Category Archives: Devotions

ENTRANCE OF THE WORD

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you allowing the word of God to enter?

Isaiah 54

The purpose of God’s word is to gain entrance into man’s heart because of the effectiveness of the word of God. Psalm 119:130 declared, “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Are you an acclaimed simple one but yet the mark of simple is not evidence in your life? The simple ones will be simple enough to hear the word of God and do all that the word calls for. Bible identified simple in Proverbs 14:15, “The simple believes every word…” The word of God which enters will give light and understanding that is needed to navigate through the wicked world with no failure. Are you allowing the word of God to enter? With studying, with meditating on the light that enters, a challenge of navigating in the wicked world will exists but shall not keep you down. Word of light encourages, “In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.” (Isaiah 54:14-15) Are you experiencing assembles against your life? Allowed the entranced word to lift you up knowing that whoever assembles against you shall fall for you.
The book of Proverbs identified the important of giving attention to word stating, “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings, do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:20-22) Are you giving your attention to the word of God? Are you inclining your ears, eyes and heart? God can do all things in the world today just like He did all at the time of creation. All that was created was by the word of God. God, in His doing all things, there is only one thing that He cannot do and that is, “God cannot fail.” God has not and will never fail. Are you allowing the word to enter? The word of God is not for mouth decoration, it is to gain entrance and give the light required for the termination of darkness.
The word of God is the command of God. Word will give light. Looking into the word of God will lead one with direction without failing; without being lead into shame. Looking into the word of God, the command of God will keep one from becoming a victim of the wicked world.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable the entrance of His word to enter you and give you light in this wicked world.

QUESTION FOR GOD

FAITH CAPSULE: Lord, what do You want me to do?

Acts 9:1-19

Do you purpose what must be done in your life for the glory of God? Is it your own purpose that is set at the depth of your heart? What must be done is the humble question from us to provoke the Lord’s direction for us. As a believer do you have your question that states, “Lord, what do You want me to do to fulfill your divine assignment?” The bible recorded about Saul of Tarsus, Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:1-4) Saul of Tarsus purposed for self but God disposed his agenda. God purposed what must be done in Saul’s journey of life. Do you have an agenda that does not line for God’s assignment for your life? Saul was on his way to wreak havoc on the disciples of the Lord in Damascus when he encountered what must be done for him to live the fulfillment of his destiny in Christ Jesus. Saul’s agenda was of evil but light that cannot comprehend darkness shone on him and brought him down to the ground.
While Saul was on ground, he heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul asked who the Lord is and Jesus responded by introducing Himself. Without force, Saul responded and the Lord directed him as stated in Acts 9:6, “So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Saul received instruction about what must be done; Saul’s name was changed to Paul. Paul’s encounter with the Lord exchanged Paul’s evil agenda to God’s assignment for Paul. In journey of life, what is your purpose that stands against God’s purpose for your life? Determination will not help to answer for what must be done, but the grace of God is what will get man into God’s divine assignment. Today, rest in the promise of God because, He will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go and He will guide you with His eye” (Psalm 32:8). Paul received instruct to engage what must be done in his life for the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to locate and engage what must be done to the glory of God.

MINDFUL AND CARING GOD

FAITH CAPSULE: God is a mindful and caring God for man but man is careless and mindless in their actions.

Genesis 18

Man that does not know the magnitude of God as a mindful of His children will not know to be mindful of God. Do you know that God is mindful of you? The Psalmist was concerned about how God is mindful of man when he declared, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:3-8)
If the Psalmist was concerned about the mindful of God for man, have you imagined the mindful and caring of God for His children? God is mindful of man; He cares for man and not hide plan for His children that will not ignore Him by not fearing Him. At the time of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, the bible recorded, “Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” (Genesis 18:17) Imagine God’s mindful and His care for His children? God could not react to the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah without carrying Abraham along in His word as stated, “Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous  that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” (Genesis 18:20-21)
God is a mindful and caring God for man but man is careless and mindless in their actions. Man is mindful of the wicked world. What more can God do for us so that we know we have a God who truly cares for us? The birth of Jesus was not hidden when He revealed through some of His servants in the Bible. He revealed to Micah about the coming of Jesus long before Jesus was born, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2) Receive and believe in Him. God is not a slave master but a Saving Master; God does not run out of mercy but by disobedience, man runs of His mercy. If man will begin to be mindful of God, living for God will be more meaning for man in this world.

Prayer for today:  Ask God for the grace to be mindful of His awesomeness.

CHANGE OF NAME

FAITH CAPSULE: What name you being called against your interest, do not matter but look up to God for new name.

Luke 1:1-45

Whatever name man answers determine what man becomes about in this world. Jabez meant pain but he does not want to be a pain of his world. Jabez changed the meaning of pain by praying to God for what he wanted to be for his world. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 recorded, “Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.” Just like Jabez, do not answered to pain; the meaning of your name shall be changed to the glory of God.
Zacharias and Elizabeth were called barren at old age. Bible recorded about Zacharias and Elizabeth in Luke 1:6-7, “…they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.” Barren was a stigma over Zacharias and Elizabeth that were serving God right.
Are you being called a name that does not sound right for you? What is the stigma upon your life that is pain for you? What name you being called against your interest, do not matter but look up to God for new name. For Zacharias and Elizabeth, at their old age, their name was separated from barren forever. It is written concerning Elizabeth, Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.” (Luke 1:36) Besides Jesus, there is none like John in the days of Bible. Yet, his mother, Elizabeth was called barren because people did not know that God was working according to His time. What are you being called? Barren, poor…? Answer to what you want to be and not what they see in you. The Barren eventually became the mother of a giant man of God.
Hannah was barren before she became the mother of Samuel. Samuel, the son of former barren mother served God as recorded, But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 2:18-19) Later, people called Hannah the mother of Samuel instead of calling her barren. God alone changed barren to mother all the days of her life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you in every area of your life to the glory of His name.

DISENGAGING HIS PRESENCE

FAITH CAPSULE: Disobeying God is disengaging God’s presence.

Jonah 1

It is written, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:1-3) God called Jonah for assignment but Jonah disregard God’s calling by going in opposite direction of God’s assignment. Jonah was called to go to Nineveh but went down to Tarshish. Bible described Jonah’s redirection as “going from the presence of the Lord.” Many have been called but many disobey by taking to opposite direction. Disobedient to God is the evidence of going from the presence of the Lord.
Disobeying God is disengaging the presence of God. Disengaging God is the evidence of walking in self’s way not the way of God. Have you been called to God’s particular way? There is no other way that is right but only God’s way. Anyone that takes outside of His way will end up in the way of death. Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
Why not take to the way of God?
Obeying God’s calling is certain to deliver obedient man. In God’s calling and obeying His calling, it is set and certain that God will back up the obedient man for a positive result. Have you been called by God but fear for the assignment is scary? Is your challenges to obey God’s calling is the spirit of disobedience? Listen, go and answer God obediently, retain His presence and He will not fail you. I Thessalonian 5:24 encourages answering to God’s calling, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Disobedience of Jonah took him away from the presence of God and placed him in the belly of fish. The bible recorded, “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17) Disengagement from the presence of God ordered self-affliction for Jonah. Spending days and nights in the belly of fish was not a fun fair but was a falling fail. Repentance and prayer will reengage man to God. Jonah could not remain outside of God but “…prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, and He answered me.” (Jonah 2:1-2) God is merciful and He is still in the business of answering to the cry before Him. Do not disobey God to disengage His presence.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His merciful in all area of disobedient to His calling.