FAITH CAPSULE:  Avoid places that can reposition your life for the worse.

2 Samuel 11

To be at the wrong place at the right time or the right place at the wrong time can be destructive. Being at the right place at the right time is the only right way. It does not matter one’s title or position taking a cautious step is required not to be at the wrong place at the right time. King David, as great as he was in God’s hand, being at the right place in the wrong time set him back. He was once on the roof of the king’s house at the wrong time. It was a time to be at battle. It is written, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle…” (2 Samuel 11:1) David was supposed to be out on the battle field when he “arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.” (2 Samuel 11:2) For King David, taking a stand at the right place was at the wrong time and it caused an outstanding mark of pain on him all the days of his life. To King David, it was the mark of adultery that had negative impact on his life journey. As a believer, where are you standing? Are you conscious of your present location? Avoid places that can reposition your life for the worse. Where you are standing can usher you into an unending journey of pain.
King David made a wrong stand when he ordered Uriah’s killing at the battle field. It is written, King David “…Wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, ‘Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die’” (2 Samuel 11:14-15) David setup Uriah’s death in order to cover up his adultery that brought forth unexpected seed.  David’s adultery brought to life a child that he did not expect. King David’s standing was not acceptable to God because he violated the command of God. Later on King David repented and was forgiven. God is a forgiving God but His word declares in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” God will forgive sin, but the consequences will remain. Being at the right place at the wrong time was disastrous for King David. What we can learn from this story is that every attempt to cover up an evil act will uncover you beyond what you can handle.

Prayer for today: Ask God to instruct you, teach you and guide you with His eye.

FAITH CAPSULE: Moses’ move from palace to a place-less can be likened to a move from grace to grass.

Exodus 2

Moses, at the time of his departure from his comfort zone was not with expectation or any kind of preparation. It was due to accidental killing of an Egyptian. Jacob left his comfort zone with the intention of temporary avoidance of his brother’s fury towards him. It happened when he deceptively received his brother’s blessing from their father. Rebekah (Mother of Jacob) instructed him, “Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran. And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away.” (Genesis 27:43-44) For Jacob, a few days journey went like forever. Joseph was only on an errand to check his brothers as directed by his father. Joseph’s errand took him through wilderness journey. In his journey, he went from slave to prisoner; prisoner to prime minister. Obviously, all of the above men engaged indiscernible God’s hand in the journey of their life. Are you engaging any journey that is beyond your expectation? It is worthy to know that nothing passes through God. Also God alone is in the position to allow or disallow any situation that passes before Him.
Paul the apostle was on his way to persecute believers in Damascus. Paul had a letter of permission, “…To the synagogues, of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:2) It was a comfortable assignment for Paul until the time when, “…Light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”” (Acts 9:3-4) Paul’s journey of self-desire turned to God’s avenue where Paul was called to become a vessel for his divine assignment. In every journey, when it is time for God to change your status, no situation or man can deny God. Moses’ move from palace to a place-less can be likened to a move from grace to grass. During the process of his transition he was contented and there was no record of complaint, “…Moses was content to live with the man…” (Exodus 2:21) After all of all in Moses’ life, God appeared to him, “And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2) Moses’ departure from comfort got him to a ground where, he turned aside to see the great sight. (Exodus 3:3) God is God and He will move according to His way and not man’s way.

Prayer for today: Ask God to lead you and guide you to the center of your divine assignment.

FAITH CAPSULE: The word of God does not discriminate but it will work for those who work the works of God.

