FAITH CAPSULE: Surrendering unto God is easier said than done.

Isaiah 12

In the journey of life, the evidence of joy in your daily walk in the Lord can be a determinant of how much you have surrendered to God. To surrender to the Lord is to have fully given up all challenges to Him. Surrendering to God is like saying ‘Father take all of my days and moments, and let it be concentrated unto You, Lord’. Surrendering unto God is easier said than done. Many sing it on a regular basis, “I surrender unto Jesus” but they did not live the life of one that has surrendered unto Him. The three friends demonstrated what it means to be fully surrendered unto God. They were sentenced to death inside a burning fiery furnace yet they did not struggle, they only responded to their persecutors, “…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. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18) God alone is able to carry you through and He will never leave you nor forsake you. Jesus is inviting you when He called out, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”(Matthew 11:28-29) Have you actually given your burdens to the burden buster, the Master that loves, the only One that terminates yoke? If surrendering is not possible, He would not have requested us to surrender all unto Him. God is a faithful God and it is left for us to activate faith in Him and He will elevate us in every step that we take. Joy and having joy is what grants access to Him. Isaiah 12:3 testifies that “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” Also, the Psalmist recorded in Psalm 16:11, “You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Without any iota of doubt, it is clear in the testimonies above that joy is what will grant access to the presence of the Almighty God because in His presence is the fullness of joy. By the grace of God, meditating on His word of testimonies will enable us to be able to observe how to act according to His word, not only how to talk according to His word. Doing, not talking will bring forth joy that is launch-able into the well of salvation for the Living Water of God.

Prayer for today: Ask today for the grace to surrender all in every walk of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting can be painful but it is always gainful when one is able to wait.

Judges 11

God is the only God that is in the position to turn any hopeless situation to a hopeful and glorious situation. The story of Jephthah is one that changed from hopeless to a hopeful and glorious story. The Bible recorded that Jephthah was the son of a harlot, and Gilead begot Jephthah. It is written, “Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.”Jephthah was in a situation that he did not order for. He was in a situation that was outside of his control and he was paying for what he did not bargain for. Are you experiencing any similar situation such as that of Jephthah? Wait on God He will move concerning your situation. Waiting can be painful but it is always gainful when one is able to wait. Wait, watch and see what the Lord will do to your situation. In regard to Jephthah, the children of Israel came back asking him for help. The children of Israel were confronted by enemies and there was a need for a commander. The elders of Gilead had to go and seek Jephthah for help. It was recorded in Judges 11:6, “Then they said to Jephthah, ‘Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.’” Whenever man condemns, God has His way of redeeming every condemned. Jephthah became a hot commodity. A son of harlot; driven out by brothers, now being sought to be a leader. Jephthah responded in Judges 11:7, “So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”” The same God that set up a situation for Jephthah to be called back to rise above and beyond where he was before being expelled will always be available to turn your story around for His name to be glorified. God can never be too late or too soon, God will show up in your situation at His divine timing. Jephthah accepted the assignment and victory was delivered to the children of Israel. Jephthah did not just end up as a commander but he became the head because victory was delivered into his hand. The story of Jephthah was changed for good.

Prayer for today: In the name of Jesus, your story will change for good to the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: The power to heal, cleanse, and deliver are in His hand.

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

The main purpose of the evil one is to deny us from serving God. Among the agents of the evil that deny, delay or derail one is the physical or spiritual sickness. Shame or mockery is also among his affliction that he often uses to delay, deny or derail a believer from serving God. Once there was a need for Jesus to be served by Simon’s mother in-law but the enemy’s mark of sickness upon her life made it impossible. It is written in Luke 4:38-39, “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.” Simon’s wife’s mother received 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 behalf of Simon’s wife’s mother, will you request for His hand to bring you out of all that is keeping you from serving Him? Could it be cleansing that you need Jesus’ hand to address in your life that you may serve Him without any delay? Just as healing is in His hand so there is cleansing. Jesus’ hand will clean every mark of mockery if you will call for the extension of His healing hand. Luke 5:12-13, “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.”” The man that was full of leprosy fell on his face to ask for his cleansing and he received his cleansing. Leprosy without any doubt 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 to present yourself? Again, your cleansing and deliverance is in the hand of the Healing Master Jesus. Are you willing to receive your cleansing? You must be ready to fall on your face and implore Him for His intervention. The man that was full of leprosy fell on his face he received cleansing from his head to his toe. All that it takes for anyone to be delivered and free is in asking the Master and without asking, it will not be activated.

