KEEP YOUR HEART DILIGENTLY

The Word of God has never proved to be a waste in any issue of life. In fact and in truth, every word in the pages of the Bible addresses every area and issue of living life. The Word of God cannot be broken. The Word of God is true to perform and to perfect according to His promises. Jesus is the Living Word of God and He came stating, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) The abundant life was brought to life as a gift by Jesus for man. However, man must know to keep his heart with all diligence in order to fully possess living life abundantly. The book of Proverbs 4:23 buttressed, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Those that know to keep heart with all diligence wholly trust in God for His promises that never fail. Those that know to keep heart with all diligence establish the promises of God in their heart before it actually physically manifests. Trusting in God is not rushing to receive but rather resting on the promises of God that never fail. Trusting God in the absence of something can be challenging. Also trusting God when time is absolutely not on our side can be exhausting. Trusting on God for a way where there is no way can be exceedingly stressful, but it is trust when we remain strengthened by His word.

However, in going the wilderness of life, the only way out to the expected end is rooted in trusting God to show up at every juncture where there is no sign for survival. Caleb and Joshua were the only survivors 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. They both remembered the Lord’s doing and trusted in what the Lord was capable of doing. Caleb and Joshua trusted God enough and took an odd stand among their brethren who failed to trust in God’s promise. Caleb by virtue of his trust in God’s promise stated, “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)  Evidently, it cannot be confused that trust is heart activated and mouth driven. Trust is not just a thing of the mouth, but it is also from the heart. If it is not rooted in the heart, it will not stand in the physical, no matter how loud or consistent is being communicated. Unlike Caleb and Joshua, the people who went to spy the land failed to trust because their heart was not diligently kept.

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)Clearly, the Word of Joshua 14:7-8 pointed out the importance of keeping our hearts with all diligence. A Heart that is well kept will not fumble into negative confession when addressing the issues of life. A Heart that is well kept will diligently see into the promises of God while they are yet to be manifested in the physical. A Heart that is kept diligently will receive the promises when no negative confession is made. A Heart that is kept diligently is the heart that wholly follows through with God; it is the heart that operates in a different spirit, a spirit like that of Joshua and Caleb. A failure to keep the heart diligently is a passage to missing out in what God promised. Those that went to spy in the Promised Land with Joshua and Caleb made the heart of the people melt. (Joshua 14:8) A melted heart misses out on the promises of God. A melted heart is the evidence of not keeping the heart with all diligence. The heart of the Israelites was not kept with diligence when it melted as a result of the spies’ negative report. By virtue of their melted heart the issue of life became terminated on their behalf.

Trust only in God and not in man. Trust only in God and His promises. Trust only in God and not in what people consider as majority. The majority failed to trust God for His promises because of what they saw on the ground and not because of what was spoken from above to all who were on ground. Joshua and Caleb refused to flow with the majority but with what was spoken from above because their hearts were diligent. As a result of their diligent heart , they entered into the promise of God. Have you received any promise in the Word of God? Keep your heart diligently and it will address the issues of your life.

Trust will not only deliver needs, but it will also bring preservation into the life of one that trusts God for His word. Caleb’s trust in God made God to keep him and he testified, “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) There is no other way out to the expected end but only in trusting in God. Until trusting God graduates from one’s mouth to the heart, one is only operating in one’s own understanding.

FAITH CAPSULE:
A failure to keep the heart diligently is a passage to miss God’s promise.

ENGAGE HEAVEN DISTINCTIVELY

Every distinct action commands Heaven’s attention. Distinct action will provoke instant attention from Heaven. There have been instant attentions such as healing, undeniable deliverance and unstoppable moves of God’s hand recorded through the pages of the Bible.

Imagine four men carried a paralytic man to Jesus’ crusade hoping for healing in the hand of Jesus and as a result, “…when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.” (Mark 2:4) The four men engaged a distinct action when they lifted the paralytic man up to another level by engaging a roof-tearing faith. The Bible records, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’” (Mark 2:5) Jesus saw the roof-tearing action and the Bible records it that Jesus saw their faith. Can you imagine your miracle breakthrough? One who can imagine must be able to think through receiving their miracle. The Bible admonishes us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7) As a believer, begin to imagine and think through your miracle as a done deal.

