FAITH CAPSULE: Obedience to His word manifests His evidence in one’s life.

Psalm 107

It is written, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20) The word of God is power to heal and to deliver. His word is already here for anyone that will be engaged with the sent word of God for deliverance and preservation.
Are you still waiting for the sent word of God to bring forth your deliverance and preservation? Hebrews 4:12 stated, “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.” The word of God, by virtue of its power demands precious attention of our time.
Are you giving time to study the sent word of God or you are skimming through the pages of His word?
All that is needed most in this world is the sent word of God. Word of God is for our learning Romans 15:4 admonished, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
Are you spending time to study the sent word of God or spending more time for the world?
For those that are spending time to study the word of God, the word of God will no doubt work for them in this wicked world of today. However, ones whose spending time for the world is overtaking spending time for the spent word of God will have a need for serious readjustment. Are you expecting the word to answer on your behalf when you have not been answering to the word of God?
The word of God cannot fail and will not fail. The book of Isaiah 55:11 recorded, “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.” The sent word of God is directly from the mouth of God. The sent word of God demands full obedience. Obedience to the word of God manifests the evidence of God in one’s life.
Man can possibly make all the noise quoting the word of God but a failure not to allow the word of God become one’s garment will cause man to become naked and exposed to the wickedness of this world. Romans 10:17 stated, “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Are you in a position to be hearing the word? Is the word sinking into you?  When the word is not sinking into man, it becomes impossible for faith to rise. Give self to the word; allow faith to rise and become one who pleases God. Remember, without faith it is impossible to please God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of the sent word of God to have its place in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: In your life, is there any situation of dungeon that is crowding you?

Genesis 41

Dungeon is described as, a strong, dark prison or cell, usually underground, as in a medieval castle. Joseph became prime minister after spending times in the dungeon. Joseph’s story was changed when Chief Butler mentioned about him before Pharaoh. It is written, “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed in his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.” (Genesis 41:14)
In your life, is there any situation of dungeon that is crowding you?
It does not matter how you get into the dungeon or how long you have been in the dungeon. However, it matters that if you will look up to God today, He will look down to bring you out of your dungeon situation. God is worthy to be trusted for deliverance from dungeon situation. Isaiah 45:22 buttressed, “Look up to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” Just look up to God for the termination of your dungeon situation. It was Joseph’s obedience to his father’s errand that led him into dungeon. Joseph was sent from the Valley of Hebron to Shechem to check for his brother’s well-being. At his arrival his brothers welcomed him by being placed in the pit. Joseph was later picked up from pit for sale to a company of Ishmaelite as he was became a slave. Joseph’s brothers envy prompted them to give up Joseph for sales.
As a slave, while he was serving in his master’s house, the wife laid a false charge of sexual harassment on him and he ended in the prison. Joseph did not bargain for the entire unfavorable situation that came his way while obeying his father. In the prison, Joseph interpreted favorable and unfavorable dreams for confined Chiefs (Butler and Baker). The dream’s interpretation came out to be true and Joseph pleaded to the chief to remember him. Joseph was forgotten for two years in the prison by chief.
God will always remember His children at an appointed time but man will not remember man. Be encouraged that God does have His own plan in your time of dungeon situation. Know that such is life and it is full of ups and downs but God that is up will lift you up at His appointed time. At the time of God’s appointed time deliverance over Joseph to come out of dungeon, there was no devil under heaven to deny Joseph’s deliverance. Pharaoh’s dream was interpreted by none other than Joseph. It was the Chief Butler’s remembrance of Joseph before Pharaoh, that provoked the story of Joseph as great testimony for the rest of his life.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the speedy of His appointed time for your change of story to the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: As a servant of God, is there any assemble against you?

