FAITH CAPSULE: Heart is the proven target for Satan to deny man’s arrival at divine assignment.

Luke 22:1-23

How are you keeping your heart? Heart is crucial for man’s arrival to divine assignment. In this wicked world, Proverbs 4:23 is a warning for all man with the desire to arrive at divine assignment. It is written, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
The only proven target for the Satan to strike is the heart for denying man’s journey to expected end. Ananias and Sapphira’s heart was caught up by the Satan. Ananias and his wife Sapphira were not forced to voluntarily sell their possession to buttress the fellowship of others, but they came up lying about the proceedings. Acts 5:3 recorded “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep part of the price of the land for yourself? Sudden death was the result of Ananias and Sapphira when their heart became a place for Satan’s hibernation.
Regardless of how long man is sleeping in the church by claiming to be seeking God will not stop stubborn Satan’s agenda for the heart of man. For man, there is a need to be keeping heart with all diligence.
Judas and Peter went beyond ones that are church goer but walked with Jesus in all their steps but their hearts were accessible to the Satan.
Judas spent time with Jesus. Despite Judas’ experience with Christ, his heart was not diligent enough deny Satan’s access. The book of 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 heart of Judas. Satan established his purpose for Judas to betray Jesus. When Satan can establish in the heart of man, faith will fail and failure will take over to derail man’s journey to expected end.
Peter was close to Jesus yet he could have ended up his journey of life. Peter could have wasted because of Satan’s agenda of failure for man’s heart. 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) Man needs to be constantly engaged through meditation day and night. A heart that is engaged by meditating the word of God is disengaged from negotiation with the devil. Determination to deny Satan from the heart is not enough but only prayer in the name of Jesus will deny Satan’s access to the heat. Determination failed Peter when he denied Christ three times but earlier prayer of Jesus for Peter’s faith not to fail delivered Peter from failing to arrive at his divine assignment.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to keep your heart and not be a victim of the Satan.

FAITH CAPSULE: Know your God, boast in Him for unfailing victory.

Daniel 3

It is how you trust in God that will determine how you remember to call on Him. The Bible stated in Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” The God you remember is the one you boast about. We cannot boast enough of His awesomeness. His goodness and mercy is exceedingly beyond man’s imagination.
What or who is it that you know to be boastful about? The Psalmist testified, “In God we boast all day long…” (Psalm 44:8) God is the One and only almighty God, He is the great I AM, He is worth of all day boasting. In boasting we give our jealous God His due attention. Boasting in God is announcing that with God all things are possible. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego demonstrated what it means to be boastful of God. They were set to be sentenced into a fiery burning furnace because they took their stand and not bow for a golden image. Boasting could provoke boldness to look in the face of challenging militating wicked of this world and become an overcomer. In the face of challenge be bold, boast of God and claim the salvation of God.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego responded to Nebuchadnezzar by boasting of their God stating, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
Boasting God all day long will boost up one where others are grounded. Once, the armies of the children Israel and their God were being verbally abused by Goliath. The children of Israel were emotionally and physical grounded in the face of their enemy. In this battle, Goliath repeatedly demoralized the armies of the children of Israel by the word of his mouth. When David got to the battle ground, he responded to Goliath by boasting in God, “…You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you…” (1 Samuel 17:45-46) Know your God, boast in Him all day long and He will boost you over your Goliath.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the boldness to be boastful of God in the face of your enemy.

WISDOM OF GOD MATTERS

FAITH CAPSULE: Wisdom of God is never a failure.

1 Kings 12

1Kings 4:29 recorded, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.” Under haven nothing passes through God which God does not see it before it happens. Are you full of the wisdom of God or you short of the wisdom of God? James 1:5 encouraged, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
Today, ask God for His wisdom. With the wisdom of God, the evidence of God’s hand will be in place upon man’s life. Proverbs 2:10-12 buttressed the importance of wisdom, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil…”
Solomon was full of wisdom but his son Rehoboam was empty of wisdom. When Rehoboam became king, he was approached by the whole assembly of Israel saying, “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” (1 Kings 12:4) Rehoboam responded wisely when he redirected the assembly of Israel to come back in three days. Rehoboam did well by going to inquire answer from the elders, “And they spoke to him, saying, ‘If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.’” (1 Kings 12:7)
Have you been promoted to a higher position where you are expecting to serve and be served for a better result? It is better to learn from the word of God on how to be a server first before being served as one who is leading.
Rehoboam did not receive the advice of the elders enough well but turned to consult the young men that grew with him. He was advised, “…speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’” (1Kings 12:10-11) Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders for the young one’s advice which was the evidence that Rehoboam was short of wisdom to lead for the glory of God. Rehoboam’s response was a fall in the beginning of his reign through to the end of his reign. According to the word of God, ask for the wisdom of God and be effective without taking the route of Rehoboam. Wisdom of God is never a failure.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God for His wisdom to lead for the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: To be wise and simple is gaining the knowledge of God.

