Faith Capsule: Along the way, one should not just take any way because not all ways will  lead one somewhere.

Exodus 33

The book of Proverbs 14:12 states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” The way that seems right is potentially a dangerous way; the way that seems right is not a confirmed way and it is possibly a guessing way. The way that seems right does not always have life in its end but death. Avoiding a way that seems right is engaging the way of God. There is nothing to lose anytime we engage God in prayer for direction before taking to steps of life. In life, every decision demands a direction that should lead to successful ending. The only possible way of getting to a successful ending is inside of God’s direction. It was clear that God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years to the Promised Land but it was not liberty for Moses to take to his own way. On the way, one should not just take any way because not all ways will lead one somewhere.
Despite God’s calling of Moses as the shepherd, he could not make a move without asking God for His way. He did not assume any way as being the right way. Moses always asked God for direction. The book of Exodus 33:13 documented, “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 the ability to know God. The way of God is encased the grace of God. The way of God is the way of going up from where you are now but not going down. In the way of God there is an unfailing promise to be delivered. The way of God is the way out of bondage. The way of God delivers victory at all avenues of life. In the way of God, everything   it takes not to be replaced by the enemy is in place. The only condition is to ask and know how to endure the challenges of the giants along the way. The failure to ask or to hear as directed is the avenue to self-destruction. God responded to Moses’ request for direction in 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 engage His word, His word will have a place in you. You will be in the right place as you engage your journey. Take to the word of God for direction

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to know and constantly turn to Him for direction; ask God to deliver you from taking any way that seems right to you.

Faith Capsule: A believer that is full of word should be full of joy.

Philippians 4

Joy and rejoicing should be the identity of a true believer, a believer that is full with the word of God. A believer that truly knows God, a believer that worships Him in the spirit shall be one that knows to maintain joy. The book of Philippians buttressed, “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3) Also, rejoicing in Him regardless of any confronting situation is the evidence of trusting God that does not fail. One that is full of self cannot possibly have a space for the Word of God. To be full of the word of God is to be full of God. Without doubt, a believer that is full of word should be full of joy. God spoke in Joshua 8:1, “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.” One that meditates on the word of God as commanded by God should carry God’s word and be joyful. The word of God is full of promises that are set to become manifested if man gives self to the condition of His promises. It is important to believe that the word of God (promises of God) cannot fail, locate God’s promise concerning your challenge, believe that your situation is solved while it is yet unsolved and keep rejoicing.

Habakkuk 3:17 documented a confronting situation “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.” The situation documented is not one that anyone would not like to be in. It can be compared to having a place in the depth of a valley where there seems to be no way out, and no end in sight as to when the time of rising and climbing out of the depth of valley. There is no one that wants to plant a tree without yielding fruit. Regardless of the situation, Habakkuk 3:18 testified, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Allow the testimonies of God to fill you that you may be full of joy and rejoicing as emphasized by Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you with the spirit of rejoicing in every area of your life.

Faith Capsule: Maintaining zeal for God is to keep hot love for God.

Numbers 25, John 2:13-22

The level of a believer’s zeal is the driving force in how a believer seeks God. Invariably, how much you seek God will determine how much you can see in Him. Seeking God casually will not deliver same result compared to seeking Him zealously. Zealousness for God is a proof of man’s love God. Zealousness for God draws man to God. James 4:8 buttressed, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Zeal that is rooted in understanding and knowledge of God shall be fired up by revelation while producing result that is not of this world. Maintaining zeal for God is to keep hot love for God. The word of God that is fire is the source of maintaining hot love. (Jeremiah 23:29) Love that is not hot will grow cold because of the wickedness of the world. With cold love zealousness becomes punctured.
In Jesus, we see what it means to be zealous for the course of the kingdom’s business. The bible recorded, “Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” (John 2:13-17) The action of Jesus is a demonstration of Zeal for God. In Jesus’s action we see a principle of fighting a good course for God’s glory. Phinehas the son of Eleazar demonstrated zeal for God.
While on the journey to the Promised Land, the children of Israel provoked the anger of the Lord by joining to Baal of Peor while they were facing the wrath for their sin, “…Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.” (Numbers 25:7-8)  The zealousness in Phinehas made him to see wrong act against God; it caused him to rise up and not be a part of the congregation that silently accommodated wickedness. His action provoked God’s blessing upon his life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the zeal of God to eat you up.

