FAITH CAPSULE: Knowingly or unknowingly, is it pride that is hindering you to live life for the glory of God?

2 Kings 5

What is reducing man to live life for the glory of God? Can you search your heart and not be self-victim not to live life for the glory of God? There is nothing that can reduce man but self. Naaman had leprosy which was not enough to reduce him to live life for the glory of God.
It is written, “Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.” (2 Kings 5:1) With all the honors in the life of Naaman there was leprosy. In documentation of Naaman, leprosy could not deny Naaman’s status and achievement before his master. The Hindrance issue of Naaman was alive in him and not obvious to his master and people around him. The hindrance issue which clouded Naaman is the same that is clouding so many today especially among believers. The hindrance in Naaman’s life was none other than pride.
It was hindrance issue that stood between Naaman and the word of his healing. The bible recorded, “Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” (2 Kings 5:10) Wash and clean was the word of healing that was spoken to Naaman. Evidently the power to get Naaman’s healing was obedience to the word of God’s prophet. The hindrance issue in Naaman reacted negatively as it is written, “But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’  Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.” (2 Kings 5:11-12).
Hindrance issue in Naaman’s life was pride. Unknowingly or knowingly, is it pride that is hindering you to live life for the glory of God? The pride in Naaman’s life manifested when: He became furious (extreme anger); Naaman walked away from his glorious healing; Naaman’s spirit of “I” set in; rage took over Naaman to act with fury. Knowingly or unknowingly, is any of Naaman having place in you?
When pride in Naaman’s life subsided, obedience to the word of prophet led him to be washed from the leprosy in his life.
Today, take time out to look in the mirror of the word of God. Word of God is a revealing word for man to observe for self-correction. Give self continually to the word of God as mirror for correcting self and not become a victim of self-destruction in life. Pride is without doubt a personal ride to self-destruction.

Prayer for today: Ask before God for deliverance from pride of self-destruction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Faith by mouth or by head is not faith that is rooted in the heart.

1kings 3: 3-15

Without faith no man can please God. Hebrews 11:6 buttressed, “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.”  God with jealous expects to be pleased in all ways of life, He definitely wants to be pleased in man’s way of life. As an acclaimed believer, are you living life by faith to please God? Habakkuk 4:2 stated, “…the just shall live by his faith.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 also pointed out that we watch and stand by faith. Faith by mouth or by head is not faith that is rooted in the heart. Many claims to be a believer with faith but standing is far from God by watching out of God’s direction. Do you pay attention to how you stand and how you watch? Are you hearing enough of God’s word to keep your walking, watching and standing in faith? Live life to be pleasing God by standing and watching by faith. Please God with your lifestyle meditating day and night to be access to God’s presence.
Take note by understanding and knowing that God must be pleased and become rewarded by gaining and maintaining God’s presence.
King Solomon, the son of David and the third king of Israel was known for his wisdom and the building of temple. He was able to please God with his speech and it provoked God to endue him with great wisdom which became his identity forever. It happened to be that Solomon went to sacrifice at Gibeon when God appeared to him. God asked Solomon, “…What shall I give you?” (2 Kings 3:5) King Solomon responded to God’s question, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:9) He had the business of God at heart which was pleasing to God. Solomon was not pleasing self to please God. For Solomon, self-pleasing before God was not in place as a result, Solomon asked for what it takes to carry out God’s divine plan in his life. What is pleasing for you above pleasing God?
Are you a truly acclaimed believer, professional minister, or a minister for the Lord’s business? Solomon asked pleasingly before God as God was pleasingly provoked to bless Solomon beyond his expectation. It is written, “The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.” (1 Kings 3:10) God blessed Solomon with uncommon wisdom. Live life by pleasing God for His uncommon blessing to answer in your life for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to pleasingly live life for God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Pay attention to distance and closed ones which represents crowd and multitude.

