Heralds Digest

  “ For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them. Selah” Psalms 54 : 3 NKJV God’s surprises are not restricted to the salvation and deliverance of His beloved from the enemies’ danger and destructive plots, they are always overwhelming to the camp of the enemy. That is why the scriptural digest for the day describes the enemies and oppressors of David as strangers. By contemplating on the strength and position of king Saul, the Ziphites who were children of Israel from the same tribe of Judah couldn’t have been referred to as strangers on the basis of physical, tribal, or blood relations. They became strangers because “ They have not set God before them. Selah” . God is always full of surprises; but only those who are undistracted from His promises and faithfulness can refuse the temptation of being turned into strangers by the enemies’ manipulation and deception. For example, the children of Israel took a 7-d...

  “ The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.” Proverbs 11 : 3 , 5 - 6 NKJV In organized clime and performance-driven establishments, there are reliable metrics for policy guidance, distribution of remuneration, and recognition of services. Even in our society, leaders emerge mostly through systems regulated by the people’s consciousness and commendation of variable metrics. Therefore, it is understandable when and why people engage in rat race at home, institutions, workplaces, and our communities. Unfortunately, this legitimate rat race often produces costly blind spots on integrity, uprightness, and righteousness. When we aim for remuneration and recognition at the expense of righteousness, the return is alwa...

  “ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. ” John 1 : 4 - 5 NKJV If advanced knowledge truly reduces life’s mortality, wickedness and darkness should be reduced with increase in knowledge. Unfortunately, our lives today are getting more and more limited by social media advances, innovative cell and genetic research, and artificial intelligence…because only “ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men”. Jesus Christ is the Light of the world and only in His light can the darkness in our lives disappear. Outside Christ and without absolute reliance on His revelation lies darkness and confusion, especially when the heart is apprehensively charged by its addiction to worldly influences. Whereas, when the heart is prepared to be alone with Christ and feed alone on His words, his resulting limit becomes limitless and boundless. Fear and anxiety with advances in negative possibilities are...

  “ Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. ” Joshua 13 : 1 NKJV When the scriptures say elsewhere that “ Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding ( Proverbs 4 : 7 )”, a cross reference with the digest for the day and the conquest of Joshua implies that God of all wisdom is life’s primary possession. Beyond the pursuits and possession of silver or gold, substances or general merchandise, and privileges or opportunities, the possession of God by Joshua opens up the understanding of life’s purposes, progression, and preoccupation. When everything in life that a distracted man takes as his primary life’s pursuits and possessions say to him “ You are old, advanced in years“ , he gets a feeling of a wasted life and opportunity. But when God told Joshua “ You are old, advanced in years“ , this divine declaration is imm...

  “ Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalms 51 : 10 - 11 NKJV The psalmist’s confession or prayer that made a reference to a steadfast spirit confirmed the fundamental consequence of the fall of man. When God commanded and declared to Adam and Eve “ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Genesis 2 : 17 )”, it merely meant that the major depravity of sin is the loss of the steadfast spirit. More than the loss of the privilege of physical fellowship with God in the garden of Eden, the loss of the presence of God and His steadfast spirit in the heart of any man is spiritual death. And when King David realized he had lost this steadfast spirit by his act of adultery and murder, he cried out to the Lord for mercy and restoration. There are countless records of inconsistencie...

  “ The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth .” Proverbs 10 : 29 - 30 NKJV Even after more than 3 centuries have passed since the sure slide of God's sermon on ‘Sinners in the hands of an angry God’ was delivered by Jonathan Edwards, the sureness of the wrath and severity of our loving but holy God on the wicked cannot be more apt. Unfortunately, believers and so-called followers of the cross that atoned sin by the redemptive blood of our sure Savior often live as though the sure slide is an empty threat. Yet, if the thief at the right side of the cross can see the sure slide at the eleventh of his life and accepted the sure Saviour to earn “ Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise ( Luke 23 : 43 )”, why would anyone plunge carelessly on the sure slide of God? But like the way-faring pilgrims with the sure Saviour, m...

  “ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow .” Psalms 51 : 6 - 7 NKJV Everyone knows that a partial purge from sin is all about a controlled coverup of corruption, imperfections, and unrighteousness. King David was skillful in this coverup act, especially drawing from his bracing coverup for adultery with murder. Supported by his palace privileges and the control of state security apparatus, the coverup option provided the needed partial purge against negative public opinions. But after his acknowledgment of God’s desire for a pure purge with “ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom“, the psalmist made a passionate plea for the clean option, praying  “ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow ”. Actually, it is only a misunde...