FAITH CAPSULE: Seek God with ardent diligent to encounter His presence and experience His wonder.

Psalm 91

The word of God is God. Encountering the presence of God to experience His wonder is in the word of God. However, the word of God is secret but not hidden to man that seek God for encounter to experience God. Isaiah 45:19 testified, “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain’; I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.” Seeking to encounter His presence for His wonders demands ardent diligent in His word. Without doubt, seeking God in His word shall not be in vain.
Are you seeking God casually or diligently? Seek God diligently in His word as a dwelling place as stated in Psalm 91:1, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” In the word of God is the place to encounter and experience the presence of God if man will seek God’s word diligently.
Bible recorded wonders of God in His word: Psalmist testified wonder of God in the word of God, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.” (Psalm 119:114) Seeking for hiding place in God as shield is wonderful. God as shield is the promise to be gained by dwelling and abiding in God’s word with earnest hope not man’s mouth-full hope. Man should take God’s word which has never failed as spoken in Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Psalm 119:116 revealed secret to be encountered by man that seek God, “Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.”
Man, that is seeking the secret of God will also be a testimony of Psalm 119:133 as stated, “Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dromion over me.” Giving attention to know understanding in the word of God is seeking God for wonders in the word of God. In this wicked world, the peace of God is secret which is obtainable for man through Jesus (the word of God). It is written, “… and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) Peace of God does not happen in the life of man by accident but by engaging the secret of God. Engaging secret (word) of God is engaging His presence to experience wonders of God which does not fail.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to seek Him diligently for encounter of His wonders.

FAITH CAPSULE: A believer in God must understand to wait and endure period.

Matthew 7

Waiting on God from the first month to twelfth month of the year to receive from God is not wasting time but believing on the word of God. Word of God might sound foolish to man but never fail to deliver those who believe in His word. (1 Corinthians 1:21) It is the word of God to ask, seek and knock. To be Asking, Seeking, Knocking for God’s answer is an evidence of having faith in God by looking up to Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 described Jesus, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus the author of our faith gave us the way of receiving from God by stating, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
Truly, waiting on God demands trusting and hoping by asking, seeking and knocking before we get the right answer. When there is no waiting on God man always rush away for answer and turn to waste. King Saul could not wait as instructed and it was accounted to him as disobedient. To obey and wait is to trust and hope on God.
Waiting for God is giving attention to a jealous God. Psalmist admonished, “Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed…” (Psalm 25:3)
A believer in God must understand to wait and endure period. Waiting can be a delay but never a waste of time.
God testified about David when Saul failed to wait on God. God spoke through Samuel for Saul’s disobedience, “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:14) David knows the heart of God to understanding what it means as he consistently obeyed by waiting on God before making moves.
The bible recorded about prodigal son that could not know to wait for God’s timing, “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.” (Luke 15:11-13)
Younger son could not wait for God’s appointed time to receive portion of good that falls to him. Indirectly, the prodigal son made move outside of God’s timing for his life because he could not wait. With believe, ask, seek and knock persistently for God’s appointed time to receive at God’s appointed time.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to move outside of God’s word of deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: Jesus, the Word of God is the true way.

John 14

Serving God is a responsibility which demands a steadfast heart. A steadfast heart must have willingness to serve God irrespective of the challenges of life. It is God that calls man. Answering to the calling of God must be with responsibility to be steadfast.
God called for the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years to serve Him. God sent Moses to Pharaoh stating, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.’” (Exodus 8:1) Just as the Israelites were called to serve God, so all man should live life to serve God for His glory. In serving God, there is no short cut to arrive at the expected end for the glory of God.  For the Israelites, lack of steadfast heart to serve God desired for short cut but God led them through the wilderness way. The Bible recorded, “…when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’  So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 13:17-18) God surely knows the best way and it is not in our place to assume or attempt a way that is considered near (short).
Serving God responsibly with steadfastness must care to know and journey by the way of God. Knowing the way of God is what it takes to care and know not to go outside of God’s way. Jesus is the way of God that is certain to deliver man to expected end for the glory of God. Thomas, a disciple of Jesus was curious about the way when he asked from Jesus as stated in John 14:5, “Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus responded to Thomas’ question, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life. no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Today, there are many distractions on the journey of life. Remain steadfast to avoid untimely termination; avoid journeying on the wrong path which leads outside of God’s calling to wrong expected end. In this wicked world, it is utmost importance to get on the journey only through the way of God. Be warned today; take to the true Way. Jesus, the Word of God is the true way.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to keep you in His way and not to miss the expected end.

