Faith Capsule: The hand of God is not shortened that it cannot save those who believe in Him. 

Psalm 31

God has given us all that it takes for us to excel, but often times lack of understanding cuts man short of accessing all that has been given by God. Isaiah 5:13 is true when it states, “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge.” It is knowledge to gain understanding in the Word that there are two different kinds of hands that operate in the life of man: the hand of God and the hand of evil one. Which of the two hands do you strongly desire? The hand of God, of course, should be the one that is strongly desire. However, you cannot desire the hand of God just with your mouth. Also, it is not enough reading and knowing about the hand of God until there is a consistent meditation about what His hand can do. The hand of God delivered the children of Israel from the bondage of over four hundred years and then added favor, “So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians…” (Exodus 3:19-21)
The hand of God was also in place for Ezra to complete his journey, “On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. (Ezra 7:9) The hand of God is a source of encouragement for those who set their mind for His hand to come upon them, “…So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me” (Ezra 7:28) It is possible to rise and not able to build. However, to rise and able to complete is also in the hand of God. Nehemiah testified, “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ Then they set their hands to this good work.” (Nehemiah 2:18). When the hand of God is upon you, there is no deep place you cannot reach, neither is there any height you cannot climb because, “In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also.” (Psalm 95:4) God is a complete God with outstretch hand. The hand of God is not shortened that it cannot save those who believe in Him. 

Prayer for today: Ask for the hand of God to come upon you in every step you take.

Faith Capsule: Give God His worthy attention and receive His desired intention.

Isaiah 45

Jesus came for one major reason and He declared the reason stating, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) The reason of His coming is the evidence of God’s intention for all. To fully gain access to God’s intention demands giving God all the attention He deserves. Paying close attention to the first half of the Ten Commandments actually reveal how much attention God demands from His creation. God stated, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”(Exodus 20:3-8)  
A Jealous God demands full attention and a failure to give full attention leads to self-destruction. God jealously yearns for our attention and He communicates this all through the pages of the Bible. God spoke in Isaiah 45:4-7 about His desire for us to know Him as the one and only Lord; to know that there is none besides Him. Every attribute of a jealous one is inhabited in God. Therefore, every way of giving Him attention is worth giving it. In His commandment, He did not ask for too much or for what we cannot do to give Him due attention. He is a good God who cares for His children and He expects His children to care for Him. Are you giving Him attention only by mouth? Attending to Him just by mouth is not enough, but serving Him indeed and in truth is all that it takes to give and reap from His intention for us. Get your understanding in the Word that you may stand in the season we are living. God spoke in Isaiah 45:9, “Woe to him who strive with his Maker…” Denying Him His due attention is striving with Him. Give God His worthy attention and receive His desired intention for you to have life and to have it more abundantly.

Prayer for today: Ask to be delivered and be preserved from every kind of spirit that takes away man’s attention from God.  

Faith Capsule: There is no one that is born with having the fear of God.

Psalm 34
 
The book of Ecclesiastes concluded, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) Nothing else can be better than having the fear of God reign in our life. The Psalmist pointed out, “The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7) In this world of wickedness, nothing is better than having the untouchable force of protection around those who fear God. It is also written, “Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! there is no want to those who fear Him.” (Psalm 34:9) Indeed God is good and true to His Word. Do you have the kind of fear that it takes for man to be living heaven on earth? There is no one who is born with having the fear of God. Having the fear of God comes when there is understanding, knowledge and wisdom of God. Proverbs 15:33 buttress stating, “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom.”  
It is written, “Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.” (Deuteronomy 31:12-13) Living to fear God is not limited to a certain group but to all people. Also, it is not limited to a certain time in the history of creation. As an acclaimed believer in the Word of God, do you have to constantly introduce yourself as one who fears God or does your approach to living life always introduce you as one who fears God? Honestly, the fear of God cannot be hidden and it should be written all over us in our approach to life. Do you desire the fear of God to take over your life? This is what it takes: give yourself to studying and gaining more understanding of the Lord God from the words of His mouth. No one is born with the fear of God, learn to fear Him and the word will be at your hand. Determination to know His fear is good but it is not enough. Desire to fear God and He will deposit His fear in you. He is faithful to deliver what He promised if you will zealously desire to fear God.
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the fear of the Lord God to reign and overwhelm your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is your turning to God that turns you into your center of divine assignment.

