FAITH CAPSULE: Pride is a prominent avenue to trouble.

Psalm 27

Job identifies what it means to be in trouble stating, “Job stated, “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for troubles come.” (Job 3:26) Going by Job testimony, the evidences of trouble in the life of the troubled ones are: not being at ease, not being in a quiet state of mind and lack of rest. Anywhere there is trouble, confusion will abide and making of wrong decisions prevails. Is there any evidence of trouble in your life? Trouble can come through different avenue that is beyond man’s control like that of Job. However, man is in a position to allow God take charge by resting and hoping on the promises of God. In some cases, trouble comes through man’s pride.

King Herod had no reason to be troubled at the announcement of the birth of Jesus. It is written, “ Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:1-3) King Herod’s reason to be troubled could possibly be a wrong perception and intimidation of the birth of a new King. The trouble that came into the life of King Herod led him to make wrong and confused decisions. Trouble is the root of making a wrong decision and the calling of bad judgment. Herod made an error in judgment and a wrong decision in his attempt to terminate God’s divine agenda. The decision of the wicked king to terminate God’s divine agenda brought to life the way and the unfailing word of God to manifestation as it is written in Hosea 11:1, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.” The trouble in King Herod brought confusion into his life to think he could terminate the King of kings, the Lord of lords. Are you experiencing any kind of trouble?

There is a place in the time of trouble where a believer can hide. The Psalmist pointed out, “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5). God is at work on behalf of all who seek refuge in time of trouble. Seek God and trouble will cease.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to keep you  hiding in times of trouble.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you laying all at His feet or you are bagging it to take it back?

Genesis 32:22-32, Matthew 15:21-31

It is written, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) Asking, seeking and knocking demands taking a position to get His attention. However, a good position to engage Him is looking up to Him without having any place to look up to as a backup plan.

Among the best place to look up unto the Lord is at His feet. Taking a position at is feet is compared to making a statement such as, “I will not let you go if you do not answer to my request.” Jacob once wrestled with the Lord and insisted not to allow the wrestler’s departure until He blesses Him. It is good to come to His feet but coming to His feet will not be enough if there is no falling down or laying it all at His feet.

Great multitudes came to His feet and they received healing because in addition to their coming, they were able to lay it all at His feet. It is written in Matthew 15: 30, “Then great multitudes came to Him having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.” Before healing was possible, they came and were able to lay at Jesus’ feet all that had been holding them back from their breakthrough miracle. Just as multitudes laid it at His feet, the rulers also laid it at His feet.

The bible documented, “Jarius, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, and when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live’” (Mark 5:22-23). Those who went to His feet were constantly demonstrating expectation for manifestation by laying it all at His feet. You have been going everywhere that is named in the Name of God and your situation remains unchanged. In your going are you laying it or bagging it to take it back with you? It is one thing to come and not to lay it down. It is another thing to come and lay it down before Him. Whenever all challenges are laid down at His feet, all shall be laid to rest permanently and it shall not rise. In your going or coming to Him, let expectation begin to reign because it is a demonstration of faith and God is not pleased without faith (Hebrew 11:6). In your going to His feet, begin to lay it down at His feet.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to know and engage that which is right for deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: Letting down your guard is allowing your enemy to bring its war to your front.

2 Samuel 11, Luke 4:1-15

How we engage temptations in our direction will determine how we enter into our center of divine assignment. We must know that the devil is a stubborn animal with no respect for any of his target. He tempted Jesus and he will tempt you because there is no exception in how he his dictionary.

Once he approached the Lord Jesus Christ with temptation. Luke 4:1-2, Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.” This is to show that if Jesus could experience such, no one is immune to war of temptation. How are you upholding your guard against the advance of the enemy’s temptation? It is how you uphold your guard that will determine how you hold against his move. Jesus did not let down His guard when the enemy located Him with temptation. Jesus prevailed by reminding the evil one the written word of God. Jesus was at the right place, at the right time as a result, the evil one failed. Jesus war front was well guarded.

