FAITH CAPSULE: The Zeal for God moved Phinehas to please God.

Numbers 25

The zeal for God is also obvious in the life of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar.
It happened during the journey of the Israelites to the Promised Land, they sin before God. The sin that provoked the anger and the wrath of God was the joining of Baal of Peor.
The zeal for God in Phinehas answered for the deliverance of the Israelites in Numbers 25:6, “…One of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” 
The point here is that the Israelites were experiencing the wrath of their sin when one of their brethren repeated the same sin against the command of God. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, with the zeal for God, responded to the sin in Numbers 25:7-8, “…Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So, the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.” 
The zeal for God in the life of Phineas was the way of his life.
The zeal for God in Phinehas made him see wrongdoing when he responded with right doing before God, for the glory of God.
Today, acclaimed believers are looking away from wrongdoing in the things of God because they lack the zeal for God to react with doing right, against wrongdoing for the glory of God.
The Zeal for God made Phinehas rise from among the congregation, against wrongdoing among the congregation. 
The Zeal for God moved Phinehas to please God and it opened the door of uncommon blessing to Phinehas before God as God spoke to Moses “…Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel because he was zealous with My zeal among them so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel’” (Numbers 25:10-13). 
Do you have the zeal for God?
One that does not have the zeal for God will not be clean up for God to occupy.
One that does not have the zeal for God will lack the strength of God to be set for the calling of God in life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the Zeal for God to make you be a vessel for His glory and the uplifting of the business of His kingdom. 

FAITH CAPSULE: What does it mean to be zealous for God?

John 2

In the life of Jesus, what it means to have a zeal for God is evident in His journey of life.
The Bible records the demonstration of the zeal of Jesus, “Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up” (John 2:13-17).
To have the zeal for God is living life, seeking God diligently.
The zeal of Jesus is documented for our learning to know what it means to live life for the glory of God.
Zeal for God is the evidence of boldness and character, a winning combination.
Without the zeal for God, there will be no boldness and character for the acclaimed believer of the word of God to flush out activities of the world in the temple. 
Are you zealous for God?
One with zeal for God will always stand against the world of disobedience by looking into the word of God with action. 
Jesus could not look away from world activities in the temple but drove, pour and overturn all wicked world activities outside of the temple of God.
Are you a temple of God that is full of activities that are not of God?  
With the zeal of God, one will recognize that the house of God is not the house of merchandise, and to stand against the merchandise of the world.
One with the zeal of God will not compromise the word of God in the temple of God.
The boldness and character of Jesus is the reason why His disciples said, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up” 
To be eaten up by the zeal for God is one that is build up by the word of God and one meditating the word of God day and night.
Why not desire to become one that is eaten up by the zeal of God?
It is wise to engage prayer, not a determination to become one with the zeal for God.
Manifestly, until the zeal of God eats up a believer, the possibility of having a clean temple will not be possible. 
Do you have the zeal for God?
With the zeal for God, the presence of God will have a place in your life.
In life, desire for the zeal for God to eat you up and to set and settle you before God. 

Prayer for today: Ask for the Zeal of God to eat you up, that you live life in all God-given days to you.

FAITH CAPSULE: There is nothing like doing good under heaven that is beyond merciful God’s response.

Esther 8

The Bible records for all that the word of God is God as John 1:1 testifies, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
The Bible also records that the word is the spirit as John 6:63 records, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
The Bible also confirms, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” ( John 4:24) 
Truly, the Word of God is God and God’s word is the Spirit of God.
It is wise, and should a desire with one that wants to live life for God, to pray the word of Psalm 143:10 that states, “Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.”
When God, His Spirit that is good, becomes established in one’s life, such will have the testimony that mercy and truth of God belong to such.
The mercy of God is attainable for one that is doing good before God.
There is nothing like doing good under heaven that is beyond merciful God’s response.
One, Haman devised evil against the Jews, Mordecai gave guidance that led Esther to receive privilege before King which denied Haman’s evil devise. Bible records, “Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews.” (Esther 8:3) Esther devised good, and the mercy of God answered on behalf of all her people (Jews). 
The Word of God in Proverbs 14:22 confirms, “…but mercy and truth belong to those who devise good. 
One devising good, will attain the mercy of God.
In life, one that sows good will reap good
It is a wise saying that, “whatever a man sow is what a man will reap”
For example, as close as banana and plantain look alike, it is not possible to sow banana and reap plantain regardless of how look-alike they appear.
What are you sowing to reap?
Hosea 10:12 buttressed the word of God, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy.” 
Become one merciful to experience God’s mercy just as the word of God speaks to all, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
Be merciful to attain God’s mercy over your life.
With understanding, know God to be doing good not just know about God. Seek God’s mercy so that His mercy will reign and rule in your life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the hand of God to be established in your life, to become a vessel of doing good to the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: The mercy of God is His loyal love for His caring for all.

