FAITH MAIL: Acts of the complaint do not have a place before God.

Exodus 16

Give thanks to God at all times to gain the attention of a jealous God.
Have you been complaining more or complimenting God for what He has done or doing in your life?
Acts of the complaint do not have a place before God.
Complaining can be a quick turnaround from complementing for victory in place of a setback.
Does that speak to you?
Regardless of an unexpected challenge, always remember there is nothing impossible for God to turn around for good. 
God destroyed the Egyptians on behalf of the Israelites at the entrance of the Red Sea. 
Moses and the children of Israel declared a new song to praise God. 
The praise states, “Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces.” (Exodus 15:6) 
Indeed, the right hand of God is still with power, as it was then.
The right hand of God has not changed to lift His children. 
However, after crossing the Red Sea, the hand of God that saw them through was enough not to complain and look back. 
Have you been complaining more or complimenting God for His mercy? 
Complaining became a pattern of engaging challenges by the Israelites. At the place called Marah, the Israelites could not turn to God with compliments, but the complaint became their way before God. Exodus 15:23-24 records, “Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore, the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”  
The complaint of the Israelites against Moses was an indirect complaint before God.
The Israelites could not count on the blessing of God that brought them out of the bondage of over four hundred years.
Despite the complaint, God gave them water through Moses. 
After the Marah Episode was the drama of crying for what they had left behind in Egypt. 
Getting to the Promised Land involves leaving behind the past to claim the Promised Land. 
The Israelites complained about meat when God showed up to meet their desire for meat. 
God attending to the Israelites should have been enough not to generate any more complaints about the lack of their journey, yet they complained about water. Exodus 17:3 records, “And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”  
Complaining was the confession of death when they died, with none seeing the Promised Land.
Give yourself to compliment God for all He has done, doing all He will do in your life.

Prayer for today: Ask to enable your thanksgiving at all times.

FAITH CAPSULE: The calling of God is with no exception.

Genesis 37

The calling of God broke Joseph before the manifestation of God’s blessing over his life.
Joseph answered God’s calling over his life without knowing the journey of God’s calling ahead of his life. At age 17, the answering of Joseph to Jacob (his father) was the route for his divine assignment. Jacob said, “…Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks and bring back word to me.” So, he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.” (Genesis 37:14) The answering to Jacob led Joseph into the calling of God without prior announcement for Joseph.
The book of Psalm 105:17-22 confirms that Joseph’s journey was his answer to God’s calling as the Bible states, “He sent a man before them Joseph who was sold as a slave.” They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. “Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his elders wisdom.”  
Joseph, at 17 years old (Genesis 37:2) could not see his beloved father, Jacob, until over 30 years of age. (Genesis 41:46) 
Joseph, the beloved of Jacob (his father), answered the calling that set him as a priced slave to become prime minister. 
Regardless of where you are today, do you know if you are answering the calling of God?
Joseph became a slave; he could no longer move at his own will.
Joseph came under the authority which he could not control. 
Calling of God will lead the called one into an unknown route where learning is waiting for the called one to know and become obedient to God. Jesus learned obedience by the things that He suffered. 
When God calls to send you, there will be the experience of a pain of restrictions in movement.
When He sends you, input from you to control time and timing becomes of God alone. 
Joseph could not come out of prison before the time of God when he pleaded to the butler (whom he interpreted as his dream) to remember Him for help to come out of the prison in his own time but not knowing the time of God for his move. 
Butler failed the expectation of Joseph to be free from prison. (Genesis 40:12-15)
With no exception, experiencing challenges with failure or delay, mockery, stagnation, embarrassment, and ridicule of being lied against the called one are always in the journey to answering the calling of God.
In answering the calling of God, are you experiencing challenges like those of Joseph? 
Take to the word of God with trust and hope as Psalm 34:19 encourages, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Prayer for today: Ask for the strength to answer for His calling fully. 

FAITH CAPSULE: To fear God is rooted in giving attention to the word of God.

