FAITH CAPSULE: A word of God is enough to terminate any form of challenge or struggle.

Luke 5: 1-11

The word of God is God. The Bible makes us realize that it was through the spoken word that God made all that was created (Genesis 1:1-24) Also many scriptural verses confirm the engineering attribute of the word of God. Above all, John testifies, “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. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4) John 1:14 could not have described Jesus better when it stated, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Without any doubt, Jesus is the living word of God. God sent His word to heal and to deliver us from  destruction. (Psalm 107:20) It is important to note that the Word of God came to give life and that we may have life abundantly. (John 10:10)
Among the notable exploits of the Word that came to give life abundantly is making available a net-crashing fish-catching where there was all night toiling with no fish to account for. The Bible narrates how four fishermen had gone all night and caught nothing. The fishermen were already washing their nets when Jesus sent His word in their direction, “…Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”(Luke 5:4) Despite not having caught fish all night, the fishermen could not resist the word of command that sounded in their direction but responded. After having responded, “…they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.” (Luke 5:6-7) The word that sounded in the direction of the fishermen was a life-giving word; a word that provides where there is no provision, a word that restores hope where there is no hope. Above all, it is a word that results in abundance. Indeed it is true that just a word is enough to terminate every form of struggle, regardless of how long the struggle has existed. The all-night struggle with nothing to show off in the life of the fishermen was terminated. Has the word been sounding in your direction with no attention from you? The same word of God yesterday is the same today.

Prayer for today: Ask for the word of God to sound in your direction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Jesus is the way to live life and to live it with challenges that will not overtake one.

John 10:1-18

The challenges of the world today are not enough to tag life as difficult. As a believer that knows Jesus as Lord and savoir, confessing that living life is difficult is a wrong and a negative confession. The word encourages us, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.”(Proverbs 4:23) Does the word speak well to the reason why confessing negative should not be in place for a believer in Christ? As a believer it is worthy to begin to see life as not difficult and it cannot be difficult; you are the one that has been living life in a difficult way. Life can be challenging, but one can always overcome the challenges of life if one chooses to go in the right way, not the way that seems right to one. There is a way to live life and to live it abundantly; there is a way to live life and to live it with challenges that will not overtake one.
That way is for one to enter life by taking the right steps in deed and in truth. In gaining entrance into a life without difficulty, one will not be a pretender and one will stay away from religion. Jesus said in “I am the door, if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”(John 10:9) Jesus is true to His word by stating if anyone enters by Him. There is no race requirement or color qualification. Why not try and enter through Him? Anyone with the claim of having entered through Jesus door should stop misrepresenting challenges as difficulties; ask Him to open your understanding. Also, it could be that you have allowed the thief a place in your life. Jesus warned in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy, I have come that they may have it more abundantly.” Does He answer your question? What He has said, He meant. He has never lied, and He will not lie. It is time to take a moment and begin to re-trace one’s steps to see if one did enter through the wrong door. Anyone that entered through the right door should prepare to overcome any challenge because He is fighting every challenging battle. Lift your eyes up unto Him today and ask Him for help. He is a compassionate God and He will have compassion on you. Remember, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19)

Prayer for today: Ask for the word of God to have its place to reign and rule over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: The way of God is the way of going up from where you are now.

Exodus 33

An adage says, “Where there is a will there is a way” The adage is true to everyone that the Lord calls to a journey of promise. For example, when God called Abraham to come out of his country, from his family and from his father’s house there was God’s will in place for Abraham. The will of God for Abraham was to make Abraham a great nation, great name and a blessing. (Genesis 12: 1-2) As a result of God’s will that was in place for Abraham, there was a way for Abraham to get to the promises. Truly, where there is a will for a child of God there will always be a way to get through to God’s will for the obedient ones. Abraham’s obedient caused him to arrive at God’s will for his life. God always place every of His children on the right track but the enemy is always at work to overthrow as much as possible from getting to the promises of God. Canaan, a land of promise demands consistent obedience because agents of the enemy do nothing but wait to derail the children of God.
On the way to Canaan, one cannot and should not just take any road because any road will not lead one to any-where. Despite God’s calling of Moses as the shepherd to lead His sheep out of bondage of over four hundred years, he could not make any move without asking God for His way. He did not assume any way as a right way. Moses always asked God for direction. Exodus 33:13, “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.” With Moses’ requisite, it is evident that in the way of God, there is: Ability to know God, and also, the grace of God. The way of God is the way of going up from where you are now. He has brought you out of the house of bondage in an attempt to take you to the Promised Land for your inheritance. When He brought you out, he also put everything in place for you to get to the Promised Land. All you have to do is endure the challenges of the giants along the way. When you begin to fail in hearing Him, you have entered the way of termination. Exodus 33:14, “And He said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” The Word of God is God and His word is His presence. When you spend time in His word, His word will have a place in you. You will be in the right place as you begin your journey to the Promised Land.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open your ears and eyes to His directions.

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.