FAITH CAPSULE: The act of not paying God attention is iniquity.  

Job 34:21-30, Isaiah 5:11-17

Engaging the way of captivity is in disobeying God. It takes a gradual process for one to walk into captivity. God is a good God and His plan for us does not lead to captivity. Jeremiah 29:11 declares the plan of God for us, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Are you consciously walking out of line with God? It will only take a matter of time to walk into captivity when you walk out of His command.
The way the children of Israel took into captivity was a clear demonstration to all who want to end up in captivity. Isaiah 5:12-13, “The harp and the strings, the tambourine and the flute, and wine are in their feasts; but they do not regard the work of the LORD, nor consider the operation of His hands. Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” The Israelites fail to regard God or consider the mighty works of God which testifies the presence of God. One who fails to regard the work of God will no regret for doing what does not glorify His Name. Also, a failure to consider the works of His hands will cause man not to hallow the name of the Lord. One who does not have affection for what God has done will not give respect to what He is doing or what He can do. Without seeking God and constant consideration of the operation of His hands one is set in the route of captivity just like the children of Israel.
The children of Israel failed to regard the work of God and did not consider the operations of His hand. They therefore ended in captivity. Iniquity gives a free ride to captivity and it is iniquity not to regard His work or consider the operation of the hands of a Jealous God. Without doubt, whatever is taking away man’s attention will definitely not be enough to attend to man for man’s deliverance from captivity. Avoid any avenue that leads to captivity; allow Jesus to reign in your life. It is important to know and understand there is no hiding from God under heaven. It is written in Job 34:22, “There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.” The act of not paying God attention is iniquity. The attempt to hide iniquity is a failed attempt; it is impossible to hide from Him. Take to the commands of God; give God all the attention for He is the Almighty Creator and there is no turning from Him.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to cease from giving God all the attention.

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting on God is not wasting away but way of life.

Lamentations 3

Waiting on God should never be considered as wasting away but way of life. The Bible points out, “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) Can you imagine the goodness of His faithfulness? Indeed He will not fail to honor His word. In this world which He created, there is none who is above waiting on God. Regardless of any man’s title outside or inside of Church, when situation or challenge calls for waiting on God there should be no hesitation but to wait.
Jeremiah, a giant in the hand of God, called and sent by God, did not accept life in the lowest pit when he found himself there. Lamentation 3:55, “I called on Your name, O LORD, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help.” You drew near on the day I called on You, and said, “Do not fear!””  The testimony of Jeremiah is a lesson which teaches that no man is above challenges or situation that calls for crying unto God for His divine intervention. Jeremiah, a prophet ordained and called by God, demonstrated the need to always wait on God. Waiting on God should never cease or slowdown in the life of those that know Him. The devil is out to kill, steal and destroy and there is none that is outside of his radar. However, he does not have what it takes to raid on any ground that is under the cover of the blood of Jesus Christ.
It is only, “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Your faithfulness.”(Lamentation 3:22) At the time of Jeremiah’s life in the lowest pit, there was no record of regret, complain, or questioning of God about why the Lord called him and have him in the pit. Jeremiah remained focus confessing his faith. Your situations today are not worse or better than that of Jeremiah. Learn to wait on God in the same manner Jeremiah did. Know in your heart that the same Lord who saw Jeremiah through will not abandon you. Above all your challenges and the source of your challenges there is God who answers when you wait on Him. He is a good God with good thought for each and every one of His children. Will you take time to wait on Him? It is written, “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seek Him.”(Lamentation 3:25)

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of waiting when challenges calls for waiting.

FAITH CAPSULE: Plunge into the word of God and you will launch out victoriously.

