FAITH CAPSULE: Believe in God’s word to consciously have peace in God’s unfailing word.

Ezra 1

God delivers and preserves His children when He passes. God alone will favor man beyond expectation. Are you a believer? Are you one that sings love for Jesus and live by God’s command? Word of God encouraged, “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.” (Psalm 119:165) Why struggle in the place of rest? God’s favor or deliverance agenda is certain for man with trust and hope in God. Regardless of man’s challenge, unquestionable God is in position to use any man to favor His people.
God stirred the heart of a non-believer to favor His children. Unbeliever Cyrus, the king of Persia, did not just make a way out for the children of Israel; he also made provision for their need and restored back what was taken away by Nebuchadnezzar. Bible recorded how God stirred heart of Cyrus king of Persia and he made a proclamation throughout his entire, “Thus says Cyrus the King of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’” (Ezra 1:2-4)
Who else can deliver like God?
God’s was set to bring the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years when He spoke to Moses, “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.  And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.  But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” (Exodus 3:19-22) Word of God does not return to Him void. Are you expecting His favor in the New Year? This New Year, begin to see favor of God to be able to receive it and become of you.
It is certain that God will stir the heart of man to grant you God’s favor. Consciously have peace in God’s unfailing word.

Prayer for today: Ask God to bring back your captivity as the streams in the south.

FAITH CAPSULE: Know it that, Jesus is our peace from God.

Luke 10

Seeking God diligently is the evidence of knowing God. knowing God is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Roman 10:17) Lack of spending time to be studying the word of God by hearing and hearing by the word of God is the result of not knowing God. Man is too occupied by the world as a result, majority knows about God but not know God. Do you know God, or do you know about God? For example, many claims and celebrates Jesus but do not know Him as their peace. Ephesians 2:14 referred to Jesus, “For He Himself is our peace…” Many know about Him, but they are yet to know Him as their peace. When challenges strike, not knowing Jesus, the peace of God for man will give place to worrying and trouble.
Imagine an acclaimed believer, singing love for Jesus day and night but lack knowledge to maintain peace of Jesus when a challenge shows up? The word of God cannot lie as stated, “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.” (Psalm 119:165) Do you claim to love the Lord? Why are you not holding on to the peace of God? How possible can a man be claiming Jesus but not able to settle in peace when challenges strike?
Martha knew about Jesus to invite Jesus into her house, yet she does not know Jesus as peace in the house. Martha welcomed Jesus to her house but was overwhelmingly distracted. Without knowing peace, distraction will take position as an agent of disengagement to lose focus to open door to worry and trouble. Martha worried instead of worshiping when she stated, “…Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” (Luke 10:40) Martha welcomed Jesus into the house while forces of worry were also active in her house. Does this sound like you? Jesus, the Lord of all knows all and He identified the problem of Martha as stated, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.”(Luke 10:41) Mary (sister of Martha) enjoyed serving Jesus our Lord and Savior, while Martha was dealing with worrying and troubled in her life. As an acclaimed believer, can you carefully examine yourself to identify and deny the silent agent of the spirit of worry in your life. It is important for man to put aside title but to take to the task of knowing God. Gain understanding to be having a knowing edge over worrying. Will you allow peace to reign and rule instead of living life as a vessel of stumbling in the journey of life. Jesus does not want us to worry about our life knowing that worry and trouble will derail the flow of fellowship of man in the presence of God. Know it that, Jesus is our peace from God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to live in His peace for man.

FAITH CAPSULE: Make choice to continually live life for God.

