Faith Capsule: God is looking to see if there are any who seeks Him.

Psalm 53, Matthew 21:1-11

Seeking God to serve God is the reason God created man. Among ways of serving God is praising Him. Psalmist buttressed, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6) The word of the psalmist testifies to the truth that as long as we live life, praising God shall be a continuous engagement. Think of it, are you praising God enough? Ones that does not praise does not serve, not serving God is not seeking God. God is a jealous God. God identified Himself, “…For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…”  (Exodus 20:5) A jealous God desires and expect a full and constant attention from His creation. Giving God attention is seeking God. Seeking and serving God is the evidence of faith in God. With faith God is pleased with man and without faith He is not please. Are you living life to please God?
It is important to search self and identify what is it that is holding man down from seeking and serving God. One that is tied down consciously or consciously cannot possibly serve God to meet God’s need for one’s life. Jesus’ need of the service of a tied down colt and donkey depicts how man is being tied down from not meeting God’s need. As a jealous God, He does have a need for us to seek and serve Him. Before Jesus could get the service of colt/donkey for His ride to fulfill God’s divine agenda, there was a need for the colt/donkey to be loosed from being tied down. Matthew 21:2-3 recorded, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” Evidently, just as there was a command for the colt/donkey to be loosed, so there is a need for those who are tied down consciously or unconsciously from meeting God’s need to be loose and serve God.
Jesus knew that His command would be questioned when He stated, “if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” Beware that the enemy is all out for man not to seek and serve God. There will be attempt for man to be stopped because it is the enemy’s agenda for man not to live for the glory of God. Are you being tied by drive for material gain? Are you aware that you are tied and not seeking and serving God? It is important to be asking God for the grace to serve and meet God’s need for one’s life. Remember, God is looking to see if there are any who seeks Him. (Psalm 53:2)

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to fail from seeking and serving God.

Faith Capsule: The one you seek is the one you serve.

2 Chronicles 14, Matthew 6

It is written, “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 it was accounted for him as doing what was right in the eyes of God. Seeking God is doing right and God is always looking for those who are seeking Him. Psalmist testified, “God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” (Psalm 53:2) Jesus commanded, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) Asa sought God and God was pleased. Are you living life to please God or to seal off God out of your life? The consequences of seeking God is rewarding beyond imagination.
At the time Asa was seeking God and committing his people to seek God, the bible identified that the Kingdom was quiet under him. Have you been placed in any position of influence or authority? Regardless of the time we are living, it is not impossible to influence others surrounding you or under your authority to seek God. Asa had rest all around him when he placed God and all that pleases God first in his position as king of Judah. Seeking God is being with God always. God is always with those who seek Him. A failure to seek God is forsaking God. When man forsake God it is certain that God will forsake man.
Who are you seeking? The one you seek is the one you serve. Jesus pointed out, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24) There is no middle ground or excuse in serving God. Man can be at work and be serving God by the conduct which others are observing or by the meditation of the heart. One cannot claim serving God when nothing about one’s conduct testifies of God throughout of one’s working day. In your working place or daily engagement, seek God in your heart and it will be written all over you for others to see and follow you to seek Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God to take charge over your life that you live to seek Him all the days He has given you.

Faith capsule: When there is understanding of His word there shall be the fear of God.

