Examining

the Scriptures
Daily

2024
es24-E
230530
 Examining
the Scriptures
Daily
2024

Yeartext
“When I am afraid, I put
my trust in you.”
—Psalm 56:3.

_______________________________________________________________________________
Name
This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part
of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by
voluntary donations.
To make a donation, please visit donate.jw.org.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the
modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.
Examining the Scriptures Daily—2024
April 2023 Printing
English (es24-E)

˘ 2023
WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
Publishers
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
Wallkill, New York, U.S.A.
Made in U.S.A.
 2024

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
29 30 31 26 27 28 29 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

APRIL MAY JUNE

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
29 30 27 28 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 1
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 1
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
 Our Christian Life and Ministry
Bible Reading Schedule for 2024

January February

1 Job 32-33  5 Psalms 1-4 

8 Job 34-35  12 Psalms 5-7 
15 Job 36-37  19 Psalms 8-10 
22 Job 38-39  26 Psalms 11-15 
29 Job 40-42 

March April

4 Psalms 16-17  1 Psalms 23-25 

11 Psalm 18  8 Psalms 26-28 
18 Psalms 19-21  15 Psalms 29-31 
25 Psalm 22  22 Psalms 32-33 
29 Psalms 34-35 

May June

6 Psalms 36-37  3 Psalms 45-47 

13 Psalms 38-39  10 Psalms 48-50 
20 Psalms 40-41  17 Psalms 51-53 
27 Psalms 42-44  24 Psalms 54-56 
 July August

1 Psalms 57-59  5 Psalms 70-72 

8 Psalms 60-62  12 Psalms 73-74 
15 Psalms 63-65  19 Psalms 75-77 
22 Psalms 66-68  26 Psalm 78 
29 Psalm 69 

September October

2 Psalms 79-81  7 Psalms 92-95 

9 Psalms 82-84  14 Psalms 96-99 
16 Psalms 85-87  21 Psalms 100-102 
23 Psalms 88-89  28 Psalms 103-104 
30 Psalms 90-91 

November December

4 Psalm 105  2 Psalms 113-118 

11 Psalm 106  9 Psalm 119:1-56 
18 Psalms 107-108  16 Psalm 119:57-120 
25 Psalms 109-112  23 Psalm 119:121-176 
30 Psalms 120-126 
 How to Use This Booklet
On the following pages, you will find a scripture for each day
and comments on that text. Although the text and comments
may be read at any time, many find it advantageous to consider
them in the morning. Then they can reflect on such thoughts
throughout the day. Discussing the text as a family is most bene-
ficial. Bethel families around the world do so at breakfast time.
The comments are taken from the Watchtower (w) issues of
April 2022 through March 2023. Figures following the date of the
Watchtower issue refer first to the page(s) in that issue and then
to the paragraph(s) where the material is found. (See illustra-
tion below.) Additional information on the subject matter can be
found in the article itself.

Tuesday, January 2
Let each one examine his own actions.
—Gal. 6:4.
Jehovah wants us to be happy. We
know this because joy is an aspect of
the fruitage of his holy spirit. (Gal. 5:
22) . . . On the other hand, if others
are more effective in some aspect of
the ministry than we are, we should
rejoice that they are using their tal-
ents to praise Jehovah. w22.04 10 ˚1-2
․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 

