FAITH CAPSULE: The touch of His hand is healing and His hand inhabits all kinds of provision.

Luke 4:38-39, 5:12-15

The mighty hand of God brought the children of Israel out of the bondage of over four hundred years. In His hand there is power to heal and power to cleanse from every agent of mockery and shame. The touch of His hand is healing and His hand inhabits all kinds of provision. He is the Lord of lords, the healing healer, the Eternal Surgeon and He is gracious and merciful. Once Jesus needed to be served but sickness took over His server. It is written, “Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.”(Luke 4:38-39) Simon’s wife’s mother received the healing touch of Jesus and she was up to serve the Lord. The power to move from sickness to serving the Master is in the hand of the Master. As it was requested on the behalf of Simon’s wife’s mother, will you request for His hand to bring you out of all that have been keeping you from serving Him? Also, in His hands there is power to cleanse. Jesus’ hand will clean every stain of mockery if you will call for the extension of His cleansing hand. A man that was full of leprosy fell on his face to ask for his cleansing and he received his cleansing. Leprosy is an agent of shame, embarrassment and mockery. Is there any way or anyhow you have been experiencing shame, mockery or any kind of disease or situation that is causing you from not being able to present yourself where you have a need? Again, your cleansing and deliverance is in the hand of the Healing Master Jesus. The Bible recorded, “And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him.””(Luke 5:12-13) Willingness to be cleansed from every mockery demands falling on the face and imploring for the hand of Jesus. The hand of Jesus worked for the man with leprosy. He was cleansed from his head to his toe without any issue of leprosy all because of the healing hand of Jesus. Jesus has it all in His hand. All that it takes for you to be delivered and free is in His hand, if you will ask it will be activated.

Prayer for today: Ask for the hand of God that answered for the children of Israel to answer for you.

FAITH CAPSULE: There are some delays that are meant for God to measure our faithfulness.

Exodus 32:1-14

Having a delay in manifestation of expectation is not a denial. Ignoring the occurrence of delay in any area of journey in life will block out doubt and the idea of stepping out of the right track. Knowing whom you believe with a consistent meditation on His testimonies will add up favorably, when it seems that the road has been cut off. Once in the journey of the children of Israel, “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exodus 32:1) The children of Israel knew quite well by virtue of their exposure to different miracles through Moses that God could not have abandoned them, yet they gave into an unnecessary worry that did not have a basis. As a result of Moses’ delay from coming down from the mountain, an unholy gathering took over from where there was supposed to be holy gathering. The children of Israel began to see delay as a result they began to look for another god. Some delays are necessary especially when God is the beginning of such a journey. There are some places you have started, but delay has made it look like you are wasting out. The fact is, when you wait on God you can never be wasted. Also, there are some delays that are meant for God to measure our faithfulness. Some delays are not of failure, but to actually make a way of getting to the expected end. As a result of Moses’ delay the children of Israel sought for a god to take over from God that cannot be substituted. Delay will turn man quickly out of the way of God’s command and generate anxiousness. Apostle Paul talked about what to do in place of anxiousness, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) A state of unexpected delay will definitely generate concern and there could be every reason to be anxious, but the word of God reveals here the antidote for anxiousness. Take all to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, and the peace of God will take over you. Instead of you seeing delay, see it as “deliverance on the way” God is in control of all and He will not delay any longer in Jesus Name.

Prayer for today: Ask God to turn every of your delay unto deliverance in the name of Jesus.

FAITH CAPSULE: Meditation is labor and it gives understanding.

Psalm 119:27-169

Understanding is crucial when seeking God. At a point in time, God took some of His time to look down from “…heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” (Psalm14:2) God is serious when it comes to the business of His kingdom; He will not compromise based on lack of one’s understanding. Many speak of the word of God but lack the understanding to bring forth results. However, speaking does not translate to having a knowing edge over confronting challenges of this wicked world. The Psalmist makes it clear, “My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.” (Psalm 49:3) It is possible to speak the word of God but when there is no understand in place it becomes powerless. Speaking the word of God that is backed with understanding is rooted in meditation but not in memorization. God was right when He repeated Himself three times (great emphasis) to Joshua after the death of Moses, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8) Of course, meditation is labor and it gives understanding, but when one is lazy one becomes reduced to memorization which only comes from the mouth with no power because it lacks understanding. Indeed and in truth, lack of understand is what will make one to wander and rest in the assembly of dead. Proverbs 21:16, “A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead.”This is exactly what happened to the children of Israel. Psalm 106:7, clearly points it out, “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.” The children of Israel saw all the wonders that brought them out of the bondage of over four hundred years. The Children of Israel lack understand that could make them remember the mercies of God. In this wicked world, one who is wise will definitely know to observe the things/work of God. It is in the observation that understanding the lovingkindness of God will come to place in one’s life. Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; good understandings have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”  Once there is understanding to fear the word of God and to live accordance to His word, the word of God answers with power.

