FAITH CAPSULE: The calling of God cannot progress without His word of direction.

Jeremiah 1, Acts 9:1-9

With direction man will be guided and not respond like a headless chicken in wrong direction.
Have you been called by God or called by man?
God is a God of order and will not call you without giving you direction.
Are you experiencing challenges in your calling? Often times, challenges are engendered when there is a miss in hearing or following God’s.
Among the called ones were Jeremiah and Paul the apostle. Jeremiah and Paul’s calling was not fueled by emotion or past evil agendas.
Is your self-acclaimed calling fueled by emotion? It is true that no vehicle can progress in journey without gasoline so is the calling of God cannot progress without His word of direction. Whenever there is an attempt to progress without God’s direction termination will have a place instead of progress.
The calling of Jeremiah and Paul was fueled with obedience to God’s direction.
When God called Jeremiah, God did not consider emotion of hindrance to stop Jeremiah. At the calling of Jeremiah’s emotion of his youth made God’s response, “…Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you…” (Jeremiah 1:7-8) The direction of God did not stop fueling Jeremiah and that made Jeremiah’s call of assignment to be well established.
Paul’s calling was different by virtue of his background. He was on his way against Jesus and the bible recorded, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1-2) When He called Paul, it was with the light of God that founded Paul. The light sought him out on his way to commit more crimes against the Lord. Paul could not hide (because of his past evil) to allow hindrance for his direction that was a fuel of progress to divine assignment. Paul did not miss but received direction by stating in Acts 22:10, “So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’”
From where you are now it is not too late for you to ask and get back into a right direction. Do not allow emotion or past wicked agenda cut you off from God’s divine assignment for your life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you and not miss God’s direction to your divine assignment.

FAITH CAPSULE: Choice outside of God shall always grant entrance to self-destruction.

John 1:1-18, 10: 1-10

The Bible declares in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Definitely the will of God in Christ Jesus for us is to live and not perish. God is not an authoritarian nor a dictator but a good caring creator. The word of God is perfect. God is truly the Commanding commander, Healing healer and an Unchanging changer. God, through His word that is power has demonstrated many times, He is still demonstrating power as a Long-suffering God. God is the Almighty Creator and is proven not to be an authoritarian or a dictator because no dictator can be identified as long-suffering.
Are you one that wants to make wrong choices and engage consequences?
God wants us to live and not perish. Choice outside of God shall always grant entrance to self-destruction. Through Jesus, the will of God for man declared His purpose for man, “…I have come that they many have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) How are you living life and not miss the life which Jesus brought to man? It is important for man to live life according to the will of the Lord of Host, the Ancient of days, the only God that inhabits eternity.
Do you fear Him to live according to His will?
Jesus was quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3, in response to the Satan during the time of wilderness temptations, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”(Matthew 4:4) With the fear of God, we are to live by every word of God not by the word that is only convenient for man. Also to live by the word of world is a set up for self-destruction.
Do you live life by paying attention to the importance of the word of God?
The word of God is the power of God. The power God in the word of God is enough for navigation in the journey of life through wicked world. The power that is in the word of God is the power which created the world. The book of Jeremiah 51:15 stated, “He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding.” Why not embrace the word of God which created in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 without any hired contractors in creating the earth? Take to the will of God; the word of God without doubt and see the result of His word.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to turn man fully to the living word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: How often do you feed on the word of God?