․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 

․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 

․․․․․․․․․

Paragraph number(s) where

text and comments are found
Page number(s) where text and
comments are found
Month of Watchtower issue
Year of Watchtower issue
Monday, January 1 be to give Jehovah our best. If we are
I am sending Timothy to you, because giving him our very best, we should
be happy. (Matt. 22:36-38) Second,
he is my beloved and faithful child in
we should avoid comparing ourselves
the Lord.—1 Cor. 4:17.
with others. Whatever our health,
What made Timothy a useful servant training, or natural ability enables us
of Jehovah? His outstanding Chris- to accomplish, we should be grateful
tian qualities. (Phil. 2:19-22) From to Jehovah. On the other hand, if oth-
the apostle Paul’s description of Tim- ers are more effective in some aspect
othy, we can see that he was humble, of the ministry than we are, we should
loyal, diligent, and dependable. He rejoice that they are using their tal-
cared deeply about the brothers. As ents to praise Jehovah. w22.04 10 ˚1-2
a result, Paul loved Timothy and did
not hesitate to entrust him with chal- Wednesday, January 3
lenging assignments. Similarly, we en- Your deliverance is getting near.
dear ourselves to Jehovah and are —Luke 21:28.
more useful to the congregation when
The end of false religion will come
we cultivate qualities that he loves.
suddenly, catching the world by sur-
(Ps. 25:9; 138:6) So prayerfully con-
prise. (Rev. 18:8-10) The destruction
sider which aspects of your personali-
of Babylon the Great will be world-
ty need improvement. Select one spe-
shaking and may cause hardships, but
cific quality that you would like to
God’s people will have at least two
focus on. Could you cultivate great-
reasons to rejoice. This long-standing
er empathy? Do you need to be more enemy of Jehovah God will be gone
peaceable and forgiving? You may forever, and our deliverance from
find it helpful to ask a trusted friend this wicked system of things will be
to suggest ways you could improve. at hand! Daniel foretold that “true
—Prov. 27:6. w22.04 23 ˚4-5 knowledge” would “become abun-
dant.” And indeed it has! We have re-
Tuesday, January 2
ceived insight into prophecies about
Let each one examine his own actions. our time. (Dan. 12:4, 9, 10) The accu-
—Gal. 6:4. racy of these prophecies leaves us
Jehovah wants us to be happy. We in awe of Jehovah and his inspired
know this because joy is an aspect of Word. (Isa. 46:10; 55:11) So contin-
the fruitage of his holy spirit. (Gal. 5: ue to fortify your faith by diligently
22) Since there is more happiness in studying the Scriptures and by help-
giving than there is in receiving, we ing others to develop an approved re-
feel a deep sense of joy when we are lationship with Jehovah. He will safe-
fully engaged in the Christian minis- guard all who fully lean on him, and
try and are helping our brothers in he will give them “continuous peace.”
various ways. (Acts 20:35) As record- —Isa. 26:3. w22.07 6-7 ˚16-17
ed in today’s text, the apostle Paul
mentions two factors that will help us
remain joyful. First, our goal should
Thursday, January 4 tells us: “My great rage will flare up.”
They gathered them together to (Ezek. 38:18, 21-23) Revelation chap-
ter 19 describes what happens next.
the place that is called in Hebrew
Jehovah sends forth His Son to de-
Armageddon.—Rev. 16:16.
fend His people and to defeat their
The book of Revelation reveals that enemies. Jesus will be joined in this
God’s heavenly Kingdom has been counterattack by “the armies in heav-
established and that Satan has been en”—the faithful angels together with
expelled from heaven. (Rev. 12:1-9) the 144,000. (Rev. 17:14; 19:11-15)
That expulsion brings relief to the What is the outcome of this war?
heavens, but it creates challenges for The total annihilation of all humans
us. Why? Because Satan’s anger is fo- and organizations opposing Jehovah!
cused on those who faithfully serve —Rev. 19:19-21. w22.05 17 ˚9-10
Jehovah here on earth. (Rev. 12:12,
15, 17) How can we remain steadfast Saturday, January 6
in the face of Satan’s attacks? (Rev. I will put enmity between you and
13:10) One thing that will help us the woman.—Gen. 3:15.
is to know what the future holds.
Soon after Adam and Eve sinned, Je-
For example, in Revelation, the apos-
hovah gave hope to their descendants
tle John describes some of the bless-
by means of a remarkable prophecy.
ings that we will soon enjoy. Among
What he said is recorded at Genesis
those blessings will be the elimination
3:15: “I will put enmity between you
of God’s enemies. In the very first
and the woman and between your off-
verse, Revelation tells us that the in-
spring and her offspring. He will crush
formation we are about to read is be-
your head, and you will strike him in
ing presented “in signs,” that is, in
the heel.” The prophecy appears in
symbolic language.—Rev. 1:1. w22.05 8
the first book of the Bible. But in one
˚1-3 way or another, all the other books of
Friday, January 5 the Bible relate to it. Just as the spine
of a printed book binds all the pag-
In the final part of the days I will es together, the words recorded at
bring you against my land so that the Genesis 3:15 bind the content of every
nations may know me when I sanctify book of the Bible into one united mes-
myself through you before their eyes, sage, namely, that a Deliverer would
O Gog.—Ezek. 38:16. be sent to destroy the Devil and all his
The firm stand of Jehovah’s faithful wicked followers. What a blessing that
servants will provoke the rage of those will be for those who love Jehovah! A
who oppose Jehovah. As a result, a study of the Bible will help us see how
coalition of nations will attack God’s the prophecy is fulfilled and how we
people all over the earth. This act of can benefit from it. w22.07 14 ˚1-3
mad aggression is described propheti-
cally as the attack of Gog of Ma-
