FAITH CAPSULE: Disallow your concern to obey God’s direction.

Jonah 1, 2

All should avoid disobeying God’s commandment because disobedient will cause a painful consequence in life.
The carelessness of any man is not keeping the word of God.
Proverbs 19:16 warns, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.” (Proverbs 19:16)
Are you keeping yourself in the word of God for His direction over your life?
The book of Jonah 1:1-3 states, “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.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”
Jonah was careless not to keep God’s direction over his life.
When God calls and sends you out with His direction, He will back you up not to fail.
In God’s commandment to direct, He is available to keep but disobedient will lead to self-destruction. 
Jonah supposed to obey as commanded by God regardless of what seemed right to him.
Have you received the calling of God in a specific direction?
God called Moses out to lead the children of Israel out of the bondage of over four hundred years. 
Moses, out of his concern for God, reacted to the rebellious act of the children of Israel towards God. 
Moses took it upon himself to strike the rock, not to speak to the rock for water. God responded to Moses’ reaction, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12)
The same God sent Samuel to go and anoint David as king while Saul was still living as the King. Samuel was concerned about God’s command when he asked, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” (1 Samuel 16:2) Out of concern, Samuel could have responded by going his own way but gave himself to God’s command. God responded to Samuel’s question, “…Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”1 Samuel 16:2-3) Samuel’s concern could not disobey God’s command. 
God alone knows the end from the beginning, He knew us before we were born. Disallow your concern by allowing His command to be established in your life.

Prayer for today: Ask that God’s direction be established over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you mindful of God that is mindful of man?

Daniel 6:1-10, Luke 17:11-19

Mindful thanksgiving will always appreciate God’s doing in one’s life. 
Thanksgiving to God should not be limited to uttering words but giving thanks by living life to please God for His goodness.
Thanksgiving before God is not an act of thinking thanks but should be thanksgiving to God from one with mindful of God.
Thanksgiving with praising God is worshiping God.
Worshipping God is seeking God diligently.
Giving thanks to God or praising God must be with understanding.
Psalm 47:7 admonishes all, “For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.”
With thanksgiving and praising God, worship God with the understanding that is reasonable and acceptable before God.
The Bible records how thanksgiving is the way to move forward and not become a victim of the wickedness of this world.
For example, Daniel, with his thanksgiving before God he escaped and not died by the evil agenda of wicked ones that placed him in the den of Lions. Daniel 6:10 records, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” Daniel gave thanks to God to escape from the evil agenda over his life. With thanksgiving, Daniel could not die an untimely death. 
Thanksgiving before God gave Jonah an escape from sudden death. Jonah disobeyed God when he found himself in the belly of fish. The Bible records Jonah’s testimony, “But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” (Jonah 2:9) Jonah’s thanksgiving before God was his deliverance from the belly of fish.
Are you giving thanks to God with understanding?
Thanksgiving before God demands consistency.
Thanksgiving before God for all things will make all things work together for good, to the glory of God.
God that is jealous expects all to be giving thanks before Him.
When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one returned to give thanks to Jesus for his healing. The response of Jesus to the only one testifies to the truth that God waits for all’s return for thanksgiving. The word records, “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:15-19)
Are you with the understanding of knowing to be returning to God for thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving before God should be rooted in the mind of man but not just in the head.
A man that is mindful of God will be giving God all His glory and honor for the reason why God creates all man.

Prayer for today: Ask for a heart of giving thanks before God. 

FAITH CAPSULE: Jesus is the Word, the wisdom from God.

