FAITH CAPSULE: Give self to His word of deliverance and preservation.

2 Chronicles 18: 28-34, Mark 10:46-52

How are you looking up to God in your time of challenge? With self-deception, King Ahab failed himself while Bartimaeus sought God to avoid failure.
The Case of Ahab:
At the time of war, Ahab the King of Israel invited Jehoshaphat the King of Judah to join forces against Ramoth Gilead. When it was time to go to war, Ahab rejected true prophesy of Micaiah’s against going to war. Ahab listened to deceiving prophecy of his chosen by speaking Jehoshaphat, “…I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” So, the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.” (2 Chronicles 18:29)
King Ahab despised the truth from God’s prophet to disguised himself at war. Proverbs 13:13 warned against despising God’s word: “He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” King Ahab’s plan at war turned out against his plan. King Jehoshaphat did not disguise but depended on God. As the battle intensified Jehoshaphat was surrounded by the enemies as recorded: “…when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore, they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him.” (2Chronicles 18:31)
There is no way for salvation in life when one is despising the word of God and not know to be calling on God as savior. In a time of challenges cry out to God and give self to His word of deliverance and preservation.
The case of Bartimaeus:
Bartimaeus’ challenges called for Jesus’ attention when he cried out to Jesus. At the time of Jesus’ movement to a different location, Bartimaeus was at the right location where to cry out loud for mercy. It could be that it is time for you to identify your challenge which demands a loud cry to God. At your crying out, know to ignore the multitude that surrounds you. Today, cry out loud to Jesus for divine intervention.
In your crying out, call Him as you know Him not as you know about Him. Bartimaeus demonstrated that he did not just know about Jesus, but he called out as one that knows Him. The ignorance of the crowd that followed Jesus attempted to stop Bartimaeus from calling out. Bartimaeus’ knowledge of Jesus’ identity which was not common granted him the attention of Jesus. Bartimaeus cried out as stated: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Do you know Him enough to call Him to a standstill and have Him attend to you? In the calling of Bartimaeus, “…Jesus stood still and commanded Him to be called” (Mark 10:49) The Blind man received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. (Mark 11:52) Jehoshaphat did not disguise but cried out loud and was saved.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open you understand and know to live right for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: To lack, the fear of God will extend an invitation of visitation for the enemy into one’s life.

Job1, 2:1-10

The word of God described Job, “…blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yokes of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.” (Job 1:1-3) Job was a man of God. He was straight with God, but he was not sure of his children’s walk with God. Job’s not knowing his children’s walks with God, he sanctifies his children. Job was rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings according to the number of his children as stated: “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” (Job 1:4-5)
After Satan was allowed by God to attack Job, he lost his properties, he lost all his children and his health was attacked. By virtue of all his adversities, he deplores his birth by cursing the day of his birth. On top of it all, Job gave a testimony, “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.” (Job 3:25-26) What could have been the fear of Job which eventually came upon him? Was it the fear of not having the destruction of properties? Could it have been the fear of not to have all his children die all together? The bottom line of it is that, Job was nursing fear and what he feared eventually found him.
Fear is not of God; fear is the initiation of Satan’s visitation. Whenever fear rises in the life of man faith will sink. Fear and faith do not complement each other. What could have happened to Job to be exercising great fear? Not knowing the extent of God’s protective covering over the affairs of our life or over the areas of our concern will possibly expose us to fear and not faith. Clearly, God is not pleased without faith. Unfortunately, Satan knew the extent of God’s covering over Job when he mentioned that God has made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side. (Job 1:10). When God makes you impenetrable, do not make yourself penetrable for Satan. With a lack of understanding of what God can do is having a place in a man’s life, Satan will take a position in man’s life with pain. Psalmist states, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20) It is important to know that God is mindful of us, He visits us, and He crowns us with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:4-5)
Give self to the word of God to know and understand that God delivers and preserves.

Prayer for today: Ask for faith to be established in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE:Today, let the yesterday remain in the past.

