FAITH CAPSULE: Having a pure heart is what will bring man to the face of God.

1 Kings 17:1-7, 18
 
Truly Elijah was a man with nature like ours but unusually nurtured in the Lord when compared to man with nature like him.
It is written, “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ’As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” (1King 17:1) There are points in Elijah’s request that got heaven to be committed to Elijah’s request:
First, Elijah recognized God for who He is: He is the living God and He enjoys that He is actively allowed in our heart; not just in our mouth. He is a jealous God and the antidote of jealousy is giving consistent attention. This is what He says in Jeremiah 12:16, “And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the LORD lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people.’” Once you sacrifice your time in learning His ways then opening your mouth and claiming, ‘As my God lives,’ then you are set for exploits. Elijah knew exactly what he was doing when he declared the living God and God decorated him by responding to his request.
Secondly, Elijah called on God’s attention reminding God about his stand by stating, “As I stand”. Your stand before the LORD will determine the exploits you carry out in His Name. Do you have a stand before God? Do you have the understanding of what it is taking a stand before Him? Psalm 24:3-4, identifies what it means to have a stand before God “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart who has not lifted up his soul to an idol”Having clean hands is the evidence of how we act as an acclaimed child of God. Are you one that constantly has to introduce yourself as a believer? Or are you one that needs not to introduce yourself by your word because your action speaks loud enough introducing you as one with clean hand?Having a pure heart is the evidence of our attitude from inside out. Is your attitude drawing men to God or drawing man away from God?
Do you want to be taking a stand expecting God to move just as He moved on behalf of Elijah? Begin to engage in what it takes to stand as prescribed in the above quotation of the psalmist.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God to wash your hands; not just your hands but from your head to the soul of your feet that you may become pure.

FAITH CAPSULE: The moment you begin to think it is too late is the moment He shows up.

1Samuel 30
 
At a time when David and his men returned to their camp, the Amalekites had invaded and took with them wives, sons and daughters of David’s men. It was not a pleasing situation for David and the people who were with David. The Bible recorded David’s reaction, “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6) David knew exactly where to turn to in the face of confronting challenge. David did not allow distress to destroy him when he turned to the Lord for strength.
As the going gets tough, ask yourself, who have you been turning to? That which will make the difference in your time of confronting challenge depends on whom you have been turning to.If one will learn and know to always listen to the living Word of God strength shall flow to deliver one from every spirit that is not represent God.
The Psalmist, by virtue of experience stated, “For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today if you will hear His voice: ‘Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness.”(Psalm 95:7)If you have been listening outside of the Word of God there will be no way out. If you are listening to the Word of God without taking His Word into your heart, you have allowed hardness of heart to have its way. Turning your back away from God starts in the heart and is not a sudden occurrence. It takes root when hardness of heart comes into play in the life of a believer. The children of Israel would not obey the Word of God, despite the demonstration of His power in their midst. Acts 7:39testifies, “Whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt.” Keep your heart and enter into a passageto your breakthrough. Allow the Word of God that is strength guide you and see you through. Psalm 33:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide with my eye.”  He is a faithful God. Listen to His voice and let no hardness of the heart deny you from getting to where He is taking you. It is never too late to turn unto the Word of God. God is never late; He is the God of the eleventh hour. The moment you begin to think it is too late is the moment He shows up with His awesome power.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace that will enable your heart to bestrengthened in the Lord God.

FAITH CAPSULE: The enemy that comes to trouble will fail when there is no gap in one’s wall.

