FAITH CAPSULE: When provocation follows you to the house of God, it is time for you to call upon the hand of God concerning your frustration.

1 Samuel 1:1-18
 
When going to worship God becomes convenient it is no longer a commitment. However, when it is commitment that is driving one to go and worship, the grace of convenience alwayscome to place.
Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, was barren. She kept going to the ground of worship with her husband and his second wife called Peninnah. She kept going despite provocation from Peninnah who had children. For Hannah, it was not convenient by virtue of her challenge but she kept on going. Hannah did not make any excuses not to go worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. What is your excuse when it is time for fellowship? Going to church only on Sundays is not enough to carry you through. Also, going without a purpose of heart is act of emptiness. If Hannah’s going to Shiloh every year has been without a purpose of heart, provocation from being barren would have stopped her from going.
It is written, “So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.” (1 Samuel 1:7)When provocation follows you to the house of God, it is time for you to call upon the hand of God concerning your frustration. Hannah sought the hand of God to divert provocation from her life. In seeking the hand of God, “Then she made a vow and said, ‘O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of His life, and no razor shall come upon his head.’” (1 Samuel 1:11) She made a strong vow, calling on God to look on her situation Hannah asked God to remember her and not forget her. God is a precise God. Hannah was precise in her request. She made it clear to Him that she desperately wanted a male child. Year after year, she went back and forth to Shiloh. Finally, God granted her request and gave her a son. Hannah responded to God’s blessing by naming her son Samuel, saying, because I have asked for him from the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:20) It could be that God is waiting for you to provoke His hand for your request. The word encourages us to ask and it shall be given. Take a lesson from Hannah’s approach. God is a faithful God and the same God that answered to Hannah’s persistent will answer to your persistent.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to give ear to the crying of your heart just like He did to Hannah.

FAITH CAPSULE: When provocation follows you to the house of God, it is time for you to call upon the hand of God concerning your frustration.

1 Samuel 1:1-18
 
When going to worship God becomes convenient it is no longer a commitment. However, when it is commitment that is driving one to go and worship, the grace of convenience always come to place.
Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, was barren. She kept going to the ground of worship with her husband and his second wife called Peninnah. She kept going despite provocation from Peninnah who had children. For Hannah, it was not convenient by virtue of her challenge but she kept on going. Hannah did not make any excuses not to go worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. What is your excuse when it is time for fellowship? Going to church only on Sundays is not enough to carry you through. Also, going without a purpose of heart is act of emptiness. If Hannah’s going to Shiloh every year has been without a purpose of heart, provocation from being barren would have stopped her from going.
It is written, “So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.” (1 Samuel 1:7)When provocation follows you to the house of God, it is time for you to call upon the hand of God concerning your frustration. Hannah sought the hand of God to divert provocation from her life. In seeking the hand of God, “Then she made a vow and said, ‘O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of His life, and no razor shall come upon his head.’” (1 Samuel 1:11) She made a strong vow, calling on God to look on her situation Hannah asked God to remember her and not forget her. God is a precise God. Hannah was precise in her request. She made it clear to Him that she desperately wanted a male child. Year after year, she went back and forth to Shiloh. Finally, God granted her request and gave her a son. Hannah responded to God’s blessing by naming her son Samuel, saying, because I have asked for him from the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:20) It could be that God is waiting for you to provoke His hand for your request. The word encourages us to ask and it shall be given. Take a lesson from Hannah’s approach. God is a faithful God and the same God that answered to Hannah’s persistent will answer to your persistent.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God to give ear to the crying of your heart just like He did to Hannah.

FAITH CAPSULE: Give yourself a reality check and determine if you are on the right ground with God

