Heralds Digest

“For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the LORD’s song In a foreign land?” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭137:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/psa.137.3-4.nkjv A good song is generally scored on the basis of the lyrics and music. Once the song is sang by a professional performer, the content of the song provides the necessary merriment. Like the captors of the people of God in the land of Babylon, all that the world requires of believers is simply a good song without spiritual undertone, or message inspired by the power of God. And these strange songs are readily offered when believers deliver the charisma of the gospel without the character of godliness. May we receive grace to always check the context of our life song, instead of being carried away by the content of the song (Amen). The context of the song of freedom in the land of captivity is always strange, irrespect...

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭136:1, 26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/psa.136.1,26.nkjv Goodness is commonly limited to an act of doing good; but the challenge of turning the act of goodness into a perpetual attribute underscores the limitations in human capability. Since the act is subject to the circumstances of life, goodness is great when life is momentarily accepted to be good. Unlike the concept of an act, the Psalmist acknowledges goodness as the attribute of a good God: for He is good . His endurance of the disappointment of human unfaithfulness is endless. From ages to ages, His goodness is not subject to the unpleasantness of human irresponsiveness. Oh for a commensurate grace in every man's attitude of gratitude to God's endless endurance of ungodliness.

http://bible.us/psa135.15-18.nkjv The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them. Preciousness seems a measure of the quantity of the body's possession, rather than the quality of the soul's possession. Even those who are redeemed from the punishment of sin and death are often tempted to trade their preciousness of their for the worship of worldly fame and fun.‎ Although the possession of silver and gold attracts public celebration, only the redemption of the soul of man guarantees peace and contentment. Therefore, the preciousness of any man is not measured by his possession of the material things of this world. Unfortunately, the loss of every man's sense of preciousness leads him to worship the works of his hands or th...

http://bible.us/psa134.1-3.nkjv Behold, bless the Lord, All you servants of the Lord, Who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord. The Lord who made heaven and earth Bless you from Zion! ‎ Praises to God with evidence of His manifestation in the affairs of man is comely. And it can last as long as the taste of testimony prevails. However, the experience may never be the same, when the days are filled with failed expectations. Nevertheless, for faithful servants of the Lord with consistent hope in His promises, it is most appropriate to accommodate praises in the day than in the night. When the hearts are heavily overwhelmed, pillows are easily soaked with tears in the night. And to consistently bless the Lord in times like this, the heart must absolutely trust in the potency of the divine declaration that set heaven and earth into existence. Obviously, the movement of God in the affairs of man is relatively inconsequential, comp...

http://bible.us/psa133.1-3.nkjv Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore. A family made of a single mountain of idea promotes disagreement and discouragement, especially when the lonely source‎ of wisdom appears to be running out of working ideas. Whether in a home or fellowship family setting, appreciation of individual's contribution (either passive or active) creates a good and pleasant sense of community without competition. And a bridge of consent enables a continuous flow of strategies for effective implementation. By a collective commitment to the strategies of planning, praying, and processing, there'll be no limitation in the Lord's command of blessing and long-lastin...

http://bible.us/psa132.13-14.nkjv For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: "This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. The scenic view of the Atlantic Ocean and the beautiful overlay of carefully crafted Terranea on rocky landscape‎ would compile every tourist to consider the resort as permanent place of abode. Even if the cost of staying is affordable, the taste of tourists would always desire the exploration of many other attractions. In the pursuit of God, man often extend the exploratory mindset in exchange of the vanity of variety. Unfortunately, the major disillusion in man is his inability to connect with the Creator of all the attractions of life, especially when an element of human creativity is involved. Although moving around to explore the beauty of creativity makes sense, consideration of the heart of man as the Creator's resting place is more desirable. With the door widely left open, the heart of ...

http://bible.us/psa131.2-3.nkjv Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever. The appetite of an unweaned child savour nothing more than the flavour of milk, irrespective of the unhealthiness of the source. But as the mother is prepared to manage the child's lack of quietness with a heart of love, a gradual exchange of an attitude of protest for an appreciation of the mother's love brings relief and a development of healthy and intimate relationship. Just as for a weaned child, it takes time to align the motive of God's will with the mission of every believer' wish. While an unweaned Christian is unwilling to trade his passion and pride for the pursuit and perfection of God's will in life, family, and busi‎ness, a weaned wish has discovered the emptiness in the pursuit of the passion of this world. Actually, a weaned wish loses t...