Proverbs 14

It is written, “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. (Psalm 14:2-3) When there is no understanding of God the lack of His fear reigns. To fear God is in studying Him. How do you know the one you do not study? With understanding comes the fear of God. It is worthy to study and gain understanding to fear God.
With understanding of God, two things can never be denied in the life of one with understanding:
1. “…But knowledge is easy to him who understands.” (Proverbs 14:6) One with the understanding of God will always have a knowing edge easily over what is befalling man; one will have edge over what man cannot get over easily. One with understanding will know to have edge over challenges by engaging peace that surpasses all understanding.
2.  “Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding…” (Proverbs 14:33) Wisdom is the instruction of God. 1Corinthians 1:24 stated, “…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God…” Wisdom of God in the heart of man is Jesus in the life of man. The only way to have Him in our heart day and night is to meditate on Him and He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Joshua 1:5-8)
King David a man identified by God as one after God’s own heart volunteered to teach the fear of the Lord when he stated, “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” (Psalm 34:11) David knew what he was up to when he made his statement to the ones who has ear to hear. The fear of God kept him; the fear of God saw him through life’s terminating challenges; the fear of God in him is what God saw while looking down from Heaven and He was able to identify as one after His own heart.
Without doubt, to know and to fear God is encased in knowing Him through His testimony, His testimony is His word. Psalmist stated, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!” (Psalm 119:2)Ones that know to keep His testimonies are ones that clings to His testimonies. Clinging to His testimonies is the way out never to be ashamed. Psalm 119:31 buttressed, “I cling to your testimonies; O Lord, do not put me to shame.” To be hearing and knowing His word is having Faith. Having faith is the evidence of knowing and having the fear of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to fill you with understanding of His word.

Faith Capsule: Are you one of those who want to show on the outside while the inside is far from God?

Matthew 23

Many are very impressive on the outside but the inside is nothing to write about. The outside presents God but the inside exempts God. What man sees about a believer is not same as what God sees. Also, how God sees man is not same how man sees man. Are you one whose outward appearance looks impressive to man by virtue of their commitment but far from God? Jesus identified a group of people whose life style matches impressing man but not God as hypocrites. In the days of Jesus, He talked about the scribes and the Pharisees stating, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.” The Pharisees were one of the major sect or special – interest groups among the Jews during the days of the New Testament. Pharisees, meaning separated ones, believed that religious rituals and separation from sinners were the way to please God. Matters such as the laws of tithing and ritual purity were very important to the Pharisees. Are you one who shows God on the outside while the inside is far from God?
Are you a modern day Pharisees that will offer more than what is requested for the outside while the inside is not being attended to? Today, every believer does have a need for serious self-examination. Man can be deceived but God cannot be deceived. It is possible to come in to fellowship presenting self on the outside as holy while the inside is dirty and far from God. It does not matter how long man gets away with hypocrisy but it is important for man to know that nothing is hidden from God and God does not overlook sin. It is evil to have inside that is far from God. Man should know that “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” (Ecclesiastes 8:11)
Paying attention and asking God like the psalmist did is a way of getting one back to God. Psalm stated in Psalm 19:12-13, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.” God is a God that does not look from outside to inside, but rather looks from the inside to the outside. It is time for self-examination in order to be on the Lord side.

Prayer for today: As God to deliver you so that sin will not have dominion over your life.

Faith Capsule: Living by the word of God is what it means to love God with all our heart

Genesis 39

It is written, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (Timothy 3:16-17) God is God that does not waste word. All scripture, is written for our learning. Taking to all is what will make man complete and equipped for every good work. Today, it is hard to see a complete or equipped believer. Evidently, the scripture given by God has been neglected. Just like pieces of puzzle so is the word of God in the pages of the bible. Indeed, if a puzzle is not complete because of any missing piece, a true picture shall not be revealed. Acclaimed believers are not representing the word of God and that makes it difficult to see the picture of what God says in so many. Every written word is profitable if written word is thoroughly engaged.
Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” It is a command to love God. In the command, a standard of how to love is required. Loving God is not about how one feels God should be love. God is to be love with all heart, all soul and with all strength. According to instruction for loving God, do you love God?
Joseph could not demonstrate a partial love for God when he refused to violate God by sleeping with his master’s wife. The scripture recorded about Joseph and his master’s wife approach, “So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside,  that she caught him by his garment, saying, and “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.” (Genesis 39:10-12) The wife of Joseph’s master lied on Joseph and it landed Joseph in prison. Joseph stated the reason why he could not sleep with his master’s wife, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Joseph demonstrated what it means to love God with all his heart and it became profitable for Joseph because the bible stated, “…The Lord was with him; and whatever he did the Lord made it prosper.” (Genesis 39:22) Living by the word of God is what it means to love God with all our heart; all our soul and all our strength. It is not an impossible task. If it is impossible, God would not have commanded us to love with all.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of full obedience to God.