FAITH CAPSULE: God’s testimonies are more than enough to transport believers to the Promised Land.

Numbers 14

The testimonies of God will transport you if you will mediate on it. All that the children needed for their transportation through their wilderness journey was the testimonies of God but not complain against God.The children of Israel were to travel through the wilderness to their Promised Land for eleven days, but the journey went on for forty years. Are you experiencing a time of wandering around in a wilderness situation? At times it is good to have a wilderness journey, but it is not good to live in the wilderness. The generation that came out of Egypt did not only journey in the wilderness, but they wandered around until the wilderness passed them unto death and they were unable to see or step on the Promised Land. The children of Israel did not just become wanders in the wilderness by accident, but by their acts of complaints against God trapped them in the wilderness. Act of complaining is the act of termination. Due to their incessant complaining against what God was doing in their life, God responded in Numbers 14:22-23, “Because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.”God promised to take them to the Promised Land. He showed them great and mighty signs in Egypt, and on their way out of Egypt. The signs and wonders of God are His testimonies. God’s testimonies are more than enough to transport believers to the Promised Land. Are you constantly meditating on His testimonies? The Psalmist knew confessed in Psalm 119:2, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies…” Psalm 119:14, I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies, As much as in all riches.” Psalm 119: 24, “Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.” Psalm 119:46, I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. The testimonies of God are all the things that He has done, and the things that He is doing, and the evidence of what He can do. His testimonies are worthy of mediation. What are the testimonies that you are carrying? Meditate on His testimonies and provoke your faith in Him. Hebrew 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Meditate on the testimonies of God; fear God and you will not fail. Please God and your journey will be a pleasant one in life.

Prayer for today: Deliver me in Your righteousness and let me not fail in the journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Growing is not the measure of getting to the expected end.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

When the children of Israel came out of the bondage of over four hundred years for their journey to the Promised Land, they all passed through the Red Sea. In the same journey, all of the children of Israel were able to drink from the rock. Above all, they journeyed under the cloud of protection during the day and light from fire to give direction during the night. All of them both sinners and non-sinners were exposed to what the Lord was doing to keep them on a good footing in their journey. However, when it was time, in the eyes of God, to separate those that were obeying His commands, from those that were not, He did without any struggle. Until the time of separation they all experienced the blessings of God and nothing separated them but it was sin that made the difference. Jesus said in Matthew 13:30, “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”Growing is not the measure of getting to the expected end. They were all growing together in the wilderness, but not all made it to the expected end. Jesus said it and the apostle Paul also stated in 1 Corinthians 10:12 “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”So many think they are standing, when they are in the midst of a standing congregation, but not all are actually standing. When you are in the right footing with the commands of God you have taken a righteous stand. However, if you are in the wrong footing in the commands of God you might want to seek for His mercy not to fall into the judgment of God. It matters and it also counts to know that God is the only judge and no man is in the position to judge. Each and every man knows how he stands and it can be measured in the word of God as stated in 1Corinthians 10:6-10, “…we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.”” Against all of the above, every believer can measure their stand, to determine their stand in their journey to the expected end.

Prayer for today: Have mercy on me O Lord and let me not miss it in the journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you making uncommon move to get your invitation across to Jesus like Zacchaeus did?

