FAITH CAPSULE: Self-assumption will lead to taking step outside of God’s direction.

Genesis 19

Every God created day is a journey that is loaded with God’s plan to keep man in His way. The way of God is His word for man to follow through and not be a waste. Ignoring and disobeying the way (word) of God will set man up consciously or unconsciously outside of God’s plan. Self-assumption is an avenue to self-destruction. There is no reasonable excuse to disobey God’s plan for man. Proverbs 13:13 is stated for the wise as warning “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” Walking outside of God is also the evidence of not being afraid in respect for God. Simple obedience to God’s direction for daily journey will get man to God’s divine destination for man’s life.
Are you a man with self-assumption or self-determination to engage self-assignment in the place of Divine assignment? Evidently, the way that that seems right to man always lead to untimely death in one’s assignment that is not of God. Man is created to be obedient to the warning word of God as it is written in Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Determination to depend on self’s assumption will lead to taking step outside of God’s direction.
A specified direction of God was His plan for Lot’s family in a day’s journey of life. Encased in the direction for Lot’s family was deliverance and guidance. The book of Genesis 19:17 recorded, “So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.’”  Despite of God’s direction, Lot’s wife took to self-assumption. Genesis 19:26 recorded the result of Lot’s wife self-assumed direction, “But his wife looked back behind him and she became a pillar of salt.”
In her journey that day, she looked back against God’s direction and her journey was terminated. In every determination outside of God is an evidence of the spirit of disobedience operating in man’s life. Are you finding it difficult to obey God’s direction for your life? Your determination will fail you. 1Samuel 2:9 says that, “by strength shall no man prevail.” Ask God to give you grace and strength as you go forth in the journey of God’s package which is loaded with unfailing promise of God.
Determination is acceptable but not to dispose God’s divine intervention. Determination that is rooted in ignorance will fail man. Self-determination made Peter to deny Jesus three times but the seed of prayer of Jesus was in place to deliver Peter as stated, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:32) Avoid self-assumption, self-determination that is outside of God.

Prayer for today: Ask from God for the grace to be determined only in His word of direction.

FAITH CAPSULE:   The living word of God is the way, the truth, and the life for man to observe.

Joshua 1

Life is a race that is set before us. Hebrew 12:1 buttressed, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” In the race of life, to run and possess the promise of God is in the word of His grace. Joshua received calling not to miss in the promise of God. It is written, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7) Going by the word of God, is the only track in the race of life not to miss in the promise of God.
The word of God demands meditating the word of God which will cause man to observe. Observing the word is investigating the word. Investigating can be described as searching out and examining the word to learn the truth about what is hidden in the word for the race of life. With no iota of doubt, it is the word of God which man investigate that will navigate man through the race of life. Joshua 1:8 recorded, “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.” (Joshua 1:8)
The word of God is His law, His word is instruction and His command. Those who allow their heart to keep the word of God shall have length of days, long life and peace. (Proverbs 6) Those who can keep the word of God are the ones who make God their confidence. Those who keep the word of God will know to do good when the chance to do good calls for doing good. Those who keep the word of God do not stumble where others are stumbling. The word of God does not mark one or exempt man from afflictions but in the word, there is an assured promise for deliverance out of all affliction. (Psalm 34:19) Above all, those who keep the word in their heart will know not to lean on their own understanding.
With the word of God, when we roam (move) the word will lead us, when we sleep the word will keep us and when we are awake the word will speak with us. (Proverbs 6:22) The word of God is complete to enable man that is focus on God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to enable you not to miss His promise for your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: With word of God, sanctify your inn for grand celebration of the coming of Jesus.

