FAITH CAPSULE: Wait, watch and see how the Lord will change your story.

Judges 11

In life, man often engage painful challenge which is not bargain for but gains ground in the life of man. Does that sound like you? What about your life? Are you experiencing challenges you do not bargain for? Trusting God for all things in the face of all things is an assured way of overcoming all kinds of challenge.

Jephthah the Gileadite gained the title: A mighty man of valor but he was none and referred to as son of a harlot. By virtue of his identity (a son of harlot) he was driven out of his father’s house. Jephthah did not call for his challenging situation. Jephthah’s challenge was outside of his control; Jephthah was paying for what he did not bargain for. Are you experiencing any similar challenging situation like that of Jephthah? Jephthah’s challenging situation demands a divine intervention. It calls for a true redemption. With God, redemption is certain. Wait, watch and see how the Lord will change your story. He is the only God who waits to act for those who wait on Him. (Isaiah 64:4) Imagine a son of harlot was approached by the Israelites asking for help. At the time the children of Israel were confronted by enemies, a need for a commander became there agenda. The elders of Gilead had to go and seek Jephthah for help. It was recorded in Judges 11:6, “Then they said to Jephthah, ‘Come and be our commander that we may fight against the people of Ammon.’”

Whenever man is condemned, God alone has His way of redemption for the condemned. Jephthah, son of harlot became a hot commodity. Imagine a son of harlot, one that was driven out by brothers became one being sought for to be a leader. Jephthah responded in Judges 11:7, “So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”” The same God that set up a situation for Jephthah to be called back to rise above and beyond where he was before he was expelled will always be available to turn your story around for His name to be glorified. God, in His deliverance plan or redemption plan cannot be too late or too soon, God will show up in your situation at His appointed time. Jephthah accepted the assignment and victory was delivered to the children of Israel. Jephthah did not just end up as a commander but he became the head because victory was delivered into his hand. The story of Jephthah was changed for good.

Prayer for today: Ask God for your story to be changed for good and to the glory of His name.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is impossible to be committed to God and not be connected.

1Kings 19:19-21, Matthew 8:12-22

Commitment: Is to give in trust that is to entrust…to hand over. As an acclaimed believer, are you committed to any man you see than the God you do not see? Does your life demonstrate that of one who is committed to God?
Jesus had twelve disciples that were constantly and continuously around Him. The Bible recorded, ““But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2: 24-25) Jesus, our Lord and savior could not commit Himself to any man and we should never commit ourselves to any man. Why should a man commit to a man? How can one commit to a heart one does not know? The bible described the heart of a man stating, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9) As regard to wickedness of man’s heart, Genesis 6:5 also stated, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” A deceptive heart is a wicked heart and it makes commitment to man to be cheapest way to self-destruction.

Waiting on God is the evidence of commitment. It is a way of handling all over to Him for intervention. There should be understanding in place that, “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.” (Isaiah 64:4) The word of God is true to perform and perfect that which He has spoken to us. So many want to be near Jesus but they do not want to stand for Him. So many want to follow Him but they do not want to seek Him. Also, so many want to come to Him but they do not want to take what He offers. Numerous times, multitudes followed but lack the commitment to follow through.

In commitment we follow to serve. When He called His disciples, He called them to follow. He knew what He would do. He did not at anywhere or anytime called any to serve without following Him. He is calling you today to re-identify how you have been following Him. Following Jesus is demands commitment; commitment is a costly adventure that does not accept any excuse. At one time a disciple gave a reasonable excuse to delay or deny following Jesus, “Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” (Matthew 8:21) Jesus’ responded to the disciples excuse stating, “…follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:22) Clearly, answering to His call is commitment.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of commitment to God’s calling over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Looking up to God should not be just at times of challenges.

Psalm 34

Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus got to his cave. Stone was rolled against his coming back to life; hope was shattered, mourning and grieve were in place. Above all, there was no medical practitioner recorded to be on ground because it was finished for Lazarus. Jesus, the Commanding commander gave a command that the stone be removed. He requested for open door for hope to be restored. It is written, “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me. When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.”(John 11:41-44) Among the actions of Jesus for Lazarus to come back to life was that, Jesus looked up for divine intervention. He was setting up example for us to know and to always look up when all hope is lost. Jesus looked up and gave thanks. Jesus did not look to man; He did not look up to complain but He looked up to giving thanks for expectation that was yet at hand. Who are you looking to? How are you looking up?

