FAITH CAPSULE:The understanding behind praising God provokes God’s hand to favor.

Psalm 103

In every area of worshiping God understanding is the key to moving the hand of God for blessing. The Bible states, “…sing praises with understanding.” (Psalm 47:7) Evidently, if worshiping God in praise worship requires understanding every other area of worshiping God also requires understanding. Knowledge, the evidence of understanding is the application of wisdom. Obviously, what ever we do with godly wisdom results to having a knowing edge over confronting issue. Praising the name of God with understanding is same as blessing the name of God with understanding. The Psalmist says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2) The Psalmist was blessing (praising) the name of God with understanding for God’s benefits. The understanding behind praising God is what energizes the psalmist and it is what provokes the hand of God to bless. In blessing the name of God for His benefits, the psalmist pointed out the benefits of God that were the driving force for his blessing of God’s name. The psalmist went further to encourage us not to forget the benefits of God.
The Psalmist states the benefits of God: “Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”(Psalm 103:3-5)
Unmistakably, all that keeps us living from time to time through the year is not our strength, not our determination and neither is it our merit but mercy of God. Clearly, the daily benefits of God is all that keeps us going and it demands for our praising Him to be rooted in understanding of His daily benefits. King David testifies in his statement, “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!” (Psalm 68:19) “What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me?” (Psalm 116:12) 
Remember and meditate the daily benefits of God as listed above: God forgives, God heals, and God redeems us, God crowns and satisfies us. For all His daily benefits, He is worthy of our profound praise worship that is rooted in understanding. With your understanding in praising Him, provoke the move of His hand to favor you.
Prayer for today: In your prayer, memorize and meditate on the word of the psalmist that states, “Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.(Psalm 106:4-5)  

FAITH CAPSULE: God’s calling is not your concern it only demands your concentration.

Numbers 20, 1 Samuel 13:1-15

When God calls and sends one out, He will back the called up. In His calling, He makes available what it takes to get to the expected end. Often times, man stumbles when man begins to consciously or unconsciously take God’s calling upon one’s self.It was God Himself who called Moses out to go and lead the children of Israel out of the bondage that lasted over four hundred years. Moses, out of his concern for God reacted to the rebellious act of the children of Israel towards God. Moses took it upon himself to strike the rock instead of speak to the rock for water. God responded to Moses, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12)The same God that was, and is, also sent Samuel to go and anoint Saul as the first King over the children of Israel. God alone knows the end from the beginning. The word testifies, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”(Jeremiah 1:5) What could have gone wrong with both men to have missed the expected end? Saul, being the topic of the subject, was ordained by God for the assignment as King, but he failed in the assignment. 1 Samuel 10:1, “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: ‘Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over His inheritance?’” Saul’s failure not to wait for Samuel the prophet of God (by carrying out a burnt offering and peace offerings before a war against the Philistines) was a failure in the presence of God. Saul had his reasons why he could not have waited for Samuel. Saul’s reasons became concerns for Him to misplace his assignment before God; his concerns placed him on a ground where he should not have been. His concerns became an agent of his termination from God’s assignment. Saul’s concerns compelled him to failure. 1 Samuel 13:12, “Then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord. Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.’” What are your concerns today? Do not misplace focus on God and allow your concerns to hinder you from getting to your expected end. God’s calling is not your concern it only demands your concentration.

Prayer for today: Ask God for help in His assignment for your life because by strength shall no man prevail.

FAITH CAPSULE: Attend to your calling and not pretend in answering to your calling.

