FAITH CAPSULE: Give yourself to pleasing God, be committed and remain connected.

Numbers 32

Commitment is to bind to law or to consign to a position. In life, every time we consigned to others negative opinion we withdraw our commitment to engage that which is positive. As an acclaimed believer do you compromise what God commanded or you are committed to His command?  The Israelites could not commit to God’s promise when they withdraw to that which they considered convenient.
The Children of Gad and Reuben were set to settle for East side of the Jordan when God wanted them to cross the Jordan and establish them. They wanted the convenience of East side of the Jordan.
Numbers 32: 1-7 documented, “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock,  the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, the country which the Lord defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”  Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.” And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?  Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?” God promised land that flows with milk and honey but they wanted to settle for land with milk. The bible stated it that the children of Gad had a great multitude of livestock and when they recognized that the region was good for livestock (the source of milk) their commitment to go forward and engage the full promise of God for the land with milk honey suffered.
The request of the children of Gad was a discouragement to their brethren from going forward. Moses compared the request to same as the spy’s report at Kadesh Barnea when the children of Israel were discouraged (except for Caleb and Joshua). The discouragement led to complaint and they were terminated in the wilderness. In that action God’s anger was provoked. (Numbers 32:10-12) One that is not committed cannot continue in the journey of life where challenges constantly challenge. Commitment is not convenient, it is a sacrifice. One that is not committed will compromise the word of God. Also, one that is not committed to the word of God will doubt, doubt breeds fear and fear relegates faith. The Bible says without faith God is not pleased. (Hebrews 11:6) Give yourself to pleasing God, be committed and remain connected.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be committed to God.

FAITH CAPSULE: is to make a dishonorable or shameful concession.

1 Samuel 2:12-36

Compromise will corrupt man’s journey in life because it violate man before God. It is demonstration of lack fear of God for man to embrace evil. As an acclaimed believer, do you not know that, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13) To embrace evil is a self-disengagement from God. If a man will consciously and consistently despise evil and not admire what is evil based.
Are you one that settles for what is not acceptable before God? When you are carried along where you suppose to refuse or disagree against act of ungodliness you positioned yourself to become corrupted.
The bible recorded about the corruption of the sons of Eli in 1 Samuel 2:12-15, “Now the sons of Eli were corrupt;they did not know the Lord.  And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.  Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.” They did not know God but they actively engaged themselves in the sacrifices which they should not be part of. Eli knew about their evil acts but did not restrain them. Refrain from evil acts by refusing to embrace it. 1 Samuel 2:17 recorded that their sin (sons of Eli) was great before the Lord. There was no one to stop the evil acts of the sons of Eli.
When God called on Samuel, at a young age, God identified to Samuel the sin and judgment of Eli stating, “In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. ¹³ For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.” (1 Samuel 3:12-13) When man is position to act against evil and failed to act, the failure not to act will count against man and corrupt man’s destiny. Come out of all the evil which you know about; refrain from being carried along if you cannot correct it. Eli compromised and his destiny was corrupted.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to be a victim of the spirit that causes man to compromise with any form of evil.

FAITH CAPSULE: It can take longer or shorter than expected when there is a need to wait for God’s intervention.

Psalm 40

Jesus was sharing the Parable of the Persistent Widow when he stated, “…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:18) In the parable, He was pointing out the need to be persistent which demands waiting on God even when answer seems to be impossible.
To be waiting on God is evidence of having faith. You can only obey God when you believe Him. Man’s believe in God is demonstrated by waiting on Him. Ones that are able to obey, believe and wait are the faithful ones. All that it takes to identify what it means to believe, obey and wait is encased in the life of Abraham. Hebrews 11: 8-10 testified, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.  By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” As it is clear in the verses, Abraham is a faithful one: By faith Abraham obeyed; by faith he dwelt in the land of promise. He demonstrated his faith (believe) by waiting.
Are you waiting on God concerning any area of life? Waiting on God is timeless. It can take longer than expected or shorter than expected when there is a need to wait for God’s intervention or when we are waiting to hear from God. The waiting that takes “Mr. A” a short time before getting answer can take “Mr. B” a longer time to get his answer from God. One thing is certain, where there is a waiting before God none can wait and become wasted. God never fail because time is in His hand and He can answer at the first hour or at the eleventh hour. Although man controls his own clock but God is God and no one controls the timing of God.
David testified in Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.” King David, in his waiting, it is evident that he kept on praying when he stated, “But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of Your salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink…” (Psalm 69:13-14) Prayer and expectation is the anchor of waiting and David demonstrated it. Wait patiently, He will answer you.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you that your faith will not fail.

FAITH CAPSULE: Live your life to present yourself as a representative of Christ.

Luke 10:29-37

An acclaimed believer of Christ that does not represent Christ is an ordained deceiver. In the church lying, deceiving and manipulation is not a strange act. As an acclaimed believer, have you fallen into such act? Going to church is not a ticket to heaven. Many are on the right track but remained trapped. Think of it, no one shall miss heaven and miss hell. To miss heaven is to gain hell. God is a good God with provision for no man to perish but man takes to every perishable avenue. John 3:16 buttressed, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Are you engaging the task He came for or you are representing Him by answering to titles you answer to”?
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, a priest and a Levite were in position to present and represent Christ by virtue of their title. They were in position to present Christ in their way of living life, but they failed while a sinner like and citizen of a sinful nation could not pass by without presenting Christ by representing Him.

Luke 10:30-33 documented, “…A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” How often have you been passing by on the other side instead of presenting and representing Christ? The Christ that we claim to be representing is a compassionate One; He is not One that only flourishes by answering to title; He is One that will not ignore the needy ones. There is no excuse that counts; neither is there any excuse that is excuse-able before the Almighty God. It is worth it to call on God and ask Him for the grace to faithfully answer to living life as a believer of Christ. Going to church can deceive man, answering to titles can possibly become a way of manipulating others but God cannot be deceived nor be manipulated. Let us run this race with a mark that glorifies our Lord and Savior. Look around! There is always a waiting list in our passing whereby there is a need for a believer to present and represent Christ. As an acclaimed believer, you must live your life to present yourself as a representative of Christ.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to faithfully live life as a representative of Christ in this wicked world.

FAITH CAPSULE: The Word will not force itself on you, but you are to let the Word have its way in you.

Luke 23:1-43

When God gave His word or commands it is left for His children to follow or not to follow. The consequences of following or not following will catch up with His children. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This is the word of the One and only true God, the ancient of days, the great I Am the I AM. It is the word of God that never fails. It is the word of God that cares for His children. 2 Samuel 22:11 testified, “He rode upon a cherub, and flew; And He was seen upon the wings of the wind.” Psalm 104:3 buttressed, “He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind.” The word of God is the wisdom from God. It is the information for transformation for those that are well connected with His wisdom. The book of Proverbs 4:7 declared, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Indeed, with understanding gained in His word having a knowing edge over the challenges of the world is set to be established in the life of a believer. However, if there is any that lack knowledge, or choose not to know God, there is so much to lose. How are you taking, or treating, the word of God that constantly comes in your direction? Remember, the word will not force itself on you, but you are to let the word have its way so it may deliver and lead you into God’s purpose for your life. Here is the scenario of two criminals as they responded to the Word around them, the One that knows what the future holds for every man under heaven, “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? (Luke 23:39-40) One of the criminals took the Word serious and conversed with Jesus, “Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”” (Luke 39:42) Having the knowledge of information that is of peace, and not of evil answered in the life of criminal and he became heaven bounded when Jesus responded to him stating, “…Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) The Word of God holds the future and its worth living by His Word.

Prayer for today: Ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His word in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.