FAITH CAPSULE: Express your expectation to provoke manifestation.  

2 Kings 4:8-37

Jesus’ parable of the Persistent Widow was meant to identify that faith demands persistence also to hope in the place of lack or in the place hopelessness. The persistent widow remained hopeful and patiently pursued her expectation. In the parable, the persistent widow eventually had a breakthrough with her expectation. At the end of the parable, Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes; will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) Indeed and in truth, for any that is claiming the kind of Abraham’s blessing, is there anyone who is really living out their faith? Anyone who is so committed to a life of faith that they just won’t give up no matter how hard life becomes? An example of such was the Shunammite woman where stubborn faith was demonstrated (2 Kings 4:8-37). When in the place of lack you call abundance by virtue of your faith, it will answer as abundance. Such act is a clear demonstration of stubborn faith (being stubbornly-faithful).
To be stubbornly faithful is an expression of expectation that bring forth manifestation. The Shunammite woman was barren at an old age when Elisha prayed for her. Her bareness ceased and she had a son. To the Shunammite woman, it was a miracle and an unforgettable move of God’s hand. When Abraham was at a juncture of lack, he was able to see provision. God provided for Abraham when a ram was made available for a sacrificial offering instead of Isaac. Abraham saw provision in the place of no provision, and the Shunammite woman saw life where there was death when her miracle son was pronounced dead. She refused to see the son dead and rather went and searched for Elisha. The woman repeatedly claimed that all was well until Elisha realized that the son was actually dead. The Bible recorded that the son was brought back to life by Elisha. The Shunammite woman’s miracle was all about seeing provision where there was none, and seeing life where there was death. Abraham saw a provision where there was none and God responded to his confession of provision by making available a ram for the sacrificial offering.
As a believer, making a claim that Abraham’s blessings are your is not true until you begin to exercise stubborn faith like that of Abraham. As one that believes and hopeful that God will provide in the place of a pressing need, what do you see? What you see will determine what you receive and what you receive will become of you. The hand of God is everywhere and evident in every living and non-living creature, the awesomeness of His miracle cannot be disregarded. To be stubbornly faithful will provoke the hand of God on your behalf.

Prayer for today: Ask God the grace to know and be able to remain persistent in your waiting on Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: The people of God are destroyed because they lack knowledge.

Hosea 4

It is written, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6) The people of God, the acclaimed believers got destroyed when they should not. People of God lack knowledge because they rejected it. Meaning knowledge was made available but was rejected. To reject knowledge is same as to disregard knowledge. His people did not embrace knowledge; God’s people did not give regard to knowledge.
Psalm 28:5 stated, “Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them and not build them up. Apart from becoming a vessel set for destruction, lack of knowledge also qualifies one as a candidate for captivity.
Isaiah 5:13 stated, “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” Evidently, lack of knowledge will make man to be destroyed or go into captivity.
What is knowledge?
Knowledge can be described as having a knowing-edge in every area of life challenges by applying wisdom. God has made available wisdom that is His word. The wisdom of God is full of conditions and promises that will enable His children to have edge over challenges and not be destroyed or go into captivity if His children give regard to His wisdom.
For example, having a way where there is no way; standing on ground where others are falling can be described as having a knowing edge over challenges of life.
As a child of God, to know and engage the promises of God is what identifies one as having knowledge.
Psalm 136:5 identified wisdom as what God used when He made heavens. Without doubt, wisdom is the word of God. It is the same wisdom that is made available for the children of God to avoid lack of knowledge and end up in destruction or in captivity.
Imagine true engagement to the same wisdom (word of God) that made the heavens? Then there shall be undoubtedly a knowing edge and no captivity or destruction.
1Corinthians 1:30, made us to know it that Jesus (the living word of God) is the wisdom from God…if you have Him indeed and in truth you are set for having a knowing edge over your challenges of this world.
What is it that denies man from lack of Knowledge?
Wisdom without understanding will always lead to lack of knowledge. Pay attention to gain understanding and no become a vessel set to perish; set for destruction or set to become captive of the wicked world.

Prayer for today: Ask God to fill you with the knowledge that shall keep you from destruction. 

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you saying there is no God by your verbal communication?

