FAITH CAPSULE: One that is loyal to God will know to be keeping eyes on God.

Exodus 1, 2

It is written, “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130) The entrance of the word of God into man’s life is only possible by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) When word enters man, having faith in God becomes established in man’s life. Do you truly have faith in God by carrying the word of God day and night?
Knowing about God by quoting or making noise of the word of God is not same as knowing God. Seek God diligently in His word to know God. Knowing God is the assurance not to be a victim of this wicked world. Knowing God will prompt man to be loyal to God. One that is loyal to God will know to be keeping eyes on God. 2 Chronicles 16:9 buttressed, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…”
Keep eyes for the eyes of God and know that the agenda of the enemy to break you is what God will turn around to build you for His glory. God is not limited He is a sovereign God to deliver and preserve the loyal at the heart for Him. The Bible recorded that a new king came to power in Egypt who did not know Joseph. The king not knowing Joseph inculcated inside of him the fear of the growth of the children of Israel’s population. The king of Egypt passed a law that put the children of Israel under the affliction of taskmasters.
Are you experiencing the pain of wicked in your life?
It does not matter what the activity of the evil one is about, if you keep eyes on the Lord, His word of deliverance will answer for you. Whatever God builds, no man can bring it down. Pharaoh’s effort to terminate the growth of the children of Israel resulted the multiplication of the Israelites. The appointed taskmasters’ effort failed and the direction to midwives to kill every male son could not interrupt the plans of God. God evidently increased, delivered and preserved the Israelites. Pharaoh, in his effort tried to reduce where God is increasing made a command, “So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.’” (Exodus 1:22) It was after Pharaoh’s command to terminate the growth of Israelites that Moses was born. Despite the wicked command of Pharaoh, Moses grew up to be used as the hand of God’s deliverance of Israelites from wicked agenda of Pharaoh.
Whatever of the wicked is using or set to use in breaking you will make you up for the glory of God. Every hand that has gone out to destroy you will rather deliver you and not become a victim of wicked world. Concerning your challenges God does have final say.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to seek God diligently by keeping eyes on Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: God sees deep in the heart of man.

Proverbs 4

Whatever flows from the heart of man will mark man with identity. Ecclesiastes 9:3 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9 stated about heart, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after they go to dead.” As a believer, what flows from the depth of your heart? From the heart, man can relate with deception and manipulation, but God sees deep in the heart of man.
The heart of man is the most important target for the devil to launch its attack. Judas spent time with Jesus and went to places with Him. Despite Judas’ entire experience with Christ his heart volunteered for the devil to manifest. Luke 22:3-4 stated, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.” Satan went after the vulnerable heart of Judas and he was able to establish his plan of betraying Jesus. When the heart of man is opened to receive the author of evil, faith will fail to uphold the heart of man.
Peter was close to Jesus and could also have been a victim of the devil. Once Jesus said to him, “…Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32) The only proven target for the enemy to strike is the heart. Ananias and Sapphira, were not forced but voluntarily sell their possession to buttress the fellowship. Unfortunately, the heart of Ananias and Sapphira came up lying about their proceedings when Peter responded, “…Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep part of the price of the land for yourself? (Acts 5:3) Hearts need to be constantly engaged through meditation day and night. A heart that is engaged by meditating the word of God takes the position of non-negotiable with the devil.
Prayer of Jesus delivered Peter’s heart not to fail when his determination failed to deny devil from his heart by denying Christ three times. With meditation on the word of God and constant prayer to keep the heart, man is set not to become a victim of heart’s as vulnerability for the devil. Thank God that Jesus had already prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. Proverbs 4:23 warned man, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Keep your heart diligently to keep self from the agenda of Satan.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be constantly kept from enemy’s agenda.

FAITH CAPSULE: Difference between wicked and righteous is coming at God’s appointed time.

