FAITH CAPSULE: A failure not to let the past be past is the evidence of not trusting God for His word.

Exodus 2, Numbers 32:8-15
 
Most times, it is how we call on God that will determine the response of God to our calling on Him. The children of Israel could not be quiet but cry out to God in the face of their challenge. Despite the promise of God to their forefathers, when they could no longer remain in pain, they cried out. It is written, “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” (Exodus 2:23-25) The goodness and mercy of God was stirred when the cry of the children of Israel reached God’s ears. The word stated in Exodus 3:7, “And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.’” God did not plan to have them stranded in the wilderness when He delivered them out of over four hundred years of bondage. God’s plan was to lead them out of bondage through the hand of Moses to a better land, a land that flows with milk and honey. God brought them out, but they would not leave Egypt behind. They would not follow God fully; they failed to let go of the life they lived in Egypt. When God delivers you from your past, let the past be past. A failure not to let the past be past is the evidence of not trusting God for His word. The Israelites could not let go and God responded in Numbers 32:11-12, “Surely, none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.” Know God in whom you believe and it will be the strength to stand on your personal conviction and not others confession. Though a multitude may stand in wrongful agreement, and you are the only one in dissent, know that you are not alone in righteousness. It is worthy to know and stand on the word of God for direction and not compromise one’s faith. Ignore the dictates of your heart and you will not be surprised that you are the only one standing on His ground.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you in taking a rightful stand when the situation demands it.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not be at fault with anyone so God can fault your enemy and established you.

Daniel 6:1-24
 
When you become faultless before your enemy, nothing formed against you will prosper. The word of God that is consistent and true to perform states it, “Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight.” (Proverbs 26:2) As a child of God, whose life is centered on walking in the word, where there is no cause the enemy’s curse shall not manifest against you. Stand your ground and let there be no giving in, but you have to be faithful to become faultless as was the case with Daniel. The notion of a captive who arose to become governor did not fare well among the free people of the land. There was no way for the free people of the land to bring Daniel down without being in conflict with the law of God. Daniel 6:5, “Then these men said, ‘We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.’” They did find a way, however, to get Daniel in trouble by having King Darius sign a decree against anyone who petitioned any god or man. It was brought before the king that Daniel had disobeyed the law. Daniel’s disobedience according to the adversary of Daniel was, Daniel was found praying and making supplication before his God. The bible recorded that , “…they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” (Daniel 6:12) The consequence for his disobedience was to be executed. King Darius, knowing Daniel and his standing in the Lord, endured great struggle as he was compelled to abide by his own law. Against his own will King Darius gave the order to put Daniel in the lions’ den while hoping that God would deliver him out of it. Daniel 6:15, “Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, ‘Know, O King, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king established may be changed.’” Is your case similar to that of Daniel? As long as you are serving the Living God continually as did Daniel, God will consistently see you through even though it looks like there is no way out. Daniel was thrown into the den of lions but not a single scratch was recorded. God is a God of the eleventh hour. It is never too late for God to intervene. Know that as God saw Daniel through his difficulty while he was in a foreign land so will He dispense mercy on your behalf. Do not be at fault with anyone so God can fault your enemy and established you.
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to fail or fall against every confronting challenge..

FAITH CAPSULE: Trusting God is rooted in understanding what God has done and all that only He can do.

Daniel 3
 
Ones that trust in God will lean not on their own understanding. Trusting in God in the face of confronting challenges is to deny self from compromising. Trusting God is rooted in understanding what God has done and all that He can. The Psalmist stated in, “We give thanks to you O God, we give thanks! For your wondrous works declare that your name is near.” (Psalm 75:1) Evidently it is the ones that trust Him enough that acknowledges that seeing is wondrous works is same as seeing His word that created the wondrous works. With His works around it is certain that His presence is always around to trust. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to serve or worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold image, they were sentenced to the harsh penalty of death by the fiery furnace. However, they were determined to stand their ground for God. King Nebuchadnezzar further questioned them stating, “…and who will deliver you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:15) They were so sure of their God in their response in Daniel 3:16, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.’” Is there any matter which is demanding you to compromise your faith? Is the matter threatening to you? You can be confident, just as these men of faith were that you have no need to answer the question. The hand of God is might in deliverance; trust in the same hand of God that delivered the Israelites from the bondage of over four hundred years. The three friends of Daniel trusted God and responded, “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.” (Daniel 3:17) The three friends of Daniel did not waver nor compromise through their ordeal. Seeing that they had been delivered from the furnace fire, King Nebuchadnezzar speaks in Daniel 3:28, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” Your trust in God will frustrate the hand that moves the enemy in your life. Your trust in God will uphold you in the presence of your enemy. Your trust in God will put a new song in your mouth.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to endue you with the grace that causes man to stand in trust regardless of confronting challenges.

Numbers 22

FAITH CAPSULE: Get God committed by your work and walk in Him.
Jesus stated in Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Getting work done in His name for His name without walking in His ways gets no one recognized by Jesus when it is going to matter the most. In the church today and among many acclaimed believers, so many miracles and wonders are being done in the name of Jesus. However, many are not walking in the way that will make Jesus declare that He knows them.
When participation in the work of God is not backed by walking in His way one would miss it. Doing the work of God is God-enabled. God can use anyone or anything to get work done but walking His way is in obeying His commandments. Evidently, man needs God for attainment but God does not need any for His own attainment He is the Creator. God once used a donkey to get his work done. God needed to get the attention of Balaam but there was no response from Balaam. As a result, God used Balaam’s donkey as documented in Numbers 22:28, “Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Jesus once declared what He could do with stones by stating,“I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:40) This statement of Jesus Indicated that stones could be made to serve in His purpose where any of His living creation is not available.
The way of God calls for more serious attention, for us not to miss heaven. Heaven is not accessible by titles. There are many title holders such as Prophets, Bishops, Apostles and Evangelists that are working wonders in the name of Jesus and probably walking outside of His ways by going astray in their hearts. Despite the wonderful works of God for the Israelites, God stated, “For forty years I was grieved with that generation and said, ‘it is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” (Psalm 95:10) Not knowing the ways of God denies them to be known by God and they could not enter His rest.
Working but not walking in His way would lead into ugliness of not being identified by Jesus.

Prayer for today: Ask God to show you His way, that you may know Him and find grace in His sight.