Heralds Digest

  “ They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul. ” Psalms‬ ‭106‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Anyone who has ever struggled with the challenges of establishing relationships on the basis of trust and integrity can imagine the heartbeat of God in relationship with His people. The scriptures acknowledge it that when “ He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their enemies; There was not one of them left. Then they believed His words; They sang His praise ” (Psalms‬ ‭106‬:‭10‬-‭12‬). And since the Israelites’ relationship with God was treated on the basis of a request-refuge , we can understand why it was difficult for their belief in God to stand the test of time. Likewise, when we relate with God on the basis of provision for our selfish request, rather than faith i...

  “ He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, And they inherited the labor of the nations, That they might observe His statutes And keep His laws. Praise the Lord!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭44‬-‭45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ There is no doubt that whatever God gives to His children is meant for their possessions. He told Joshua, the chosen leader of the Israelites, that “ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses” (Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬). And as a Promise-keeper, God always keeps His promises of giving the lands for the children possession. But there are landmark laws for all obedient children of God, who will lead a pleasing life and live to Praise the Lord. Unfortunately, believers' daily interaction with the land and its prevailing lifestyle do readily make the landmark laws a grievous requirement. It does appear that business breakthrough, ministerial accomplishment, and professional excellence are not possible without compromise and complexity with landmark la...

  “ There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the Lord .” Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Fast lanes are not designed for the sluggish mind and the slow in perception. Mostly, those who explore fast lanes are business-like in their approaches. They want results faster, and they are willing to give whatever it takes. Unfortunately, the architects of evil and wicked vices are mostly busy people on the fast lanes; and they are eager to recruit the unwary business-minded people on missions against the Lord. The business transaction between king Balak of Moab and prophet Balaam provides a simple example of fast lane’s engagement. Even while Balaam had wished and prayed to end his ministerial race on earth with the Lord, he ended up taking the fast lane to his destruction and damnation. The scriptures cannot overstretch the timeless admonition to heaven-bound pilgrims today “ There is no wisdom or ...

  “ He turned their heart to hate His people, To deal craftily with His servants. He sent Moses His servant, And Aaron whom He had chosen. ” Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The scriptural consideration of wicked state leaders as God’s servants was discussed recently during a family devotion; and the final call fell on believers to focus on their responsibilities to always remain good instruments in the hands of God. When Pharaoh and his people oppressed the children of Israel in Egypt, they obviously counted themselves as superior users of the people of God. Whereas, the scriptures recorded God has been responsible for turning the hearts of the Egyptians to hate the Israelites. And on the other hand, “ He sent Moses His servant, And Aaron whom He had chosen ” to rescue His people from captivity. The solemn truth here is that God is always the ultimate user of people - righteous or wicked. But does that acquaint an evil man from his acts of wickedness? No! It just draws the attentio...

  “ He sent a man before them, Even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: He was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: The word of the LORD tried him” Psalm‬ ‭105‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭KJV‬‬ When Joseph later revealed to his widely-consulted brothers that it was God who sent him to Egypt, one would wonder when this wholesome understanding became apparent to him. Notwithstanding, going by the expression of his disappointment and frustration at the prison stop before the palace experience, the understanding of the divine agenda became apparent after his 13 years dream became a reality. Little wonder the scriptures revealed “ Until the time that his word came: The [witted] word of the LORD tried him” . The witted word tried his faith in God, integrity, and uprightness in the face of temptation, even while nothing else made sense. Even today, God remains the only Source of the witted words, as every other source is easily plagued with conflict of inter...

  “ Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth ” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ In pursuits of excellence in life and ministry, everyone knows that lovely likeness and lofty looks are mostly words and opposites. Unfortunately, it is always much easier for most people to associate excellence with lofty looks. Whenever we pursue our personal relevance and recognition in every life’s engagement, it becomes easier to undermine the divine purpose of God. Oftentimes, this self-promoting ambition with its attendant lofty looks on our capabilities will compel its drivers in a collision course with the King of kings and the Lord of lords. While the scriptures is awash with many characters with lofty looks, like Saul of Tarsus and Jonah the son of Amittai, who found conversion by the compelling favour and the manifold mercy of God, there are myriads of losers to the eternal glory of secu...

  “ He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness, and honor. A wise man scales the city of the mighty, And brings down the trusted stronghold. ” Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ When the scriptures posit that “ He who loves pleasure will be a poor man ”, it implies that there is no meaningful purpose in the pursuit of pleasure. Notwithstanding, in almost all human prospecting of career, marriage, business, promotion and even ministerial accomplishments, it is difficult to keep focus undistracted from the pursuits of pleasure and worldly affluence. The question is ‘what is the silver lining between pleasure and purpose in life’s pursuit?’ . The scriptural distinction here is golden “ He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness, and honor ”. Invariably, every pursuit in life that compromises righteousness has deviated from the purpose of God for human existence. Unfortunately, I have seen many great men of honour, prestige, and position in the...