FAITH CAPSULE: Be giving thanks to God for all things to work together for good to the glory of God.

Psalm 136, Luke 11:38-44

Thinking thanks is not same as giving thanks. Think about it. Are you thinking thanks or you are giving thanks to God? God does not owe us anything but we owe Him all thanks giving for His every moment of mercy over every man. Are you one that can count how many thanks has been offered to God today? If one is able to count the number of thanks offered to God today definitely there is shortage of giving thanks to God. One that is short of giving thanks to God is not praising God enough. Thanking God is praising God. Psalm 150:6 stated, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” The word of the psalmist is worthy to learn the need not to stop thanking God when there is life. Think about it, if thanking God at every breath will give life in the situation of life and death, man will make the choice of giving thanks to God at every breath of life.
Do you have any reason to be giving God a non-stop thanksgiving? Today, let thanks giving to God become a way of life. God alone is worth of thanks giving for His mercy. Psalm 136:1-3 gave a non-stop thanks to God, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever.” With thanks giving, God cannot be acknowledged enough for His unmeasurable goodness to man. His mercy is uncountable. Psalm 136:26 also declared thanks giving stating, “Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.”
Two things that are certain to gain when thanking God becomes a way of living life are:
First, give thanks to God for all things, in all things and all things will work together for good.
Bible says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Having mind of Romans 8:28, be a doer of the word of Ephesians 5:20 as it is written, “…giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Secondly, God performs in prayer but He perfects in thanks giving.
At the cave of Lazarus, Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me…” Jesus thanked God because He knew that God always hears Him before He delivers answer.
How is your thanks giving to God?

Prayer for today: Ask from God today for a thanks giving heart at all time for all things.

FAITH CAPSULE: In the journey of life, fuel is like faith; key for ignition is like patience.

Romance 4

Life is a journey. Journey of life should be fueled by faith with patience as the key for ignition. Faith is described as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith has a source. The Bible emphasizes the source of faith stating, “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). Take to mind that the word of God which comes can also cease from coming when there is disengagement from hearing the word of God. Journey of life demands constant engagement to the word of God. In the journey of life with faith and patience the word of God gives life to the just ones. Habakkuk 2:4 buttressed, “…the just shall live by his faith.” All that pertains to living life is encased in living by the word of God (living by faith). The word states it, we walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7); we watch, stand by faith (1 Corinthians 16:13); faith purifies the heart (Acts 15:9); we are saved by faith through grace (Ephesians 2:8). Patience is crucial for anyone journeying through life having faith in God.
Describing Patience: Patience is the ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. Faith plus patience is faith-full. Many have faith but majority are not faith-full.
As an acclaimed believer, do you have faith and patience to claim the blessings of God in the journey of life? Abraham is an example of one that engaged journey of life with faith and patience to obtain the promises of God. The bible recorded about God’s promise for Abraham in his journey of life, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”  Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:1-4) Through Abraham’s journey of life, faith and patience enabled him not to doubt about God’s promise to make him a father despite of his old age. Romans 4:20-22 buttressed Abraham’s journey of faith, “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Are you still waiting despite your desire seems like it shall not manifest? Take to Abraham’s testimony and know that faith and patience shall not fail. Bible recorded in James 1:4 “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”  God shall not fail if you will hold on with faith and patience.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace for faith and patience to become faith-full through the journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: The words of God are not idle but the words of God are life.

Deuteronomy 32

In the book of Deuteronomy 32 Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel. The word of Moses also speaks to us today. He stated in Deuteronomy 32:45-47, “When Moses had finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, ‘Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.  They are not just idle words for you – they are your life. By them you will live long…” (New International Version-UK) A very important message in the word of Moses as mentioned in the verses above is that, the words of God are life to all man today.
The word of God is Spirit. Jesus stated it clearly, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”(John 6:63) Are you taking to the word of God by seeing in it?  Moses admonished that the word of God is not just idle.
Word of God is not a letter but life. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 also confirmed, “And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Listen; take to the life in the word of God by seeing in the word of God as it sounds in your direction. Moses, Joshua and Jeremiah are among some in the hand of God that did not see the word as idle. They heard and saw life in the word to move for the glory of God.
Moses does not have any physical prove but the word he saw manifestation. Exodus 7:1 stated, “So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.” He saw the word and it was manifested.
Joshua without sight of way but hindrance, he saw in the word of God as stated, “And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” Joshua saw and received of victory over Jericho’s attempt to hinder Joshua and the Israelites.
For Jerimiah, the word of God sounded, “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 1:10) Jeremiah saw in the word of God and took charge over nations and kingdoms.
Word of God is not idle. See in the word of God to have life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be seeing in the word of God that sounds in your direction.

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.