FAITH CAPSULE: What is it that is militating against your existence?  

2 Chronicles 20:1-21

In this wicked world, what is it that is militating against your existence? In the face of militating force against man’s existence, believing the word of God is enough to deliver and preserve man to the glory of God. In the word of God there is healing, and deliverance as testified through the pages of bible. Psalm 107:20 recorded for knowing and understanding, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Do you believe that the word of God is true to deliver and preserve? The word of God is a place for hiding and shield for man that will trust and hope in the word of God. Psalmist testified, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word”. (Psalm 119:114) “Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.” (Psalm 119:116) The psalmist would not have testified if it was not true. The word of God is power to deliver and to preserve if man will work the works of the word (to be living the word of God).
Without doubt, the bible is the manual of life with all manner of prescription that works against any militating force which battle against your existence. Bible recorded Jehoshaphat and his people’s existence against militating force and its evil agenda. It is written, “It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:1-3) According to the written word of God in the verses above, Jehoshaphat’s victory was rooted in setting himself apart by seeking God in praying and fasting.
Engaging prayer and fasting is knowing and understanding to be waiting on the word of God. The understanding to be waiting on God for deliverance as stated, Isaiah 64:4, “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.” From today begin to hide in the word of God as stated in the verse above. God is a God that acts for those who wait on Him. Jehoshaphat prayed and fasted with understanding as a result, the militating force against his life was terminated.

Prayer for today: In the name of Jesus Christ, ask for God’s grace to be-living by His word of healing and deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: Canaan maintained her desire and remained focus to receive from Jesus.

Proverbs 20, Matthew 15:21-28

Desire is a like a force that drives one to arrive at expected end. Desire can be described as a strong inner feeling that compels one to attain what the heart sets up for. With desire man is set not to give up but to push on to achieve expectation. A woman of Canaan with desire had a strong inner feeling which compelled her to receive healing from Jesus despite denial held against her from receiving from Jesus.
It is written, “Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’” (Matthew 15:21-22) The woman of Canaan desired positive response from Jesus but response for her was enough to discourage her desire from Jesus. Matthew 15:23-24 recorded Jesus and His disciples’ response to the woman of Canaan, “But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’ But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’”
Life is full of ups and down as the world is loaded with discouragement to work against man’s desire. However, man’s desire and focus will deliver to one without turning back from pursuing to an expected end. The woman of Canaan maintained her desire and remained focus to receive from Jesus. Instead of her giving up, she pressed further. She persisted to receive by resisting all discouragement. The Bible recorded, “Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’” (Matthew 15:25) Despite her desire, Jesus answered her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (Matthew 1:26) Jesus’ answer was not enough to discourage the woman of Canaan’s desire but made her to insist and persist for her miracle. The woman responded to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:27) The woman of Canaan’s desire from the depth of heart was not hidden from Jesus as Jesus ultimately answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:28)
God only sees and moves by desires in the heart of man. When man’s heart moves by his way it is certain that God see the heart. Proverbs 21:2 stated, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.”  For man there is no place for secret in the heart which God cannot see. Proverbs 20:27 buttressed, “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.”
The case of the Canaan woman demonstrated that Jesus answers to all with desire for expectation.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to desire from God without failing.