Heralds Digest

  “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility” Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭33 ‭NKJV‬‬  “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ There is something detestable about the pursuit of honour in life; it is easily conceived as selfishness and the display of arrogance. True and incontestable honour comes after an honest display of humility. Unfortunately, many smart people have mastered the transaction for honour with the display of fake humility. For example, the undiscerning partners are readily deceived during courtship until the marital vows are exchanged. Thereafter, the true colour of arrogance, disrespect, and lack of submission is unveiled in the family relationships. Even in the pursuit of public service, politicians and public administrators often used fake humility to attract votes and public interest; and thereafter turn around to become the arrogant despots after securing th...

  “When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭78‬:‭34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ When the scriptures says elsewhere that “ Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him (Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭15‬) ”, it implies the divine approval of the slender stick for believers’ correction; and not necessarily their condemnation. Unfortunately, some people are bound to stretch the slender stick to the point of destruction through their hardness of heart and stiff-neck disposition. Beside the children of Israel who responded to the slender stick in this context, the scriptures is filled with several references of those who embraced the use of the slender stick to their advancement and conversion. For example, God used the whale as the slender stick to correct the disobedient Jonah; while He used blindness to convert Saul to Apostle Paul. Even today, God still uses several slender sticks in the life, relationshi...

  “Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel, Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭78‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In every human and carnal context, salvation is measured by the physical metrics of the likes of food, health, and material supplies. The experiences of the children of Israel with GOD in the wilderness are guided by this familiar context. And even though they did not believe God for their sustenance in the wilderness, God rained them food supplies from the cloud and water supplies from the rock. Unfortunately, these strange supplies of human carnal desires still regulate human relationships with God today. We are readily attracted to the mountains and hills where supernatural manifestations of our material and physical needs are handed out, without an inner quest for the salvation of our souls. Even those who had claimed an initial encounter of salvati...

  “The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law,” Psalms‬ ‭78‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ One significant expectation from soldiers is their being battle-ready at all times. And while the sound is awry to the ear, life is a battlefield; and only soldiers with the weapon of war and persevering hardness get to win the battle against the unrelenting enemies. Like the children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, most believers have folded their hands and failed to shoot their arrows in the days of battle. Whereas, the Lord often unveils the day of battle through the incidence of strange occurrences in the believer's home, workplace, ministry, and social lifestyles. Even while the enemies of the gospel and the opposition forces against the counsels of God are relentlessly occupied with the development and deployment of their vices, ignorant believers are sometimes recruited t...

  “The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy.” Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Uprightness, according to human intelligence, is rarely free from crookedness. Why? The system of this world is shrouded in wickedness, as “ The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭9‬)”. Therefore, only the power of prayer can deliver any regenerate heart from deceitfulness and unstable uprightness. Otherwise, the unguided hearts are easily polluted by the seemingly honest, loyal but bad reports of fellow human’s wicked activities. Unfortunately, these bad reports end up weakening the bones, and prevent the lifting up of holy hands in prayer and supplication to God. Whereas, the prayer closet is the always the reliable clinic for the sustenance of upward uprightness in life. Just as parents of rebellious children who rely on pray...

  “That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.” Psalms‬ ‭78‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Knowing that hopelessness and lawlessness are two sides of the same coin is good for problem definition. However, finding a solution to the problem requires taking responsibility toward hope for our generation. Unfortunately, our homes, institutions, and societies are losing men with hopeful hearts, by their strategic adoption of lawlessness as a learning curriculum. Where the teaching of morality and good ethics are gradually being expunged from school curricula, workplace’s code of conduct, and home etiquette; it has no longer become fashionable for people to promote the path of righteousness in the public place. Whereas, Jesus remains the hope for our generation; and those who chose to hope ...

  “Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples.” Psalms‬ ‭77‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Creativity is one of the attributes of God in humanity. Unfortunately, man always need constant reminders to remember. Otherwise, the creativity in man often calleth “Who is so great in wonders as a man. With human wisdom, ingenuity, and proud manipulations, the wizards in man have created disturbing vices against the purposes of God. Notwithstanding, like Pharaoh challenged God with the waters and got drowned; and Nebuchadnezzar challenged God with the fires and got consumed, the wonder wizards in our worlds have always experienced pain with their responses to “ Who is so great a God as our God? ”. While the wonder wizards in our worlds have their own rights to manipulations, wizardry and wickedness, true wonders are deployed along the highway of holiness, righteousness, and wisdom with the f...