FAITH CAPSULE: Do you know if you are near or far from God?

2 Kings 6

Once, while Elisha and his servant were in the face of challenge, Elisha knew they were near to God, but his servant does not know the nearness of God.
The servant of Elisha was not aware of the presence of God for their deliverance because he does not know the nearness of God.
Elisha knows the nearness of God and was able to see, to command for the forces of God that supported him and his servant with a victory.
A believer of God that is living life by the word of God will know that God is near at all times, for His intervention never fails to deliver. 
The bible records, “So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:18)
Living in the consciousness of the care of God is the evidence of faith, the expression of expectation for the divine protection of God. 
Do you know that God is near for you?
Are you living life exposed to the world that is outside of God? 
The Psalmist expresses, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20) 
God made all, but much live life outside of God, not as a child of God, not keeping to His command, and far from God. 
In the near to God is the protection of God for one that draws near to God. Elisha walks in line with God, knows his nearness to God, and could see that the forces are waiting for his command before they could act on his behalf. Elisha and his servant were protected and could not become a victim of his enemies.
Maintaining life with God is evident in the case of Elisha.
What does it take to gain and maintain being in the near of God? 
The Bible identifies what it takes to gain and maintain the nearness of God.
Acts 6:4, “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Acts 20:32, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
Jude 20, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
According to the word of God, seek God diligently by: 
Give self continually, not casually, in the word of God.
Give self to be build up and be able to claim the blessings of God.
Give yourself to be a prayerful believer.
Give self to the word of God to become a faithful believer.
With desire, ask from God that you live life in the consciousness of His care all the days of life He has for you. 
Be near to God that is always near for all that will walk in His word.

Prayer for today: Pray that you know to gain the nearness of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Listen to the word of God not to be a victim of the wicked world.

Proverbs 1

Proverbs 2:6 encourages all, “For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
Isaiah 33:6 speaks to all, “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure.”
Listen to the word of God not to become a victim of the wicked world.
Listen, the world is not worth living if one does not have Christ, knowing about God but not knowing God. It is time to search for yourself, prayerfully come out of sin, seek God, to live life for the glory of God. 
IN THIS CHALLENGING TIME, COME OUT OF SIN, NOT TO MISS HEAVEN. 
A decorated name for sin is PRIDE. 
Living a life of sin is not seeking God diligently, to become separate from God because of pride.
Pride is a ride to self-destruction.
Romans 3:23 points out that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Give attention, go against sin, and know that there should be no encouragement for delaying your coming out of sin to live life for God.
The desire to live life for the glory of God should be of seeking God diligently. 
With sin, man is not seeking God and will not see God.
Living a life of sin is not seeking God diligently but telling lies as a way of life, deceiving and manipulating others. 
Does that speak to you?
Continually pray for the hand of God over your life.
Acts 6:4 admonish all, “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Act 6:4)
Praying for the hand of God is a non-stop prayer point to experience the deliverance of God. 
God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt with His RIGHTEOUS HAND, His STRETCH OUT hand, and by His STRONG HAND, from Pharaoh yet, they did not stop calling on God for deliverance because the enemy continues to go after them.
Do not stop praying for deliverance.
The enemy approached the Israelites in the Red Sea, but Moses directed them by the prayer of deliverance to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13)
Ask from God to enable you not to be afraid, to stand still (not looking for help from no man, the evidence of having faith in God), and to see to receive and become victorious over the challenges of today.
Proverbs 1:33 encourages, “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”
Listen to the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask from God to enable you not to live a life of waste.

FAITH CAPSULE: Have the desire for the character of the word of God.

Isaiah 55

One with understanding in the word of God will identify the distinctive characters of the word of God to desire in the life of one.
AMONG THE CHARACTERS OF THE WORD OF GOD TO KNOW 
THE WORD OF GOD IS MOVE-ABLE 
Among the characters of the word of God, to work with God, to experience the presence of God is to understand and know that the word of God is a living word that is not stagnated but moveable.
The living word of God will move to locate whomever God chooses to give direction in the journey of life.
For example, the word of God moves to locate Jonah for direction.
Jonah 1:1-2 records the movement of the word of God, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” The word of God that is moveable went to locate Jonah.
Jeremiah, at several times for direction, with attention, to see in the unseeable situation, the word of God moves to locate Jeremiah, “the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.” (Jeremiah 1:11-12)
The living word of God does not stagnate but moved to call Jonah for direction, to call on Jeremiah to see the unseeable situation to move forward, not to be a failure in the assignment of God over their life. 
THE WORD OF GOD IS WITH CHARACTER NOT TO FAIL
God does not lie, and definitely, His word does not fail. Isaiah 55:11 confirms, “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.” It is the character of the word of God not to return void to God without accomplishment for God.
Are you with understanding to call, to remind God for the promises in His word?
The word of God is the work of His hand. 
All the work of His hand has never failed. With understanding, to remind God that does not forget will experience the stretch-out hand of God. 
God encourages all, “Thus says the Lord, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.” (Isaiah 45:11) 
With understanding, always know to remember to command the word of God that does not fail. The only thing that God cannot do is that He cannot fail.
Through the pages of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation records characters of the word of God. 
Give yourself to the word of God to mark your life, excelling for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask for the enablement of God that you will live life by the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Live life for the glory of God to answer who you are.

