Category Archives: Devotions

NO EXCUSE

FAITH CAPSULE: It is worthy not to play around the business of God because God will not overlook sin.

Hosea 4

Hosea 4:6 recorded the word of God, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Evidently, demonstrating lack of knowledge or demonstrating half knowledge is rooted in the failure not to remember the law of God. Have you forgotten the law of God or you do not know the law of God? God is a gracious God but will not overlook the consequence for man that despises His law. God is not a God that will entertain any form of excuse from man that despises His law. Forgetting the law of God to do wrong before God shall provoke painful consequence.
Are you considering a reasonable excuse for despising the law of God?
Adam had a good excuse when he violated the law of God. He ate wrongly when his wife, Mrs. Eve persuaded him to eat wrongly from the wrong tree. God approached him, “…Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3:11) Adam stated a good excuse as an answer to God, “Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12) Adam had a reasonable excuse which is true that he did not asked God for Eve; it was God’s idea to give him Eve. However, Adam’s excuse was an evidence of lack of knowledge and he forgot that God never do wrong.
The case of Nadab and Abihu is a sure testimony that ignorance is not an excuse before God. Nadab and Abihu demonstrated lack of knowledge concerning the word of God. Every lack of knowledge exposes man to a risk of devastating consequences. Leviticus 10:1-2 recorded, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” There was no time for both sons of Aaron to give an excuse to escape the consequence of their lack of knowledge. Nadab and Abihu had witnessed the offering many times but that did not qualify them to carry out the offering. Many are witnessing, many participates responsibilities in the church, but it is not an evidence of knowledge that is required. It is worthy not to play around the business of God because God will not overlook sin.
If you are operating without a full knowledge, it is time to learn, understand and avoid painful consequence of lack of knowledge.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to be forgetting His law.

GIVE UP ALL!

FAITH CAPSULE: Give up all unto Jesus by answering fully to His calling.

Mark 6:7-13

The expectation of answering God’s calling for man in life is to answer fully. Answer the calling of God fully not just flow as a crowd. His calling comes at His appointed time. In life, no man decides the time of His calling. Among the disciples of Jesus, none called himself, but Jesus called each and every one. It is written, “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.”” (Mark 1:16-18) Without doubt, the disciples were not prepared at the time of their calling but turned to the calling upon their life and followed with no turning back away from Jesus. Has He called you when you are not ready?
His calling requires leaving all behind to give Him all required attention. Has He called you and yet the old baggage is still hanging around you? In His calling, old things must be left behind otherwise new things will not have a place to stay in you. The Bible recorded what is about His calling, “And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts-but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.” (Mark 6:7-9)
Are you ready to move away from your past?
The One that calls you will not be able to move you forward until you are able to move away from your past. Above all, the One that calls you did not call you into religion but into Jesus reality. Also, in His calling there is a time to be sent out. He that calls you will not send you until after you have been equipped with all that it takes to carry His power.
Are you called by Jesus or you have placed a call on yourself? In answering to His calling, commitment must take the place of convenience. In answering to His calling, be ready for a journey but not a jolly ride. Without His calling and you answering, sending out will not come forth.
What is holding you down from turning aside and making yourself available for His calling? In His calling, He shall give power in the place of material of this world. Give up all unto Jesus by answering fully to His calling. The word of God assured that, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to put the past behind and answer fully to His calling.

LIFE IS A BLESSING

FAITH CAPSULE: To fear God is to live life abundantly.

Proverbs 19

God identified Jesus in Luke 3:22, “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”” Jesus was sent to us freely but the blessings He brought along to us demands condition. The condition was identified in Luke 9:35, “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”” Hearing Him by listening is the way to be blessed. It is impossible to hear His word by listening and not do His word. He is our wisdom, our instruction that will make the hearer of Him live life abundantly. Jesus confirmed, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Hearing Him by listening is the source to fear God. Are you allowing the fear of God reign and rule your life? To fear God is to live life abundantly which is the blessing Jesus brought to man.
Proverbs 19:23 stated, “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. In life, to have the fear of God will definitely cause man to abide in satisfaction. With satisfaction that is rooted in the word of God, your life will shut out the evil one.
Are you hearing Him enough so as to be satisfied, living life abundantly? Judas was called by Jesus; he was in position to hear Him day and night but yet disqualified his calling. Judas could not be satisfied. Judas’s lack of satisfaction led to his lust for money. In life, lust for money will cause anyone to become vulnerable to evil agenda. Bible identified Judas’ lust: “But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” (John 12:4-6) Judas loves money. Judas was not satisfied. Judas was not content but contaminated by lust for money. 1Timothy 6:9-10 recorded about the evil of satisfaction which is lust, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Search your heart to know way in life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the fear of God to reign and rule your life.

TURN TO HIS CALLING

FAITH CAPSULE: Turning from God is a sin before God.

Jeremiah 3

Answering fully to God is turning to God’s calling. God has placed a calling upon all with no exemption. God’s salvation plan for us is God’s calling for us before we were born. Bible recorded God’s calling for us, “Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (2 Timothy 1:9) Our calling is to turn God. Indeed, God has given a holy calling through Jesus but today man has turned away from God. Lack of understanding is an avenue of turning away from God. Without understanding there will be the lack of knowledge. Lord declared in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” The word of God is the source of understanding God. With understanding, fear of God shall make man turn to God. The truth today is that, acclaimed believer inside or outside of church has turned away from God.
Turning from God is a sin before God. With no sin, who is better today?
Gain understanding of the word of Romans 3:10-18, search heart to know if it speaks to you. There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God; they have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one; their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. The word of Romans 3:10-18 speaks of wicked, rebellious before God. Joshua 22:29 speaks to all now not just then as stated, Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord this day…” Turning away from God is rebellion. Turning to God is answering fully to God that has called us. God expects our turning to Him with our whole heart when He requested from Judah in Jeremiah 3:10, “And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.”” God cannot be deceived and there shall be no deception in turning to Him. Our turning to God should be a nonstop in the journey of life, giving God His due attention.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of turning to God with the whole heart.

 

UNENDING SLEEP

FAITH CAPSULE: Today, your enemy will answer to unending sleep.

1Samuel 26

The Lord God yesterday, today and forever is not a partial God but a merciful God. He watches over all, He is God that does not sleep nor slumber. Psalmist mentioned, “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:4) God is a God that does not look away from His children but will fight for His children. Has He called you but the enemy takes a position against you? Word of God encourages stating, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24) He that calls you shall not slumber or sleep over; He shall definitely show up on your behalf. If you have turned to God, He is faithful to fight for you.
The calling of Moses was questioned by the Israelites. Moses was embarrassed, he was accused but he could not fight the battle by himself. Moses responded to his people, “And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”” (Numbers 16:28-30) Moses committed his fight to the hand of God. God could not slumber or sleep on behalf of Moses. The end of Moses’ fight was eternally terminated. Today, your enemy shall become eternally terminated.
God evidently called David to be King after Saul but Saul relentlessly sought to kill David by pursuing him all over the face of earth. The hand of God was in place over the life of David. Who can bend the hand of God from manifesting on your behalf? Saul attempted but he prevailed as a failure. During Saul’s pursuit for David’s life, he went after David with three thousand soldiers. At night time, David approached Saul’s position while all of his guards were in a deep sleep. David could have killed Saul, but he vowed not to destroy the Lord’s anointed. The Bible recorded, So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.” (1Samuel 26:12) David did not attempt to fight his battle, but allowed God to fight for him. When God fight for you it shall be a permanent victory. Today, your enemy will answer to an unending sleep.

Prayer for today: Ask God to send your enemy into a deep sleep.