Faith Capsule: Faith is acting out the word of God that is heard.

Mark 2:1-12

Are you giving God the kind of attention that provokes the hand of God in your favor?
How is your action communicating you request before God?
A wise saying stated, “Action speaks louder than voice”
The story of Hannah testified to the truth that action speaks louder than voice.
Hannah was barren because the Lord closed her womb. (2 Samuel 1:5) During one of her trip to Shiloh, her action caught the attention of Eli. The bible recorded, “And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth.  Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.” (1 Samuel 1:12-13)
Hannah’s action caught Eli’s attention which provoked blessing that caused heaven to open up her womb. Hannah’s action spoke loudly more than her voice while she was asking, seeking and knocking just as commanded in Matthew 7:7.
Our action is what God weighs as testified in (2Samuel2:3)
Commanding heaven’s attention is not in how loud we communicate in prayer. (This not saying it is wrong to pray out loud) Commanding heaven’s attention is encased in how heart connects with God. Hannah spoke in her heart. Are you speaking from the mouth to impress man?
Our action is the evidence of our faith. The men that tore the roof top at where Jesus ministered in Capernaum acted their faith and healing was instantly provoked. It is written, “And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.” (Mark 2:1-4) A roof tearing faith will no doubt get heaven’s attention.
The Bible recorded Jesus’ response, “When Jesus saw their faith; He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you” (Mark 2:5).
Jesus saw their faith. Undeniably, faith is what we see because faith is an action. Faith is acting out the word of God that is heard.
The word of God is the testimony of God. Psalmist stated, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!” (Psalm 119:2) One that keeps His testimony will know to be persistent by giving God all the attention knowing from God’s testimony that God is able to do more abundantly. Give God all your attention and He shall attend to you.

Payer for today: Ask God for the grace to know and become heaven provoker.

Faith Capsule: Saul took to a dark avenue but God showed up with light.

Acts 9

When time is up for man to be arrested by God for the calling upon man’s life, there is not going to be anywhere to run or hide. If you have been marked for God’s assignment, no amount of running or hiding shall be enough to keep you away from answering to God.
Saul wanted to go and persecute believer when he came under the arrest of God. The bible recorded Saul’s purpose, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”(Acts 9:1-2)
Saul (Apostle Paul) purposed evil but God disposed his evil agenda when he came under the arrest of Jesus.
Saul took to a dark avenue but God showed up with light. He was arrested by a shining light. It is written, “As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.” (Acts 9:3) The light that shone around Saul brought him down and opened up his ears and he heard the Word. Saul responded to the light of God, “And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” 6 So he trembling and astonished said, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’”  (Acts 9:5-6)  
By virtue of the light, Saul’s lifetime journey was rerouted. Saul had his name changed from Saul to Paul. Above all, from the moment the light shone on him, he was empowered to live his remaining life under unfailing light of God. With the light on him, he never had a misstep in the calling that was laid upon his life. In Paul’s life, no darkness could harass or threaten him without him overcoming them. The light that brought Saul out from darkness gave him new spiritual eyesight. The light became Paul’s compass as he operated heaven on earth through the remaining of his life.
Are you running from God’s calling? Under heaven, it is impossible for darkness to deny light from exposing it. If God is calling you, know that He will catch up with you. It is time for man to stop running from the calling upon man’s life. It is encouraging to know that faithful is He that calls; He shall not fail to back the called ones up. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Prayer for today: Ask for light of God to shine on you that you may fully answer to His calling upon your life.