2 Chronicles 29

Man is a temple of God where the Spirit of God dwells. 1Corithians 3:16 confirmed, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”  Are you a temple that is sanctified for the Spirit of God to dwell? As a temple, are you open for Jesus’ knocking to come in and dwell in you? December is the season to celebrate the birth of Jesus yet, the celebrants are closed and not open for Jesus. Celebrating Him with a closed temple is a waste, the evidence of lack of understanding. Jesus is knocking but man is closed as Revelation 3:20 recorded, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” In this season engage a reasonable celebration of Jesus’ birth with a repaired inn and become accommodate-able inn for Jesus.
The challenge of celebrant of Jesus’ birth is lack of repaired inn that is accommodate-able for Jesus to enter and dwell. Without doubt, celebration without reparation is not accommodate-able for the dwelling of Jesus which makes man empty of God. Celebration without inn that is repaired and sanctify is the evidence that ignorance makes a destitute of celebrants of Jesus’ birth. Is your inn opened and ready to accept Jesus?
Bible recorded about Hezekiah when he became king of Judah, “In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square, and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.” (2 Chronicles 29:3-5) Among the first things Hezekiah did when he became King of Judah was to open the temple for reparation.  The Word of God is written for our learning to open inn with reparation. Jesus is standing at the door knocking. Hezekiah did not just open the door for celebration, he opened it for reparation. For a long time, you have had the door of your heart opened, but lack wisdom, knowledge and understanding to have inn opened for the dwelling of Jesus. Hezekiah did not open the door of temple for playing religion; he brought in those that were qualified to work inside the temple. From today, begin to allow the word of God to start cleaning your inn for acceptable celebration of Jesus. Grand visitation of Jesus is coming, do not settle for religious celebration in this season.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to open the door of your inner heart for the dwelling of Jesus.

FAITH CAPSULE: With Jesus, man is set to overcome. Rest your case in Jesus!

Psalm 34

The book of Job 1:3 recorded possessions of Job, “…seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.”  Job was blessed physically, materially and spiritually. The word of God described Job as a blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. (Job1:1) He was also blessed with seven sons and three daughters. In one day, without warning, Job lost his blessings despite his standing in the Lord.
Job lurched from the pinnacle of prosperity to the pit of poverty. Disasters located Job from earth and heaven. From earth, his livestock and servants were raided and killed by the Sabeans. From heaven, fire fell and burned up the sheep and servants and great wind destroyed his house and killed his children. As if the loss of Job’s property and children was not enough his health became a victim of unexpected attack. Job was struck, “…with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.” (Job 2:7-8) Amid it all, Job did not despise his God. Job, a blameless and upright man with the fear of God could not be excused from challenges of this world. Job’s three friends were the representation of world complicating Job’s challenge. Job’s world took a position discouraging Job in his affliction. The three friends questioned Job’s standing in the Lord and concluded it was the result of Job’s sin before God.
Job’s affliction was the request of Satan when Satan went before God as stated, “But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” (Job 1:11) God did not deny the request of Satan but responded, “…Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.”” (Job 1:12) True indeed, the devil is an adversary of man before God. Satan has been moving around for whom to devour.
Under heaven, man is to take stand in the living God for unfailing deliverance regardless of affliction. Psalm 34:19 is encouraging as stated, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” As if the Psalmist is not enough encouragement, Jesus assurance is certain to deliver stating, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Satan is a liar, a blatant thief. With Jesus, man is set to overcome. Rest your case in Jesus!

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to deny the hands of wicked concerning your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Man is right before God accepting Jesus but with no loyal heart in the sight of God.

2Chronicles 25

What kind of believer in the name of Jesus are you? In the name of Jesus, you are doing right but without a loyal heart in the sight of God. Today, so many acclaimed believers are doing right before man and God but without a loyal heart in the sight of the Lord. It is in this wicked world that man is doing right in the name of God but with no loyal heart in the sight of God. Does that sound like you? Amaziah is one that did right before God but not loyal before God. The book of 2Chronicles 25:1-2 recorded, “Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.  And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.”
Man is right before God accepting Jesus as the Lord and savior but not loyal in the sight of God. Man is right coming out on a regular basis to worship God in the church but not loyal in the sight of God. Does that sound like you or like your mentor?
Amaziah’s right doing in the sight of God was documented, “Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin.” (2Chronicles 25:3-4) Amaziah carefully obeyed the Law in the book of Moses and it was counted for him as doing right in the sight of God.
Amaziah’s lack of no loyal heart in the sight of God was revealed after winning a battle against the Edomites. It was a battle he would not have been able to win but divine intervention of God gave victory to him and Judah when they defeated the Edomites. After his victory, “he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them.  Therefore the anger of the Lord was aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?”” (2Chronicles 25:14-15) Amaziah was unwilling to listen to the prophet sent by God.  Amaziah could not maintain loyal heart for God that won him battle.
Today, many answers as Amaziah doing right in the sight of God but with no loyal heart in the sight of God. Be committed to God doing right and maintaining a loyal heart in the sight of God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to live right with a loyal heart before God.