FAITH CAPSULE: The word of God is true to perform when one attend to His word.

Isaiah 64

The Psalmist described God, “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” (Psalm 86:5) He is a covenant keeping God. He is God that never fails in responding to those who seek Him, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10) Waiting on God is patience; waiting on God is painful but overall it is gainful. Without knowing God one cannot trust in Him. It is those that put their trust in Him that waits on Him. It is written, “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) The word of God is true to perform when one attend to His word.
Is there any area of life where you are trusting God for a miracle? If not, there will be a time coming when you will have a need to wait on Him with patience. Patience is what it takes to wait on God. It is one thing to know there is a need for patience in waiting, it is another to actually experience waiting on God for a remedy. You that have a need for waiting, trust God and He will deliver; He is also the God of the eleventh hour. That is, He will show up when it seems that there is no way out so that you can appreciate Him enough to elevate His Holy name at the top of your heart. God knows you have a need to bring before Him, and He will wait for you to take it to Him. Submitting your need to Him is demonstrating that you recognize you serve a living God. Isaiah 30:18, “Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him.” What do you expect of a jealous God? The answer is, give Him unfailing attention. He gets your attention in your waiting because where there is jealousy, there will be love. He is a loving God. Wait on Him, do not give up. Have patience and He will attend to your need at the best possible hour. The Prophet Isaiah testifies, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4) Wait on Him.

Prayer for today: Ask like the Psalmist asked: “Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.” (Psalm 86:6)

FAITH CAPSULE: He that remembers how God delivered him from a small confrontation will be delivered from an even bigger one.

1 Samuel 17

In the face of evil challenges that terminate life, considering the testimonies of God is enough to deny evil challenges over one’s life. The Psalmist testifies, “The wicked wait for me to destroy me, but I will consider Your testimonies.” (Psalm 119:95) The testimonies of God are the evidence of His work. The testimonies of God are the wondrous works of His hands. The Bible testifies, “…Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.” (Psalm 75:1) What else could be better than having God nearer to one in the face of evil challenges? Considering thetestimonies of God is gaining access into the power of God that is mighty to deliver. Considering the testimonies of God is an expression that you are counting on God for greater testimonies. Above all, when one reminds God concerning the work of His hand, He will react concerning the war that confronts one. Once, Goliath stood a ground of war against the Children of Israel and he rained all kinds of verbal insult and harassment against Israel but none of the children of Israel could consider the testimonies of God that is power enough to deliver. 1 Samuel 17:8-9, “Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” In response to Goliath, David took it upon himself to confront Goliath.David’s first offensive weapon of attack was remembering and reminding all agents of opposition about what God had done in his life. What God has done is what will provoke what God will do. 1 Samuel 17:34, “But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.” David was asked not to go after the giant Goliath while he was talking about how God had helped him in killing a lion and a bear. David’s response was perfect because he that remembers how God delivered him from a small confrontation will be delivered from an even bigger one. It is a weapon to hold on to the testimonies of God when a challenge shows up like a storm.

Prayer for today: Ask God for help in remembering to consider His testimonies.

FAITH CAPSULE: Word of God terminates struggle.

1 Kings 17, 18:1-19

Just a word of God is enough to terminate struggle or challenge in any area of life. When one that is facing challenges or struggle is able to receive the word of God, challenges or struggle will become issue of the past. Naaman, a commander of the army of the king of Syria, a mighty man of valor must have been in struggle with being a leper. However, when the word to cleanse him sounded in his direction he was not receptive. Elisha told him told him to go and wash in the Jordan seven times so as to be cleansed from his struggle (leprosy) he refused and could not receive the word. The Bible said, “But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’” (2 Kings 5:11) Eventually, the leper commander, later went back to receive and got cleansed. Are you denying yourself a timely deliverance by not receiving the word of God?
Elijah had caused the whole land of Israel big trouble when he prayed for rain to cease. Having placed the whole land in trouble, he fled for his life. Elijah did this for a just cause; he was on the Lord’s side. Elijah became the enemy of the land because he was doing the work of God. Elijah could not present himself as much as he would have liked because he became a wanted man in the government of King Ahab. Are you in a position that is keeping you away from presenting yourself in places where you love to be? Elijah could not present himself because he was facing destruction. Psalm 107:20, “He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions” What you need is for the word to come into your direction to deliver you from destruction. The Word came forth for Elijah and he presented himself. 1 Kings 18:1, “And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ‘Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.’” The Word of God is undeniable, undisruptive and its power is beyond any circumstance. Elijah went and presented himself to the enemy, but they could not pull a single hair out of his head. Do you really read the word of God as living? Everything that you need to hear for your transformation–from hiding to riding–is in the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open your ears of understanding so you will begin to move in the direction of His word in healing and in deliverance from your enemies.

