FAITH CAPSULE: It is possible to be afraid but do not be reduced by fear.

Matthew 14:22-33

There will always be a reason to be afraid but it should never be enough for one to be reduced by fear. The situation which one fears will find one out. Job was testified by God, “…Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1:8) Can anyone imagine a man of great stature in the hand of God being reduced by fear? By virtue of Job’s testimonies, he has reason to be afraid but his reason should not have been enough for him to be reduced by fear. After the death of his children he gave his testimonies, “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.” (Job 3:25) It is possible to be afraid but one should not be reduced by fear.
Just like Job God also testified David through Samuel, “…The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart…” (1 Samuel 13:14) Several times he was in place to be reduced from being afraid into fear but was always encouraged by the word of God. In one of David’s testimony, he stated, “My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? (Psalm 56:2-4) Despite enemies that were hounding David, being afraid could not reduce him to fear. David, in this testimony, stated what it takes not to be reduced to fear: he trusted God and he was praising Him in His word. David constantly held onto the wondrous and unusual acts of God.
Are you looking at your situation in the face? Peter once looked at his situation in the face and was reduced to fear. While in the middle of storm, Jesus walked on the stormy water. As he approached the disciples, Peter requested from Jesus to join Him to walk on the stormy water. Jesus responded “…Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”” (Matthew 14:29-30) Peter looked and saw the situation instead of keeping eyes on the Living Word of God. Peter, from being afraid, he began to cry for help (his evidence of fear) Fear in the face of situation will sink you but faith in the Living Word of God (Jesus) will raise you.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from the spirit of fear.

FAITH CAPSULE: The calling of God cannot be fueled by emotion.

Jeremiah 1, Acts 22:6-18

Just as fuel is to car so is the word of God is to anyone that received the calling of God. 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. When God called Jeremiah, God did not consider any hindrance that could stop Jeremiah from answering to His direction. However, at the calling of Jeremiah, Jeremiah considered himself a youth but God responded, “…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.Where ever one is located or whatever one is involved with can never be a hindrance for God not to call one He decides to call. The same God that called young Jeremiah also called on Paul the apostle.
When He called Paul, it was with the light of God that he was found. The light sought him out on his way to commit more crimes against the Lord. Where were you when the Lord called you? If in your journey you have received His calling, His direction for your life must be in place. Once there is direction in place, one will be guided and not charging ahead. God is a God of order and consistency; He will not call you without giving you direction. Often times, problem is generated when there is a miss in following the direction that comes with the calling. It could have been that you moved ahead before listening for direction. If you have moved before His direction came forth, you have to go back for redirection. The calling of God cannot be fueled by emotion. Paul received a call from Him, but did not move before getting direction. 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.’” He has an appointment for you; go and ask Him where you are to go and what you are to do. From where you are now it is not too late for you to ask and get back into a right direction. God has an appointment for you, and you cannot afford to fall short of God’s divine assignment for your life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from that which is causing you to miss His divine assignment.

FAITH CAPSULE: The enemy can copy but he cannot coordinate for the result to be established.

Exodus 7

The grace of breathing is the evidence of life. It is written, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 150:6) God alone is worthy of our praise and thanks. He is the God of miracle. God deserves a boastful praise and not only a contemplative (thoughtful or reflective) praise. The word of God states, “I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10) Open your mouth wide in praise and allow God to raise you beyond your expectation. Praise Him today, tomorrow and as long as there is breathe. Praising Him before all that is before you will invite Him to all that are before you. He is a miracle working God. Miracles are of God, while magic is a device of the enemy. Miracles last forever and run deep. If magic glitters it will only be for a moment and magic never lasts neither does it runs deep. Despite not being able to see in the physical that you have come too far and close to your breakthrough, let not magic come into play. Magic will fail you no matter how it glitters; waiting on the miracle hand of the Almighty God is the only way out of every failure.
Pharaoh was reluctant of letting the children of Israel go and serve the Lord at the request of God through Moses, “So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.” (Exodus 7:10-11) The magic worked for the magicians and Pharaoh, but it could not answer or match up with the hand of God in the rod which Moses carried. Any power demonstration outside of the name of God will not stand but fail. The enemy can copy but he cannot coordinate for the result to be established. Magic could not last, it failed while the miracle of God through the rod last to deliver. It is written, “For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.” (Exodus 7:12) If you will look up and hope in the Lord your miracle will come at a set time and every distraction of the wise men; the sorcerers and the magicians of Egypt will not have its way in hindering your breakthrough. Magic is a fake and it will fail but miracles will not fail you.

