FAITH CAPSULE: Do not take to the way that seemed right but to the way of God.

Judges 7

Jerubbaal (Gideon) was set for war against the Midianites when God spoke to him, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.” (Judges 7:1-3) 
In the physical, there is a need for numeric strength to emerge victorious in battle. 
However, the instruction of God to Jerubbaal was to reduce the number. Jerubbaal harkened to instruction to reduce from twenty-two thousand to ten thousand.  
The God of battle, who does not share his glory with anyone, called on Jerubbaal after he had reduced the numbers. Judges 7:4 records, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there…”  
Imagine Jerubbaal communicating with friends about how God has instructed him to reduce the number. Without a doubt, friends would have wondered and even considered Jerubbaal as foolish, spiritually insane, overzealous, and unrealistic. 
Jerubbaal led the people to the water as directed by God to have the number reduced again. At the water, God spoke again, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise, everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.” (Judges 7: 5-6). 
In going against the Midianites, one considers assigning men who lapped from water over ones who got on their knees to drink water would have been considered foolish. 
At all times, regardless of how foolish it sounds, the preference of God should always prevail over what one considers the best reference. 
Eventually, the number that went to the battle against the Midianites went down to three hundred men from thirty-two thousand.
It is foolishness by human reasoning to reduce numeric strength. 
It is suicidal to go to war after ending up with such a small number. 
Thirty thousand seems to be the right way and not the foolish way. Always remember the word of Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death.” 
Jerubbaal did not take the way that seemed right but to the way of God.
With no complaint nor doubt, Jerubaand went with three hundred. 
Are you fighting a battle yet looking for human wisdom to sustain you? 
It does not matter how tough the challenge presents itself, but to focus on God is enough to assure victory.

Prayer for today: Ask that living by the word of God shall become established in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Deny stopover in your journey; allow God to take over. 

Genesis 11:31, 12:1-9

The book of Genesis 11:31-32 records, “And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.” 
Terah, the father of Abraham, left for Canaan land ever before God called Abraham to go to Canaan. 
Terah started his journey to Canaan without a plan to dwell in Haran but ended up dwelt in Haran and did not get to Canaan. 
One would always wonder what caused Terah to start a journey and not get to the expected end of the journey. 
Could it have been that the comfort in Haran got Terah stagnated? 
Have you engaged in any journey or uncompleted assignment? 
It is time to begin to pay attention to God for direction that will see you through to the center of divine assignment for your life.
Terah lived for two hundred and fifty years.
With so many years on his side, he could not get to his expected destination.
Why Terah could not arrive at the expected destination was not revealed in the Bible.
However, every new journey demands a separation from the old if with a desire to arrive at the destination. 
A journey not completed is an incomplete encounter.
It was the same Haran that Terah departed to Canaan land, and not arrival was the same that God called Abraham out to go to Canaan. 
In a journey, there will always be a multitude that is bound to cause distraction or denial from getting to the expected end. 
When God called Abraham to Canaan, it was with clear direction, unlike no direction for Terah in his journey. 
God instructed Abraham, “Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you, And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3) 
Abraham engaged his journey with instruction. 
Have you engaged in any journey or assignment where stagnation begins to manifest? 
Engaging in the direction of God is a disengagement from the incomplete journey.
A journey without direction will experience a stopover, just as Terah experienced. 
In the journey, deny stopover by allowing the direction of God to take over.
Abraham did not dwell in stopover because God took over at the start of his journey. 
God is a faithful God, and He will see one through if one is willing to go through.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to get to your expected end in the journey that you have embarked on.

FAITH CAPSULE: Contentment is what made the difference in the life of Moses. 