Faith is see-able because faith is action before God. Faith is acting out the word of God which one hears. Faith is behaving what you believe. As believers, we are to take a position to hear, believe, behave and become. It is important to always keep in mind that God is a God of knowledge and by Him all actions are weigh (1 Samuel 2:3). Our action that is rooted in the knowledge of God is the evidence of understanding the power of God and that is what God is looking for. So many provoked Heaven by engaging distinction action (action that is not common) by virtue of their thoughts and spoken word.

The three friends of Daniel (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego) provoked Heaven by their distinct spoken word in response to King Nebuchadnezzar’s attempt to cause them to deny their God. A decree was made against any who declined to worship the gold image of King Nebuchadnezzar. When the three friends of Daniel refused to worship, it was made known to them, “…but if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:15) The three friends of Daniel without hesitation or any sign of fear, spoke distinctively in response to the king. “…O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18) Distinct response provoked Heaven and Jesus made the choice to come down instantly instead of sending angel for their deliverance.

The Bible documents the testimony of an unbelieving king Nebuchadnezzar to the distinct provocation in the statement of Daniels’s three friends, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”(Daniel 3:25) Heaven will react in response to how we exercise faith distinctively in the face of challenges. Give Heaven a distinct action by your thinking or how you speak and Heaven shall surely respond on your behalf with a distinct attention.

FAITH CAPSULE:
Every distinct action commands Heaven’s attention.

ENTERTAINING FEAR

Entertaining fear is terminating one’s own blessing. Have you consciously or unconsciously allowed fear to come between you and your miracle deliverance or miracle provision?

Once during the late hour of the day and in the middle of the water, a storm took over the journey of life for the disciples. Jesus’ disciples were on the journey to the other side of the sea when the storm took over. While they were being tossed around by the wave, Jesus showed up to rescue them. It is written, “Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear.” (Matthew 14:25-26) By virtue of fear, Peter must have requested for deliverance when he asked Jesus to command him to walk on the water. Jesus responded to Peter’s request by commanding him to come. The Bible records, “…and when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ (Matthew 14:29-30) Peter, in his obedience to walk a difficult walk (walking on water), took his eyes away from Jesus as he gave his attention to the troubling storm and fear took charge while faith was discharged. Peter simply entertained fear and his deliverance was set for termination until Jesus intervened.

During a season of famine across the land, the Zarephath woman was set for miraculous provision when God sent Elijah to her as a route for her miracle. The Zarephath woman was approached by Elijah and he requested, “’…Please bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink.’ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’” (1 Kings 17:10-11) Evidently, the woman of Zarephath only had just enough for herself and her son to eat because it was a time of famine in the whole land. In her sincerity and honesty, she responded to Elijah’s demand stating that she only had enough for herself and son to eat and die; meaning that after they ate, there would be nothing coming forth. Elijah did not hesitate when he responded to her. “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”(1 Kings 17:13-14) The encouraging word of Elijah denied fear from denying the Zarephath woman from her God ordained miraculous provision. Fear would have provoked doubt and doubt is the agent of denial. The woman of Zarephath responded well to the word of Elijah. How often have you unconsciously allowed fear to give way to doubt and deny your miraculous provision?

The Zarephath woman had reasons to turn down the request of a strange prophet. However, she had no good reason not to trust or respond to a stranger in the name of God. In these days of fake and self-appointed messengers of God, it is easy to denounce a strange prophet in the fear of being cheated. However, we do have evidence that when means of provision seem to be over, God often provides in ways that might not seem to be meaningful to us. In response and full compliance to Elijah, the Zarephath woman denied fear and, “…went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.” (I Kings 17:15-16) God is beautiful for situation! Trust in Him that nothing forms against you; not even a deceiver shall prosper. In the time of lack, do all that is within you in the name of God for your neighbor and God will not overlook your area of need.

FAITH CAPSULE:
How often have you unconsciously allowed fear to give way to doubt and deny your miraculous provision?

GOD’S DESIRE; OUR DESIRE

It is written, “He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” (Psalm 145:19) Any man who truly knows to fear God knows what God wants and what God does not want for His children. Knowing what He wants for us will make it impossible for us to ask or have a desire for what does not line up with His desire for us. All that we need to desire is the grace to constantly fear Him. God alone knows all of our desires; He knows those who fear Him and He is more than capable of fulfilling everyone’s desire.

Everything a man can consider as need is obtainable when we live in the fear of God. Proverbs 19:23 buttresses the importance of fearing God when it states, “The fear of God leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.” (Proverbs 19:23) Are you one who desires not to have the Lord’s desire for your life? A man who presses for his own desires will get it with persistency.

