Heralds Digest

http://bible.us/psa59.16.nkjv But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. One of the most important benefits of an intimate relationship with God is access to the gift of peace. Thereby the guilt of sin is cleansed by the gift of salvation, and man is instantly filled with peace that flows like a river. ‎However, salvation from sin is not an immunization from troubles. In fact, peace from God provokes persecution from the world. For example, David's persecution was triggered by his preference by God over Saul. In the heat of the battle against his life, he chose to value his relationship with God, through praise and worship, more than the expected reward from Him. Often times, we battle to protect addition of value to our corruptible life; howbeit, at the detriment of the priceless peace with God. The Psalmist teaches that perfect peace means perfect praise of God's powe...

http://bible.us/psa58.1.nkjv Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? Silence remains a priceless virtue, if exercised with utmost sincerity. Human activities are motivated by diverse intentions, and silence is mostly deployed before appreciable understanding can be assessed. Those whose mouth must run faster than their ears are quick to make mistakes. ‎Since the tongue is difficult to tame without grace, diplomacy and outward righteousness have packaged a substitute for sincere silence. It is worthy of note that a virtuous silence is not motivated by grants of favour or approval from people. Without God's grace, the heart of man cannot be constrained in the path of righteous pronouncements. ‎Therefore, subtle silence appears disposed to righteous conducts, it is actually possessed with inward wickedness.

http://bible.us/psa57.11.nkjv Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. The earth is naturally created to declare the glory of God. No matter the shades of darkness within, a refreshing step without opens the mind to the beauty of the stars. But in spite of all attempts for creation to declare the glory of God, man's gory experiences are mostly twisted to deny God the glory due to His name. However, the attitude of David teaches the secret of retaining the praises of God in times of unexplainable distress and disappointment. Except the focus for glory (from anyone who is anointed for the throne, but somehow get forced to seek refuge in the cave) is fixed on God and not self, no one can ever find reason for God's glory in grievous gory. Irrespective of either mess or mass, we need grace to lose sight on seeking our personal glory, in order to retain the precious sights on God's glory.

http://bible.us/psa56.11.nkjv In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The security that makes sense is built on the reinforcements of safety apparatus against invasion. It is a game of intelligence gathering and control, aimed at out smarting the aggression of the enemy. However, the moment all these physical apparatus are vandalized by the enemy, it will no longer make sense to trust in any salvation that comes not from the mercy of the enemy. ‎David found himself in this kind of security mess, when he fell into the hands of the Philistines in Gath. Instead of the expected lost hope, gripped fear and song of defeat, he quipped to put his trust in God. Obviously, trusting in the superiority of God's character and charisma over the best intelligence of human attack appears senseless in times of great security needs. Admittedly, confidence in God's security in the valley of the shadow of death is senseless; it never entertain fear until the gam...

http://bible.us/psa56.13.nkjv For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living? Unless a man is caught up in serious mess (political, economical, financial, etc), it will be difficult to access his conviction on the promises of God. ‎David had trusted God for protection from enemies, including Saul and Goliath, and tasted the preservation of the most High. When he fell into the hands of the Philistines in Gath, he had to quickly compare the stamp of revenge from Gath with the stamp of refuge from God. The fear of the stamps from the challenges of life in family, business, and career may be genuine; it is more reliable to trust in God's good purpose for preserving our lives from previous battles of life.

http://bible.us/psa55.22.nkjv Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Those who specialize in the controversial " Pull Him Down " syndrome ‎are often motivated by selfish ambition, rather than the unintended social destruction or character assassination of their victim. However, the pain from the breakdown of trust and the resultant strained relationships is always unbearable, without divine intervention. Unfortunately, it is possible for the victims of character assassination to go through life with the burden of unforgiving spirit, whereas their persecutors may have been liberated from any possible guilt. Therefore, a righteous man would rather give away position, honour, and the riches of this world, than yielding to the temptation to part away with righteousness. Assuredly, only God's grace for immovable righteousness can discover the secret of casting all emotional burden upon the burden-bearer.‎

http://bible.us/psa54.4.nkjv Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life. ‎ Lobbying is a recognized practice of seeking the favour of people in the position of authority. In any civilized society, where official registration as lobbyists with the government is enforced, the risk of getting out of favour with possible change in government is reduced. Therefore, the Ziphites would not expect the dividend of civilization during the uncivilized reign of king Saul. They had lobbied Saul's favour by betraying the trust of David, due to the fact that Saul was the recognized man in authority. Although David was not seen as having any desirable value, he had the confidence in God as his Helper. Naturally, the ziphites in all men would readily seek the favour of the Saul in their social, career, business and family affairs. However, only the zionist in man can retain the steadfastness of lifting up his eyes upon the holy hill of God. Instead of the unholy practice ...