Daniel 6

Serving God continually will draw man near to God. Seeking God at comfort time is sacrificing to seek God diligently. Many are making noise as a believer of God but not living life as a believer of God. Daniel became captive of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon when he besieged Jerusalem. At Babylon, Daniel was among “young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank…” (Daniel 1:4-5) Daniel refused better life of Nebuchadnezzar’s order but gave himself to seeking God diligently. It is written, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.” (Daniel 1:8-9)
As a believer, Daniel made choice to live life for God. Daniel was not just making noise about what he believes but was living for God when he became governor. The notion of a captive who arose to become governor did not fare well among the free people of the land. There was no way for the freemen to bring Daniel down without conflicting with the law of God. It is written, “So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:4-5) Daniel was plotted to become victim of King Darius decree against anyone who petitioned any god or man. The consequence for his disobedience was to be executed.
King Darius knew Daniel for his stand in the Lord but was compelled to abide by his own law. Daniel was ordered into lions’ den. King Darius hope deliverance for Daniel as stated, “Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me…” (Daniel 6:19-22)
Regardless of Daniel’s challenges, he continually sought God and God drew him near for him not to be a victim of his faith in God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to continually seek God.

FAITH CAPSULE: With understanding, seek for God’s eyes and His hand in the course of life journey.

Ezra 8

God that does not look away or block His ear from man in times of challenges is waiting to act on behalf of man that waits on Him. Are you seeking God by waiting on Him for His divine intervention? The Israelites waited on God in times of challenges. Exodus 2:23-25 recorded, “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 acknowledged them.” At the time of Israelites looking up to God was evidently the beginning of deliverance from bondage of over four hundred years.
At God’s appointed time to act on behalf of the Israelites out of bondage, God said to Moses, “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.” (Exodus 3:19-21) When God brought them out with His hand upon them, they did not go empty handed. The hand of God for deliverance answered with favor which plundered the Egyptians. (Exodus 3:22)
Are you consciously seeking God by waiting on Him? Just like the children of Israelites, Ezra waited on God by seeking Him. It is written, “…The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.”(Ezra 8:22)  We must seek God to serve God and He will always make good for those who desires to serve Him.
The same hand of God brought Ezra and the children of Israel out of captivity. Understand to be seeking for God’s eyes and His hand in the course of life journey.
Take to the warning word of God, “Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? (Psalm 94:8-9) Whatever you do not understand will not work for you. Foolishness which is rooted in lack of understand makes man not know that the one who gives ear, eye does have eye to see and ear to hear. Gain understanding to gain place before God.
Believe it that the eye of God and His hand will keep you going with favor.
Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be seeking Him by waiting for His hand.

FAITH CAPSULE: A diligent heart for God cannot be wrapped up in the issue of life.

Proverbs 23

Living life by giving heart continually to God is the price to be carrying out great exploits to the glory of God. Today, man that is not mindful of God is mindful of the world with no heart after God. It is the heart activities that gains God’s attention not the activities of the head. King David was a man after God’s own heart. Acts 13:22 recorded God’s testimony about David’s heart, “…He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” Man, with heart after God will be glaring enough for God to see and testify to man’s heart after Him like David’s heart.
What is your heart like before God?
Proverbs 4:23 admonished us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” A diligent heart for God cannot be wrapped up in the issue of life to become exposed to evil agendas. A desire not to deceive self by serving other god is in the activities of heart that is not hiding before God. Deuteronomy 11:16 warned the Israelites, “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.”
It is important to know that heart which turns away from God does not give self to God. Turning away from God is bounded not to see in the ways of God. Proverbs 23:24 buttressed, “My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.”
Responsibility according to demands in the word of God is the price of obtaining the hand of God for the glory of God in the life of man. Daniel 11:32 testified, “but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”  Daniel, knew God and was responsible before God by his heart. In his heart, Daniel purposed not to defile himself with delicacies of unbeliever king. Bible recorded, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8) Daniel was mindful of God; he knows God thus he responsibly purposed his heart for God.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. It is the entrance of the word of God into man is the certainty that God will have a place in the heart of man. Word of God in the heart of man will make man to be mindful of God and not be mindful of the wicked world. Today, begin to keep heart diligently knowing to treasure love and to fear God. Truly, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable your heart for Him all the days He has given you under heaven.