Heralds Digest

  “There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Complex world requires complex strategies for breakthrough with overwhelming performances; and it is expected that these strategies will continue to grow with advances in knowledge and exposures. While it is not surprising that a single man in the world’s complex system has many plans, the scriptures say that God has got just a plain plan for each of His children. Even in the most devastating circumstances and difficult exposures in the life of God’s children, the counsel or purpose in the heart of God is always not complicated. In the scriptural revelation through the psalmist, what is desired in a man is kindness to the world system (even in the most unkindly circumstances surrounding his personal system), and honest lifestyle (even in the most corrupt system). It implies that any...

  “For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. When the wicked spring up like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭92‬:‭4‬, ‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Unlike God’s works of grace, human works are mostly powered by competitive race. While the race for excellence has clearly defined metrics for recognition and the grading of distinctions, it is usually common for the system to deal with some examination malpractices from the depraved hearts. Therefore, it is always misleading for anyone to wholesomely depend on human metrics for the assessment of excellence. And without the wholesome works of grace, excellence and success stories through the absolute works of human efforts will eventually lead their holders into destruction. Whereas, the grace of God brings salvation, righteousness, and deliverance from wicked vices. “ For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will t...

  “No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.” Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭10‬, ‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The fear of evil naturally breeds evil engagements and encounters. People often form associations or cults for protection against evil, while engaged in the orchestration of evil against their supposed enemies or agents with conflict of interests. Whereas, the fear of evil absolutely disappears the moment the righteous run into the name of the Lord. Dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, rather than dangling the service protection from wicked vices, represents an unforgettable encounter with absolute confidence in the safety from God. And further to this first step of finding a life of faith in God is the falling into love in fullness with God. Like it happened with the heroes of faith, God never overlooked the plights of evil scratches on anyone w...

  “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”” Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ As the present world suffers end-time devastation, there is an uprising of diverse needs in refugee camps around almost every nation. And as the psalmist puts it, the type of devastation varies from secret snare, perilous pestilence, traumatic terror, angry arrow, and deadly destruction. Even while the Red Cross vainly struggle to arrest these devastation at the national scales, there are numerous unreported devastation at communal, institutional, family, and personal levels that often pursue everyone on the run across different mountains for deliverance. Unfortunately, many people do run from fry pans into fire in search of refuge from the available mountains of deceit. Whereas, no matter the scale and level of devastation facing life, the only reliable refuge is the...

  “He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The race towards finding ‘good’ in life, career, ministry, and relationships is often fuelled by greed, false witness, and absolute deceit. Unknowingly, genuine ‘good’ only comes from God, while fake ‘good’ comes from the Devil. Even when there abounds so much flashy display of material wealth, and carnal privileges from foolish fellowship, the dividend of this carnal pursuit of ‘good’ starts with dissatisfaction and ends with death. It is important to note that the real ‘good’ that satisfies the soul only comes from God; and it is reserved for those who fear Him and keep the understanding of His words and will. When the fools pride in their accumulation of wealth, position, and privileges through the exchange of deceits, they often do not consider their soul’s eternal damnation as the...

  “So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭12‬, ‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ If life’s engagements and career paths are strictly taken by the visible access to prosperity and popularity, all that is needed in life would be the eyes of wisdom and not the heart of wisdom. Even when most of us believe, like the psalmist, in the heart of wisdom, our actions are sensually dictated by material gains and not the wondrous grace. Whereas, the redeemed of the Lord are primarily delivered from their self-centred engagements, inspired by greed from the devil, into the wondrous works of God. Life’s engagements, besides the wondrous works, are focussed on the beauty of man and the pride of life. And while we get in the way of intervention by the Spirit of the Lo...

  “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Professionals in any systems where performance metrics matter understand the importance of references. Whether documented in curriculum vitae or by mere words of mouth, references from human referees do count significantly. However, and unlike the reference from God, these references are limited to the scope of the practicing profession, jurisdiction, and period. Therefore, when the psalmist declared “ Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations “, he attested to the unlimited scope of God’s reference as believers’ dwelling place. When we all know that human references are expected to bring about the consummation of God’s reference, the hearts of men will no longer fail them on account of the dynamic complexities in human activities. Knowin...