gog. (Ezek. 38:14, 15) How will Jeho-
vah react to this vicious attack? He
Sunday, January 7 as we are imperfect, we will contin-
Jehovah himself gives wisdom. ue to sin. However, we can gain com-
fort from the words found in Insight
—Prov. 2:6.
on the Scriptures, Volume 2, page 771:
Ask Jehovah to give you the wisdom “Since Jehovah mercifully considers
you need to help your children de- the fleshly weakness of his servants,
velop love for him. (Jas. 1:5) He is they need not be in a constant state of
the most qualified Person to give ad- remorse due to their errors resulting
vice. There are a number of reasons from inherent imperfection. (Ps 103:
why. Consider two. First, Jehovah has 8-14; 130:3) If they are conscientious-
the most experience at being a par- ly walking in God’s ways, they may
ent. (Ps. 36:9) And second, the wise be joyful. (Php 4:4-6; 1Jo 3:19-22).”
advice he gives always brings benefits. w22.06 7 ˚18-19
(Isa. 48:17) By means of his Word and
his organization, Jehovah provides Tuesday, January 9
an abundance of Bible-based spiri- You will be brought before kings and
tual food that can help you raise your governors for the sake of my name.
children to love Jehovah. (Matt. 24: —Luke 21:12.
45) For example, you can find much
Fear of opposition from governments
practical advice in the article series
is not the only weapon Satan uses.
“Help for the Family,” which appeared
For some, fear of how family members
in print for a number of years in the
will react to the truth is greater than
Awake! magazine and is now avail-
any physical abuse. They love their
able on our website. Also, many vid-
relatives very much and want them
eos published on jw.org feature in-
to come to know and love Jehovah.
terviews and dramatizations that can
It pains them to hear their relatives
help parents apply Jehovah’s counsel
speak disrespectfully of the true God
as they raise their children.—Prov. 2:
and of his worshippers. In some cases,
4, 5. w22.05 27 ˚4-5
however, relatives who were initially
Monday, January 8 opposed later came into the truth.
But suppose our family members cut
If errors were what you watch, O Jah, all ties with us because of our new be-
then who . . . could stand?—Ps. 130:3. liefs? How will we react? We can take
Jehovah is truly the greatest Forgiv- comfort from the beautiful truth re-
er in the universe. First, he is always flected at Psalm 27:10. When we re-
ready to forgive. Second, he knows us member just how much Jehovah loves
through and through. He is perfectly us, we feel secure in the face of op-
familiar with our makeup, and he is in position. And we are confident that he
the ideal position to determine wheth- will reward us for our endurance. Je-
er we are truly repentant. And third, hovah will care for our physical, emo-
when Jehovah forgives us, he wipes tional, and spiritual needs far better
the slate clean, so to speak. This al- than anyone else can! w22.06 16-17
lows us to have a clean conscience ˚11-13
and enjoy his favor. Of course, as long
Wednesday, January 10 your children see the connection be-
Christ suffered for you, leaving a tween “the things made” and Jeho-
vah’s marvelous qualities. (Rom. 1:
model for you to follow his steps
20) Note how Jesus used creation
closely.—1 Pet. 2:21.
to teach. On one occasion, he asked
During his ministry, Jesus was false- his disciples to observe the ravens
ly accused of being a man who was a and the lilies. (Luke 12:24, 27-30) He
drunkard, a glutton, an agent of the taught his disciples a powerful lesson
Devil, a Sabbath breaker, and even a about their heavenly Father’s gener-
blasphemer of God. (Matt. 11:19; 26: osity and kindness: Jehovah will feed
65; Luke 11:15; John 9:16) Yet, Je- and clothe his faithful servants as he
sus did not retaliate with angry words. does the ravens and the flowers in the
Like Jesus, we should never retaliate field. w23.03 20-21 ˚1-4
even if spoken to harshly. (1 Pet. 2:22,
23) Of course, showing such restraint Friday, January 12
is not easy. (Jas. 3:2) What can help? Whatever you ask in my name, I will
Try to look beyond the response of a do this, so that the Father may be glo-
householder who speaks negatively. A rified in connection with the Son.
brother named Sam says, “I try to fo- —John 14:13.
cus on the householder’s need to hear
We thank Jehovah that we can pray
the truth and his potential to change.”
to him through his Son. Jesus is the
Sometimes a householder is angry
channel that Jehovah uses to grant
simply because we came at a bad time.
our requests. Jehovah listens to and
When we are confronted by some-
answers prayers that are offered in
one who is upset, we can say a brief
Jesus’ name and forgives our sins on
prayer, asking Jehovah to help us re-
the basis of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice.
main calm and hold back from say-
(Rom. 5:1) The Scriptures describe
ing anything unkind or disrespectful.
Jesus as our “high priest [sitting] at
w22.04 6 ˚8-9
the right hand of the throne of the
Thursday, January 11 Majesty in the heavens.” (Heb. 8:1)
Jesus is our “helper with the Father.”
Draw close to God.—Jas. 4:8. (1 John 2:1) How thankful we are to
An important way to help children Jehovah for providing us with a sym-
draw close to Jehovah is by study- pathetic High Priest who understands
ing the Bible with them. (2 Tim. 3: our weaknesses and who “pleads for
14-17) Yet, the Bible reveals another us”! (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 4:15) With-
way that young ones can learn about out Jesus’ sacrifice we would not be
Jehovah. In the book of Proverbs, a able to approach Jehovah in prayer.
father evidently reminds his son nev- No doubt you would agree that we
er to lose sight of Jehovah’s qual- can never adequately express our grat-
ities, which are revealed in creation. itude for the precious gift that Jeho-
(Prov. 3:19-21) Parents, you likely en- vah has given us—the gift of his dear
