Faith Capsule: Are you one that only quotes word but not quickened to engage the word?

Genesis 39, Joshua 1

After the death of Moses, the Lord promised Joshua stating, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5) The promise of God was with condition. Often, acclaimed believers that hardly observe and engage the condition that triggers the manifestation of the promise of God claims the promise only by mouth. Any acclaimed believer that expects God not to leave him/her nor forsake him/her just as He promised Joshua must engage the condition given to Joshua as stated in Joshua 1:8, “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.” The word of God is God, meditating the word of God is carrying God along inside of you day and night. When carrying God in man is in place in the life of man, God is constantly in place. Are you one that only quotes word but not quickened to engage the word?
The life of Joseph depicts what it means for God to be with man and not forsake man day and night.
The bible recorded, “The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand.”(Genesis 39:2-3) The statement, “the Lord was with Joseph” was repeated two other times in the same chapter. The Lord was with Joseph and it was not hidden but visible enough for all that were around him to see it. Joseph became a light that could not be hidden but to shine. The reason why the Lord was with Him was because he feared God. The fear of God is only evident in one that meditates the word of God day and night. Joseph testified the fear of God that prevented him from yielding to the attempt of his master’s wife to lie with him stating, “There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9-10) Joseph’s word is the word of one that meditates on the word of God day and night. The Lord was with him and he was not forsaken. He was prosperous regardless of challenges on his way.

Prayer for today: Ask God to add onto you the grace of meditating on His word constantly.

Faith Capsule: Going to inquire from God is separating to God for direction.

1 Samuel23:1-13, 2 Samuel 5:17-25

When it was reported to David that the Philistines were fighting against the Keilah, David inquired of the Lord saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.” (1 Samuel 23:2) Inquiring from God is separating to God for direction. Inquiring from God demonstrates one’s reliance on God’s assurance and it gives jealous God His desired attention. Often times getting a confirmed assurance from God get exposed to doubt by virtue of surrounding multitudes. In your assurance, are you beginning to have a doubt concerning your assurance from God? When David inquired of the Lord for assurance to go against the Philistines, the multitudes (David’s men) surrounding injected doubt into David’s assurance. The bible recorded, “But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”” (1Samuel 23:3) David could not succumb to his men’s doubt but responded to his men’s discouragement as stated in 1Samuel 23:4-5, “Then David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”  And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.” Is your assurance from God experiencing a doubt? It is never too much to repeatedly go back to God for reassurance or confirmation.
David’s other encounter with the Philistines called for him to repeatedly inquire of the Lord. After David was anointed king over Israel, “The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.” (2 Samuel 5:18-19) David went as commanded by God and victory answered on his behalf. In this victory, the enemies of David resurrected again. The bible stated it that the Philistines went up once again.  David could not assume but resumed to inquire from God again. It is written, “Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees.” (2 Samuel 5:23) Going to inquire from God is separating self to God. It is important to note that David’s first separation to God did not deliver same direction as it was in his second separation. This points out that; yesterday’s separation to God is not enough for today. Separate daily to God for your daily engagements.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to always separate onto God for every engagement.

Faith Capsule: God’s mercy does not run out but it is consistently available.

