Heralds Digest

http://bible.us/psa116.18.nkjv I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people. The value of the gift in the hand is commensurate to the wealth of appreciation received for every deed of kindness to people. As long as deeds are offered to meet human physical and material needs, no one is concerned about the purity and sincerity of the vessel used for the service.‎ However, the vessel for the gift is more important than the value of the gift in God's service. While man might consider the process of purifying the vessel before any service offering as suffering, God is rather concerned by the preparation of the heart for a holy and acceptable sacrifice. Saints of old, not only had their fair share of the period of trial; their wilderness experiences provided attractive and soul-lifting testimonies of righteous services before the people of God. Sincere service proceeds from a privileged and purified heart, especially when reserved and received by saints in the c...

http://bible.us/psa115.8.nkjv Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them. Creativity thrives in the application of earthly resources and acquired knowledge for the development of new material and innovation. Being designed for the purpose of improved standard of living, many do not only enjoy the benefits of creativity, but are moved to repose their trust in the work of other man's hands. God is the Creator of every creature, including all people and their creativity. The material and virtual things of the world, including ‎position, property, and prosperity are designed to be used by people. Needless to say that people are not expected to be used by the work of their creativity. Unfortunately, and in agreement with the observation of the Psalmist, the elevators of the works of creativity to a worship status have developed tainted hearts with blinded reasoning. Obviously, both those who promote the worship of people or possessions, and those who devote t...

http://bible.us/psa114.7.nkjv Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob. The presence of someone in position of authority often command fear and trembling, especially for possible retribution of disloyal services. The presence of the Creator of heaven and earth expect to invoke greater fear and trembling. For the children of Israel, even the physical elements of the world (like the sea, star, mountain, etc) roar and quake at the apprehension of the presence of the Lord within the camp of the people of God. Unfortunately, due to willful disobedience, God's people prefer to ignore th‎e presence of God, and rather tremble at the threatening of the elements of the world. However, the Psalmist calls for the saints of the Lord to dare to cultivate the practice of the presence of God. Thereby, there'll be boldness to command the trembling of the elements of abuse and the exhibition of pride in the affairs of God's people. The privilege of...

http://bible.us/psa113.6.nkjv Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? ‎ The earth and the fullness thereof belong to God. ‎Irrespective of human's claims and counter-claim of his independence, the Lord is consistently concerned about the welfare of His creatures, and in control of their well-being. The leaders of the people are often elected on the record of magnificent manifestos, but failed to perform due to the state of being genuinely incapacitated. Unlike earthly politicians, the majesty of God is not limited to His performance; it is mostly based on His personality. Ahead of the need for changing the circumstances of man, He walked humbly with him to change his character. Therefore, more than the needed reorganization of the things within the domain, the restoration of the dominion of man represents the majestic manifesto of God.

http://bible.us/psa112.7.nkjv He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. ‎ The heart that is trained to monitor events as they come have an umpteen task towards the provision of consistent report on the events of life. Life events represent the collection of pleasant and unpleasant tidings; and these events are difficult to align the rational of their linkage with one another. Little wonder the affairs of most free men are filled with disappointment, if viewed as a continuum. Only an intimate relationship with the Creator of heaven and earth can help to place a steadfast understanding on evil tidings, especially when occurred within righteous riding. The fear of the Lord provides inspired intelligence for a perfect understanding of isolated incidences in life.

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.