FAITH CAPSULE: Sincere desire overcomes hindrances’ attempt to deny.

Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus meaning pure, desired to see Jesus. With pure and sincere heart, he took charge to go after the desire of his heart and grace answered on his behalf when he eventually received Jesus into his house. Zacchaeus’ desire to see Jesus overcame hindrances that were in place to deny him the desire of his heart. Among Zacchaeus’ hindrances were his profession as a tax collector and his height. A tax collector was not characteristically the kind of person who went out of his way in order to see and have encounter with Jesus. Zacchaeus demonstrated that man’s way of living life is not enough to deny man from ultimately engaging and achieving desire to have Jesus into their life. Despite Zacchaeus’ short stature in the midst of crowd, his desire elevated him to position him where he could not be denied of his desire to see Jesus.
What are the challenge or the challenges that are standing your way from seeing Jesus and having him entered into your house? Despite Zacchaeus’ hindrances, the Bible says in Luke 19:4, “So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” Zacchaeus is an example of someone that knew what he wanted, and how to get what he wanted from the Lord and Savior. Zacchaeus could have run ahead and stayed in the front line of the crowd. However, he took no chance when he decided to run and climb into a sycamore tree. It can be extra difficult for a short man to climb into a tree, but the purity and sincerity of Zacchaeus’ heart to see who Jesus was energized him to go all the way for his desire.
Are you taking charge and not allowing any hindrance denies you of your desire to have a life changing encounter with Jesus? The apostle Paul declared that, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”(1 Corinthians 15:10)  When there is a desire to receive Jesus, grace will deposit what it takes for desire to become manifested. Also, labor is what it takes, not laziness to go the extra mile in getting desires deposited in the life of a believer. Zacchaeus did not labor in vain because Jesus noticed him. And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.”(Luke 19:9) Indeed and in truth, Zacchaeus whose name means pure lived up to the meaning of his name. It is written, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) Zacchaeus did not just see Jesus, but received Jesus into his house because he sought him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of sincere desire of having Jesus come into your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Answer God by simply asking for direction of how to go for God’s command.

1Samuel 16:1-13

God is the Great I AM that I AM. He is the only true God that dwells in an unapproachable light. He alone does not sleep nor slumber. In all His word, He is true to perform and He perfects that which He performs. There is none that directs like our God. Despite our inconsistency walking in line with His word, He remains consistently merciful. Knowing to trust in God and to fear His mighty name is to know and ask for direction regardless of any challenge. Jesus declared in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.”  What He said to one speaks to all. Often times, instead of asking as commanded by God man turns to fear, complaining or giving God excuses.
Samuel was sent by God to go and anoint David as the new king while King Saul was still the reigning and active king over the people. The Bible recorded, “Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”  And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it he will kill me.”(1 Samuel 16:1-2) But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’”  In the eyes and ears of man it was a dangerous command for Samuel to go and anoint David while Saul was still alive as king.

Samuel could have responded by fearing for his life. Samuel did not give any excuse or reason to God not to go. Samuel responded to God by simply asking for direction of how to go for God’s command. Samuel asked God saying, “How can I go” Samuel knew his God as the Master in charge of all and he was not going to question God’s command. Are you questioning His command? Knowing what God says and not doing it is an indirect way of questioning His authority. Samuel asked about how to go. Asking, seeking and knocking as commanded by Jesus are not limited to asking for our need or what we want God to do for us. Asking God is extended to seeking for direction when the calling or command seems unreasonable in our own understanding. Do you have any doubt in responding to His calling in your life? Complaining instead of asking will move God’s hand against man. God is a faithful God; He will not fail you when you ask.

Prayer for today: Ask God to teach you in His way and unite your heart to fear Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: In the place of complaining, compliment God by praising and worshiping Him.

