FAITH CAPSULE: A proud look; a lying tongue is among hates before the Lord.

Proverbs 16

Pride look can be clearly read in the mind of man. It is a saying that man’s look is the entrance into man’s mind. Ability to read pride in the look of man can reveal the evidence of arrogant; lack of no spirit of humility in the life of man. Proverbs 13:10 talked about pride, “By pride comes nothing but strife…” In life, there is nothing in strife but brewing disagreement, contrariety, opposition, fight and conflict. Strife from pride takes away peace in man. Word is pointing out among us that nothing in pride is good of God. Proverbs 16:18 makes us to know that “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride is not of good but of hate before God.
Jesus talked about pride, “What comes out of a man that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:20-22) Evidently, Jesus identified pride in the company of evil things. Jesus said evil things come from within and defile a man. Pride is evil thing from within and it defiles man. Pride will set man away from God. Do you have a pride look which God hates?
A lying tongue:
Hating others is not of God and should not be an identity of man that believes in good God. Man does have skill of claiming God but hiding hatreds. The word of God declares, “Whoever hides hatred has lying lips…” (Proverbs 10:18) Does the word speak of you as one with lying tongue? Good God hates lying and it is abomination to God. Lying is deceit, lying is evil; lying is of wicked with no good. Proverbs 12:18-22 compared truth and lying’s tongue, “The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy. No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, but the wicked shall be filled with evil. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” It is worthy for every man to make the choice of truthful lip which is good but not of lying tongue which is evil that does not glorify God. The book of Ephesians 4:25 warned, “Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.” Man should consciously disallow lying tongue.
By all standard of God’s expectation, man should do good in all ways that give glory to the name of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to walk against goodness of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Evidently, challenges will not change its way of knocking after a believer

2 Timothy 2

In the life of answering to the calling of God, challenges, hardship or afflictions cannot be ruled out not to experience. Challenges, afflictions and hardship are always birds of the same feather and they flock together in the name of trouble. Challenges, hardship and affliction are often found in association or cannot be separated from the calling of every servant of God. The bible makes us to realize in 2 Timothy 2:3-4, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” As an acclaimed believer, is there any unexpected challenge or hardship in your path? Is it affliction knock on your path?
Can you consider self as a good soldier of Jesus Christ? If yes answers to the list question above, be assuredly confident that God never forsake His assigned soldier regardless of challenges, hardship or affliction. Psalmist admonished, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) God never forsake His children.
Imagine Jeremiah, in the calling of his life God warned him, “They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you.” (Jeremiah 1:19)
Do you wonder why God allowed Jeremiah to face any challenge while he is attending to God’s assignment? The great thing is that God is God and He will always have His way. God is able to deliver; God is the same God yesterday, today and forever.
Evidently, challenges will not change its way of knocking after a believer. As an army of God, hardship might raise its weapon and affliction will possibly try to take over in the calling, but the Lord God shall deliver His own out of them all.
Evidently, challenges will not change its way of knocking after a believer. As an army of God, hardship might raise its weapon and affliction will possibly try to take over in the calling, but the Lord God shall deliver His own out of them all. Being an acclaimed believer or a good soldier of Jesus, one should not go about looking for trouble where there is no representative of trouble. As acclaimed believer, as a good soldier of Jesus it is for you to know and be encouraged that whatever your challenge is today, God alone that is above all alone shall deliver you in all. Answering to the calling of God is not enough but fully completing God’s assignment is what counts. It is wisdom to know that answering is not a ticket not to experience challenges. God is able to deliver called ones out of all.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s enablement to endure challenges in answering to God’s calling.

FAITH CAPSULE: A heart that engages meditation on the word of God disengages negotiation with the devil.

