Heralds Digest

  “Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one, And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed him”” Psalms‬ ‭89‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ When the scriptures say, with respect to help from God, “ I have given help to one who is mighty ”, it suggests that God’s holy help is reserved for those who are willing to show their might in the face of troubles. After David was anointed with God’s holy oil, he began to show God’s might by facing Goliath, enemies within, and enemies without; but in all through these troubles, the presence of God provides guidance and preservation. Therefore, holy help does not, most times, make troubles go away; but rather, it sometimes appears God’s holy help invokes troubles before the good begins to come. Now, the bigger picture of sowing the seed of grace, godliness, and righteousness in the face of troubles and the challenges of life is the major essen...

  “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem.” Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ One of the privileges of a shield is the provision of refuge and safety against attacks by the enemies. Since wealth, position, and the stocking of armoury are accessible by human intelligence, the scriptures attest to the fact that “ The rich man’s wealth [position, power] is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem ”. Unfortunately, the human shields are always limited, unreliable, and unsafe in the battle against the true enemy of the human soul. The moment the soul is enslaved by sin, deceit, and unrighteousness, the best of human shields can only provide a massage therapy to the body; leaving the soul still under the bondage of restiveness, anxiety, and guilt. And of course, the final wages of this invasion is death. Therefore, the most reliable secret place is the nam...

  “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face. For You are the glory of their strength, And in Your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the Lord, And our king to the Holy One of Israel.” Psalms‬ ‭89‬:‭14‬, ‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ If Adolf Hitler had been privileged to see the global extensions of the children of Abraham today, perhaps he would have had a second thought on how best to secure a shield for the Nazi. Even today, the pursuit of unrighteousness and injustice is not necessarily the absence of understanding on good shield; the misdirection is always influenced by an individual's interests in self-centered shield. Unfortunately, the pursuit of self-centered shield is still driving the menace of nepotism, racism, discrimination, corruption and segregation in our world. And the consequence of the unending war is the absence of a secured shield with security, peace, salvation, and joy. Until grace is found, no on...

  “You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.” Psalms‬ ‭89‬:‭9‬, ‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ After watching ‘True Spirit’ based on Jessica Watson’s book on Netflix, I still couldn’t crave less for more disclosure on the source of inspiration beyond Wikipedia’s reference to a bedtime story of Jesse Martin's book Lionheart: A Journey of the Human Spirit. The reality is that our world and life’s engagements represent a theater of adventure and fear; and only those who are inspired by the supernatural can brave the raging tides. For the psalmist, this inspiration comes from God, the Creator of heaven and the earth. Unfortunately, and like Peter who accepted to step into the waters with Jesus, it is easier to get carried away by the raging sea, even after stepping in by faith. But then, it is always good to remember the scriptural inspiration about God: “ You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and ...

  “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.” Psalms‬ ‭89‬:‭1‬, ‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The earth is blessed with the assembly of mighty men, who control the happenings in every society. And it is not surprising that we are bound to have more physical interactions with the mighty’s messes than every believer’s intimacy with the Lord. If these physical interactions with the mighty’s messes consistently reflect the Lord’s grace, mercy and favour, they will continually confirm our faith in the mightier’s mercies. Unfortunately, the interests of the mighty’s messes are usually in conflict with the mightier’s mercies. Therefore, it takes the sustaining grace to proclaim like the psalmist “ I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations“ . While the mighty’s messes a...

  “Also, to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness. He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭26‬-‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The pursuit of peace in a corrupt and wicked world will attract much consultation and talks, if negotiated by human intelligence and diplomacy. Unfortunately, there has been much of peace talks without the convocation of a peaceful environment and collaboration. The scriptural verdict is that there is no peace for the wicked, but a polluted or perceptive peace from a fool: “ Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive ”. Whereas, a princely peace comes from a truly regenerated heart and a gracious understanding of the counsel of God. And those who are fortunate and blessed with a princely peace do not waste th...

  “Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But to You I have cried out, O Lord, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭88‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ If God truly is an epitome of wonder, then His wonder should be greatly reflected in all true believers. The same concept of weird wonder is inspired by the psalmist’s rhetoric cry-out “ Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? ”. Notwithstanding, the wonder of sweet fellowship and intimate relationship with the Lord was kindled. Isn’t this a delightful but weird wonder from the Lord? Likewise, it is easier for believers to look around for wonder, and sigh heavily discouraged in the absence of none. Whereas, the desirable wonder from the Lord is the sober turning of Ephraim’s unturned cake and silly dove. And like Ephraim, believers often prefer to look around for unsustainable wonder from the enemies of their souls: “...