Prayer for today:  Ask God for the wisdom to understand the way of His precepts; so that you can mediate on His wonderful works.

FAITH CAPSULE: Be specific of your need when you call Him.

Mark 10:46-52

A man named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was referred to as the Blind man. The Bible did not mention how long he had been a beggar on the street. However, it is most likely he was on the street begging for long because it would be difficult for a new beggar on the street to become so popular with his full name to be known to all. The people knew his name, yet they called him ‘The Blind man’. Have you been in any situation for long time and now your name is being changed to what your situation is about? The Bible recorded, “…when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”(Luke 10:47-48) Though he was blind when Jesus was passing by, he saw with his heart and knew enough not to allow his miracle pass by. The crying out of Bartimaeus is another way of prayer. A prayer might require crying out. Sometimes it involves speaking in the heart with lips moving and no voice like Hannah did when she was asking God for a child. The thing about prayer is asking God for help to intervene in any area of challenge. The Psalmist called for help, “Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy, That they may know that this is Your hand—That You, LORD, have done it!” (Psalm 109:26-27) In the word of the Psalmist, only the one that needs help will place a call onto God like Bartimaeus did when he called on Jesus. Salvation (that is to be saved from challenges) is what every believer calls for. The help to be saved is according to God’s mercy. Mercy is in the hand of God. Jesus responded to the blind man’s cry of understanding that called for Jesus as Son of David. Jesus stood still and Jesus answered him by saying to him “What do you want Me to do for you” (Mark 10:51) Jesus knew what the situation was but went ahead and asked about his need for calling. Are you being specific when you call or you are being super active when there is no need to super act? It is one thing to know how to call, and it is another to know to how call and be specific in asking. Jesus’ request for a specific need prompted the blind man to ask for his sight to be restored. What do you want Him to do for you? He is the Healing healer. Be specific of your need when you call on him.

Prayer for today: Ask Him to open your understanding in every step of your walk in life.

FAITH CAPSULE: A journey that is yet to encounter a lion is not evident of a lion free journey.

Judges 14

The Spirit of the Lord is power and nothing can be compared to the power that is embedded in the Spirit of the Lord. Many overcomers in the pages of the Bible prevailed by virtue of the power in the Spirit of God. The Bible talked about Samson and the Spirit of God that worked for him when he was obeying the Word of God. It is written, “So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.” (Judges 14:5-6) With the Spirit of the Lord there is nothing a surprise challenge can do but to fail and not prevail. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson when a surprise lion came roaring at him and Samson prevailed against the roaring lion. In our every day journey in this world of darkness, there are lions that are ready to devour us on a regular basis. How are you approaching your daily journey? A journey that is yet to encounter a lion is not evident of a lion free journey. It is wise to always prepare for a confrontation with lion because lion will come in every journey. How to prepare is in the Word of God. At a time when Jesus was speaking to His disciples He stated, “…the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”(John 6:63) The Spirit of the Lord that is power is the Word of God. The Word of God is the generator of faith and when it enters, it gives light. When the light of God is inhabited inside a man that believes in the Word of God, there will be no cause for stumbling. The Word of God is true to deliver. The Spirit of God delivered Samson from his enemies. Are you spending time to study and not only read the Word of God daily? Do not leave home without the Word. Meditate the Word of God and pray the Word of God. The roaring lion caught up with Samson by surprise, but the Spirit of the Lord upon him overcame a surprise attack of the lion. The Spirit of God will not only deliver you from lions that you know but also from surprise lions which you do not know.

Prayer for today: Ask God to give you the grace to increase in spending more time studying the Word of His deliverance.