Category Archives: Devotions

ARE YOU…?

FAITH CAPSULE: Snubbing the word of God is snubbing one’s glorious destiny.

1 Samuel 13

Looking unto Jesus is focusing on Jesus by not to snubbing Jesus for what He has done and what He is doing for man’s salvation. Hebrews 12:2 said it all, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” It is a choice to gain and maintain focus on Jesus by not snubbing Him.
Works of God are created by His word. Seeing God’s works is like hearing from God yet man is not focusing on God but snubbing God. Psalm 75:1 testified, “…For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.” Paying attention to God’s creation wondrous works by His word is focusing on God to hear Him, not snubbing directions in God’s word. Focusing on God by not snubbing God’s word is engaging a glorious destiny. Apparently, disengaging God’s word is snubbing God for self-destruction. Snubbing the word of God is snubbing one’s glorious destiny.
Among experiences of snubbing God for glorious destiny are written for our learning through the pages of bible.
SNUBBING GOD WILL SUBSTITUTE MAN BEFORE GOD: Snubbing God’s word is to become substituted from God’s ordained position for one’s life. Eli snubbed God when he failed to restrain his children that were despising direction of God. Sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord. (1 Samuel 2:12-17) Eli’s snubbing of God was revealed as stated, “Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” (1 Samuel 3:11-14) Before God there is no excuse for snubbing God directly or indirectly. Under heaven, nothing goes pass God without Him seeing all. Eli did not train his sons to restraint them from violating God. Eli snubbed God and was substituted with Samuel by God.
King Saul repeatedly violated God’s directions and God substituted him with David as king. Saul’s unlawful sacrifice by engaging burnt offering snubbed God. (1Samuel 13:1-15) Through Samuel, God directed King Saul to utterly destroy and attack the Amalekites but he was unwilling to utterly destroy Amalekites against the word of God. Eventually, King Saul snubbed God’s word and God substituted him with David as king.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His grace not to snub His word in all your walks.

COUNTING AND COURTING GOD

FAITH CAPSULE: Counting on God will keep man from courting on magic devises agents!

Isaiah 46

Gain understanding in the word of God to know that truly miracle is not magic. One expecting for manifestation should give self with expectation to the miracle of God instead magic. Miracle is simply a wonder and God alone is the wonder working God. Miracles are of God, Miracles lasts forever and it runs deep. Just as worship is opposition to worrying so is miracle to magic. Miracle belongs to God while magic is of the evil one. Magic is a devise of the enemy. Magic glitters and it will only last for a moment.
Seek magic for manifestation of one’s expectation is seeking a substitute for God. It is wrong! It is wrong to liken God for another god. Isaiah 40:18 warned, “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?”  God for Today, just like in the past, seeking for manifestation concerning expectation in the place of magic is substituting God magic
Do not substitute miracle of God for magic. Without doubt, man that does not liken God to any other is certain to count on God. Counting on God will keep man from courting other means which will always lead to self-disappointment to become discouraged in life. God is real as it is recorded in Isaiah 46:5, “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?” Counting and courting God is the only avenue not be a victim of magic devises in this wicked world.
Despite not being able to see manifestation of self’s expectation in the physical is not enough for discouragement. With counting and courting on God is the evidence of getting close to God’s miracle. Disallow magic and devices of devil’s agent from coming close to a place in your life. Magic will fail! In physical, no matter how result of magic glitters, waiting on the miracle hand of the Almighty God is the only way of receiving from God. Also, one that give self to God will definitely receive from God’s hand.
Pharaoh was counting and courting on magic to deny Israelites from going to serve the Lord at the request of God through Moses. It is written, “So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.” (Exodus 7:10-11) The magic worked for Pharaoh’s magicians but could not match against God.  Any power demonstration outside of the name of God is a failure.
Allow the manifestation of miracle by following through the way of God and not a way which seems right. God’s way out from bondage is the miracle but not a magic way.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to keep you from magical snares of this wicked world.

DESIRE FOR GOD

FAITH CAPSULE: A set mind for God purposes for God’s glory.

