FAITH CAPSULE: knowing to do good and doing it must be a blessing.

2 Kings 4:8-17

Doing good is investing to be positioned for God’s visitation. Why not know to do good when situation demands good? It is worthy to think that, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) By the word of God, when man knows to do good but make choice not to do good sin occupies. Doing good is among the fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5:22 listed, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” Be investing doing good. Among the bible passages that identified the importance of doing good are, Romans 12:9, “…Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13, “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.” Hebrews 13:16, “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Be investing doing good and take a position to reap. Get to know and do good. Thinking of doing good from the heart, but to care is by action. It is worthy to engage doing good by acting with care, knowing fully well that what you are doing is in the name of God and for the glory of God.
The Shunammite woman unconsciously invested doing good in the life of the man of God that frequently passed by her place. 2 Kings 4:9-10, “And she said to her husband, ‘Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a chair and a lamp stand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.’” The man of God came and his life was made easier for him. He acknowledged the woman’s investment of doing good. Elisha sent servant to her, “…Say now to her, ‘“Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?”’ She answered, ‘I dwell among my own people.’” (2 Kings 4:13) Indeed, the man of God spoke on her in the name of God and barrenness ceased in her life. The Shunammite woman became a mother in her husband’s old age. The Shunammite woman, by concern and care, she invested in doing good in the name of God and she reap the blessing of the womb.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be one that is investing to doing good.

FAITH CAPSULE: All that belongs to you by God’s appointment shall not elude you.

1 Samuel 16

When God send for you no man can offset you from answering to God. King David, at the time for him to be anointed as king he was not at sight but could not be exchanged for his brother to become the king. It was Samuel that God sent to anoint David as a king of the Israelites after King Saul disobeyed the word of God.
God called on Samuel to go and anoint David without Samuel knowing it was David. At Samuel’s arrival at Jesse, the Bethlehemite, he wanted to determine by sight the one that was to be anointed according to God’s command. Samuel called for all the children of Jesse. The bible recorded, “So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!”” (1 Samuel 16:6) When God sends you, allow Him for His specific direction. Samuel did not wait for specific direction when he attempted to make a selection for God. Samuel’s attempt was a miss because he moved by sight. The Lord told Samuel not to look at appearance or physical stature (1 Samuel 16:7).
Are you allowing God to take you through in His direction?
When He sends you, allow Him to be in charge because He is the one that called you and you do not call yourself. After Samuel’s failure by looking at the physical appearance, he now responded to God by not looking but listening for whom God will announce for anointing. Samuel saw all the children of Jesse but could not complete God’s assignment because the one God sent for Him to be the king after Saul was absent. Samuel knowing that God did not make any selection among the children of Jesse that was on location, he said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” (1 Samuel 16:11b) Despite the fact that David was not on location, none of his brother could replace David and offset David’s calling.
In life, what belongs to you by God’s appointment shall not elude you. In the waiting for David’s arrival, all remained standing. Today, all that belongs to you by God’s appointment shall not elude you in the name of Jesus. Where ever you are or whatever the situation on the ground is, God’s calling shall always wait for you. David’s calling waited for him until his arrival. Anointing is not what is to be struggled for it is for whom the Lord calls that shall claim God’s appointment. David the last of the children of Jesse did not struggle to claim God’s appointment.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to live to the fulfillment of God’s divine assignment. Pray against any agent of denial. Pray that you shall live to the fulfillment of God’s glory in life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Understanding can lead mouth out of destruction.

2 Kings 7:1-20

Understanding is the ability to listen carefully and be in charge of what comes out of the mouth. Truly understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. (Proverbs 16:22) Are you considering the importance of listening ability and not live as potential fool? Bible warned, “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” (Proverbs 18:7) If indeed mouth can lead to destruction, understanding can lead mouth out of destruction. Bible also warned in Proverbs 13:3, “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.” It is understanding that causes mouth to preserves life. With understanding, are you taking charge over your mouth not to react negatively to troubling challenge?
Once during the time of the prophet of God, Elisha, a sever famine reduced the land to a place of lack. Shortage was rampant across the land. The Bible recorded, “Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’”(2Kings 7:1) To one of the officers, the word through Elisha sounded as impossible task. To the officer, how could such breakthrough be possible in the face of severe famine? The officer could not be in charge of his mouth; the officer lacked understanding; the officer took a stand as a fool. The ignorant officer responded to Elisha’s prophecy when he spoke out of his mouth with lack of understanding, “…Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be (2 Kings 7:2)?” Imagine the demonstration of lack of understanding which caused doubt from the ignorant officer.
Do you doubt what God can do?
Can you imagine yourself waking up in the position of plenty instead of waking up in the place of famine?
With understanding, if you know that God is still on the throne then believe that miracle is not beyond God. Just as Elisha has said, the officer saw the miracle with his eyes, but could not touch it. 2 Kings 7:20 recoded the end of the ignorant officer, “And so it happened to him, for the people trample him in the gate, and he died.” God opened the window of plenty; lack was terminated and destruction marked the ignorant officer.
Jesus was pointing out the possibility of God when He stated, “…With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) With understanding are you taking charge of your mouth stating God’s possibility and not stating God’s impossibility just like the ignorant officer?

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from lack of understanding.

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.