FAITH CAPSULE: God’s word is God and that is why He magnified His word above all His name.

Joshua 6

The word of God is sent for man to behold God in the word of God.
The ability to listen to God in His word is what makes man to behold (see) God for direction to be a winner.
Without doubt, when man listens to God’s word man must behold (see) in the word of God and be built up with boldness and character in the word of God’s direction. For example, Joshua needed to behold (see) the word of God to gain boldness and character for winning over Jericho. Jericho posed as an enemy’s attempt to stop Israelites advance to the Promised Land. Word in Joshua 6:1-2 called Joshua to see (to behold) as stated, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.  And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” Joshua listened; he was able to behold (see) direction in the word of God as he gained character and boldness to become winner over Jericho. In all listening to the words of God, God wants man to behold in His word of direction to gain boldness and character.
Are you seeking for direction by listening to God’s word to gain boldness and character in the face of challenges? Jacob was in the course of running away from his brother but he needed boldness and charter to continue successfully in his journey. God responded to Jacob’s need when He commanded him to behold (see) in His word stating, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:15) With God’s word which man is able to listen and behold, man shall have character to trust God; man shall become boldness to hope in God regardless of any challenge. To behold (see) in God’s word of God, man shall replace fear with faith that is rooted in boldness and character.
God’s word is God and that is why He magnified His word above all His name. (Psalm 138:2) God’s word is worthy and true to deliver; God’s word is mighty and true to preserve only if man is able to behold God in the word of God.
Do you listen to God in the word of God to behold and gain boldness and character that makes man a winner for the glory of God?
God is power; God that delivered Israelites is still in the business of deliverance and preservation if man only continues to behold God in His word.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be listening to behold (see) God in the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Does your heart sincerely desire to seek God?

1 Samuel 13

Desire is to express a wish to obtain.
Desire is a strong feeling that compels to attain what heart set up for.
As a believer, what do you desire?
Do you desire to be a church goer believer or to be a believer with sincere for God?
What a man desires is what man seeks after. It is not possible for man to seek after what is not man’s desire.
One that desires to live heaven on heart will seek after the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Jesus declares it, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
The whole matter that counts and work perfect in life is to fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
To fear God and to keep His command is to desire to seek God. Listen to word that stated about fear of God and heart, “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:24)
Does your heart sincerely desire to seek God?
Do you question yourself if you are serving God in truth with all your heart?
God has done so great and He is doing greater things that man should have desire of God with heart.
God only see and moves by the act rooted in the heart. God once corrected Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) Without doubt, David’s heart is what God saw when His word declared, “…The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people” (1 Samuel 13:14) God sought David and saw that his heart desires for His name.
What do you desire?
Evidently, desire for God must be in place in man’s life not only in the mouth of word. When man desires for God, God will deposit the grace to desire Him. In life, desire, devote and seek God with your heart.
King David knows what is best to desire when he stated, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
As an acclaimed believer, think if you sincerely desire of the Lord.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to focus on Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: We are to sacrificially serve Him acceptably.

John 12:23-32

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 stated, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” To fear God and to keep His command is encased in seeking God. When man knows to seek God, man will serve God. In serving God is to follow Him. Jesus declared clearly, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”(John 12:26) The conclusion of the whole matter is: Seek God, serve God, and follow Him so that the Father will honor you.
Seeking God leads to serving Him. In serving God we follow Him. Jesus declared clearly, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”(John 12:26)
Are you serving God fully or you are serving Him for your material gain? Apostle Paul encourages, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)
We are to sacrificially serve Him acceptably. Jesus did not only ask for us to serve Him but He declared, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me…” Following Jesus means putting all away to follow Him. Following Him is stepping after the same way that He stepped while He was on the face of earth.
Jesus gave His disciples His own expectation of how to follow Him, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34) Do you have desire to come after Jesus? Jesus made fisher men of those who desired to follow Him. The book of Matthew 4:19 recorded, “Then He said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” It is clear that serving Him is following Him. Following Him is sacrifice by giving up everything for Him. To follow Him is not to be a spectator but to learn and to become fishers of men. Jesus’ request from man to follow Him does not identify Him a slave master. Jesus declared His reward for all that follows Him, “…Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28) Serve Him fully and there shall be a full reward.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that will enable you to serve Him fully by following Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Christian soldier cannot escape hardship in this world of wickedness.

2 Timothy 2:1-13

Are you a Christian soldier by mouth or by act? A Christian soldier need not to be introduced as a soldier because his warlike disposition will always point him out as one who is operating as a sold-out soul for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What kind of a soldier are you? Are you a soldier who will always need constant introduction as a soldier? A soldier can be described as a person who contends or serves in any cause such as a soldier of the Lord. Soldiers are to persist steadfastly in their cause and to persevere until the work is done.
An eligible and qualified soldier for Christ has to be a sold out soul for the cause of the cross that Jesus carried to Calvary when He was crucified. Paul, the apostle, admonished Timothy by using an illustration of a soldier. “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
Paul’s illustration for faithfulness is that a soldier (follower of Christ) must endure hardship. Unfortunately, Christian soldiers today do not want to endure hardship, but rather want to enjoy worldly pleasures or live lives of convenience and not commitment. Endurance can be painful and can possibly generate unwanted suffering.
Enduring hardship is what qualifies a Christian soldier as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Every Christian soldier must know how to endure; Christian soldier cannot escape hardship in this world of wickedness. The Christian soldiers without endure of challenges in this world are soldiers that often entangle themselves with the affairs of this life. It is clear in the word of Paul that no soldier engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life and answered to cause of Christian soldier.
Paul warned against affairs of this life. In the book of Peter 2:11, Paul warned against fleshly lusts, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” Among the affairs of this world that can derail a soldier for Christ is fleshly lust. Undoubtedly, fleshly lust is a principal target which Christian soldier should not to take for granted because it launches its attack on a regular basis. Fleshly lust will present great or small temptation that do not spare grave for fleshly lust ones. It is so deadly that it only goes after its target which is the soul of every Christian soldier. Once a soul is captured, the role as a soldier becomes incarcerated in the hand of chief of all wickedness; the evil one himself.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to please God in your calling by being protected from becoming a victim of fleshly lust.

FAITH CAPSULE: With trusting God, the peace of God reigns.

1 Samuel 23

Among reasons to trust God, the word testified three reasons in this verse, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (2 Samuel 22:31)
First is the way of God. Moses proved the way of God is to find grace in His sight. At the time Moses was confirming trust in God, he asked, “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:13-14) The way of God is perfect because in His way is to find grace in His sight that gives rest.
Secondly, the word of God is proven in the evidence of creation. The bible made us to know that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3) The word is proven to comfort in time of affliction as testified, “This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.” (Psalm 119:50) Also, word of God is proven to give rest because it is true that God magnified His word above all His name. (Psalm 138:2)
Thirdly, God is a shield to all who trust in Him. Going through the pages of the bible, it can be located that God is a shield that delivers. God declared to be shield for Abraham in a vision saying, “…Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” God was the shield in the old days and He is still the shield beyond times to come.
Are you distracted from trusting God?
In time of challenges do not be distracted but trust God. With trusting God, the peace of God reigns. Indeed and in truth, it is hardly possible to hear the testimonies of God and doubt the word of God. When you hear from God, there will be no fear but peace. In faces of challenges, the whole world can say no; but you will say yes that is based on trusting the word of God. The existence of doubt is the evidence that you have not heard from Him. Take to the word of Isaiah 26:3-4, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.”

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to trust in the Lord with all heart.