Heralds Digest

  “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Those who struggle with the worthiness in the praise of God by a righteous but wickedly-surrounded soul will always learn from David. Why was David anointed king and presented to fellowship and serve a rejected king? In reality, king Saul was positioned as a rock, fortress, and shield for David; and David truly gave the deserved loyalty and service to king Saul until his death, as expected of every righteous soul. But the enemy in king Saul merely taught David that God is the ultimate Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer of the righteous. Likewise, the whisper in the ears of every surrounded soul is that God is not worthy of believers’ true worship. Unfortunately, even the enemies are sometimes engaged to receive comp...

  “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭17:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ When the battlefield still entertains smart strategy and superior intelligence, there is hope in every new fight move. But beyond the limits of smart strategy and superior intelligence, is there any hope for the righteous even while surrendering? Yes, there is hope for deliverance only at the sacred shield of God. When the psalmist prayed “ Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings ”, he simply surrendered at the sacred shield. Unfortunately, when the righteous is severely surrounded by the superior vices of wickedness, he is tempted to surrender cheaply with a bargain of his righteousness and integrity. Whereas, anyone who will hide securely at the sacred shield of God must learn how to trust in His rest and righteousness.

  “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.”Psalms‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Testimonies that are based on worldly achievements, material possessions, and pleasant opportunities are sweet but short lived. In night seasons of life, hearts that are filled with these seasonal testimonies struggle with mood swings and disappointment. But having found a solid surety in God, the Psalmist’s heart experienced a continuous gladness and a sustained expression of joy. Even in a state of abject poverty, physical weakness, and material deprivation, the heart whose trust is absolutely in God does rest in hope. Sincerely, it is always good that the heart is regularly subjected to the divine integrity test, where the basis of its joy and happiness can be ascertained. If the heart of man can truly rejoice in the gory situation of life, there will be no doubt that it has found a solid surety in God, and not just in sweet but shifting sands.

  “I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16:7-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Although the saying is always true that ‘if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for everything’ , the sustainability of all stands depend on the strength of the something under focus. Like with the experience of the psalmist, those who are familiar with the travesty in the night seasons of life understand the failure of standing for something else other than God. The night seasons of life are capable of displacing solid convictions, destabilizing stable careers, and destroying steadfast consecration. But when David said ‘ I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel ’, he underscored the benefits of a fixed focus on the Lord - the Counsellor, rather than buying a fragile focus on a desirable counsel, convenience  or comfort. While aiming for the star in...

  “But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Lyrics through the head knowledge of God’s manifestation in the affairs of the people are not difficult to sing loudly. Besides a self-proclaimed testimony, people can clearly observe the manifestation of God’s glory in the testifier’s affairs, career, home, and relationships. The problem though is that these manifestations may not be deep and can be negatively influenced by human manipulation. Deep manifestation of God’s faithfulness operates from the heart and not just the head. Even when the head of the psalmist has openly complained about its challenges and disappointment, the heart could still rejoice in God’s salvation. The grace of God that brings salvation to the heart of man is the basis of the bountiful praise and worship from a thoughtful heart. Therefore, a sound song from the head is just a lousy t...

  “The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The major difference between waiting on God and hanging out with friends is simply physical. Faith in God’s abiding presence, sustainable manifestation, and future performances is foundational; it often determines how long a believer can handle the pressure to shift ground. Particularly, when the upright in heart are surrounded by the wicked activities of the froward in hearts, the silent questions are easily summarized as ‘Where is God? ’.  No matter how predominant the challenges of life and how fierce the influence of the opposition, the Lord constantly remains in His holy temple. Waiting on God is not only the right thing; it is always the wise thing to do. His eyes has never and will never miss the minuted details about the plights of those who put their trust in Him.

  “Have mercy on me, O Lord! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death, That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.” Psalms‬ ‭9:13-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The major difference in the basis of God’s relationship with man, compared to the human standard, is His choice of mercy over merit. Merit is good and greatly useful in the building of a fair and righteous system. But without a deliberate interest in the accommodation of people’s shortcomings, some privileged people’s merit might can be used to unleash hatred, and even a deliberate destruction of the system integrity. Therefore, the psalmist cried out unto the Lord for mercy and not merit. And like David and others who have sought the Lord, even when we screwed up, those who trust the Lord can be sure about His salvation; while the gates of mercy are still open wide. Surely, our troubles and captivity in the hands of the enemy cannot p...