Heralds Digest

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭143:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/psa.143.8.nkjv Anyone who is or has ever been at the verge of professional, political, social and economical extinction understands the distinctiveness of divine guidance. Otherwise, everyone can readily boast of the possession and control of useful intelligence for breakthrough in life. But in the shoes of the Psalmist, when all associates turned antagonists, and friends appear as enemies, it will be difficult to trust anyone, including self. Waiting to receive the loving kindness of the Lord may appears boring, taking apparent productive time and the painful seclusion from the flamboyant activities of the day. Nevertheless, it is the least sacrifice of a heart whose absolute confidence is in the Most High God. Therefore, a wise walk is not about finding a way out without waiting; i...

“I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭142:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/psa.142.5.nkjv A world filled with the variety of attractions is bound to be deficient of consistent contemplation. When there are numerous alternative to the solution, the comparative advantage of insisting on the solution may not invite significant attraction. Hedges of help are often restrained in life in order to enhance focus on the most reliable refuge. The help of man may need to totally fail in order for the heart to learn the attitude of lifting up its eyes on the Holy Hill of God. Like the Psalmist finally admitted, the Lord is the portion and the most reliable refuge of the righteous. When the hands are down to nothing, the anchor of the heart often hold firmly on the most reliable refuge in life.

http://bible.us/psa141.5.nkjv Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. Relationships are commonly developed and nurtured based on self-interest. Right relationships are easily selected based on special consideration of status and reputation. While these considerations are reasonable, the consequences include the misplacement of the priority of righteousness in every relationship. The content of the Psalmist prayer to God suggests the level of his contentment with all relationships with men. Unlike the emphasis on right relationship, righteous relationship encourages the interactions of men on the basis of promoting intimacy with God. Consequently, demand for self-recognition is sacrificed on the altar of righteous relationship in order to please God.

http://bible.us/psa140.12-13.nkjv I know that the Lord will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence. The temptation into the broadcast of an assumed act of wickedness from others offers speculative righteousness; and it always cost more than it promises. Like wildfire and dangerous virus, vengeful imagination dominates the heart, even when the hands appear to be preoccupied with refreshing friendliness. Unfortunately, the spirit of vengeance in the heart against fellow man cannot accommodate the expected song of praise unto God at the same time. Being delivered from the spirit of vengeance, the mind of the Psalmist was occupied with confidence in God's deliverance. Acknowledging the preoccupation of the Lord in maintaining the cause of His afflicted children; and providing justice for His deprived followers of righteousness, focusing on the activities of the wicke...

http://bible.us/psa139.23-24.nkjv Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. Human being has designed a system to award the best reward for an improvement in method based on the assessment of the resultant performances. However, no one often care about the motive as long as the method is showing commendable results. Unfortunately, relationships are being ruined and family trust are getting destroyed, because the danger of negative motive in every human action is often underestimated. Even the actor in the action cannot be confident of accurate scanning of his heart. Therefore, the Psalmist cried out for the merciful deployment of the divine scanning microscope (DSM). The DSM reveals every wicked way in man before the wicked way exposes the man. A sincere submission of the heart to the Saviour's scan saves the soul from sin.

http://bible.us/psa138.7.nkjv Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. The frightful preoccupation of troubles in life attempts to deprive the soul from appreciating the faithful prominence of the Almighty. Meanwhile, the goodness of God is never diminished by the grievous circumstances in believers' life and endeavours. Whereas, its greatness is rather deeply appreciated in the midst of trouble. Therefore, the Psalmist resolved to focus on the precious fellowship with the Lord, rather than getting distracted by the precarious wrath of his enemies. What the Lord will do for those who retain their confidence in the Lord is acknowledged to be great and greatly refreshing. The Lord will revive the heart, restore the body, and redeem the soul. Painfully, we walk in the midst of trouble in order to appreciate the great goodness of the Lord.

“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...