FAITH CAPSULE: A certain place is a place of God’s visitation.

Genesis 27:41-46, Genesis 28

A certain place can be described as a place where God wants to replace us in direction to God’s center of divine assignment for us. Jacob found his way to his “certain place” after stealing the blessings of Esau. There was no way of escape for Jacob from the wrath of his brother other than to run for his life. At the time of his running from Esau, he could not have perceived what he was getting into. Rebekah suggested Jacob should run to her brother Laban in Haran andstay with him a few days until Esau’s fury turns away. (Genesis 27:44) A few days hiding turned to a life time encounter for Jacob. It was a journey that leads to the center of divine assignment. While on the journey of hiding he came to a certain place of his life.
It is written, “Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ” (Genesis 28:10-12) Jacob, in his certain place had an encounter with the Lord. The bible recorded, “And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:13-15) A certain place is a place of God’s visitation; a certain place is a place of God’s assurance. Jacob testified his certain place, “…Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Genesis 28:16-17). Wherever you are today will not stop you from getting to your “certain place”.

Prayer for today: Ask in the name of Jesus Christ not to miss your certain place during the course of your journey in life.

FAITH CAPSULE: An act of complaint is an act to rebel.

Numbers 14:1-38

An act of complaint is an act to rebel. When there is rebellion in place it becomes a rejection of the word of God. To reject the word of God is also an act of disobedience, and this can be compared to setting a date with death. King Saul rejected the command of God, and God rejected him. The act of King Saul was accounted to him as rebellion. It is an act of rebellion to hear from God and not do as commanded. Rebellion does have its root in complaint. The children of Israel, during the journey through the wilderness, were constantly complaining before it was accounted to them as rebellion. During the investigation of the Promised Land, the spy came back with a negative report. Based on the report given, the children of Israel lifted up their voice of complaint against Moses and Aaron. At that juncture, Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb responded with a positive report and tried to disregard the negative report by saying “Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us.” (Numbers 14:9) Do you believe that the Lord is with you?
Whenever one allows fear, rebellion, rejection of the word of God, or complaint, to have a place in one’s life, one is set in the way of destruction. Noah received a command to build against destruction when God commanded him to build an ark. Noah moved without doubt or question. Noah built an ark in the most unlikely area — he built an ark where it hardly rains in a period of a year. In his obedience, the word testified, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” (Genesis 6:22) Are you as a believer finding it difficult to obey by building yourself up in the word of God? In the Old Testament time, Noah received the command to build against destruction that was eminent. Also in the New Testament a command to build has been released through the mouth of the Apostle Paul. In Acts 20:32, “So now brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and give your inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Believers are to be built up by the word of God against destruction just as Noah built for himself and his household an ark by the command of the word of God. The word of God that’s released is what will build every believer who cares to hear and obey. Believers that want to be built up have to be constant and consistent in obeying the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be consistent in obeying His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Wherever rebellion camps, disobedience is always onboard.

1 Samuel 15

Pride can be identified as a personal ride to self-destruction. Without doubt, all kinds of sin take its root in pride. Rebellion and disobedience cannot be excluded from all other kinds of sin which are rooted in pride.
Wherever rebellion camps, disobedience is always onboard. After Saul had taken a step of rejection by God as a result of his disobedience, Samuel approached Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22-23, “So Samuel said: ‘Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.’” Clearly, to be rebellious and to be disobedient are intimate meaning they are inseparable. It is a way of destruction that causes man to be rejected by God. As a believer who fears the wrath of God, are you searching your heart and see if any of the two are actually having its way in your life?
To be rejected by God is a termination in the line of salvation which denies man from getting to God’s center of divine agenda. The children of Israel were rebellious in their journey of life. God rejected all the population from ages twenty and above and they could not get to divine agenda for their life. Rebellion and disobedience are intimate and if there is a trace of one in you, there must be a line of the other one in you as well. In reference to Jerusalem, the word of God buttresses the intimacy of rebellion and disobedience in the book of Zephaniah 3:1-2 “Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city! She has not obeyed His voice, She has not received correction; She has not trusted in the LORD, She has not drawn near to her God.” Rebellion is a demonstration of not obeying His voice (word of God). To be disobedient to the word of God is a way of not receiving correction. Constant denial of correction is a connection with disability in listening to what God is saying. A believer who refuses to be corrected is showing lack of trust in God and such believer is not considering God in the making of his decisions. To be rebellious, disobedient, not taken to correction and not trusting God are all birds of the same feather. One that is rebellious is also disobedient. Knock off pride and ride on to salvation. Search yourself and seek Him for readjustment in your journey of life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to terminate every seed of pride in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Labor which takes man away from serving God is also a labor without His rest.