Mark 2:1-12

Crowd/multitude should not be one’s partner in expected end of journey. Crowd/multitude’s specialty is to delay, deny or discourage one to arrive at the expected end of journey.
A paralytic man expected healing at Jesus’ visitation at Capernaum. It is written, “…it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.” (Mark 2:1-2) The paralytic man avoided crowd/multitude as recorded, “And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.” (Mark 2:4) Identify your crowd/multitude and not be denied from getting to expected end.
Crowd/multitude which the Israelites could not disengage denied and derailed the Israelites from getting to God’s Promised Land. At the time the Israelites started journey to God’s Promised Land, 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…”  (Exodus 12:37-38) Mixed multitude became the baggage for the Israelites. A mixed-up multitude is unholy mix-up to deny and derail man from arriving at expected end.
At the time of Israelites’ departure, dangerous of carrying multitude was not glaring. The Israelites’ mixed multitude among them was the effect of 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) Crowd/multitude is an agent of evil to deny and derail journey. Are you one having crowd/multitude as baggage in your journey of life? Mixed multitude was a baggage for the Israelites provoking complaint against God.
God responded to the Israelites complaint as stated, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.  Say to them, ‘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)
This year, it is not too late to avoid crowd/multitude as your partner. Pay attention to distance and closed ones which represents crowd and multitude.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to deny crowd/multitude in your journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE:Do not become a victim of failure in the journey of life.

1 Samuel 18

In the journey of life, one must pay attention but not focus on forces such as cheers and jeers which sounds in one’s direction. However, it is important for one not to allow cheers and jeers to replace the word of God as encouraging force to arrive at expected end of journey in life. Cheers can be expression of thanks in one’s direction while jeers which is speaking or crying out with derision or mockery can also sound in in one’s direction. As a leader or to be holding up a position, receiving cheers and jeers is an unavoidable route and it is important for one to be careful and not become a victim of failure in the journey of life.
David, a man after God’s own heart could not avoid cheers and jeers from sounding in his direction.
Philistines and Goliath stood a ground of war against the Israelite. Goliath made a provoking statement, “Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”  And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine; they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” (1 Samuel 17:8-10) It was the statement of Goliath that provoked David and made David to respond as it is written, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)
David eventually killed Goliath as the Israelites overcame Philistine and cheers from the Israelites was directed to David as recorded, “…when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.  So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:6-7)
The same David that was cheered by the Israelites was embarrassingly jeered by the Israelite. While David was still King, the heart of the men of Israel went with Absalom and David had no choice but to vacate the throne to run for his life. As David was fleeing curses and stones were the unimaginable jeers that were thrown at David. (2Samuel 16:5-14) David, a man after God’s heart experienced cheers and jeers but remained on track without distraction. David was focused to arrive at his expected journey of life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God not to become a victim of world around you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Live life consistently by the word of God and watch things change overnight for God’s glory over your life.

Exodus 2

Complaint, discouragement or anxiousness is not what you need at this point of unexpected changes in every area of life. Unexpected changes overnight are causing friends to scatter from you and no longer be there to help. Do not count on man to answer as your help. It seems that your surrounding is beginning to wonder how long you will be going through unexpected changes. However, get to know that God will see you through if you will keep seeing through in the word of God. Psalmist pointed out, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) God is faithful to honor His word if man should focus on God with no complaint, discouragement or anxiousness.
Anxiousness is not of God but builds up worrying inside of man. In life, worrying is the opposite of worship. One with worrying shall disengage self from worshiping God. Where there is no worship issue of life will occupy one’s life. Apostle Paul admonished as stated, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) Word of God that enters into heart is the way to be above any issues of life by trusting and hoping that the word of God is true to perform with perfection. Unexpected changes can be challenging but with God it is impossible to keep one down. In the bible days, unexpected changes responded to God’s intervention in the life of many.
Moses was born and breaded in the great palace of Pharaoh. From age three months old before unexpected changes Moses was not exposed to any life in the desert. When Moses flee from palace he ended up in the desert. Without any experience as a shepherd, Moses became a shepherd at desert ground. In time of unexpected change, there was no record of complaint by Moses but he was content. By unexpected changes from palace to desert, “…Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.” (Exodus 2:21) Moses’ unexpected changes were not comfortable but built him up as a giant in the hand of God. Joseph the dreamer’s unexpected changes relocated him from the presence of his father’s love because of wickedness of his brothers. Joseph went down into pit; from pit to slavery and from slavery to prison. Eventually, Joseph’s unexpected changes positioned him from prison to prime minister of the whole land of Egypt. One which can envision how God turns unexpected changes to God’s glory platform will capture self in the reality of living life for the glory of God.
The truth is, God constantly want to be glorified and make Himself a glorious name. He is a jealous God that is mindful of man. With unexpected changes God is in position to see man through when man maintains trust and hope on God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His grace to bring you above unexpected changes.