FAITH CAPSULE: What man sees will determine what man receives and becomes of man.

1 Samuel 13

To behold is to look or to see. In life, it is true that what man sees will determine what man receives and becomes of man. When a man looks into challenges with negativity nothing will come out of such challenge but negative. One that sees, and act based on the promise in the word of God will see positively in the place negativity. God promised the Israelites but the Israelites failed to behold positively but negatively in the promise of God for their journey to the promise of God. As they journeyed, the Egyptians drew near them with no way of escape. It is written “…the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptian marched after them. So, they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10) The Israelites behold their enemy and fear took over them.
What are you beholding or looking up to? In any area of life, beholding the challenges of life will hold back man from moving forward in life. As a believer that give self to the word of God must take position of beholding positive but not negative in the word of God. Beholding positively in the word of God is an evidence of faith. God is true to His word which does not fail.
Daniel’s three friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego) saw in the testimony of God and their faith was activated for them to stand trusting and hopefull in God’s deliverance. Judgment by Nebuchadnezzar against Daniel’s three friends was not enough for three friends to behold outside of God’s delivering power. Bible recorded, “Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.” (Daniel 3:19) The fullness of fury in the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar and his command was not enough for the bulging of the three friends of Daniel. This day behold positive not negative. Look into the promise of God over your challenge, see, receive and become an overcomer.
Samuel commanded King Saul to wait for seven days in the face of intimidating challenge. King Saul could not behold in the word of Samuel but saw in his challenges. Samuel reacted to Saul, “What have you done?”Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”” (1Samuel 13:11-12) Saul behold negativity which prompted his failure. Know to only behold positive in the place of negative challenge.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to always see in the promises of God to overcome your challenges.

FAITH CAPSULE: In the word of God there is healing and deliverance to preserve man’s life.

Matthew 14:22-23

In the word of God there is healing and deliverance to preserve man’s life if man will continually engage the word of God. Psalm107:20 testified, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Word of God is here for man to have life abundantly if man will give self to the word of God. Jesus, the word of God declared, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) All that is in the word of God is in place for man not to be a victim of this wicked world if man truly give self to word of God by meditating day and night.
Meditation is not memorization. Allowing meditating on the word of God to be a way of life, as routine will answer as compass for navigating through the journey of life. With meditation man is set to do well. Meditation worked for Moses and must have worked better for Joshua. Meditation is not a fun-fare, it must be an intense way for man to gain and retain the presence of God because the word of God is God. The word of God is his law which should be for meditation. Joshua 1:8 declared, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Meditating the word of God is a way to be preserved from fear of the enemy. There is only one enemy for every creation of God and that enemy is the devil himself. Fear is the enemy’s weapon. In life, when faith sinks, fear rise to take charge in the life of man. Fear does not announce itself before it invades its victims. Fear knows no discrimination. Fear will not announce itself before visiting victims, it is not a respecter of man’s title. Peter was a disciple of Jesus when fear rose up while his faith sank. In the face of stormy challenge, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ’Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ’Lord, save me!’ (Matthew 14:28-30) Above scriptural verse, is the evident that when faith was in place, Peter was able to walk on the storm and not sink. The moment Peter redirected his focus from savior to the storm, faith was out of place. Fear caused him to sink. Engaging Word of God continually is an assured way of salvation from storm. Determination is not an assured way for salvation but trust and hope in the Word of God is certain for deliverance and preservation.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to keep you up and not sink in the storm of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Knowing to receive from God is knowing to give self to God.