1 Samuel 18

The word of God recorded in Romans16:19-20, “…but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly…”  A true believer of the word of God is to be living as one that is wise and simple. Living life as a wise and simple one is the antidote for the violent one, the adversary of man (Satan). Indeed, living wise and simple is the violence suppressor.
Christ is wisdom of God for us. (1 Corinthians 1:30) To be wise is to be Christ like doing nothing but good like Jesus. One that is simple enough to believe word of God is set to be overcomer of evil. Proverbs 21:11 pointed out, “…the simple is made wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.” To be wise and simple is gaining the knowledge of God. With the knowledge of God is for man not to become destroyed as victim of the evil.
The life of King David depicts one that constantly demonstrated wisdom and not a victim of evil.  Before he became king, the bible recorded, “So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.” (1 Samuel 18:5) David was well accepted in the sight of all including King Saul’s servant and that set him up for undeniable favor. David’s demonstration of wisdom caused him to gain high esteem. The Bible stated, “… And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.” (1 Samuel 18:30) Applying wisdom and simplicity of heart set David up for a path that cannot be frustrated by Saul’s evil agenda.
When it became clear that David was going to become the next king after King Saul, David applied wisdom and simple not to be destroyed by King Saul. For so many years, David ran from one mountain to another mountain; he was hiding from one cave to another cave in his attempt to avoid Saul’s evil agenda. He was relentlessly pursued in attempt to be killed by King Saul. David had many chances to kill Saul but he respected the anointing upon the life of Saul. With David’s application of wisdom by grace, there was no way he could fail. David was wise engaging the evil in King Saul. He also maintained simplicity by not taking over his challenges by power bestowed on him by the grace of God. Being wise and simple is a violence suppresser. Allow the word of God to established God’s assignment over your life.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His wisdom and simplicity to have a place in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Is pride driving you against waiting for God’s appointed time?

Luke 15:11-32

Waiting for God’s appointed time is certain to gain fully to the glory of God. Have you positioned yourself in a situation of not waiting for God’s intervention? Psalmist encouraged us, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14) It is important to know waiting on God who is the true helper of man and shield that does not disappoint. Psalm 37:7 encouraged, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” Evidently, ones that cannot rest on the promises of God cannot wait patiently for God to act on their behalf.
Why not wait for God? Is it priding that is driving you with attempt to go ahead of God’s appointed time? The parable of the prodigal (the lost son), clearly demonstrated that the prodigal son entered a state of lack because he could not wait for God’s appointed time. He was the younger of the two sons who could not wait for the portion of the inheritance that would have fallen to Him. There was so much for him to receive in waiting but nothing to receive when waiting was bypassed. Have you bypassed your ground of waiting for a needless rush? Is it your pride that is leading you or you are leading pride? Pride is nothing but a personal ride to self-destruction. The prodigal son asked and received his portion of the inheritance from his father before appointed time. Having received his portion he engaged a journey to a far country. The prodigal’s son could not wait but wasted his inheritance.
Jesus’ parable is not a play write-up; it is to place His written word in the life of believers. Clearly in life, waiting for appointed time can be painful but would eventually be gainful for those who persevere in waiting. Inability to wait is the avenue to waste just like the prodigal son’s journey led him to waste. It is written, “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in want.” (Luke 15: 13-14) In life, walking out of God’s timing is walking into self-destruction avenue. It is true that no one ever complained of falling or stepping into grievous mistakes while waiting on God.
Today, give attention to what the word of God says as stated in the word of God, “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it…” (Psalm 37:34) The word of God does not lie, His word cannot be broken. God will wait for those who wait on Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of waiting on God in all areas of life.