FAITH CAPSULE: Is your situation changing you, or you are changing your situation for God’s glory?

Daniel 1:1-16
 
Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, were taken captive to Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and besieged it. Without doubt, captivity was not the best interest for Daniel and his three friends but despising their God was not their choice. While in captivity the king requested for some of the captives “…in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.” (Daniel 1: 4-5) Daniel and his three friends were set to receive and increase as desired by the king but they refused to receive the kings offer which does not line up with their belief. Evidently there was nothing in place that matters enough to Daniel and his three friends to persuade them from their love for their God. The Bible recorded, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8) Daniel and friends rejected the king’s offer and did not eat what was ordered by the king. They did not allow their situation to bring them to the level of unbelief. Daniel and his friends stood for God, whom they believed. Regardless of confronting challenges are you standing your ground in the Lord? Is your situation changing you, or you are changing your situation for God’s glory?
The growth of Daniel and three friends was to be tested to determine how well they responded in their growth from having been fed with King’s daily portions. The result of test revealed they appeared healthier than everyone else despite their refusal to take king’s daily portions. It is written,“And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the delicacies.”(Daniel 1:15) In addition to their appearance, they stood a better chance for breakthrough because they chose to be on the Lord’s side. Daniel and his friends refused to receive King Nebuchadnezzar because of their love for their God. Do not be conformed to what the world has offered you. Daniel did what was right before God He and his friends took their stand for God in the open. Above all, they did not lose, but gained by His grace.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace to constantly do right before Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Have you ever thought about what is wrong with your heart?

Exodus 8:1-16
 
A believer that constantly acts out negatively is actually confessing what is inside of the heart. Engaging a wrong confession is complaining to God. Heart that complains is an act to rebel against God. Rebellion is despising the word of God. To despise His word is to be destroyed. Is complaining your portion? There is no act of complain that goes past God without God knowing. How is the state of your heart? Despising His word is an indication of hardened heart. Is your heart a hardened heart?
There is an adage that states, “When a dog is set to get lost it will not listen to hear the whistle of direction from the lost path.”King Pharaoh of Egypt was a typical example of one with a hardened heart. In the case of Pharaoh, he heard and he saw the hand of God, complete in power, being demonstrated right before his eyes. The Bible recorded Pharaoh’s response after the second plaguewhich bombarded the whole land of Egypt with heaps of frogs, “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” (Exodus 8:15) Have you been operating Pharaoh consciously or unconsciously in response to the word of God? The wondrous works of God is everywhere declaring that God is near. Pharaoh did not listen to what Moses had to say for the release of the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. Actually, it was not Pharaoh’s fault except that he happened to be a vessel of dishonor. Exodus 7:3, “And I will hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” Pharaoh did see many miracles, which should have been enough for him to let the Israelites go, but he refused to grant them exit out of Egypt because God had hardened his heart. You have seen manifold miracles from the time you were growing up, and you are still seeing them today, yet you find it difficult to let God have His way in your life. Have you ever thought about what is wrong with your heart? You have determined numerous times to give it all to Him, but it is not working. Indeed, determination will not work. If you sincerely desire to give it all to Him, enter into your prayer room and begin to ask Him for help. It is evident that God is the director of the heart. He alone will choose to direct it for us to love Him and not play hard. Desire the good one for yourself and He will deposit it in you.
 
Prayer for today: Personalize Paul’s prayer in2 Thessalonians 3:5, “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ”

FAITH CAPSULE: Mixed multitude or crowd does not sit well on any journey of expectation.