Psalm 73

Growth can be described as the process of increasing in amount, value, or importance. Expansion, multiplication, progress, development, buildup are words also describes growth. In life, growth is possible in every area but not all growth can be measured as pleasing before God. God alone sees growth differently from the way man sees growth. Under heaven, wicked and righteous are both growing. Without doubt, many wicked are growing while the righteous are facing challenges that reduces growth when compared to the growth of wicked. God sees every wicked activity but His appointed time to put an end to the wicked one shall come to pass. Are you one that is envying shinning wicked one while challenge is clouding righteous’ growth? Wicked ones are evil that will not escape appointed time of God’s judgement.
Psalmist responded to wickedness as stated, “For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore, pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish.” (Psalm 73:3-7) Are you in a hurry to see the judgment of God over the wicked ones? A true believer should know not to be fear or envious of the wicked ones but to keep focus on God. It is certain that God does have His appointed time to reduce the wickedness.
The same God yesterday, today and tomorrow will not overlook the wickedness of today. Jesus stated, “Let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” (Matthew 13:30) Where do you stand? Are you a representative of wheat or tare? Are you a wicked one or a righteous one? Just like wheat and tare are receiving rainfall to enhance their growth so the wicked and righteous are under sun to be shinning. Oftentimes, there is no clear distinction to identify tares from wheat just as wicked ones are not glaring as evil. Difference between wicked and righteous is coming at God’s appointed time.
Are you paying attention to the way of the wicked ones?
Pay attention to the psalmist to learn trusting and hoping on God. It is written, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. But it is good for me to draw near to God…” (Psalm 73:26-28) God sees all, you should look away from the wicked one.

Prayer for today: Ask God in His faithfulness to deliver you from wicked ways.

Faith Capsule: Look up to God without looking out for man’s answer for your question.

2 Timothy 4

Jesus admonished us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Prayer demands conscious engagement. Prayer that is prayed with understanding is undeniable. Prayer works but it is work. With God, prayer can never be too much, but it has to be with understanding. The Bible pointed out how Jesus always withdraw to all night prayer by Himself. Are you living a prayer-less life? Have you been getting away in life without praying? It is certain that life without prayer will pay the price of consequence that is not fun. It is worthy to give self to constant prayer just like giving self to not missing vitamin for life sustenance.  Man should mark it that there is no excuse that is enough to be excused from praying before God.
The assurance of getting answer to our prayer is confirmed in Jesus’ statement in Matthew 7:9-11, “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Are you still in doubt if prayer will work for you? God cannot lie, and He does not waste word. Prayer works.
How we keep our heart helps to persevere and wait for answer to our prayer. The word encourages us to pray and not lose heart just as mentioned in the Parable of the Persistent widow. (Luke 18:1-8) Prayer is calling on God. We serve God that answers. He is the same yesterday and forever. David testified about calling on God, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (2 Samuel 22:4) A believer’s failure to call on God when there is a need to call on God is the evidence of excusing God from extending His deliverance and preservation. Apostle Paul, a giant in the hand of God knows better not to excuse God from his life when he prayed, “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly Kingdom. To Him is glory forever and ever, Amen!” (2 Timothy 4:18) Call God by His name, His name is a strong tower where there is deliverance and preservation for a true believer in the name of Jesus. God alone is the Living God; consistently look up to God without looking out for man’s answer for your question. Man will fail but God alone is not a failure. Power for deliverance and preservation belongs to God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to keep you waiting for God’s visitation.

FAITH CAPSULE: At God’s appointed time, spirit that is not of God shall be exposed

Acts 16

What do you possess and yet to be identified? Who are you following or who are you leading in the name of seeking God? It is written, “…a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.  This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days…” (Acts 16:16-18) A certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination followed the servant of God Apostle Paul for many days. Today, many possessed ones are claiming to be a believer on every ground of worshiping God or leading many acclaimed believers in the name of God. If one with possessed spirit of divination followed Apostle Paul for days, apostles of today will have a possessed spirit divination that is following without been identified.
Who are you following or who is following you without being identified of what spirit is possessed? The certain slave girl with possession of spirit of divination was not quiet but followed Paul crying out testifying that Paul and his team were the servants of the Most High God.  Imagine the certain slave girl operated on a mission field with God’s general (Paul the Apostle of God). It can be agreed that today there must be many of the certain slave girls in different ground of worship deceiving to mislead believer of God.
Who are you before God? Religious leaders such as pastors, prophets, apostles, usher, choir, deacons and all kinds of leadership or non-leadership in positions are not excused to be possessing spirits which is not of God. God cannot be deceived neither can He be mocked. At God’s appointed time, spirit that is not of God shall be exposed outside or inside of acclaimed believers. At appointed time, Paul identified the certain slave possessed with a spirit of divination.
When Paul eventually turned to the certain slave girl, deliverance from the spirit of divination was executed. Today, it is important for believers to abstain or be very careful not to be committed to any man in the name of Jesus. Jesus, our Lord and savior, the One whom we are to follow demonstrated not to commit to man. Also warning word of God is declared for man’s understanding as stated, “Jesus did not commit Himself to them because He knew all men.” (John 2:24) Take to the examples of Jesus in the word of God and let there be no reason for ignorant of the devices of the evil ones. True believer of God should not become a victim of evil agenda. Many are singing the song of salvation; preaching or reaching to many but they are assigned agent of the evil.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to open the eyes of understanding and not be a victim of the evil.