Heralds Digest

  “Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men.” Proverbs‬ ‭8‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Reflecting on the preacher’s inspiration on the messiah’s delight in the Father’s Will, believers have nothing more revealing on the essence of human existence. If Jesus Christ as the Son of GOD and His delight lived in pursuit of a delight in fellowship with the sons of men, the redeemed of the Lord should live daily in pursuit of being the delight of God. After all, human beings were created by God in pursuit of His image of love and righteousness. Unfortunately, even after redemption from satanic deception and slavery to sin, we are often distracted to pursue personal agenda against the divine delights. And if Jesus Christ lived to show believers the precepts for the pursuit of this wholesome daily delight, believe cannot be more smarter with today’s distractions and s...

  “He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” Psalms‬ ‭40‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In our world of relativism, truth is like the wave of the sea. Like the path of wave depends on the direction of the wind, the lyrics of songs in the mouth of many people are dictated by popular opinion, economic standards, and political correctness. People trust more in the political and economic platforms that guarantee physical blessing, material wealth, and social relevance. And as these platforms change with time and seasons, relativism prevails on the tenets of truth.  But praise to our God, He puts a new song in the mouths of believers through their relationship with His grace and righteousness. The true trust is not in the material things that God makes; but in the God who makes the material things. When believers tru...

  ““And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, Before I go away and am no more.”” Psalms‬ ‭39‬:‭7‬, ‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Public gaze on people often has diverse motivations, sometimes for promoting productivity; and at other times, public gaze is aimed to hinder progress and performance. For the psalmist, public gaze brought oppressions to him and a defensive retaliation from him, until his focus became shifted to God as the One who is always in control. Yes, the Lord is always in control of all gazes received from our daily engagements in life. Unfortunately, when we allow others to steal the show, we fall into vices and the pitfalls set by the enemies. Anyone who puts his hope in the Lord, against all the gazes received in life, receives God’s grace to run the race. God is both the believers’ Sun and Shield for glory and grace. So, instead of praying for the removal of God’s gaze in moments of scorching from the sun, we nee...

  “ For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” Psalms‬ ‭38‬:‭15‬, ‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Just as earthly activities create a nearness problem with their overwhelming interferences, heavenly activities are obviously far and out of the reach of most believers without faith. Faith is always the key that unlocks the channels to the throne of grace. The challenges in our homes, complaints at workplaces, and confrontations in almost all our social gatherings and events speak constantly for no one to ignore. Unfortunately, no one seems to care to listen as long as everyone is speaking. And most frustrated victims of disconnected helplines and lost hope in earthly activities are either ignorant or uninterested in the heavenly helpline. Whereas, the psalmist cried “ For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God” . Yes, the heavenly helpline is always open, not really f...

  “ Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness .” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Without prejudice to wealth accumulated from trading activities on the stock markets, the riches generated through the application of travailing activities have more honour attached. While the stock-driven riches can indulge in the activities of unknown individuals who are possibly engaged in questionable practices, self-engaged riches invite the use of personal wisdom, diligence and discretion. Notwithstanding the chosen path among the list of options available, the psalmist presents the fundamental use of the wisdom of God in the pursuit of respectful riches. This is the principle that emphasizes the absolute dependence on the fear of God and the pursuit of His divine counsel in project executions and all of life’s engagements. Sometimes, those who toe the path of righteousness in the pursuit of riches do not often get quick and flashy rewards from fellow men; but they are definite...

  “ O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down. ” Psalms‬ ‭38‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Chastened conscience is preferable to a shattered conscience, especially for children who appreciate their father’s love and affection. Unlike the conscience of the psalmist, Balaam the son of Beor represented a conscience shattered by the Lord’s hot displeasure. While he once wished “ Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my end be like his! ” (Numbers‬ ‭23‬:‭10‬), he never walked his talk and was finally destroyed by his greed and unrighteousness. When a believer’s conscience is pierced by the arrows of chastening, delays, and disappointment, it is always rewardable if he feels the Lord’s presence and sees His love in the rebuke. And like it was for Balaam and many others, anyone who rejects chastening in the Father’s rebuke is prepared to receive the shattering in the Father’s retribution. At ...

  “ Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace .” Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭37‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The premium for a comprehensive insurance plan is always higher than the other insurance products in the market because of its offering of peace of mind. Notwithstanding, everyone knows that it is always better to avoid accidents than depending on insurance coverage, if an accident knocks at the door. Conversely, the referenced future by the psalmist is inevitable for all humans. There is no earthly insurance coverage for the future after death or the end of human sojourn on the earth. Unfortunately, although the cost of an heavenly insurance coverage for peace is avoidable, it is not acceptable to those who cannot have faith in its provision. Faith in the sacrifice of God’s only Son - Jesus Christ - is the premium for the peace plan from God Himself; and all beneficiaries are marked blameless and upright by grace, with their daily pursuit of godliness or righteousn...