FAITH CAPSULE: Observe the word of God to fear God.

Ecclesiastes 5

God is great to be feared.
The question is, do you fear God?
To fear God from the heart is distinct from merely saying you fear God.
There is none born with the fear of God.
The word of God is the source of knowledge to fear God. 
Deuteronomy 28:58 informs all that, “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD.”
What is taking you away from living by the word of God to gain the fear of God?
The word of God that you give yourself will make you know the fear of God.
Do you fear God?
To fear God is not a matter of determination, but rather a matter of desire, which is to ask for the fear of God.
The word of God commands all to ask, seek, or knock to get from Him.
Matthew 7:8 encourages, “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
One with a desire to fear God will gain from God.
Jeremiah 32:39 informs, “I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever…”
With desire, seek God to fear God, and let no evil have a place in your way of life.
Let your identity be that of one who fears God. 
Do you fear God, or do you only have a mouthful of the fear of God but not the fear of God in the heart?
Ecclesiastes 12:13 speaks it all, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.”
To fear God will prompt obedience to God.
The fear of the Lord is His treasure. (Isaiah 33:6)
Pray for the desire to fear God.
To fear God is to hate evil by not embracing hatred. 
Proverbs 8:13 states, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverse mouth I hate.” 
How much of His fear do you carry in your life?
The fear of God is the way of life, the identity of the children of God dwelling in the presence of God. “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge.” (Proverb 14:26) 
Confidence is the character of those who fear God, who know the refuge of God as their habitation.
One who fears God will trust and have hope in God, and will demonstrate confidence in the face of challenge.
Fear of God is to live life to the glory of God. 
Proverb 14:27 states, “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.”  
Fear God to live for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask that you live life to fear God in all your ways.

FAITH CAPSULE: The heart is the prime target for the devil to attack.

Luke 22

A heart not kept diligently is like a playground for the devil.
Invariably, faith will fail when the enemy attacks the heart.
The Bible describes the heart: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9) 
“This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that, they go to the dead.” (Ecclesiastes 9:3)
Judas spent time with Jesus, but his heart is a testimony of one who was a victim of the act of Satan in his life.
The Bible records, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.” (Luke 22:3-4) 
Satan went after the vulnerable heart of Judas, and he was able to establish his plan to betray Jesus. 
Invariably, faith will fail when the enemy attacks the heart.
Peter was close to Jesus, but he was not immune to becoming a victim of the devil. 
Once, Jesus said to Peter: Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren. (Luke 22:31-32) 
The heart of a man is always a target for the strike of Satan.
Ananias and Sapphira were not forced to sell what belonged to them, but lied about the proceeds of their sale. 
Acts 5:3 records the response of Peter to Ananias and Saphira, when they lied: Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep part of the price of the land for yourself? (Acts 5:3) 
A heart that is engaged by meditating on the word of God will keep the heart from negotiation with the devil. 
Determination is not enough to keep focus from giving in to Satan.
Why?
It was a determination that failed Peter in his attempt to deny Satan, not to deny Jesus. 
Thank God that Jesus prayed for Peter because He knew that determination is not enough against the devices of Satan. 
In your daily journey, to be diligent in keeping your heart away from devices of Satan, pray as David prayed before God: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
In this challenging world of wickedness, what is the state of your heart? 
Prayerfully, meditate on God to be the keeper of your heart diligently, so that you do not become the devices of Satan.
God answers prayer.

Prayer for today: Ask that God will enable you, that you will not become a victim of the devices of Satan.

FAITH CAPSULE: Disability can deny or delay a place in life.

Proverbs 4

A Listening disability is not to gain understanding in the word of God.
To have understanding is the ability to occupy a place in life.
Wisdom is instruction that gives an edge, preventing one from becoming a victim of circumstances that seem insurmountable.
The book of Proverbs admonished, “Hear my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding.” (Proverbs 4:1)
Many are hearing direction in the word of God; the promises of God, but not answering in the word of God to live life to the glory of God.
Without doubt, one with the ability to listen will gain understanding of the instruction presented.
One who listens is in a position to understand.
Listening ability gives way to paying attention to following the direction in the word of God and possessing the promises in the word of God.
There is no way the word will work when understanding is not in place for the hearer of the word.
The word specifically stated that we should “hear the instruction and give attention to understand.” 
Understanding the word of God is the key to living life as a winner; understanding is the key to excelling as a child of the Most High God in the face of the wicked world.
God does not waste words, and that is why the word of God mentions, “…and in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)
Hearing of giving attention to the word of God, the demonstration of understanding with knowing (Knowledge) to be free in life.
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the only One who was in the beginning, realized that man was not getting the understanding that is required for living life abundantly when He questioned and answered retrospectively, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43)
A listening disability is the key to not gaining understanding of the word of God.
Are you listening to the word of God?
Do you have a listening disability?
The inability to hear is an enemy to understanding the character of knowing.
An acclaimed believer who lacks understanding will struggle and not find it easy to exercise knowledge in affairs of the world.
However, an acclaimed believer with the ability to hear the word of God with understanding will not exercise knowledge where and when needed.
Proverbs 13:6 states, “…but knowledge is easy to him who understands.”
Make it a way of life, giving attention, and gaining understanding of God.
Do you have an understanding of how attention is presented to you?
Identify if there is no ability to hear the word of God.
Proverbs 14:33 identifies the effect of listening ability: “Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding.”
Understanding is to walk with God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the mercy of God, enabling your listening to gain understanding.

