FAITH CAPSULE: Obeying God’s word is the condition to claim and gain the promises of God.
Isaiah 55
Living life with the consciousness of who you are in the hand of God is rooted in studying to understand and to know God’s investment over man’s life. Understanding and knowing God is the condition for man to engage God’s required condition to provoke blessings of God over the life of man.
Jabez is an example that engaged condition which is knowing and understanding to claim and gain the blessing of God upon his life. Bible recorded, “Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)
What condition was in place of Jabez life to claim the blessing of God?
Jabez must have gained knowledge and understanding as condition in his life to claim God’s blessing. Bible stated that man is with honor as crown in Psalm 8:4, “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.” Jabez’s understanding of crown with honor upon him by God made him to prayerfully ask from God to take away pain from his life. It was a blessing from God to answer Jabez’s prayer. With understanding and knowledge Jabez also claimed and gained the promise of God when he called on God saying, “God of Israel” Evidently, claiming to gain promise of God is rooted in praying with understanding as Jabez demonstrated understanding and knowledge.
Clearly, through the pages of the Bible, claiming the promises of God comes with condition (doing according to God’s word). For example, Exodus 19:5 recorded, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” Deuteronomy 4:29 is another example condition of God for man to do and claim the promise of God. It is written, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 6:17 also buttressed, “You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you.”
The verses above identified the condition to claim and gain the promise of God:
Obeying God’s word is set to excel in this wicked world as God’s special treasure.
Seek God with heart and soul to disallow seeking God unpleasingly. Seeking God is a condition to see God.
Keeping God’s command is not chasing after world activities.
Keep God’s word to do as commanded in God’s word and live life for God’s glory.
Prayer for today: Ask for God’s hand to keep you not to live life outside of His word.