FAITH CAPSULE: Looking away from God is the loss of focusing on God.

Exodus 14

The combination of worrying and being troubled will elevate to having fear. 
To become worried and troubled in the face of challenge is evidence of not looking up to God. 
When one keeps an eye on confronting challenges, focus not on God. 
Are you beholding your challenge, or are you looking up to God?
The Children of Israel were out of the bondage of over four hundred years with the promise of God to get them to the Promised Land.
However, the children of Israel failed to focus on God.
Failure to focus on God will result in the fear of the challenge. 
Exodus 14:10-12 documents, “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” 
Does that sound like you? 
The children of Israelites should know that God does not fail in His word.
The Israelites were worried and troubled and confessed negatively.
The solution to challenges demands focusing on God and the word of His promise. 
Despite all the powerful teachings of Jesus against fear and worrying, the disciples went ahead and locked themselves up in fear of the Jews. 
John 20:19 records, “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  
While they were locked up in fear, Jesus showed up and declared peace. 
To be looking up to Jesus is to gain the peace of God.
Faith in Jesus will cause peace to reign.  
After Jesus had spoken peace to His disciples, see the mark of crucifixion on Jesus. 
John 20:20 states, “When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”  Seeing the mark opened up the disciples to come out of fear. 
If you begin to see the marks of crucifixion and believe that the marks were registered on Jesus for all to be able to have life abundantly, the fear about all that is going on around the world will not have its place in your life. 

Prayer for today: Ask the boldness and character to have a place in your life. 

FAITH CAPSULE: Deciding with the way of God leads to a successful ending.

Exodus 33

The book of Proverbs 14:12 states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” 
The way that seems right is potentially dangerous; the way that seems right is not a confirmed way.
The way that seems right does not always have life in its end but death. Avoiding a way that seems right is engaging the assured way of God. 
There is nothing to lose the way of God when praying to God for direction.
Deciding with the way of God leads to a successful ending. 
Continually go by the way of getting to a successful ending. 
It was clear that God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years to the Promised Land, but it was not liberty for Moses to take his way. 
On the way, one should not just take any because not all ways will lead to an expected end. 
Despite the calling of God of Moses as the shepherd, he could not make a move without asking God for His way. 
He did not assume any way as being the right way. 
Moses always asked God for direction. 
The book of Exodus 33:13 documents, “Now therefore, I pray if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 
Just like Moses, anyone who asks for the way of the way of God shall demonstrate the ability to know God. 
The way of God is the way of going up from where you are now, but not down. 
In the way of God, there is an unfailing promise to be delivered. 
The way of God is the way out of bondage. 
The way of God delivers victory at all avenues of life. 
In the way of God, everything it takes not to be replaced by the enemy is in place. 
The only condition is to ask and know how to endure the challenges of the giants along the way. 
The failure to ask or to hear as directed is the avenue to self-destruction. God responded to the request of Moses for direction in Exodus 33:14, “And He said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” The word of God is God.
His word is His presence. 
When you engage His word, His word will have a place in the life of one. You will be in the right place as you engage in your journey. 
Take to the word of God for direction. 

Prayer for today: Ask that you will know and constantly turn to Him for direction.
Ask God to deliver you from taking to the seems way to the right way.

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting on God is keeping hope in Him as Great Defender. 

