Heralds Digest

  “O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25:2, 14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The problem in the pursuit of the will of God for believers is sometimes the fear of divergence in desires, especially when surrounded by the desires of the unbelievers. Unfortunately, we are physically surrounded and apparently more closely influenced by the desires of the unbelievers at home, workplaces, social circles and in the larger society than the delight in God and His promises. Therefore, it seems more convenient for anyone to disobey God openly because of the fear of the people whose interests appear divergent to the Will of God. Whereas, like the psalmist, those who prefer the fear of God always discover the secret of His closeness, comfort, and covenant in their day to day family, career, social and ministry lifestyles. Even when our pleasurable delights are evidently...

  “Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ There is no doubt that the paths of prosperity and progress in life are rough. And many smart moves have navigated these paths at the expense of peace of mind. Even in legitimate businesses and kingdom services, it is not always enough for anyone who cares to finish well to rely on good conscience and human wisdom. This is because God’s ways and paths are sometimes illogical, irrational, and unreasonable. Yet, no one has ever trusted in the Lord, especially when His leads do not appear to make sense to human reasoning, and do not end well and peacefully. Therefore, when the psalmist cried out “ Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths ”, he was aiming at peace with God rather than the pursuit of worldly prosperity. It is instructive to note that peace paths embrace truth, humility, righteousness, and the fear of God; particularly, at the expense of worldly prosperity and pleasure.

  “A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭22:30-31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The highest point of service in history was witnessed at the Cross of Calvary. The Saviour was not only rejected by those who He came to save, He was equally forsaken by the Father for being the sinners’ substitute. And when the Saviour cried in agony ‘My Father, My Father; why have you forsaken Me’ , the Father would have quietly reminded the Son ‘You are presently on soul service’ . Even after over 2000 years, the redeemed of the Lord are  being elected as part of the posterity that will serve the Lord and proclaim the redemption story. But how do we save the world with the redemption story without a soul-touching service? Those who have ever succeeded in the soul-service business are ever proud to carry their cross; and follow the Saviour graciously, even after...

  “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...