Luke 10:25-37

Answering to title is not an evidence of attainment. Inside or outside the church, it is one thing to attend to one’s title and it is another thing to pretend by answering to title. A lawyer wanting to justify himself as one that loves according to the command of God prompted Jesus to give the parable of the good Samaritan. Jesus gave the parable, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” (Luke 10: 30-33)
The parable mentioned about a man that was attacked by thieves on his journey and was left wounded, with his property stolen. A priest came by and saw him, but walked away. A Levite arrived at the scene, looked, and passed on the other side. The priest and the Levite (that is the pastor, bishop, apostle, and all manner of titles in the church) failed in their call to care. A certain Samaritan (deeply hated by the Jew), one with no religious title came and made difference by caring for a certain man that fell among thieves. Luke 10:33, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. As the big men in the church walked away, the supposed sinner, a certain Samaritan, answered the call of God. That is, he had compassion just like Jesus. One should not be a title holder in the church before answering to giving care. What matters is for one to answer. It is possible for one be a priest or Levite and not answer to giving care. A certain Samaritan gave care when he supplied materials, and also paid the bill in full. Can you answer the Lord’s question? Luke 10:36, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” Serving to please God is not only in religious activity. Serving to please God is in achievement to the glory of God. The business of God is more of getting task done and not about title. As a title holder, meditate on James 4:17, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Serving to please God is not only for the ones with title but also for every acclaimed believer.

Prayer for today: Ask God to lead you in His truth and to teach you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Saying there is God and expressing there is no God is being a fool

2 Kings 5

It is written, “A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.” (Proverbs 18:2) The Bible points out that a fool is one that says in his heart that there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) Most times what is being said in the heart is the actual expression in the physical. Verbal communication can testify there is a God but when expression and acts violate God, it condemns one to a fool. The point being communicated here is that, no matter how much we carry God in our words, if our world does not demonstrate the fear of God, we are saying there is no God. It is important for one to identify self, determine and deny every trace of foolishness to avoid self destruction in the journey of life. Are you one that always want only your story to be heard without listening to others? In every confronting or embracing situation, is it your own story that must be heard rather than others? Is it your own reason that has to be appreciated without giving others a chance? Are you one that is only concerned all about own self? Truly there is nothing wrong with paying attention to one’s own, but when the whole identity of one becomes that of self centeredness, the word ‘own’ becomes a pride issue. Pride, the evidence of foolishness, can also be defined as a personal ride into self destruction. Pride is not of God; it is saying there is no God. Naaman, a commander of the army of the King of Syria, was described as a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master. However, he was foolish in his first approach to the prophet of God Elisha. As a leper, he needed cleansing and healing when he approached Elisha. Elisha directed him to go and wash for restoration at the Jordan River seven times but responded without understanding by expressing himself when he, “…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.’ Are not the Abanahand the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.” (2 Kings 5:11-12) Naaman has no delight in the understanding that was in place to deliver him. As a result of lack of understanding he activated anger, the expression of foolishness and the evidence of pride. Later, Naaman gained understanding, he went to wash as commanded; he received cleansing and testified, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel…” (2 Kings 5:15) Allow His word to rest in you.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open up your understanding.

FAITH CAPSULE: Be Zealous and not be sinful before God. 

Numbers 25, John 2:2-25

To be zealous for God demands to rise above congregation by condemning what is not in line with the word of God. While the children of Israel were in Acacia Grove, during their journey to the Promised Land, they engaged in all kinds of sin such as committing harlotry with the women of Moab. They were also engaged in sacrificing other gods. The action of the children of Israel angered God and God commanded Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” (Numbers 25:4) It was a sin that claimed life and weeping among the children of Israel. In the midst of it all, one of the children of Israel came into the congregation to present to his brethren a Midianite in violation of God’s command. Phinehas the son of Eleazar reacted, “Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.” The Word says Phinehas saw it and he rose from among the congregation. We should refrain from being a part of what is not right in our congregation or fellowship. If we look the other way from wrong because of what others may think, we become part of the problem, and in God’s sight culpable. We are called, as Christians, to discern right from wrong with great conviction from God. It is our duty to arise and act to correct wrongdoing. When we arise and act for the sake of righteousness, God reward us. Phinehas acted on behalf of God and God reacted with blessing. The plague was thwarted and God sent Moses to him. Numbers25:12-13, “Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’” When we are overtaken by His zeal, we will stand for God. Standing for God will deny plague from crossing our path. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.(Proverbs 8:13)The zeal of God ate Jesus up and it moved Jesus to cleanse the temple with whip of chord, driving out the wicked from the temple. Be Zealous and not be sinful before God. 

Prayer for today: Ask for the zeal of God to overwhelm you.