FAITH CAPSULE: Manifestly, Isaac walked in God’s command to claim promises of God.

Genesis 26:1-33

Today, Abraham is an example of God’s obedience for man to learn as it is recorded in the bible. God testified Abraham’s type of obedience to His word which delivers promise as it is written, “Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” (Genesis 26:5) God’s testimony of Abraham’s obedience is clear that Abraham submitted, he was responsible, he responded to God’s orders by acting according to God’s rules.  Abraham’s obedience is what his Isaac son took from him to walk before God’s unfailing direction.
God communicated command to Isaac. Manifestly, Isaac walked in God’s command to claim promises of God.
It is written, “Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.” (Genesis 6:1-3) God communicated with Isaac. In the face of famine and nothing to show for, God commanded Isaac to stay put. Often time, when God is speaking what seems impossible, hearing God’s command becomes challenging. In the case of Isaac, there was total obedience when he did exactly according to God’s command. God wanted him to stay in Gerar and he did exactly.
In a place where there is famine having a well for sustenance becomes unarguably important.
Isaac repeatedly ran into confrontation with the herdsmen of Gerar over the digging of wells. He knew quite well that his part of the world could not have survived without wells.
However, every effort by Isaac and his servants to have a productive life at Gerar by gigging wells were disrupted by herdsmen of Gera. The herdsmen of Gerar kept taking away the wells that were dug by Isaac’s servants and would not leave them in peace. Despite of challenges in the place of God’s promise for Isaac, Isaac repositioned but could not relocate from obeying God’s command to stay in the land.
Just like Isaac, are you facing challenges in your area of obedience to the word of God? God will not ignore you but will surely attend to your challenge. Abimelek and his people tormented Isaac with hatred but eventually settled with a peace treaty. They realized that the Lord was with Isaac. Importantly, note it that the word of God is His way and His way is His command. Isaac walked in God’s way and it was impossible for him to fail. Proverbs 16:7 buttressed, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”  Walk in the word of God to be an overcomer in all endeavor.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to become an obedience in God’s word regardless of enemy.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is wisdom to know that there is nothing God cannot do.

Psalm 111

Trusting God without having hope on God does not complete to deliver man’s expectation from God. Trust in God is the reason for many to come into gathering of prayer or church to pray for expectation. However, coming out of prayer gathering/church for prayer with negative confession instead of positive confession is always the evidence of lack of hope. There must be trust and hope to wait on God and it is the evidence of being FAITH-FULL. Many claims to be having faith but really, many only have faith but not faith-full. Jeremiah 17:7 clearly testified the need to trust and hope, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Blessings of God truly answers for one that waits on God in trust and hope for manifestation of one’s expectation.
Trusting and hoping on God provokes waiting on God with understanding and knowing that God is truthful to give answer. It is written, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4) Having trust and hope is waiting on God who acts for the one that waits for God.
How is it possible for one who do not fear God to be able to trust and hope in God? Truly, it is wisdom to know the fear God. The word of God could not have said it better when it says, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom…” (Psalm 111:10) It is wisdom to know that the one that created heaven and earth is real and true. It is wisdom to know that there is nothing God cannot do. It is wisdom to know that He cannot fail and all His word will come to pass. Proverbs 3:5-6 pointed out how we are to trust God stating, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
The word of God calls for trusting Him with all heart but not with all mouth or empty noise. God goes by what transpires in the heart. Trusting God with all your heart should not be testing (doubting) God. To be testing God in the heart is to be testing Him by act of disobedience. Testing Him in the heart is rooted in doubting what He can do. Among the promises of trusting God is stated in Isaiah 57:13, “…He who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land and shall inherit My holy mountain.” Absolutely there is nothing worth more than trusting and hoping God to experience His truthfulness. A heart that knows to trust and hope God will know to wait on Him at all times in all situations.

Prayer for today: Ask God to put His fear in you for trusting and hoping in Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Walking in the word of God is responsibility not irresponsibility.