Psalm 37

Waiting on God for the answer to the question is exercising faith. 
Waiting on God is a way out of shame. 
When waiting on God by not looking outside of God without any iota of doubt, shame shall not have a place in life. 
The Psalmist buttresses, “Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.” (Psalm 25:3) 
Wait on God to get lead in the right direction where expectation yields manifestation. 
Waiting on the Lord demands boldness and character, which is a winning combination in the race of life. 
The Bible makes all realize that waiting extends to looking up to God for intervention against wicked ones. 
Are you one who is constantly questioning how the wicked ones are excelling? 
Psalm 37:7 states, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” 
Waiting on God is keeping His word and not fretting in the face of any wickedness. 
Waiting on God is keeping hope in Him as Great Defender. 
Does it seem like your waiting is taking forever without an answer? 
Is your crying wearing you out? 
Listen to the testimony of Psalmist, “I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (Psalm 69:3) 
Know to wait on God to deny wearing self in crying.
God has never failed, and He shall not as you wait on Him. 
Waiting on God is not a sign of weakness.
Wait on God on God silently and patiently. 
David testified in Psalm 40: 1-2, “I waited patiently for the LORD, and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth- praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.” 
Waiting for God will grant the grace to walk firmly on any ground and not fall. 
Passing through the trial of waiting will no doubt put a new song in the mouth of one who knows to wait. 
2 Samuel 22:34 states in his testimony, “He makes my feet like the feet of the deer and sets me on my high places.” 
Waiting on God took David to his high places. 
One with a low place in life and waiting on God is an avenue to come out of low places to high places, where there is no falling.
“Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)
Gain a strong heart by waiting on God.

Prayer for today: Ask that you will know to wait on God when challenges present themselves.

FAITH CAPSULE: Wasted life is in turning back.

John 21

Before the time Peter and some of the disciples gave up all and followed Jesus, they were professional fishermen. 
Matthew 4:18-20 records, “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 
The called ones immediately left their nets and followed Jesus. 
Peter and his fellow fishermen followed Jesus to the time He went to the cross.
After the death and resurrection of Jesus, new developments came into play. “Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:2-3) 
Have you received and believed in the death and resurrection of Jesus? For everyone who has received and believed in Jesus, there should be no going back to the past. 
Simon Peter suggested to other disciples to turn back to go fishing.
To give life to God is to put the past behind and allow Him to lead and direct. 
The disciples returned to their occupation and toiled all night with nothing to show for. 
The disciples caught no fish all night. 
John21:4-5 records, “But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”  
The disciples returned to business as usual and did not recognize Jesus. Turning away from following Him will always lead to emptiness. 
Just like the disciples, Jesus is what all need to have in full and not be empty in any area of life. 
Turning away after following Him will turn one into a life of waste. 
Jesus intervened in their situation and made it a great testimony when He commanded, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.” (John 21:6) 
After accepting Jesus, returning to your former lifestyle is a choice that will complicate destiny. 
Before Jesus came with them on the boat, the disciples did not have a testimony, but when Jesus showed, they had a great testimony. 
John 21:11 records, “Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.” 
If you have received and believed the report of His resurrection, there should be no turning back to the former lifestyle. 

Prayer for today: Ask you to be enabled going forward, not turning back in answering to the calling of God.

Faith Capsule: Do you have a place for the word to gain and remain in you?

Exodus 15

John 1:1 record, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.”
Jesus is the word of God.
The word of Jesus states, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” (Revelation 3:20)
Will you allow the word to gain entrance into you?
The Psalmist informs, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130) 
Jesus, the living word of God, spoke, “…I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) 
Without the word gaining entrance, there will be no following Him.
Jesus is the word of God. 
Do you have a place for the word to gain and remain in you? 
Jesus states in His word, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) 
When His joy remains in one to fill such, it becomes evident that such shall be a vessel that carries the presence of God. 
The presence of God will provoke the joy of the Lord.
The joy that is not triggered by what is in the physical is only in the word. 
The joy Jesus spoke to all is about believing God for what He has spoken regardless of the challenges brought by the world. 
Habakkuk 3:17-18 records, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” 
The word of Habakkuk buttresses the need to remain joyful in the face of daunting challenges.
A failure not to remain joyful is not allowing the entrance of the word of God.
For example, where there is no joy, complaining can be activated.
Complain is the source of rebellion. 
The Israelites saw the mighty act of God when they were coming out of the bondage of over four hundred years.
The joy of God is supposed to keep them going regardless of challenges. 
However, when they came out of the Red Sea, they needed water but were quick to complain because they were not full of joy. 
Exodus 15:23-24 states, “…when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore, the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”  
Joy was not in the Israelites, and they were quick to complain.
After their complaint, they came to Elim, where they had enough water. (Exodus 15:27) 
Always allow His spoken word to remain in you, activating the joy of the Lord. 

Prayer for today: Ask that you will allow the word of God inside of you.