Isaiah 54

Among the power loaded for the heritage of the servants of God is stated, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.””(Isaiah 54:17) Are you a true servant of God but not serving with mouth? God is forever faithful to back up His true servant as promised in His word. A mouthful servant that is getting away in this wicked world shall be exposed at God’s appointed time.
Serving indeed as a servant of God is not an exemption from the hand of the wicked. Wicked shall possibly assemble against God’s servant but servant of God shall not be kept down. Jeremiah was God’s servant and could not be kept in dungeon by the wicked one.
As a servant of God, is there any assemble against you?
Hear the promise of God for His servant, “Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.” (Isaiah 54:15) When God called Jeremiah, He backed him up with His promise and He equipped Him with power of His hand. Jeremiah 1:8-10, “Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:8-10) Jeremiah was imprisoned in the basement cistern of Malchiah King Zedekiah because of God’s truth. The cistern had no water only mire as Jeremiah could have died a quiet death. Ebed-Melech an Ethiopian was one that went and spoke to the king stating, “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is…” (Jeremiah 38:9) Serving God in the face of today’s challenging should not be your discourage. The King responded to Ebed-Melech’s request and commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.” (Jeremiah38: 10) Just like Jeremiah’s situation, the one that God will send in your direction for your salvation will receive the commanding power to lift you out of wicked agenda above every representative of the dungeon of your life. Regardless of wicked agenda dungeon, you shall remain standing for the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to establish you for the assignment of His business all the days of your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you experiencing any challenging situation?

Judges 11

In life, the story of hope is enough to encourage the hopeless to gain a new lifting story to the glory of God. Jephthah was illegitimate before his brothers. He was expelled by his half-brothers from his father’s house. It is written, “Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.”
Jephthah was in a challenging situation which was not his desire. His challenging situation was not within his control but it was beyond his control. Under heaven, on behalf of man, there is no challenging situation that is beyond the hand of God.
Are you experiencing any challenging situation like that of Jephthah?
Today, hold on trusting and hoping in God. Wait on God regardless of how painful challenging situation is about, God will not failure to intervene for His children.  Jephthah, after having been rejected by his half-brother the children of Israel turned back to him for help. At the confrontation of Israelites by the people of Ammon, Jephthah was turned to as a commander. The elders of Gilead had to go and seek Jephthah for help. Judges 11:6 recorded, “Then they said to Jephthah, ‘Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.’” Whenever man condemns, God is in position to redeem any condemned. Jephthah was a mighty man of valor but he was illegitimate. He was driven out by brothers and being sought to be 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?”” God made it possible for Jephthah to be called back to rise above and beyond where he was expelled out.
God can never be too late or too soon, God will show up in your situation at His appointed timing. Jephthah accepted the assignment and victory was delivered to the children of Israel. Jephthah did not just end up as a commander but he became the head because victory was delivered into his hand. The story of Jephthah was changed for good.
God is the only God that is in position to turn around hopeless situation to hopeful and glorious situation. Engage trusting and being hopeful to see the glorious of God concerning your challenging situation.

Prayer for today: Ask God to change of your challenging situation to triumphant story of yours to the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Meditating the word of God and not be dull-hearted.

Jeremiah 10

Proverbs 4:23 recorded, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Are you keeping your heart with diligence? When the word of God requests for keeping heart with diligence, it means that heart needs to be diligent in this wicked world. A heart that is not being kept with diligence will not grow and be as dull heart. Jesus quoted about dull heart from the prophecy of Isaiah, “For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” (Matthew 13:15)
As it is written above, the evidence of dull heart is rooted in ears that are hard of hearings and eyes have been closed. Can you identify if indeed you are not hearing and not seeing where God is waiting to act on your behalf? A heart which fails to hear and see will have no understanding to turn but miss out for God’s healing.
A dull heart is also identified as foolish. Jeremiah 10:8 stated, “But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish…” In all your engagement, are you altogether foolish? Psalm 14:1 buttressed, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God…””  In every action that does not give regard to God one is actually declaring there is no God. Man that fails to keep heart with diligence shall fail to pay attention to actions outside of God and become a dull heart. Without doubt, lack of knowledge is lack of understanding as growth becomes stagnated.
Dull heart does not exempt to man regardless of man’s title or position. If a shepherd can be dull hearted, sheep does not have to give itself to dull hearted too. Today, get self together and not turn self to dull heart, keep your heart with all diligence. Also, in this wicked world of today, seek God to avoid answering as foolish. Listen to Jeremiah 10:21, “For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, and have not sought the Lord; therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.” Today, keep your heart with diligence, keep your heart growing and not be stagnated. Among ways of keeping heart diligence is meditating on the word of God which is a good prosper that is God’s prosper. Joshua 1:8 says it all, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Be wise not foolish; keep heart growing; Keep heart diligent by meditating the word of God; do not be dull-hearted.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to be a dull-hearted vessel in this wicked world.