John 1:1-34
 
Throughout the Bible, it is clear that the Word of God is God. John 1:1-3 buttresses the truth that the Word of God is God stating, “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.” One that gains the understanding that by the Word all things were created should also gain theknowledge that the same Word that created all things is the strength of God.
The Psalmist states, “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.” (Psalm 37:39) “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) In the testimonies of the Psalmist it can identified that the Word of God is also the strength of God that is available to deliver in the time of trouble. The Word of God (the strength of God) ever present for those that have it living in them.
Encountering trouble by a believer or unbeliever is inevitable. However, with a close relationship with the Word of God, trouble can never be too strong for a believer not to overcome.
The book of Jeremiah 7:6,points out how enemy brings troubleby stating, “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of man Tabel.”The protective wall of every believer is the Word of God. Jeremiah 7:6 stated that the attempt to get trouble in place for Judah was to make a gap in its wall. Are you aware of any gap in your wall? Is there any slight gap in your defense? Our defense is the Word of God; our refuge and our strength. When onebegins to skip spending time daily on the Word of God, one is creating a gap in his/her wall. The enemy will come against one to trouble but the enemy will fail when there is no gap in one’s wall. Our wall is the Word that cannot fail in strength to deliver and overcome.The challenge that faced Judah (as stated above) gives the picture to us how the enemy operates andit iswritten for our learning. The plan against Judah failed at that time because God did not allow the plan to stand. Just like it did not stand against Judah, so the plan of enemy that is gathering against us will not stand. Close every gap between you and the Word of God; be strengthened against your enemy.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God for the grace to constantly set eyes upon Him so that deliverance will answer for you. He is able to will deliver.

FAITH CAPSULE: Excuses before God will not elevate but will only eliminate or exclude one from the blessings of God.

Genesis 3:8-24
 
When sacrifice unto God becomes convenient, there is susceptibility that it is no longer a reasonable sacrifice. However, whensacrifice unto God becomes a commitment,despite inconveniences that might be in place, the grace to conveniently engage a reasonable sacrifice will not cease from flowing.
Giving excuse is the best and most reasonable means for one to get away from one’s commitment to serving God outside or inside of the church fellowship. When the church fellowship calls for meeting such as choir practice, you have a good excuse not to be a part of it. Also when a call for prayer meeting is announced it sounds too late for your convenience. Often times the nursing home ministry is not a good time and does not have a place in your schedule. To man, giving excuse for not serving might be reasonable but to the Lord God that is in control of our time, there is no reasonable excuse.Do you have reasonable excuse for no availability serving God sacrificially? Before God, there is no excuse that is acceptable. The best given excuse till date does not count before Him and no excuse shall count before Him forever.
Truly, there was no documentation in the Bible where Adam asked God for a woman. However, it was God’s plan to give to Adam a woman. It is written, “And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Adam did not ask God for a woman; therefore, he had a great excuse before God. Adam presented a reasonable excuse for violating God stating, “Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’” (Genesis 3:12)Just as it was clear during the time of Adam so it is clear today that, God made womangotAdamto do what God asked him not to do. Does your excuse sound reasonable like that of Adam? The most high God that never fail judging righteously responded to Adam, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:“Cursed is the ground for your sake;In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” (Genesis 3:17)Adam’s excuse failed and he was cursed. Eve and the serpent also had their share of curse.
Excuses before God will not elevate one; they will only eliminate one or exclude one from the blessings of God. The best excuse eliminated Adam from God’s blessings; best given excuse was not enough to restore the cost of the damage.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from excuses that have been denying and replacing you the center of God’s blessings.

FAITH CAPSULE: The ability to be stable in looking up to God in times of instability will establish one in power.

1Samuel 13:1-23

It is written, “Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead…” (1 Samuel 13:5-7) The fear of the Philistines took over the Israelites and they scattered.
King Saul got emotion in his reaction to the challenges of the Philistines. The bible recorded, “So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came…” (1 Samuel 13:9-10) King Saul was supposed to wait for Samuel for the burnt offering (which could only be performed by Samuel and not by King Saul). King Saul knew that he should never present the burnt offering, but went ahead and presented it anyway. Then Samuel showed up and reacted to Saul’s wrong emotion, “And Samuel said, ‘What have you done? Saul said, ‘When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash.’”(1Samuel 13:11) Saul allowed emotion to override what God commanded of him. As one anointed of God for an assignment, you must never let your feelings or emotions override God’s commandment, or you will not be established. Samuel made it clear to Saul that God would have established his kingdom over Israel forever, but his emotions caused him to be disobedient and thus, removed him from becoming established. Emotions can be dangerous if they are allowed to override the word of God. The ability to be stable in looking up to God in times of instability will establish one in power. Isaiah 59:1 states, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” Whatever man beholds will hold man up or bring man down. We are to constantly behold the mighty hand of God which is strong enough to uphold us. Saul could not behold the hand of God but the move of men that surrounded him. The people scattered and he was compelled to make a rash decision. Wrong emotion replaced Saul from God’s plan for his life as a result he could not be established.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace to keep you focus on God in every confronting situation.