FAITH CAPSULE: Serve heaven a hearty thanksgiving and heaven will satisfy you.

John 6:1-14, 11:17-44

In obedience and thanksgiving, there is abundance. At the feeding of 5,000, Jesus asked His disciples not to let the people go away with an empty stomach. It was a desert area, a place that can never produce enough supply for the demand that was at hand. In John 6:5, “Jesus asked Philip, where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” Jesus’ disciples informed Him that a lad has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many? Are you wondering how your pressing needs shall be met? Knowing it that what you have at hand or on ground is never going to make up for what you need just speak your need to Jesus. In speaking your need story telling like that of Philip’s response to Jesus will be avoided.  If in your journey of life you have ended up in a desert area of life know it that with Jesus there is a way out and nothing is absolutely impossible for the maker of all things to do. Jesus will turn around your lack into abundance.

Jesus, after having received an answer from Philip that there was no enough to serve the people, He responded in John 6:10-11, “Then Jesus said, make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” The people obey the command of Jesus which called for them to sit down. There was obedience in the people’s response, and there was a thanksgiving offering unto the Lord for the little (five barley and two small fish) that became abundance. The people’s obedience and thanks which was offered to God combined and brought forth abundance.

It was same obedience in combination with thanks giving that brought Lazarus out of the grave of life. At Lazarus’ tomb, after Jesus’s command for the stone to be removed was faithfully engaged, He gave thanks which caused death to be replaced by life. (Luke 11)

At the desert of lack abundance took over. The book of John 6:12 recorded, “So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” In a desert ground; at late hour; where there was none to turn to except Jesus, obeying command (sitting down) and giving thanks was served to heaven and all were satisfied. Engage full obedience, extend a hearty thanksgiving concerning every area of your lack and it will be converted into abundance to the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to become one that knows to give thanks and live life obeying His command.

FAITH CAPSULE: Engage His command fully to excel for His glory.

Hebrews 11

Bible described faith, “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:1-3)
When the word (command) of God sounds in our direction we are to obey, to dwell on it and wait on God’s command for manifestation at the appointed time. All that faith described is evidence in the life of Abraham. It is written, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” The verse confirmed Abraham faithful before God because he was able to obey; he dwelt and waited on God’s command.

Obedience: When God called Abraham out from his country; his family; his father’s house to an unknown land, he obeyed fully by launching out as commanded by God. Although, there was no idea of where he was going but it was ideal for him not to question God. Abraham gave no reasonable excuse to decline the calling upon his life. Abraham obeyed God by moving from certainty to uncertain ground and abandoned his comfort zone. Indeed, Abraham “went out” just as it was mentioned in the scriptural verse above.

Dwelling: Abraham dwelt on the word of God. Living life according to God’s command is same as dwelling in the secret place of God. He did not look back but went forward as commanded by God. God’s command moved him, faith led him to a foreign country and faith caused him to dwell in tents. The word (command) of God is story to those with no understand. For ones with understanding the word of God is a secret place to dwell. Abraham dwelt in it. It was lack of understanding for Lot’s wife not to dwell in God’s command when she looked back against God’s command. (Genesis 19)

Waiting: Abraham obeyed God, he dwelt and he waited. Those who know to dwell in God’s command should also know to wait through for manifestation. It is not enough to obey by dwelling in His command and not patiently wait for the manifestation of His command. For example, King Saul obeyed by dwelling in the command through Samuel for seven days but failed to wait for Samuel when he engaged unlawful sacrifice on the seventh day. (1 Samuel 13)  Engage His command fully to excel for His glory.

Payer for today: Ask that the grace to fully obey God shall have its reign over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Allow boasting God to become your conduct.

1 Samuel 17

What is it that you boast about in life? Among the things man boasts about consciously or consciously in life are: wisdom; might or riches. What is it you boast about? The Lord spoke in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. Getting understanding and knowing who God is matters the most. In life it is possible for a man to be in church all the days which man lives on earth and not understand and know God. Do you understand and know God enough to make your boast in God? Making your boast in God is a way of acknowledging God. To be acknowledging God is praising God. Psalm 50:23 buttress it, “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” Allow boasting God to become your conduct in all areas and your steps in life shall become right.

In your boasting praise God and provoke the hand of God to your favor. David a shepherd boy killed lion and bear when they approached the lamb in his care. Despite his might, he did not fail to boast of his God at the time he confronted Goliath for despising the armies of God (the children of Israel) David made a statement before Saul in his attempt to convince Saul for permission to go against Goliath, “Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” (1 Samuel 17:36-37) David made his boast in the Lord and not in the might that he was able to kill lion and bear. God was acknowledged in David’s statement. David needed no weapon other than the hand of God which answered for him in bringing down Goliath and claiming victory over the Philistine army. Doing what pleases God brings God to man for man to prevail against challenging forces. Make God your boast.
Prayer for today: Ask that God will allow the grace of boasting only Him to have a permanent place in Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Good and gracious God will always show up for our deliverance.

1 Kings 19

Loneliness can possibly cause a man to know what to do and not do it. Peter followed Jesus all through His ministry but gave himself up to a cheap untimely death attempt. In the face of death, Peter should know not to sleep but slept in the place of praying. Thank God for the church’s prayer of deliverance on behalf of Peter. He lost focus and entered into loneliness. The Bible stated about him, “And when Peter had come to himself, he said, ‘Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.’” (Acts 12:11) Loneliness will cause man to lose focus and become discouraged. Giving up in times of challenge is the evidence of discouragement.

Elijah, as great as he was used by God, at a certain point, he experienced loneliness. Focusing on what God has done and what He is doing should encourage man to hold onto God as a Deliverer, Preserver, and as God that cannot fail. Are you feeling lonely or getting overwhelmed concerning any challenge in your life? As a child of God, you are not alone. Take your stand and regain your focus on Him. He alone is abundantly able to see you through.
Elijah called for rain to stop for three and half years and it was so. Elijah also called for rain to fall after three and half years and rain fell. Elijah alone called fire from heaven during a sacrifice on Mount Carmel and he later executed four hundred and fifty-five Baal prophets.

Despite his entire exploit through God, he confessed loneliness when he stated he was the only prophet of the Lord that was left behind. Despite his great exploit in the name of God, he fled because of Jezebel’s threat to kill him for executing the prophets of Baal. Elijah ran from wilderness to mountain. Twice in the course of his running, he responded to God’s appearance to him, “…I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” (1 Kings 19:10) Loneliness was evident in Elijah. Elijah requested from God during his running away from Jezebel, “It is enough! now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 Kings 19:4) Elijah’s request was to the extreme. Are you walking in of being lonely like Elijah? It does not mean if you have given your life to Christ or not, but it is certain that the One who created Heaven and heart loves us enough not to leave alone. Good and gracious God will always show up for our deliverance.

Prayer for today: Ask Him to deliver you from every spirit of loneliness.