2 Kings 5:1-19

It is written in 1 Corinthians 1:25, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” Have you received any word or command from the bible which sounds so foolish or too easy to act on for your deliverance in the face of confronting challenge? As regard to the word of God, it is time to stop being wise in your own eyes; plunge into the word of God and you will launch out victoriously. The word or command of God is power to deliver without failure.
The Israelite came out of the bondage of over four hundred years to become trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh who refused to let them go fully. As they looked back, Pharaoh drew near with his men of war. Clearly their life was in danger of dying or being taken back to bondage. At that juncture, going forward became impossible while turning back could be an avenue to untimely death. As a result, there faith sank and fear overwhelms them. By virtue of the fear generated, they lost the sight for deliverance. In the midst of all, Moses received an order for deliverance: “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 14:16) The order appeared too ordinary and probably sounded foolish in the ears of the children of Israel. Have you been in any predicament whereby the way of escape did not sound legit but rather sounded foolish?
The bible described Naaman, “…commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.” (2 Kings 5:1) He needed deliverance from his leprosy and all the war power was not enough to bring forth his deliverance. Naaman sought the prophet of God for his healing. He went to Elisha by the pride of the mind. The bible recorded, “Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” (2 Kings 5:10) Besides the truth that the pride in him was aroused because Elisha sent word through messenger, going to wash in the Jordan River sounded so foolish to him. Naaman could not accept why Jordan River when other rivers such as Abanah and Pharpar of Damascus are better than all the waters of Israel. The command from God’s prophet sounded foolish to Naaman.
Allow 2Chronicles 20:20 speak into your life: “…Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”

Prayer for today: O Lord, cause me not to despise the word of victory, deliverance and preservation when it sounds in my direction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Whatever one sows one will reap.

Esther 5, 6

At every gate where both good and evil passes bye, there is always the chance to make the right choice by engaging good. Mordecai a Jewish man whose frequent spot was at the king’s gate denounce evil to engage good which turned out favorably later in life. Mordecai engage good when he uncovered a plot against King Ahasuerus. It is written, “In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.” (Esther 2:21-22)
At the same gate, Haman marked Mordecai for evil after he spotted Mordecai for not bowing and paying homage to him. Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews just because of Mordecai. Haman grew in position; becomes more favorable with King Ahasuerus; grew in pride as a result of position he could not resist his bitterness against Mordecai. The bible recorded, “…When Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not stand or tremble before him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai.” (Esther 5:9) With suggestion from his wife, Haman approached the king requesting, ”…Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.’ And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.” (Esther 5:14) At the approval of Haman’s plot, Mordecai became marked with an untimely death and there was no way out for him except by God’s intervention.
A night before his death sentence, “…The king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. Then the king said, ‘What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this…?’” (Esther 6:1-3) Mordecai sowed the seed of good act at the gate when he prevented the king from being terminated by evil plot. Mordecai’s good act was not asleep but came to be awake for a timely deliverance for Mordecai. As God will have it, with delights to honor, King Ahasuerus promoted Mordecai in the presence of Haman. Haman, the agent of wickedness, ended up becoming the victim of his wicked plan for Mordecai. Sowing a good seed shall always bring forth good fruit. Whatever one sows one will reap. In all walks of life, avoid evil activity to engage good and it will bring forth a timely blessing. Fear God and hate evil.

Prayer for today: Ask for the same grace which answered in the life of Mordecai to answer for you in your entire walk.

FAITH CAPSULE: A Christian life journey can be compared to running a race which must be completed.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

It is written, “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.”(1 Corinthians 10:1-5)
Paul the apostle was sharing a hard truth, a truth that is threatening. To be a part of sojourners at the onset of a journey and not get to the final destination of such journey is an epic failure. The important issue about life journey is that getting started is not enough except the one in journey gets through to the final destination.
A Christian life journey can be compared to running a race which must be completed. In every race, celebration should always be a thing of the end not in the beginning or half way through. Thousands and thousands started the journey, went, and passed through different grounds together, enjoyed an equal and very balanced provision with no separation by hierarchy, but not all saw the end of the journey. Are you following Jesus fully or just flowing with the crowd? 
With the above verse, it is possible for so many to be numbered while few become counted. Also, many will access the broad way while few enters into the narrow way. (Matthew 7:13)  God can never be intimidated and not do what He will do.
Jesus stated in the book of Matthew 13:30, “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” Jesus said, “Let them grow together until the harvest time.” He did not separate them or stop them from growing. God is not in a rush to judge man but at His appointed time, His judgment will separate all. Ones which are for real in their race; ones which are pretending or deceiving are going to be separated from each other. How are you running your race? God is not asleep, nor is He too busy, but there is time in His hand. The word declares in Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
The word of God is true. Imagine the tares and the wheat growing together; meditate on it and run your race without falling off and end up becoming tares which are set to be burn.

Prayer for today: Ask for His tender mercy and truth to continually guide.