Heralds Digest

  “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Truly, salvation brings total freedom from the deadly three (the world, the devil, and the flesh); but many professing Christians often abuse the grace of God by reneging on their responsibility to detach self from what grace has taken away. Whereas, the mercy of God works only for those who sincerely fear Him enough to segregate self from sin. If God’s grace can go as far as the east is from the west to take our sin away from us, we can at least keep ourselves clean from the new attractions of the deadly three. Unfortunately, foolishness often enables friendliness with the all appearances of the deadly three in believer’s social, family and work relationships. And as long as we disrespect the grace of God that brings salvation or sin separation, self segregation from the deadly three will be absolutely impossible.

  “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Without a conscious distinction between the concept of divine thanksgiving, compared with the desirable attitude of gratitude in human relationships, pure praise and worship to God will be impossible. In spite of the privileges of human petitions before the throne of grace, believers understand that the reverence of who God is underscored an absolute submission to His Will. And if it is believed that we are made by God and for His purpose, it would be clear that there is no room for human reservation as regards the subject of thanksgiving to God. Notwithstanding, the heart of gratitude represents an absolute trust in God’s definition of an unchangeable good in the end; and the jettison of a temporary trace of this world’s attraction at the moment. God is good. Not because of what He has done; but because that’s who He is.

  “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,”Psalms‬ ‭92:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In most regions of the world, a daily weather outlook is like the mirror for correcting the daily dress codes and decorum. Everyone knows that it is not normal to declare a bad weather, but rather a bad dressing. Likewise, praise worship and thanksgiving represents the choice of wearing the garment of righteousness by anyone who must engage with the day’s activities. Irrespective of the reflexes or unpleasantries of the people in our world, the inability of the heart to appreciate the goodness of God with the turnout of all events wouldn’t necessarily guarantee a desirable handle or control. But certainly, self-assessment of everyone’s personal heart of gratitude is always possible. Instead of struggling with God to change people and circumstances around for our own goodness, we can defini...

  “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭84:11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ A sun without a shield is like glory without grace, prosperity without peace, power without passion, and promotion without patience. There is no doubt that these types of glory cannot be found by those who are dwelling in God’s presence. A glory that begs human manipulation, fraudulent practices, systemic cheating and corruption, and all forms of lies cannot be said to come from the Lord. Therefore, those who would trust in God for His good glory must be patient to first get fully satisfied by His grace. Otherwise, the system of this world can easily distract the heart by the adoption of its alternative to God’s glory, without God’s grace. Meanwhile, good glory may take time to come from God; but the grace in the good cannot be found outside the presence and providence of God.

  “How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young— Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah” Psalms‬ ‭84:1-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ If anything, the most adorable privileges of dwelling in the presence of God is the access to the undiluted peace and rest from the troubles of this world. While the body can be treated with the available pleasures outside the presence of God, true peace for the soul from insults, wicked insinuation, disappointment and unlawful ridicule is found in God’s tabernacle. Entrance into God’s presence provides the privileges of entertaining everything peaceful and pleasant, compared to the abusive atmosphere outside the divine presence. Now, imagine the possibility of prac...

  “For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭78:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬ Thoughtless testimonies can be faked, packaged and presented to people in the public for several reasons; but children at home need more than rhetoric and talks to believe in the manifestation of God. Even when parents appear to honestly believe in the goodness of God, children need a consistent demonstration of this goodness in the life and action of their parents in order to validate the claim. Unfortunately, believers’ children are often disappointed by their parents’ hypocritical faking of God’s goodness, clouded with frequent expressions of gloominess and dissatisfaction. Likewise, people in every believer’s life are in urgent need of authenticity as regards the subject of faith and an absolute confidence in the goodness and faithfulness of God, even when certain expectations appear unsatisfied. T...

“I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭77:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In the mix of many tests and testimonies, there is always the mixup problem of what the heart should remember. Particularly, when the heart is focussed on wrong questions, wrong answers with thoughtless preoccupation of the mind by wicked imagination are ensured. But knowing that a thoughtful heart is a thankful heart, conscious efforts are made to remember the wonderful works of the Lord, amidst the prevailing concerns about the surrounding wicked vices. After all, if the wonders of old are premised by the wicked vices of old, the prevailing challenges of life are designed to present the upcoming testimonies of breakthroughs. It all depends on who, between God and Satan, the heart succeeded in signing up with as publicity agent. With a gracious meditation on God’s words, a thoughtful heart is readily filled wit...