Matthew 11:25-30

In the life of a man, labor is inevitable or else stealing will become acceptable to one who does not engage labor. Ones who do not labor will be stealing. The book of Ephesians 4:28 buttresses, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” As one who confesses Christ, has your labor become heavy and backed with struggle? Laboring is of God but laboring that inhabits heavy laden is not of God. The word of God commands in Exodus 20:9, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.” Apparently, any labor that is outside of God’s command becomes heavy laden, a kind of labor which takes away man from serving Him? God encourages us to labor but not to allow labor to overtake us from serving Him. Labor which takes man away from serving God is also a labor without His rest.
Claiming to have known Him is not enough until one begin to lay hold on the promises which are encased in the word of God. Are you an acclaimed believer that has been laboring long enough and yet your burden continues to be heavy. What is it that could have gone wrong? Why does your burden remain heavy when it is supposed to be light? Jesus has not spoken and failed to do what He says He will do. There is a message of invitation in His communication when He stated, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) There is a place of rest from labor and that place is inside of your deliberate response to His call and going to Him to let out your heavy laden. In the letting out of your heavy laden, you will exchange it for His yoke. He said it in Matthew 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” His yoke is not heavy, but it is demanding. Jesus’ yoke demands that we learn and when we are able to learn, we shall live by what is learned from Him. A failure to live with a gentle and lowly heart is the evidence of not having learned from Him. As an acclaimed believer, examine yourself; look at the source of all your heavy laden labor which lack rest. You will found out that you have not been operating what you claim to have learned. Take to the Word of God and He will take up your heavy laden. He said it all in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Do not rust out; rest in Him.

 Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of complete obedience to His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Any way outside the way of God is a way into self- destruction.

Proverbs 16  

Which way are you taking? Any way outside 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 to give life. Jesus declared in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” The way of God is deliverance and it is preservation. The way of God always carries the presence of God. It has not been documented of anyone who has taken to the way of God and ended up in destruction. It has, however, been documented and it is evident that all who have taken to their own way ended up in destruction.
Which way are you taking? Are you claiming the way of God while taking the way outside of God? God cannot be deceived; God cannot be mocked and He sees where we are coming from and to where we are going. Hannah testifies that God is a God of knowledge and by Him all actions are weighed. (1Samuel 2:3)   
When there is a will or desire to walk in His way, He will guide your feet to walk in His way. I Samuel 2:9 identify the blessing walking His way stating, “He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail.”
Have you considered which way you have been taking recently? The ways you have taken in the past will not matter compared to the ways you are taking now. Take to the way of God and God will take you beyond your expectation. He is a faithful God. As a true believer of Christ, engage self-examination and trust God for the grace to walk the way of God. A time of self- examination is not a time of self-deception. If you are a believer deceiving all that surrounds you, know it that God cannot be deceived but one can only deceive self and surroundings. The book of Proverbs 16:2 buttress the need to know that God does not see as man sees stating, “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 His way. God is not pleased without faith. Walking in His way is walking in faith. It is for man’s good to walk in His way and please God. With pleasing God come the blessings of God. Among blessings provoked by walking the way God is stated in Proverbs 16:7, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”  

Prayer for the day: Ask for God to guide your feet that you walk only in His way.