FAITH CAPSULE: Complaining before God is an act of rebellion.

Deuteronomy 1:23-46

Israel had gone far enough in their journey, and they wanted to map out how to move forward. 
For the Israelites, instead of going forward in the direction of the promise of God, they called on Moses, stating, “Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come (Deuteronomy1:22).” 
Has He brought you far enough, and now you are taking things into your own hands? 
It is wrong to start thinking about how you will make it through the journey from where God has brought you.
The Israelites ignored the plans of God pleased Moses, so he took twelve of them to go and spy on the land (Deuteronomy 1:23). 
Except for Joshua and Caleb, the spy returned with discouraging negative news to the people. 
Because of the negative report, the children of Israel entered into complaining, and they could not confess or see any positive. 
The report generated from spying had them engaged in negative confession. 
Despite all the miracles at the time of their coming out of the bondage of over four hundred years, they lost faith and could not believe God for His word of promise. 
An act of complaint is an act of rebellion before God. 
God responded to their rebellious act in Deuteronomy 1:34-35, “And the LORD heard the sound of your words, and was very angry, and took oath, saying, surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers.” 
Not trusting God for His word will cause one not to hope in Him by looking up to Him. 
Also, not looking up to God will cause man to look down and away from the way of God. 
For the Israelites, the journey of eleven days became forty years journey. At the point of entering the promised land, they entered into deep wilderness. 
God does not run out of mercy, but they ran out of the mercy of God. 
On a journey that they overcame giants and all kinds of hindrances, the sound of their mouths denied them not to arrive at the Promised Land. 
What kind of sound are you producing in your journey of life? 
Are you confessing negative or positive? 
Can you ignore the world around you and give yourself to the word of God? Apostle Paul admonished in 2 Timothy 1:13, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” 
Engage the word of God to claim the promise of God. 

Prayer for today: Ask to engage the word of God as a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.

FAITH CAPSULE: Allow God to take you through just as He promises.

Deuteronomy 1:1-22

God is truth, at His word, His word is a done deal.
God is a faithful God. 
Lying is not in the character of God. 
Deception does not have a place in Him. 
What God says He will do is a done deal. 
God is faithful in His word. 
Promise God states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) 
God will not purposely build you up and turn around to pull you down. 
The children of Israel were to come out of the bondage of over four hundred years. 
It was a bondage that appeared to last from eternity to eternity, but the deliverance of God answered for the Israelites. 
Their deliverance was with the promise of a land that flowed with milk and honey. 
The deliverance was enough confirmation for the Israelites to know that their God was a mighty Deliverer. 
He alone is the Almighty God. 
The promise of God is in His plans that are not for evil but for good. 
On their way to Canaan, the children of Israel encountered every representative of giants attempting to terminate the promise of getting them to the Promised Land. 
Victory, however, was won by the hand of God on behalf of the Israelites. The Red Sea and agent to deny the Israelites to arrive at the promise of God failed. 
God wanted to carry out His promise.
Moses reminded the promise of God, “Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your father has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged (Deuteronomy. 1:21).” 
Sadly, the children of Israel had a different mindset of getting to the promise of God for them. 
They did not take to heart the word of Moses, the mouthpiece of God. They were close to the land, but they were not looking to the land, evidence of not taking to the promise of God.
When God makes a promise, not giving self to the promise of God, such is set not to claim the promise of God.
Has He promised you, and you are not giving yourself to His word? 
The Israelites did not move by the word God by asking, “Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come (Deuteronomy1:22).”
Do not substitute the promise of God that sounds in your direction.
God planned to take them to the Promised Land. 
Has he spoken and not brought it to pass? 
Allow God to take you through just as He has brought you out and set you up for His promise in life. 

Prayer for today: Ask God to uphold you according to His word. 

FAITH CAPSULE: Have you denied yourself from serving God?