1 Samuel 17

Are you positioning yourself well enough where the Lord is able to get your attention? Every man’s turning point is directly rooted in one’s positioning. Also, every one’s turning point is different from the next man’s turning point. Moses’ turning point came to be at Horeb, the Mountain of God. The Bible recorded, “…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.Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” (Exodus 3:2-3) God waited for Moses to turn before God called him. It is written, “So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Exodus 3:4)  
King David’s turning around to the center of divine assignment did not manifest until he killed Goliath. David was responding to his father’s command to go and see his brothers who were among the armies of Israel at the battle camp against Goliath and the Philistines. David’s obedience was a turning that led to not returning as a shepherd boy but rather as a giant killer and next in line as king for the people of God. The giant Goliath, as strong as he was, caused fear to hold down the armies of Israel. The armies of Israel were under incessant insult from Goliath for forty days; morning and evening. Goliath went as far as stating, “’I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.’ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine; they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” (I Samuel 17:10-11) Goliath’s claim caused David to look and behold before turning around to face Goliath. David rejected every persuasion from his brother and King Saul to not fight Goliath. David’s turning aside was ignited when he responded, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you…” (1 Samuel 17:45-46) David did exactly what he said and Goliath was history. It was after the fall of Goliath that David took a turn to the center of his divine assignment. Without turning to God, the journey to the center of His divine assignment for your life will not be turned on.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you not to miss when He is calling you to see and turn to the center of your divine assignment.

FAITH CAPSULE: He is the God that remembers to favor and visits with salvation.

1 Samuel 3

God’s communication is His revelation and where there is no revelation, transformation ceases. The journey of life without transformation will lead to termination. David’s asking for the Lord to return for him to be delivered is evidence to the testimony that without revelation every struggle of life reigns. How is your revelation experience? Just like David said, revelation from God will bring forth deliverance and salvation will reign. King David stated in Psalm 6:4, “Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for your mercies’ sake!” Considering David’s call on God, could it have been a cry at a time when God had departed from him? It is clear that when God departs all that is of God and from God ceases to manifest itself. It is a dangerous ground to be where revelation from God ceases. Are you calling for the return of God just like David? The word of God which is the presence of God will undoubtedly bring God back to you if you will hear and understand studying your bible. At a point in time in Shiloh when Eli was the priest, we are made to understand that, “…the word of Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.” (1 Samuel 3:1) The situation of no revelation in Shiloh called for the return of God. The Lord’s return is His appearance and it took the coming to life of Samuel for revelation to come back to Shiloh. 1 Samuel 3:21, “Then the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.”God, who appeared again in Shiloh, will also appear again (return) to visit you if you have lost contact with Him or if you have limited His appearance. Evidently, where His Word becomes rare, widespread revelation will cease.
In this season of new beginning; new year, why not engage the word of God more often and cue to getting revelation from God to deliver and preserve you in the coming days; weeks, months and years? The Psalmist is not ignorant of his need when he stated, “Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation.” (Psalm 106:4) What are you looking up to Him for? Is it for Him to return, to remember or to visit? The Psalmist wanted God to remember and to visit him because when God remembers or visits, one receives the benefit of His chosen ones. You will be able to rejoice in the gladness of His nation and will be able to glory with His inheritance. (Psalm 106:5) God is forever consistent. He is God that returns to reveal. He is the God that remembers to favor and God that visits with salvation.

Prayer for today: As God to remember you with favor and visit you with salvation.