FAITH CAPSULE: Today, make the choice to look and turn aside unto Him.

Exodus 3

Moses was running away from the palace where he was raised. He ran away from his ground of comfort to a ground of pain. He ran away from palace to desert. It was without notice that Moses fled because he accidentally committed murder in Egypt. Despite the fact that he was coming from the best place (Pharaoh’s palace) he did not despise where he ended and the word testified that, “Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.” (Exodus 2:21) While in Midian, he led his father-in-law’s flock to the back of the desert. Moses, while at Horeb, the mountain of God, “…the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush:  So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. ³ Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’” (Exodus 3:2-3) The burning fire that did not burn the bush caused Moses to look and behold.
Having been able to look and behold, Moses then decided to turn aside to the great sight. Many are on their ground to see and receive God’s direction, many have been privileged to get to the ground but make the choice to look outside of God. Are you looking and beholding Him without turning aside to give God the attention that is required to get the calling to the center of divine assignment. The Bible testifies that after Moses had turned aside, God decided to turn on to him. “So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” (Exodus 3:4) God is not a slave master but rather is the saving Master. God, the Almighty Creator could have forced Moses to turn aside but he did not. It is time turn and behold so that He may set you up for you divine assignment. He called Moses, He is calling you. Be encouraged and know that, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”(1Thesalonian 5:24) Although Moses attempted to run from the assignment, he could not hide. Moses answered God’s calling that set him up into the center of his divine assignment. Today, make the choice to look and turn aside unto Him. God is calling you to the center of divine assignment. Do not let the privilege of your calling to your center of divine assignment pass by without you He will reward you.

Prayer for today: Ask God to cause you not to miss out in Jesus name.

FAITH CAPSULE: A heart that engages meditation on the word of God disengages negotiation with the devil.

Luke 22:1-23

It is written, ““The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Ecclesiastes 9:3, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after they go to dead.” (Jeremiah 17:9) The Bible clearly demonstrated that the heart is where the rise and fall of man begins. It is what flows from the heart of a believer that makes a believer. The heart of a believer will make or break a believer. Among the part of a believer, the heart is the most important target for the devil to launch its attack. Judas spent time with Jesus and went to places with Him. Despite his entire experience with Christ his heart volunteered for the devil to manifest. The book of Luke 22:3-4 stated, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.” Satan went after the vulnerable heart of Judas and he was able to establish his plan of betraying Jesus. Invariably, faith will fail when the enemy attacks the heart.
Peter was close to Jesus and could also have been a victim of the devil. Once Jesus said to him, “…Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32) The only proven target for the enemy to strike is the heart. Ananias and Sapphira, his wife, were not forced to voluntarily sell their possession to buttress the fellowship of others, but they came up lying about the proceedings, “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep part of the price of the land for yourself? (Acts 5:3) Hearts need to be constantly engaged through meditation day and night.
A heart that is engaged by meditating the word of God is disengaged from negotiation with the devil. Determination to keep focus from letting Satan have its way can be disappointing. It was determination that failed Peter when he was determined not to deny Christ and eventually denied Him three times. Thank God that Jesus had already prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. It is a wise thing to join King David in praying Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  God answers prayer. Meditate the word and keep your heart from the agenda of Satan. What is the state of your heart?

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be constantly kept from the moves of the Satan against your heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: Look away from the wicked and not be envious of the wicked.

Psalm 73

1Samuel 2:3 recorded, “…For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” He sees all things because He alone is the creator of all things. God alone sees growth differently from the way man sees growth. In life, growth is possible in every area but not all growth can be measured as pleasing to God. The fact that wicked ones are growing just like the righteous one or more and better than the righteous one, without God’s reaction against the wicked is not an evidence of God’s approval. Indeed, God see it all and at His appointed time He shall judge. God does have His way of catching up with the wicked ones. Are you in a hurry to see the wicked face judgment of God?
The same God yesterday, today and tomorrow will not overlook the wickedness of today. The bottom line of it all is what Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:30: “Let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Where do you stand? Are you a representative of wheat or tare? At every time of rainfall and all that contributes to growth, both wheat and tares are in position to be benefited. Oftentimes, there is no clear distinction identifying tares from wheat. Also, it cannot and it should never be a surprise to see tares growing better than wheat. Awake from your sleep because the harvest time is coming. It will be here and it does not matter how long or how soon it takes to come. All that will make the difference is for you to be faithful in doing the will of the Father just like Jesus said, “Not every man who says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”(Matthew 7:21) Will you be willing to step out only unto God? Have you thought about your stand lately?

Are you paying attention to the way the wicked are living life?  The psalmist could not look away from the wicked when he stated, “For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked for there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.” (Psalm 73:3-6) God is never asleep nor slumber He will cause the wicked to be separated at His appointed. Look away from the wicked and not be envious of the wicked.

Prayer for today: Ask God in His faithfulness to deliver you from every agent of destruction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Express your appreciation to provoke your expectation.

John 10

Life should not only be about what you expect from the Lord but also how you express your appreciation to the Lord. By grace, the hand of the Lord has been keeping you from day to days, week to weeks, month after months and year after years. The hand of God upon you is not because of merit but mercy. Living life is not a right but a privilege bestowed upon us by God. Why not turn from expectation to expression of appreciation? Are you consciously aware that God expects our appreciation? When there is a failure to appreciate it becomes an evidence of foolishness. Foolishness is like saying there is none to appreciate. Proverbs 94:8-9 stated, “Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?” Do not be foolish not to express to Him your appreciation.
Are you expecting from the hand that has been keeping you by grace, and not by work? Do not allow your location or situation to deny your expectation. Jesus is the One that converts our expectation to manifestation. Jesus has never been limited or delayed by any location or situation when is time for Him to visit your expectation with manifestation. Once in a desert, despite the late hour, where there was no food to feed a stranded multitude, Jesus extended His hand of provision. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He will extend His hand in any location and situation that you have found yourself. Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude of about five thousand. Before the miracle of manifestation Jesus gave a command, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”  And they did so, and made them all sit down.” (Luke 9:15)

As a believer how have you positioned yourself in your expectation for the visitation of His miracle? Jesus did not do anything to the loaves and fish, until obedience was in place for His command. After He observed obedience, “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.” (Luke 9:16-17) In obedience to His command, expectation became manifested. Are you having problems following His commands? Engage obedience, manifestation of expectation shall be in place. Jesus that did it yesterday is alive to do it for you today. In this season, express your appreciation to provoke your expectation.

Prayer for today: Ask God to direct your heart into appreciation of His hand upon your life.