FAITH CAPSULE: Answering the calling of God is following God.

1Kings 19:11-21, Luke 5:1-11

Answering the calling of God is following God.
Following God is serving God.
Serving God is living life for God.
At a point in time, four fishermen forsook all and followed Jesus.
In life, to follow in serving God demands forsaking all. 
Elisha followed Elijah in his serving of God. 
The Bible records that Elisha answered the calling to serve when he wholeheartedly followed Elijah. 
Elisha broke with his old life by kissing his father bye and destroying the yoke of oxen that were his livelihood. (1Kings19:19-21) 
What do you forsake to follow in serving God?  
Four professional fishermen at the right time at the right place failed to catch fish. 
The four fishermen could not give up until daybreak, yet they caught nothing. 
As they were washing nets to pack for the day with nothing to show for fishing, Jesus showed up, “Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.” (Luke 5:3) 
Despite no success in catching fish, their kindness was intact as they allowed the stranger to use their vessel without any refusal. 
After Jesus finished teaching the multitude, He turned to the fishermen and gave them His word saying, “…Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4)  
In response, professional fishermen lamented about toiling all night with nothing to show forth. 
Are you in any situation where disappointment denies turning to any word of change? 
Have you found yourself on a ground where you lack positive results in the endeavor? 
Often, listening to hear and see in the word of God will change to become positioned on the route to transformation. 
The fishermen responded to the word of God, to launch out into the deep and let down nets, and were able to catch several fish, “…and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:6-8)
Is there any area of your life where you have been toiling? 
It does not matter how long you have been toiling with nothing to show off. 
However, listen to hear and see in the word of God that will lead you to the route of transformation. 
The fishermen listened and heard the word that terminated their struggle. Give it all to Jesus, and He shall settle you.    

Prayer for today: Ask for the word of God to sound in your direction to come out of lack.

FAITH CAPSULE: Trusting is not just word of mouth, but word from the heart, the character of trust and hope. 

Joshua 14, Psalm 23

Trusting God is to rest on the promises of God that never fail.
Trusting God is confidence in the certainty of His deliverance and preservation power.
Are you doubting and not trusting in God?
Trusting God is to rest on the promises of God that never fail.
King David was so sure to trust in God when he said, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
What is better than to know that with God is deliverance and preservation? 
God is a shield where there is no reason for fear in all areas of life.
King David was so sure to trust in God and not entertain fear. 
David walked and did not run through the valley of the shadow of death. He testifies, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) 
Knowing to trust God is not the same as knowing about trusting God. 
One that knows about trusting God does not have hope to trust God in the heart. 
Have faith to trust in God and be filled by God. 
In the valley of the shadow of death, walk confidently in the certainty of the deliverance of God.  
In life, through the wilderness, the only way out to the expected end is to trust God with hope. 
God is always at every juncture to make a way where there is no way and no sign of survival. 
Caleb and Joshua survived among thousands of the children of Israel that left Egypt for the Promised Land.
Caleb and Joshua survived because they saw hope where there was no hope. 
Caleb and Joshua trusted God enough and took an odd stand among their brethren that failed to trust in the promise of God. 
Caleb trusted God and testified, “I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.” (Joshua 14:7)  Trusting is not just word of mouth, but word from the heart the character of trust and hope. 
Unlike Caleb and Joshua, the people who went to spy on the land failed to trust in the heart. 
Caleb testified, “Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God.” (Joshua 14:8) 
Caleb trusted in God to prompt the keeping of God to testify, “And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.” (Joshua 14:10) 
God is trustworthy!

Prayer for today: Ask to be enabled by trusting God.

Faith Capsule: By the word of God, obey, dwell and wait before God.

