FAITH CAPSULE: Get the understanding that the Word of God is God.

Exodus 33:12-23, John 1:1-18

It is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3) The scriptural verse above clearly identifies it that there is no need for theologian’s interpretation to get the understanding that the Word of God is God.
Moses asked from God, “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” (Exodus 33:13) He wanted direction by asking for the way of God. God responded back to Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) Obviously Gods response to Moses’ request for the way of God indicates that Gods presence is God’s way. The way of God is the word of God and the word of God is His presence. Every God fearing man like Moses should know better not to make a move outside of His way.

Once, He revealed His way to King Saul through His Prophet Samuel, “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” (1 Samuel 15:3) King Saul moved in response to the word of God. It is written, “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” (1 Samuel 15:9) Saul moved in a way that seems right to him not according to the way of God. No matter how much the way seems right to you, if it is not the way of God it is the way of man. Proverbs 14:12 warned, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Do not be wise in your own eyes to ever mistake your way for the way of God regardless of how it is pleasing to man. Heaven withdrew King Saul from retaining the royal crown as the King of the Israelites. People saw him to be king while God already packed him up. He went the way which seems right to him.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to engage the way that seems right to you but to constantly engage His way.

FAITH CAPSULE: Is your sacrifice provoking the hand of God or is it revoking it?

1 Kings 3:3-15, Romans 12

It is written, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) How are you sacrificing to God? Sacrificing unto God is worshiping God. Worshiping God is a continuous engagement as long there is breath of life. Most times, the cost of sacrifice is inconvenient. A reasonable sacrifice is the sacrifice that counts before God.

A reasonable and acceptable sacrifice unto God will no doubt provoke the hand of God to favor. God demands and deserves a reasonable sacrifice from His creation. A reasonable sacrifice unto God will deliver a reasonable response from God. When His hand is deposited reasonably upon one’s life, every reason to stand out becomes undeniable. King Solomon was such a King that the world never stopped reasoning about the kind of wisdom he demonstrated in his life. David made us aware that Solomon had always been a wise man before God’s hand was provoked in adding a wise and understanding heart to Solomon. David said to Solomon, “Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.” (1 Kings2:9)This verse points out that Solomon had always been a wise man. However, when King Solomon offered a reasonable sacrifice, his story turned around forever. It is recorded about Solomon, “Now the King went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what shall I give you?’”(1 Kings 3:4-5) Solomon worshiped God with reasonable sacrifice and his sacrifice provoked the hand of God.

Is your sacrifice provoking the hand of God or is it revoking it? Do you remember Cain’s sacrifice? Genesis 4:5 recorded that God did not respect Cain’s offering and Cain was very angry. His sacrificial offering must have been too ordinary for God to accept. Is your sacrifice costing you? Your sacrifice matters; it will deposit an uncharacteristic power of God that is unparalleled in your life. 1 Kings 3:12, “Behold I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.” A reasonable sacrifice will provoke a reasonable God-investment in your life. God deposited a wise and understanding heart in King Solomon.

Prayer for today: Ask God to instruct you and teach you in the way to go that you shall live for your glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Fear Him and obtain His mercy.

Ecclesiastes 12, Luke 1:26-55

Apostle Paul quotes the word, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”(Romans 9:15) Whatever God says he will do is a done deal. Yes, He will have mercy on whomever He chooses to have mercy. It is also clear in the word of God that taking stand in the word of God will position man on an undeniable ground for the mercy of God. Meaning, it is possible for man to provoke the hand of God to obtain His mercy. Without any doubt, having the fear of God in life is taking a position on undeniable ground for the mercy of God. Keep it in mind that to fear God is to love God. Looking into few scriptural verses from the Old Testament and the New Testament will confirm to us and open our understanding that mercy is available at all times for the one that loves or fears God. It is written in Exodus 20:6, “but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” The book of Psalm 119:132 buttress, “Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your name.” In the New Testament, the Book of Luke also recorded in Luke 1:50, “And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.” As mentioned earlier, to fear and to Love God is evidently the same. To constantly and consistently live life in the fear of God positions a man on a ground where the mercy of God cannot be denied.