Luke 10: 38-42

Sincerely desire for selfish self to die.
It is not only when you see believers around you that you should act as a servant of God.
Acting that does not count before God is not true but false humility.
The world is deceivable but not God.
God sees the heart of all.
Is there any way you can hear it better to provoke your understanding and know that serving Him demands following Him diligently? 
Jesus states, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me: and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (John 12:26)  
The word of Jesus is clear enough for those with hearing ears and who know to serve the Lord by following Him diligently. 
Ignorance is not an excuse. 
Ignorance will only make a destitute out of a believer; it will ridicule the journey if one fails to master what it takes to follow the Master.
Think of Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus.
She saw it all and loved Jesus.
Matha goes wherever she can see Jesus; her brother Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus; she also welcomed Jesus to her house. 
So, what needs to count before it can be apparent that one is serving the Lord is evident in what Martha was doing. 
Are you on the same page with Martha? 
Martha was always at the service of Jesus, but it is evident that she was not following Jesus fully at that stage in her life. 
She was concerned about herself. 
The Bible recorded about Martha in Luke 10:39-40, “And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord do you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help.’” 
Mary was busy engaging Jesus at His feet while Martha ran around to put things in order. 
Jesus responded to the question Martha, saying, “…Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42) 
Martha was concerned about the ‘me in her’ when she asked Jesus about His concern for her serving alone and not having the help of her sister to serve. 
Self will deny you if you do not sincerely desire for the selfish self in you to die a permanent death. 
It is in your control to desire that services will not be in vain by asking God to take away that spirit of self.
Serving God with self-interest is not serving diligently.
The character of serving God with diligence is following God fully. 

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from every spirit of selfishness.

FAITH CAPSULE: In your battle, let God arise for you.

Joshua 6

Falling is different from falling flat shall become the portion of your enemy in the name of Jesus. 
Are you engaging in any battle or battle is engaging you? 
What about giving up your battle unto God to fight your battle for you? Any situation that will not allow you to rise when God says arise and shine is an enemy at your war front. 
God is a great warrior, and He is mighty in battle.
Will you consider turning your battle over to God, the mighty warrior? 
As a child of God, you should not underestimate or overestimate any battle. 
The devil has been around long and cunningly divisive and could make one think the battle is small. 
The devil could also make you think that the battle is too big to fight. 
All he wants for all is to give up instead of looking up to God alone, who can deliver.
The reason why all should not fight our battle is that the battle we fight can rise again. 
However, the battle God fights on behalf of one shall become a total victory, and the enemy never rises again.
For example, when He fought the battle at the Wall of Jericho on behalf of the Israelites, it was a total victory. 
Before the battle of Jericho, the Bible states, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out and none came.” (Joshua 6:1) 
Despite the security at the gate, God gave Joshua detailed directions about bringing the wall down because the wall was Jericho’s defense. With the obedience of Joshua as the leader of the Israelites, the wall of Jericho fell flat. 
The victory was astounding for the Israelites following the instruction, “…The wall will fall down flat…” 
Falling down is different from falling down flat. 
Falling down flat was damage to the enemy that can not recover.
Joshua knew what had taken place after the war by stating in Joshua 6:26, “…Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.” 
Joshua placed a curse, and when Hiel of Bethel attempted to recover, failure overridden his effort to rebuild the wall of Jericho. 1 Kings 16:34 records, “In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun”  
How else can you be convinced that God fights the battle that no devil under heaven can bring it back to life? 
Let God arise for you, and the enemy shall become permanently shattered.

Prayer for today: Ask for the hand of God to bring down every representative of the wall of Jericho in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Allow His thoughts and way to overtake you in life.

Isaiah 55

The word of God is truth to perform and to perfect.
God spoke clearly and directly to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”(Jeremiah 1:5) 
God was not a liar and will not become a liar concerning your challenge. What He said to Jeremiah speaks to all.
God that created Jeremiah is the same God that created all, and He knows all. 
The same God that spoke to Jeremiah said in Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” 
His word is truth that will not fail to perform what He said it will perform. If God has spoken, who are we not to believe? 
All that the Lord said has come to be, and His word is still coming to pass just as He said it. 
Despite the truthfulness of His word, man often demonstrates fear where there is a reason to demonstrate faith. 
The word of God encourages those who will give themselves to the word of God.
Philippians 4:6 encourages all, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” 
God is consistent in His word, unlike the world. 
Will you take all your challenges up to Him in prayer while letting anxiousness prevail in your life? 
Just a reminder, the same word of God states, “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19)
Does the word of God reflect in your ways of life? 
His word says a gathering of two or three together in His name will draw His presence. 
Why not faithfully allow His thought and way to overtake you in all your endeavors? 
Do not allow yourself to become limited by your thoughts, but let your thoughts in the word of God reign and rule over your entire situation. Isaiah 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” 
Give yourself to the word of God.
His word is truth to perform and to perfect; His word is mighty. 
God magnifies His word above all of His name.
Allow your thoughts and ways to become occupied by the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask that His mighty word fill you in every area of your life.