FAITH CAPSULE: Know your God, boast in Him all day long and He will boost you over your Goliath.

1 Samuel 17

One can only boast in whom one knows. Boasting in what one does not know is a demonstration of an empty barrel making noise. In your life, what or who is it that you know for sure is worth of all day boasting? The Psalmist testifies, “In God we boast all day long…” (Psalm 44:8) In this life, there is no enough exaggeration to be boasting God. God is the One and only almighty God, He is the great I AM, He is worth of all day boasting when He is known by the one that boasts Him. Boasting in God is giving attention to God. Boasting God will also gain attention from God. Boasting in God is announcing that with God all things are possible. Boasting in God is source of boldness to look in the face of one’s Goliath and declared Goliath a living dead in one’s hand.
Boasting in God should be a way of life and not only when there is a confronting challenge. Boasting in God is a constant engagement; an all-day activity. Ones that boast with understand from the heart and not from the mouth do get their boost from the throne of grace. Boasting God all day long that will boost up one where others are grounded. Indeed, in God we should boast all day long.
Once, the armies of the children Israel and their God were being verbally abused. The children of Israel were emotionally and physical grounded in the face of their enemy. In this battle, Goliath stood his ground stating, “…Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” (1 Samuel 17:8-10) When David got to the battle ground, he responded to Goliath by boasting in God, “…You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you…” (1 Samuel 17:45-46) Know your God, boast in Him all day long and He will boost you over your Goliath.

Prayer for today: Ask God to lead you in His truth and teach you His way.

FAITH CAPSULE: Love as commanded by God.

1 John 3

Do you love others? 1 John 3:11 stated, “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” Many claims to be a believer but loving one another are not in heart. Are you in the Lord? One that is in the Lord is not by the word of mouth but keeping in the word as stated, “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” (1 John 2:5) Loving should be the key of the life of believer.
Jesus gave the parable, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” (Luke 10: 30-33)
A man in the parable was attacked and wounded by thieves. A priest and Levite saw the wounded but passed on the other side. Do you love like the kind of priest and Levite that passed on and not help? An unbeliever demonstrated love as stated in Luke 10:33, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. Acclaimed believer in the name of love walked away but the sinner, a certain Samaritan, answered demonstrated the love of God. The sinner had compassion like Jesus.
Are you being deceived by church title or by a man designed position in the church? It is possible for one to be a priest or Levite and not answer as commanded to love. A certain Samaritan gave care when he supplied materials and paid the bill in full. Can you answer the Lord’s question? Luke 10:36 stated the question, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” Serving to please God is not only in religious activity. Serving to please God demands to love others.
John 13:34-35 buttressed, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” To love others is a command of God. Living by His command is the evidence of a true follower of Jesus. Love as commanded by God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to know and love by His command.

FAITH CAPSULE: Doubt is an avenue of setting self for curse.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Doubting is the avenue to self-destruction. Do not doubt, do not limit the power of the word of God and do not despise the word of God. The word of God warned, “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” Receiving and be living the word of God will terminate struggle or challenge in any area of life. The word of God is power. Hebrews 4:12 described the word, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Take to the word of God by denying doubt. Word is indeed living, powerful and sharper to shape challenges right to the glory of God. Will you shape your challenge from mockery to miracle?
God described His word, “Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29) God is true to His word for man that will take to His word. What is the reason of your doubting? Jeremiah testified the word of God, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16) Are you set to despise the word of God? Turn to the word of God it is true to answer if you will work the word of God to answer for you.
Working the word of God is labor. Laboring the word of God is obeying the word of God diligently; laboring the word of God is making choice to obey the word of God instead of the word of man. It is written, “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 28:1-2) Deuteronomy pointed out the reason to engage word laboriously and not doubt the word of God. Laboring the word of God is without doubt but delivers result of God’s blessing.
Do you still doubt the word of God? In this wicked of world, disregard the acts or evidence of agents wickedness but turn to God diligently and the word of God shall set you for the glory of God. Doubt is an avenue of setting self for curse. Do not doubt but do the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open your ears of understanding to deny the doubting His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Why worry when Jesus specifically encouraged man not worry?

Mathew 6:25-34

Jesus the provider of needs came to give life abundantly. Among His coming is to take away worrying but the enemy is in the business for man to be in worry. Jesus warned against worrying when He stated, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin.” (Mathew 6:25-28) Why worry when Jesus specifically encouraged man not to worry? The word of God does not fail but man often takes a place of failing in the word of God. God is true to His word when we are true to living by His word.

Apostle Paul buttressed the word of Jesus when he stated in Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God is more than capable to supply all our needs. He alone is the Almighty God and nothing is impossible for Him to do. Paul did not say ‘your need shall be supplied based on the power and strength in you but he said, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Very often, the scriptural verse, “My God shall supply all my need…” is often mentioned by believers, but not often meditated on. With meditation the word will become power, and without meditation the word is not packed with power.
Whenever doubt is activated the inability to wait on the promise of the word of God provokes worry. Worry is the reason why man gives a wrong answer or responds to situation. In the place of worrying, Jesus’ admonished his disciples how to respond to challenges of end time, “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 13:11) Jesus’ admonishment to His disciples also answers to the way of responding to every present challenges of today by not worrying. At all time of challenges let worrying be subsided by trusting the word of God’s intervention.

Prayer for today: Ask God for deliverance from the spirit of doubt and worry.

FAITH CAPSULE: The word of God that enters the heart is the key for deliverance and direction.

1 Samuel 15

Word of deliverance: The word of God that entered into the heart of Moses took Israel out of bondage of over 400 years. When it was time for God to bring the Israelites out of the bondage, Moses was reluctant to lead the Israelites. God spoke to Moses, “Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.” (Exodus 4:15-17) According to the verses above, the word of deliverance that made Moses as God over Aaron eventually gave the Israelites the key of deliverance of over four hundred years of bondage.

Word of direction: Unfailing direction is in the word of God that teaches in the way which leads to expected end of journey. Psalm 32:8 testified instruction of direction, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” With deliverance of the Israelites from bondage of four hundred in Egypt, God gave the word of direction to lead the Israelites to Promised Land. Exodus 13:17-18 recorded the direction word of God, “Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.”
Are you taking to God’s word of direction in the bible (the manual of life) for your heart? King Saul despised the word of God in his heart and he was destroyed. God sent Samuel to tell Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt.  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 15:1-3) Saul did not heed the words of God in his heart. Saul rejected the word of God as a result, God rejected him. (1 Samuel 15:10-35)

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace for heart to become receptive to the word of God.