FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting on God is not wasting away.

Lamentation 3

Waiting on God should never be considered as wasting away but way of life. The Bible points out, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4) Can you imagine the goodness of His faithfulness? Indeed He will not fail to honor His word. In this world that He created, there is none that is above waiting on God. Regardless of any man’s title outside or inside of Church, when situation or challenge calls for waiting on God there should be no hesitation but to wait. Jeremiah, a giant in the hand of God, called and sent by God, did not accept life in the lowest pit when he found himself there. Lamentation 3:55, “I called on Your name, O LORD, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help.” You drew near on the day I called on You, and said, “Do not fear!”” The testimony of Jeremiah teaches believers and non-believers of the word of God that no man is above challenges or situation that calls for crying unto God for His divine intervention. Jeremiah, a prophet ordained and called by God, demonstrated the need to always wait on God. Waiting on God should never cease or slow down in the life of those that know Him. The devil is out to kill, steal and destroy and there is none that is outside of his radar. However, he does not have what it takes to raid on any ground that is under the cover of the blood of Jesus Christ. It is only, “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Your faithfulness.”(Lamentation 3:22) At the time of Jeremiah’s life in the lowest pit, there was no record of regret, complain, or questioning of God about why the Lord called him and have him in the pit. Jeremiah remained focus confessing his faith. Your situations today are not worse or better than that of Jeremiah. Learn to wait on God in the same manner Jeremiah did. Know in your heart that the same Lord that saw Jeremiah through will not abandon you. Above all your challenges and the source of your challenges there is God that answers when you wait on Him. He is a good God with good thought for each and every one of His children. Will you take time to wait on Him? It is written, “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seek Him.”(Lamentation 3:25)

Prayer for today: Ask God to remember you with favor and to visit you with salvation.

FAITH CAPSULE: What you see will bring the calling of God in your direction.

Acts 9:1-19

The Apostle Paul, before the change of his name from Saul was, “…breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” His purpose was to terminate the disciples but God disposed his purpose. Acts 9:3-4, “As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul’s journey to go and kill and destroy turned out to be the journey to go and start saving and delivering souls to the Lord. Paul encountered the visitation of Jesus and his life was turned around and he bmecame the evidence of Jesus. During this encounter, the Bible recorded, “So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:6)In order for Paul to hear and accept the calling of the Lord there was a need for him to see the move of the Lord. At every time the move of the Lord is seen with attention from the ones that sees His move, there is always a call that follows. Saul saw the move of the Lord first before a call from the Lord followed through. Like Paul, Moses is another one that saw God’s move before he heard God’s calling for is divine assignment. Exodus 3:2-3, “And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”Moses saw a flame of fire from the midst of bush, while Saul saw a light shone from heaven. What have you been seeing? What you see will bring the calling of God in your direction. Before God’s calling sound in your direction you have to see or else the attention to receive His calling will not be there. When Moses saw the fire burning, he decided to turn aside, “So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am,” (Exodus 3:4) God is still in the business of calling those that will be able to see and answer fully to His calling like Paul and Moses.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open the eyes and the ears of your heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: As a result of Moses’ disobedience act, God reacted…

Numbers 20:1-13

Jesus was approached by one of His disciples asking, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven,Hallowed be Your name…”” (Luke 11:1-2) Out of every word that came from the mouth of Jesus, there weren’t any that can be considered as a careless talk or meaningless word. In Jesus’ attempt to teach His disciples how to pray,   in the first part of the prayer was the line “hallowed be thy name”. What is important hallowing the name of the Lord? Identifying the meaning of Hallow will give us a good understanding about the importance of hallowing the name of the Lord. The word hallowed is defined as: to honor as holy; consider sacred; sanctify; consecrate. Evidently, assessing the good and might God calls for hallowing His name. His name is His presence and His name is power. His name cannot be violated. As great as Moses was in the hand of God, his sin that deprived him from stepping on the Promised Land was the result of his failure to hallow the name of God. When God commanded Moses to speak to the rock so that the children of Israel could get water to quench their thirst, Moses went and struck the rock. (Numbers 20:7-9) Moses’ act does not settle well before God. As a result of Moses’ disobedience act, God reacted and spoke to Moses and Aaron, “…Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”(Numbers 20:12)It can be considered that, not hallowing God is evidence of lack of belief. In our walk with the Lord God that manifests, God does have expectation for how we respond to His command. Moses, by virtue of all that has been invested into his life by God must have fall short the level of believe that is expected from him by God. Not to hallow God is also considered as an act of rebellion. Numbers 27:14, “For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes…”Not hallowing God is trespassing against God, “because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 32:51) Clearly in Moses act of not Hallowing God we see unbelief, rebellion and trespassing. Isaiah 8:13, “The Lord of Hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear.” In your walk let God know you fear Him and when you come before Him in prayer don’t forget to hallow his name.