Psalm 8

Are you spending time on the word of God to gain understanding with knowledge in the journey of life?
When there is a lack of knowledge and understanding in the Word of God, failure in the walk of life becomes inevitable. 
The Word of God is for all to hear, receive, and believe to experience victory over the challenges of the wicked world. 
Jesus is the wisdom, the Word of God, the instruction for all. 1Corinthians 1:30 communicates to all, “But of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God…”
Give self to wisdom from God!
The Word of God heals and delivers man from destruction (Psalms 107:20).
The Word of God gives life abundantly to one that will receive and believe in God’s word. 
Unfortunately, many are without the ability to understand the Word due to worldly living and unending chores; some of which include:
· Being too busy, having no time to study the Word of God.
· Preferring to take care of the activities of this world before giving self to the things of God.
· Having a dislike for the word of God that is the truth to accept.
. Living a worldly life is taking the word of God as foolishness 
Will you consider the Word of God as the evidence of His wonders?
It is important to understand and know that the Word of God is the key to retain the presence of God. 
Once in God’s word with Moses, it becomes glaring that the word of God is the presence of God. (God’s way is in His Word; God’s Word is His presence. (Exodus 33:13-14) 
Having an understanding and knowledge in the Word of God is also the source of God’s revelation for getting a clear and unfailing direction in the journey of life). 
Will you come out of all that is keeping you away from the word of God, the wonder of God?
What a wonderful God we serve!
A wonderful God made man wonderfully with honor. 
One with the lack of knowledge and understanding of God’s wonder will set self to perish. The Psalmist said, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20) The one that knows and understands the wonder of God will know what it means to have been made with honor by God. The Psalmist testifies to the glory of God in His creation of man, “God is mindful of man; man is the one that God pays a visit to; man is made a little lower than the angels; man is crowned with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:4-5) The Psalmist further states, “God made man to have dominion over the works of His hands; all things were made to be under the feet of man.” (Psalm 8:6-7) Gain understanding and knowledge that God invests much into a man’s life and He deserves man’s attention to be living life by His word.

Prayer for today: Ask from God that you want to live life for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Live life for God by following Him in His word.

Ecclesiastes 8

Seeking God diligently is following God in His way, living life to please God and be counted for His reward.
Among ways of seeking God by following Him are:
BE AWAKE SPIRITUALLY BEFORE GOD
Are you awake spiritually, living life by the word of God?
The wicked world demands to be awake seeking God diligently and not be asleep spiritually. One that is not living for God is sleeping before God spiritually.
Jesus’ parable is an everyday truth with a spiritual application, it is an earthly truth with a heavenly meaning in His parable of sleeping in the place of serving God. Matthew 13:25-30 records, “…but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn.” 
The above parable of Jesus reveals that sleeping will displace following God with the wicked to gain entrance into man’s life. Every time one is sleeping before God will position man to be FAR from GOD that is not FAR to all.
Sleeping before God cannot possibly follow God, living for God.
TO COME OUT OF WICKEDNESS is living right to seek God diligently. It is important to know that the wickedness is continual, walking outside of God’s word. One that is walking outside of God’s word will walk in line with the evil activities of the wicked world.
GOD will judge the wicked world at His appointed time. 
Ecclesiastes 8:11-12 warned, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.” Seeking God diligently will follow God continually not to be counted with the wicked world at the appointed time of God’s judgment.
Like a seed, sow self in God by seeking God diligently. Follow God to be standing in God.
Seek God diligently is following God by His word to please God and be rewarded by God.

Prayer for today: Ask from God that your step be rooted in His word, to follow Him all the days of life He has given you.

FAITH CAPSULE: With faith, it is possible to obey God’s word, seeking God diligently to please God. 

Psalm 91

The standard to seek God is seeking God diligently.
Seek God diligently to please God but not seeking God by mouth. 
To Seek God diligently is rooted in faith. Hebrews 11:6 buttresses, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” 
Seeking God diligently is taking a position to find God and have a place in Him and Him in one’s life. Deuteronomy 4:29 records, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 
Will you seek God diligently?
In this wicked world, for your benefit, not deceiving yourself seek God diligently dwell and abide in God. Psalm 91:1-3 encourages, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Highest Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely, He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.” 
Seeking God diligently to find God is serving God. Serving God is living life for God being righteous as word admonishes, “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the Lord…”(Isaiah 51:1) The wickedness of this word demands to be wise by listening to the word of God and not follow the dictates of one’s heart.
Seeking God diligently is serving God with no hidden agenda before God.  John 12:26 identifies what it means to serve God, “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.” 
If seeking God to find God is not possible, God would not have asked for all to seek Him diligently, to find Him by following Him. One that follows God is not possible to walk in darkness as declared by God’s word in John 8:12, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” 
God is true, seek Him diligently to find Him.
David is an example that followed God with his heart and the Bible records, “…My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes.” (1 Kings 14:8) Are you with the desire to seek God diligently, following His righteousness in His word? 
Obeying God’s word is seeking diligently to keep self in God as His treasure. Exodus 19:5 confirms, “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.” 
With faith, it is possible to obey God’s word, seeking God diligently to please God. 

Prayer for today: Ask from God to enable you to be seeking Him diligently.