Heralds Digest

  “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.” Psalms‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The basic reason why relationships with Jesus turn religious is because Jesus is often kept out of daily engagements. The fact of everyday’s activities demands meeting with people at home, in our offices, workplaces, and institutions, either in-person or online. And when these engagements are prosecuted without looking up to the Lord, it is called fact facing instead faith facing. Whereas, the Psalmist said after his daily morning devotion “ And I will look up ”, apparently still looking unto the Lord!  When we look up to the people in our lives without staying our gaze unto the Lord, we are bound to move away from an intimate fellowship with the Lord. Unfortunately, this life’s fact facing disposition comes with heartache and pain, emotional disturbance, and possible depression, especially when challenges and problems arise. Not many people c...

  “You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalms‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The expectations appear too clear when someone says “ You have put gladness in my heart ”. The expected metrics would range from material blessings, financial enrichment, physical enlargement, positional elevation, and emotional satisfaction. But when the Psalmist acknowledged to God that “ You have put gladness in my heart ”, none of these physical, material, emotional, positional, and financial metrics count. Notwithstanding, God’s grainless gladness brings the inner peace, safety, and satisfaction that man’s grain-packed gladness cannot afford. Why? The making of God’s grainless gladness in the believer's heart is God’s personal project; and no corruption, vandalism, and depreciation is permitted to trespass. Therefore, faithful believers are confident in the incor...

  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In this 5G age of information sharing, distance and space are no longer a barrier to knowledge gatherings. Therefore, human wisdom and intellectual capacities are fast driving the advances in sciences, technology, and innovation. The only drawback is the human free choice to embark on a parallel course against the fear of the Lord and the leading of His Spirit. Unfortunately, the scriptures declared this parallel course as the path of the fools, despite the deceitfulness in their riches, intelligence, and sophistication. The only antidote, as we embark on the activities of a New Year, is to keep alive the fear of the Lord and the Spirit signature through the revelation of His words. As long as the fear of the Lord remains the beginning of wisdom and knowledge in our hearts, we will not depart or despise the same as we seek advancement, prosperity, and promot...

  “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.” Psalms‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Whether with respect to defeat, delay, or denial, numbers remain a very strategic metric in human assessment. People often determine when the game is up on the basis of this metric; but the story is different for those whose confidence is in the Lord. When David said to himself “ I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around ”, he was taking exception to the metrics of numbers against the fear of failure and defeat. Unfortunately, in the multiplication of the challenges against the promises of God, it is always easier for believers to lose the passion for prayer. But the psalmist kept the passion alive with a cry “ Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God! ”. God doesn’t care about the numbe...

  “Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ As we start the engagement with the activities outlined for the New Year, it is easier to carryover the baggage of last year’s belief system, including the fear of failures based on the perceived might of the system ruled by intimidation, corruption, oppression, and wickedness. When the scriptures asked “ Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? ” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬), God is not only concerned about the fear as vain things generated by wicked people. He is equally concerned about the fear as vain things believed by His wise people. Believers are requested to “ Ask of Me [God] ”, and He will give them The nations for their inheritance. We often ask others people instead of God; and get frustrated when we don’t receive because we really do not trust God. Whereas, we must ask God by faith and not fear the nations and their plot...

  “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ It is the beginning of a New Day, New Week, New Month, and New Year at the same time. However, the New Year will offer new opportunities, new discoveries, and new achievements to those who can find the Way among many ways. Among the many ways are those suggested by human opinions, social media, friends and colleagues. While these many ways often carry potent and seemingly right paths to prosperity and success, the scriptures say they are always leading to destruction and death in the absence of divine guidance. Therefore, the winsome way is the total surrendering of one’s life to Jesus, the only Way, the Truth, and the Life for daily guidance. For the Lord knows the winsome way to peace, promotion, and prosperity; and He shields the righteous from the wicked ways.

  “And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.” I Chronicles‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ As we come to the end of 2022 and without much thoughtfulness, it would be difficult to fully quantify God’s faithfulness to His promises. Unto many people, the consciousness of living in terrified territories is an evidence of God’s unfaithfulness. Unknowingly, and inspired by the experience of Jabez, “ You would keep me from evil ” is better than “ You would keep evil from me ”.  Since he was born in pain, he needed pain so that he may not cause pain. With God in our pain in life, we have prosperity from our problems, affluence in adversity, intelligence from inhibition, and novelty from nonsense. Therefore, his prayer ‘That I may not cause pain ’ doesn’t mean a desire for the absence of pain. In th...