Psalm 136, Luke 9:10-17

Psalmist declared, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1) The mercy of God is endless; He does not run out of mercy. Having life is never on merit but by virtue of His mercy. Regardless of situation or location, it is the character of Jesus, not to look away from His children and send them empty. God’s love for us is indeed, and in truth, beyond our comprehension. His love is His grace; an endless mercy. God’s mercy does not run out but it is consistently available. Can it be imagined of Jesus, in a deserted place, to send away a multitude that had been thronging on Him all day because of lack? When Jesus was on the face of earth He did not send His own away empty, and He will not do it now.
Once, in a deserted area, the multitude was to be let go emptily. When it was brought to the attention of Jesus, He responded to the disciples, “…You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.”” (Luke 9:13) Jesus would not let them go empty because they went to Him. He will not let you go empty as long as you keep going to Him. The disciples were concerned because there was not enough to feed five thousand, but with Jesus there is always more than enough, because in Him there is abundance. The disciples told Jesus “For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” (Luke 9:14) Jesus, knowing that there was nothing; and having the power to deny impossibility regardless of location or any other force of hindrance went ahead and gave His word of command. He commanded how the people were to be seated, while provision was not yet visible in the physical.
Are you one that is experiencing deserted situation? Does your situation seem to be unresolvable? Trust in the might of His power by following strictly His word of command. The Bible recorded that the people sat down as He had commanded. The multitude sat down in obedience to His command expecting, “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.” (Luke 9:16-17) He is not an empty God; He will not forsake you if His command is not forsaken. As a believer, taking a seat of obedience is engaging the blessings of His goodness and mercy.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to always hear and know to respond to His command.

Faith Capsule: He shall perform regardless of how long it takes.

Ezekiel 37

Ezekiel testified about God’s conversation with him, “Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” (Ezekiel 37:1-3) Ezekiel gave the right answer but God promised to give life to the dry bone and caused Ezekiel to know that He is Lord. God does not need to prove Himself to no man. The point to take out of this is that if He has spoken into to your life, He shall perform it regardless of how long it takes.
The mountain that was before David was created by King Saul in attempt to deny David where the Lord was taking David. After the death of Saul, David eventually became the king just as the Lord had planned for him to be. The book of 2 Samuel 5:1-3 recorded, “Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, ‘Indeed we are your bone and your flesh.  Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’’ Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel.” King David was anointed the third time. The first time was when Samuel anointed David, the second time was his rule over Judah and the third was his rule over the whole nation. The word of God came to pass in the life of David because God has never failed. All that the Lord has spoken into your life for your breakthrough shall not fail but will come to pass to the glory of God. In spite of his challenges when the appointed time was there, nothing could possible relocate David out of God’s divine agenda for David.
It is written, “David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.” (2 Samuel 5:4-5) It is important to note it and know that the time David spent in running and hiding for his life by the hand of Saul was nothing to compare with the years that he spent reigning and ruling as God ordained. The mountain that refuses to fall for you shall fall flat and all your pain shall be converted to gain.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to keep on keeping on by trusting God for your appointed time.

Faith Capsule: Abide in Him and ride on the higher ground by living heaven on earth.

John 15

Is it your desire to abide in Jesus? When there is desire in place God will deposit one’s desire. Desire to abide in Jesus and undeniable blessings shall become a manifestation in one who desires.
When one abides in Him:
–Abiding in Him is taking to a position of becoming a fruitful believer. Jesus admonished, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)
–A believer that sets sight on getting result as desired must abide in Him. As believer whose desire is to be seeing the manifestation of His desire such must abide in Him. John 15:7 recorded, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Abide in Him and become a result achieving believer.
–It is an error to be claiming love for God when one does not love the brother that is constantly before him. Loving your brother is the evidence of abiding in Him. 1 John 2:10 stated, “He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” A believer that loves his brother abides in Him and such is set to not know stumbling in the journey of life.
–Doing the will of God is abiding in Him. Abiding in Him is a ticket to eternal life. 1 John2:17 buttressed, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Ones that abide in Him are carrier of His Spirit. 1 John 4:13 confirmed, “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” The Spirit of God in man is the presence of God in man. Evidently, ones that carry His Spirit do have God in them and them in God. (1 John 4:15) Having God abide in man is the ultimate. Having God abide in man is what settles man on earth to live a fulfilled life. Also, it is what makes a man to be set for eternal life with God.
Loving according to God’s standard is all that set man for God, with God and in God. Clearly, loving as commanded by God is not a word of mouth but loving in truth and in deed. 1 John 3:18 buttressed, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but indeed and in truth.” Meditate on the truth of the word which commands us not to love in word or in tongue and be able to observe and do as commanded.

Prayer for today: Ask against the forces of hindrance that denies man from abiding in Him.