Leviticus 26

The word of God is true which demands responsibility for man to walk in truth. Before God, lack of a proper sense of responsibility is not acceptable excuse for man not to be walking according to God’s word. It is a man’s responsibility to know and be walking freely under heaven, before God for the glory of God. John 8:32 buttressed, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  Knowing and walking in the truth of God’s word is responsibility which is the price for great things for man before God. There is nothing that is comparable to receiving GREAT MERCY of God which is available for one that walks in God’s word. David as an example, he experienced great mercy of God because he walked in the word of God. Solomon testified the great mercy of God for David when he spoke before God as stated, “And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.” (1 Kings 3:6) God is the same yesterday, today and forever which will reward man’s walk in His word.
Responsibility to be walking in the word of God demands integrity of heart and uprightness which establishes man in all endeavour. David walked in the word of God and God testified of David as a man after His own heart. God went further to testified David’s walk to Solomon one of the sons of David, “Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.” (1 King 9:4-5) Integrity of heart and uprightness to walk before God only comes with fear of God. Psalm 111:10 said it all, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His.” Man must know and understand the fear of God to walk before God in all areas of living God given life.
The recorded word of God in the bible is the manual of life. Man should engage the word of God by meditating on the word of God day and night and be able to do according to the word of God. Also, the recorded word of God is like a mirror for man to be looking into the word of God as mirror for dressing self and addressing self’s walk before God.
Engage walking before God to gain and retain His presence!

Prayer for today: Ask God to have His way established in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Walking in God’s word is gaining and retaining God’s presence.

Genesis 3

Psalm 1:1 recorded, “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Man’s walk will determine what man stand with or stand for. Also, man’s walk will determine the kind of seat that man sits on or kind of person which man sits with.
In the journey of life, Man should be walking before God by walking in the word of God. Walking in the word of God must be rooted in understanding and knowing God’s word by listening in the word of God. John 8:43 recorded the word of Jesus, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” Giving self to the word of God is the evidence of listening to understand with knowledge by walking in the word of God. Walking in the word of God is walking in the way of God. The word of God is the way of God; the way of God is the presence of God. Moses asked from God, “…show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight…” (Exodus 33;13) God responded to Moses stating, “…My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) Moses’ asking and God’s answer testifies that the way of God is God’s presence. To gain and maintain God’s presence is walking in God’s way which is God’s presence. Walking in the word of God is seeking God. Walking in the word of God is work which is labor with sacrifice that is costly.
Are you walking in the word of God, living for the glory of God?
From Genesis to Revelation, it is clear that WALKING in the word of God is God’s demand from man. It is certain that without walking in the word of God man cannot remain in the center of God’s divine assignment in the journey of life.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT WALKING OR NOT WALKING IN THE WORD OF GOD?
Obeying the word of God will be keeping man in the presence of God while disobeying the word of God is man’s walk of hiding from the presence of God. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they hid self from God and could not gain to retain the presence of God. It is written, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8) Hiding from the presence of God is the evidence of disobedient to God’s word. Noah obeyed God’s word and was identified as perfect man before God in his generation, he walked with God. (Genesis 6:9) Disobedience of Adam and Eve caused them to hid themselves from the presence of God and could not walk with God. Obedience is walking in God’s word to gain and retain God’s presence.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s word to occupy your entire way of living.

FAITH CAPSULE: Through the word of God, gain and retain the joy of God

Habakkuk 3

The issue of joy is for one to make joy and rejoicing as one’s portion by gaining and retaining the joy of God regardless of what the wicked world offers daily. Truly, joy and rejoicing should be the identity of a true believer which is full of God’s word. A believer that worships God by walking in the world of God shall be one that knows to gain and maintain joy. There is no source of rejoicing in God without feeding on the word of God constantly and one’s confidence will not be in self but fully in God the source of having unshakable joy in God. Philippians 3:3 admonished, “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”  Excuse SELF, let word of God occupy you to be rejoicing in God. Trusting and hoping in God that does not fail is joy and rejoicing.
To be full of the word of God is to be constantly feeding on the word of God daily. How can man be feeding and be full of God’s word which is the source of joy? After the death of Moses, God spoke in Joshua 8:1, “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.” One that is meditating on the word of God as commanded by God should carry God’s word fully to be joyful. The word of God is full of promises that are set to become manifested if man gives self to the condition of His promises. It is important to believe that the word of God (promises of God) cannot fail in the life of one which locate God’s promise concerning one’s challenge. Know God as the Unchanging changer that will convert all unsolved to resolved. One that is full of self, feeding on God’s word day and night should rejoice by knowing that one’s confronting challenge is solved even though confronting challenge is yet unsolved.
Evidence of joy and rejoicing regardless of confronting challenges is recorded in Habakkuk 3:17-18, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” The situation documented was not enough to interrupt choice of gaining and retaining joy of the farmer. In your life through the word of God, gain and retain the joy of God knowing that whatever seems to be doom (unfavorable) shall become blossom. Give self to believe in the word of God as stated by Paul the apostle in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!”

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to be full of His word for joy and rejoicing.