FAITH CAPSULE: Engage His command fully to excel for His glory.

Hebrews 11

Bible described faith, “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:1-3)
When the word (command) of God sounds in our direction we are to obey, to dwell on it and wait on God’s command for manifestation at the appointed time. All that faith described is evidence in the life of Abraham. It is written, “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.” The verse confirmed Abraham faithful before God because he was able to obey; he dwelt and waited on God’s command.

Obedience: When God called Abraham out from his country; his family; his father’s house to an unknown land, he obeyed fully by launching out as commanded by God. Although, there was no idea of where he was going but it was ideal for him not to question God. Abraham gave no reasonable excuse to decline the calling upon his life. Abraham obeyed God by moving from certainty to uncertain ground and abandoned his comfort zone. Indeed, Abraham “went out” just as it was mentioned in the scriptural verse above.

Dwelling: Abraham dwelt on the word of God. Living life according to God’s command is same as dwelling in the secret place of God. He did not look back but went forward as commanded by God. God’s command moved him, faith led him to a foreign country and faith caused him to dwell in tents. The word (command) of God is story to those with no understand. For ones with understanding the word of God is a secret place to dwell. Abraham dwelt in it. It was lack of understanding for Lot’s wife not to dwell in God’s command when she looked back against God’s command. (Genesis 19)

Waiting: Abraham obeyed God, he dwelt and he waited. Those who know to dwell in God’s command should also know to wait through for manifestation. It is not enough to obey by dwelling in His command and not patiently wait for the manifestation of His command. For example, King Saul obeyed by dwelling in the command through Samuel for seven days but failed to wait for Samuel when he engaged unlawful sacrifice on the seventh day. (1 Samuel 13)  Engage His command fully to excel for His glory.

Payer for today: Ask that the grace to fully obey God shall have its reign over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Allow boasting God to become your conduct.

1 Samuel 17

What is it that you boast about in life? Among the things man boasts about consciously or consciously in life are: wisdom; might or riches. What is it you boast about? The Lord spoke in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. Getting understanding and knowing who God is matters the most. In life it is possible for a man to be in church all the days which man lives on earth and not understand and know God. Do you understand and know God enough to make your boast in God? Making your boast in God is a way of acknowledging God. To be acknowledging God is praising God. Psalm 50:23 buttress it, “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” Allow boasting God to become your conduct in all areas and your steps in life shall become right.

In your boasting praise God and provoke the hand of God to your favor. David a shepherd boy killed lion and bear when they approached the lamb in his care. Despite his might, he did not fail to boast of his God at the time he confronted Goliath for despising the armies of God (the children of Israel) David made a statement before Saul in his attempt to convince Saul for permission to go against Goliath, “Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” (1 Samuel 17:36-37) David made his boast in the Lord and not in the might that he was able to kill lion and bear. God was acknowledged in David’s statement. David needed no weapon other than the hand of God which answered for him in bringing down Goliath and claiming victory over the Philistine army. Doing what pleases God brings God to man for man to prevail against challenging forces. Make God your boast.
Prayer for today: Ask that God will allow the grace of boasting only Him to have a permanent place in Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Good and gracious God will always show up for our deliverance.

1 Kings 19

Loneliness can possibly cause a man to know what to do and not do it. Peter followed Jesus all through His ministry but gave himself up to a cheap untimely death attempt. In the face of death, Peter should know not to sleep but slept in the place of praying. Thank God for the church’s prayer of deliverance on behalf of Peter. He lost focus and entered into loneliness. The Bible stated about him, “And when Peter had come to himself, he said, ‘Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.’” (Acts 12:11) Loneliness will cause man to lose focus and become discouraged. Giving up in times of challenge is the evidence of discouragement.