Daniel 1

As an acclaimed believer, making choice to set mind on the things of God will be set on things of God, before God. Setting mind in the things of God will establish one for the glory of God. In the word of Apostle Paul, by virtue of his experience we are to gain understand and knowledge as stated in Colossians 3:1, “If you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” Have you given your life to Christ by accepting Him as your Lord and savior? From today, desire, seek for the grace with mindset to be raised and be sitting in the presence of Jesus.
In the same chapter, Apostle Paul gave a clear understanding to show that the only way to be able to seek things above will be established above and not established on things which are on the earth. Setting minds on things of earth is opening door for the evil one to come occupy one’s life. In one’s life, the heart of man is the battle ground which the enemy wants to capture. A captured mind is a trapped mind in things which are not of God.
A set mind for God purposes for God’s glory. God. Daniel being a young captive set himself for the glory of God when he purposed for God. It is written, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8) Setting mind for things above is to be purposely fix against any distraction.
A mind that is set will not be found without constant Meditation in the morning, day, and night will set one’s mind in the above, with God. Are you willing to set your mind on things that are above where Christ is? If yes, by God’s grace, laboriously, “put to death your members which are on earth such as fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). With man set there is a need to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of mouth is also included. In the place of putting off the members that are of this earth (the old man), there will be putting on of the things that are of God; characters that represent He that is above. Apostle Paul identifies such characters as, tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering (Colossians 3:12). Above all of this is love and allowing forgiveness to reign and rule in the heart of God’s word. Constantly setting mind to seek the things above with Christ will deliver one from becoming a waste.

Prayer for today: Ask for grace to have a mind set for God as you desire.

TRULY SEEK HIM

FAITH CAPSULE: In trouble, truly seek refuge in His pavilion.

Psalm 34

A time of trouble is not a time of comfort. Trouble often brings distress, disturbance, or pain. Among God’s generals in the pages of bible, Job is one with qualification to tell his bitter experience which can counsel man through times of troubling challenge. Job stated, “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for troubles come.” (Job 3:26) Job’s troubling challenge was not the evidence of pride but his trouble pointed out the evidences of trouble in the life of the troubled ones which are: not being at ease, not being in a quiet state of mind and lack of rest. Anywhere there is trouble, confusion will abide also and making wrong decisions will have its way.
In the life of man, pride is where trouble branches out from. King Herod is an example with trouble that was rooted in pride.
King Herod had no reason to be troubled at the announcement of the birth of the King of kings, Lord of lords when his decision demonstrated that of a troubled mind. It is written, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:1-3) Pride reason of King Herod trouble was his wrong perception and intimidation of the birth of a new King. The trouble that came into the life of King Herod led him to make wrong and confused decisions.
Most time, trouble is evidence of wrong and bad judgment or bad decision making. Are you experiencing trouble? Is Pride your challenge? Herod made an error in judgment and a wrong decision in his attempt to terminate God’s divine agenda. The decision of the wicked king to terminate God’s divine agenda brought to life the way and the infallible word of God to manifestation as it is written in Hosea 11:1, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.” The trouble in King Herod brought confusion into his life to think he could terminate the King of kings. With trouble mounting in life, bring self-down by looking up for God’s hand of deliverance. God is waiting to act for man that wait for God’s hand of deliverance.
With trouble, truly trust and hope for God’s invisible hand which is never short to deliver. Psalmist admonished assurance of God’s available deliverance as stated “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5). In trouble, truly seek refuge in His pavilion.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His deliverance hand in all area of challenging trouble.

PRIORITY

FAITH CAPSULE: Why not turn to the word of God as priority?

John 1:1-34

What is your priority in this wicked world? Without doubt, giving self to the word of God as priority, man is taking to a position as co-creator agent for God. Man is to live by the word of God but not living by quoting the word of God empty. It is important for man to let the word of God be a priority. God prioritized His word as David’s Psalm 138:2 testified, “…You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” God also declared the importance of His word as stated, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
Is your time for the world overtaking your time for the word of God?
One that is occupied by world definitely need a serious readjustment. God says His word will not return back to Him void why not turn to the word of God as priority? The psalmist recorded, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20) God already sent His word and He is still sending His word to those who make the choice making God’s word a priority. Healing, deliverance, preservation, provision, is in the word of God and the world does not have any better thing to offer compare to the word of God.
The Apostle Paul admonished the importance of the word of God, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” When the word of God becomes a man’s priority man is set to be built by the word of God; man shall be established and begin to live life as an overcomer in the face of the wicked world.
Word of God cannot fail and will not fail. God cannot be deceived. If Man can make noise quoting the word but with a failure not to put on the word of God as garment is set to become naked and exposed to the wicked world. In this wicked world, it is crucial to prioritized the word of God by taking a position to become a co-creator agent for God. Word of God created the world and same word is available man as co-creator agent for God. Why not live truthfully in the word of God to make you His co-creator? Pay attention to John 1:1-3, “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.” Live life by attend to the word of God for His attention to answer in your life as His co-creator agent.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His grace to give your life to His word.