joy spending time outdoors with your Son! w22.07 23 ˚10-12
young ones. Use that time to help
Saturday, January 13 He also assured Elijah that he had
The trustworthy person keeps many fellow worshippers. (1 Ki. 19:11,
12, 18) No doubt, Elijah felt relieved
a confidence.—Prov. 11:13.
after pouring out his heart to Jehovah
A trustworthy person strives to keep and hearing His response. Jehovah
his promises and tells the truth. (Ps. gave Elijah several important assign-
15:4) People know that they can de- ments. He asked him to anoint Hazael
pend on him. We want our brothers as king over Syria, Jehu as king over
and sisters to feel that way about us. Israel, and Elisha as prophet. (1 Ki. 19:
We cannot force others to trust us. 15, 16) By giving Elijah these assign-
Trust must be earned. It has been said ments, Jehovah helped him to focus
that trust is like money. Earning it is on positive things. God also provided
hard; losing it is easy. Jehovah cer- him with a close companion, Elisha.
tainly has earned our trust. “Every- w22.08 8 ˚3; 9 ˚5
thing he does is trustworthy.” (Ps.
33:4) And he expects us to imitate Monday, January 15
him. (Eph. 5:1) How thankful we are Keep encouraging one another
that Jehovah has drawn us to a broth- and building one another up.
erhood made up of people who are —1 Thess. 5:11.
loving and trustworthy! We all have a
responsibility to earn the trust of our Has your congregation ever built or
brothers and sisters. As we individual- renovated a Kingdom Hall? If so, no
ly work at showing love, humility, dis- doubt you remember your first meet-
cernment, honesty, and self-control, ing in the new facility. You were so
we contribute to a spirit of trust in grateful to Jehovah. In fact, you may
our congregation. May we imitate our have been so choked up with emo-
God, Jehovah, and keep proving that tion that you could hardly sing the
we are trustworthy. w22.09 8 ˚1-2; opening song. Our well-built Kingdom
13 ˚17 Halls bring praise to Jehovah. But we
bring even greater praise to him when
Sunday, January 14 we engage in another kind of building
work. That work involves something
Jehovah watches.—Ps. 33:18.
more valuable than literal buildings. It
Although we are part of a large fam- involves building up the people who
ily of worshippers, we may occasion- come to those places of worship. The
ally feel alone and may struggle with apostle Paul had in mind this type of
negative emotions, thinking that we figurative building program when he
have to deal with these feelings on our wrote the words found in today’s text.
own. Jehovah never wants us to feel The apostle Paul is an excellent ex-
that way. Consider how he dealt with ample of someone who knew how to
the prophet Elijah. Jehovah encour- build up his fellow believers. He had
aged Elijah to talk. Twice He asked empathy for them. We can imitate
Elijah: “What are you doing here?” him and thus build up our brothers
(1 Ki. 19:9, 13) Each time, Jehovah lis- and sisters today.—1 Cor. 11:1. w22.08
tened as Elijah poured out his heart. 20 ˚1-2
Tuesday, January 16 Although Paul was not writing spe-
Walk worthily of Jehovah. cifically on the subject of entertain-
ment, what he wrote should influence
—Col. 1:10.
the pastimes that we choose. Try this:
A Christian who wants to be righ- Wherever the generic word “things”
teous in God’s eyes will be complete- appears in the verse, substitute it with
ly honest in all his business dealings. the word “songs,” “movies,” “nov-
A righteous man also loves justice—he els,” or “video games.” Doing this can
hates to see someone treated unfair- help you to discern which ones may
ly. And “in order to please [Jehovah] be acceptable in God’s view and which
fully,” a person who is truly righteous ones may not be. We want to bring
considers how He will view the de- our life into harmony with Jehovah’s
cisions he makes. The Bible describes lofty standards.—Ps. 119:1-3. w22.10 9
Jehovah as the Source of righteous- ˚11-12
ness. For that reason, he is called
“the dwelling place of righteousness.” Thursday, January 18
(Jer. 50:7) As the Creator, Jehovah is He knew what was in man.
the only one who can properly set the —John 2:25.
standards for what is right and what is
wrong. His sense of what is right and In their former life, some of the “un-
what is wrong is far above our own righteous” practiced horrible, vile
view. (Prov. 14:12; Isa. 55:8, 9) How- things. They will therefore need to be
ever, because we are made in God’s taught how to live according to Je-
image, we are able to live by his stan- hovah’s righteous standards. To meet
dards of righteousness. (Gen. 1:27) that need, God’s Kingdom will di-
And we love to do so. Our love for our rect the greatest educational program
Father moves us to imitate him to the in all human history. Who will teach
best of our ability.—Eph. 5:1. w22.08 the unrighteous? The great crowd
27 ˚5-6 and the resurrected righteous ones.
In order for the unrighteous to have
Wednesday, January 17 their names written in the book of
life, they will need to develop a re-
Keep perceiving what the will of
lationship with Jehovah and dedi-
Jehovah is.—Eph. 5:17.
cate themselves to him. The prog-
When we are troubled or discouraged, ress of all these unrighteous ones will
we might feel the need for some sort be followed with great interest by Je-
of diversion to escape our problems. sus Christ and his fellow judges. (Rev.
That is understandable, but we must 20:4) Any who refuse to respond fa-
be careful not to be drawn into doing vorably to such help will be removed
something that Jehovah hates. (Eph. —even though they may be 100 years
5:10-12, 15, 16) In his letter to the Phi- of age. (Isa. 65:20) Jehovah and Je-
lippians, the apostle Paul urged Chris- sus can read hearts and will see to it
tians to continue considering things that no one will be allowed to cause
that are “righteous, . . . chaste, . . . any ruin in the new world.—Isa. 11:9;
lovable, [and] virtuous.” (Phil. 4:8) 60:18; 65:25. w22.09 17 ˚11-12
