FAITH CAPSULE: His provision is not limited by what you have or do not have.

John 6:1-14
 
When God is set to make a way where there is no way, there is nothing under heaven that shall stop Him. When God wants to make provision where lack reigns, there is no force under heaven that shall hold Him back. He is the Providing provider; the Almighty creator of all things. His provision is not limited by what you have or do not have. His provision is not bounded by how much you have, neither is it determined by what you have at and or do not have. Where do you find yourself at this juncture in your life? What is lacking in your life?
Jesus had the multitudes following Him wherever He went — mountain, sea and valley. They followed Him because they witnessed the signs and wonders He performed. In one instance, they followed Him to a place where there was not enough food to eat or purchase. Jesus knew there was a need for food, and that there was no place to buy food. The Bible recorded that, “Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” (John 6:5-6) Jesus knows what He will also do concerning your need do not pay attention to the test of time. Keep focus on God in the area of your challenges. In the course of looking for food, , “One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’”(John 6:8-9) How can five barley loaves and two small fish add up to feed a multitude of at least five thousand? It was only by the grace of God that such a provision was made for the numbers at hand. Think of your need as minute when compared to the need mentioned among the multitude that went to Jesus. At the place where you are now, Jesus is more than able to attend to your need and have lack cease in your life if you place this need before Him and respond to His command. John 6:10, “Then Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.” He gave a command and blessed the inadequate meal before Him. Abundance reigned in and leftovers abounded. Give yourself over to His command in total obedience and your lack will become history. God will make a way in Jesus’ name.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace to remain focus only on Jesus for your provision.

FAITH CAPSULE: Proposalthat does not center on God is an indirect withdrawal from God.

Genesis 11:1-9
 
Power is wealth and wealth is a blessing. The Bible makes us to realize that God is the one that gives to get wealth; He alone makes man to be rich. However, every wealth or riches that are not from God cannot be established. At a point in time, man wanted to rub shoulders with God by their proposal to build into the heavens. It is written, “Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:3-4)  When God proposes, no man can dispose. When He disposes, man cannot propose. Have you been proposing without God? Have you taken your proposal before God to find out whether or not it is in line with Him? As an acclaimed believer of God, it is important for all of your proposals to involve God. It does not matter what you are, who you are, or where you are. You have to remember that you are under heaven and not beyond your Creator’s reach. The motive behind the proposal was in conflict with the Almighty God. It was a proposal to lift self, they stated, “let us build ourselves a city” The people wanted to grow beyond their boundary and wanted to make a name for themselves. If they were Godly minded, they would have consulted Him who is above before making a proposal of building into the above. What are you trying to accomplish with the proposal that is impending in your heart? Do you want to stand tall above and beyond your level? Are you also considering making a name for yourself? Do you want it to be proclaimed all over that “you have made it”? Have you taken this to God? Nothing is wrong in proposing to grow big or to multiply in the blessings of God. The proposal, however, that does not center on God is an indirect withdrawal from the One and only God that makes riches. He alone can establish any proposal. It does not matter how huge or small is your proposal; take it to Him today in prayer. Let it be that you are letting Him know what He has already known. He has seen the future from the past. He is a jealous God and He deserves all your attention so He can attend to you even more than you expected. Take all your proposals, desires, hopes and dreams to the Lord with a humble heart and He will increase you.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to cause you to give your heart to Him that you may observe His ways.

FAITH CAPSULE: A failure not to let the past be past is the evidence of not trusting God for His word.

