FAITH CAPSULE: When God delivers you from your past, let the past be past.

Numbers 32:8-15

While the children of Israel were in bondage of over four hundred years, they reacted in pain and hard life by lifting up their voice in crying to the Lord. As a result of their crying, the goodness and mercy of God was stirred when God responded, “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 flowing with milk and honey. God brought them out, but they would not leave Egypt behind. The word testifies, “We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, but rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.”(Psalm 106:6-7) With great wonder God brought them out of bondage. The children of Israel saw all the wondrous act of God that granted their deliverance. Evidently, the children of Israel lack understand of God’s wonders and failed to remember but rebelled. Are you paying attention to all the wonders of God or worrying about what you see? Lack of understanding causes failure to remember. 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. As a result of their lack of understanding, it is written, “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.”(Numbers 32:11-12)  It is possible for you to be in a rightful mind when you are among thousands of people who are not. Though a multitude may stand in wrongful agreement, and you are the only one in dissent, know that you are not alone in righteousness. Know Him in whom you believe. Stand on His word for direction and do not compromise your 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 to take a rightful stand when the situation demands it.

FAITH CAPSULE: See a great sight and be set up for greatness in the journey of life.

Exodus 3

The difference between living a life of fulfillment by serving God and not living a life of fulfillment is in turning aside when and where it matters. The Bible was talking about Moses when it stated, “And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked and behold the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”(Exodus 3:2-3) Moses needed to be able to see a great sight for him to be set up for greatness in his journey of life. God ordained Moses for greatness and for his greatness to come to manifestation, there was a need for him to turn aside. Remember, Moses was living in the greatest palace of his time (for forty years) when an accidental murder chased him out of the palace and out of the Land of Egypt. For Moses to become what God called him to be, for him to see the great sight, he had to leave the palace for the desert and change from prince to shepherd. When he was led to lead the flock to where there was no distraction (the back of the desert at Horeb, the mountain of God) he saw the flame of fire from the midst of the bush while the bush was not consumed. As stated in the verse above, Moses only looked and behold he did not turn aside to see the great sight. Indeed many are looking, many are beholding but many are not turning aside to see the great sight that sets man to fulfill his calling to greatness for the glory of God. Evidently, there was a need for Moses to turn aside in order to be able to see the great sight. Moses was on time at the right ground with the right training (forty years as desert shepherd) but could have missed the calling by failing to turn aside. Moses had all that is needed to move him into his divine direction but God waited on him to turn aside, “So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, Here I am.”” (Exodus 3:4) It does not matter what one’s achievement or experience in life, a life that does not answer to divine assignment is not a life of fulfillment. Where do you need to turn aside? God is not a slave master but a saving master. God will wait for you to turn aside to see that which will lead to the fulfillment of His calling in your life. Pay attention to where you need to turn aside.

Prayer for today: Let me not miss taking the step to Your glorious call for my life.    

FAITH CAPSULE: It is faith that pleases God and moves God to please us.

2 Kings 20:1-11, Daniel 6

The truth that Jesus knows what we want before we ask is not an excuse for us not to ask. When we ask we are putting faith to action and that is what God is waiting for. God wants us to show forth our faith. It is faith that pleases God and moves God to please us. It is written, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) It is important to also know that, “…For the LORD is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” (1 Samuel 2:3) The weight of our actions that moves the hand of God is what determines the magnitude of our miracle. Getting into prayer is going to action. Those who are waiting for challenges before going in to prayer and those who make praying unto God their custom cannot be experiencing the same level of breakthrough in the face of a break down. The Bible talks about how Daniel refused to bow to a golden image that prompted the attempt to break him down in the den of hungry lions, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.’ (Daniel 6:10) In the case of Daniel, having the custom of prayer can be compared to taking vitamins. Vitamins will build our systems up so that sickness will not have its way. Daniel did not call on prayer partners when trouble showed up, because prayer was his custom (vitamin). Hezekiah, a man who knew what prayer could do did not hesitate to get on his knees and pray for deliverance from untimely death. In his commitment to God, convenience sets in and pride shows forth. With pride, untimely termination becomes evident. After having defeated Sennacherib, Hezekiah’s heart was lifted up. (2 Chronicles 32:25) Knowing that pride before God is like a death sentence, Hezekiah became sick and near death. By virtue of his conviction that God answers prayer, even his sickness could not prevent him from praying and getting results. It is written, “Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight…” (2 Kings 20:2-3) God heard the prayer of Hezekiah and added fifteen years. Prayer can be inconvenient but it is crucial and it demands commitment. Deny hindrances from taking away your prayer time before the prayer-answering God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to make prayer a custom.

