FAITH CAPSULE: Mixed multitude or crowd does not sit well on any journey of expectation.

Numbers 11:1-35
 
When there is expectation to be successful in any engagement or journey of life, excluding distraction is a must. Often, multitude is the agent of distraction that needs to be eliminated. The multitude is the crowd and the crowd is the multitude. On your journey, are you experiencing distraction more than usual? Distraction that is caused by the multitude or the crowd will slow or deny one’s expectation from becoming a manifestation.The children of Israel, after over four hundred years of bondage in Egypt could not detach themselves from the multitude. The Bible recorded in Exodus 12:37-38, “Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children.A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock.”The Israelites already have more than enough to carry when mixed multitude became part of their luggage.
Definitely, a mixed multitude or crowd does not sit well on any journey of expectation. Jesus, our Lord and savior demonstrated the need to know when to deny multitude from becoming agent of distraction or delay. Jesus could not tolerate but terminate the multitude/crowd by putting them out before engaging people with need for healing or deliverance miracle.Jesus came to ruler’s house in attempt to restore the ruler’s daughter back to life, “…when He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping. And they ridiculed Him.But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.”(Matthew 9:23-25) Likewise did Peter. In Acts 9:40, “Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, ‘Tabitha, arise.’ And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.”Are you learning from Jesus’ examples like Peter did?
The children of Israel did not put out the multitude on their journey. Is the multitude you are carrying along anything that does not represent God? Perhaps you are compromising with those who do not share your beliefs? The mixed multitude became a silent baggage of trouble as the Israelites journeyed to the Promised Land. It is written,“Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said; who will give us meat to eat?”(Numbers 11:4) The mixed multitude caused them to crave instead of being grateful, and they ended up in the grave.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God for help in removing all that represents the mixed multitude on your journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Painful repositioning is not enough excuse to replace God in one’s life.

Daniel 6
 
Experiencing painful repositioning in life as a result of challenges beyond our control is not enough evidence to misplace our love/fear for God. Joseph was responding to his father’s command to go and look out for his brother in Shechem when he ended up in the pit of destruction and the avenue of slavery. He went further in his painful repositioning to become a prisoner in Egypt. Despite Joseph’s painful repositioning he did not despise God nor violate his God. Above all, it was in his painful repositioning that he walked into a gainful position. Joseph moved from prison to presiding over the land of Egypt.
Daniel was taken captive from his home land as a young man and it was not enough for Daniel to lose his standing with God. Daniel upheld his love for God even while in captivity. As a believer, situations arise, which we do not invite, and we can end up in places where we do not want to be. Ending up in the place we least expects is not enough for a believer to misplace his or her identity in the Lord. We must avoid misrepresentation of our faith. Daniel, a young man taken out of his comfort zone to be a captive in a foreign land, kept himself in the Lord. He was known for his faith because he stood up for what he believed. He stood up against the law of the land and would not be unfaithful to his God by being obedient to the law. A new law had been passed in order to incriminate Daniel for breaking the law of the land. However, Daniel would not hide from worshiping his God. Because he wouldn’t be unfaithful to his God, he was to face death in the lion’s den. The King, who gave the command, was not happy about his decision to put Daniel to death, but he had no way out as he could not defy his own law. The king prayed for Daniel, that the God whom Daniel served would deliver him from death. While in the den, the hungry lions went to sleep and would not touch Daniel because the Lord whom he was serving was in place for him. It was the King who got to the den first in the morning and found out about Daniel’s well-being. Daniel responded to the King: Daniel6:22, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Daniel did right before God and before man, and that made it impossible for any beast under heaven to touch him. If you are not right with man, you cannot be right with God.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God for the grace to stand and not fall in the face of challenges.

FAITH CAPSULE: Wisdom is the instruction of God while knowledge is the application of wisdom.

