Faith Capsule: To be mindful of God requires a constant meditation on the word of God.

Psalm 115

We have a gracious and merciful God. He is more than a caring father. He is a Father that waits for His children to wait on Him. He is a Father that does not sleep nor slumber. He is so loving and the word recorded, “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.” (John 3:16) Evidently, he is a Father God that is mindful of His children. The psalmist must have been curious about His mindfulness when he asked, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:4) “Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?” (Psalm 144:3) The word also testified of His mindfulness for His children, “The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.” (Psalm 115:12) Are you mindful of God?
The evidence of not being mindful of God is the act of disobedience and hardness of heart.  Nehemiah 9:17 buttressed, “They refused to obey, and they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion they appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them.” A rebellious one to the word of God is not mindful of God? Being mindful of God is being God-full. One that is mindful of God is one whose mind stays on God.
Isaiah 26:3 stated, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” To be mindful of God requires a constant meditation on the word of God because the word of God is God. Moses was mindful of God throughout his leadership over the children of Israel because he was meditating day and night. When it was time to pass the mantle on to Joshua, God directed Joshua’s attention to meditating on the word just like Moses did. God spoke to Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8) A mind that stays on God will be at rest and will not rust. Peace is the identity of any mind that stays on God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to live a life that is mindful of Him.

Faith Capsule: It is not acceptable for a believer to  be seeing negative in any challenging situation.

Acts 16:16-40

Paul and Silas were accused for troubling the city as a result; “…the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.  And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.  Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.” (Acts 16:22-24) Both Paul and Silas were kept in a secured jail. The intention of their jailer was to prevent them from escaping. The jailers were in position of power forgetting that power belongs to the One and only God. The jailers also forgot that man proposes but God disposes. In the eyes of man, there was no way out for Paul and Silas. Are you in any situation that is clear to man that there is no way out for you? It is okay for man not to see a way out for you but it is not acceptable for you to see negative in any challenging situation. Whatever man sees in time of confronting situation determines man’s approach. In every challenging situation begin to see positive knowing that power belongs to God. Paul and Silas could not resolved to depression; Paul and Silas refused to be silent. The bible recorded, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”
God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God is not a partial God. Romans 2:11 buttressed, “For there is no partiality with God.” At the time the Israelites were to pass through Jericho, all roads were blocked. The bible recorded, “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 6:1-2) Seeing right in time of wrong and pressing challenge or seeing a way where there is no way is the onset of eventual victory. God called Joshua’s attention to see a way where there is no way. The same word of God is calling you to see a way where there is no way. If man will believe the word of God, man should begin to pray and sing hymns in the face of challenges just like Paul and Silas. The Israelites engaged there shut avenue with praise and worship as commanded by God. For the Israelites, the wall of Jericho fell down flat. For Paul and Silas, great earthquake took charge and doors were opened.

Payer for today: Ask God for open understanding in every area of life.

Faith Capsule: Remember, God is beautiful for any situation regardless of how ugly the situation is.

Exodus 3:11-22

God spoke to Moses, ““Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ (Exodus 3:16-17) God stated, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt…” God did not say I will visit you. Evidently, God visited the Israelites but yet they were still in their bondage. God stated that He saw all their problems unfortunately they could not see God at His visitation.
God’s visitation was an open door to their deliverance. God was there and they remained in their bondage because there was no one to lead them out with His Word. The door has been opened, but they remained trapped. God’s visitation to the Israelites is same as Jesus’ statement, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Again, Jesus was not saying ‘I will come’, what Jesus was saying was “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” With the children of Israel, God’s visitation was there for their miracle of deliverance. With the church, Jesus’ coming has been in place for the man’s salvation. What is it that is holding man in bondage? There is a need to receive and believe Him for His word. Until man becomes receptive and begins to live by His word of promise, man is reduced to a position of living life in bondage.
Without doubt, it is clear that what He says, He will always do. He alone is the Almighty creator, He alone inhabits eternity. Have you received any of His promises through the pages of the Bible or from the mouth of His prophet? Psalm 107:20 admonished us that, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”  Jesus was here in the physical, He is still here spiritually. If you will receive the Word and believe, the abundant life shall no way elude you. Remember, God is beautiful for any situation regardless of how ugly the situation is.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace and mercy to receive and believe indeed and in truth.

Faith Capsule: Those who keep His word will serve Him.

Hebrews 11:1-22

The word of God that you keep will keep you in the world of wickedness. God wants us to keep His word. To keep Gods command is doing the will of God. (That is to do what God ask us to do)
Keeping God’s command is the evidence of love of God. (1John 5:3-4 confirms it “For this is the love of God, that we keep commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”) Keeping the word in our heart will enable us to observe and do as commanded by the word. One that does not keep the word is bound not to observe and not do as commanded by the word. The word of God to Joshua after the death of Moses is a confirmation of the importance of keeping the word. It is written, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
The word of God is the way of God; God’s way is his presence. The Psalmist admonished, “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.”(Psalm 37:34) Those who keep His word will serve Him. Abraham served God and the Lord Himself testified that Abraham feared Him. Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
Keeping God’s command will enable the fear of God.
Fear of God is different from the fear that is: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
Fearing God is to have an overwhelming feeling of reverence or admiration for God. It is simply a reverential awe toward God; a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with wonder.
It is a blessing to fear God and not to fear the author of wickedness and his wicked agents.
When we fear God He will always find us out.
To fear God is to shun evil. Job feared God and God testified of Job to the Satan stating, “…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)
Psalm 34:13-14 identifies what the fear of God will do:
Keep your tongue from evil,
Keep your lips from speaking deceit,
Depart from evil and do good,
Seek peace and pursue it.
Keep His command, fear Him and you shall be a commander of your world.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be one that keeps His command.

Faith Capsule: Doing all kinds of good work in His name is not enough to be identified with Him.

Matthew 7

It is written, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Are you a doer of His will? What does it mean to do His will? The will of God is that we should fear Him. To fear God is to be full of Him. The book of Ecclesiastes 12:13 admonishes us stating, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is man’s all.” Evidently to know to fear God is to know and be consistent in obeying his commandments. Obeying the command of God demands full obedience and not half obedience. One that fully obeys Him is one that is full of the fear of God. To be full of His fear is to be full of His love. God is love and love is also the presence of God.

Doing the will of God is taking a position to gaining entrance into the Kingdom of heaven. It is right to conclude that not everyone that calls on His name does His will. It can also be concluded that not everyone that is prophesying in His name are set to make it to heaven. Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’(Matthew 7:22-23) Jesus was referring those that were doing miracles and all kind of wonders in His name. Jesus did not deny their work; neither did He deny the fact that they knew His name. Are you doing His will? As a believer, it is possible to be occupied by doing all kinds of good work in His name but far from doing the will of the father.

Jesus will come for a spotless church as it is written in 1Timothy 6:14, “that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.” God gave man all that makes it possible to live up to the word, but man is offering all that it takes not to live up to the word of God. If God’s expectation from man is not what can be done, God would not have asked us to do. He is not coming for the ones that blow hot and cold, obeying God requires doing all. It is very possible for man to gather the world by the word of God but if man is yet to gather self by doing the word of God, man is set to miss heaven.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of enablement to live to his fulfillment in Christ Jesus.