Numbers 14

Complain begets the act of rebellion. Giving to Complaint will complicate the journey of life. The Israelites could not do without complaining right from the moment they were set for the journey to the Promised Land. Complaining was a pattern in their life. When negativity becomes a pattern in any journey of life, man is set to be paralyzed in journey. The truth is that God is true to perform and perfect His word as a result; there should be no reason for complaint but to faithfully wait on God. The Bible recorded in Exodus 15:23-25 “Now 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?”  So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.” Have you got to Marah in your journey? If you are not yet at your Marah in the course of your journey you will surely get there. Marah is the ground where it is better not to complain during any experience of lack. Your Marah will be a place to pay attention to avoid temptation of complaint.
The children could not hold against complaining when there was no water to drink. The Israelites after their complaints, they did not travel far when, “… 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) Their complaint is the evidence of lack of focus on what God has done and what God can do. Complaining breeds discouragement. Do not be discouraged at your Marah because your Elim (your ground of abundance) is not far from where you are. God will make you up for His glory.
Through their journey compliant was consistent until their journey was terminated. Pharaoh and his chariot could not offset the promise of God over their life; The Red Sea could not overcome them; Jericho failed and fell for them to advance in their journey but in their complaint they confessed negative and their journey was terminated.  Numbers 14:2-4, “And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt…” All manner of complaint came out their mouth and God responded in Numbers 14:28, “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.”   

Prayer for today: Ask for deliverance from the spirit of complaint.

FAITH CAPSULE: Many words will no doubt cause trouble.

Genesis 22

God called and spoke to Abraham, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Genesis 22:2) Abraham’s only son, whom he loves, was requested for as burnt offering by the One that was and that is in position to give and to take away as He pleases. Without questioning God, Abraham engaged his calling to sacrifice his son. As if it was not challenging enough to respond to God’s command for sacrifice, the journey to the center of sacrifice (the land of Moriah) was three days. Imagine how nagging it must have been in the mind of Abraham for not knowing the exact location and having to travel for three days. The bible recorded, “Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.” (Genesis 22:4) It must have been the longest three days of his life and yet there was no record of complaint. With complaint, Abraham could have made it the longest three day journey. Abraham kept quiet and kept the journey short. The Israelites’ could not keep quiet to keep their journey short. The Israelites Complaint converted eleven days journey to forty years journey. The book of Deuteronomy 1:2-3 testified, “It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.  Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments to them.”
Eleven days journey turned out to be forty years journey because the Israelites could not resist from complaint against God’s ordained journey. Many words will no doubt cause trouble. The Bible discourages many words when it commanded. “…let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” (James 1:19) Abraham kept his cool and focused on God’s command. It must have been difficult and challenging journey for him yet he kept on going through without complaint. Abraham, free of complaint, relegated distraction and elevated his focus on God. He gave a reasonable sacrifice unto God. By virtue of his commitment, God declared him as one who feared Him. Abraham released Isaac unto God in each step of his response. He demonstrated that he loved God with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his strength. There is a beginning and an end when a call of sacrifice comes our way. It has to be carried out to the end. Obedience does not require a half heart; it requires whole heart (to wholly follow God’s command).

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of total obedience to His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is not enough to know about God but to know Him and be encouraged to engage Him.

Matthew 8:1-17, Luke 18:1-8

Be encouraged to engage Him for your miracle because He cares. God is the same yesterday and forever. He has never changed and that is why He alone is the unchanging changer. Deuteronomy 10:17 described God, “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. God is not a partial God but He is persistent in His caring for those who care to wait on Him.” Indeed it is how much you know Him (not how much you know about Him) that will determine how you seek Him for His visitation in any area you are looking up to Him for answer to your question.
Unquestionably He alone is God that visits man because He is mindful of man. Have you stopped calling on Him when it seems your answer is being delayed? Jesus, in the Parable of the persistent widow encouraged us that that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. (Luke 18) To stop praying while you are yet to get answer is the evidence of a shutdown faith.
Keep on calling and asking, God alone sees all and hears all at the same time. If you will be persistent in looking up with hope answer shall come for you. God will not look away from you. He will touch you just as He touched the leper that went to Him in Matthew 8:2-3, “And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Look up to Him in your heart knowing fully well that there is no limitation as to how He works. In the same chapter, it is written that through touching, Peter’s mother-in-law was free from the sickness of fever. Matthew 8:14-15, “Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.” The word of God encourages us to put Him in remembrance (Isaiah 43:26). Today, look up to Him and remind Him concerning the miracle that is encased in His touching and trust Him to touch you. God is still visiting and caring for His children. It is not enough to know about God but to know Him and be encouraged to engage Him for His healing touch. God is a faithful God to perform and perfect.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His touch of healing, deliverance and preservation.