FAITH CAPSULE: Seek the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of God.

Proverbs 2

A man with wisdom cannot lack knowledge and be without understanding. Wisdom, knowledge and understanding cannot be separated. What you do not know will not work for you. Also, whatever it is that fail to work for you can work against you. In life, it is lack of wisdom, knowledge and understanding that will make a man with a loaded gun in his pocket and being chased around by ordinary one with an ordinary table-knife. Are you an acclaimed believer with power yet living as a victim of lack of wisdom, knowledge and understanding, running away from enemy with table knife at hand? The word stated in Psalm 49:20, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand is like beasts that perish.” The word of the psalmist identifies one with power and being chased around by a powerless one. It is a case of lack of knowledge.
Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Clearly, many claims to know God but not true because they only know about God. Ones that know about God will lack knowledge. Do you lack knowledge? Knowledge is not scarce but, man is scarce from finding knowledge. Knowledge is available for anyone who cares to find it. Today get to know God with understanding. Proverbs 2:5, “Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” Seek the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of God and the fear of the Lord will not elude you. Based upon all the evil and wickedness that takes place through the whole world today, we can clearly see that man no longer have the fear of God dwelling on the inside of man. It is a testimony to the fact that knowledge is not common and it is hardly implemented in the face of confronting challenges.
Do you know God? Are you one that is engaging the pressing challenges of your life with knowledge? God testifies that He knows His goodness towards us when He spoke, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Regardless of how difficult and challenging your situation is, what you know about the promises of God across the pages of the Bible will give you the knowing edge in the face of confronting evil challenges of the world.
Today, take to the word of Proverbs 2:10-14, “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, from the man who speaks perverse things, from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked…”  

Prayer for today: Ask for God for knowledge, wisdom and understanding from Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Grace is shown to man to see and find grace before God.

1 Peter 5

A preacher once explained grace with this acronym: G is for God’s; R is for Riches; A is for At; C is for Christ’s; E is for Expense. Indeed and in truth, God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is kindness from God that we don’t deserve. There is nothing we have done to deserve God’s grace. Grace of God is the evidence of His love for us. It is a gift from God. Grace is divine assistance given to man for restoration (rebirth) or sanctification.
Dictionary describes theological meaning of grace as: “The unmerited love and favor of God toward human beings; divine influence acting in a person to make the person pure, morally strong; the condition of a person brought to God’s favor through this influence; a special virtue, gift, or help given to a person by God.”
God’s grace and mercy’s description are often mixed up only because of similar expressions of God’s favor and love. However, grace and mercy possess a clear distinction.
With grace: When man experience God’s grace, man receive favor that man do not deserve.
With mercy: When man experience God’s mercy, man shall be spared from punishment which man do deserve. For example, Lot experienced mercy and was spared from the punishment of destruction. Genesis 19:19, “Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life…”
Grace is what God has SHOWN US for us to obtain His grace. Isaiah 26:10 buttressed, “Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.” Jesus, the grace of God is shown to man but hardly man do not behold the grace of God.
Ezra 9:8 also stated, “And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.” Jesus is our grace if we are able to see and receive Him and that is why Revelation 22:21 pointed out, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all… ” He is for us all but not all believe to receive. 1Thessalonia 5:28 also confirmed that He is meant to be with us “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
Grace God is in place for man to see and is for man to seek God and find grace. When we seek Him we find. Genesis 6:8 stated, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Grace is shown to man to see and find grace before God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be focus on God’s grace in all going and coming.

FAITH CAPSULE: Knowing God’s grace will count; knowing about grace is not enough.

