Category Archives: Devotions

YOUR NEED

FAITH CAPSULE: The hand of God is all you need.

Ezra 7

The pages of the Bible testify that Jesus is on the right hand of God.
Mark 16:19 records, “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” 
At the time of the martyred of Stephen for his faith, the Bible records, “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (Acts 7:55-56) 
1 Peter 3:22 documented, “who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.” 
Jesus is at the right hand of God tells the truth that one that accepts Jesus does have access to the right hand of God.
Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior living by the Word of God?
Take note that it was with the living Word that God created all. John 1:1-3 documents, “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.” By the word of God, Jesus (the Word of God) at the right hand of God, is what gives life. 
Jesus came from His right hand to give life to every living, with understanding, call in the Jesus name, asking God to open His right hand for you.  
The Psalmist understands and knows what is occupying the hand of God by stating, “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16) With your understanding, specifically, pray in the name of Jesus, for the right hand of God to open for you, satisfying your desire. 
With the expectation to experience the hand of God, meditate the hand of God as the Bible identifies:
In the hand of God, there is deliverance. It was with His mighty and outstretched hand that brought the children of Israel from the slavery of over four hundred years (Deuteronomy 5:15). 
The hand of God, when it comes upon one, it will help just as it helped in the days of the Old Testament. 
Ezra testifies the hand of God as the agent of granting every request during their time of rebuilding Jerusalem (Ezra 7:6) 
Ezra also testifies to the hand of God as good when they were able to get to Jerusalem. (Ezra 7:9) 
Ezra 7:28 also states, “…So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me…” 
Ezra repeatedly testifies the hand of God as states in Ezra 8:31, “And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road.” What would one do without the hand of God in life?
As a believer, look up for the hand of God, call in the name of Jesus that occupies the right hand of God to take charge of your direction, deliverance, and preservation.

Prayer for today: Ask for the hand of God over your life.

ONLY TRUTH

FAITH CAPSULE: The place of no truth is the place of lies.

John 8:31-47

The word of Jesus about truth to those who believed Him also speaks to all with no exception. John 8:31-32 records, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  
The word of God is truth.
Do you know God or know about God?
Knowing about is not the same as knowing the truth.
Knowing the truth builds a believer not to be a liar, deceiver, and manipulator. 
Knowing the truth is the evidence of knowing to fear God and turns one to live free for God. 
A believer that dwells and abides in the truth (word) of God is positioned not to drift away from God. Believers that are drifting away from the word of God are neglecting great salvation. The book of Hebrews 2:1 admonished us, “…we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” To live life as a believer that is true and not live as a liar, must give the more earnest heed to the things heard in the word of God.
Are you living life as a true believer? 
In truth, are you fellowshipping with one heart, one soul that builds up all things in common in the fellowship?
Are you not violating the spirit of God and great grace upon your gathering?
The word of God repeatedly admonishes all to be a true believer stating, “…give the more earnest heed to the things heard in the word of God”.
The word of God demands from all to, “…give the more…” Asking all to give the more is additional hearing and hearing by in the Word of God. Giving self to the word is not casual attention but demands earnest engagement to become a true believer.
To be a true believer is not in the noisemaking of the word, not efficiently or inefficiently quoting bible verses. Also, it is not only attending fellowship or holding a position in the fellowship gathering. 
Also, to be exposed to bible teaching and not be imparted by the word is the evidence of not giving earnest heed to the word of God.
Today believers are busy for the world more than giving more earnest heed to the word of God. 
When a believer gives less to the word of God, the world will occupy more of the believer. 
You can be a liar to deceive and manipulate others, but God cannot be lied to or deceived because He sees all.
Today, know that the truth (word) of God is steadfast and unfaltering as a source of salvation. 
Give more earnest heed to the word of God to allow the truth of God to take over in your life. Proverbs 12:22 said it all, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.”
Be a believer that is full of the truth of God.

Prayer for today: Ask that God empower you to be a true believer.

MINDFUL GOD

FAITH CAPSULE: God is with His mind of all, know to ask from Him.

