FAITH CAPSULE: No one can cut short the course of His designed way without consequences.

Numbers 20                                    

To fear God will keep man in His way. The way of God is the will of God for a man’s life. Any man that goes in the way of God always get to God’s designed destination. What is it that could be compared with getting to where God designed for our life? In the way of God, there is no short cut. No one can cut short the course of His designed way or else one will be cut off short in the journey of life. Exodus 13:17, “Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the Philistines although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’” If the children of Israel had gone through the short cut, they would not have only returned but they probably would have become scattered beyond the chances of coming back together. All the complaint and cry for what they missed and what they would have had was enough evidence that they certainly would have gone back to the way that seemed right to them. Are you taking to the way that seems right to you in your journey of life? It is not how long you have been taking it but rather how long will it take for the wrong way to bring you down?
Proverbs 14:12 states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” What a warning! Whenever one takes to the way that seems right, getting through to God’s designed destination becomes absolutely impossible. The way that seems right goes through complications, frustration, intimidations and ends up in termination. It is written, “He made Known His way unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.” (Psalm 103:7) Despite Him making known His ways unto Moses, Moses could not step on the Promised Land because he took to his own way of obeying God’s command. One’s title or status in the business of God is not what counts before God but what is of upmost importance is how one stands in His word. Moses failed to hallow Him; he failed to hallow God. Numbers 20:12, Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me, in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Moses had the map in his hand, but he could not navigate as required. He failed where it matters and he could not enter into the Promise Land. If Moses could fail in that course, who are you to think you are through?

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of constant and consistent obedience.

FAITH CAPSULE: What you feed on is what becomes of you.
 
John 1:1-18

Just as sweet as the name of Jesus sounds in the believers ear so is the Word of God to those who embrace the Word of God. Psalm 119:103 testifies, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! Jeremiah confessed, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart…” (Jeremiah 15:16) Are you finding out that the word of God is sweet for consumption? The sweetness of the word makes it available and bitter but sweet enough to be consumable for those who will embrace it. The Bible also testifies, “But the Word is very near in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:14) Anyone who is having the word in their mouth and in their heart will do the Word. Many does have the word in their mouth but fall short of having it in the heart and that makes it impossible for the Word to work the work of God in their life. Also, the ones who know to do the Word will undoubtedly know how to call on the Word of God for use whenever challenges are demanding. Psalm 107:20, He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” The same Word of God that was sent is the same that is near our mouths and we are to use it as a weapon for defense against all that the enemy brings in our direction.
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 Word of God is God.The Word has never stopped coming to us since the beginning. The Word that has been made available will only be available if our hearts have been available for the Word to reign and rule. The Word of God is true and is power. The Word will work for those who work the word by their walk in it while living in this world of wickedness. This is the same Word that God Himself testified stating, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) What you feed on is what becomes of you. Allow the Word of God become your daily bread.

Prayer for today: Father I ask that You cause Your Word to have its place in my life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Care to give a concerned care for God’s sake and gain God’s attention.

2 Kings 4:8-37, Luke 10:5-37

For God’s sake, be concerned to care for others. Taking a chance to care for others for God’s sake is positioning one for the manifestation of God’s glory over one’s life. The Bible records about a notable woman of Shunem that was blessed for taking the chance to care for God’s sake. She was a woman whom Elisha often passed by her house. It is written, “Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.” (2 Kings 4:8) Initially when Elisha was passing, all he was doing was stopping to eat. At a point in time the notable woman approached her husband, “And she said to her husband, ‘Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.’” (2 Kings 4:9-10) The notable woman (Shunammite woman) was concerned to care for Elisha, the man of God, for God’s sake. Elisha recognized the caring which he received from the Shunammite woman and he sent his servant (Gehazi) to call the Shunammite woman for him. By virtue of the Shunammite woman’s concerned care, it became glaring to Elisha the need to pray that the Shunammite woman should have a son. The Shunammite gained favor of God when she cared for God’s sake. Elisha prayed for her and she was able to have a son despite the old age of her husband.
There are many ways of caring for strangers and non-strangers, but when such caring is for God’s sake, it provokes the hand of God for a favorable manifestation of God’s goodness and mercy in the life of the one who cares. Most importantly, when our concerned care necessitates taking unusual chances which lead to God’s glory, God’s attention to us becomes undeniable and profitable.
Jesus made us to realize that, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Mathew 5:7) Caring to impress man does not present anyone before God. Care to give a concerned care for God’s sake and gain God’s attention that delivers favorable mercy to the one who engages the chance to give concerned care.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to know to care when situations demands caring. 

