FAITH CAPSULE: The multitude discourages you, delays you, and denies you from moving forward or rising above challenges.

Luke 19:1-27

Multitude/crowd answers as the agent of hindrance in life.
The multitude/crowd is the agent, a hindrance to getting one stagnated and not arriving at the destination.
What role does the multitude/crowd have in your life? 
Multitude could be a hindrance.
If a multitude is allowed in life, it will prevent one from arriving at the calling of God or to a divine destination.
The multitude will ridicule, discourage you, delay you, and deny you from moving forward or rising above challenges.
One that fails to recognize the representative of a multitude is bound to experience stagnation, the cause of mockery.
To study the story of Zacchaeus and Bartimaeus is to learn from breaking hindrances of the multitude that frequently denies one.
Zacchaeus experienced the case of the multitude as a hindrance
Zacchaeus was a tax collector. He was short in stature, and a physical limitation of his was in place to deny him from inviting Jesus into his home. Zacchaeus recognized his limitation but rejected it as an excuse not to seek Jesus diligently for his desire.
Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd because he wanted to see Jesus. 
He was not attempting to join the crowd in knowing about Jesus. 
He wanted to know Jesus.
Zacchaeus wanted to receive Jesus into his house. 
Zacchaeus recognized that there was a need for him to do more than run to see Jesus.
Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to see and receive Jesus. 
What are your efforts to see and be able to receive Jesus? 
Your pastor knowing you and going to church once a week or sleeping in the church is not enough to overcome the crowd in the world of today. 
Luke 19:4-6 records the effort of Zacchaeus to deny the multitude against him not to see and receive Jesus into his house, “So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So, he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” 
By running ahead with efforts to see and receive, the hindrance will devise other means to deny victory.
Despite the running and effort to overcome the hindrance of the multitude, a complaint was in place against him but Jesus said, “…He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:7)
Jesus saw the diligence of a sinner to see Him.
Can you imagine a man of short stature climbing a tree to see and receive Jesus into his house?
The multitude (crowd) could not hinder Zacchaeus from seeing and receiving Jesus into his life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you not to become a victim of a hindrance.

FAITH CAPSULE: Meditating on the word of God will enable knowing God more.

Joshua 1

Gaining to retain the presence of God is possible when meditating on the word of God.
Meditating on the word of God is continual communication with God.
Be able to know and do the following:
KNOW NOT TO LIVE A LIFE OF A LIAR
To adopt twisting the truth of God will become convinced that lying can make a way where there is no way. 
Do you know that twisting the truth of God is evidence of taking distance from God?
Twisting the truth of God will keep one far from God, to become set for evil. Psalm 56:5 testifies, “All day they twist my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil.” Are you one with no means of controlling yourself from unwarranted talking, taking you to a route of twisting the word of God? Pray not to live the life of a liar.
KNOW TO PRAY FOR THE HAND OF GOD OVER YOU
The book of Ezra repeatedly testifies to the hand of God over the Israelites through the journey of life. Ezra 8:31 states, “…And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road.” In your life journey today and in days to come, desire for the hand of God to come upon you. 
In the hand of God, there is an answer for deliverance and preservation. Prayerfully, continually, know to ask for the hand of God. The Lord God is not partial. Ask, and His hand shall answer for you.
KNOW TO CALL ON GOD TO REVIVE YOU
To become revived is to experience renewal with strength, to become energized, to be active, and not be denied to live life to the glory of God.
In life, to become revived by God will enhance one physically, spiritually, and emotionally. 
The Psalmist asks God: “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.” (Psalm 119:88)
The key to it all is to become REVIVED by GOD. 
Is it your desire to be revived by God?
With the desire, ask God to revive you just as the psalmist did.
KNOW TO BE RESPONSIBLE BY ASKING DIRECTIONS FROM GOD 
Be responsible, and seek the perfect way of God.
Responsibly, the venture of David to save Keilah from the Philistines is the reason why David inquired direction from God in 1 Samuel 23:2, “Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”. The Lord said to David, “…Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” The warrior Men with David were not encouraged to go with him against the Philistines, but his responsibility to inquire from God assured victory against the Philistines. It is a responsibility to ask for directions to arrive at the expected end of the journey.

Prayer for today: Ask that the word of God to meditate will gain entrance into your heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: Trust and hope will provoke the blessing of deliverance.

