FAITH CAPSULE: Do not engage wicked in revenge.

Genesis 39

Joseph dislikes wickedness; sinning before God is evidently not his way of life.
The life of Joseph demonstrated seeking God.
Genesis 39:9 records the character of Joseph, “…How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
Whatever anyone does before God continually will count and determine, such is seeking God.
Joseph continually lived against wickedness.
All great wickedness does not hide from God.
Wickedness does not escape the eyes of God.
Above all, great wickedness before God is having the word of God in the mouth but far from the mind. (Jeremiah 12:2)
The onset of wickedness towards Joseph is glaring, especially since his father loved him.
Genesis 37:3-4 records, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also, he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.”
The testimony of the love of the father of Joseph is the evidence of the hatred of the brothers towards Joseph.
The wickedness was activated towards Joseph when:
Joseph had a dream of greatness, which provoked his brother to attempt to kill him, but later sold him into slavery, which took him to Egypt.
Joseph was not in a position to do wickedness in return for his brothers, but he found favor before God.
The Ishmaelites bought Joseph from his brothers.
As a slave in the house of Potiphar, the Lord was with him.
The wife of his master accused him, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.” (Genesis 39:17-18)
Wrong accusation is wicked.
It was wickedness that followed Joseph that brought him into prison.
While in prison, he interpreted a dream, which drew the attention of others.
He gained the position to engage with the Pharaoh.
The interpretation of the dream by Pharaoh promoted Joseph from prison to become the Prime Minister of the land.
All through the journey of Joseph, there was no record of his responding to wickedness against him because his character retained the presence of God for him.
The brothers of Joseph unknowingly sought food in Egypt at the time of famine, as they located Joseph in a position of authority.
With no enmity from Joseph to the wickedness of his brothers, he received the brothers well.
The wickedness of the brothers of Joseph separated Joseph, at age seventeen, until he was over the age of thirty, when he saw his father.
Wickedness and sin could not derail Joseph from arriving at the center of his divine calling of God.

Prayer for today: Ask that evil will not deny your answering to the calling of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Serving God is seeking God diligently to find God.

Daniel 1

The Word of God is not a story but a secret to gaining understanding of God.
The desire to know God, to serve Him, to find Him is rooted in His word.
The living Word of God is not a fiction or made-up story.
One committed to the word of God shall build up to gain an inheritance of the sanctified.
With an understanding of the secret of the Word of God, one is in a position to gain the deliverance of God.
To serve diligently is the understanding of the word of God.
Daniel serves God diligently.
The Bible records the deliverance of Daniel in the den of lions.
Daniel was set for destruction when he decided not to serve any other God.
King Darius was pleased when he placed Daniel among three governors, and he distinguished himself because an excellent spirit was in him. As a result, “…the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm, the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.   Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:3-5)
Daniel was a governor surrounded by enemies who had him placed in the den of lions.
King signed reluctantly for the order, which placed Daniel in the den of lions.
Daniel 6:18-20, “Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also, his sleep was gone.  Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
Daniel was delivered in the den of lions overnight without a scratch from hungry lions.
Daniel responded to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me.” (Daniel 6:21-22)
Daniel continually serves God.
Serving God is seeking God diligently to find God.
Daniel served God since his early days, purposed in his heart not to despise himself. (Daniel 1:8)
A purpose heart not to despise self for God does have a custom, a schedule, an uncommon relation with God.
Daniel had a custom of praying and giving thanks to God.
Daniel, with a committed schedule, was praying three times a day before God.
Daniel served God diligently, and no fault was found in him.
With understanding, serve God diligently.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the strength and understanding to serve God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Understand Jesus to know the rest of God.

