FAITH CAPSULE: God is still carrying you through in all that represents wilderness in your life.

Deuteronomy 1:1-25
 
God alone saw you through many challenges. He has carried you where others are falling; He has seen you through where many are stranded; He has delivered you where many are destroyed. Yet for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God enough to serve Him with all your heart. Does this sound like you? Most times you think you believe, but you are an unbelieving believer. Despite all this, God is still carrying you through in all that represents wilderness in your life.
The children of Israel, having been carried by God, crumbled in the wilderness. When the children of Israel’s belief in God subsided, rebellion entered into them and they missed their Promised Land. It is written, “‘…and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 1:31-32) Again, does this sound like you? God promised them a land that is ready made with milk and honey but the children of Israel wanted to spy and confirm that God knew what He was doing. As a result, the children of Israel went to Moses and requested to go and spy the land. Moses referred to the request of the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 1:22, “And every one of you came to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’” How can God be carrying you without your knowledge? If they have acknowledged that there was no need for any other way but God’s promise to get then through, there would have been no need for spying request. The children of Israel doubted God and could not hold onto God’s word to trust and hope in Him. They were at Kadesh Barnea, the last leg of their eleven-day journey. They failed to believe and they could not be established in their journey. If you are one that is in a long journey be rest assured that with God, you are almost through in your journey. Have you received the word of God in your journey? If you have received His word, do not lose focus; do not waver; do not get carried away and do not assume responsibility for how far you have come. Above all do not look back to avoid the loss of focus. By virtue of all that you have experienced, ignore all challenges that are flying in your direction at this point of your journey.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for God to deliver you from the spirit of rebellion.

FAITH CAPSULE:His calling has to be answered with boldness and character.

Exodus 14
 
It is written, “And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.” (Exodus 14:8) Despite the threat of Pharaoh the children of Israel entered into the calling of salvation and deliverance from the bondage of over four hundred years with boldness. Indeed, the Old Testament is a shadow of the New Testament. By the word of God, salvation came forth for the children of Israel. Just as the children of Israel received salvation from bondage, many are still receiving salvation from bondage of the devil and the world of wickedness today. At the time of salvation one enters into His calling with boldness.
Every new believer always starts the race with boldness that is rooted in the word of God’s promise. However, in the course of the journey, different scenes start to unfold. The children of Israel left with boldness but it did not take long before it evaporated and fear became incorporated in the life of the children of Israel. The Bible recorded in Exodus 14:10, “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.” Boldness turned into fear. When He places His calling, it has to be answered with boldness and character. The children of Israel believed, but they could not behave what they believed. The same word of God that brought the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years is same word delivering man to salvation today. However, when there is a failure to be living the word, there will be no character of the word in place in the life of the believer. Boldness and character are the winning combination. Complaint is the root of rebellion and the substitute of disobedience. The children of Israel had boldness and complaint instead of boldness and character. They could not hold on to the victory the Lord placed in their hand. As a result, they became lost as a nation. God said to them, “The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.” (Numbers 14:29) Without any doubt, the race is for those that finish it. If you have received the grace of His calling, continuity is the rule of the game; a purposeful heart is the officiator. Run the race with boldness and character and you shall become a winner to the glory of God. He will back you up if you will not back yourself out of the race. 
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to run the race with boldness and character that is rooted in the word.

FAITH CAPSULE:If you will let go of your unbelief, then you will let the power of God penetrate into every area of your stagnation.

John 11:1-44
 
Faith is described as, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” (Hebrews 11:1-2) Going by the description, it is safe to say that hope is the live wire of faith. Going by the source of faith, it is safe to say that it is foolishness to have faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17) In the word of God is the message of the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:18 states, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” A saved Christian is a believing believer (one that behaves the word of God).
Will you let go unbelief?If you will let go of your unbelief, then you will let the power of God penetrate into every area of your stagnation. As much as the Lord wants to perform His Word by converting every obstacle into miracle, you have not been able to let go of the stone of hindrance. Lazarus was four days dead. He was not only four days dead; he was already in the tomb, a place of no return. Lazarus’ sisters were no strangers to Jesus. When Jesus approached the tomb, John 11:39, “Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of Him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’” Martha could not see any miracle coming forth. In her mind time was not on the side of Jesus; condition was a barrier for a miracle. All that Jesus asked of her was to take away the stone so there would be access for Him to go in and do what was needed to bring life back into Lazarus. Is there any lost hope confronting you? Time is not on your side, age is against you and every other force you can imagine has taken over the situation. Today, Jesus is saying to you just as He said to Martha, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”(John 11:40)God is still in the business of miracles. Can you imagine how much hopefulness you would let in if you could let go of the doubt, anxiety and fear? If the situation you are facing seems hopeless, give it to Him. You have nothing to lose since you’ve already lost hope. He is the unchanging changer and He will change it for good to the glory of God. Let go unbelief; let Jesus move your hindrance.

Prayer for today:In asking, call on the name of Jesus to help in every area of your unbelief.

FAITH CAPSULE: God’s plan will separate one before one can operate for God’s glory.

Genesis 37:1-24
 
Before the events that led Joseph into his dream journey, it was clear that Joseph’s integrity positioned him to be resented by his brothers at age seventeen. The Bible mentioned about how he brought a bad report of his brothers to his father. (Joseph 37:2) Joseph was the son of his father’s old age and He was loved more than his entire brother. He was the one that Jacob made a tunic of many colors for. Apparently, his father loved him more than all his brothers. Joseph’s position was not settled with his brother because of all of the above documentation.
Above all, he had dreams that point to his father, mother and brothers bowing down before him. It is written, “So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.”(Genesis 37: 10-11)Joseph’s relationship with his brothers was actually setting a stage that led him into his journey of life.
When Joseph stepped into his dream journey, he did not know that he was in the dream he had earlier. Joseph did not know that God’s plan will separate him before he can operate for God’s glory. Are you one like Joseph and have ended up in a situation you never planned for? Your situation seems like is too deep and too expensive for you to handle. Emotionally, physically and financially is your situation costing you more than you can ever imagine? You can be rest assured that God is able, and He alone will see you through it. Joseph was never alone because God was constantly with him as he walked in line of the word of God. Disallow walking outside of God’s word as you engage your world of challenge. Consider Joseph – they meant to kill him; God meant to lift him. Genesis 37:20, “Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what shall become of his dreams.” The devil wants to stop you from getting to where God is taking you. He will use people closest to you to accomplish his mission. The deceiver used Joseph’s brothers in an attempt to deny Joseph from getting to his divine assignment. As Joseph stepped into his journey of life God set him up for His glory.
 
Prayer for today: As you step into your journey of life, ask God to set you up for His glory. He is an able God.