Heralds Digest

“The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit....For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7:8, 12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/ecc.7.8,12.nkjv An affluent beginning is capable of denying the unwise the unique privilege of a prudent planning for the future. Likewise, the unwise deficient may not accept the responsibility of ceasing the opportunity in the future, while blaming others for the prevailing predicament. Meanwhile, God is interested in the capacity building of good character through an adequate application of wisdom gathered from all experiences in life. No matter the prevailing predicaments in believers' career, family, and economic life, the wise question can never be " why are these happening? ", but rather " how can these be helpful? ". With patience and perseverance, there is always...

“All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied... For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭6:7, 12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/ecc.6.7,12.nkjv The satisfaction with the basic needs of life is worthwhile, but it is irrelevant to the needs of the soul. The body cares for the best nourishment, beautiful accommodation, glamorous lifestyle, and appreciable recognition. While the natural faculty in man is wired to promote satisfaction with these body needs, the satisfaction of the soul is often taken for granted. To make things worse, no one knows the necessity for his own soul unless through the recommended consultation with the Creator. Unlike the process of searching for the satisfaction of the body, religious practices can only pretend to provide satisfaction for the soul. Only faith in the Creator's provision f...

“Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5:6-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/ecc.5.6-7.nkjv Holiness and honour are often difficult to be desired simultaneously by the heart of man. While holiness thrives in the atmosphere of the fear of God, honour desires and demands the praise of people possibly at the expense of the fear of God. Before the company of fellow men, the heart of man is presumptuously tempted to focus on making the best impression on the minds of people, rather than receiving inspiration from God. Whereas, God always demand the attention of His children - to draw near to hear rather than to speak. For in the multitude of an eagerness to make a good impression, there want no frivolity. Unfortunately, hasty hearts prefer honour to hol...

“Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:9-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/ecc.4.9-10.nkjv The most painful thing about discouragement is not the mourning of the cost of the mistakes made in the past. The greatest cost of discouragement is the losing of motivation towards the progressive pursuit of the enormous prospects in the future. For a Lone Ranger, discouragement causes blindness of vision to rise up from a fall or disappointment. However, there is always an inherent strength from maintaining a lifestyle of seeking the company of a reliable counsellor and companion in life. From the perspective of the scriptures, " if they fall " is better than " when he falls ". And when God stands as the reliable Counsellor, the comfort of the Spirit is sufficient, even if it appears they fal...

“I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:10-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/ecc.3.10-11.nkjv Just as purposeless pursuits are not necessarily defined by an absence of enjoyment and material enrichment, purposeful pursuits are equally not necessarily decimated by the absence of difficulties and challenges. A purpose-driven life is not primarily concerned about the immediate effects of his engagement; he is rather disturbed by the remote consequences of a possible disengagement, especially given the favourable time and chances at his disposal. Whenever God permits the co-existence of time, space, and material resources towards a good course, a pursuit based on exigency is preferred to the pursuit of excellence. A purposeful pursuit gives God the ultimate prerogati...

"For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭2:26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/ecc.2.26.nkjv A purposeless pursuit does not necessarily result in a want of material profits or an absence of worldly enrichment. In fact, the Preacher's experience confirms the possibility of an abundance of enjoyment and provision of worldly amusement, which may be freely at the possessor's beck and call. However, these enrichments bring little satisfaction or no fulfilling pleasure to the soul, because a purposeless pursuit is primarily concerned about self-satisfaction. Although the work of gathering and collecting the benefits of life appears to favour certain privileged men, the same men are less favoured with satisfaction without a commensurate commitment to the expected spi...

“For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/ecc.1.18.nkjv There is a thick cloud of emptiness in the pursuits of wisdom and knowledge without the clear understanding of the relevance of their acquisitions. Increase in wisdom and knowledge in every pursuit in life, be it in the study of natural sciences, medicine, engineering, and humanity, is always aimed at the discovery of new things. While there may abound evidences of external discoveries of new methodologies, there is always a corresponding discovery of emptiness within the heart of man - the limitation, lifelessness, and loneliness. Real fulfilment in life comes from inner embrace of the worship of the God of all wisdom and knowledge. For what is owned, acquired, refrained, and restricted, the heart that gladly worship God understands the essence of his existence. And when comes the time to transit, there will be a sense of endless ful...