FAITH CAPSULE: Get understanding to live life for the glory of God.

Psalm 8

It can be agreed that one that does not understand God cannot possibly know God. One that does not know God cannot seek God. The bible recorded, “Romans 3:11, “There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.” A man with understanding of what the Lord God has done for man and what God is doing for man is enough to seek God truly. However, lack of understanding reduces man from God. Psalm 49:20 stated, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” God added honor to man but lack of understanding reduces man. Do you know the honor of God in your life? Psalm 8:4-5 stated, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.” It is time to gain understand of God’s doing in the life of man and seek God truly. God sincerely loves Man while man is reducing self from the love of God by virtue of lack of understanding. Today, care to know what is about understanding.
About understanding:
Understanding is crucial for man to navigate the journey of life to expected end.
Understanding is what causes man to make mark on earth for the glory of God.
Understanding is the root of seeking God just as praising God with understanding. Psalm 47:7 identified, “For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.”
“Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.” (Proverbs 16:22)
Man with understanding carries a calm spirit Proverb 17:27
Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Proverbs 23:4
Understanding is what will keep us. Proverbs 2:11
“Good understanding gains favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard.” Proverbs 13:15
“…But knowledge is easy to him who understands.” Proverbs 14:6
“Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding…” Proverbs 14:33
The word of God made it known that understanding cannot be separated from wisdom as it is written, “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.” (Proverbs 4:5) “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7) Get understanding to live life for the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for an understanding heart to live life for the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Understanding is the way to know God.

1 Kings 3

When understanding is not in man, wisdom shall not be in place for man while knowledge to have edge over challenges becomes short in the journey of life. Concerning understanding, the word of God speaks to all stating, “For My people are foolish, they have not known Me. They are silly children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”(Jeremiah 4:22) Obviously, lack of understanding is the evidence of foolishness and not knowing God. Foolishness is like a garment over the life of one with no understanding. Psalmist 14:1-3 said it better, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, no, not one.” Understanding is crucial for man to navigate the journey of life to the expected end.
Jesus realized the issue of understanding when He questioned and He answered stating, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43) The word of Jesus pointed it out that listening disability is the key of lack of understanding. Are you listening to the word of God to gain understanding? Are you one that spends time in the word of God instead of skimming through the word of God in the bible?
What are you asking from God? Is it the challenges in your journey of life that occupies the center of your request from God?  Jesus is able to meet our need when He told us not to worry about our life. Jesus made us to know that worrying cannot add one cubit to our stature. (Matthew 6:25-34) In life, we should ask God for understanding more than other things.
Solomon specifically asked for understanding when he spoke to God in 1 Kings 3:9 stating, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge…” Solomon’s request for understanding from God provoked God to add more than expectation to Solomon as stated, “…because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.” (1 Kings 3:11-12) In your asking, let God know that understanding is your desire and He will deposit more than your expectation.

Prayer for today: Ask God for understanding.

FAITH CAPSULE: Failure not to ask and wait or watch and pray leads to missing God’s attention.

2 Chronicles 20

Praying is asking, watching is waiting. Elijah killed the prophets of Baals and needed to run from Jezebel. Elijah prayed and watched by asking from God and patiently waited for revelation. In 1 Kings 19:4, Elijah prayed as recorded, “And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” After praying he waited by watching for the command of God which said to him, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind…” (1 Kings 19:11) The testimony of watching and praying (asking and waiting) is evident in Elijah. Seeking God in times of challenging will replace fear by faith. Elijah watched and prayed (asked and waited) for direction that elevated him above the threat of Jezebel. When the fear of confronting challenge leads man to seek another man, disappointment answers.
Man that seeks God’s face by watching and praying (asking and waiting) is the man that takes a position of undeniable victory. King Jehoshaphat another example sought God by praying while watching for God’s intervention during confronting challenge. Jehoshaphat prayed to God and got response as stated, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17) Watching and praying to God is seeking for direction. It is important to understand and know that your challenge is not beyond God.
Fear made Jehoshaphat watched and prayed (asked and waited) as God revealed victory. The fear of Jehoshaphat led to a faithful victory because the Lord fought the battle on behalf of the children of Israel. It is written, “And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.”(2Chronicles 20:29-30) Take your challenge to God for Him to fight on your behalf.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of asking and waiting for God’s intervention in all areas of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not be a failure but engage watching and prayer.

1 Peter 4

Jesus gave the command that keeps us to dwell and abide under the shadow of the Almighty by stating, watch and pray. Without watching and praying the tempter, the orchestration of sin lies at the door and his desire is for man to miss out of dwelling and abiding in the secret place of the Most High God.
Watching and praying will: Keep believers from temptation and keep man in escape route and be counted by God.
Watching and praying keeps believer from temptation: At Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane, He repeatedly encouraged His disciples to be awake and not give to sleep. The key of His encouragement to engage watch and prayer stated, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) Temptation is a force which brings man out of the shadow of deliverance and preservation. Temptation’s purpose is to sweep man off when watching and praying is not in place. Temptation makes man a victim of failure not to be dwelling and abiding in the shadow of God. As a believer, are you sleeping on the ground which calls for man to be awake? Be awake, be in the word, and keep focus in praying to God.
Watching and praying will keep man in the escape route and be counted:
Many are numbered but not all shall be counted if misplaced from dwelling and abiding in His shadow. Jesus pointed out the importance of watching, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36) Do not be a failure but engage watching and prayer. Jesus said it all about the importance of watching and praying as the route of escape of man.
Watching without praying or praying without watching cannot be separated. When Jesus was here in His physical, at the time of His ministry, He repeatedly emphasized the importance of watching and praying which keeps man to remain dwelling and abiding in the hand of the Almighty God.
Today, we are to pay attention by watching and praying according to Jesus and as other pages of the bible mentioned. Ephesians 6:18 recorded, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” 1Peter 4:7-8 stated, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” Watch and pray!

Prayer for today: Lift up voice and ask God for the grace of watching and praying.

FAITH CAPSULE: As a believer, see your delay as deliverance on the way.

Exodus 32:1-14, Philippians 4

As a believer of God, in your journey of life are you engaging affliction? Is it delay that is waging challenges to deny expectation? The encouraging word of God is the fuel of transportation for a believer in the journey of life to expected end. Word encourages, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) Trusting and hoping the word of God is to know that a delay in manifestation of expectation is not a denial. It is clear that delay or other kind of challenge is eminent but God is faithful to fulfill His promise of deliverance for true believer of His word. Ignoring the occurrence of delay in any area of journey life will block out doubt and the idea of stepping out of the journey right track. Knowing God you believe with a consistent meditation on His testimonies will add up favorably when it seems that the road has been cut off. Also, take to the word that states, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
The Israelites experienced delay but resulted to complaint and worry. The bible recorded, “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exodus 32:1) The children of Israel knew God’s miracle through Moses. It was sure that God could not abandon them, yet they gave into an unnecessary worry that did not denied them. As a result of Moses’ delay from coming down from the mountain, an unholy gathering took over from holy gathering. The Israelite’s unnecessary worry caused action of seeing delay and turned them to seek another god.
Some delays are necessary especially when God is the beginning of such a journey. Also, there are some places you have started, but delay has made it look like you are wasting out. Today, wait on God you can never be wasted. Some delays are not of failure, but to actually make a way of getting to the expected end. Take a note that without faith, delay will turn man quickly out of the way of God’s word of deliverance. Allow God by taking all your delay to God in prayer.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the miracle of deliverance.