John 15

The same word that brought forth creation is still the same word that is building up those who receive, believe and abide in the word of God. Evidently, the word of God is spirit and it gives life. John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” It is worth to remember that the same word that created everything is there to give more than we can imagine. It is one thing to know and memorize the word, it is another to know to memorize and meditate. Knowing the word and not knowing to memorize and meditate is empty; it generates no power. Meditation will cause one to observe and do what the word requires, and there’s simply no substitute for meditating the word. The word of God is power and the word can never deny itself nor fail, but man can fail when not abide in the word.
The work of God is in the word of God. The disciples once asked Jesus, “…What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28) Jesus responded, “…This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29) Again, being believed in the word of God cannot be compromised if man desire to become built by the word of God. Just as there is no substitute for food to eat and grow physically, so there is no substitute for the word to grow spiritually. Jeremiah confirmed that the word is food when he testified, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and the rejoicing of my heart…” (Jeremiah 15: 16)
As a believer, how often do you feed on the word of God?
In life, feeding word of God only on Sunday shall amount to nothing. What is it that you are giving your ear to? Bible admonished, “Hear and give ear: Do not be proud, For the LORD has spoken.” (Jeremiah 13:15) Whatever man gives ear to will build man up. Whatever you receive will become of you. It is proven that as a believer study more of word one will be built up for divine assignment to the glory of God. It was recorded of God’s testimony about Job as a man that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil. (Job 1:8) Despite is stand before God and his experience of God’s move in his life, he testified, “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” (Job 41:5) Job pointed out that the hearing of word God should be man’s greatest priority and to live life with testimonies that God moves by His word.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of ear that hears word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is always looking for the loyal ones.

2 Chronicles 14, 15, 16

Where is your loyalty to the only One, the only perfect Creator?
Are you rendering your loyalty to the One and only Creator or your loyalty to your possessions?
Power belongs to the One and only Creator. Revelation 7:12 stated it clearly, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Are you loyal to your Creator?
Are you characterized by faithfulness to God?
Every creation’s walk is set before the Creator only God. Man can be deceived by man’s walk but God cannot be deceived by man’s walk. In life, it is man’s walk that identifies where man’s walk lead to sit or where man’s walk lead to stand. Man’s walk is the evidence of man’s faith which is the testimony of man’s loyalty to God.
Are you loyal to God? One that is loyal to God is full of the word of God and is fearful of God.
King Asa of Judah was full of God (faithful and fear of God) he was identified loyal and he did what was right in the eyes of God. Bible documented of Asa, “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.  He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.  He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him.” (2 Chronicles 14:1-5) Asa sought God and was right before God. God backed Asa up with His eyes on him in all areas of his life. At a point in time as King, he turned away from God and was identified as disloyal. Asa’s turning away caused God to withdrawal His eyes from over Asa.
Steadfastly of Man’s walk is the evidence of faith which is the testimony of man’s loyalty to God. God’s eyes are always on the loyal ones just as He did with Asa when he was loyal. Psalm 34:15, 1Peter 3:12 buttressed, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.” It is important to note that, just as His eyes are on those who are right before Him, so it is against those who are wrong before Him. Psalm 34:16, “The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.”
God is always looking for the loyal ones just as He did with Asa when he was loyal. Be loyal and not be disloyal to God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you in walking loyal for God’s glory in all your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not be concerned for God but be committed to His command.

2 Samuel 6

David gathered choice men of Israel from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God. The ark of God was set out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio accompanied the ark of God. When they got to a threshing floor, Uzzah was concerned for the ark of God. The bible recorded Uzzah’s concern, “…Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.” (2 Samuel 6:6-7) Uzzah’s concern for God was an error against the command of God. God had warned His people not touch the holy objects of the tabernacle; the death penalty had been specified for violators (Numbers 4:15) Uzzah died wrong concern for God.
Uzzah’s concern to act was a good intention but it was an evidence of foolish reaction from his heart. In God’s assignment there is no excuse for foolish reaction. The word of God is a standard that cannot be reduced. Truly, a believer can be ignorant to violate the word of God but indeed ignorant is what makes destitute of a believer.
Are you being concerned for God or you are being committed to His command?
Moses was concerned for God by violating the command of God.
It was God alone and not any man that called Moses out to go and lead the children of Israel out of the bondage of over four hundred years. Moses, out of his concern for God reacted to the rebellious act of the children of Israel towards God. With concern, Moses took it upon himself to strike the rock when he was to speak to the rock for water. God responded to Moses, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12) Moses concern violated the command of God and his journey was complicated. Moses could not step on the Promised Land when he struck the rock instead of speak to the rock.
God alone calls man for assignment, God alone knows the end from the beginning. The word testifies, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”(Jeremiah 1:5) What could have gone wrong or what are doing to get it wrong in your assignment? Do not be concerned for God but be committed to His command.

Prayer for today: Ask God for help in His assignment for your life.