Elijah, as great as he was used by God, at a certain point, he experienced loneliness. Focusing on what God has done and what He is doing should encourage man to hold onto God as a Deliverer, Preserver, and as God that cannot fail. Are you feeling lonely or getting overwhelmed concerning any challenge in your life? As a child of God, you are not alone. Take your stand and regain your focus on Him. He alone is abundantly able to see you through.
Elijah called for rain to stop for three and half years and it was so. Elijah also called for rain to fall after three and half years and rain fell. Elijah alone called fire from heaven during a sacrifice on Mount Carmel and he later executed four hundred and fifty-five Baal prophets.

Despite his entire exploit through God, he confessed loneliness when he stated he was the only prophet of the Lord that was left behind. Despite his great exploit in the name of God, he fled because of Jezebel’s threat to kill him for executing the prophets of Baal. Elijah ran from wilderness to mountain. Twice in the course of his running, he responded to God’s appearance to him, “…I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” (1 Kings 19:10) Loneliness was evident in Elijah. Elijah requested from God during his running away from Jezebel, “It is enough! now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 Kings 19:4) Elijah’s request was to the extreme. Are you walking in of being lonely like Elijah? It does not mean if you have given your life to Christ or not, but it is certain that the One who created Heaven and heart loves us enough not to leave alone. Good and gracious God will always show up for our deliverance.

Prayer for today: Ask Him to deliver you from every spirit of loneliness. 

FAITH CAPSULE: Take to the word you will walk over your world.

Genesis 1

The word of God is power to heal and to deliver. The bible declares it in Psalm 107:20, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. What He said to one speaks to all. It is the same word that was in the beginning and that is today. John testifies, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:1-5) Indeed Genesis 1:3 confirmed the power of God’s word stating, “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

The bible does not waste word when it mentioned, “And God saw the light, that it was good…”  Everything He said He saw. We must consciously expect to see that everything He said we shall see if we believe Him.

God compares the manifestation of His word to how rain or snow comes down and not return but to water the land in Isaiah 55:10-11, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there,
but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 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.” The word of God cannot fail neither can it return void without performing what it says. The only way for the word not to perform is when man fails to receive the word. Are you taking to the word or the world is taking you out of the word of God. The Israelites began to reject God’s promise of land which flow with milk and honey when they encounter challenges of the world.  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. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14)
Moses went to God and God said to him, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.  But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.  (Exodus 14:15-16) Indeed and in truth, they walked on the word when the sea turned to a dry ground.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace for the word of God to overtake you.

FAITH CAPSULE: God introduced Moses to Moses so that Moses could know what was in his hand.

Exodus 4

Do you know yourself in the Lord? Knowing yourself in the Lord is to know what the Lord has deposited in you. It is how much we know ourselves in the Lord that will determine how far we go in the journey of God’s calling. Do you know yourself in the Lord? Psalm 49:20 stated, “A man who is in honor yet does not understand is like the beasts that perish.” One who does not know self in the Lord will not know how to go forward in His assignment in life. Above all, knowing yourself is to know what the Lord has put in your hand. Do you know what is in your hand? At the time God was about to raise a giant among the giants that glorified His name, excuse of not knowing self was an agent of disruption for Moses. In the calling of Moses, every attempt of God to get him on assignment was met by number of reasonable excuses. Moses did not know what the Lord had for him and neither does he realized what the Lord deposited in His hand for the great assignment.

God will not call man for assignment without empowering man. At the time He called Moses, Moses does not know himself. God introduced Moses to Moses so that Moses could know what was in his hand. It is written, “So the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand),” (Exodus 4:2-4) A rod of God in hand is power of God at hand. Moses could not have been able to carry the assignment if the Lord did not show to him what He had deposited in him. If you have been called, know this day that He has put a fitting rod in your hand for the assignment.

Among all the disciples that walked with Jesus while He was on the face of earth, none contributed to the assignment of the Kingdom of God like the apostle Paul. Apostle Paul did not walk with Jesus on the face of earth but he knew himself in the Lord more than any of the disciples. Paul testified, “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) Know yourself and take off into the direction of your calling.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open your understanding that you may know yourself in God’s assignment for your life.