FAITH CAPSULE: listening disability compiles the challenges of hearing but lack understand to deliver God’s command.

1 Samuel 15

God sent Samuel to Saul “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” (1 Samuel 15:3) Saul heard the message of God but could not listen to comply as commanded. Hearing and not listening is the evidence of incomplete obedience. The bible recorded Saul’s half-obedience, “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” (1 Samuel 15:9) Saul was not commanded to excuse any man or woman but he spared a man called Agag. There was Agag issue in the life of Saul. In the issue of Agag, Saul delivered half obedience before God; Saul attempted to manage God for God; Saul made choice to disallow God’s choice. Man or messenger can be deceived but God cannot be deceived.
Are you engaging the issue of Agag in your life?
Saul heard but could not listen to comply. Hearing with no understanding is the evidence of not listening. Jesus’ addressed some but definitely speaks to man stating, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43) Evidently, listening disability compiles the challenges of hearing but lack understand to deliver God’s command.  Saul disobeyed God by executing God’s command at his own convenience. Saul’s disobedience replaced him out of the presence of God. In your hearing and listening to the word of God allow obedience but not half-obedient become your way of life.
After the death of Samuel whom the Lord had been using for Saul, there was a need for Saul to hear from God before confronting war against the Philistines. Saul inquired of the Lord, but there was no answer because his disobedience took away his privilege of accessing God. The war ahead of King Saul made his heart tremble while he could not hear from God. The Bible recorded in 1 Samuel 28:6, “And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.” King Saul turned to another medium but could not get answer for his challenge. Saul’s disobedience denied his access to God.
Disobedience of Saul led to Saul’s departure from the presence of God and brought upon him eventual destruction. God is a perfect manager that knows the end from the beginning. Never try to add or take away from His command.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to keep you in His presence all the days He has given you on earth.

FAITH CAPSULE: By his grace, strive to be hearing Him…no excuse not to hear God.

John 2

The word of God is God. The word of God testified in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The word of God is here for man to hear, to listen and comply so that blessings of God shall become manifested in the life of hearers of God’s word.
Psalm 107:20 mentioned about the word of God, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Jesus, the word of God declared, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) The word of God is here to heal and deliver us from all destruction if we are able to hear, to listen with compliance attitude.
What is it about hearing, listening to the word of God?
Man that is hearing by listening to the word God is the position to be led by God. In life, it is not possible for man to hear, to listen to the word of God and doubt God.
Hearing by listening to the word of God is submission to be managed, to be steered and to be led by the word of God. Further, hearing by listening to the word of God will deliver man from lack to plenty; it will deliver man from shame at the ground of joyful celebration. At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, when the celebration ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus knew that hearing to Jesus will deliver the marriage from mockery to miracle. As a result, the mother of Jesus suggested to the servants at the marriage celebration stating, “…whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5) Hearing by listening to Jesus, the living word of God is the avenue to be delivered, to move forward and not be a failure. At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, lack of wine was converted to plenty because the servants heard by listening to Jesus as suggested by Jesus’ mother.
In life, not hearing and listening to the word of God will lead to wrong decision in all walks. Hear and listen to His word by dwelling is His word as teacher. Psalmist buttressed, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth…” (Psalm 86:11) “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8)
Evidently, hearing and listening to the word of God is the avenue to be obeying the word of God. Isaiah identified the reason to be obedience and not be disobedient to the word of God stating, “If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 1:19-20)

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of hearing and listening to the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Man’s positive or negative confession is not hidden from God’s attention.