You have been called by God and your calling has marked and identified you as an enemy to the camp of the devil. As a result of your stand in the Lord, you can no longer take or stand on just any ground or at any period in time. Taking such a stand is letting down your guard as a soldier of God. Letting down your guard is allowing your enemy to bring its war to your front. Despite all the victories of King David, he was not able to fight a war of success when adultery brought its war to David’s front. One of the major causes of King David’s loss of battle was recorded in 2 Samuel 11:1, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” King David was at the right place at the wrong time. As a prime target of the enemy, there is no room for mistakes that are life consuming. As a believer, you cannot afford to be at the right place at the wrong time nor at the wrong place at the right time.

Life terminating testimony will come but the word of God will treat with deliverance. Take to the advice of the apostle Paul which stated, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Prayer for today: Ask for deliverance against every plans of the evil one against your life

FAITH CAPSULE: It is possible to be on the right track and be trapped.

1 John 2

Going to church every Sunday; going from prayer meeting to prayer meeting and going from bible study to bible study is not a ticket to heaven. In living life, how have you been following Him? Think within yourself how you have been following Him. Yes you are on the right track of following Him, but being on the right track is different from following through the rules of running the track. Indeed, it is possible to be on the right track and be trapped.

Life is a journey and living life can be compared to running race on a race track. In running a race on the track of life there are rules that should never be violated. Every acclaimed believer on the race track of life who fails to follow the rules of running race on the track of life is trapped believer. 1 Corinthians 9:24 points out, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” The ones who run to receive prize are the ones who get to the expected end. Running the race of life is about knowing to follow Christ, the author and the finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)

What does it take to follow Him? Following Him is in knowing Him. It takes knowing Him and not knowing about Him to follow Him. Knowing the Lord is not in determination or in our strength. Following Him is not in changing or running from one church to another church. Knowing to follow Him is in consistent obedience to His word. The book of 1 John 2:3-4 expressly stated what it means to follow Him, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.’” If you have been keeping His commandments you must be clean from all walks of life which do not represent Him. Ones that engage lying, deception and manipulating others are the ones with the marks of this world. It is important to run the race of life according to the rule of running the race. God is able; He is able to carry you through the race. Do you desire to run through and not miss the mark? Ask Him to make you and He will make you just as the potter makes and remakes his clay.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of redirection so that you may run the race of life and not miss getting to the expected end.

FAITH CAPSULE: Let Jesus see you in your need and not just in the crowd.

Mark 5

It is written, “…Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and appealed to Him earnestly, saying, ‘My daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.’” (Mark 5:22-23)
Synagogue is a Jewish place of worship. Synagogue services is of reciting the Shema (Shema is the basic confession of faith in Judaism) Praying, scripture readings from the Old Testament; giving sermon and benediction are typical of synagogue worship. Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue put aside his religious title that could have built an empty pride in him. Jairus’ title did not measure to the task that was at hand as he went to meet with the only King of kings and the Lord of lords. Is there a religious title that is blinding from seeing where your miracle is waiting for you? Jairus needed to have his daughter delivered from the point of death when he dismissed is title for Jesus to give him attention.
In Jairus’ attempt to get Jesus’ attention for his breakthrough miracle, he engaged three things:

First, he put aside his religious burden and met Jesus at the right location, which was the crossing point. Your crossing point could be on the ground of fellowship. Often, many have missed their crossing point because of title (pride). Jairus could not allow his title to deny his miracle but approached Jesus for his desire. How are you responding to altar call when altar call is made? It does not matter how often you have stepped out in the past, as long as the need continues to exist, you have to persist and insist on your blessing.

Secondly, Jairus saw Jesus and he took a step of faith. Jairus’ stepping out caused him to have a direct contact with Jesus. Jesus knows all things and Jairus’ need was not strange to Jesus. His stepping out and seeing Jesus was a renunciation of being a part of the multitude to being one who was on purpose and not flowing with the crowd. Let Jesus see you in your need and not just in the crowd.

Finally, Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet meaning that, He laid it all unto Jesus. Imagine Jairus begging earnestly for the life of his daughter saying, “Here I am, a poor religious leader, have mercy on my dying daughter.” While begging at the feet of the Master, he made his request without paying attention to his title and the multitude. Watch out, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs16:18)

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from every spirit of pride.