FAITH CAPSULE: Living obediently to God is not to be far from God.

Genesis 3

Get to know God, not to live a life far from God.
There is always a need to be close to the presence of God.
One who does not will walk far from God by living a life of disobedience to the word of God.
The sin of Adam and Eve made them far from the presence of God. 
Genesis 3:6-10 documents how Adam and Eve took a far distance from God, “So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
God creates all with His care to keep all near Him, but the sin rooted in not knowing God keeps all far from God.
Sin kept Adam and Eve far from God, not never far from them.
Are you living obediently or disobediently before God?
Obediently, give self to the word of God, walking in His presence and not far from Him. 
God is near, always.
The disobedience of Adam and Eve led to sin, and with sin, no one can reach God.
Failure to give regard to God will lead to sin.
Knowing that God is near at all times, the majority take the position of distancing themselves from God as evidence of disobedience to God’s word.
Disobedience to God is evidence of sin before God.
One with sin, consciously or unconsciously, cannot hide from God to see but keeps a distance from God.
Romans 3:23 buttressed, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 
With sin, all will be short of the presence of God, not being in His presence that is always near.
Consciously or unconsciously, are you living in sin that keeps you far from and not near to God?
One who is disobedient will hide from the presence of God. 
The creation of God is the word of God.
The word of God is God.
Often, the choice to be far from the word of God is to be far from God.
The work of God is the evidence that God is near. (Psalm 75:1-2)
Do you know if you are near to God or far from God?

Prayer for today: Ask that the spirit of disobedience shall have no place in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Why not ask God just as He prompts all to do?

Psalm 32, 94 

Is it the lack of faith that stops one from asking when God directs to ask, seek, and knock?
Why not ask God just as He prompts all to do?
Matthew 7:7-11 records, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”  
Asking and not receiving could be evidence of asking wrongly. 
The Bible makes all realize that it is possible to ask and ask wrongly. 
James 4:3 states, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” 
What are you asking from God? 
Turn around and ask to be enabled to seek God more. 
Asking is not evidence that God forgets.
Asking God is communicating with God, giving attention to God.
Communication is a continuation.
God is a jealous God who gives attention to being asked for.
How can one not know that a caring God is mindful of His creation?
God does not forget His children.
God is a good God.
He is God who acts for the one who waits for Him. (Isaiah 64:4)  
Those who know how to wait on God have the character of asking God.
Make asking God a way of life.
Today, uncommon challenges and evil occurrences ravaging the world demand that we ask for His promises. 
The word of God promises, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8) 
Do you desire His eye to guide you? 
It is a blessing to be guided by the eye of God.
Psalmist buttresses, “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity…” (Psalm 94:12-13) 
There is a need for all to desire rest from His instruction and teaching. 
All should have a place in the promise of God that instructs and teaches for rest to have a place in life. 
Turn to God and ask, gain from the instruction and teaching of God, to keep you in the plans of God.
Grow in faith to ask God; it is a privilege to have a God who listens.

Prayer for today: Ask that the hand of God rest on you in all endeavors.

FAITH CAPSULE: God can change one for the better.

Acts 9

Heaven opened to intervene in the evil agenda against the disciples of God.
Saul was a celebrated murderer who became a celebrity in the glory of God.
Saul eventually changed by the doing of God to become Apostle Paul.
The Apostle Paul, a former murderer of the followers of Christ, wrote most of the New Testament. 
He passionately went after the followers of Christ to persecute them until the Spirit of God arrested him. 
The book of Acts 9:1-2 documents, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” 
A man that was full of threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, a man with permission from the high priest to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found anyone following Jesus, whether man or woman, he might bring them, bound to Jerusalem, lost his sight, not able to see at his entering into Damascus. 
Heaven reacted to the evil attempt of Saul towards the disciples of God.
Saul was a-minded persecutor of the followers of Christ on the way or out of the way. 
Saul would go outside his area looking for followers of Christ to persecute. 
The mission of Saul to Damascus was to carry out his business encounter with the power that converted him from a persecutor to a propagator of the disciples of God. 
By the power of God, no one under Heaven is above the redirection for His divine agenda. 
God alone reverses the irreversible. 
Saul, on his journey to carry out persecution, “… He came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.” (Acts 9:3) 
The sudden light in the direction of Saul was an encounter with Jesus.
For Saul, there was no choice but to tremble before God. 
Saul not only trembled but also requested from the Lord what to do for the Lord. 
Above all, he lost his eyesight. 
The Bible records the encounter with Saul: “Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” (Acts 9:8-9) 
Saul gained new sight and moved forward to serve God. 
Saul answered to a new name (Paul) after gaining sight to see and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. 
God is still in the business of touching life.
Ask, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
God that answers will position you in the center of your divine assignment.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to answer fully in every area of His calling for your life.