Exodus 15

God is at a distance where sin exists and does not accommodate sin.

With sin, one is short of the presence of God but without sin, one will gain the fullness of the presence of God. Romans 3:23 speaks to all, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 
With sin, distance from the presence of God will provoke unwanted, unexpected painful challenges that will take charge of all. However, with repentance from sin will seek the intervention of God, the mercy of God that will answer for regaining the presence of God, for coming out of the painful challenge.
Day after days, week after weeks, month after months, year after years, the mercy of God has been consistent to see you this far, not to become a victim of the wicked world.
Just as power belongs unto God, mercy also belongs to God. 
The mercy of God means God is compassionate and kind.
His mercy is with forbearance that does not runs out.
Only God that is in the position to render mercy unto all, unfailingly.
The mercy of God is no man’s merit but the goodness of God. 
God cannot be intimidated or manipulated by any of His creation for the release of His mercy.
God testifies to His mercy in Romans 9:14-16, “…I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So, then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”
God’s mercy is in place for all and nothing under heaven can displace or deny one which God is set to visit with His mercy.
It was with mercy that God led the children of Israel out of the bondage of over four hundred years. The Bible records, “You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed…” (Exodus 15:13) 
In this wicked world, understand and know to live life to attain the mercy of God as the Bible records His word.
As much as God alone can have mercy on who He will have mercy on, the option is to plead for God’s mercy over one’s life undeniably.
AMONG WAYS OF PROVOKING GOD TO OBTAIN HIS MERCY ARE:
The mercy of God is attainable when one asks or plead for His mercy
God identified Job as a man with none like him on the earth; a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil but yet Job was in need to plead for God’s mercy saying, “For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge” (Job 9:15). Despite God’s testimony of Job, there was no excuse for Job to receive the mercy of God without pleading for His mercy. 
Just like Job, pleading for the mercy of God, Psalmist did the same saying, “Have mercy on me, O LORD! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death.” (Psalm 9:13). 
Know to plead for God’s mercy to receive from God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the mercy of God to intervene in the challenges of today.

FAITH CAPSULE: Joseph came under the authority which he could not control. 

Genesis 37

The calling of God broke Joseph before the manifestation of God’s blessing over his life.
Joseph answered God’s calling over his life without knowing the journey of God’s calling ahead of his life. At age 17, the answering of Joseph to Jacob (his father) was the route for his divine assignment. Jacob said, “…Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks and bring back word to me.” So, he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.” (Genesis 37:14) The answering to Jacob led Joseph into the calling of God without prior announcement for Joseph.
The book of Psalm 105:17-22 confirms that Joseph’s journey was his answer to God’s calling as the Bible states, “He sent a man before them Joseph who was sold as a slave.” They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. “Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his elders wisdom.”  
Joseph, at 17 years (Genesis 37:2) he could not see his beloved father Jacob until over 30 years of age. (Genesis 41:46) Joseph the beloved of Jacob (his father), answered God’s calling as a priced slave to become prime minister. 
Regardless of where you are today, do you know if you are answering God’s calling?
Joseph became a slave; he could no longer move at his own will.
Joseph came under the authority which he could not control. 
Calling of God will lead the called one into an unknown route where learning is waiting for called one to know and become obedient to God. Jesus learned obedience by the things that He suffered. 
One that He calls is not with exemption but to experience the suffering of Jesus.
When God calls to send you, there will be the experience of an uncomfortable chain, pain, and iron which restricts movement.
When He sends you, input from you to control time and timing in your journey is not relevant because God alone will be in charge of controlling time. Joseph failed the attempt to come out of the prison of Egypt, before God’s time when he pleaded to the butler (whom he interpreted his dream) to remember Him for help to come out of prison at his own time but not knowing the time of God for his move. 
Butler failed at Joseph’s expectation for Butler’s help until God’s appointed time to send His help. (Genesis 40:12-15) 
With no exception, experiencing challenges such as failure; delay; mockery; stagnation; embarrassment; ridicule; to have lied against the called one are always in the journey to answering to God’s calling.
In answering the calling of God, are you experiencing challenges like that of Joseph? 
Take to the word of God with trust and hope as Psalm 34:19 encourages, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Prayer for today: Ask for the strength to answer for His calling fully.