FAITH CAPSULE: Give attention to the word of God as a warning to guide and direct you.

Deuteronomy 13

Undoubtedly, Jesus is the only author and finisher of our faith. Jesus is the only One that sees perfectly into the future. Jesus is not a prophet or dreamer of dreams that will take a place of deceiving man. Deuteronomy 13:1-3 warned, “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,  and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Jesus prayed for Peter after seeing into the future that Peter was going to deny Him. The Bible recorded Jesus’ word to Peter, “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) Peter, trusted in his strength and determination when he responded to Jesus stating, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33)
Are you a determined believer? Determination will not be enough to keep you from distancing from Jesus in these days of challenges. The prophets or a dreamer of dreams will miss lead you to become distance from walking in the Lord. Truly, prayer is the only key for believer’s preservation and deliverance. If Jesus had not prayed for Peter, it would have been devastating for Peter’s journey of faith. Jesus was not wrong but was right when He prayed for Peter saying, “But I have prayed for you; that your faith should not fail…” (Luke 22:32) Believers should grow to be giving self continually to prayer and the word of God instead of giving self to the word of man. Just as disciples needed prayer against temptation, today’s believers are not immune from temptation.
Jesus prophesied Peter’s move to deny Him in Luke 22:54-56, “Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” Are you paying attention to the word of God as a warning but not to the word of lying prophet or a dreamer of dreams? The word of God is warning (Colossians 1:28) and we are to pay attention to the warning word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that your faith will not fail.

FAITH CAPSULE: God’s word is enough for encouragement.

Exodus 2

The challenge for the Israelites was a need for expected change from years of bondage to breakthrough. With pains at the hand of Pharaoh his men the need for change the Israelites cried out to God. It is written, “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.  So, God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledge them.” (Exodus 2:23-25) The Israelites needed change. Challenges at the time of expected change are rooted in discouragement. Along with discouragement are delay, worrying and complaint.
Are you waiting on God (through prayer or crying) for a change? Know it that change will only come at God’s appointed time. It is true that you have been waiting for quite some time but nothing to show for your waiting. Delay is all that you are experiencing in the place of expectation for change. Be encouraged that delay is not a denial. Delay is possibly the enemy’s pointer to frustrate your expectation. Ignore delay but lay your request for change at the feet of the Master. Delay prompts discouragement, discouragement provokes complaint. Complaint is the act to rebel. In your case, disallow discouragement to deny complaint. With no complaint rebellion will have to relocate itself outside of you.
Worrying is like a parasite, it will eat into man quietly when change seems to be slow in coming forth. In waiting for change, reject worry but give self to worshiping God. In worship God, occupied time by praising and giving God thanks even though your change is yet manifested. It is important to know that when we thank God for all things then all things will work together for good. As you wait for change be conscious that your thoughts are demonstrated with action. Get the understanding of the truth that Lord God is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed. (1 Samuel 2:3) As regard to expectation for change, doubt should not be entertained. In time for expectation for change, doubt will prompt a backup plan for expectation. A heart that is full of faith should have no space for any backup plan. Backup plan is a lack of faith or an evidence of little faith which God is not pleased with. It is written, “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. (Hebrews 11:6) Please God while you are waiting on Him for your expected change.
God’s word is enough for encouragement. Acts 6:4 admonished, “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” In His word, be encouraged to seek Him diligently for expected change to arrive.
Your change shall come.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to give self to His word of deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: What a man sees in the word of God will make a mark in the life of man.