FAITH CASULE: Allow your concern for doing good to be alive.

2 Kings 4:8-17

It is written, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) The importance of doing good cannot be emphasized enough in one daily devotional reading. Evidently, if knowing to do good and not do it is a sin, knowing to do good and doing it must be a blessing. Doing good is listed among the fruit of the spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” (Galatians 5:22) Many scriptural passages emphasized the importance of doing good. Romans 12:9, “…Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13, “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.” Hebrews 13:16, “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”Allow your concern for doing good to be alive. Let your care be activated, and not lie dormant. When you show concern and care for doing good, then your concern is activated with care. To be concerned is from the heart, but to care is by action. Have you been having some concerns about doing good where doing good calls for good to be done? Go ahead and act with care, knowing fully well that what you are doing is in the name of God and for the glory of God.
The Shunammite woman had concern for the man of God that frequently passed by her place. 2 Kings 4:9-10, “And she said to her husband, ‘Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a chair and a lamp stand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.’” The man of God came and his life was made easier for him. He acknowledged the woman’s concern and care that had been directed towards him and his servant. 2 Kings 4:13, “And he said to him, ‘Say now to her, ‘“Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?”’ She answered, ‘I dwell among my own people.’” Indeed, the man of God spoke on her behalf to the Almighty God and barrenness ceased in her life. The Shunammite woman became a mother in her husband’s old age. Just as the Shunammite woman did, if you surely know that something is of God, invest in it and you will reap from your investment.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s mercy according to His lovingkindness.

FAITH CAPSULE: The power of the third day resurrection is relevant to your resurrection this third month of the year.

Esther 4, 5

In the bondage of over four hundred years, the children of Israel reminded God when their crying got heaven’s attention and God attended to them. It does not matter how long you have been buried spiritually, emotionally or financially but it matters that your cry to God will trigger your resurrection in this third month. God encourages us to remind Him, “Put me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case that you may be acquitted.” (Isaiah 43:26)   The power of the third day resurrection is relevant to your resurrection this third month of the year if you will remember to remind God. The children of Israel reminded God of His covenant when their crying got to God.
The miracle of third answered to deliver Moses from dying at birth. The Bible recorded how Moses’ mother hid him for three months (Exodus 2:2) and placed him in an ark of bulrushes. After three months of hiding, the ark brought Moses to the attention of Pharaoh’s daughter. It is written, “…She saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children” (Exodus 2:6) Jesus’ resurrection on the third day, Moses’ coming out of hiding and going directly into compassionate hand of one’s that made law to kill him was not magic or luck but miracle of the third.
When Harman’s conspiracy to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus was in place, it was the miracle of the third that answered for the deliverance of all the Jews. Queen Esther was alerted of the impending danger and she took it upon herself with three days fasting and prayer. After the fasting of three days, Queen Esther needed to go into the inner court of the king. Inner court of the king was described in Esther 4:11, “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live…” Despite Esther’s understanding of what could happen by going to the inner court of the king without being called by the king, she made her way into the inner court after her three days fasting. Esther 5:2, “So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight…” On the third day Esther found favor where failure is the answer. Trust God for your own testimony in this third month.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s miracle of third day; third month or third year.