Psalm 8

The book of Acts 13:22 records about King David, “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” Word testifies that David is a man after God’s own heart, meaning that David knows the heart of God. David pointed out the care of God for all. The book of Psalm 8:4, 144:3 records the questioning of David before God, “Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?” The question of David is the question of faith, not ask in doubt, out of his curiosity about the mindful of God for man. 
God is a good God that is mindful of man.
God is a merciful God. 
Despite the consistent sinful engagement of man, God remains consistently merciful.
Are you mindful of God that is mindful of you?
Mindful of God is thought of all man while man is full of the world.
The revelation of the will of God is the thoughts of God towards man. 
God confirms in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God meant what He said, and He will do what He says He will do. The thoughts God is good; His thoughts toward man are not in the assembly line, and His thoughts are already in place for all to understand and know. God does have mind-thought in place for all man, waiting for all man to enter in His will. God is mindful of man. 
The plan of God is for man to enter what He has already put in place if all will know to ask. 
The word of Jesus encourages in Luke 11:9, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Jesus commands to ask but not stuck for begging. 
Asking is praying or calling on God through the name of Jesus Christ. 
A prayer that will never miss its target is asking for the will of God. 
If there is any plan or place where a believer will want to be, it should be in the will of God. 
Jesus taught His disciples to always pray for the will of God (Matthew 6:10).
Are you asking, seeking, knocking for the will of God?
The word of King David admonishes, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40:1) In his waiting, he positioned himself in the word of God.
Wait patiently to receive and not to miss to claim the promise of God.
Prayer for today: Ask that the mercy of God to locate you.

GET UNDERSTANDING

FAITH CAPSULE: Understanding is not of the mouth but the heart.

Psalm 106

In the journey of life, lack of understanding of the wonders of God is so critical to terminate arrival at the promise of God.
With the lack of understanding of the wonders of God, one will not remember the mercies of God. 
One that does not remember the mercies of God is bound to become rebellious to the word of God.
Psalm 106:7 records the testimony of the lack of understanding of the wonders of God by the Israelites, “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of your mercies but rebelled by the sea-the Red Sea.”  Lack of understanding is the root of rebellion and the complaint, particularly a negative confession.
For example, Numbers 14:1-4 records the complaint of the Israelites,“…And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt…?”
As the Israelites were with the lack of understanding, are you of the same that is complaining negative before God? 
The complaint before God is a sin that will provoke consequences like that experience of the Israelites with the complaint with negative.
God responds to the complaint of the Israelites, “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness…” (Numbers 14:28-30) 
Are you with the understanding of God not to live a life of waste?
Understanding is not of the mouth but the heart. 
Understanding is critical to living life for the glory of God.
Understanding of God’s wonders will cause one to remember and eliminate rebellious nature. Proverbs 16:22 testifies that “Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it…”  
Wellspring is a source of abundant supply. With understanding, you will have an abundance of life that Jesus brought for all. 
The Israelites lack the understanding to become wasted in the wilderness.
Forgetting the works of God cannot be separated from the lack of understanding of the doings of God. 
As regards to the Israelites, Psalm 106:13-14 points out that, “They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.”  
One that is not mindful of the works of God will forget the doing of God to become of sin before God. The Israelites forgot; they could not wait on God but died in sin and did not get to the Promised Land.
One with the lack of understanding of the doings of God will not remember, forgetful but will fail to believe in what God has done and what God can do. 

Prayer for today: Ask for the understanding of the doing of God in your life.

SEE GOD IN HIS WORD

FAITH CAPSULE: The Word of God is God.

Joshua 6

The Bible speaks that, in the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John1:1)
The Word of God is sent for man to behold God in His Word.
The ability to listen to God in His word is what will make man behold (see) God for direction, to live life for God.
The Word of God is God. 
Without a doubt, when one listens to the Word of God, one must behold (see) in the word of God and be built up with boldness and character.
In the Word of God, there is a direction that never fails. For example, Joshua needed to behold (see) the word of God to gain boldness and character for winning over Jericho. 
Jericho posed as an enemy’s attempt to stop Israelites advance to the Promised Land. Joshua 6:1-2 records the calling of Joshua to see (to behold) in the Word of God, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.”  Until you see in what the Word of God speaks to you, you cannot receive what you see, to become of you.
Joshua listened; he was able to behold (see) direction in the word of God as he gained character and boldness to become winner over Jericho. 
God wants all to see in Him (His word) to engage direction not to be a failure. 
Are you seeking for direction by listening to God’s word to gain boldness and character in the face of challenges? 
Jacob was to engage a journey, his course of running away from his brother, and he needed boldness and charter to succeed in his journey. God responded to the need of Jacob when He commanded him to behold (see) in His word stating, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:15) Today, listen to see (behold) in the word of God, to obtain the boldness and character, having trust and hope in God.
To behold (to see) in the Word of God, one shall replace fear with faith that is rooted in boldness and character gained in the Word of God.
God magnifies His word above His name. (Psalm 138:2) 
The Word of God is worthy to deliver; His word is mighty and will preserve one that beholds the word of God.
Do you listen to God?
Listen to see in the word of God, and gain boldness and character that makes one to be a winner for the glory of God.
God is power; God that delivered Israelites is still in the business of deliverance and preservation if one will take a position that one sees (behold) God in His word.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to always you to see in His word.