Faith Capsule: Are you agreeing with negative by seeing and confessing negative instead of positive?

Joshua 6

As an acclaimed believer, when every step in life is rooted in faith one is set to be a winner over one’s world. As an acclaimed believer how you see will determine how much you possess; how you talk will determine what answers for you; how you hear will determine what you receive. Indeed, faith is the power to propel and progress in the journey of life.
As an acclaimed believer, it is important to know that out of the abundance of the heart not only does the mouth speak but the eyes see. The book of Exodus 2:1-2 recorded, “And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi.  So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.” (Exodus 2:1-2) The child was born at a time when every other parent could not see beauty because of the killing of the Hebrew sons. The mother of Moses saw that he is beautiful and she could not present him as a victim of Pharaoh’s death sentence when she hid him for three months. As an acclaimed believer, one does not have to see things like others see. With faith, one can see deliverance in the place of destruction; one can see miracle in the place of obstacle; one can see motion in the place of stagnation.
When the Red Sea could not deny the children of Israel from getting to the Promised Land, Jericho attempted to deny them but failed. It is written, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.  And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” (Joshua 6:1-2) All that made the difference for the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua was that Joshua saw victory when it was yet at hand. Joshua had faith and Jericho failed to deny the Israelites.
The bible recorded, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) What are you saying concerning the challenges before you? In the face of negative are you agreeing with negative by confessing negative? It is important to know and constantly know to confess positive regardless of how much negative is written over challenges. The song says, “Let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am reach.” What is your confession? It is important to know and adapt to seeing and confessing positive in the place of negative knowing that God is committed to doing good and not evil.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of enablement to constantly see and say right even when challenges persist.

Faith Capsule: Busy engagement disconnects man from God but word engagement connects man to God.

Psalm 14, Luke 10:38-42

It is a great privilege to have Jesus welcomed into one’s house but it is not enough if one is occupied with busy engagement. It is written, “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.” (Luke 10:38-39)
Martha welcomed Jesus, but was engaged with unreasonably service and could not receive from Jesus. Any service that takes a believer from receiving whenever Jesus is in the house is evidently an unreasonable service. While Martha was busy serving Jesus, Mary busy receiving all that matters, all which could build her up. Mary committed herself to the word of God. Welcoming Jesus into one’s house without committing to the word of God can be compared to buying a land and not converting it to a building. The word was in the house but Martha was not committed to the word because of her busy engagement.
Apostle Paul recommended, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32) There is nothing wrong in serving the Lord, but so much is wrong when serving takes away the believer from receiving the word of God which builds man. Today many are busy serving in different areas but the word of God is not touching different areas of their lives. The bible recorded, “But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” (Luke 10:40) Martha recognized that her service was nothing but distraction was taking her away from what she needed to be getting from the Master. It is very possible that leaders can be impressed by service they observed in every server, but it is important to know that reasonable service counts more before the Master of all.
Martha realizing her deficit, decided to take her case to the Master, “And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.” (Luke 10:41) Worrying is not of the Lord; it is an evidence of anxiousness the opposite of worshiping the Lord. Jesus pointed out that Martha misplaced priority when He spoke to her, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42) Busy engagement shall surely take away man from God. However, the word of God that is good will take man to where God wants for man.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from whatever is taking you away from God consciously or unconsciously.

Faith Capsule: Do not be afraid, disallow fear from raiding you.