1 Samuel 17
 
Salvation is work; it is encased in believing God. To believe God is work. Once Jesus was asked, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28) In responding Jesus stated, “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29) Evidently, It can be concluded in the response of Jesus that believe is work. Philippians 2:12 buttressed the word by stating, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)
What does it take to work? It should be illuminated that work demands strength. In any kind of work, being of the physical or working the works of God (Believing God) strength is the source. Without strength work will cease. In physical work strength comes from food. However, to keep working the works of God and not lose our salvation, the supply of strength must be consistent. Isaiah 33:6 identifies the source of strength for salvation, “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation…” (Isaiah 33:6) Wisdom and knowledge are the source of strength that helps in working out our salvation.
Wisdom is the command, word or the instruction of God while knowledge is the application of wisdom. Are you studying the instructions (word) of God enough to be able to apply when you face challenges?
David operated in wisdom and was recorded of him, “…David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely…” (1 Samuel 18:5) This describes David as a man of wisdom.
Once, the Israelites were in need of deliverance from Goliath and the Philistines army. Goliath declared,“…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. ” (1 Samuel 17:10-11)
David needed the wisdom of God to bring forth salvation to his people. Against every form of discouragement, the young David who was not trained in army combat spoke wisely,“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 with the wisdom of God in him, he had knowing-edge (Knowledge) that prevailed over Goliath.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you for His wisdom to have a place in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Negative testimony provokes negative confession.

Numbers 14
 
It is written, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) If your choice is life speak positive at every time you open your mouth and life will answer for you.
The children of Israel that went to spy the Promised Land could nottestify positive but negative. It was the spy’s negative testimony that provoked negative confession by the Israelites. The Israelite confess negative by stating, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” (Numbers 14: 2-3)God heard the negative confession and He responded, “…As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.” (Numbers 14:28-29) The Israelites spoke death and they all died. Seeing things in a negative light instead of being positive makes it much harder for one to prevail over one’s confronting challenge. When one confess negatively and not positively, one may end up damaging one’s desired response. Caleb and Joshua spoke positive and God responded to them, “Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.” (Numbers 14:30) Confessing negative in the face of challenge is same as complaining while confessing positive in the face of challenge is the evident of following God fully. Being optimistic in prayer and in how you view your situation will help you overcome adversity. As a child of God, let it be done in you that negativity should not be the sound coming from your mouth. Often, when you say it, it becomes reality. Ecclesiastes 5:6, “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? Producing a negative sound is like making a vow before the messenger of God. When that vow is made, it cannot be taken back. Claiming that an uttered vow was a mistake is not a good excuse; God will judge. In the face of challenge, be careful, avoid too many words and if you have nothing to say, keep quiet. You are a child of God; let no sound of negativity send you packing from your ground.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to take over every area of your living life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Praise belongs to God, but when it is not with understanding it becomes noise-making.

Psalm 47, 48
 
Engaging God in worship demands understanding. Proverbs 4:7 points out, “Wisdom is the principal thing;therefore get wisdom.And in all your getting, get understanding.” It does not matter the level of one’s wisdom, when understanding is missing engaging in emotion takes a place in worship. Just in case you are one that gets carried away worshiping emotionally there is a need for understanding. Our worship needs to set us in motion by bringing us out of life’s stagnation. To have gained the knowledge of worshiping God is the evidence of wisdom; now get understanding as stated in the word of God and set yourself in motion instead of emotion.
How often do you render unto Him praise worship? How long does it take you to praise Him? Is your praise emotionally driven? All the above questions are rooted in this one question: Do you praise Him with understanding? When you praise Him with understanding, your praise worship will be constant and consistent; your praise worship will no longer be to get man’s applause. The Bible specifically mentioned, “Let everything that has breathpraise the LORD. Praise the LORD!(Psalm 150:6)When you praise Him with understanding, your praise worship will no longer be timed, it will be all day long, all week long, all month and all year round (praise Him at every breath). Your praise will not be subjected to the timing or calendar of man, but will be heavenly connected. Anytime you are on your own or out of conversation with men, you will have nothing to worry about but to be praising Him. Have you ever thought about this or do you not think He is worthy of your praises? Psalm 47:7, “For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.” Do you now get it? Your praise should be driven by the fact that He is in charge of all the earth. Psalm 22:3, “But You are holy,enthroned in the praises of Israel.” It is frequently quoted among the believers, because the word said it, ‘God inhabits the praises of His people.’ All the more reason we should praise Him is to carry His presence with us around the clock. Praise belongs to God, but when it is not with understanding it becomes noise-making. Religion makes noise, serving Christ makes you powerful to the glory of God. Get out of religion and get into Jesus reality.
Prayer for today: Ask God to place upon you the garment of understanding.