Friday, January 19 what life would be like in King Solo-
Let every person be in subjection to mon’s day. When Solomon ruled Isra-
el, God’s people enjoyed special peace
the superior authorities.—Rom. 13:1.
and prosperity in a land “flowing with
In this verse, the term “superior au- milk and honey.” God had said: “If
thorities” refers to human rulers who you continue walking in my statutes
have power and control over others. . . . , I will put peace in the land, and
Christians are subject to these secu- you will lie down with no one mak-
lar authorities. These rulers maintain ing you afraid.” (Lev. 20:24; 26:3, 6)
public order, enforce the law, and at Those promises came true during Sol-
times even come to the defense of Je- omon’s reign. (1 Chron. 22:9; 29:26-
hovah’s people. (Rev. 12:16) Thus, 28) The words found at Psalm 37:
we are commanded to render them 10, 11, 29 had an ancient fulfillment
the taxes, tributes, fear, and honor and will also be fulfilled in the future.
that they demand. (Rom. 13:7) How- w22.12 10 ˚8
ever, those secular governments have
authority only because Jehovah al- Sunday, January 21
lows them to have it. Jesus made that Those who keep firm hold of [wisdom]
principle clear when he was interro- will be called happy.—Prov. 3:18.
gated by Roman Governor Pontius Pi-
As true Christians, we must follow di-
late. When Pilate referred to the au-
rection. The Bible offers this prac-
thority he had either to spare Jesus’
tical advice for success: “By wise
life or to have him put to death, Jesus
guidance you will wage your war, and
told him: “You would have no author-
through many advisers there is suc-
ity over me at all unless it had been
cess.” (Prov. 24:6, ftn.) Consider how
granted to you from above.” (John applying this principle leads to suc-
19:11) As was the case with Pilate, the cess in our preaching and teaching
authority of all human rulers and poli- work. Rather than carry out the minis-
ticians today is limited. w22.10 14 ˚6 try in our own way, we try to fol-
Saturday, January 20 low the suggestions we have been
given. We receive wise guidance at
The wicked will be no more. our Christian meetings, where experi-
—Ps. 37:10. enced advisers give Bible-based talks
King David was inspired to write and presentations to train us. In addi-
about what life would be like when tion, Jehovah’s organization provides
a future wise and faithful king would useful tools—publications and vid-
sit on the throne. (Ps. 37:10, 11, 29) eos—that can help people to under-
We often read Psalm 37:11 to oth- stand the Bible. How grateful we are
ers when discussing the coming Para- for the sound advice found in God’s
dise. That is certainly justified be- Word! Where would we be without it?
cause Jesus quoted that text in his Let us be determined always to act
on the wisdom that Jehovah provides.
Sermon on the Mount, indicating that
—Prov. 3:13-17. w22.10 23 ˚18-19
it will have a future fulfillment. (Matt.
5:5) But David’s words also revealed
Monday, January 22 So the more we get to know those in
How sweet your sayings are to my the congregation, the more likely
we are to see some of their flaws.
palate, more so than honey to my
(Rom. 3:23) Sadly, some have allowed
mouth!—Ps. 119:103.
the imperfections of others to stum-
Just as we are nourished physical- ble them. How did Jesus demonstrate
ly when we eat food and digest it, love toward his apostles? And how is
we are nourished spiritually when we it possible to imitate Jesus’ example
study God’s Word and meditate on it. today? Witnesses do well to reflect on
When it comes to God’s Word, Jeho- the answers to those questions. Doing
vah wants us to absorb it. We can do so may help us to display love more
so by means of prayer, reading, and fully, especially when dealing with the
meditation. First, we pray to prepare imperfections of one another.—Eph.
our heart to receive God’s thoughts. 5:2. w23.03 26-27 ˚2-4
Then, we read a Bible passage. Next,
we pause in order to meditate, to Wednesday, January 24
think deeply, about what we have With someone loyal you act in loyalty.
read. What will be the outcome? The —Ps. 18:25.
more we meditate, the more our fig-
As we get closer to the end of this
urative heart will absorb God’s Word.
system of things, we can expect chal-
Why is it vital to read the Bible and
lenges to come from within the con-
meditate on it? Doing so gives us the
gregation. Those challenges could test
inner strength we need to preach the
our loyalty to Jehovah. So we must
Kingdom message now and to pro-
keep our senses. If you feel mistreat-
claim the hard-hitting judgment mes-
ed by a fellow Christian, do not allow
sage that we may deliver in the near yourself to become bitter. If you re-
future. Also, when we meditate on Je- ceive discipline, look beyond the em-
hovah’s appealing qualities, our rela- barrassment, accept the counsel, and
tionship with him will grow ever stron- make the needed adjustments. And
ger. w22.11 6-7 ˚16-17 when Jehovah’s organization makes
changes that affect you personally,
Tuesday, January 23
wholeheartedly accept them and obey
By this all will know that you are my the direction. Maintain your trust in
disciples—if you have love among Jehovah and his organization when
yourselves.—John 13:35. your loyalty is tested. Stay calm, think
Jesus indicated that not only his fol- clearly, and see matters from Jeho-
lowers but also those outside the vah’s perspective. Pray to Jehovah for
Christian congregation would recog- help. And never isolate yourself from
nize his true followers by the unselfish the congregation. Then, come what
love they have for one another. And may, Satan will not be able to sepa-
the love that exists among those in the rate you from Jehovah or His organi-
zation.—Jas. 4:7. w22.11 24-25 ˚14-16
Christian congregation is indeed re-
markable. Of course, Jehovah’s Wit-
nesses are not perfect. (1 John 1:8)
Thursday, January 25 contend with? That could not be the