Exodus 14

Whenever fear invades, confusion and making wrong, destructive decisions prevails. The invasion of fear into the life of King Saul caused him to entertain fear that eventually terminated his journey to having a fulfilled life. What is it that is granting fear access into your life? As an acclaimed believer that claims to love God, you can hold on to the truth in the word just like the Psalmist did by calling on God, “Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your name.”(Psalm 119:132) Do you truly love His name? To love the name of God is to love God by obeying His command. In the mercy of God there is direction that keeps man from becoming a victim of taking wrong steps which disallow iniquity from having dominion over the life of man.
The book of 1 Samuel 28:4-5 documented the source of fear that derailed Saul in the track of living a fulfilled life to the glory of God stating, “Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.” Fear occupied because of what he saw. Are you looking in direction of a posing challenge or you have taken a position to only look up to God? King Saul paid attention to his confronting challenge and deny heaven from attending on his behalf.  Is there any reason for fear in your life today? Do not allow what you fear found you. Look up to God more through His word and deny fear. Job buttressed when he testified, “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.” (Job 3:25) What is causing fear in your life? If you will begin to ignore every source of fear and turn to giving God all your attention, your challenge shall not overcome you.
The Israelites were redirected from beholding their enemy when Moses charged them, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14) The word of God, the promise of God and the command of God yesterday is not different from today. Faith comes by hearing of the word and fear comes by denying the word of God. Pay attention to the word and your world will turn around for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask that every generating force of fear be permanently denied in your life.

Faith Capsule: Love is a costly sacrifice.

Genesis 22

1 John 5:3 stated, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.”Keeping God’s command is obeying and seeking God. It is sacrifice to keep His command and it means loving God. Sacrifice is not cheap but costly to give. King David once stated in 2 Samuel 24:24, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”” King David was responding to Araunah who had offered him a free land for sacrifice to God. The sacrifice was meant to deliver the children of Israel from death that was caused by David’s census. It was a clear demonstration of what a costly sacrifice before God should be. To consciously engage a costly sacrifice is a proven mark of love for God.
God did not just ask for love rather He gave us a standard of acceptable love when He stated in Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” To love God means to give Him our all. Those that gave Him all were able to live a fulfilled life and accomplish great exploits to the glory of God.
Abraham demonstrated his love obeying God. Abraham was seventy five years old when he was called out to unknown land and he left as commanded by God. Abraham’s strongest demonstration of his love for God emerged after the birth of his son Isaac. God said 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) God’s repeated emphasis on Isaac’s status to Abraham could not discourage Abraham. He loved God with all his heart when he followed through and obeyed the instructions of God. A three day journey to sacrificial ground was not enough to dissuade Abraham to change his love from God. Genesis 22:4 stated, “Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.”  Despite all, he continued because he loved God with all his strength.
Abraham love God with all his soul when he carried out the sacrifice in his heart. “Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” (Genesis 22:10) Abraham’s attempt called for heaven’s attention and the angel called on Abraham, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”(Genesis 22:12) Abraham feared God. To love God is to fear God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to know and to love God with all your being.

Faith Capsule: Loving God is fulfilling.

1John 3

Know God to love Him. The knowledge of God is to love and know Him. It is not possible to love God which you do not know. Loving God cannot happen without knowing God. No man is born with the knowledge of God. By His divine grace and spending time in the word of God is the major route to knowing Him. Determination to love God will only lead to one’s termination and failure in the journey of life. It was out of love for Jesus that made Peter determined and declared, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33) With the word of mouth, Peter declared his love for Jesus while he was determined to love Jesus with all his heart, strength, and soul. Often time word is easier said than done. Jesus by virtue of Him knowing man and all things said to Peter in His conversation with Peter, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” (Luke 22:34) Peter determined not to deny Jesus but he did just as it was predicted by Jesus. Determination will fail but when we prayerfully desire God will deposit.
God is not a slave master but a saving master who will not force Himself onto us to love Him. God is the one that will make us to love Him if we are willing to. He will also help us when we continually desire for Him. David desired for the Lord when he stated, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
Loving God is fulfilling. This what will happen to every believer that Love Him to fear Him by fully obeying His word and not just by the word of mouth, ““And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.” (Deuteronomy 28:13)
It is important to personalize Deuteronomy 30:6 and prayerfully engage it by meditating day and night as we go in all of our ways in the course of the days ahead of us by His grace, “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

Prayer for today: Ask God to circumcise your heart. Ask from the depth of your heart the grace to love God.