FAITH CAPSULE: Word of God is His presence and nearer than you thought.

Romans 10

Word of God is His presence. Genesis 15: 1 said it, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.””
The presence of God visited Samuel by His word to rebuke Saul’s disobedient saying, “Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments…” (1 Samuel 15:10-11)
When God called on Jonah for assignment, it was His word that visited Jonah with direction as stated, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” (Jonah 1:1-2)
Jonah disobeyed the presence (word) of God by walking in rebellion to God’s word. How would it have been if God walked out of heaven and approach Jonah face to face? Just like Jonah, man has been rebellious in response to the word of God. Glaringly, disobedience is the evidence of not knowing God but only know about God. Jonah’s Rebellious is disobedience making choice to walk away from the presence of God. God in His mercy gave Jonah second chance to obey as His word, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” So, Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord…”  (Jonah 3:1-3) Jonah obediently responded to the word (presence) of God.
The word of God is His presence and is always in position for man’s direction, deliverance and preservation. Disobedient to the word of God is rebellious to the presence of God. Disobedient to the word of God is self-deception. Self-deception is undeniable route for man to self-destruction.
God is near to man but man’s choice places man far away from God. Deuteronomy 30:14 recorded, “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” Are you one that is near to God by your mouth but far from God in your heart? Jesus said it all in Matthew 15:8, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” Man quoting the word of God but not carrying the word of God in the heart to obey God is the evidence of being far from God.
Assuredly, is it your testimony that God is near to you?
In this wicked world, make it your way of living life by meditating the word of God day and night to be near indeed to God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to live life obediently in His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you experiencing negative situation that is rooted in your faulty foundation?

Judges 11

Man’s story is always possible to change for good regardless of faulty foundation. Ugly faulty foundation that is painful in life is possible to turn around for good. The extension of God’s hand is always in place to turn around faulty foundation which man does not plan or demand for as a way of life. Does that sound like you? What about your life? Are you experiencing negative situation that is rooted in your faulty foundation?
Consider the story of Jephthah:
In the story of Jephthah, the Gileadite, he gained the title: A mighty man of valor despite the truth that he was a non-entity, one that was a son of harlot. By his identity (a son of harlot) he was driven out of his father’s house. Jephthah’s faulty foundation (a son of harlot) was not his plan in his life. Jephthah’s faulty foundation was outside of his control; Jephthah was paying for what he did not bargained for.
Are you experiencing any analogous situation like that of Jephthah? Jephthah’s situation demanded for a divine intervention to turn around his story. Without doubt, his situation called for a true redemption. With God, redemption is certain. In your situation, know and wait to see how the Lord will change your story. He is the only God who waits to act for those who wait on Him. (Isaiah 64:4) At appointed time of God, Jephthah, a son of harlot was approached by the Israelites asking for help. When the children of Israel were confronted by enemies, a need for a commander became their agenda. The elders of Gilead had to go and seek Jephthah for help. Judges 11:6, “Then they said to Jephthah, ‘Come and be our commander that we may fight against the people of Ammon.’”
Story of Jephthah is the evidence that whenever man is condemned, God alone has His way of redemption for the condemned. Jephthah, son of harlot became the need by his people to be there commander. Imagine a son of harlot, one that was driven out by brothers became one that was sought for as a leader. Jephthah responded in Judges 11:7, “So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”” The same God that set up a situation for Jephthah to be called back and rise above his faulty foundation will not look away from turning your story around for His name to be glorified. God, in His deliverance plan or redemption plan, He will not be too late or too soon, God will extend His hand for your story for good.
Jephthah accepted the assignment for his people and victory was delivered to the children of Israel. Jephthah did not just end up as a commander but he became the head for his people because victory was delivered into his hand. As the story of Jephthah was changed for good, your story will also change for better.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that will turn your faulty foundation around for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting or looking up to God is certain for man to get His unfailing attention.