Luke 7:11-35

Are you lacking understanding of the word of God?
Jesus is concerned about the issue of a lack of understanding.
If Jesus can see the lack of understanding, it is evident that there is a need for understanding.
One with no understanding is the mark of not living as a believer.
Wisdom is the power of God for man. 1 Corinthians 1:24 stated, “…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:30 also buttressed that Jesus “became for us wisdom from God.”
Jesus is our wisdom from God.
Understanding is the ability to listen, not just to hear.
The sound of Jesus must be a curiosity for the word with a lack of importance of the understanding issue when He said, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43)
Obviously, it is possible to hear but not listen to gain His message.
Lack of attention is the root of listening disability.
A listening ability is to have a knowing edge, not to become a victim of stagnation in the wicked world.
Are you lacking understanding of the word of God?
The consequence of a lack of understanding can be exceedingly painful in life.
Ever since the bible days, until today, lack of understanding has been reducing the majority from gaining the promise of God.
Imagine disciples of Jesus with no understanding of crucifixion and resurrection, which Jesus repeatedly revealed to them.
When Jesus resurrected, a lack of understanding kept the disciples in.
On the same day, two of His disciples were on a journey and demonstrated a lack of understanding of the resurrection of Jesus.
On their journey to Emmaus, they were sad instead of celebrating the word manifested.
Sadness blinded them as they could not recognize Jesus as their company while they journeyed.
Resurrection was and is to be celebrating the truth manifested.
If disciples who spent time with Jesus when He was here could not understand and enter His rest, how can the present age gain understanding from Jesus and rest in Him?
John the Baptist preached about Jesus.
When baptizing Jesus, John heard the voice of God stating, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17)
Lack of understanding of the disciples in knowing that Jesus is enough to have rest in Jesus, the promise of God.
Despite the relationship John had with Jesus, his lack of understanding was glaring when John sent His disciples as recorded: “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” (Luke 7:20)
The understanding of John is unimaginable.
Imagine the level of understanding John the Baptist.
What is the level of your understanding to be able to gain the promise of God, which is rest?

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to gain His understanding.

FAITH CAPSULE: The Word of God is Eternal, Everlasting, Undying, and Unending.

Hebrews 4

The presence of God is His word.
The word of God is God.
Recognition of the Word of God is written in John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
Recognition of the word of God is not relevant to doubt, but it is clear that the word of God is God.
The Word of God is Eternal, Everlasting, Undying, and Unending.
The more any man hears the word of God through His voice or in the pages of the Bible with attention, the more one should get to know and understand the will and purpose of living for God.
In this wicked world, the glaring will and purpose of God for all is His promise.
The promise of God is His rest for all.
The rest of God for all is in His word.
Moses, in His journey, asked God for His way, and God responded in His word saying, “…My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)
Obviously, the word of God is His way; His way is His presence, which gives rest.
The promise of God for man is His rest.
Hebrews 4 documents the promise of God that is in place for all to gain entrance to His rest. (Hebrews 4:1)
Without doubt, the promise of God, which is rest, has been missed by some in the days of the Bible. The reason for falling short of the promise of God states, “…the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”
Just as it was in the Bible days and among believers of today, to hear the word and not profit is the evidence of not mixing what is heard with faith. Mixing faith and being profitable is by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)
Hearing by hearing is the continuous, consistent way to bring the word alive in life to be in the promise of God, which is rest.
Whatever you have heard from God, add faith to it (faith is to hear by the word of God)
One who turned to hearing, hearing, and hearing by the word of God will enter the promise of God, the rest of God.
Manifestly, the word of God is alive; the word of God is the power of God. One who obeys and does not live disobediently to the word of God will enter the rest of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to miss His presence on all the days He has given you under heaven.

Acts 9, Mark 11:1-11

FAITH CAPSULE:  Answering the directions of God for all must be done unfailingly.

The direction of God is His word, a live wire not to be a victim in all areas of life.
Think, what withholds you from responding to the calling of God?
Abraham did not withhold himself from responding to the calling of God for the sacrifice of his only son.
God responded to the obedience of Abraham, sending His Angel, stating, ” And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Genesis 22:12)
Deep in his heart, Abraham had obeyed God, sacrificing his son before it happened in the physical.
Before God, obedience to His direction counts for the glory of God.
Abraham obeyed God.
What is holding you down from answering the calling of God upon your life?
Acts 9, Mark 11:1-11
Jesus commanded His disciples in Mark 11:2-3, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.” (Mark 11:2-3) 
Jesus saw a colt in a position.
However, the colt was tied so as not to be available for the use of Jesus.
Just as the colt was tied down, not to be ridden by the glory of God, are you being tied down, not to be answered and be used by God?
Jesus needed a colt that was not tied down, a colt that was loose.
What must be in place for you to enter into your divine assignment? 
Many are consciously or unconsciously tied down and not available to serve God.
Some are tied down and do not know that they are tied down while engaging in the celebration of Jesus, evidence of not being connected to Jesus.
Answering the calling of God, not being tied down, makes the difference between all the acclaimed believers of Jesus as Lord and Savior.
What is holding you down from answering the calling of God upon your life?
Have the desire for God as a way of life.
Determination is not enough to help in answering the calling of God, but the grace of God is what will get you into your divine assignment.
The word of God promises that “He will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go and He will guide you with His eye” (Psalm 32:8). 
What is holding your life down from answering the calling of God?
Determination is not enough to answer the calling of God, but the desire to walk with God, gaining the mercy of God, will deposit all that it takes to answer the calling of God.

Prayer for today: Ask that God will enable you to live life for Him.