FAITH CAPSULE: Indeed a worthless complaint will bring forth a death that is not worth it.

Numbers 21: 4-9, John 3:1-21

During the journey of the children of Israel to the Promised Land, they constantly engaged in complaining. The children of Israel in one of their consistent rebellious act of complaining, they positioned themselves for a deadly bite. Numbers 21:5, “And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” The case of their deadly bite was due to their complaining against the quality of bread provided for them by the Almighty God. They have complained for lack of water and bread a number of times, but this time around they were complaining against the quality of the provision of food by calling God’s provision worthless. Indeed a worthless complaint will bring forth a death that is not worth it. This type of complaining provoked the hand of God, “So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.” (Numbers 21:6) Do you complain in any way before God? It is a deadly way of approaching God for needs. In your journey, it is important to avoid taking to the way of complaints directly or indirectly. The way out of the deadly bite for the children of Israel was faith-based prescription. As a result of the deadly bite, the children of Israel cried out for deliverance, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” (Numbers 21:8) The healing and deliverance from a deadly bite requires looking up at the hanged up serpent on the pole. Just as there was a provision for healing in looking up to the pole of the bronze serpent, so we have been provided healing and deliverance by looking up at the cross. John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” He was lifted up for our healing and deliverance only if we would look up at Him. There is no foolishness in looking up, but foolishness is achieved by taking a stand of not obeying the command of proven evidences in the infallible proofs of the name of Jesus. Remember you cannot be foolish to God’s command, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25) You must believe and look up to Jesus.

Prayer for today: Whatever it is that will cause one to complain, let it not have a place in my life.

DO NOT COMPLAIN

FAITH CAPSULE: Prayer, not determination, will help us to avoid complaining.

Numbers 14
God can never change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the unchanging changer. However, God is not like man. He does not like it when we murmur and complain. Oftentimes, as a result of our complaining we have to suffer the consequences. . A case in point is the children of Israel. He did not overlook it when the children of Israel complained against Him; and He still does not overlook it when we complain even today. When we murmur and complain against God, it sends a clear message that we do not trust God. As a result of our lack of trust, we suffer the consequences by staying in the wilderness much longer than God intended. Complaining instead of appreciating the work of His mighty hand can cause us great pain and suffering that could be avoided. When we complain, it could also cause a major delay to our breakthrough. The children of Israel constantly complained, both directly and indirectly,against God. The result was their stagnation in the wilderness. Numbers 14:27-28, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.” In the course of their complaints to God, He heard them as they spoke negatively to Him. They confessed death, reversal and all that did not glorify God. There is a need to be conscious of the words that come out of your mouth regardless of what you are going through today. The Bible says in Proverb 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Therefore, we have to pay careful attention to the words that comes out of our mouth. The children of Israel did not pay attention to what they were confessing in their complaints and negative speech. Prayer, not determination, will help us to avoid complaining. Complaining against God could also lead to our termination. How long will you doubt and not believe that He is able to make a way and see you through. Despite all that you are going through and all that stands against you don’t complain. Put your trust in God and He will make a way and means you never imagined and see you through to your expected end.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His grace not to enter a conscious or unconscious act of complaining against His Holy name.

FAITH CAPSULE: At every wrong assumption or perception there will be the danger of going down wrongly.

