FAITH CAPSULE: Meditation is labor and it gives understanding.

Psalm 119:27-169

Understanding is crucial when seeking God. At a point in time, God took some of His time to look down from “…heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” (Psalm14:2) God is serious when it comes to the business of His kingdom; He will not compromise based on lack of one’s understanding. Many speak of the word of God but lack the understanding to bring forth results. However, speaking does not translate to having a knowing edge over confronting challenges of this wicked world. The Psalmist makes it clear, “My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.” (Psalm 49:3) It is possible to speak the word of God but when there is no understand in place it becomes powerless. Speaking the word of God that is backed with understanding is rooted in meditation but not in memorization. God was right when He repeated Himself three times (great emphasis) to Joshua after the death of Moses, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8) Of course, meditation is labor and it gives understanding, but when one is lazy one becomes reduced to memorization which only comes from the mouth with no power because it lacks understanding. Indeed and in truth, lack of understand is what will make one to wander and rest in the assembly of dead. Proverbs 21:16, “A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead.”This is exactly what happened to the children of Israel. Psalm 106:7, clearly points it out, “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.” The children of Israel saw all the wonders that brought them out of the bondage of over four hundred years. The Children of Israel lack understand that could make them remember the mercies of God. In this wicked world, one who is wise will definitely know to observe the things/work of God. It is in the observation that understanding the lovingkindness of God will come to place in one’s life. Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; good understandings have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”  Once there is understanding to fear the word of God and to live accordance to His word, the word of God answers with power.

Prayer for today:  Ask God for the wisdom to understand the way of His precepts; so that you can mediate on His wonderful works.

FAITH CAPSULE: Be specific of your need when you call Him.

Mark 10:46-52

A man named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was referred to as the Blind man. The Bible did not mention how long he had been a beggar on the street. However, it is most likely he was on the street begging for long because it would be difficult for a new beggar on the street to become so popular with his full name to be known to all. The people knew his name, yet they called him ‘The Blind man’. Have you been in any situation for long time and now your name is being changed to what your situation is about? The Bible recorded, “…when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”(Luke 10:47-48) Though he was blind when Jesus was passing by, he saw with his heart and knew enough not to allow his miracle pass by. The crying out of Bartimaeus is another way of prayer. A prayer might require crying out. Sometimes it involves speaking in the heart with lips moving and no voice like Hannah did when she was asking God for a child. The thing about prayer is asking God for help to intervene in any area of challenge. The Psalmist called for help, “Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy, That they may know that this is Your hand—That You, LORD, have done it!” (Psalm 109:26-27) In the word of the Psalmist, only the one that needs help will place a call onto God like Bartimaeus did when he called on Jesus. Salvation (that is to be saved from challenges) is what every believer calls for. The help to be saved is according to God’s mercy. Mercy is in the hand of God. Jesus responded to the blind man’s cry of understanding that called for Jesus as Son of David. Jesus stood still and Jesus answered him by saying to him “What do you want Me to do for you” (Mark 10:51) Jesus knew what the situation was but went ahead and asked about his need for calling. Are you being specific when you call or you are being super active when there is no need to super act? It is one thing to know how to call, and it is another to know to how call and be specific in asking. Jesus’ request for a specific need prompted the blind man to ask for his sight to be restored. What do you want Him to do for you? He is the Healing healer. Be specific of your need when you call on him.

Prayer for today: Ask Him to open your understanding in every step of your walk in life.

FAITH CAPSULE: A journey that is yet to encounter a lion is not evident of a lion free journey.