 FAITH CAPSULE: Ignore the negative to see the positive in the promise of God over your life.

1 Samuel 13

In life, what one sees is what one becomes.
When one sees red and purposely calls it blue, it becomes self-deception.
One can deceive oneself and not succeed in the world.
Behold means to observe, look, or see. 
What one observes determines what one sees. 
Whatever one sees is what one receives to become of such. 
See the positive in the promise of God, regardless of the challenge.
One that sees and acts based on the promise in the word of God will see positively in the place of negativity. 
The children of Israel could not see the positive in the promises of going into the Promised Land.
See the positive in the promise of God over your life.
The Israelites saw no positive in the promise of God to the Promised Land.
On the journey to the Promised Land, the Egyptians drew near them, with no way of escape: “…the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptian marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10) 
In the face of a challenge, when one looks up to God, it is the way to ignore the negative.
Do not look into negative hanging on the promise.
The Israelites view enemies as a source of fear to prompt negative feelings. 
What are you beholding or looking up to? 
Beholding life challenges will hold one back from moving forward in life. 
As an acclaimed believer, make it a way of life to always see the positive in the Word of God that fails not.
Engage every negativity positively, and know that God is abundantly able. 
Three friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego) of Daniel saw the testimony of God, and their faith was active in trusting in God.
When the judgment was against them, they could not look away from their God.
Daniel 3:19 records, “Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.”  
The fullness of fury in the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar and his command was not enough to activate fear for the friends of Daniel. 
Have you been looking much into the face of your challenges that are not beyond God? 
What you need to be doing is to set your sight on the promises of God; look not to what your challenges are communicating, but behold the promise of God over your challenge and see His salvation.
Samuel commanded King Saul to wait seven days in the face of an intimidating challenge. 
King Saul could not wait for the word of God but looked at the scattered world before him.

Prayer for today: Ask to be enabled to see the positive of the promise of God over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: It matters to see the positive in the place of the negative challenge.

1 Samuel 13

In life, what one sees is what one becomes.
When one sees red and purposely calls it blue, it becomes self-deception.
One can deceive oneself and not succeed in the world.
Behold means to observe, look, or see. 
What one observes determines what one sees. 
Whatever one sees is what one receives to become of such. 
See the positive in the promise of God, regardless of the challenge.
One that sees and acts based on the promise in the word of God will see positively in the place of negativity. 
The children of Israel could not see the positive in the promises of going into the Promised Land.
See the positive in the promise of God over your life.
The Israelites saw no positive in the promise of God to the Promised Land.
On the journey to the Promised Land, the Egyptians drew near them, with no way of escape: “…the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptian marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10) 
In the face of a challenge, when one looks up to God, it is the way to ignore the negative.
Do not look into negative hanging on the promise.
The Israelites view enemies as a source of fear to prompt negative. 
What are you beholding or looking up to? 
Beholding life challenges will hold one back from moving forward in life. 
As an acclaimed believer, make it a way of life to always see the positive in the Word of God that fails not.
Engage every negativity positively, and know that God is abundantly able. 
Three friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego) of Daniel saw the testimony of God, and their faith was active in trusting in God.
When the judgment was against them, they could not look away from their God.
Daniel 3:19 records, “Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.”  
The fullness of fury in the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar and his command was not enough to activate fear for the friends of Daniel. 
Have you been looking much into the face of your challenges that are not beyond God? 
What you need to be doing is to set your sight on the promises of God; look not to what your challenges are communicating, but behold the promise of God over your challenge and see His salvation.
Samuel commanded King Saul to wait seven days in the face of an intimidating challenge. 
King Saul could not wait for the word of God but looked at the scattered world before him.

Prayer for today: Ask to be enabled to see the positive of the promise of God over your life.