1 Corinthians 13
 
Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. Knowing God is not in knowing to be a good worker in the church. Knowing God is not in being known as a constant church goer. Also being fluent in quoting the word of God is not an indication of knowing God. Many are entering into the presence of God but short of dwelling in His presence. Knowing God is having relationship with God. Ones that knows about God can possibly be constantly attending church but fall short giving God all the attention by behaving the word of God.
Can you sincerely check yourself if you do not know Him? Majority claims knowing God but very few actually walk in line of those that knows Him. If you do not keep His commandments, you do not know Him and cannot expect Him to relate to you when you have no relationship with Him.
The word identifies what it takes to claim knowing God in the book of 1John 2:3 when it declares that now by this we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. What is the commandment that the Lord is talking about? Jesus specifically points out the commandments, when He stated,“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment.And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”(Matthew 22: 37-40)Is there any way to hear it better than hearing from the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? How possible it is for one that does not love is neighbor to love God? Love is not a word of the mouth but work from the heart. It is a sacrifice that often demands denying self. The apostle Paul points out the seriousness of having to love, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2)One that loves as required by the commandments will live in heaven on earth. Let it be known to you this day that, it is impossible to be right with God if you are not right with man.Give yourself a reality check and determine if you are on the right ground with God and with man.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God for the grace to be a believer that loves in deed and in truth, not in mouth and false humility.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is impossible for one to hear God and not answer.

1 Samuel 3:1-14, Isaiah 6:1-13
 
It is written, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.And God saw the light thatit was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:1-5) Clearly, God made all things through speaking of His word. When God speaks creation answered because it is not possible for creation to hear God and not answer. Are you hearing when He speaks direction to your confusion? Do you hear when He speaks motion to your stagnation?
If there was ever to be a heaven-made hearing-aid on sale for thousands of dollars, would you purchase it? Hearing is the key in the race of life. Hearing is what is needed to start your journey and to get you to the expected end. If you cannot hear when the Heavenly Commander, the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent is calling or giving direction, you will miss the clarion call and your journey will either be terminated or delayed. Will you now consider buying a heaven-made hearing-aid? 1 Samuel 3:10, “Now the LORD came and stood and called as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’”
Samuel heard the call and he was a standout among those that served God; he was a giant in the hand of God, and he was the last and the most effective of Israel’s judges.
Isaiah testifies, “Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’”(Isaiah 6:8)Just like Samuel, Isaiah also heard his calling. He was considered the greatest Old Testament prophet. His ministry spanned the reigns of five Kings of Judah. Hearing and answering to God made all the difference in the ministry of Samuel and Isaiah. It is impossible for one to hear God and not answer His Word–the same Word that brought everything into creation makes all the difference in all that hears and answer Him. It is not possible for one to hear Him and fail in His calling. The problem of not hearing God is the evidence of a hearing disability, and it is everywhere on the face of the earth, because of the blocking agent who is the god of this age. God has been calling you, but you have not been hearing Him. When you hear Him, you must answer Him without doubting.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to open your hear of the heart that you may answer full to His calling.

FAITH CAPSULE: Assuming is denying God due attention.

Joshua 7:1-9
 
The word of God is power to direct, deliver and to preserve. The word of God does not return to Him void. The power and consistency in His word is assurance. With assurance from God, the Israelites were delivered and set for their assured Promised Land.In the course of their journey, Joshua and the children of Israel faced giant obstacles but none was enough to stop or slow them down in their journey. Despite challenges, the assurance for deliverance and preservation in the word of God remains consistentat every step.However, a failure to attend to God’s assurance at any point in journey is the evidence of taking God’s assurance for granted. Are you taking any step in your journey for granted? It can be tempting to take some steps for granted if your previous steps have been relatively easy. Assuming is denying God due attention.
The Bible described the challenge against Jericho, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” (Joshua 6:1-2) The security of Jericho against the advancement of the Israelites was not enough to deny the assurance in the word of God. The Israelites, having brought down Jericho without using man made weapons but only God’s praise, they moved forward against Ai. Joshua sent men to go and spy on Ai before going in to attack. The spy went and came back with a report of assumption. Joshua 7:3, “And they returned to Joshua and said to him, ‘Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.’” Can you imagine the people of God turning to their own assumptions instead of God‘s assurances?The Israelites went and could not stand against their enemy. It is written, “So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.”(Joshua 7:4)The children of Israel were struck and could not stand against their enemy. If their battle was based on God’s assurance, their story would have turned out differently. If you are marching in the direction of victory, continue to seek God’s assurance. The devil is a liar. There is no easy battle for a child of God except the one that God fights for His children. Your assumption will ruin your victory, but His assurance will win it for you.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God to deliver you from every avenue of self-destruction.