Have love for the whole association case. They were all anointed Chris-
tians, true, but they were still imper-
of brothers.—1 Pet. 2:17.
fect humans. No doubt they had to
Elders help the brothers to be pre- struggle with improper desires from
pared before a disaster strikes. They time to time. That should be encour-
make sure that all in the congregation aging to us. Why? Because it shows
know what steps to take to stay safe that whatever improper desire you
and to contact the elders. What can are battling, someone else has resist-
you personally do? If a disaster oc- ed it. Indeed, you can remain “firm in
curs nearby, ask the elders how you the faith, knowing that the same kind
can help. Perhaps you can offer tem- of sufferings are being experienced by
porary accommodations, either for the entire association of your broth-
those who are displaced or for con- ers.”—1 Pet. 5:9. w23.01 12 ˚15
struction volunteers. You may be able
to deliver food and supplies to pub- Saturday, January 27
lishers in need. If a disaster occurs in In the world you will have tribulation,
a more distant location, you can still but take courage! I have conquered
help. How? By praying for those af- the world.—John 16:33.
fected. (2 Cor. 1:8-11) You may be
Jesus asked Jehovah to watch over
able to support the relief work finan-
his followers. (John 17:11) Why does
cially by donating to the worldwide
this give us courage? Because Jeho-
work. (2 Cor. 8:2-5) If you are able to
vah is stronger than any of our en-
travel to an affected area to help, ask
emies. (1 John 4:4) Nothing escapes
the elders about volunteering. If you
his notice. We are convinced that if
are invited to do so, you will likely re-
we rely on Jehovah, we can overcome
ceive some training so that you can
our fears and show courage. Do you
be used where and when you are most
sometimes feel embarrassed to identi-
needed. w22.12 24 ˚8; 25 ˚11-12
fy yourself as one of Jehovah’s Wit-
Friday, January 26 nesses? Are you putting off becom-
ing a publisher or getting baptized
No temptation has come upon you because you worry about what others
except what is common to men. might think of you? Do not let such
—1 Cor. 10:13. feelings stop you from doing what you
Another translation renders today’s know is right. Pray fervently to Jeho-
text this way: “No temptation has vah. Ask him to give you the courage
overtaken you that is unusual for hu- to do his will. As you see how Jeho-
man beings.” That statement was di- vah answers your prayers, you will be-
rected to male and female Christians come stronger and more courageous.
living in Corinth. Some had former- —Isa. 41:10, 13. w23.01 29 ˚12; 30 ˚14
ly been adulterers, homosexuals, and
drunkards. (1 Cor. 6:9-11) Do you
think that after their baptism they
never had any improper desires to
Sunday, January 28 Jehovah wants us to be safety con-
Have you not read?—Matt. 12:3. scious. We show that we appreciate
God’s gift of life by taking safety mea-
Jesus asked the question “Have you sures at home and at work. We dis-
not read?” to reveal that the Pharisees pose of sharp objects, toxic chemi-
had a wrong view of the Scriptures. cals, or medicines in a safe way, and
(Matt. 12:1-7) On that occasion, the we keep such items out of the reach of
Pharisees claimed that Jesus’ disci- young children. We are cautious when
ples had violated the Sabbath. In re- handling open flames, hot liquids, and
ply, Jesus cited two Scriptural exam- power tools, not leaving them un-
ples and quoted a verse from Hosea attended. We do not drive a car while
to show that the Pharisees had missed our judgment is impaired by medica-
the point of the Sabbath law and had
tion, alcohol, or lack of sleep, or allow
failed to show mercy. Why were these
ourselves to be distracted by using a
men not molded by their reading of
handheld device while driving. w23.02
God’s Word? Because they read it with
21-22 ˚7-9
a critical and proud spirit. Their at-
titude kept them from getting the Tuesday, January 30
sense of what they read. (Matt. 23:
23; John 5:39, 40) Note also Matthew You will see your Grand Instructor.
19:4-6, where Jesus asked the Phari- —Isa. 30:20.
sees this same question: “Have you Jehovah is a patient, kind, under-
not read?” Although they had read standing Teacher. He looks for the
the creation account, they overlooked good in his students. (Ps. 130:3) And
what it taught about God’s view of he never expects more of us than we
marriage. We learn from Jesus’ words can do. Remember, he designed your
that we need to read the Bible with brain, a wonderful gift. (Ps. 139:14)
the right attitude. Unlike the Phari- Our Creator wants us to keep learn-
sees, we must be sincere and teach- ing forever—and to enjoy it. So it is
able. w23.02 12 ˚12-13 wise to “form a longing” for Bible
truths now. (1 Pet. 2:2) Set goals that
Monday, January 29
you can reach, and stick to a sched-
Thinking ability will keep watch over ule of Bible reading and study. (Josh.
you.—Prov. 2:11. 1:8) With Jehovah’s blessing, you will
Jehovah’s Law to the nation of Isra- come to enjoy reading and learning
el included guidelines that would help about him more and more. Knowl-
prevent serious accidents from occur- edge alone is never enough. Its prima-
ring at home and at work. (Ex. 21:28, ry value is in how it helps you to
29; Deut. 22:8) Fatal accidents had learn more about Jehovah and to de-
serious consequences for uninten- velop such qualities as love for him
tional manslayers. (Deut. 19:4, 5) and faith in him. (1 Cor. 8:1-3) As you
The Law required that even those continue learning, keep asking Jeho-
who unintentionally harmed an un- vah to help you gain more faith. (Luke
born child be punished. (Ex. 21:22, 17:5) He generously answers such
23) The Scriptures make it clear that prayers. w23.03 10 ˚11, 13
Wednesday, January 31 (1 Pet. 4:8) “Love never fails.” (1 Cor.
[Make] the best use of your time. 13:8) These verses and others should
