Heralds Digest

    “ Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law, Unless the Lord had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence .” Psalms‬ ‭94‬:‭12‬, ‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In our world of social media and networking, human problems and confusions have shifted from the era of ‘limited’ help to the error of ‘multiple’ help. The issue is no longer safety in the multitude of counsellor, but rather confusion. And now that destruction is readily packaged with the wrapper of help, ‘ holy help ’ from the Lord has become the only safe haven for those who have learnt how to trust absolutely in God. Unfortunately, the pathway to the holy help is often considered as too sluggish and unattractive to follow, compared with the fast-paced help from peer pressures, impatience, and greed. And since no one has ever been satisfied with the demands of the gods of unholy help, access to holy help is guaranteed only at the throne of grace. The righteous needs a consistent grace to...

  “He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭94‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Fruitfulness and futility are mostly misconstrued in life’s giving, depending on the human focus for assistance. Those who pitched their help desks with men may have previously attempted seeking assistance from God; and returned with the mindset of ‘heaven helps those who help themselves ’. And being now aligned in a futile fellowship with men, human activities and engagements in our workplaces can boast of several dividends of oppression, corruption, discrimination, and manipulation; somehow counting on believers’ seeming futility in fellowship with God. Whereas, they always cry in silence with hopeful trust in the power of God’s grace for rest of mind and peace from the throne of grace. And unlike the temptation of futile fellowship, fruitful fellowship trusts in the Lord alone; and would never sell this t...

  “The Lord on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea. Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭93‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The stakes are always high in the torrents of flood. When the floods are raging high, people are usually caught screaming for safety from the noise of many waters and the mighty waves of the sea. Unfortunately, these cries and expressions of emotion are anticipated by the enemies; giving undeserved attention to the scheme of distraction, away from the presence of the Lord. But those who know the Lord are never distracted from the throne of grace; knowing only that “ But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions ” (‭‭Obadiah‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬). Obviously, it takes faith to share the conviction of the psalmist: “ The Lord on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea ”. God...

  “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...