Numbers 11:1-35
 
When there is expectation to be successful in any engagement or journey of life, excluding distraction is a must. Often, multitude is the agent of distraction that needs to be eliminated. The multitude is the crowd and the crowd is the multitude. On your journey, are you experiencing distraction more than usual? Distraction that is caused by the multitude or the crowd will slow or deny one’s expectation from becoming a manifestation.The children of Israel, after over four hundred years of bondage in Egypt could not detach themselves from the multitude. The Bible recorded in Exodus 12:37-38, “Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children.A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock.”The Israelites already have more than enough to carry when mixed multitude became part of their luggage.
Definitely, a mixed multitude or crowd does not sit well on any journey of expectation. Jesus, our Lord and savior demonstrated the need to know when to deny multitude from becoming agent of distraction or delay. Jesus could not tolerate but terminate the multitude/crowd by putting them out before engaging people with need for healing or deliverance miracle.Jesus came to ruler’s house in attempt to restore the ruler’s daughter back to life, “…when He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping. And they ridiculed Him.But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.”(Matthew 9:23-25) Likewise did Peter. In Acts 9:40, “Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, ‘Tabitha, arise.’ And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.”Are you learning from Jesus’ examples like Peter did?
The children of Israel did not put out the multitude on their journey. Is the multitude you are carrying along anything that does not represent God? Perhaps you are compromising with those who do not share your beliefs? The mixed multitude became a silent baggage of trouble as the Israelites journeyed to the Promised Land. It is written,“Now the mixed multitude 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?”(Numbers 11:4) The mixed multitude caused them to crave instead of being grateful, and they ended up in the grave.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God for help in removing all that represents the mixed multitude on your journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Painful repositioning is not enough excuse to replace God in one’s life.

Daniel 6
 
Experiencing painful repositioning in life as a result of challenges beyond our control is not enough evidence to misplace our love/fear for God. Joseph was responding to his father’s command to go and look out for his brother in Shechem when he ended up in the pit of destruction and the avenue of slavery. He went further in his painful repositioning to become a prisoner in Egypt. Despite Joseph’s painful repositioning he did not despise God nor violate his God. Above all, it was in his painful repositioning that he walked into a gainful position. Joseph moved from prison to presiding over the land of Egypt.
Daniel was taken captive from his home land as a young man and it was not enough for Daniel to lose his standing with God. Daniel upheld his love for God even while in captivity. As a believer, situations arise, which we do not invite, and we can end up in places where we do not want to be. Ending up in the place we least expects is not enough for a believer to misplace his or her identity in the Lord. We must avoid misrepresentation of our faith. Daniel, a young man taken out of his comfort zone to be a captive in a foreign land, kept himself in the Lord. He was known for his faith because he stood up for what he believed. He stood up against the law of the land and would not be unfaithful to his God by being obedient to the law. A new law had been passed in order to incriminate Daniel for breaking the law of the land. However, Daniel would not hide from worshiping his God. Because he wouldn’t be unfaithful to his God, he was to face death in the lion’s den. The King, who gave the command, was not happy about his decision to put Daniel to death, but he had no way out as he could not defy his own law. The king prayed for Daniel, that the God whom Daniel served would deliver him from death. While in the den, the hungry lions went to sleep and would not touch Daniel because the Lord whom he was serving was in place for him. It was the King who got to the den first in the morning and found out about Daniel’s well-being. Daniel responded to the King: Daniel6:22, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Daniel did right before God and before man, and that made it impossible for any beast under heaven to touch him. If you are not right with man, you cannot be right with God.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God for the grace to stand and not fall in the face of challenges.

FAITH CAPSULE: Wisdom is the instruction of God while knowledge is the application of wisdom.

1 Samuel 17
 
Salvation is work; it is encased in believing God. To believe God is work. Once Jesus was asked, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28) In responding Jesus stated, “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29) Evidently, It can be concluded in the response of Jesus that believe is work. Philippians 2:12 buttressed the word by stating, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)
What does it take to work? It should be illuminated that work demands strength. In any kind of work, being of the physical or working the works of God (Believing God) strength is the source. Without strength work will cease. In physical work strength comes from food. However, to keep working the works of God and not lose our salvation, the supply of strength must be consistent. Isaiah 33:6 identifies the source of strength for salvation, “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation…” (Isaiah 33:6) Wisdom and knowledge are the source of strength that helps in working out our salvation.
Wisdom is the command, word or the instruction of God while knowledge is the application of wisdom. Are you studying the instructions (word) of God enough to be able to apply when you face challenges?
David operated in wisdom and was recorded of him, “…David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely…” (1 Samuel 18:5) This describes David as a man of wisdom.
Once, the Israelites were in need of deliverance from Goliath and the Philistines army. Goliath declared,“…I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. ” (1 Samuel 17:10-11)
David needed the wisdom of God to bring forth salvation to his people. Against every form of discouragement, the young David who was not trained in army combat spoke wisely,“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you…” (1 Samuel 17:45-46) David with the wisdom of God in him, he had knowing-edge (Knowledge) that prevailed over Goliath.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you for His wisdom to have a place in your life.