Exodus 2

God is in absolute control as the creator of all.
Moses was born at the appointed time.
The death plan of Pharaoh could not have a grip upon the life of Moses. He escaped death at birth but later became a murderer who had to run from the palace, his home base.
In his effort to run from the reach of Pharaoh after he killed an Egyptian on behalf of his Hebrew brother, he ended up in Midian. 
The arrival of arrival at Midan was not by accident.
God alone is in a position to allow and disallow all that happens in the life of all. 
God is in absolute control over heaven and earth.
God oversees the affairs of all.
For example, God alone allowed the challenges of Job when Satan asked for Job. 
God responded to Satan, “And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” (Job 2:6-7) 
God could have disallowed Satan, but Satan does not have His way over the life of Job. 
In the life of Moses, all that happened prepared him for where he was going. 
For Moses to become a shepherd in the hand of God, he has to become trained as a shepherd. 
Where one is going in life is in the hand of God.
Also, knowing where one is is not evidence of where one is going.
When Moses was living in the palace of Pharao, he could not perceive becoming a shepherd.
Nevertheless, he ended up becoming a shepherd in the hand of God. 
To be used by God is a great attainment that cannot be compared or traded for anything. 
One knowing and believing in God is enough encouragement to stand firm in every whatever condition. 
If Moses missed his training, he probably would have been out of place to the calling upon his life. 
Moses was content to remain as ordained by God over his life.
Exodus 2:21 records, “Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.”  
Contentment is what made the difference in the life of Moses. 
Life from palace to tent could not be easy, but contentment enabled the transition of Moses.
One with God should ask Him to endue one with the spirit of contentment.
1 Timothy 6:6 states the importance of contentment, “Now godliness and contentment is great gain.” 
The challenges of Moses drove him to where he received the calling of God.
With contentment, Moses was in place to receive the calling upon his life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to endue you with all it takes not to miss the place of calling.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is the only wonder-working God. 

Exodus 7

Anyone seeking manifestation concerning expectation in the place of magic is substituting God for magic. 
The miracle is simply a wonder. 
God is the only wonder-working God. 
Miracles are of God that lasts forever, and they run deep. 
Just as worship is an opposition to worry, so is a miracle to magic.
Miracle belongs to God, while magic is the evil one. 
Magic is a device of the enemy. 
Magic glitters and it will only last for a moment. 
What do you trust God for that is yet to reach your hand?
Believe it that God that brings you this far shall deliver your miracle.
Let no magic come into play. 
Magic will fail no matter how it glitters; wait on the miracle hand of the Almighty God.
Also, one that gives self to God will receive from God. 
Pharaoh was reluctant to let the children of Israel receive a breakthrough to go and serve the Lord at the request of God through Moses, “So Moses and Aaron went into Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.” (Exodus 7:10-11) 
The magic worked for the magicians and Pharaoh, but it could not deny the miracle of God.
Any power demonstration outside of God will not stand but will fail. 
Magic will fail, but miracles will prevail. 
Magic could not last as the rod of the magician failed to survive. 
Exodus 7:12 records, “For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”  
With hope, looking up to God will provoke God.
It is important to note that the enemy will copy but cannot coordinate for the result to become established. 
Those who look for magic are the ones with the notion of a quick fix to their situation. 
Pharaoh and his people with magic could not identify God leading Israelites out of bondage.
Exodus 13:17-18 records, “Then it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt so God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.” Allow the manifestation of miracles by following through the way of God and not a way that seems right. 
The way of God outside of bondage is a miracle but not a magic way. 

Prayer for today: Ask God to keep you from the magical snares of the wicked world.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not ignore doing good because it counts before God.

Jeremiah 17

As a believer, are you having good work turned down? 
One doing good should not have a reason to stop doing good regardless of being turned down. 
Word of God cautions, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 14:17) 
Keep in mind that God counts doing good.
It counts to do right before God.
Before God, every choice of action with weight counts.
God watches to weigh actions that count. 1 Samuel 2:3 states, “…For the
Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him, actions are weighed.”
Does your action carry weight before God?
One doing good before God is an action that carries weight and counts before God.
Unlike a good Samaritan, a priest had a chance to do good but walked away.
Luke 10:31 states, “Now by chance, a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.”
Do not ignore to do good.
All have a chance and should do good before God.
Ask to live life doing good always.
Every good deed that is true and genuine before God will not count down before God.
To be doing good before God makes the difference. 
Proverbs 13:21 buttresses, “Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous, good shall be repaid.” 
Payday for doing good will come to pass. 
God meant what He said, and He will make His promise to those who do according to His word.
Why not stick to His word in the pages of the scripture? 
The word of God is promising and encouraging to those who will take to it. It can never be too late to reap the fruitfulness of doing good. 
Be encouraged if you have been doing good in dealing with a wicked and desperate world. 
It is important to note that “The heart is deceitful above all things And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.”( Jeremiah 17:9-10) 
One doing good should be encouraged because all doing good counts before God.
Jeremiah 32:19 records, “You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.” 
He that gives eyes and ears does have eyes to see and ears to hear. Doing good is giving glory to God. 
Let nothing derail anyone from doing good to the glory of God. 
Gain the understanding that all shall reap according to the fruit of doings. Be encouraged and not be discouraged not to do good.

Prayer for today: Ask God to give eyes to all your good doing before Him.