John 11:1-44

Waiting on God is looking up to God. Looking up to God is waiting on God. Who do you wait or look up to in times of challenging? Waiting or looking up to God is seeking God and will get attention of God that is looking down on us. Psalm 14:2 testified, “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” Waiting or looking up to God is certain for man to get His unfailing attention. Waiting and looking up to God is action which is a demonstration of faith. When God sees action (faith) of man, God will always act for man. Isaiah 64:4 recorded how God will response to man that wait on Him, “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.”
Jesus demonstrated what it is like waiting on God, looking up to God.
Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus got to his cave. Stone was rolled against Lazarus’ possibility to come back to life. For Lazarus, hope was shattered, mourning and grieve became the portion of his people. Above all, there was no medical practitioner recorded to be on ground to help because trust and hope was not in place for dead Lazarus. Jesus, the Commanding commander gave a command asking for the stone (door) be removed. Jesus requested for open door for hope to be restored. It is written, “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me. When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” (John 11:41-44) Among the actions of Jesus for Lazarus to come back to life was that, Jesus looked up for divine intervention. Jesus set up example for us to know and to always look up when all hope is lost. Also, Jesus looked up and gave thanks. Jesus did not wait or look to man; He did not wait or look up to complain but He looked up to giving thanks for expectation that was yet at hand. In your challenging situation, who are you waiting or looking up to? Are a true believer or a believing believer or an unbelieving believer? A true believer should not wait or look outside of God. Learn to be expecting your expectation from the Almighty God; Omnipotent and Omnipresent God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God over your waiting and looking up to God to always look up only to Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Apply discretion for your preservation; exercise understanding to keep you.

1 Kings 3

Confusion is not of God but the evidence of the lack of understanding. Making right choice in God’s direction is taking a step to be preserved for the glory of God. However, when man make right choice by doing as directed by God understanding of right choice will keep man to live life for the glory of God. Proverbs 2:11 stated it better, “Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you.”
God instructed man to fill the earth stating, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) Instead, they made the choice to build a unified culture and constructed a tower as symbol and seal of their common identity. God wanted them to fill the earth but they wanted to build a city for themselves. (Genesis 11:4) People’s move to Shinar was a direct opposition to God’s instruction to multiply and fill the earth. Building Babel was a wrong choice against God’s direction as a result, they were not taking a place to be preserved. The people then were lack of understanding as confusing took charge over their life activity.
Man’s choice against God’s direction is always a wicked execution which never escape God’s attention. For the people at the construction of Babel, God visited their disobedient to scatter them and confused their language. (Genesis 11:8)
Are you applying discretion for your preservation and exercising understanding to keep you?
After Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord, the Lord appeared to him. It is written, “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5) Solomon could think of nothing better but responded to God’s question asking, “… give to Your servant an understanding heart…” (1 Kings 3:9) Understanding is for man to be kept in the journey of life. The bible recorded in 1 Kings 3:10, “The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” God added wisdom to Solomon’s request for understanding. Truly, wisdom compliments understanding and it is the combination of both that will give a knowing edge over confronting challenges of the world. Proverbs 4:7 admonished, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Listening to God’s word of direction is the assured way of gaining understanding that will keep man in the journey of life. Today, make the choice which preserves man; gain understanding that will keep you to live life for the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of making right choice and applying understanding from God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Encased in the word of God is what it takes to escape wicked agendas of wicked world.

John 1:1-38

The word of God of God. His word is astonishing (meaning that it is shocking, it is AMAZING…Acts 13:12)
The word of God is for warning in preaching (Colossians 1:28) and it is not for preachers to be reaping man’s possession. The word of God is testified in Psalm 18:30, “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Hebrews 4:12 described the word of God stating, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Without doubt, Jesus is the word of God. John 1:1-5 recorded, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
The book of John 1:1-5 is not proving or forcing the truth about the word of God but introduced need to know and understanding the word of God. Any man with choice to adapt and adhere to the living word of God as a mirror will not fail but to reflect the word of God in this wicked world. The living word of God is all that every man need to prevail in every area of living life to the glory of God in this wicked world.
How do you engage the word or will you take a position to be engaging the word of God? Without holding back, begin to behold and see in the word of God as mirror. Behold the word of God constantly by hearing and hearing with effective listening ability. In beholding the word of God as mirror, begin to see and receive in the word of God. Seeing indeed and in truth in the word of God there will be no doubt that shame will not locate man as garment. What man sees and receive in the word of God will make up man’s life.
Have you received enough in His word to be living in the word of God? Encased in the word of God is what it takes to escape and not be a victim of the wickedness of this world. If you will seek, you will see and be able to capture a secured future in the word of God which cannot be broken nor return to Him void.
Prayer for today: Ask God to be giving self to the word of god for unfailing in all areas of life.