Faith Capsule: A failure to remain joyful is the evidence that the word of God does not remain in man.

Exodus 15

The Psalmist stated, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130) Jesus, the living word of God spoke, “…I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) The word of God is light and the source of joy. Jesus is the word of God. Do you have a place for the word to remain in you? Jesus was stated in His word, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) When His joy remains in you to fill you it becomes evident that you are a vessel of joy. The joy Jesus spoke to us about is only rooted in the word of God and not in the world we see. The joy Jesus spoke about is not triggered by what we see in the physical it is a joy that we see in the word. The joy Jesus spoke to us about believes God for what He has spoken regardless of the challenges brought by the world. Habakkuk 3:17-18 stated, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” The word of Habakkuk buttressed the need to remain joyful in the face of daunting challenge.
A failure to remain joyful is the evidence that the word of God does not remain in man. Ones that are without the word will know to complain. Complain is the source of rebellion. The Israelites, after having seen the mighty act of God’s hand that brought them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea they could to maintain joy. Being joyful supposed to keep them going and trusting God regardless of challenges. At the time they came out of Red Sea, they had a need for water; they were quick to complain because they were not full with joy. It is written, “…when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:23-24) Joy was not in the Israelites and they were quick to complain. After their complain, “they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.” (Exodus 15:27) Allow His spoken word to remain in you, be joyful; do not complain but know that your answer is closer.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you that His word remains in you.

Faith Capsule: Asking is a demonstration of faith.

Matthew 7

What God says He will do is a done deal for anyone that knows to engage His word faithfully. The Creative creator is true and cannot lie. Psalmist testified, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (Psalm 18:30) Proverbs 30:8 stated, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” The book of Hebrews 12:4 buttressed, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God was so sure about how His word is authentic when He stated, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) Considering the scriptural verses above, we are to wonder why it is so difficult for man to give self to the word of God.

Are you facing any challenge that seems to be bringing your world to a standstill? Is it a challenge that shuts all doors for breakthrough? The only prescription that was prescribed by the Eternal surgeon, the only One who reverses the irreversible is to ask. Asking without ceasing regardless of what the season offers is what Jesus meant for us. The book of Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Have you been asking or assuming? There is a difference in asking and assuming that Jesus knows. Asking is a demonstration of faith. Bartimaeus the blind man cried his entire cry, got Jesus’ attention despite the thronging crowd but did not ask what exactly he wanted from Jesus. Jesus knows our problem but He wants us to ask for what we want. Have you been asking or you have only been making noise? Jesus prompted the blind Bartimaeus to ask when He questioned him, “So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Luke 18:40-41) What do you want Jesus to do for you? Insist, persist and resist all that hinders receiving from Him.

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

Faith capsule: God’s command is not a suggestion but to be engaged.

1 Samuel 15

God alone is the Commanding commander. God’s command is not a suggestion but a must that must be done. God commanded Saul through Samuel, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” (1 Samuel 15:2-3) The message was a command not a suggestion, or an idea. Saul made a choice not to prosecute the command of God. Saul engaged disobedience not to fully carry out God’s command.
Saul went as commanded, “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” (1 Samuel 15:9) After carrying out part of the command, Samuel condemned Saul for his failure to fully obey as commanded by God. The bible recorded Saul’s response to Samuel, “…Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” (1 Samuel 15:13) Saul clearly disobeyed God. Saul’s excuse was to, “…Spared the best and Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”” (1 Samuel 15:15) Under heaven, there is no excuse that can prevail.
Are you having excuse for the consequence of disobedience to God’s word? Before God, Saul’s excuse does not go far before God, but it stopped him from going further in the hand according to God’s divine agenda for His life. As a believer, it is important to know that no excuse is a supplement that can complement any act of disobedience to the word of God. The best excuse documented in the pages of the bible was of Adam when God approached him for having eaten from the tree of life. Adam responded to God, “…The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”  (Genesis 3:12) Adam’s excuse was a reasonable one because he did not ask for a woman it was God that made Eve for him. However, every violation of God’s command is an avenue that complicates the journey of life. God’s command is not be compromised.

Prayer for today: Ask God for grace and mercy to walk in the line obedience to His command.

Lift Up Your Voice!

Faith Capsule: Are you shutting your mouth when you need to cry out?

1 Samuel 1

It is written concerning Jesus, “Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” (Luke 17:12-14) The lepers deny distance from denying them their miracle healing. The word stated that they stood afar. Do you trust God for a miracle breakthrough in any area of life? As a leper, law restricted their movement. What is it that is standing between you and your miracle when Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) As an acclaimed believer, let it be registered in you that the enemy cannot be more powerful. Jesus came and paid it all on the cross for us and we have to know to engage Him to possess the abundant life He brought to us.

The Ten Leper did not only devise a way to circumvent the law that restricted them from getting closer to Jesus but they also cried out loud. Are you shutting your mouth when you need to cry out? The word of God stated in Psalm 81:10, “I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Often time, confronting challenges demands opening mouth wide. When man makes the choice to remain quiet on a ground where help is available, man’s challenge will continue to embrace man. If you will know to open your mouth wide, God will not deny you His attention. The Ten Lepers could not be quiet but were loud when they lifted theirs voice and called for mercy.
The Psalmist suggested about how to receive from God when he stated, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help.” (Psalm 121:1) How are you calling on Him? Hannah must have been quiet to herself in her prayers while enduring provocation from Peninnah at the time she was barren. In one of her trip to Shiloh, as a result of provocation she received from Peninnah she cried to God like a drunkard.  Eli must have been seeing Hannah coming to Shiloh every year but the year of her breakthrough, she prayed like a drunkard and was mistaken for a drunkard by Eli. You do not have to afford affliction but resolve affliction by crying out in uncommon way.

Prayer for today: Ask God to incline His ear to your prayer.

Faith Capsule: Think about it, why are you not rejoicing always?

Philippians 1

Jesus, the living word of God is the only source of joy for man.
Jesus, In His speech to His disciples confirmed that His spoken word is the source of joy when He stated, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) After Jesus John, a disciple of Jesus could not be quiet but confirmed the word of Jesus stating, “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:4) Paul the apostle buttressed, “…Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:18)
Having joy through the word of God is the only source.
Think about it, why are you not rejoicing always? Is the word entering you? If yes, are you being filled by the word that is entering? Jesus wants the things He has spoken to remain in us so that our joy may be full.
It is important to know that fullness of joy grants access to God’s presence. Psalmist pointed out, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11) One must be joyful because the word He has spoken is true and it can never return back to Him void.
Has He promised and not do? One that is not rejoicing is the one with worrying in the world. One that have received the word and believe in the word shall have no place for worrying but rejoicing because He commanded, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33)
As one that claims to have accepted Christ as Lord and savior, one that is called according to purpose, what are the things staging challenges for you? What are the things that are causing you not to rejoice? Has the word not spoken that, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
In time of every challenging thing, why not engage the word knowing that it will eventually work together as promised in the word of God? If you allow the spoken word to fill you and become full of His word, joy and rejoicing shall be your portion regardless of challenging things of the world.

Prayer for today: Ask that the spoken word of God shall have place in you that your joy me be constant.