FAITH CAPSULE: Satisfaction, stability, and rejoicing will all lead to walking worthy before God.

Philippians 4

One with satisfaction is bound to live life for the glory of God.
One with satisfaction is with the character, not to walk or run wrongly.
Satisfaction builds character to live by the word of God.
In the journey of life, everyone called by God needs the grace of contentment.
Imagine Moses coming out of the Pharaoh’s palace to live in the desert? The palace of Pharaoh must have been a place of comfort where everything makes man not want to sacrifice for God.
Moses lived for forty years on a high ground (Moses lived in one of the best palaces).
It was not in the plan of Moses to move to a desert when he suddenly became a resident of a desert land.
In Moses’ attempt to defend his Hebrew brother from an Egyptian, he killed the Egyptian.
The killing of the Egyptian triggered Moses to flee to Midian (a desert land) for his life.
The fleeing of Moses positioned him at the center of his divine assignment.
For Moses, the desert was not a place to be.
Moses was content.
Exodus 2:21 states, “Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.”
The shift for Moses could not offset his satisfaction.
Answering to God demands satisfaction rooted in the fear of God.
Proverbs 19:23 records, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.” 
The book of 1Timothy 6 : 6-10 stated it, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
So much to learn in the documentation of the life of Moses, his demonstration of satisfaction.
The spirit of contentment is with rejoicing.
Rejoicing in the Lord always is visible in the life of one with contentment; such becomes anxious for nothing but in everything rendering prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving to God; the peace of God which surpasses all understanding answers in the life of one who lives life with contentment. One with the spirit of contentment shall not become a covetous one, and with contentment man shall serve God steadfastly. (Philippians 4:4-7)
With satisfaction, one will live with wisdom and knowledge of God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the mercy of God that the stability of God shall answer for you, to serve for His glorious name.

FAITH CAPSULE: Christ lives reality, to live faithfully by the word.

1 Corinthians 3

Many know about Christianity but do not know its meaning.
Many answers as a Christian without understanding.
With understanding, there will be power to have a knowing edge, living as a believer, answering as a Christian.
Acts 11:26 informs all, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
What kind of Christian are you?
It is not enough and meaningless to claim to be a Christian and not live as a disciple of Jesus.
In life, leave religion behind and step into the reality of Christ.
Having faith is a determinant for living as one who believes. 
It is possible to be a punctual churchgoer, conversant in the word of God, and not be a Christian, a disciple, or Christ-like.
What kind of church are you answering before God?
Is the church (temple of God) for real today, or only receding from what the word of God calls for the church to be? 
The Bible identifies the church: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
You are the church of God, not just the building called church.
Are you one with a title in the church with no task?
Many claim to be for Christ (believer) with titles that are high to heaven, but none are in a position like Abraham to be able to hear, see, and observe according to the word of God.
However, sin and sinning build distance between man and God.
As an acclaimed believer, Christ-like, how far are you from God, who is never far from all?
Growing in sin and sinning will be far from God.
The nature of God does not tolerate sin but withdraws God from man.
Romans 3:23 buttresses, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
The glory of God, which is His presence, is not full but short in the life of a sinner before God.
With the rampart of sin, the mercy of God endures forever.
To avoid living in sin, giving oneself to the word of God, is the root of having faith in God.
Having faith is a determinant not to live in sin.
Give yourself to the word God, come out of religion; enter into the reality Christ to become established on a ground (a position) of receiving revelation from God. 
As a believer (a Christ reality), live faithfully like Abraham. 
Know that to be faithful is a sacrifice and is not convenient, that is, cheap but costly. 
To be faithful is a commitment to a lifestyle to live for God, and it enhances the flow of revelation from God. 
Be a church of God, turn away from the world of sin.
Be near to God, let revelation breed more restraints, and the avoidance of evil occurrences.

Prayer for today: Ask God to direct your heart not to live a life of sin.