FAITH CAPSULE: Do you have humility or you only talk about it?

Matthew 26:47-56

Humility can be described as a condition of being humble. One that is humble is courteously respectful; not proud or arrogant. Humility is what preserves the soul. Psalm 69:32 buttressed, “The humble shall see this and be glad; and you who seek God, your hearts shall live.” Humility is a key to living life as a true believer. It takes humility for man to think of others before thinking of self. Apostle Paul stated it well, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3) Do you constantly think of yourself more than how you think of others? Without doubt, humility is a state of mind well pleasing to God. Do you have humility or you only talk about it? God is mindful of man but man is mouth full of God. The word of God admonished us, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus was mindful of the things of God and could not be a vessel of deception. God exalted Jesus and God gave Him a name that is above all names. (Philippians 2:9) As an acclaimed believer, do you have humility?

Jesus taught humility, He demonstrated humility and at the time of His arrest it was clear that He lived and ministered humility. To be a leader is to be the one that serves. As a believer that is living by the word of God how do you handle your leadership role? Does your role as a leader separates you or blends you with those that you serve? Can you be identified with the people that you are leading? Your identity as a leader that serves should not only be in your attire or material but in humility. When it was time for Judas to betray Jesus, it was through kissing. Jesus was so much identical with His disciples. Matthew 26: 48-49 “Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.”  His humility extended to his appearance He was so blend with His disciples and He could not be identified except with a kiss.

Prayer for today: Ask God for humility to reign and rule in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not make yourself available for the devourer.

Job 1, Mark 14: 43-52

The book of 1 Peter 5:8 warned, “Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” It is good to know that power belongs to our God. While the devil walks about, God sits on His throne to see all. 2 Chronicles 16:9 buttressed, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” God shall never leave His own vulnerable for the adversary to devour. Do you fear God enough that you may be acknowledge for protection by the hand of God? Having a loyal heart is relying on Him. Those who rely on God are the ones who fear God.

It is recorded in the book of Job 1:6, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.” Can you imagine Satan having access to the gathering of the sons of God? Satan was asked about where he was coming from, he declared that he was going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it (Job 1:7). For Satan, it is business as usual, looking for someone to devour. Since the days of the Bible, Satan has been going to and fro looking for someone to devour, today he is still looking for whom to devour and tomorrow he will continue to look for someone to devour until his time is up. The devil is at work and he has not given up his hope of frustrating the business of the kingdom just as he has been doing since he was driven out of heaven.

When Jesus was here, the devil also found its way to use Judas one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. Judas was available to be an agent for the devil when he got paid to betray Jesus. It is written in the book of Mark 14:10, “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.  And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.” Indeed and in truth, when it was time for Satan to work through Judas, it was through a convenient way. Judas gave Jesus up with a kiss. What is the convenient way you have taken to allow Satan? It does not matter where you are or what you do, if your walk in the Lord is short of fully obeying Jesus you are betraying Him. Do not make yourself available for the devourer. Trust God for the grace not to be a victim of the devil.

Prayer for today: Ask God to fill you with the knowledge and grace not to betray Jesus in all your walks of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Glorify God so that He may be glorified in the life He has given you.

Genesis 19

A failure to see that God is moving you forward is the passage to self-destruction. Think of it, relocation from a comfort zone is challenging but a new zone is refreshing if a believer sees God as the One ordering steps. Embrace where you and allow the past to be in the past. Glorify God so that He may be glorified in the life He has given you. Having life today is not because of merit but because of His mercy. Psalm 117 admonished, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us and the truth of the Lord endures forever.” Mercy of God was in place for Lot and his family but Lot’s wife failed to see the mercy of God in her relocation. As an acclaimed believer, do you see God in your relocation? Those who live by faith will see in faith and move by faith knowing that the truth of the Lord endures forever. The truth of God is in His word. He gave His word to warn Lot stating, “…Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” (Genesis 19:17)

An escape from self-destruction demands setting sight on the Commander of commands. The command was obviously too difficult for Lot’s wife to obey because she could not look away from her comfort zone. The Bible records that Lot’s wife looked back behind him and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26) Could it be that your relocation is God’s way of repositioning you for better? What is it in your past that cannot be forgotten and is causing you not to see God ordering your step? Looking back is an evidence of worry instead of glorifying Him. God is moving you forward to a different ground for your deliverance purpose, disallow complaint from occupying you.

The children of Israel were taken out of the bondage of over four hundred years, but their bond with the house of bondage loaned them out to self-destruction. It is written, “Now the mixed multitudes who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!’” (Numbers 11:4-6) The children of Israel vigorously complained instead of glorifying God for His merciful kindness and His truth which endures forever. Complaining does not settle well with God. Give all the glory to God for where you are today.

Prayer for today: Ask God to take over your days so that your days be concentrated to His Word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do you give Him glory as often as it should be?

Psalm 115, John 11:1- 44

It is grace to see a new day; it is grace to see a new week and it is grace to see a new month. Why not turn away from your challenges and turn aside to God and give Him glory. It is not worthy to constantly and continuously praise God if praising Him is not with understanding. God must be praised with understanding. Praising Him with understanding should be rooted in the heart because He only sees us at heart. Praising with understanding is the kind of praise that inhabits the presence of God. Today, if you will turn unto God with praise, glorifying His name He will give you uncommon attention. He is God that is mindful of His children.

After Lazarus has been confirmed dead, Martha approached Jesus trying to remind Jesus that the power of resurrection is limited to only the last day when she said, “…I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”(John 11:24) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”(John 11:25-26) Jesus’ statement is a known truth. It does not matter when and what has been pronounced dead in your life your resurrection is not limited to the last day. Jesus paid it all on the Cross of Calvary! All that Jesus asks for is to believe what He has come to offer us. The point here is that God is to be glorified. Right after giving the command to roll the stone at Lazarus grave, “Jesus said to her, ’Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying…” (John 11:40-41)

God is to be glorified. Do you give Him glory as often as it should be? To not give Him glory as often as it should be is the evidence to have forgotten Him. Psalmist buttressed stating, “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” (Psalm 50:22-23) Understand to glorify Him because of His mercy; understand to glorify Him because of His truth and your challenges will not have reason to mockingly ask, “So where is your God?”
More than ever before, declare this month your month of God’s glory and see Lazarus’ kind of resurrection answered for you every area of life. Give Him glory and testify His goodness!

Prayer for today: Ask God to incline His ear to you and be glorified in your life this month.