Judges 14

The Spirit of the Lord is power and nothing can be compared to the power that is embedded in the Spirit of the Lord. Many overcomers in the pages of the Bible prevailed by virtue of the power in the Spirit of God. The Bible talked about Samson and the Spirit of God that worked for him when he was obeying the Word of God. It is written, “So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.” (Judges 14:5-6) With the Spirit of the Lord there is nothing a surprise challenge can do but to fail and not prevail. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson when a surprise lion came roaring at him and Samson prevailed against the roaring lion. In our every day journey in this world of darkness, there are lions that are ready to devour us on a regular basis. How are you approaching your daily journey? A journey that is yet to encounter a lion is not evident of a lion free journey. It is wise to always prepare for a confrontation with lion because lion will come in every journey. How to prepare is in the Word of God. At a time when Jesus was speaking to His disciples He stated, “…the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”(John 6:63) The Spirit of the Lord that is power is the Word of God. The Word of God is the generator of faith and when it enters, it gives light. When the light of God is inhabited inside a man that believes in the Word of God, there will be no cause for stumbling. The Word of God is true to deliver. The Spirit of God delivered Samson from his enemies. Are you spending time to study and not only read the Word of God daily? Do not leave home without the Word. Meditate the Word of God and pray the Word of God. The roaring lion caught up with Samson by surprise, but the Spirit of the Lord upon him overcame a surprise attack of the lion. The Spirit of God will not only deliver you from lions that you know but also from surprise lions which you do not know.

Prayer for today: Ask God to give you the grace to increase in spending more time studying the Word of His deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: The promise of God not to live or forsake those that seek Him remains unchanging.

2 Chronicles 20

Whenever the fear of confronting a challenge leads you to seek help from a man, you will gain a comfortable position to fail and disappointment will not disappoint you. However, if your fear of confronting a challenge leads you to seek God’s face for help, then you are set for undeniable victory that glorifies God. King Jehoshaphat is an example of one whose fear of his confronting challenge sent him to seek the face of God for help. Are you facing a daunting, unavoidable challenge that is set to deny or destroy you in any area of life? Take your challenge to God not man. Man will fail and sometimes frustrate you, but God will prevail on your behalf. Jehoshaphat once had a confronting challenge and he took it to God in prayer. God responded to Jehoshaphat’s fear, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17) In different chapters of the Bible, the promise of God not to live or forsake those that seek Him remains unchanging. Understand and know that the battle against your challenge is not beyond God, position yourself and stand still. When you stand still, you have to be able to see victory over your challenge while the victory is not there yet. Jehoshaphat did all as commanded by God but took a step of faith, “…bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.”(2 Chronicles 20:18-19)  The fear that chased Jehoshaphat to God revealed God’s glory. The fear of Jehoshaphat led to a faithful victory because the Lord fought the battle on behalf of the children of Israel. It is written, “And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.”(2Chronicles 20:29-30) Take your challenge to God for Him to fight on your behalf.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you and save you according to His mercy.

FAITH CAPSULE: God does not run out of mercy, one runs out of God’s mercy.

Luke 1:26-55

The Bible describes that, “The Lord is good and His mercy is everlasting…” (Psalm 100:5) The mercy of God is, “great above the heavens…” (Psalm 108:4) Also, “The earth O Lord is full of Your mercy…” (Psalm 119:64) The mercy of God endures forever, meaning that God’s mercy cannot and will never run out. His mercy is abundant and enough for each and every one of His creations. Often times, it is His creation that frequently runs out of the mercy of God. In this wicked world, there is nothing that matters for one like being under the mercy of the good God. Once you are constantly covered by the mercy of God, there is no way you can be messed up by the mess of this wicked world. Apostle Paul was quoting the word of God to Moses when he stated, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”(Romans 9:15) The same word of God that is true also reveals to us how taking some stand in the word of God will position one on undeniable ground for the mercy of God. Without any doubt, having the fear of God in life is taking a position on undeniable ground for the mercy of God. Keep it in mind that to fear God is to love God. Furthermore, looking into few scriptural verses from the Old Testament and the New Testament will confirm to us and open our understanding that mercy is available at all times for the one that loves or fears God. It is written in Exodus 20:6, “but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” The book of Psalm 119:132, “Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your name.” In the New Testament, the Book of Luke also recorded in Luke 1:50, “And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.” As mentioned earlier, to fear and to Love God is evidently the same. What the fear of God does is that it culminates the manifestation of mercy in the life of anyone that fears God. It is a great mercy that was bestowed on Mary to be the biological mother of Jesus. By the testimony of Mary after the visitation of angel Gabriel, it is clear she feared God and that qualified her for an undeniable visitation of God’s mercy. The mercy of God matters in all areas of life. Allow the fear of God or be zealous in loving God and the mercy of God will not depart you and your generation to come.

Prayer for today: Ask God to put His fear in your heart so that you will not depart from Him.