Heralds Digest

““Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the LORD.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭22:15-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.22.15-16.nkjv When the scriptures ascribed little profit to bodily exercise and fitness, it merely underscores the tendency for a mis-placement of priority in human pursuit of wellness. A focus on the physical wellness of personal prosperity often has much more than human resources in life can handle. For example, the drive for career security, economic stability, and family independence represents a sufficient battle of the fittest in life. Whereas, those who have succeeded with reasonable level of fit would readily attest to the experience of wayward wellness in personal prosperity. Unfortunately like the king of Judah, many are bereft of an appropriate response to the life...

“Thus says the LORD: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you indeed do this thing, then shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots, accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭22:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.22.3-4.nkjv Those whose pursuits in life are limited to sitting on the throne cannot readily notice the difference between a promised palace and a palace promise. While the focus of the former is the palace, the priority of the latter is the promise. A focus on the palace cares for the privileges, prestige, and the prosperity of the possessor within the palace, without possible consideration for people without the palace. Whereas, a focus on the promise is concerned about sustaining a cordial relationship with the pro...

““Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, And rock of the plain,” says the LORD, “Who say, ‘Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter our dwellings?’ But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings,” says the LORD; “I will kindle a fire in its forest, And it shall devour all things around it.” ’ ”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭21:13-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.21.13-14.nkjv Sometimes, it is difficult to imagine the possibility of peace in regions where the state of emergency is a regular occurrence. Unfortunately, it is evident that those who dwell in highly walled-houses and secured-cities are mostly the victims of high-blood pressure and emotional disorders. Peace is a state of the heart and not a security for the body. In fact, improvement in the security for the body is capable of proffering false security to the soul of man. When Judah relied on its physical peace for being ‘inhabitant of the valley, And rock of the plain’, then they said ‘Who shall...

“For I have set My face against this city for adversity and not for good,” says the LORD. “It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.” ’” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭21:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.21.10.nkjv Everyone is attracted to pleasant places of the world; while many would readily sacrifice their fortunes in order to possess visiting or residency access to such pleasant places. Jerusalem was such a pride before the invasion by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. Prior to the invasion and like many other invasions in life, the people always profile pleasantries with material affluence, physical appearances, and religious influences. With such deceptive mindsets, the people of Judah and Jerusalem had desecrated the places around them with idolatry and ignored the presence of God. Whenever affluence by the world of goods replaces influence by the word of God, pleasant places are turned to polluted places. And God said “For I have set My fac...

“ But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten. But, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, And see the mind and heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them; For I have pleaded my cause before You.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭20:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.20.11-12.nkjv A focus on the wholesomeness of God and the winsomeness of the heart in times of tribulations and trials is one of the greatest challenges of the people of God, especially those who are called into the fellowship for grace and glory. The contemptible detour into the avenue of despair and discouragement is always a common phenomenon. Even Prophet Jeremiah would easily relate with the unfortunate swing in the anticipated conviction about the righteous’ confidence in the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Whereas, the near-stumbling experience...

“And it happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD has not called your name Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib. For thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them with the sword.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭20:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.20.3-4.nkjv Life is always good with the abundance of useable wealth for an improvement of the standard of living. However, the experience is not the same when wealth uses life with apparent neglect of the purpose for living. Pashhur’s life in the text was obviously improved with his position and authority as the Priest and chief Governor. But when his position and authority trampled down the worthwhile words of God, it became obvious that his standard of l...

“Then Jeremiah came from Tophet, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord’s house and said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.’ ”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭19:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.19.14-15.nkjv Words are both powerful molder of lives and possible waster of lives at the same time. While God’s words bring light into the soul of man, the whispers from the enemy (like worldly musics, lustful expressions, inciteful statements, rebellious disposition, etc) are the sources of darkness to any promising life. Unfortunately, the style and experiences of life expose a man to light and darkness almost all the time. A concerned soul would ask “how can the soul be spared from the doom of darkness?”. When God’s words brought the doom warning of ...