Luke 19:1-10

All that loves the Lord and calls Him Lord will love to invite Him into their house, but the price to pay in getting an invitation across to Him is way too much for the majority. There are too many invitation interceptor and they are deliberate agents to deny every believer’s invitation getting across to Jesus. Zacchaeus who was a tax collector had all what it takes not to get his invitation delivered. The same Zacchaeus also demonstrated what it takes to deny every agent that intercept invitations to Jesus. Among all that it takes not to get invitations across are crowds (the multitudes) and stature. It is written in Luke 19:3 “And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.” Zacchaeus had both, he was short and he was in the midst of crowd. Zacchaeus needed to see Jesus because his seeing Jesus would help to deliver his invitation to Jesus. The crowd and his short stature were the intercepting agents that would have denied him. Just like Zacchaeus, crowd is all that is clouding you from seeing and understand the need to spend more time in is presence. The crowd in place does not settle well with a short stature. Zacchaeus acknowledged his great dilemma and knew that without making an uncommon move, Jesus would never receive His invitation. As a result he refused to accommodate his dilemmas. The Bible recorded, “So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.”(Luke 19:4) Are you making uncommon move to get your invitation across to Jesus like Zacchaeus did? We have to show Him that we want the love he brought to us. It is written, “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” (Luke 19:5-6) Do you sincerely desire to have Jesus invited to your house? Just like Zacchaeus did, all believers can do. By getting away from every representation of a crowd and by looking for a higher ground or place where Jesus is conversant, where He is always passing through. As a result of Zacchaeus’ running and climbing, his invitation came to Jesus and Jesus became a guest to Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus a tax collector, short in stature, among the crowd had his invitation delivered and Jesus entered his house. You can invite Jesus into your house if you will go all the way to deliver your invitation.

Prayer for today: I ask for the grace to seek You with all that You have given me.

FAITH CAPSULE: When the heart is stirred, the ear will hear.

Ezra 1

When it was time for the children of Israel to return to their home land from the captivity of seventy years, God did not use a prophet like Moses. God used Cyrus, an unbeliever, to accomplish His purpose. When it was God’s time to move, the Bible recorded, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia…” (Ezra 1:1) It is important to note, that God stirred the spirit of Cyrus before Cyrus could hear and accomplish his divine agenda. This indeed testifies to the fact that when the heart is stirred, the ear will hear. In contrast, it is evident that Pharaoh‘s spirit was not stirred; and as a result he could not hear and he maintained a heart of stone. It is written in Proverbs 21:1-2, “The King’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Cyrus king of Persia had no choice but to move in line with what God has drawn up for his life. Cyrus, during the first year of his reign, “…made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:1-4) God, through Cyrus king of Persia, opened a door for the children of Israel to come out of captivity and rebuild the temple. Who can fathom the limits of the Almighty? Do you know who is going to activate your breakthrough or deliverance? God alone will move on your behalf, He has not changed, and he will forever remain the same. Cyrus king of Persia put in place more than needed for the children of Israel.

Prayer for today: Ask God to bring forth your Cyrus, the one that will deliver your great and effective opened door.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you considering all that God has put around you before making any decision of relocation?

Numbers 10:11-35

At the time of the departure of the children of Israel from Mount Sinai, Moses offered his father-in-law to come with them Numbers 10:29, “Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.””  Moses wanted him to continue with him and the children of Israel to the Promised Land. Moses expressed what to gain, by emphasizing on the good that was going to accompany them with the Lord’s promise. Moses pointed out that it had been given to them, and that it was just a matter of going to posses the land. Moses’ word was encouraging enough for his father-in-law to pack up all that he had and join Moses on the journey. Indeed it is good to follow a man in God’s hand but it could be exceedingly dangerous if God is not in your decision of diversion. Moses’ father-in-law refused the offer from Moses, “…And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.”” (Numbers 10:30) Hobab was satisfied with the land where God planted his feet, and he couldn’t accept any land offer. He also considered his relatives as one of the reasons not to go with Moses. Moses’ father-in-law could not allow self-centeredness takeover in decision. Are you considering all that God has put around you before making any decision of relocation? Moses attempted to convince him again in, Numbers 10: 31-32, “So Moses said, “Please do not leave, in as much as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.  And it shall be, if you go with us—indeed it shall be—that whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same we will do to you.””Moses’ father –in-law responded wisely and refused to go with Moses. It is always good to know where you are going and be able to say no to every agent of diversion. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, whose name means excellent, made an excellent decision by not going. The prophetic utterance that he carried out from the day he was named, answered for him. He could have gone with the children of Israel and faced the same life taking sin that took away generations that came out of Egypt. By virtue of his decision he escaped a destruction that was not meant for him. What are the enticements you are facing? It may look good to the eyes, but if it is not of God, chances of untimely death are around the corner.

Prayer for today: Ask God to let you not go where He has not called you to go.