Job 1

Give your heart to fear God. 
The command of God is for all to fear Him because time belongs to God for His doing. 1 Timothy 6:14-16 admonishes all, “…that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” 
There is no exception for no one not to fear God.
God treasures those who fear Him.
“…The fear of the Lord is His treasure.” (Isaiah 33:6)
Fear God by walking in His way.
Living in the fear of God is taking a position not to fail in the life journey.
To fear God is rooted in giving attention to the word of God by inclining ear, keeping the word of God in the depth of the heart, not just in the head.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 identifies for all to live by the fear of God, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.”
Are you one who keeps the word of God in the head with no space for the word of God in the heart?
In life, let the fear of God become your identity before God. 
The fear of God is the identity of Job before God as God testifies, “…there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still, he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” (Job 2:3)
To fear God in the heart will have a pleasing life before God.
Have a heart of fear for God to live life for God.
It is the will of God for all to fear God and know to train children that will live life in the fear of God.
Know and understand to fear God in every way of life, the conclusion of the whole matter.
The word of God that speaks to one speaks to all to fear God for the ways of living life as Job 28:28 records, “…And to man, He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding…” Jeremiah 10:7, “Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. “
Know to fear God. 
Give yourself to prayer that the fear of God becomes established in your heart not to depart from God. 

Prayer for today: Ask God that His fear becomes established in your heart. 

FAITH CAPSULE: With faith, God is pleased with one who walks in Him.

Exodus 33 

The word of God is God. 
The way of God for all under heaven is His word. 
Moses asked before God, “Now, therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” (Exodus 33:13)
The way of God is direction, deliverance, and preservation. 
Are you asking for the way of God?
With God, there is a way to arrive at divine assignment, but the way of the world does have death.
Proverbs 16:25 buttresses, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” 
The way of the world can be of mockery.
The way of God cannot be of mockery.
God alone sees all!
Which way is your way taking you to?
Taking to a way outside of God is a way with no presence of God, the rest of God, which leads to self-destruction.
God answered the question of Moses: “And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) 
The word of God is God. The word God is His presence that carries His rest. 
The pages of the Bible document the way of God. 
Moses asked before God, and he received an answer in which Psalm 103:7 testifies, “He made known His ways to Moses…” 
Are you asking before God for the way that will give an unfailing answer for the way to engage?
God cannot fail when one adopts the way of God.
It is impossible to take to the way of God and end up in destruction. However, it is evident that when one goes outside the ways of God, self-destruction becomes a possibility. 
Many ways seem right, but not all lead to life because not of God. 
Will you give yourself to search for yourself, to avoid self-destruction?
The book of Proverbs 16:2 states, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.” 
Will you be sincere with yourself and let God direct or redirect your steps in His way? 
Taking to the way of God is evidence of having faith in God.
With faith, God is pleased with one who walks in Him, His way, the evidence of having faith in Him. 
Proverbs 16:7 admonished us, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” 
The word is God, is His word, a way that will not fail for one that asks and knows to walk in His way.

Prayer for today: Ask God for your life to walk in His way all the days He has given you.

FAITH CAPSULE: The word of God is His command.

1 Kings 19

Living life by the command of God is following God.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FOLLOW GOD?
Given self in submission to the word of God will follow God and will not miss the kingdom of God.
In the life journey, there is no exception for rich or poor not to walk with God and make it to the kingdom of God.
In the life journey, whatever anyone holds to, against the command of God, will not walk with God to make it to the kingdom of God. 
What are you holding on to and not giving yourself to the command of God?
Abraham is an example of a rich one who followed the command of God to sacrifice the life of his son in his journey of life. 
He followed the command of God as he attempted to sacrifice his only son when God spoke to him. Genesis 22:12 records, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now, I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 
Abraham fears God to follow the command of God. 
God testifies the fear of Abraham for His name as Abraham lived life to follow God.
Whatever holds you back from giving yourself to the word of God will keep you from following God to miss the kingdom of God. 
Are you with desires to make it to the kingdom of God, a life of eternity?
Live life by following the command of God. 
Elisha is another example of a rich one who left all to follow the calling of God over his life. 
When God called Elisha through Elijah, he responded, “…Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you…” (1 Kings 19:20) 
Elisha was holding against following God when he was not ready to follow God but later gave up all to follow God as the Bible records, “So Elisha turned back from him and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.” (1 Kings 19:21)
In your life journey, what is it that is holding you back from following God?
Is it your property or family that is holding you from following God? 
Jesus identifies what it takes to follow Him when he says, “…you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:28-30)
From today, live life for God by following His command to make the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God that is not a fiction.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to live for His glory.