It is written, “The Lord is good and His mercy is everlasting…” (Psalm 100:5) The mercy of God is, “great above the heavens…” (Psalm 108:4) Also, “The earth O Lord is full of Your mercy…” (Psalm 119:64) The mercy of God endures forever, meaning that God’s mercy cannot and will never run out. His mercy is abundant and enough for each and every one of His creations. As an acclaim believer, are you consciously walking in line of His word? Memorizing the word of God, quoting His word but not living the word of God is the evidence of lack of the fear of God. In this wicked world, there is nothing that matters for man like being under the mercy of the good God. Once a man is covered by the mercy of God, there is no way man can be messed up by the mess of this wicked world. Ecclesiastes 12:13, says it all, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Fear Him and obtain His mercy.

Prayer for today: Ask God to put His fear in your heart so you obtain and live in His mercy.

FAITH CAPSULE: Looking away from God is losing focus to make a wrong decision.

1 Samuel 13

In the name of Jesus, pray against making a wrong decision in the coming days, weeks months and year. Making a wrong decision on the journey of life will terminate man’s journey, wrong decision is enough to complicate journey or cause permanent stagnation in life.
The bible recorded, “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.” (Genesis 11:31) Abraham’s father (Terah) must have seen something before making a move for Canaan Land. Terah did not live to see his Canaan because he decided to settle in Harran where he later died. However, it was the same Canaan that God called out for Abraham the son of Terah. Abraham engaged the calling of God and did not make a wrong decision to terminate his journey.

Lot’s wife made a wrong decision when she disobeyed the command of God for her life. When it was time for God to judge Sodom and Gomorrah, He called Lot and his house out of a pending destruction, “As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” (Genesis 19:17) Condition for escape was not only to flee but also not to look back. However, Lot’s wife made a wrong decision to look back against the word of God and she became permanently terminated. The word recorded, “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:26)

Are you making a write decision based on the word of God…is your decision making based on the word (faith)?

Looking away from God is losing focus to make a wrong decision. Saul had just become a king when he looked away from God and became disobedient to God’s command. When Philistines were set to engage the Israelites in war, Samuel promised to show up for burnt offering on the seventh day. Before Samuel’s appointed time, “…the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets…” (1Samuel 13:6) Saul reacted to the challenge and made a wrong decision by offering the burnt offering which was against the command of God. Saul could not wait for Samuel’s appointed time. Saul’s main excuse for making a wrong decision was the fact that the people were scattered and he felt compelled to make a wrong decision (carrying out burnt offering). Saul’s destiny was eternally corrupted because he made wrong decision. Watch out do not make a wrong decision.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you not to make a wrong decision engaging the journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: God will stir the heart of man to grant your open door.

Exodus 3, Ezra 1

How God is going to favor you is beyond your own expectation. His favor for you can be a unique one; uncommon one or one that is not of this world. As an acclaimed believer why struggle in the place of rest? Why exhausted in the place of engaging the living word? God’s favor or deliverance agenda is what no man can stop.
God’s was set to bring the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years when He spoke to Moses, “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.  And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.  But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” (Exodus 3:19-22) His word does not return back to Him void. Are you expecting His favor in the New Year? If yes, begin to see your favor as being there when is yet there. What you see is what you receive and becomes of you.

God will stir the heart of man to grant you open door where there is no way to pass through. Bible mentioned how He stirred heart of Cyrus king of Persia and he made a proclamation throughout his entire, “Thus says Cyrus the King of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. ⁴ And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’” (Ezra 1:2-4) Who else can deliver like God? When He defends, He will deliver and when He passes, He will preserve. God stirred the heart of a non-believer to favor His children. Cyrus, the king of Persia, did not just make a way out for the children of Israel; he also made provision for their need and restored back what was taken away by Nebuchadnezzar.

Prayer for today: Ask Him to bring back your captivity as the streams in the south.