Luke 22

It is written, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Ecclesiastes 9:3, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after they go to dead.” (Jeremiah 17:9) The Bible clearly demonstrated that the heart is where the rise and fall of man begins. It is what flows from the heart of a believer that makes a believer. The heart of a believer will make or break a believer. Among the part of a believer, the heart is the most important target for the devil to launch its attack. Judas spent time with Jesus and went to places with Him. Despite Judas’ entire experience with Christ his heart volunteered for the devil to manifest. 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 vulnerable heart of Judas and he was able to establish his plan of betraying Jesus. Invariably, faith will fail when the enemy attacks the heart.
Peter was close to Jesus but was not an exception of becoming a victim of the devil. 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) The only proven target for the enemy to strike is the heart.
Ananias and Sapphira, his wife, were not forced to voluntarily sell their possession to buttress the fellowship of others, but they came up lying about the proceedings. The bible 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? (Acts 5:3) Hearts need 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 keep focus from letting Satan have its way can be disappointing. It was determination that failed Peter when he was determined not to deny Christ and eventually denied Him three times. Thank God that Jesus had already prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. It is a wise thing to join King David in praying Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  God answers prayer. Meditate the word and keep your heart from the agenda of Satan. What is the state of your heart?

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be constantly kept from the moves of the Satan against your heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: Look away from the wicked and not be envious of the wicked.

Psalm 73

1Samuel 2:3 recorded, “…For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” He sees all things because He alone is the creator of all things. God alone sees growth differently from the way man sees growth. In life, growth is possible in every area but not all growth can be measured as pleasing to God. The fact that wicked ones are growing just like the righteous one or more and better than the righteous one, without God’s reaction against the wicked is not an evidence of God’s approval. Indeed, God see it all and at His appointed time He shall judge. God does have His way of catching up with the wicked ones.
Are you in a hurry to see God’s judgement of the wicked?
The same God yesterday, today and tomorrow will not overlook the wickedness of today. The bottom line of it all is what Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:30: “Let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Where do you stand?
Are you a representative of wheat or tare? At every time of rainfall and all that contributes to growth, both wheat and tares are in position to be benefited. Oftentimes, there is no clear distinction identifying tares from wheat. Also, it cannot and it should never be a surprise to see tares growing better than wheat. Awaken from your sleep because the harvest time is coming. It will be here and it does not matter how long or how soon it takes to come. All that will make the difference is for you to be faithful in doing the will of the Father just like Jesus said, “Not every man who says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”(Matthew 7:21) Will you be willing to step out only unto God? Have you thought about your stand lately?
Are you paying attention to the way the wicked are living life?
The psalmist could not look away from the wicked when he stated, “For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked for there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.” (Psalm 73:3-6) God is never asleep nor slumber; God will cause the wicked become separated at His appointed. Look away from the wicked and not be envious of the wicked.

Prayer for today: Ask God in His faithfulness to deliver you from every agent of destruction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Pay attention to gain in the word of God that is absolutely not fail able.

Proverbs 4

The book of Proverbs admonished, “Hear my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding.” (Proverbs 4:1) Many are hearing direction in the word of God; the promises of God but not answering in the word of God to live life to the glory of God. Listening ability gives way for paying attention to following direction in the word of God and possessing the promises in the word of God. There is no way the word will work when understanding is not in place for the hearer of the word. The word specifically stated that we should “hear the instruction and give attention to understand.”  Understanding the word of God is the key to living life as a winner; understanding is the key to excel as a child of the most High God in the face of the wicked world. God does not waste word and that is why the word of God mentioned, “…and in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7) Hearing is not enough; hearing is only enough when you are able to give attention to know understanding. It is certain that the word of God that you hear and give attention to will definitely make you up in life.
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the only One that was in the beginning realized it that man was not getting the understand that is required for living life abundantly when He questioned and answered retrospectively, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43) It is clear that listening disability is the key not gaining understanding in the word of God. From the word of Jesus, hearing and not getting the result from what is heard is the evidence of listening disability.
Do you have listening disability? Listening disability is the eminent enemy to gain the understanding in the word of God which makes difference for man to live life to the glory of God in the wicked world.
An acclaimed believer that lacks understanding will struggle and not found it easy to exercise knowledge in affairs of the world. However, an acclaimed believer with listening ability to hear the word of understanding never struggles with exercising knowledge when there is a need for it. Proverbs 13:6 buttressed, “…but knowledge is easy to him who understands.” Are you one that hears and give attention? Do you have understanding? The best way to identify yourself if you have listening ability to hear the word of God is that, your heart becomes a resting place for wisdom. Proverbs 14:33 best described effect of listening ability stating “Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding.” It is important that you search yourself if you are getting the word of God indeed and in truth.

Prayer for today: Turn to God today and ask for help not to perish because of lack of understanding.