Often time, however, getting one’s desire that is not of God leads to self-destruction. For example, the children of Israel, coming out of bondage of over four hundred years, seeing the wondrous work of God, strongly pressed for their own desire that was outside of God’s desire for them. They could not let go of Egypt but pressed in their asking for all kinds of food they ate while being enslaved in Egypt despite the fact that the Lord did not allow them to experience any lack. God responded and gave them the food they desired. The Bible records, “So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them their own desire. They were not deprived of their craving; but while their food was still in their mouths, the wrath of God came against them, and slew the stoutest of them, and struck down the choice men of Israel.” (Psalm 78:29-31)

Be assured that God wants the best for you and whatever we do not receive could possibly be because it is out of time or out of place for us. Also, whatever we do not receive is evidence that we are still abundant in His provision. To know that we have abundance in His provision is to hold on with satisfaction. Anyone who loves abundance with increase could possibly become vulnerable to dissatisfaction. As stated above, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.” (Proverbs 19:23) Without doubt, if we fear Him and are able to hold on with satisfaction, there shall be no evil visitation. God will not fail in giving us only what leads to life and not to our self-destruction like that of the stoutest of the Israelites who were destroyed as mentioned in the above verse. (Psalm 78:29-31)

Among the dangers of having desires of our own over God’s desire is that it leads to temptation. The Bible makes us realize this in James 1:13-15, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” Wrong desire (desire that is out of place for us before God) and temptation often lead to sin and with sin there will always be destruction. Are you allowing your desires to direct your focus from what God can do for you?

It is worthy to desire the fear of God so we may abide and become satisfied in God’s desire and not end up in life’s dissatisfaction which always bring evil to man. The point of this write up is for us to live a life that brings desirable good things that are encased in the fear of God. Where there is no fear of God, nothing good will move in the direction of man.

FAITH CAPSULE: To know that we have abundance in His provision is to hold on with satisfaction.

A WAITING EXPERIENCE

Waiting on God is timeless. It can take longer than expected or shorter than expected when we are waiting to hear from God. The waiting that takes “Mr. A” a short time before getting an answer can take “Mr. B” a longer time to get his answer from God. One thing is certain, where there is waiting before God, none can wait and become wasted. God never fails because time is in His hand and He can answer at the first hour or at the eleventh hour. God is God and no one controls the timing of God.

King David, once at a time of waiting for God’s salvation, testified his experience by stating, “Save me, O God! for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (Psalm 69:1-3)

King David encountered a grave challenge that stretches from being in deep mire where he could not stand to deep waters where the floods overflow him. In the face of his challenge, however, he waited on God. For him, there was no sign of any answer coming forth for his deliverance but yet he had no back-up plan but to wait. Indeed, faith does not have a back-up plan but to wait without ceasing.

King David, in his waiting, kept on praying when he stated, “But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of Your salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink…” (Psalm 69:13-14) Prayer and expectation is the anchor of waiting and David demonstrated it. In time of waiting on God where there is no expectation for getting an answer from God, when the answer comes from God one might not recognize the answer for the purpose of waiting. Waiting demands persistence and expectation for manifestation.

When waiting longer period becomes painful, praising and giving thanks should be the antidote.  King David testifies, “But I am poor and sorrowful; let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” (Psalm 69:29-30) David did not stop expecting despite his challenge but he rather kept on praising and magnifying God with thanksgiving.

God is good and He will never allow our waiting to become wasted in His sight without acting on our behalf. It is written in Isaiah 64:4, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” The Word of God is true to deliver. In your waiting, rejoice. Be upright remembering all that He has done in the past and know that He is more than able to do more abundantly. King David presented a case of what it takes to wait when challenge persists and it seems God is no more there to deliver.

Paul and Silas, after having suffered being beaten with rods and stripes laid on them, they were thrown into inner prison and had their feet fastened up. They were in a challenge with no way out and pain was in place but praise prevailed for them. The Bible records, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.  Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” (Acts 16:25-26)  Praising God in the prison of life will provoke heaven to raise the prison door for your escape. Resist your challenge; persist on your expectation; hope continually by praising and magnifying Him with thanksgiving.

FAITH CAPSULE:
When waiting longer period becomes painful, praising and giving thanks should be the antidote.