FAITH CAPSULE: Having joy is in His spoken word.

Daniel 3

If you have believed and received the word of God into your life, there is a need for you to consciously live life rejoicing in the face of any confronting challenge. Jesus, the living word of God repeatedly points it out that having joy is in His spoken word for any that makes the choice to receive His word in them. Jesus stated in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” He emphasized again in John 17:13, “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.” All of His words in the world are the source of Joy. One with His joy is bound with unshakeable strength…that is a strength which is not of this world; a kind of strength that never fail. Ones who possess His word in them operate like the three friends of Daniel in the face of life threatening challenges.
Daniel’s friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego) refused to obey, bow or worship a golden image; they were sentenced to death by a fiery burning furnace. They responded to the verdict to die by a fiery burning furnace by not leading for the king’s mercy. They pride themselves in the Almighty God of deliverance. They stated, “God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18) Their response was, “joy of the Lord provoking statement.” It was a strength acquiring statement that delivers undeniable safety direct from the throne of grace. It was a powered statement that brought the Lord down to join them in the fiery furnace when the Lord could have send angels or speak to their deliverance. God’s way of delivering the three friends made King Nebuchadnezzar astonished and vacated his seat of throne when he called his men to attention stating, “Look! he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:25)
The three friends glorified God when they demonstrated understand and knowledge of God as the Lord God that exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. The joy of the Lord which delivers salvation answered for the three friends of Daniel. It is true and very glaring by virtue of the testimonies of Daniel’s tree friends that when God delights in us, strength to be delivered is undeniable. In action or behavior, constantly seek for the joy of the Lord that delivers in the face of grave challenges.

Prayer for today: Ask for the word of God to have a rightful place in you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Trusting God is taking time to wait for God.

1 Kings 19:1-18

Waiting on God is seeking God and it is the evidence of placing our trust in God. It is written, “Every word of God is pure; He is shield to those who trust in Him.” (Proverbs 30:5)  
After Elijah executed the prophets of Baal at Brook Kishon, Jezebel the wife of Ahab the king of Israel threatened to do the same to Elijah. Elijah received the news and did not take the time to seek God for answers but fled for his life. The Bible recorded, “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 Kings 19:4) Elijah wished death for himself because he took off running before seeking direction from God.
 As a believer, when challenges prevails it is important know and wait on God instead of making hasty decisions to remedy challenges. Waiting on Him will enable us to run where we need to run and walk where we need to walk. As Elijah progressed in his running from under a broom tree into the cave, God responded to him, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD…” (1 Kings 19:11) The command for Elijah to stand is waiting for God to show up. Are you experiencing a similar situation, where you have taken a jump before learning how to walk? While Elijah was standing on the mountain waiting for God, the bible records, “…and behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” (1Kings 19:11) Trusting God is not timing God. Trusting God is taking time to wait for God. God cannot be rushed out of His salvation plan. God did not show up in the great and strong wind neither did He showed up in the earthquake or fire. God’s timing of His visitation plan cannot be controlled by man. His timing is not our timing. How or when you are expecting Him does not matter to Him but it does matter for you to take a stand in waiting. For Elijah, God showed up in a still and small voice. His visitation for you might not be the still and small voice. Do not calculate Him but respond to His communication. God’s communications for you is to trust and wait.

Prayer for today: As for the grace to constantly wait where need calls for waiting.

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.