James 3

God is a merciful God that will wait to act for ones that adopt waiting on God as a pattern of living life. Isaiah 30:18 testified about God that is waiting, “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.” Isaiah 64:4 also buttressed, “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.” Without doubt, God truly wait to act for His children that wait on Him.  Are you waiting on God that is always waiting for His children so as to act on behalf of His children?
Do you sincerely, willfully wait on God in all your ways of living life?
God does not sleep nor slumber; He is always waiting faithfully to act for His children who will sincerely wait for His action. God acts with answers. It is important to know that waiting on God is worshiping God; worshiping God is seeking a jealous God. Exodus 34:14 recorded; “for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” We are to seek God in all our ways because God alone sees all our ways just as the bible stated, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
Conscious or unconscious ways of man in life is waiting on God and nothing is hidden from God. Consciously or unconsciously, communicating or confessing positive or negative does not escape from God’s attention. Bible warned, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) Word of God is not a waste but demands for our tongue to be in control. We are to be confessing positive in the place of negative especially as we wait on God. Are you claiming to be a religious but not controlling tongue from negative confession? Word of God warned in James 1:26, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” James 3:8 also warned, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
Every way of living life is waiting on God. In the ways of life, regardless of situation, it is worthy to be aware of positive confession instead of negative confession before God. Living life demands watching mouth and putting tongue in control so as to be confessing positive in the place of negative knowing that God hears and acts with response.

Payer for today: Ask for the grace against confessing negative as you live life waiting on God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Today, seek God for His specific direction for your life.

Numbers 10:11-35

In every decision of relocation, seek God for your direction. Truly it is wise and worthy to give attention to the word of God which commanded, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) God is true to reveal unfailing direction. In His truth there is most definite freedom for any man that seeks Him. God alone is gracious and able to take charge over your direction. As you decide or engage relocation, desire and pray Isaiah 30:21 “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.””
Today, seek God for His specific direction for your life.
At the time of the departure of the children of Israel from Mount Sinai, Moses offered his father-in-law a relocation with the Israelites as stated, “Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.”” (Numbers 10:29) Moses expressed what to gain, by emphasizing on the good that was going to accompany them with the Lord’s promise. Moses’ word was encouraging enough for his father-in-law to set up on the journey of relocation for him. However, following a man of God is not enough but only in the direction of God.
Will you commit every step of your relocation to only God?
Moses’ father-in-law refused the offer to relocate but responded to Moses, “…I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.” (Numbers 10:30) Hobab was satisfied with the land where God planted his feet. Moses’ father-in-law could not allow self-centeredness to take over his decision.
Are you considering all that God has put around you before making any decision of relocation? Moses attempted to convince him again stating “…Please do not leave, in as much as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. And it shall be, if you go with us—indeed it shall be—that whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same we will do to you.” (Numbers 10: 31-32) Moses’ father–in-law responded wisely not to relocate as he avoided destruction with Israelites of twenty years old and above. What is the enticement of your relocation? It may look good to the eyes, but let God alone be your direction.

Prayer for today: Ask God that whenever you turn left or right His direction shall take charge over you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Be exact in the word of God, fear God to avoid sin.

Romans 3

The evidence of having the fear of God is encased in exact obedience to the word of God. Obey the word of God. A failure not to obey the word of God is also the evidence of lack of fear of God. Disobedience is a route of sin and a ground for evil to pursue sinner. Proverb 13:21 buttressed, “Evil pursues sinners…” Are you listening to the word of God to obey exactly and attend to God so as not to become a victim of the evil one?
Eve could not obey God’s word exactly as a result, evil pursued Eve.
Eve could not escape the route of sin when she let her door open to the evil one. Eve sinned when she lied by adding to the word of God. God gave His command to man, “…Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”(Genesis 2:16-17) When the evil one approached Eve about eating from every tree, Eve responded, “…we may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘you shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”(Genesis 3:2-3) God did not say “nor shall you touch it” it was Eve that added to the word of God. Adding to what God did not say is telling a lie and all that it does is give liberty to be pursued by the evil one. Perceptibly, Eve did not know the word of God enough but added to the word of God. With God, there is no excuse for sin but only repentance or face judgment from God.
Are you adding lies to your testimony with the mind of glorifying God not knowing it is sin? Telling lie is a disobedience to the word of God. Disregard the attempt of adding lies of word to glorify God for what He does not do. Romans 3:7 buttressed, “For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?”A godly person must be a God fearing man. Without the fear of God man is bound to be vulnerable to walking into the route of temptation. A failure to ward off temptation is to accommodate sin.
In this wicked world, taking the word of God earnestly will result to taking God serious. Be serious in the word of God and the fear of God shall be a garment for man’s deliverance and preservation. Fear God and live life to the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask from God to put His fear in your heart so that you will not depart from Him.