John 4:1-26

Among challenges that revolves in the life of man is lack of knowledge which is inability to know who they are in the hand of God that is mindful of man. God is so mindful of God and gave man indescribable gift. Unfortunately, one that does not know about God’s available indescribable gift for man will not know to receive the gift of God. Gift of God is the evidence of honor in place for man. Unfortunately, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20)
Indescribable gift of God is honor which is bestowed on man. Truly, one that knows to receive God’s gift is set to live life for the glory of God. Psalm 8:4-6 identified honor for man which is wrapped in God’s gift, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet.”
Do you know to embrace what God has given to man?
Jesus is the indescribable gift of God for man. At a drawing well for water, Jesus spoke to Samaritan woman which was at the well to draw water, “…Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.” (John 4:7-8) The Samaritan woman’s lack of not knowing Jesus responded with excuse by not giving to Jesus. She said to Jesus, “…the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”” (John 4:9) Ignorance denied the Samaritan woman to know and give to receive from indescribable gift of God. Receiving gift from God is only provoked when giving self to God as a way living life. Jesus responded to the Samaritan’s ignorance for not knowing Him as gift, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10) Jesus is the gift from God for man to give self and be able to receive from God. Many knows about the gift of God but do not know the gift of God. Get to know the gift of God for your life. Those who fully know the gift of God often launch into God’s gift to engage the blessings of God’s gift. Any man that accepts and launch into the gift of God takes a stand on a solid ground which can not become a victim of the wicked world. Without doubt, it is impossible to have accepted God’s gift and live life as vessel of pity before world.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to know Him and not live life as a victim of lack of knowledge.

FAITH CAPSULE: Man should not live life in assumptions that seems right.

Jonah 1

It is written, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” (Psalm 103:7) The ways of God are in the word of God. The words of God are the acts of God while His acts are His direction and His testimonies. Living life in the word of God is living in the ways of God. Also living in the acts of God is living by keeping the testimonies of God. Man should not live life in assumptions that seems right. The bible stated, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12) In your ways of life, are you allowing assumptions to take you for ride or your allowing the ways of God to take charge in the ways of life? In this world, take to the ways of God!
Just like Moses, those that walk in the ways of God walks in His law and they are blessed. Psalm 119:1 buttressed, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord!” Ones that keep the testimonies of God live by the ways of God and they are blessed. Psalm 119:2 also buttressed, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.” The word of God cannot be broken. It is important to know the ways God, to keep His acts that which are His testimonies to enable seeking God diligently. For those who seek Him diligently, the word of God promised, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.” (Proverbs 8:17) “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.” (Hebrews 11:6) As an acclaimed believer, embrace His ways and meditate His acts to become a diligent seeker of the Lord God.
Are you answering to your calling? Truly, answering to God’s calling is to come out and not hide. Ways of God and the acts of God comes along with His calling.  To hide from God’s calling is turning back to God’s calling, walking away from His presence. In this wicked world, there is a need to answer fully to the word (way) of God and not give self to one’s ways of assumption. Jonah turned to his way despite hearing from God and the presence of God deserted Him. It is written, “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…” (Jonah 1:1-3) God has made known His ways and acts to man in the pages of bible and it is for man to engage His ways for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His grace to give self to His ways for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: A failure to disengage multitude is an engagement to failure in endeavor.

Numbers 14:1-35

In every endeavor, to achieve expected result man must continually give attention to deny agents of multitude. Agents of multitude are hindrance for man’s endeavor in the journey of life. Agent of multitude can be a man’s family, friend or crowd which can be a man’s hindrance. Are you engaging any agent of multitude? In life, among the major hindrance of man’s endeavor is engaging multitude. A failure to disengage multitude is an engagement to failure in endeavor. The bible recorded, “Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children.  A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock.” (Exodus 12:37-38) Evidently, when the children of Israel were coming out of the bondage of over hundred years, multitude accompanied them and played a major role denying them from getting through to God’s Promised Land for them.
As the Israelites progressed on journey, the effect of mixed multitude manifested negatively. It is written, “Now the mixed multitudes who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Numbers 11:4-6)
Mixed multitude was the source of intense craving for what was not important in their journey to their God Promised Land. Imagine coming out of captivity or bondage and not focusing on promises of God in life? Does your endeavor sound like that of Israelites journey with multitude? Israelites were counting on what was in the past instead of counting on the miracles that brought them out of their past. In your endeavor, count not on no man, commit to God. God alone performs, He is more than able to perfect when there is commitment in place to Him. The craving of the Israelites dug the grave for twenty years old above in journey to Promised Land (Joshua and Caleb arrived Promised Land)
Multitude among Israelites was a great source of complaint to God instead of complimenting God for His grace of deliverance. God responded, “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, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.  Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.” (Numbers 14:27-30) Give attention to God alone by denying agents of multitude in your endeavor.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to identify and deny every agents of multitude in your journey of life.