—Col. 4:5. make it plain to anyone how impor-
tant it is to cultivate and display this
Jesus’ disciples were not to be idle beautiful quality. Genuine love comes
while they awaited the conclusion of from Jehovah—from having his spir-
the system of things. Jesus gave them it and blessing on a group of worship-
work to do. He commanded them to pers. (1 John 4:7) Is it any wonder,
preach the good news “in Jerusalem, then, that Jesus said that unselfish
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the love would identify his true followers?
most distant part of the earth.” (Acts Just as Jesus foretold, many have
1:6-8) What an enormous assignment recognized his true followers by the
Jesus’ followers received! By devoting genuine love they show among them-
themselves to that assignment, they selves. w23.03 27-28 ˚5-8
made the best use of their time. In or-
der to pay attention to ourselves, we Friday, February 2
need to consider how we use our time.
Your sins are forgiven.—Luke 7:48.
“Unexpected events” can affect any
one of us. (Eccl. 9:11) Our life can Do you need to be more forgiving of
suddenly be cut short. We can make others? You might begin by reading
the best use of our time by doing about and meditating on Bible exam-
Jehovah’s will and strengthening our ples of those who freely forgave oth-
friendship with him. (John 14:21) We ers and those who did not. Consider
need to “be steadfast, immovable, al- Jesus’ example. He willingly forgave
ways having plenty to do in the work others. (Luke 7:47) He also looked
of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58) Then when past their faults and saw their poten-
the end comes—whether it is the end tial. By contrast, the Pharisees in Je-
of our life or the end of this wicked sys- sus’ day “considered others as noth-
tem—we will have no regrets.—Matt. ing.” (Luke 18:9) After meditating on
24:13; Rom. 14:8. w23.02 18 ˚12-14 these examples, ask yourself: ‘What
do I see in others? Which of their
Thursday, February 1 qualities do I choose to focus on?’
Love one another just as I have loved If you are struggling to forgive some-
you.—John 15:12. one, try writing down as many of
that individual’s good qualities as you
What does today’s text mean? As Je- can. Then ask yourself: ‘How does Je-
sus went on to explain, this is self- sus view this person? Would he for-
sacrificing love—love that moves a
give him?’ Such a study project could
Christian even to die for a fellow be-
help to readjust our thinking. At first,
liever if necessary. God’s Word places
we may have to work hard to forgive
a lot of emphasis on love. Many peo-
someone who has offended us. But if
ple include among their favorite Bi-
we keep working at it, in time we
ble verses the following: “God is love.”
will become more willing to forgive.
(1 John 4:8) “You must love your
w22.04 23 ˚6
neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:39)
“Love covers a multitude of sins.”
Saturday, February 3 She thinks that even though she is giv-
He sent his angel and presented ing her best, it is not pleasing to Jeho-
vah. But is that really the case? Think
[the revelation] in signs.—Rev. 1:1.
about it. If this sister gave her best in
In the book of Revelation, God’s en- her 40’s and she is still giving her best
emies are described symbolically. We in her 80’s, she has never stopped giv-
see a number of wild beasts. For ex- ing her best. If we do our best, Je-
ample, there is “a wild beast ascend- hovah will in effect say to us: “Well
ing out of the sea.” It has “ten horns done!” (Compare Matthew 25:20-23.)
and seven heads.” (Rev. 13:1) That We will find it easier to be joyful if we
beast is followed by “another wild focus on what we can accomplish in-
beast ascending out of the earth.” stead of on what we cannot do. w22.04
That beast speaks like a dragon and 10 ˚2; 11 ˚4-6
makes “fire come down out of heav-
en.” (Rev. 13:11-13) Then we see a dif- Monday, February 5
ferent beast, “a scarlet-colored wild I . . . saw the holy city, New Jerusa-
beast,” which is being ridden by a lem.—Rev. 21:2.
prostitute. These three wild beasts
Revelation chapter 21 compares the
represent long-standing enemies
144,000 to an extremely beautiful city
of Jehovah God and his Kingdom.
called “New Jerusalem.” This city is
Therefore, it is important that we
based on 12 foundation stones that
identify them. (Rev. 17:1, 3) We need
have written on them “the 12 names
to understand what this symbolic lan-
of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.” (Rev.
guage means. The key to understand-
21:10-14; Eph. 2:20) This symbolic
ing it is to allow the Bible to explain
city looks like no other. It has a main
itself. Many of the symbols found in street of pure gold, 12 gates of pearl,
Revelation are already explained in walls and foundations adorned with
other books of the Bible. w22.05 8-9 precious stones—and with perfectly
˚3-4 balanced measurements. (Rev. 21:15-
Sunday, February 4 21) Still, something seems to be miss-
ing! Notice what John next tells us: “I
You must love Jehovah your God with did not see a temple in it, for Jehovah
your whole heart.—Matt. 22:37. God the Almighty is its temple, also
Some of Jehovah’s servants have a the Lamb is. And the city has no need
hard time adjusting to the limitations of the sun nor of the moon to shine
brought on by advancing age or poor on it, for the glory of God illuminated
health. If you are sometimes discour- it, and its lamp was the Lamb.” (Rev.
aged by a limitation, ask yourself, 21:22, 23) Those who make up the
‘What does Jehovah require of me?’ New Jerusalem will have direct access
Your best—whatever that may be right to Jehovah.—Heb. 7:27; Rev. 22:3, 4.
now. Consider this scenario: A sister w22.05 17-18 ˚14-15
in her 80’s feels discouraged because
she cannot do as much in the ministry
as she did when she was in her 40’s.
Tuesday, February 6 ful men and women who despite be-