John 6:22-34
 
The word of God you do not know will not work for you. However, the only way to know is by gaining understanding. Proverbs 4:7, “…In all your getting, get understanding.” Gain the understanding that the word of God is the Spirit of God. Jesus confirmed in His word, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) The Word that He has spoken is still speaking to us and it is life not letter. It is written, “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.” (John 1:1-3) Indeed the word of God is Spirit and it is life. When God spoke, it brought forth life where there was no life.
The same word of God is still the same Spirit of God and life giver. The word of God does not discriminate, but it will work for only those that work the works of God. In life, nothing works when you do not work it. A car will not work if you fail to work for it by putting it to work. What does it take to work the works of God? Disciples of Jesus asked Jesus, “…What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28) Jesus had all the answer when He responded, “…This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29) To work the works of God is to be living (believe) the word of God and not just to be quoting the word. In the Word of God, all that speaks to one is speaking to all. God told Joshua, “…I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5) The word that He spoke to Joshua demanded a work on Joshua’s part as stated in Joshua 1:7, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” Operating the word of God in part and not in full can be liken to going to the market without having penny at hand to spend while at the market. God is true to His word, God has never failed and His word will not fail. In working the work, the word of God will work for us in every area of life.
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace that the word of God should reign and rule your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: The miracle of the third cannot be undermined, God does nothing by accident.

Exodus 2:1-10, Esther 5

It is written, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.” (Exodus 19:10-11) The same God that made the choice to visit His people on the third day is still the same forever. Something about the third has to do with God’s visitation, redemption, and resurrection. The life of Moses, Esther and the life Jesus Christ of Nazareth testify to the miracle of the third.
At the time Moses was born, Pharaoh’s pronouncement of death penalty for every son born by Hebrew women was in effect. As a result, Moses’ mother decided to hide him. Moses mother, “…Hid him for three months.” (Exodus 2:2) When Moses was brought out on the third month, he ended up in the compassionate care of the murderer’s palace. Moses’ mother, “… took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.” (Exodus 2:3) On the third month, Pharaoh’s daughter saw the ark of bulrushes at the bank of river and when she opened it, “…She saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children” (Exodus 2:6) Moses came out of hiding, redeemed on the third month.
The favor that brought deliverance for Mordecai and the Israelites in the hand of the wicked Harman began on the third day when Esther stepped on King’s court. It is written, “Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand…” (Esther 5:1-2)
Jesus our Lord and savior chose to stun the devil when He resurrected on the third day. The miracle of the third cannot be undermined, God does nothing by accident. Claim the miracle of the third in this third month of the year, remind God as stated in Isaiah 43:26, “Put me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case that you may be acquitted.”  State your case, it is the same God yesterday and forever it is your miracle of the third in the third month of the year.

Prayer for today: Ask the Ancient of days, to grant you the miracle of the third in this third month of the year.

FAITH CAPSULE: Adding to the word of God is an avenue to failure.

Numbers 20:1-13

Whatever God says is important and it demands full attention because it should never be misrepresented. God does not waste word, He means what He says. This what He said to Adam in the Garden of Eden, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17) When the chief of all deception cunningly approached Eve with its destructive agenda, he asked Eve, “…Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Eve opened the door for devil when she responded to the devil by adding to what God does not said when God gave Adam the command. She added to God’s command stating, “…Nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” (Genesis 3:3)
Are you one that consciously or unconsciously add or take away from the word of God? It does not matter who you are, when you add to the word of God, you are set for failure. Before God, it is not acceptable to add or take away from Him because it becomes sin. Romans 3:7-8 buttress, “For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?  And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come?” Deception is not telling the truth and not telling the truth is lying. There is no way by which any testimony that is loaded with inexactness is going to please God and same it is when one consciously or unconsciously say what God did not said. 
God gave detailed word of command to Jeremiah directly for His people. After giving His word, He commanded Jeremiah, “Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you.” (Jeremiah 1:17) Delivering God’s message demands preparation because with preparation comes detail presentation. A well-presented message is what keeps the messenger from sinning against God. He sent Moses, “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” (Numbers 20:8) Moses went as directed, but presented Gods command according to his own desire. Moses did not speak but struck the rock twice with his rod. (Numbers 20:10) Moses failed to hallow God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be constant in obeying fully as commanded.