FAITH CAPSULE: When pride settles in man self-destruction takes it reign in man’s life.

2 Kings 5

Pride is a personal ride to self-destruction. When pride settles in man, man is set on a journey for self-destruction. Naaman the leper, by virtue of his position (commander of the army of the king of Syria) allowed pride to almost derail his restoration. Elisha sent a messenger to him with instruction for his healing restoration and he responded as stated in the Bible, “But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God…” (2 Kings 5:10-11) Naaman rejected instruction for his healing restoration and went in rage. Being furious and having a rage where there is need to tremble in honor and humility is the evidence of empty pride. For Naaman, if not the sake of his servant that redirected him back to Elisha’s instruction, he would have missed his healing restoration.
Jesus, in one of His crossing over “…one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, ‘My daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.’” (Mark 5:22-23) Jairus put aside his religious title that could have built an empty pride in him. Jairus’ title did not measure to the task that was at hand as he went to meet with Jesus. Jairus needed to have his daughter delivered from the point of death. Unlike Naaman, Jairus could not allow his title to deny his miracle but approached Jesus trembling with all honor and humility. The word mentioned that he “fell at his feet and begged Him earnestly.” Jairus fell at His feet to lay it all unto Jesus. Imagine Jairus begging earnestly for the life of his daughter saying, “Here I am, a poor religious leader, have mercy on my dying daughter.” While begging at the feet of the Master, he made his request without paying attention to his title and the multitude. Jairus saw Jesus and he took a step of faith; pride subsided and humility took the place of pride. Jairus’ stepping out caused him to have a direct contact with Jesus. Jesus knows all things and Jairus’ need was not strange to Jesus. His stepping out and seeing Jesus was a renunciation of being a part of the multitude to being one who was on purpose and not flowing with the crowd. Let Jesus see you in your need and not just in the crowd. Watch out, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs16:18)

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from every spirit of pride.

FAITH CAPSULE: What is denying you from engaging healing or deliverance miracle?

Mark 10:46-52

It is written, “As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, ’Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 11:46-47) Clearly, Bartimaeus’ healing began at the point where he was able to hear about Jesus. Many are located at the center of their healing and deliverance but they lack understand to engage their healing and deliverance. With Bartimaeus, his physical blindness could not interfere with his hearing that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Many had eyes and ears but could not see Jesus passing by neither could they identify with Jesus. Bartimaeus, a blind man, heard about Jesus and called out.
What is denying you from engaging healing or deliverance miracle? Your eyes are in place and hearing is functioning. An adage states, “Once a sick man identifies that he is sick, healing is set to have its place in his life.” Bartimaeus identified he was blind and gaining sight was set to take a place when he refused not to be shut up by the multitudes that were set to shut him up.
The major force that could have denied Bartimaeus was the multitude. Bartimaeus understood well enough that the name of Jesus was all that he needed. As a result of his understanding, the multitude’s attempt to discourage him and shut him up failed and could not prevail. In the location at which you can receive your deliverance, are you paying attention to forces of discouragement and hindrance or are you paying attention to your understanding about your Lord and Savior? The Bible recorded how the multitude (force of hindrance) attempted to deny Bartimaeus. “Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, ’Son of David, have mercy on me!’”(Mark 10:48) Bartimaeus could care less and cried out even more. He denied giving attention to the multitude. Bartimaeus’ cry called for Jesus to respond with full attention. With Jesus’ attention, the same crowd that attempted to silence Bartimaeus also responded saying, “…Be of good cheer. Rise He is calling you.” (Mark 11:49) It is not enough to know about whom you believe but to actually know Him and be known in Him is what will put His mark on your life. The cry of Bartimaeus, “Jesus, Son of David” testifies to his knowledge of Jesus. Bartimaeus was blind in the physical but he did have spiritual insight. Many can see, but are yet spiritually blinded.    

Prayer for today: Call on His name to have mercy that the eyes of your heart be opened.