FAITH CAPSULE: God is faithful not to forsake those who look up to Him.

Psalm 121, 123

What you devote your attention to will attend to you. If it is God you devote attention to you will get a direct attention that is beyond and above all that can derail you.  The Psalmist directed his attention to looking up to God. It is written, (Psalm 121:1-2) “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2) If you have been lifting your eyes to the one that is above without any expectation there, will be no manifestation. Lifting up without any expectation is the evidence of religion. God is faithful not to forsake His own.

It is written, “Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He has mercy on us.” (Psalm 123:1-2) Who are you lifting up your eyes to? Many have the Word memorized for the purpose of uplifting self or others when need requires. Lifting up eyes is not necessarily tilting head up to the sky. One can lift up eyes just by meditating the word in one’s heart.

However, memorization without mediation will not produce results. Meditation is what will allow a believer to observe, and live according to the Word of God. Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Take the Word from above seriously, John 3:31 encourage all that will listen by stating, “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.” (John 3:31-33) Evidently, looking up unto Him will cost nothing but commitment. He that is above has all power over all and His name is above every other name. Looking up unto God is not labor, but favor for anyone that has been consistent and not wait until a problem calls for looking up to Him. If making your looking up to be a constant and consistent engagement, God who has never denied Himself, will look down to lift you up. He is a faithful God.

Prayer for today: Ask for his mercy that will deny every agenda of wicked that is set against you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Take to the way of God and God will take you beyond your expectation.

Proverbs 16

It does not matter how long you have been taking to your ways but it is true and certain that the way of God cannot be wrong. The way of man cannot be compared to the ways of God. In the way of God there is life but in the way man there is death. Proverbs 16:25 buttress, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” God cannot be mocked and He sees from where we are coming from to where we are going. Which way are you going? Any way outside of the way of God is a way into self- destruction. God has His way and His ways are in His word. The way of God is written in the pages of the Bible.

God cannot be deceived neither can He be mocked as regard to the way man engages the journey of life. Also, it is impossible to take to the way of God and end up in destruction. It is evident that all who has taken to their own ways ended up in destruction. When there is a desire to walk in His way, He will deposit the grace that it takes to walk and not be weary and to walk and not fail. I Samuel 2:9 recorded, “He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail.” As an acclaimed believer, have you considered which way you are taking as your engage the journey of life?

There are so many ways that seems right but not all leads to life. The ways that seems right to man are outside of the way of God. Take to the way of God and God will take you beyond your expectation. He is a faithful God. A time of self- examination is not a time of self-deception, give yourself self-examination and avoid self-destruction. The book of Proverbs 16:2 stated, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.” Will you be sincere with yourself and let God redirect your steps into His way? God wants to be pleased with how we walk in the way. Proverbs 16:7 admonished us, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” The Lord God has spoken and it is left for man to listen. Take to the ways of God and you shall never fail.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to walk in His ways and not depart from His ways all the days of your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Abiding in Him is what delivers unto us our desires.

John 15

It is written, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) Is it your desire to abide in Him?

Make the word of God a daily bread by looking and searching for the word as one that is hungry. Look and search for the word through the pages of bible, constantly listening to channels of word of God. What we search for is what we keep. If we search for the word as for hidden treasures we shall understand and know to live and abide in Him. Jeremiah search and found the word. He ate it and the word was to him the joy and the rejoicing of his heart. (Jeremiah 15:16)

Engage reading and praying the word of God. Use the word as a source of inspiration and source of prayer. (Ephesians 6: 17-18) Do not live a day without praying and reading the word. Allow His word in your life daily and engage speaking to others daily. The more one speaks of Him, the deeper one moves into God.

Meditate the word of God day and night. (Joshua 1:8) There is difference in meditation and memorizing. When you memorize it stays in your head; when you meditate it stays in your heart. The bible makes us to realize that out of the abundance of heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34)

Importance of Abiding:
Jesus is the vine we are the branch. Abiding in Him is what delivers unto us our desires and not abiding in Him is what makes man an outcast from God. Without any interpretation of the word, it is clear in John 15:5-8, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”   By His grace, desire and strive to be a believer (disciple of Jesus) indeed and the truth and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make (create) you to become free.
Christianity is not a religion it is a relationship. Engage Christ to abide and be free indeed and in truth. Take to a spiritual responsibility in the light of God’s word and be free indeed and in truth.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to live life fully for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: To abide in Christ is what qualifies man as His disciple not just church activities.

John 8:21-59

It is possible to be a believer and not be free indeed and in truth. There are so many claiming to be a believer only by mouth and not by their way of living life. Many confess Christ but there way of life does not complement their confession.
Does that sound like you? Are you truly living life by the word of God?
Having been in the church for ever does not make one a believer that is free indeed and in truth.

It is written, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
Jesus was talking to believers and not unbelievers when He stated, if you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (that is the truth shall create you).
As an acclaimed believer, do you ABIDE in Him? (That, is do you put up with Him, do you stand for Him)Those who abide (stand) in Him are the ones that dwell in Him. To abide in Christ is what qualifies man as His disciple not just by engaging church activities. Abiding in Him indeed in truth makes man to be free.
Psalm 91 identifies, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”  (Psalm 91: 1)

The secret of the Lord is the word of God and the word of God is secret to those who will not listen to His word.
Psalm 91:1-6, pointed out what it is to be free indeed and in truth when we abide in the word of God by stating:
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
Jesus is true to His word when He stated that those who abide in Him are His disciples and they shall know the truth and they shall be free. Clearly Psalm 91 identifies what it is to be free indeed and in truth.

Prayer for today: If you desire, God will deposit. Ask for the grace to become abiding in the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Rise for God and shine for His glory.

Genesis 12

If one can rise for God, one will shine for His glory. Rising for God is an exceeding commitment that is not convenient. Rising for God is a total obedience to God’s command. Rising for God is emptying self for God to fill one. When rising for God is established in man’s life, man takes a position of possessing great blessing from God. Abraham rose for God when God said to him, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1) Abraham did not hesitate, he did not exercise doubt, neither does he questioned God’s command which sounded in his direction. Are you getting a call which demands from you to rise?

God promised Abraham for his rising, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3) Abraham could have doubted God but he rose and went just as commanded by God. Manifestly, it was a calling which called for a great extent of commitment but Abraham engaged fully to possess the promises of God’s calling.

The key to shinning for the glory of God is rising and responding to His calling. Isaiah 60:1-2, “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. ” The call to rise does not have a condition or any reason for compromise but to rise in response to God. When God calls He is evidently more than able to back man and that is the reason why the word does not ask if we will rise but commanded to rise. To rise in obedience is to shine for His glory. Indeed, deep darkness will show its face in attempt to discourage or deny man from rising but the Lord is always at work for the heart that desires to rise unto God’s calling. He said that He will rise over us and His glory would not be denied. Rising in response to the word of God is all that made Abraham. Abraham could not possess all that was promised to him by God until he rose to God’s command. Can you think of what is keeping you grounded from rising to God’s calling? In all of your walk and work on the face of the earth, is there any area you have remained grounded? The rising of Abraham continues to generate the blessings of God’s promise from generation to generation.

Prayer for today: Ask God to intervene and terminate all the forces that are denying or delaying you from rising to God’s calling.