Romans 5

Grace of God is a gift from God. For example, when a wrapped gift is un-wrapped it becomes a blessing in the life of the receiver. Evidently, to receive and believe God’s grace salvation will answer in man’s life. Grace of God is the gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
What is it about His grace?
God’s Grace is something that no man should claim to deserve it; Grace is God’s goodness shining through even the most difficult moments; God’s grace is a blessing we receive from God; Grace is what we should never take for granted but to be giving unceasingly thanks to God.
Above all, having an understanding of grace will help us to appreciate how much God moves in our lives. Jesus is the grace of God for all. We are to always remember that grace saves us from sin. The sacrifice of His Son for our sin is the most significant demonstration of God’s grace yet. Without doubt, thank God for all the things He has done in our lives building our relationship with Him. Grace of God is amazing indeed and in truth.
AMAZING GRACE
Above all, His Amazing Grace does not only provide for our salvation but enables us to live an abundant life. Jesus came to give us life abundantly when He stated the reason why He has come in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 also buttressed the abundance available for those who receive and believe the Grace of God. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
God’s grace is available to us at all times, for every problem and need we face. God’s grace frees us from slavery to sin, guilt, and shame. God’s grace allows us to pursue good works. God’s grace enables us to be all that God intends us to be. God’s grace is amazing indeed.
Word of God about the grace:
John 1:16-17 “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Know the grace of God to live life for the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask that the grace of God shall not expire over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: God that answers prayer sees all in our obedience to Him and our sacrifice of thanks giving.

John 6:1-14

Living life by obeying and giving thanks to God is the combination to have life of abundance. With the combination of obeying the words of God and thanking God will be phasing out lack in any area of life. Challenges can be the source of discouragement to be disobeying the word of God or be the source of not giving thanks. In the face of challenges, be focus on God by obeying His word; be thanking Him for all He has done, all that is doing and all that He will do.
Once, at a ground of lack for five thousand Jesus demonstrated what the combination of thanking and obeying can do. Evidently, no provision from any store at the hour of meeting for the needs of five thousand but the combination of obedience and giving thanks led to the provision of abundance for thousands.
At the feeding of five thousand, Jesus gave a command by asking His disciples not to let the people go away with empty stomachs. It was a deserted area, a place that could never produce enough supply for the demand that was at hand. John 6:5, “Jesus asked Philip, where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” Jesus’ disciples informed Him that a lad had five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many? Are you being pressed by your lack? What you have on hand can never make up for what you need without Jesus. You have found yourself on a deserted ground. With Jesus there is a way out, because nothing is impossible for the maker of all things. Jesus turned lack into abundance. It is written in John 6:10-11, “Then Jesus said, make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” There was obedience as the thousands responded by sitting down at the word of Jesus, and there was a thanks offering by Jesus for the little (five barley loaves and two small fish) that became much. Giving thanks and being obedient results in abundance. John 6:12, “So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Your lack will be converted to abundance if you engage genuine thanksgiving and obedience according to His direction.
On the journey of life, nothing can substitute for obedience and giving thanks to our God. God that answers prayer sees all in our obedience to Him and sacrifice of thanks giving.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of deliver from spirit that hinders obeying and giving thanks to God.

FAITH CAPSULE: His mercy endures forever.

Exodus 20

The mercy of God is the covenant-keeping God. Mercy belongs to God; only God renders mercy unto whom He chooses to render mercy. It was with mercy that God led the children of Israel out of the bondage of over four hundred years. It is written, “You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed…” (Exodus 15:13) Joseph fear God and God was with him through his entire ordeal. The word testified about Joseph, “…the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy…” (Genesis 39:21) Today God still renders mercy and power as He was rendering it in the Old Testament through to the New Testament.
God’s mercy is in abundance and He never runs out of mercy. Also, His mercy endures forever. Many giants of faith in the hand of God operated under the power and mercy of God. God spoke to Moses, “For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Romans 9:15-16) The ‘whomever’ that God is talking about is clearly identified throughout the Bible as it is in the book of Luke 1:50, “And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.”
Who are the ones who fear Him?
The ones, who have received, believe and are behaving the word of God. Those who fear God are His people in whose hearts He plants His fear so they do not turn away from Him. (Jeremiah 32:40) This is to say that the ones who fear Him are the ones He has drawn unto Himself. (John 6:44) They are the ones He has chosen for Himself. The ones He chose for Himself are the ones He provided to Himself as a provision for His divine assignment The Bible recorded about David, “Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.” (1 Samuel 16:1) God is not a partial God and He is still in the business of drawing His children but only those who do not withdraw but position themselves in line for His undeniable power and mercy.
Do you fear God? To fear God is to love God.
God will not cease from showing mercy to those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Exodus 20:6). Engage living in the fear of God and allow His mercy to be you.

Prayer for today:  Ask for the grace of mercy not to cease over your life.