Psalm 34

Psalm 34:19 records to encourage against challenging trouble, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”  Answering as a righteous one is not a ticket not to experience the challenges of this world.
However, God delivers in all.
King David identifies four points for His deliverance.
DAVID ACKNOWLEDGED GOD
Despite increasing challenges, David acknowledged the awesomeness of God, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts my head.” (Psalm 3:3) 
David, in times of his challenging trouble, his worshiping of God was not distracted.
David gave himself to worshiping God instead of worrying over his challenging troubles. He acknowledged God for all He has done over his life.
Acknowledging God in a troubling challenge shall provoke the intervention of the deliverance of God.
Acknowledging God in a challenging time is a self-deliverance to overcome.
DAVID CRIED TO GOD
David cried out to God alone, not to a man
Crying out to God will not elude one from God but will receive the attention of God for self-deliverance in times of Challenging trouble.
David testifies, “I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.” (Psalm 3:4) 
Crying is not a sign of weakness but a way of getting the attention of God.
Often, pride will deny one from crying out before God, but David cried out to God with no spirit of pride.
The evidence of crying out before God with a voice is a cry from the depth of heart as David testifies. 
Crying out before God with a wide-open mouth should be with the expectation to become filled with manifestation. 
David testifies that the Lord heard him from His holy hill.
DAVID GAVE THE TESTIMONY OF TRUST AND HOPE  
The Bible records testimonies of David, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.” (Psalm 3:5) 
In a time of challenging trouble, David hoped to sleep and not lose his sleep in the face of his life challenge.
Trusting God at the onset of challenging trouble but not having hope in God can deny the testimony of deliverance. With understanding, David was with trust and hope.
Jeremiah 17:7 testifies to trust and hope, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.”
David laid and went to sleep in a challenging time just as Jesus lay and slept in His time of challenging trouble of the storm at His cross-over journey. (Mark 4:35-41) 
To gain victory in a time of challenge, have trust and hope in God.
Meditates on Psalm 34:19 to remain encouraged in challenging trouble, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
God is a good God that delivers at all times in all challenges.

Prayer for today: Ask for the hand of God to become established over your life. 

FAITH CAPSULE: It is all about the word of God.

Psalm 18

HEAR AND SEE IN THE WORD TO CLAIM IN HIS WORD
Are you hearing and not seeing what God is saying?
The word of God is God for all to see in Him what He has done, what he is doing, and what He will do.
Job testifies to hear and see to gain success in God. Job 42:5 records, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” 
A believing believer will see in the character of God, in His word, to claim with the unfailing expectation that is yet to be in place.
Pray that God enables you to live life obediently to His word.
The word of God is a warning for all to respond and react to be right before God. Colossians 1:28 records warning, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” 
Be right before God!
WORD FOR YOURSELF IS YOUR DELIVERANCE
Psalm 143:8 testifies, “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning. For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk for I lift up my soul to You.” Hearing, observing, and obeying God in the morning will make the difference for the day.
Ask that you be enabled to hear the word of God first every morning as God gives you a new day.
Also, what man hears will be like a compass for navigation through the challenges of life. 
Give yourself to the word of God to lead you with deliverance.
DO NOT DESPISE THE WORD OF GOD
Proverbs 13:13 warns, “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” 
Strive in the word of God to deny doubt in your thoughts or actions.
Doubting is the avenue to self-destruction. Do not doubt, do not limit, or despise the power of the word of God. 
Affliction is challenging.
The word of God is a live-wire for one who knows and understands the word of God that can terminate struggle or challenge in any area of life. Psalm 34:19 buttresses, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” 
Do not doubt the word of God!
GIVE YOURSELF TO THE WORD OF GOD
Think, the word of God is God. (John 1:1)
The presence of God is the word of God that led the Israelites in the wilderness journey to the Promised Land. The presence of God answered as direction and leadership for Moses. Give yourself to the word of God to gain His rest that leads without fail.
All God did to lead was send His word through Moses. Psalm 103:7 records, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” 
Without a doubt, the presence of God is the word of God. Give yourself to the word of God.

Prayer for today:  Ask that you live by the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Strive to gain the wisdom of God that unlocks understanding.

Proverbs 4

In the life journey, wisdom and understanding will give a knowing edge to arrive at the calling of God.
The word of God requests to ask, and God will not deny.
Jesus is the wisdom of God for all. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Many claim the wisdom of God but lack the understanding to have a knowing edge.
Proverbs 4:7 buttresses, “wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
In this challenging, unstable world of wickedness, a believer living by the word of God shall have an understanding rooted in wisdom and knowledge to be stable. 
In all you are getting, in addition to the wisdom (if you have it), you must get understanding.
To have understanding, with prayer before God, not by determination, ask from God.
What to ask for in understanding?
Know to ask for an understanding heart to discern.
An understanding heart is what all need to be able to discern between good and evil. When King Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice, God appeared to him in a dream to ask him what to do for him.
King Solomon asked God, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:9) 
The request of Solomon pleased the Lord.
PRAYER
Ask for an understanding heart to discern just like King Solomon did.
Understanding the heart to discern will be able to see and detect in the endeavors of this wicked world.
Know to ask for understanding to avoid a pathless wilderness.
Job, in times of painful challenges his life responded to the critics over his life, “He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.” (Job 12:24)
Has your wilderness journey exposed you to unceasing critics asking about your distance from God?
A wilderness journey of life comes with a path and is with the prescription of God to arrive at the promise of God. God directed the Israelites in the wilderness journey that leads to the Promised Land. Exodus 13:17-18 records, “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.” 
It is the understanding of God that will lead in the path of wilderness to arrive at the calling of God.
PRAYER
Ask God to enable you not to walk in a pathless wilderness of the life journey. 
Ask for the understanding to hear and do according to the direction of God.
Gain understanding from God that is a source to live life for the glory of God.