Prayer for today: Let Your fear overwhelm me in every walk of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: With repentance, forgiveness will reign but consequence remains.

2 Samuel 15:7-37

God is a merciful God and He will always forgive when there is repentance. However, for every sin with repentance, forgiveness will reign but consequence remains. After king David had set up the death of Uriah and took over his wife, he received forgiveness for his repentance but the consequence lasted in his life. At certain time during his reign, he had a need to run for his life after his son Absalom, had gained the sympathy and support of the Israelites. During the escape for his life, the Bible recorded, “So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.”(2 Samuel 15:30)  Obviously, the challenges of David were the consequences of despising God and the death of Uriah in attempt to cover the sin of adultery. David, with his entourage left in shame with their heads covered. In addition to that, David left his throne and the city when he went barefoot. It could not have been worse than that for a man who was described as a man after God’s own heart. Sin can be appealing but its course is destructive. Also, the consequences of sin can be exceedingly painful and emotional draining. Indeed the word of God is true to the fact that obedience is better than sacrifice. Can you trace to your present challenge to a consequence of your iniquity against God? In the midst of all, David’s heart remained focused on God, as he would not stop worshiping God either on the mountain or in the valley. “Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God-there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.” (2 Samuel 15:32) The point being made here is that David would not abstain from worshiping God despite his agonizing situation. David set himself up for the situation and he was able to deal with it, without any recorded complain or neglecting his God. There was no one to be blame but David himself for giving a “Great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme.” (2 Samuel 12:14) Let it be known to you that not all confronting challenge is a pointer to consequence of sin. However, it is a point for you to be able look back and trace your past. As much as God is a merciful and forgiving God, it is important that we constantly recognize that there are consequences for every sin. God is not to be blamed or to be responsible for any sin. Be responsible. Responsibility is the price of accomplished great exploit.

Prayer for today: Ask God to lead and guide you from every trap of sin and iniquity.

FAITH CAPSULE: Sin is like a disease that will not stop itself when there is a failure in stopping it.

2Samuel 11

The Bible recorded in 2 Samuel 11:1, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”(2 Samuel 11:1) King David misplaced his priority as a king that supposed to be leading at war when he remained in Jerusalem at the time kings go out to battle. At every time you are to be at the battlefront instead of being at home you have invited the battle to your home. King David invited battle to his home when he used his rightful power to unrightfully take possession of Uriah’s wife. Uriah the Hittite was at the battle ground when David made his move. It is written, “Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.” (2 Samuel 11:4-5)David was supposed to be at the battlefront, but chose to be at home. David’s absence from the battlefront generated devises that are outside of God. He committed adultery and also extended it to murder. Sin is like a disease that will not stop itself when there is a failure in stopping it. Whatever wickedness you have engaged yourself into; it is always good to go back to God before the enemies use you as a ground to expand your sin. David’s attempt to control his sinful act instead of confesses, made him to take his sin to another level. 2Samuel 11:14-15, “In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.  And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.” David’s morning could be his time in the presence of God; his prayer hour but turned out to be time to device his evil agenda. Uriah died in the battle as was set up by David. God rightfully positioned David as a king but he took his rightful position to commit unrightfully act. However, the child died and David paid a great deal for his sinful act as he experienced disruption in every area of his life. When there is a misplaced priority a displacement in position will lead to a disrupted life. Regardless of your position or title inside or outside of church, always remember, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)

Prayer for today: Ask God to take your moments and your days to be concentrated unto Him.