Psalm 118, Luke 17:11-19

Last month is in the past but the current month is present. Seeing a new month is a privilege of God for you but not a right for you to boast of knowing how to live life. To be alive from last months to the present month; from yesterday until today is evidence that God is moving you forward. However, a failure not to see or acknowledge that God is moving you forward is taking the position of an ingrate before God. An ingrate is ungrateful one before God.
The grace of seeing a new day demands to turn before God. It is the grace of God that has brought you this far. Today, give thanks to God instead of thinking thanks which does not demonstrate a grateful heart before God. It is true that God awaits the attitude of thanksgiving. Once, Jesus healed ten lepers but only one of the ten lepers re-visited Jesus with a grateful heart of thanks to giving thanks. Jesus responded to the one with thanksgiving as stated: “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)
Revisiting God continually with a grateful heart of thanksgiving for yesterday will perfect your today.
Have you been living comfortably in the past months more than the present month?  If you will focus on God, it is possible to make a way where there is no way. Today, let the yesterday remain in the past. It is important to know that there is no permanent condition, God is able to reverse irreversible for all man. Give glory to God for your life today.
In all, the only thing which God cannot do is: GOD CANNOT FAIL. Know, understand by remembering that your life today is not because of your merit but because of His mercy. Psalm 117:1-2 admonished, “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us and the truth of the LORD endures forever.” The mercy of God was in place for Lot and his family for their deliverance from destruction. Lot’s wife failed to embrace God’s mercy because she investigated (looked back) her past, she despised God’s instruction.
Are you looking forward but not looking into the past?
Give attention to the truth, know that your past month is not current. Your life today is a journey of relocation to move forward. Moving forward demands setting sight on the word of God which is able to bring one to the expected end journey.

Prayer for today: Ask by giving thanks to God for yesterday and tomorrow.

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting on God with patience is getting God’s attention.

Psalm 40

Believing God is having faith in the word of God to be obedient and to be waiting patiently.
The Bible describes faith as, “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Do you believe in God? Abraham lived a life of obedience because he believes in God. Hebrews 11: 8-10 stated: “By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”  With faith, Abraham’ distinctly did things that made him obtain good testimony and to live life with a full understanding of God: he obeyed by going as commanded by God; by faith, he dwelt in a strange land; and by faith, he waited on God’s promise.
A man’s waiting on God in all endeavors to gain in the promise of God can be impossible when there is no patience. Abraham waited patiently on God’s word to arrive at God’s center of divine assignment for his life. David testified, “I waited patiently for the Lord, And He inclined to me and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40:1) Waiting on God with patience is getting God’s attention. Waiting without a patient is the avenue for man’s distraction not to arrive at God’s center of divine assignment.
King Saul could not wait patiently for God’s word when Samuel told him to wait for the appointed time for sacrificial offering before the war against Philistines. The Bible records: “Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, ‘Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.’ And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering that Samuel came…” (I Samuel 13:9-10) With no patient to wait, King Saul violated the word of God by not waiting for seven days as requested by Samuel. Abraham’s case is different from King Saul when he waited patiently in the face of hopelessness but lived life with hope for the glory of God. To be waiting patiently on God’s word can be painful but God is faithful to act by, blessing those who wait patiently by His word.
Are you one that is claiming Abraham blessings but not living a life of obedience like Abraham? In the Bible, Abraham’s life is written for all man to get an understanding of Abraham’s life to obtain God’s promises.
Living right is living patiently, waiting on God.
Why not live upright?
Give self to the written word of God as stated, “…no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11) Continually, walk upright by waiting patiently in life endeavors and God will act with answers for you.

Prayer for today: Ask God that you will live uprightly in the journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Without doubt, the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.

Psalm 34

The complication of knowing to fear God is not a complication with one with an understanding of God in His word.
It is wise to fear God which no man can hide from His sight.
Psalm 33:13-15 buttressed, “The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling, He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.”
God looks from above, to see those who fear Him or those who do not fear Him. It is true that One with no fear of God cannot see Him in His word to observe God with obedience.
Psalmist buttressed: “The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:2-3) To fear God is in studying Him to understand and know His word which the conclusion is of all that matters in living life.
With the fear of God, there is understanding, and two things cannot be denied in the life of one with understanding:
Firstly, “…But knowledge is easy to him who understands.” (Proverbs 14:6) One with the understanding of God will always have a knowing edge over challenges and a peace that surpasses all understanding becomes of one.
Secondly, “Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding…” (Proverbs 14:33) Wisdom is the instruction of God. 1Corinthians 1:30 states, “But of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God…” The wisdom of God in the heart of man is Jesus in the life of man.  Meditate the word of God day and night to remain in God’s presence.
King David a man identified by God as one after God’s own heart volunteered to teach the fear of the Lord when he stated, “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” (Psalm 34:11) David knew what he was up to when he made his statement to the ones who have an ear to hear. The fear of God kept David through life’s terminating challenges because of his fear of God.
DO YOU FEAR GOD?
Psalm 34:13-14 identifies four points in one who fears God:
Keep your tongue from evil,
Keep your lips from speaking deceit,
Depart from evil and do good,
Seek peace and pursue it.
In this wicked world, one should meditate what it means to fear God; to gain understanding to know and have the fear of God. In the journey of life, Abraham served God because he feared God. Hebrews 11:8 testified, “By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” To be living life year after years without the fear of God is not God’s will for all His creation. Just like Abraham, fear God to be obeying His word for remaining in His presence.

Prayer for today: Ask from God to live life in His fear.