In the face of any challenge a true believer should never look anywhere except to look up with expectation unto the Almighty God, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent God. Believer that is true to the core should look up to the only one who is “…the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy (Isaiah 57:15). Whenever deception, delay, denial, or destruction, knocks or shows up unexpectedly He is always there for us to look up to Him. Many giants in the hand of God repeatedly looked up to Him in the course of their journey while they were on the face of the earth. You can always look up to him for direction, provision and for every area of need. Looking up to God should not be just at times of challenges, but also at the time of lifting His Holy name high. It is recorded in, Psalm 34:5, “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.” Is there any confronting shameful situation that is set against you? In waiting for the Lord God of Israel, He will acknowledge you when your eyes are set on Him. The book of Micah 7:7 also buttressed looking up, “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.” Begin to look up to God for His divine intervention.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to always look up only to Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Deny fear; stand still to be able to see in the word of God.

Exodus 14

God testified, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11). God is true to perform and perfect. His word is the evidence that He cannot fail. God spoke to Jeremiah, “Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” (Jeremiah 1:9) When God declared that He has put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth all that Jeremiah needed to do and be able to operate the word is to be able to see that the spoken word of God is a done deal. Seeing that the word is a done deal before its physical manifestation is an evidence of faith. When faith is in place God is pleased. God told him in Jeremiah 1:10, “See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to destroy and to throw down, and to build and to plant.” What God said to Jeremiah was God’s representative of God because the word of God is God. The word of God cannot be broken. In order for the word of God to come to be, Jeremiah must see God in His word.

It should be considered as a creative faith when we are able to see what God is saying while it is yet in our hand. The children of Israel on their way out of bondage of over four hundred years needed a break through; they needed a way where there was no way. The Red Sea stood against them as a stumbling block. The Israelites  allowed fear to rise and faith to sink. As a result of their sinking faith, Moses encouraged when he stated, “And Moses said to the people, “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.” (Exodus 14:13) God gave His word to the children of Israel through Moses. The word of God which was with power and it demanded condition. The condition that made the word to work was in the ability to see. It is true that anyone who is clouded with fear cannot possible see when deliverance is at hand. With faith and no fear man will be able to see deliverance and preservation inside the living word of the living God. Deny fear; stand still to be able to see in the word of God. Believe that “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:14)

Prayer for today: Ask God to open up the eyes of your understanding to begin to see in His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: it takes having understanding to keep man from reoccurrence of confronting challenges.

Proverbs 2

Gaining understanding in the word is crucial to having a knowing edge over confronting challenges. Understanding is of the heart. Proverbs 2:2 buttressed, “So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding.” It is a good thing to have the freedom to make a right decision that keeps man away from confronting challenge but it takes having understanding to keep man from re-occurrence of confronting challenges. Proverbs 2:11 stated it better, “Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you.”

At Gibeon, after Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord, the Lord appeared to him.  It is recorded, “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5) Solomon could think of nothing better but responded to God’s question asking, “… give to Your servant an understanding heart…” (1 Kings 3:9) Understanding is crucial to continue and to prevail in the journey of life. The bible recorded in 1 Kings 3:10, “The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” God added wisdom to Solomon’s request for understanding. Truly, wisdom compliments understanding and it is the combination of both that will give a knowing edge over confronting challenges of the world. Proverbs 4:7 admonished, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

In the beginning of the book of Job (Job 1:1), Job is described as a blameless man and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Later in the same chapter, God testified of Job, “Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1:8) What else could be said when God testifies for a man just like He did for Job? With this description, and the testimony, of God about Job, it is possible to think that a man like Job has arrived in the things of the LORD. However, in the last chapter of the book Job, he confessed “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. (Job 42:5) Until man begins to see in what is heard, understanding is not in place. When we hear and able to see in what was heard it becomes evident that understanding is in place. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith pointed out in His speech that having understanding is rooted in listening ability. (John 8:43) Trust God to give the grace of listening and gaining understanding.

Prayer for today: Ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.