Mark 8

Are you one that cannot identify or define who you are?
Jesus, our Lord, and savior sought the answer in His question from His disciples, “who do men say that I am” (Mark 8:27) 
The question by Jesus was not to evaluate Himself but, it is a lesson for all to be aware of who they are.    
On a serious note, who are you? 
Are you a believer or, are you an acclaimed believer? 
Are you a man that is mouth full of the word of God with an empty heart of the word of God?  
Does your life reflect Christ? 
Are you a Bible that people can read or an acclaimed Bible that is not readable before anyone? 
Man is deceivable, but no one can deceive God. 
Many are with promotion, with titles inside and outside the church but not promoted before God. 
There are self-acclaimed with titles such as prophet, apostles but cannot answer who they are. 
Today, forget about your titles, live life for God, engaging tasks that matter before God.
The individual should be able to answer the question as stated: “Who are you” All should know who they are before God. 
One with deception to the neighbor, the family, or the world can lure deceptively but, God cannot be a victim of deception devices. 
Without a doubt, the walk, the stand, and where one sits are a pointer of who one is like before God.
Who are you in all endeavors?
Psalm 1:1 record, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalm 1:1) When the word of God declares blessing, it is established in heaven and on earth. 
It is how one walks, sits, and stands by the standard of God is blessed just as declared by the word of God. 
Life is a journey, and who you surround yourself with shall determine what you get out of life. 
Think, on a serious note, who are you? 
Whose word do you believe? 
Are you living life by the word of God or the word of this world? 
The word of God is an assurance to lead man to be walking, sitting, or standing for the name of God if one will turn back to the wicked world. Assurance and reliance on God will bring delight in the life of one live life by the word of God.
Meditating on the law (word of God) is the avenue not to walk outside the way of God. The Psalmist identifies the blessing of walking, sitting, and standing in line with God stating, “He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3)
Get to know who you are.

Prayer for today: Pray that God enables you to live life for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Seek God, not take His hand for granted. 

Daniel 3

Among things to do in life to seek God diligently instead of taking God for granted are:

TO SEEK GOD DILIGENTLY IS OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD
The life of obedience to the word of God is a sacrifice consistent, costly, and not cheap. 
A sacrifice that takes self away from self to give all to God is obedient to seek God diligently.
One that fears God is living life obediently to God. Exodus 19:5 records, “Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” 
Are you taking God for granted, not living life by His command?
Desire to live life for God, ask Him to enable you.
Abraham lived life for the glory of God obediently, and God recognized his obedience.
Genesis 22:12 records the testimony of the word of God towards Abraham, “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.” Abraham could not take God for granted but obeyed God, lived life for God by seeking God with all his heart and soul.
TO SEEK GOD DILIGENTLY IS TO ABIDE IN HIS WORD
Understanding and knowledge will know that the word of God is not to be taking for granted.
The word of God is a shield, to abide and to dwell in, not to become a victim of the wicked world. 
The word of Jesus confirms, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7) Taking the word of God for granted will live life outside of the word of God to miss out on the power of God that will keep and deliver one. The Word of God is God, and all should give themselves to the promise of God to have an abiding place in Him.
TO SEEK GOD DILIGENTLY IS TO DECLARE BUT NOT TO DENY HIM AS GOD.
Regardless of challenges, do not deny God but declare Him worthy and able in every way of living life.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abdel-Negro, declare God as the God of deliverance and could not deny serving God but rejected serving gods, the gold image of Nebuchadnezzar saying, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God, whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)In the burning fiery furnace, the salvation of God answered the three friends with deliverance. 
Experiencing the declaration of God is seeking God diligently to be delivered by God and not to become a victim of evil. 

Prayer for today: Pray not to be taking God for granted but to be seeking Him diligently.