Pray for today: Ask for the Master’s hand to locate you in this season.

FAITH CAPSULE: When you begin to see your breakthrough, as being there when is yet to be there, it will come to be.

Acts 22:1-13

Paul the apostle was a persecutor of Christ followers before he encountered Jesus. Paul was answering the name Saul, when he “…went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were on the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1-2) Paul was on a journey to do damage to followers of Christ when Jesus Christ appeared onto him and his entourage. Paul testifies of the encounter when he stated in Acts 22:9, “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, “What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’”  Paul was able to see and to hear before he could receive direction into his divine appointment. Could it be that you have seen and not able to hear or you have heard and not able to see? There is a need to see and hear before gaining the direction of entering every divine appointment. The word that you receive and do not see will not enter into you. Also the word that you hear and not see will not answer for you. Faith demands that when you hear the word of God and you begin to see it as being there when it is not there, it will come to be there. Paul’s entourage saw and they allowed fear to take what they saw and the possibility of hearing was not in place. When the Lord touched Jeremiah, it was with purpose for him to be able to hear what the Lord was having for him. The Lord put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth and said to him, “See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:10) God told Jeremiah to see it when it was yet to be there. Seeing the word of God is believing while believing the word of God is becoming what the word offers. When you begin to see your breakthrough, as being there when is yet to be there, it will come to be. Have you received a prophecy of favor lately? If you have received any, begin to see it and seal it with prayer and it will come to pass. Paul saw and heard, the story of his life, and was changed forever because in his seeing and hearing, his divine appointment was packaged. Be awake and alive in this journey of life. 

Prayer for today: Ask God to open your eyes and ears of understanding in your journey of life.

FAIH CAPSULE: When God promotes you, He will put people into position to dress you and not reject you.

2 Kings 9:1-13

Who do you think is having the final say over your life? If your answer is God by the grace of our Lord Jesus, you need to put your soul at rest knowing that it is well. Ecclesiastes recorded, “I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken from it. God does it that men should fear before Him.”(Ecclesiastes 3:14) Does this answer to your concern? What can you do? What God said to one speaks to all. God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I know you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah1:5) Does the word of God make sense to you that it is settled before you were born?Jehu was only a commander in the army of Ahab at the time God elevated him to become the King over Israel. Before his elevation there was no prior announcement was on for him. Your own elevation could be on the way like that of Jehu. It was business as usual when Elisha sent one of the prophets to go and anoint Jehu with oil as the king of Israel. It is written in 2 Kings 9:2, “Now when you arrive at that place, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and go in and make him rise up from among his associates, and take him to an inner room.” Jehu was made to rise up from among his associates to become the head among his associates. Interestingly, Jehu did not pray for position, he did not campaign, neither did he struggle or take any stand of opposition before the anointing came unexpectedly to lift him up above and beyond his associates. Jehu’s elevation was from God as a result; his associates could not resist nor reject him as the King. When God promotes you, He will put people into position to dress you and not reject you. 2Kings 9: 13 recorded that, “Then each man hastened to take his garment and put it under him on the top of the steps; and they blew trumpets, saying, “Jehu is king!”” At God’s timing, Jehu was dressed and was announced with the blast of trumpets and with a loud announcement of his new position. Are you wondering if you will ever rise above and beyond where you are now? God is a great God and He is still in the business of extending favor, mercy, grace and blessings. Let no man or condition dictate to you or discourage you of what you can become or what you cannot become.

Prayer for today: Ask God, the lifting lifter of man, to lift you up above and beyond from where you have been grounded.