Numbers 16

All the writing was clear on the wall that Moses was not operating on his own power or understanding and that was enough for Korah and his rebellious group to know not to rise against Moses. “Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; 2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown.” (Numbers 16:1-2) Evidently, Korah and his rebellious ones had either a wrong assumption or perception of Moses’ leadership. At every wrong assumption or perception there will be the danger of going down wrongly. Wrong assumption can be generated because of jealousy or empty pride. Wrong assumption can also be the evidence of insecurity or self-centeredness. It is hard to believe that some could ever thought of rising against Moses despite all that God did through him. Among those that rose against him were men of renowned not just ordinary people. There were two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation and representatives of congregation which took part in the uprising against Moses. As they rose against him the hand of God was in place for him because he did not call himself; it was God who called him. Are you experiencing any uprising in any area of your calling? If you are called of God, uprising storms will come and if you are yet to see one, it will come sooner or later. If your calling is like that of Moses, you are certainly not going to fall for any uprising in Jesus Name. Numbers 16:3,”They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” The gathering was a very wrong one on the part of Korah and his rebellious group. It was a gathering against the wrong man. Are you in anyway gathering together against any one that is called of God? All those that gathered against Moses were gathering indirectly against God. Any indirect gathering against God will experience a direct wrath of God like that of Korah and his rebellious group. “Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with all their goods.”(Numbers 16:31-32) They were all buried before death and that is why you cannot be a part of any rebellious gathering.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from every conscious and unconscious gathering against any anointed of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Doubt will always build up to fear and fear will lead into complaining.

Luke 15:11-32

It is not possible to turn away from God and retain the presence of God. The children of Israel’s rebellious act turned them from God on their way to the Promised Land. At the time of their turning away from God, Moses pointed out to them not to go and invade the Amalekites and the Canaanites but they refused Moses’ word. Moses also made known to them in Numbers 14:43,“For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” They had turned away from God and as a result they no longer had any privilege of walking over their enemy. Despite the warning of Moses not to go forward in possessing the land, they went and they paid the price of going without God in their camp, “Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.” (Numbers 14:45) God was no longer in their camp because they have turned away from God. Rebellious act of the children of Israel caused them to doubt God’s promise of taking them to the Promised Land. Doubt will always build up to fear and fear will lead into complaining while complaint will bring forth rejection. Have you turned away from God in any area of life? When Jesus was with the disciples, he spoke many times in parables and His entire saying was to build us up so that we can inherit our portion among the sanctified. In the parable of the lost son, Jesus made us to see that returning is never too late after turning away from God. The lost son left home too early when he was able to get the portion of goods that fell to him. The Bible says he went and joined to a new land. After he had finished the resources that he took with him, he then remembered to go home. Luke 15:17, “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father; I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.” Father is always waiting for us to return after we might have turned away from Him. God did not reject you, but your action is what has rejected you. Learn from what Jesus is saying in the story of the Prodigal Son.

Prayer for today: Whatever it is that causes doubt in man, let doubt not have a place in my life.

FAITH CAPSULE: At every wrong assumption or perception there will be the danger of going down wrongly.

Numbers 16

All the writing was clear on the wall that Moses was not operating on his own power or understanding and that was enough for Korah and his entourage to know not to rise against Moses. “Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; 2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown.” (Numbers 16:1-2) Evidently, Korah and his rebellious ones had either a wrong assumption or perception of Moses’ leadership. At every wrong assumption or perception there will be the danger of going down wrongly. Wrong assumption can be generated because of jealousy or empty pride. Wrong assumption can also be the evidence of insecurity or self-centeredness. It is hard to believe that some could ever thought of rising against Moses despite all that God did through him. Among those that rose against him were men of renowned not just ordinary people. There were two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation and representatives of congregation which took part in the uprising against Moses. As they rose against him the hand of God was in place for him because he did not call himself; it was God who called him. Are you experiencing any uprising in any area of your calling? If you are called of God, uprising storms will come and if you are yet to see one, it will come sooner or later. If your calling is like that of Moses, you are certainly not going to fall for any uprising in Jesus Name. Numbers 16:3,”They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” The gathering was a very wrong one on the part of Korah and his rebellious group. It was a gathering against the wrong man. Are you in anyway gathering together against any one that is called of God? All those that gathered against Moses were gathering indirectly against God. Any indirect gathering against God will experience a direct wrath of God like that of Korah and his rebellious group. “Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with all their goods.”(Numbers 16:31-32) They were all buried before death and that is why you cannot be a part of any rebellious gathering.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from every conscious and unconscious gathering against any anointed of God.