to constantly live life by His word.