Heralds Digest

  “ Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored. A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.” Proverbs 13 : 18 - 19 NKJV While there is no doubt that the overriding motive behind human desires is prosperity, progress, and promotion, the experience of David in the wilderness of king Saul underscores the difference between deceitful and delightful desires. King Saul’s desire to retain his position as the king of Israel, after God has rejected him, is a perfect example of a deceitful desire. At one point in one of his wild goose chase escapades, Saul even said, “ God has delivered him (David) into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars ( I Samuel 23 : 7 )”. He had several opportunities to respond to divine correction, but he scolded and scorned all these corrective privileges until his deceitful desire ended in destruction. Where...

  “ Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.”   Proverbs 13:12, 19 NKJV Sick hearts have something in common. They are depressive, discouraged, and distracted away from delightful adventures. When the heart of Saul became sick, even as the king with all privileges, position, and power, he lost the appetite for good governance, showing delight in the chasing of shadows and the pursuit of evil. Irrespective of human position and privileges, a sick heart is a reflection of hopelessness. When it was the turn of the disciple of Christ, like Peter, to fall into the trenches of hopelessness, he became demoralized and opting for the denial of his friendship with Jesus. Notwithstanding, the scriptures say “ But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life ”. This must be the desire to contribute, collaborate, and concentrate into something good,...

  “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase.” Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Wealth accumulation, as limited to cash creation, promotes several vices, including dishonesty and deceit in all forms of relationship. And as cash depreciates in value, the wealth diminishes. Unfortunately, many people are used up by the current life’s standards of living and demand to create depreciating wealth, while losing the more important purpose for living. Whereas, wealth accumulation with the perception of content creation is more healthy. Even when cash delays in coming, a focus on content creation is driven by passion, problem solving, and value addition. Those who understand the importance of content creation in relationships are patient with the process of building integrity, respect, and trust. It is not surprising that wealth created on the content wrapped with integrity, respect, and trust becomes more of an appreciating legacy than a depreciat...