Exodus 14

Inability not to believe and receive what is seen in the word of God is the disability to receive the promises in the word of God. Undeniable manifestation of miracles brought out the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years yet they could not see deliverance in their journey to the Promised Land. At a point in their journey Pharaoh approached the Israelites in attempt to return Israelites back to the bondage of Egypt. It is written, “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So, they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10) The Israelites were not able to see the promises of God in His word to deliver them. In life, inability to see in God’s promise will provoke fear to become a victim of wicked agenda. Inability to see promises in the word of God was the reason why Israelites saw fear at the approach of Egyptians to return them back to Egypt.
Inevitably, what a man sees outside of the word of God will have a direct effect on what man thinks, says and becomes of man. The Israelites saw fear and spoke negative. The Bible recorded their response, “Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:11-12) The Israelites saw wrongly and ended wrong.
In the journey of a year or in the journey of life, the grace of God alone brought you this far in life. Why is it so difficult for you to see that God alone is in control? Think of it, you have taken your eyes away from the promises in the word of God which is able to lead you through to your expected end? Whatever a man beholds will eventually hold man up from falling, failing or faulting in the journey of life. Moses knew exactly the cause for the negative confession of the Israelites when he stated, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13) God will not leave nor forsake one is seeing in the word of God to believe and to receive as promised by God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be seeing, to believe and receive as promised in His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Giving regard with attention to the word of God is encased in meditating the word of God day and night

Joshua 1

Regard with attention is the way to observe and do the word of God. Without observing the word of God chances to see in the word and obey is almost impossible.  Man must observe to see in the word. The word you observe and see determines what becomes of you. Proverbs 4:20-21 stated, “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart.” Certainly, the word is telling us not to let the word depart from our eyes. To see in the word is to keep the word in the heart. Having the understanding to engage word by constantly meditating the word will enable one to observe, see and do as the word commands.
The importance of giving regard with attention to the word of God is encased in meditating the word of God constantly consistently. Joshua’s way of success was in the revelation of word of the Lord as stated, “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) When meditation is carefully engaged as commanded by God it will give meaning and understanding for its application in every step of life. Why not take the time to be meditating the word of God day and night? Meditating but not memorizing will enable to be observing the word of God to undoubtedly see in the word and do exactly as commanded in the word of God. Meditating on the word of God is making headway by the presence of God (presence of word carried) in the daily journey life. Meditation is trusting God to instruct and teach not to be a victim of this wicked world in the daily journey life.
Moses emphasizes the importance of meditating the word of as he admonished the children of Israel, “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.” (Deuteronomy 28:15) A word is not enough to describe what meditation is about. It can be described as having an open line of communication with God. Meditation is what keep the heart diligent as required in (Proverbs 4:23)
Meditation is praying all day long. If meditating is not a prayer, the psalmist would not have stated, “Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; preserve my life from fear of the enemy.” (Psalm 64:1) Praying day and night when all is well and when challenging is not expected demands constant and consistent meditating prayer.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be obedient to His direction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Rendering heartfelt thanksgiving to God is real to get God’s attention.

Psalm 107

God alone is worthy of constant and consistent thanksgiving. Ability to count the number of thanks to God is an evidence of shortage of thanksgiving to God. God is worthy for uncountable number of thanksgiving every moment. Are you in place thinking thanksgiving to God? Thinking thanksgiving is not thanksgiving but a muted thanksgiving that is not worth it for a Worthy God. To be alive day after days, week after weeks, month after months, year after years calls for heartfelt thanksgiving to God. Giving thanks to God is never too much at every breath. Give God thanksgiving with understanding!
For Worth caring God, bible verses stated thanksgiving for our learning: “And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will. (Leviticus 22:29) “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.” (Psalm 95:2) In every moment of breath of life, man should be rendering thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of deliverance. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1) “Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.” (Psalm 107:22) “I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 116:17) “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1) “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God.” (Psalm 146:7) “Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.” (Jeremiah 30:19) “But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving.” (Jonah 2:9) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6) “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2)
Giving thanks to God is all that matters for jealous God a due attention. It is written for our learning that thanks giving to God will give life to every dead situation in life. Giving thanks brought Lazarus out of death to life, “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:41-44)Giving heartfelt thanks to God is real to get God’s attention for uncommon miracle.

Prayer for today: Father, I thank You that you have heard me for thanking you in all things.