Heralds Digest

http://bible.us/psa111.10.nkjv The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. The praise of the Lord's precept is comely in most of man's undertakings. At such moments, the benefits of its protection and preservation are difficult to be compromised. However, there are moments when the commandment of the Lord suggest a long route to enjoyment and breakthrough. Like the Psalmist, those who have been tempted to take the easy way out of following the precepts of the Lord have always got their fingers burnt. A fall into disobedience often start with a perverted understanding of God's benevolence in the face of any perceived ugly situation. Nevertheless, God's instructions can always be trusted, no matter the challenges and circumstances of life. A temptation to buy into the praise of human intelligence and independence offer transient praise with perpetual retribution. In any case, t...

http://bible.us/psa109.26-27.nkjv Help me, O Lord my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy, That they may know that this is Your hand — That You, Lord, have done it! 'If wishes were horse, beggars will ride'‎, says the adage. The Psalmist had wished an active defense against the seen enemy for their acts of injustice and wickedness. Unfortunately, he later discovered self as defenseless, and unable to move the mighty hands of God on the mission of revenge and retaliation. Yet, the Lord remains a strong refuge of strength and a dependable defender of the righteous. However, God's mercy is always available to both the weak and the wicked. The cry for justice may appear appropriate to serve the weak well against the wicked; mercy serves best, if the wicked is given the privilege to respond to the call to repentance. Ultimately, both the weak and the wicked are defenseless and needing a dependable defender from the Devil - the unseen archenemy.

http://bible.us/psa108.12-13.nkjv Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies. Good motives can be trusted to offer reliable help, like the help from sincere friends and good parents. A trusted friend would stay in difficult times of life. Unfortunately, the capacity of sincere friends to provide useful help is limited to their personal state of freedom from troubles. Good parents are often overwhelmed by the responsiveness of troublesome children; while great leaders can be discouraged by the complacency of their team or congregation. Like the experience of the Psalmist, those who have been disappointed with human help never live to disdain the humility in divine assistance. Since reliable and useful help come from the Maker of heaven and earth, both the leader and the led find a reliable help in His presence. Irrespective of who gives or takes instructions, human understanding of the so...

http://bible.us/psa107.15.nkjv Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! The children of men are used to the application of their knowledge and intellectual capabilities to design and innovate something new from available resources. This explains the reason why situations and circumstances of life are always at the mercy of the limits of human capabilities. ‎Conversely, wicked men (or those in position to abuse power) are able to constrain the limits around their fellow men' capabilities. Generally, the works of men are constrained by the provisions or withdrawal of useful resources and environment for limited productivity. Amazingly, the goodness of God operates outside the realms of natural or intelligent resources. God is capable of bringing something out of nothing; and He specializes in changing the condition of men, without recourse to a favourable environment. Little wonder the Psalmist cried out for a...

http://bible.us/psa106.7-8.nkjv Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,That He might make His mighty power known. The depravity of the sin of disobedience that started at the Garden of Eden dealt a devastating blow on the fellowship of hearts, especially in the relationship between God and man. Thereafter, the revelation of God to man‎ often provide head wonders at the most, rather than the expected heart wonders. Although the Psalmist lamented the futility of the wonders of God to the fathers in Egypt and through their passage in the wilderness, he could not fully comprehend the basis of the consistency of God's benevolence over these rebellious people. Obviously, the personality and power of God are concealed in His manifestations through all the affairs of life. Unfortunately, human being will rather focus on provisions for pers...

http://bible.us/psa105.44-45.nkjv He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, And they inherited the labor of the nations, That they might observe His statutes And keep His laws. Praise the Lord! Every purposeful marketing strategy for goods and services invest on effective packaging of privileges and promotions with a singular intention of attracting sales and retaining service opportunities. Only ignorant and inconsiderate consumers accept privileges and promotions without a careful consideration of the possible obligation of ‎a potential customer. Likewise, God's privileges and promotions to His people intend to attract their attention back into an intimate fellowship or relationship. He gave the Israelites the land of Canaan through a statute-preserving fellowship, so that the people can learn how to keep His commandments. Invariably, the opportunity to walk the aisle of challenges with the Creator of comfort preceed and supercede the possession of privileges and promotions.

http://bible.us/psa104.24.nkjv O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions— The earth is the Lord's and it was created in the manifold splendor of His glory. The orderliness of interdependence of animals in the air and sea shows nothing but the awesomeness of God. Unlike the animals, man is specially favoured by God; in that he is created in the image of God. Man has intelligence that grows with increase in knowledge. Unfortunately, the wisdom of man often seek to be dispossessed, away from the wisdom of God. By running away from God, man's wisdom becomes the bane of his entanglements with other elements of creation. Although a dispossessed man often boast of his possession of the mundane things on earth, he actually willed his possession to these things. Only the fear of God is the beginning of a needed reconciliation as a possessed possession of God.