Heralds Digest

  “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver. Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.” Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭11‬, ‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ An overflow or underflow of words, good or bad, is really not a problem in God’s economy. Based on His sovereignty, He is capable of using both words to achieve His glorious purposes. Notwithstanding, the human concerns have always been the issuance of a firmly fitted word. A word that aligns with the mood of the moments, hits the nail in the head, and catches the attention of the hearers must be an inspiration from the Lord. Unfortunately, relationships break down easily and unexpectedly on the account of releases of unfit words. And man is often tempted to continue the driving of unfit words to loved ones unknowingly, with little or no anticipation of the attending consequences. Whereas, a firmly fit word is inspired by the Lord, bringing peace to troubled rela...

  “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” ‭‭I Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ According to the words of the commander of the coalition forces in the Gulf War of 1991, General Norman Schwarzkopf, ‘leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy .’ Strategy can be loud with administration, management, political maneuvering, and socialization; but it is deficient in godliness, righteousness, and good works. Whereas, character shines even in the dark; because it is dressed by the grace of God. Being redeemed by the grace of God implies the possession of the character to reflect the image of God through justification, sincerity, demonstration, perfection, and glorification. Invariably, believers with character and gracious godliness are the letters being ...

  “ Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, And I keep Your law.” Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭49‬, ‭55‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Effective prayer is always a dialogue and not a monologue, based on inspired references to the scriptures. While the challenges of life and the unfortunate concerns of men are not permanent, the words of God are settled in heaven and unchangeable. Therefore, whatever brings believers to the presence of the Lord in prayer should never ever be treated with disdain and unnecessary distraction. Prayer is always an opportunity to talk with God and hear from Him the things that have been established concerning life. When the psalmist said “ Remember the word to Your servant ”, he reminded the Lord of His promises with the placing of requests. And when the psalmist said “I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, And I keep Your law” , he heard from God with assurance of answers to his requests. Little wonder a pra...

  “ Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, ” ‭‭I Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Whenever a physical man prides himself in his absolute freedom as a free moral agent, he is showing his ignorance about the superiority of the supernatural in all affairs of life over the natural. Whereas, true freedom is found in the grace of God that breaks the soul away from the bondage of sin and the entanglement of the heart of man against the purpose of God. The essence of the statutes of GOD or the purpose of His commandments is the experience of genuine love from a pure heart. Believers will have to soak themselves in the words of God and pray daily to retain this freedom from the contagious pollution through the system of side talks, evil comments, and unrighteous tendencies. The laws of man, institutional culture, and societal pressure from worldly attractions h...

  “ Take away the dross from silver, And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry .” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Uselessness is a misuse of words in God’s economy, because “ Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good… ” (Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭31‬). Of course, pollution and corruption are the simple derivatives of the depravity of sin. And even after repentance, the experience of salvation, and the desire to be a useful vessel in the hands of God, man still struggles with the concept of uselessness. Why? God is holy, and there is no unrighteousness with Him. That’s why the scriptural revelation to young Timothy remains handy for every desirous servants of the Lord: “ Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” (II Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭21‬). Sincere purging must always come with a personal effort, like the taking away of pride, unforgiving spirit, and bitterness...

  “ Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. ” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The psalmist prayer “ Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes “ suggests there is a difference between knowing the statutes of the Lord and understanding the way of the revealed statutes. Basically, while the former merely makes anyone religious, it is the latter that produces a righteous relationship with the Lord. Beyond the letters of the words, a sincere desire for the way of the Lord practices the presence of God in all of human interrelationships with people and the elements within his engagement. It is like holding the words of the Lord at its true values; and always above the words of men. Why? While the words of men can fall flat to the ground, “ Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭89‬). Unfortunately, believers have often made id...

  “ I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes. Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works. ” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Advances in knowledge, understanding, and discretion have great, proven, and productive indices for national development in all of human socio-economic affairs. And it makes a lot of sense to see how the thoughts of people on project planning, career progression, and socio-cultural engagements are easily driven by these productive indices. Unfortunately, the way of the Lord as inspired by His statutes often take a different path to these human’s productive indices. For example, when the people of God were sent away to captivity to serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon for 70 years, it was earlier for many people to believe the false prophecies of liberation from the yokes than the true prophecy from prophet Jeremiah. Even today, we are more attracted to the advances of our mindsets ...