Exodus 2, Numbers 32:8-15
 
Most times, it is how we call on God that will determine the response of God to our calling on Him. The children of Israel could not be quiet but cry out to God in the face of their challenge. Despite the promise of God to their forefathers, when they could no longer remain in pain, they cried out. It is written, “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” (Exodus 2:23-25) The goodness and mercy of God was stirred when the cry of the children of Israel reached God’s ears. The word stated in Exodus 3:7, “And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.’” God did not plan to have them stranded in the wilderness when He delivered them out of over four hundred years of bondage. God’s plan was to lead them out of bondage through the hand of Moses to a better land, a land that flows with milk and honey. God brought them out, but they would not leave Egypt behind. They would not follow God fully; they failed to let go of the life they lived in Egypt. When God delivers you from your past, let the past be past. A failure not to let the past be past is the evidence of not trusting God for His word. The Israelites could not let go and God responded in Numbers 32:11-12, “Surely, none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.” Know God in whom you believe and it will be the strength to stand on your personal conviction and not others confession. Though a multitude may stand in wrongful agreement, and you are the only one in dissent, know that you are not alone in righteousness. It is worthy to know and stand on the word of God for direction and not compromise one’s faith. Ignore the dictates of your heart and you will not be surprised that you are the only one standing on His ground.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you in taking a rightful stand when the situation demands it.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not be at fault with anyone so God can fault your enemy and established you.

Daniel 6:1-24
 
When you become faultless before your enemy, nothing formed against you will prosper. The word of God that is consistent and true to perform states it, “Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight.” (Proverbs 26:2) As a child of God, whose life is centered on walking in the word, where there is no cause the enemy’s curse shall not manifest against you. Stand your ground and let there be no giving in, but you have to be faithful to become faultless as was the case with Daniel. The notion of a captive who arose to become governor did not fare well among the free people of the land. There was no way for the free people of the land to bring Daniel down without being in conflict with the law of God. Daniel 6:5, “Then these men said, ‘We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.’” They did find a way, however, to get Daniel in trouble by having King Darius sign a decree against anyone who petitioned any god or man. It was brought before the king that Daniel had disobeyed the law. Daniel’s disobedience according to the adversary of Daniel was, Daniel was found praying and making supplication before his God. The bible recorded that , “…they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” (Daniel 6:12) The consequence for his disobedience was to be executed. King Darius, knowing Daniel and his standing in the Lord, endured great struggle as he was compelled to abide by his own law. Against his own will King Darius gave the order to put Daniel in the lions’ den while hoping that God would deliver him out of it. Daniel 6:15, “Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, ‘Know, O King, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king established may be changed.’” Is your case similar to that of Daniel? As long as you are serving the Living God continually as did Daniel, God will consistently see you through even though it looks like there is no way out. Daniel was thrown into the den of lions but not a single scratch was recorded. God is a God of the eleventh hour. It is never too late for God to intervene. Know that as God saw Daniel through his difficulty while he was in a foreign land so will He dispense mercy on your behalf. Do not be at fault with anyone so God can fault your enemy and established you.
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to fail or fall against every confronting challenge..

FAITH CAPSULE: Trusting God is rooted in understanding what God has done and all that only He can do.

Daniel 3
 
Ones that trust in God will lean not on their own understanding. Trusting in God in the face of confronting challenges is to deny self from compromising. Trusting God is rooted in understanding what God has done and all that He can. The Psalmist stated in, “We give thanks to you O God, we give thanks! For your wondrous works declare that your name is near.” (Psalm 75:1) Evidently it is the ones that trust Him enough that acknowledges that seeing is wondrous works is same as seeing His word that created the wondrous works. With His works around it is certain that His presence is always around to trust. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to serve or worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold image, they were sentenced to the harsh penalty of death by the fiery furnace. However, they were determined to stand their ground for God. King Nebuchadnezzar further questioned them stating, “…and who will deliver you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:15) They were so sure of their God in their response in Daniel 3:16, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.’” Is there any matter which is demanding you to compromise your faith? Is the matter threatening to you? You can be confident, just as these men of faith were that you have no need to answer the question. The hand of God is might in deliverance; trust in the same hand of God that delivered the Israelites from the bondage of over four hundred years. The three friends of Daniel trusted God and responded, “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.” (Daniel 3:17) The three friends of Daniel did not waver nor compromise through their ordeal. Seeing that they had been delivered from the furnace fire, King Nebuchadnezzar speaks in Daniel 3:28, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” Your trust in God will frustrate the hand that moves the enemy in your life. Your trust in God will uphold you in the presence of your enemy. Your trust in God will put a new song in your mouth.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to endue you with the grace that causes man to stand in trust regardless of confronting challenges.