Prayer for today: Ask for deliverance and not be a vessel of deception of the wicked.

GOD IS IN CHARGE

FAITH CAPSULE: Your testimony shall be sweet.

Genesis 43

It is written, “And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.”” (Genesis 43:28) Joseph’s brothers responded to Joseph’s question about their father, Jacob, during their second journey back to Egypt by bowing and prostrating. The dream that got Joseph to Egypt was that the brothers would bow down to the earth before Joseph. As a result of the dream he was sold to Egypt. As it is clearly mentioned above, the brothers did not only bow but they ended up in a prostrate position. You can be rest assured today, as a child of God, every situation that has been ordained to bow but remain forceful against bowing to you will end up bowing and prostrating for you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. They were only to bow but ended up in a prostrate position because they forced too much as a result they paid more than the dream called for. In your situation, the more they force the more God would take away from them.
Joseph’s brothers did not just want to see the dream terminated but they wanted to stop Joseph by all means possible. At his appearance to them at Dothan, they said to each other, “Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!” (Genesis 37:20) The brothers thought they had a good plan to terminate Joseph’s dream; they also ridicule the plan of God by claiming, “We shall see what will become of his dreams!” Your testimony will be sweet. God in His goodness and mercy will allow all of your adversaries that are mocking you, to be a witness of His miracle just like Joseph and his brothers. Joseph’s brothers did not only see what God did for Joseph but they were dumbfounded, silent and ridiculously embarrassed by their wickedness. Man often forgets that when God was in the business of creating us, it was Him alone that did his job and by that virtue, no man has the power to terminate if God did not terminate. In the race of life, let your enemies run or walk they will not catch up with you, but they will be weary and faint in Jesus name. Concerning your situation, He will respond at his appointed time, He will not be late neither will He be too early.

Prayer for today: Ask that your enemy shall be weary and faint in Jesus name.

FAITH CAPSULE: Standing on God’s ground will change man’s story for God’s glory.

Genesis 40, 41

Faith will not by pass challenges in the journey of life but is sure to take us through our challenges to the expected end when we have it. Also, whatever God purpose no force can dispose it. He is the one and only Almighty God and no force can disrupt whatever He construct for His glory. “Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh King of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.”(Genesis 41:46) God has a ground for you to stand and until you get there it is struggle not standing. Elijah was never mentioned nor referred to in any page of the scripture until he took his stand. 1 Kings 17:1, “ And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, as the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” Elijah took his stand, he made a declaration that was backed in heaven and manifested on earth. Joseph started his journey at age seventeen and not until he was thirty years of age, he could not take a stand on the ground where God had put in place for him.

At the time that Joseph stepped on his ground and took a stand, his story was changed forever. It was a transformation of the journey that started in a pit of lack; a pit of destruction; a pit of termination and a pit of no hope to the Peak of Power in a foreign ground. Your case has not be written over yet and when it appears to be over and no way out, God in His goodness and mercy will make a way for you out of no way if you will consistently remember that you cannot commit great and wicked sin against the Lord. To Joseph, it was a dream journey and it went on and on as if there will not be an end to affliction. However, Joseph got to the ground where he took a stand before the king of the land, Pharaoh of Egypt. As a believer, there will be times of ups and downs but never allow challenges to keep you down and stranded. The story of Joseph’s journey is not fiction, it is a reality and it can be lifting when you’re down by the punches of this world. Before Joseph’s first appearance to Pharaoh he was an overseer in the prison. His authority was to oversee his fellow prisoners. When Joseph took his stand, and after taking his stand, he became the deputy general overseer of the whole land of Egypt. Until you stand on the ground where the Lord has put in place for you, the journey continues in face of challenges.

 Prayer for today: Ask God to bring you up to stand on the ground He has put in place for your breakthrough.