Heralds Digest

“‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days.” For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.” ’” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭32:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.32.14-15.nkjv The state of hopelessness in an individual makes an hopeless city in no time, unless a definite recovery plan is proposed and proclaimed. The city of Jerusalem or the nation of Judah was perplexed during the reign of king Zedekiah. And while prophet Jeremiah was privileged to be the carrier of the undiluted words of God with the prophecy of devastation and captivity, he demonstrated empathy in his state of emptiness. Sequel to his awful fate in the Lord, Jeremiah was empty of fellowship with friends, family and fellow citizens for his faithfulness to the Lord. Notwithstanding, he empath...

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that the city shall be built for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:33, 38‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.31.33,38.nkjv Services anchored on contractual agreements are maintained by shared responsibilities. While the burden of imperfection draws the unfortunate experiences of frequent termination of contracts, relationships built on covenant relationships equally struggle from the same burden. Under the old covenant relationship between God and His people, God revealed His counsels and walked the people through the path of service and consecration. Unfortunately, the world and all its attractions and affection could readily draw human attention away at different interceptions. And w...

“And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.31.28.nkjv In human economy, it is much easier to destroy than to build. Whenever things go wrong in life’s projects, the fear of an appreciable rebound is understandable. Whereas with God, there is no abandoned project. Like the experience of Job, He does not go to sleep while the discharge of the assigned cruelty and calamity is allowed. Unfortunately, the sense of pain and punishment in moments of difficulty often prevents the appreciation of God’s priceless watch. Knowing that God is watching when darkness appears to prevail over the light consistently invites the righteous’ waiting upon the Maker and Giver of light. Just as Job’s latter end was blessed more than his beginning, God promises to watch over the reconstruction of peace ...

“Thus says the LORD: “Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.31.16.nkjv One of the most fruitful throwbacks in a Father-Son relationship is a special time commitment and a periodic engagement in fun zones. Informal sharing of affection, exchange of funny skill sets, and exposure of individual assets and limitations during a consistent break from regular activities have a positive impact on a good Father-Son relationship. But when life’s tragedy strikes, it is often difficult to find the silver lining in times of suffering and loss. For example, Ephraim refused to be comforted with material fellowship for the loss of her children. Obviously, fruitfulness is not always guaranteed with fun fellowship. However, an engagement of our Heavenly Father always introduce an effective layer of intimacy and intensity to al...

“They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.31.9.nkjv If faithfulness must earn faithfulness in a Father-Son relationship, the human race will be a perfect collection of fatherless children. Irrespective of the possible variance in the ceremony date, everyone would have been bound to the special birthright of being disowned. The reality is that faithfulness is not a reliable criteria for good parenting in human relationships. However, both fathers and sons are invited with open minds, by our Heavenly Father, to receive grace to stay relevant in the good parenting race. Even when it appears that the reflection from heaven is dark and there is no clear evidence of light behind the shade, God still lead the penitent hearts in the right way. And in ...

“For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; No one seeks her.” ’” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭30:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.30.17.nkjv Hard-earned respects often generate unnecessary conflicts of interest in relationships. Whenever there is conflict between divine interest and human interest, absolute loyalty to the Lord is easily compromised. More often than not, God would permit wilderness experience in the affairs of His beloved in order to attract their pure devotion. Dignity and respects in family, friendship, and fellowship affairs are easily influenced with affluence, position, and material prosperity. But when opportunities with men are refused and rejected, the atmosphere for lifting up humble hands to the holy hill becomes clearer. After captivity experiences and outcast exposures in life, Zion became unsought and irrelevant. Sometimes, divine help tarries when human assistances appea...

“‘Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the LORD, ‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar, And your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, And no one shall make him afraid.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭30:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/jer.30.10.nkjv Sin enslaves a soul and separates the soul from the source of true rest. Unfortunately, the consequences of sin does extend the gap and delivers the soul into the captivity managed by the enemy. The captivity of the Jews in Babylon is a perfect picture of the consequences of sin for all humanity. And when the yoke of sin is fashioned like beads for necklaces, the victims are made to promote the satisfaction of the body with social equity and technological advancement. For the 70-year captivity in Babylon, the people of God had found reliefs in shelters, innovations, and developed a new social system. Yet, all the relief systems for the body cannot be compared with the ...