Hebrews 11:8-19

The word of God is a command that requires obedience without compromise. 
When the word of God sounds in your direction, it is worthy to obey and dwell by waiting on the word of God. 
Abraham is the testimony to obey, dwell and wait on the word of God.
The Bible records Abraham, “By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10)
Obedience of Abraham: 
When God called Abraham out from his country, his father, and his family to an unknown land, he obeyed fully by launching out as commanded by God. 
Although there was no idea of where he was going, it was ideal for him not to question God. 
Abraham had no reasonable excuse to decline the calling upon his life but obeyed God by moving from certainty to uncertainty. 
Are you obeying to obtain good testimonies?
The dwelling of Abraham: 
Abraham dwelt on the word of God. 
Abraham lives by the word of God, and that is dwelling in the secret place of God.
Psalm 91:1 buttresses, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” 
Are you a truthful believer that knows to dwell in the word of God? Abraham did not look back to where he was coming from but went forward to the calling of God. 
He dwelt under the shadow of the word of God to move him forward. 
With faith in the word of God, he moved to a foreign country, and his faith caused him to obtain good testimonies.
The word of God is a story that is not a secret for one that is limited in understanding.
Like Abraham, engage the word of God, the secret to obey for the glory of God.
The word of God is a secret to dwell in and be delivered, not to become a victim of a wicked world.
Abraham dwelt in the word of God. 
Waiting of Abraham: 
Abraham obeyed God; he dwelt and waited on God for the deliverance and preservation of the word of God. 
Those who know to dwell in God know to wait patiently on God. 
Hebrews 11:10 records the waiting of Abraham on God, “For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Indeed, Abraham lived by waiting for the future that was not yet in sight. 
Waiting on the word of God can be painful but is gainful for obedient ones.
The understanding of Abraham, his knowledge of the word of God, prompted him to obey and obtain the testimony of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you with open ears and eyes of the heart to live for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: The message from God is for all to live by the word of God. 

1 Corinthians 13

If the acclaimed believers know God, not limited by knowing about God, darkness should not prevail over the world today.
Many gather as a believer of God but far from God, with no room for the word of God to take over the way of life. 
As a believer, in your place of assumed worshiping ground, are you expecting the move of the power of God? 
Expecting the power of God where there is no love for God and not keeping to the word of God is self-deception. 
1 John 4:8 admonishes, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 
The message from God is for all to live by the word of God.
Today, seek and give self to the message of God for all His creation.
1 John 1:5 records the message of God, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declares to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”  
God is light, and one that knows Him, not about knowing about will reflect Him. 
Without a doubt, if acclaimed believers thronging ground of worship in the name of God knows God, indeed, and in truth, darkness would probably have disappeared on the face of the earth. 
Today, the darkness of wickedness is hoovering the whole world.
With self-sincerity, today, search yourself as David did in Psalm 139:23-24 stating, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” 
Search to know God by His word rather than to know about God.
Know God by keeping His commandment. 1 John 2:3-5 testifies, “Now by this, we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this, we know that we are in Him.”  
Get to know God to live by His command.
To know about God does not know God to love as His word commands.
Love for God should not be limited to the mouth or head but be demonstrated by walking in the word of God. 
1Corinthians 13:4-8 records the love of God, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”  
The desire that God will take charge of your life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the word of God to be established over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: A failure not to ignore delay can turn one out of the way of God. 

Exodus 32:1-14

Delays can be discouraging as the process of a hindrance. 
In life, a delay in the process can terminate a positive expectation.
As a believer, there should be an understanding that delay is not a denial. 
Are you experiencing a delay in any area of life? 
It is important to note that whenever there is a failure to ignore any delay, there will be doubt in place. 
With doubt comes every reason to despise the faithfulness of God that is rooted in the word of God.
Exodus 32:1 records, “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
The delay of Moses on the mountain prompted the doubt of the Israelites. 
The Israelites should have known quite well that God could not have abandoned them, yet they gave themselves unnecessary worry. 
The Israelites demonstrated unfaithfulness because of the delay of Moses on the mountain.
The Israelites could not wait on God when they looked for another god. 
The truth is that waiting on God can never become waste. 
In life, some delays are what measure faithfulness before God. 
When the delay of Moses became glaring in the sight of the children of Israel, they began to seek a god to take over from God.
Put in mind that God is not substitutable.
One that substitutes God in times of waiting on Him is snubbing God, which never fails to answer to believing believers.
A failure not to ignore delay will derail one on the track to experience the visitation of God.
Are you experiencing a delay? 
Your delay will turn into deliverance if you trust and wait in the name of Jesus. 
The Bible declares in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 
Unexpected delays will generate concern, and there will be every reason to be anxious. 
The word encourages by stating the antidote for anxiousness: Take all to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, and the peace of God will take over you. 
Instead of seeing a delay, be encouraged by seeing in the word of God. God alone is the One that delivers, and He controls all. 
Deny delay; declare all His goodness and His mercy that never expire. 

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to wait patiently on his hand.