FAITH CAPSULE: Counting your blessings instead of complaining provokes more of His blessings.

Numbers 14

Are you counting or are you complaining? Counting blessings is praising Him for what He has done to provoke more of His doing. Complaining will complicate man’s journey.  Regardless of what your challenges are, it is important to see it in the word of God that the Lord is more than able to see you through. Begin to see it that the One who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters (Psalm 114:8) is more than able to turn around your story above and beyond your expectation. See it that God that does not slumber nor sleep but He is awake and mindful of you in your challenging situation. It is important to know for sure that complaining does not settle well before God. Complaining is sin and God will not overlook sin. God did not overlook the complaint of the children of Israel against Him. Assuredly, your complaint against God shall get His attention. The Israelites complaint turned the journey of eleven days to the journey of forty years. The Israelites complaint caused them to wander in the   wilderness when they supposed to be a wonder to their world.
If you will see the wonders of God in the word of God you will do exploit to God’s glory. The time of the year is not evidence that God’s visitation for your breakthrough has expired. Have you been complaining in any way which you have taken? The Israelites took to the way of wilderness which supposed to be a passage for them to pass through but they ended up living their life in the wilderness. The complaining of the generation that came out of Egypt caused them to live, to wandered and died in their wilderness journey. Have you seen any of His acts in your life? The book of Numbers 14:22-23 documented, “Because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.” It is worthy to stop complaint and start counting God’s blessing by identifying each of His blessings. See what God has done and it will enable you to see through what He will do.  Can you count and see your blessings this year?

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from complaint. Ask for the grace to constantly count His blessing.

FAITH CAPSULE: The Israelites saw fear, spoke negative, and were terminated.

Exodus 14

Undeniable manifestation of miracles brought out the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years yet they could not see deliverance in their journey to the Promised Land. At a point in their journey Pharaoh approached the Israelites in attempt to return them back to where the Lord God delivered them from. It is written, “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10) The Israelites could not see in the word of promise that was delivered to them by God, through Moses. As a result of their disability not to see in God’s promise, they saw the Egyptians that were after them. What you see is going to have a direct effect on what you think and what you say. The Israelites saw fear and spoke negative. The Bible recorded their response, “Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? ¹² Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:11-12) The Israelites saw it wrongly and said it wrong as a result they ended up wrongly.

After having been brought this far in life; after having witnessed the grace of God in many areas of your life, why is it so difficult to see that God alone is in control? Have you taken your eyes away from what God said and what He is saying to you through the pages of the Bible? Whatever a man beholds will eventually hold man down in the journey of life. Moses knew exactly the cause for the negative confession of the Israelites and he responded stating, “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.” When there is no clarity of sight it is certain that misjudgment will take place, confusion will bring forth complaint and rebellion will gain ground. Just as Moses lived through his journey meditating day and night, you also should meditate on the word of God day and night. Meditating will cause you to know that God is with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5-6) With meditation there will be clarity of sight. See in your new season that God shall favor you.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to constantly engage in meditating the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Ability to see in what God says is a direct effect to possessing His promise.

Deuteronomy 1

It is interesting how God’s promises for His children in the pages of the bible are well laid while His children languishes and not able to see and possess those promises. To be able to see in the promises is the provoking force which will generate a move in direction of possessing the promise of God. God promised the Israelites a land that flows with milk and honey (Promised Land). At a point in time, during their journey from the bondage of over four hundred years they made the choice to dwell too long at Horeb. Dwelling too long, away from the promise of God for a man’s life is a terminating force that denies man from God’s promise.
As a result of the Israelite dwelling too long, God sent Moses to the Israelites stating, “The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain.  Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land…” (Deuteronomy 1:6-8)
In the word of God, there was a need for the Israelites to see in the promise of God that the Promised Land was set for them. The Israelites should not have had any reason for doubt but to move forward and possess God’s promise. The Israelites proved short-sightedness by not moving forward but rather went forward with a spying mission. Moses testified, “Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.” (Deuteronomy 1:22) The Israelites wanted to possess the land by seeing the world around them before seeing and engaging the word of God. It was a demonstration that they wanted to make sure God knows what He was talking about when He asked them to move forward. Evidently, the Israelites could not see as commanded by God. Ability to see in what God says is a direct effect to possessing His promise. Month after months you continue to dwell at the same ground. Could it be you are not able to see in the promises of God for you? It is time to ask for clarity of sight that you may see in God’s word and be able to move and possess His promise for you.

Prayer for today: Ask God that the new month shall be your month of clarity of sight. You shall see in His word what it takes to move from mockery into miracle and possess His package for your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Calling on His name is the same as running to His name.

2 Samuel 22

Those who know to call on God must know to be persistent in waiting for His response. To be persistent in waiting is to know and not lose heart when waiting on God. In the Parable of The Persistent Widow Jesus spoke a parable that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. (Luke18:1-8) God does not go by our own timing but by His appointed time. It is certain to get answer when we call and wait on Him. Isaiah 64:4 stated better, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” Call on Him in the day or in the night He is not too busy to ignore your calling on Him if you are not too busy not to wait in your calling. He is worthy of our praise, He is the Creator and there is none like Him.
David said, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (2 Samuel 22:4) David was not entertaining with words but he was gaining entrance into the court of God. David was gaining entrance into the presence of God through praise because it is praise that grants access into His court. Psalm 100:4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Thanksgiving will get you to the gate and praise will get you into the court. David wanted to get to the court when He declared praise worship for His salvation from his enemies. Praise that is driven by joy, not just mouthful praise, but praise from the heart is what will get you to His court.

Calling on His name is the same as running to His name. The book of Proverbs pointed it out stating, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)  Are you one that knows that indeed His name is a mighty tower? God is true to His word if we are true and not withdraw from obeying His word. We serve the God that answers. He is the same yesterday and forever. He has so many names which no other god shares because He alone is the great God. It is written, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”(Romans 10:13)  Give God a call and receive your package of salvation and deliverance. Remember, God is not a partial God and Romans 2:11 confirms, “For there is no partiality with God.”.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to know to call on Him and be patient enough to hear from God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Whatever He says do without questioning Him.

John 2:1-12

It is written, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)Obeying God’s word is taken step not to despise God. To disobey what the word is saying is to be setting one up for destruction. Proverbs 13:13 stated, “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” Engaging God’s command will save life. Also, it is the evidence of trusting in God and what He can do. Obeying the word of God is what marks man as being faithful. Are you constantly obeying the Word of God?
John 2:1-2 stated, “…there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.” A wedding with Jesus as a guest of honor is set not to be harassed by shame. Have you invited Jesus into your marriage or your life? Despite the fact that Jesus was there, shame showed up at the wedding to discolor the wedding when there was no more wine to serve. At that wedding in Cana of Galilee, the mother of Jesus approached Jesus for intervention that would save the wedding celebration from shame for lack of wine. Jesus responded to His mother’s call for intervention, “…Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4) Jesus’ response was not discouraging to the mother of Jesus. She rather encouraged the servants at the wedding with her response in John 2:5. “His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” What is in the word of God that is missing in your situation because of your disobedience?
If you will take an honest search within yourself, there is a step out of your situation by obeying what He has said to you in His word. John 2:7, “Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.” The servants were obedient by doing exactly what Jesus instructed them. Can you state with confidence that you are doing all according to His word (His commands)? Jesus commanded them to fill all the empty gallons of wine while there was nothing to show for. Disciples did not question His command as they filled the waterpots to the brink. As a result of the disciple’s obedience, the wedding took a new turn. Be obedient to God’s word and Let His command rule in every area of your life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be constantly obedient to His command.