FAITH CAPSULE: When God says yes it is good; when God says no it is good.

2 Samuel 18, 19:1-20

Prayer is communicating with God. In prayer we ask, we seek and knock. It is a command given by Jesus when He stated, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”(Matthew 7:7) It is not a suggestion to pray, it is a task that must be performed. Jesus was so sure about the effect of obeying when He declared, “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:8-12) Anyone who asks (prays) obviously knows about the fact that there is a prayer-answering God. Unfortunately, knowing about is not enough, but when there is a knowing there will be the understanding of not giving up in asking but to be persistent. With not just a knowing about prayer, there will understanding that the word of God never fails and He will do what He says He will do. The God who never lies testifies to the efficacy of His word, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) God commanded: you ask and it shall be given. Are you asking or are you whining? The word of Hezekiah demonstrates that prayer is like a labor room where undeniable proofs are being given birth to. When Sennacherib staged an offensive against Hezekiah by boasting against God through his servant Rabshakeh, Hezekiah confessed, “…This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.” (2 Kings 19:3) The strength to push for birth to come forth is prayer; this is clear in Hezekiah’s reaction. Hezekiah went into prayer. He prayed before the Lord God and God answered his prayer. God sent Isaiah to go and say to Hezekiah, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.” (2 Kings 19:20) Prayer demands strength that comes from God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for strength to persevere in prayer.  

FAITH CAPSULE: Your conduct is your evangelism to the unbelievers.

Psalm 50

The Psalmist stated, “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” (Psalm 50:23) Conduct, a way of acting or behavior does have a direct route on to salvation for every acclaimed believer in the name of Jesus. Paul the apostle, in his sincerity, made a declaration when he stated, “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.”(2 Corinthians 1:12) Often times, as a believer, our conduct is what should be introducing us in unknown ground. Our confession as one for Christ should not be limited to our church ground or when we carry our bible. As a believer that claims to have accepted Jesus as Lord and savior, how do you act when you are in the company of believers? Do you act differently among non-believers? Can you identify the differences in your actions? Have you heard people say that you are the Bible that they are reading? Christianity is not a religious act; it is a way of life. The conduct you display behind closed doors should not be an embarrassment when conducted in the open. Year after year, month after month, day after day, you have been “playing” religion. Your religious “play acting” will only last for a while before the truth prevails. Do not be overtaken by sin, because God is not deceived and will He not overlook sin. The word of God states, “For the LORD is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” (1 Samuel 2:3) It is important that every believer should weigh in the hand of God by virtue of good conduct. It is one’s weight of good conduct that will determine how much could be assigned to carry in God’s assignment for the kingdom of heaven. The time for self examination and sincerity before God is now. God will always be merciful to those who call upon Him. Paul said in Philippians 1:27, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent , I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Your conduct is the testimony of your standing in the Lord. If your conduct is worthy of Christ, you will be steadfast in Him. Your conduct is your evangelism to the unbelievers around you that are yet to receive Him as their Lord and Savior. As the year goes by, let the word of God be echoing in your heart.

Prayer for today:Ask God to work in you both to do His will and to do it for His glory.