I Samuel 13

It takes a foolish minded one to take a position as a speaker for a forum which claims there is no God. Psalm 14:1 buttressed, “The fool has said in his heart that “there is no God” They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” Ones that say in the heart that there is no God are the ones that speak it from the mouth that there is no God. Jesus buttressed, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heartbrings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” (Matthew 12:34-35) It is always evil to say there is no God. Often time people say it that there is no God in their action and not only by speaking it out of their mouth. Are you saying there is no God by your verbal communication, body language or in your relationship with others?
Psalm 14:1 identified the foolish ones:
Those who are corrupt (That is dishonest practices like bribery and lack of integrity)
Those who do abominable work (engaging revolting and miserable work)
Those who does not do good (they are evil in approach)
Does any of the above sound like you? As a believer, you cannot afford to live life foolishly. To be living life in the wicked world of today demands constant answer to foolish question. As a believer, answering to foolishness word must not be with a foolish answer otherwise, one is also counted as foolish. Proverbs 26:4 warned “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.” This is to say, every ungodly acts that demands answer from one must be engaged with wisdom. Every challenging situation that calls for your response must be approached with a godly act to avoid being marked as a foolish one. Foolishness is a sin and sin does nothing but destroys man.

Saul was foolish in his act when he offered the burnt offering which does not belong to his office as a King but belongs to a priest. Saul could not wait for Samuel’s arrival as commanded by Samuel. At Samuel’s arrival, he asked from Saul why he offered the burnt offering. Saul’s reasonable excuse for burnt offering was because of Samuel’s late arrival and the impending danger provoked his violation of God’s command (carrying out burnt offering). Samuel responded to Saul’s foolish act, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you.” (I Samuel 13:13) Regardless of any reasonable excuse, it is a foolish act to violate God’s command when responding to the challenges of the wicked world.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to become a foolish one.

FAITH CAPSULE: When you are able to identify with what you carry then your journey is set for God’s glory.

Exodus 4

What do you carry that is meant to set you up for your divine assignment in life? The bible makes us to realize that we are the temple of God stating, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16) As a child of God, you are a temple of God, meaning a house of God. In your house, what do you carry that is meant to set you up and establish you on your journey of life for the glory of God? Think of it, it does not matter who you are; it does not matter where you are but it is important that you know you are not empty. However, when you are able to identify with what you carry then your journey is set for God’s glory.
The bible recorded about certain widow stating, “A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves. So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”” (2Kings 4:1-2) Eventually, it was a jar of oil in the house which the widow counted as nothing that brought her out of nothing into abundance. Does your story sounds like one with challenges and does not know that your solution is within you? The widow was delivered from mockery to miracle when her challenges were resolved through a jar of oil which she mistook as nothing.
Besides what is in the house, what you have in your hand and not know about it might be your steering to the center of your divine assignment. God knew what was in Moses hand when He placed a call on Moses. Moses, by not knowing what was in his hand attempted to reject the calling of God. God called Moses, “Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”(Exodus 4:1) God identified what was in Moses’ hand by calling Moses’ attention to it with a question, “So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”(Exodus 4:3) In the hand of Moses, ordinary rod served as a vessel of transformation. God will use you for His attainment if you listen and allow Him to identify what’s in your hand.

Prayer for today: Ask God to call your attention to what you carry for Him to use you.

FAITH CAPSULE: what is turning you from maintaining your commitment to God?

2Chronicles 25

The book of 2Chronicles 25:1-2 recorded, “Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.  And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.” The story of Amaziah sounded like that of acclaimed believers of today. Today, so many acclaimed believers are doing the right thing without a loyal heart in the sight of the Lord. Are you doing the right thing but disloyal in the sight of the Lord?
It is a right thing to know about and accept Jesus as the Lord and savior. It is a right thing to be coming out on a regular basis to worship in the church. It is a right thing to be actively engaged in church activities such as prayer and fasting. It is a right thing to be engaged in maintaining church properties. However, it is possible to be engaged in doing all that is right in the sight of God and not have a loyal heart.
Amaziah’s right doing in the sight of God was documented, “Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin.”(2Chronicles 25:3-4) Amaziah carefully obeyed the Law in the book of Moses and it was counted for him as doing right in the sight of God.
Amaziah’s disloyalty in the sight of God surfaced after winning a battle against the Edomites. It was a battle he would not have been able to win but divine intervention of God gave victory to him and Judah when they defeated the Edomites. After his victory, “he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them.  Therefore the anger of the Lord was aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?”” (2Chronicles 25:14-15) Amaziah was unwilling to listen to the prophet sent by God.  Amaziah could not maintain loyal heart for God that won him battle.
As an acclaimed believer, what is turning you from maintaining your commitment to God? Are you right in the sight of God and unconsciously disloyal in His sight?

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you not to be a disloyal vessel in His hand.