Continue putting up with one another ing imperfect are worthy of imitation.
Think of King David, whom Jehovah
and forgiving one another freely . . .
called “a man agreeable to my heart.”
Just as Jehovah freely forgave you,
(Acts 13:22) Yet, David made some
you must also do the same.—Col. 3:13.
serious mistakes. In spite of that, he is
Although Jehovah is our Creator, a good example for us. Why? Because
Lawgiver, and Judge, he is also our he did not try to justify himself. In-
loving heavenly Father. (Ps. 100:3; stead, he accepted the strong coun-
Isa. 33:22) When we sin against him sel he received and was sincerely sor-
and are sincerely repentant, he is not ry for what he had done. As a result,
only able but also eager to forgive us. Jehovah forgave him.—Ps. 51:3, 4, 10-
(Ps. 86:5) Through the prophet Isa- 12. w22.04 13 ˚11-12
iah, Jehovah gave this warm assur-
ance: “Though your sins are like scar- Thursday, February 8
let, they will be made as white as A man will give everything that he has
snow.” (Isa. 1:18) Because we are im- for his life.—Job 2:4.
perfect, we all say and do things that
The Bible acknowledges that death is
offend others. (Jas. 3:2) That does
an enemy. (1 Cor. 15:25, 26) We may
not mean, however, that we cannot
feel anxious at the thought of death,
enjoy close relationships with them.
especially when we or our loved
We can if we learn to be forgiving.
ones are critically ill. Why do we fear
(Prov. 17:9; 19:11; Matt. 18:21, 22) death? Because Jehovah created us
When we hurt one another in small with the desire to enjoy life forever.
ways, Jehovah wants us to forgive. We (Eccl. 3:11) A balanced fear of death
have good reason to do so. After all, can help us to protect our life. It can
Jehovah freely forgives us “in a large motivate us to make good decisions
way.”—Isa. 55:7. w22.06 8 ˚1-2 about our diet and exercise routine, to
seek the help of physicians and medi-
Wednesday, February 7
cations when necessary, and to avoid
Be imitators of those who through needlessly putting our life in danger.
faith and patience inherit the promis- Satan knows that we cherish our life.
es.—Heb. 6:12. He claims that we would sacrifice
Although we should avoid comparing everything we have—even our friend-
ourselves with others, we can bene- ship with Jehovah—just to preserve
fit by learning from the examples of our present life. (Job 2:5) How wrong
faithful ones. To illustrate, let us con- Satan is! Still, since he is “the one
sider Jesus. Even though he was per- having the means to cause death,” Sa-
fect, we can learn from his beautiful tan tries to exploit our natural fear
qualities and ways. (1 Pet. 2:21) When of death in order to make us aban-
we do our best to follow his exam- don Jehovah.—Heb. 2:14, 15. w22.06
18 ˚15-16
ple as closely as we can, we become
better servants of Jehovah. In God’s
Word, we find many examples of faith-
Friday, February 9 ways that parents can teach their chil-
Do not let the sun set while you are dren to love Jehovah. A 17-year-old
brother named Andrew says: “My par-
still angry.—Eph. 4:26.
ents have always emphasized the im-
While under ban, we may have to lim- portance of prayer. Every night, Dad
it our association to smaller groups. would pray with me, even if I had al-
So it is more important than ever to ready said my own prayer. . . . Now
maintain peaceful relations. Fight Sa- I am very comfortable praying to Je-
tan, not one another. Overlook your hovah and viewing him as a loving
brothers’ mistakes, or try to settle Father.” Parents, never underestimate
any differences quickly. (Prov. 19:11) how much your own love for Jehovah
Take the initiative to help one anoth- can influence your children. w22.05 28
er. (Titus 3:14) The help that one ser- ˚7-8
vice group gave to a sister in need
had a positive impact on the entire Sunday, February 11
group. They became closer, like a Baptism . . . is . . . now saving you.
family. (Ps. 133:1) Tens of thousands —1 Pet. 3:21.
of our Christian brothers and sisters
In order to get ready for baptism,
serve Jehovah despite governmental
one of the first things we must do
restrictions. Some of them are impris-
is sincerely repent of our sins. (Acts
oned for their faith. We can pray for
2:37, 38) Genuine repentance leads to
them, for their families, and for those
genuine change. Have you put away
risking their own freedom to provide
any practices that displease Jehovah,
these brothers and sisters with spiritu-
such as living immorally, using tobac-
al, physical, and legal support. (Col.
co, or using foul or abusive language?
4:3, 18) Never underestimate the pow-
(1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 4:
er of your prayers!—2 Thess. 3:1, 2; 29) Keep trying to make changes.
1 Tim. 2:1, 2. w22.12 26-27 ˚15-16 Talk to the person studying the Bible
Saturday, February 10 with you, or ask the congregation el-
ders for help and guidance. If you are
Do you, . . . the one teaching someone young and are living at home, keep
else, not teach yourself?—Rom. 2:21. asking your parents for help to break
Children often imitate their parents. any bad habits that might prevent you
Of course, no parent is perfect. (Rom. from getting baptized. It is also im-
3:23) Even so, wise parents do their portant to follow a good spiritual rou-
very best to set a good example for tine. That would include attending
their children. One father said: “They Christian meetings and participating
are like sponges that absorb every- in them. (Heb. 10:24, 25) And once
thing.” He adds: “They will tell us you qualify to engage in the Christian
when our example isn’t consistent ministry, make that part of your rou-
with what we try to teach them.” So tine as well. w23.03 10-11 ˚14-16
if we want our children to love Jeho-
vah, our own love for him needs to be
strong and evident. There are many
Monday, February 12 la and Priscilla. But “every sabbath”
Jehovah God said to the serpent: he would preach to the Jews and the
Greeks. Then when Silas and Timothy
“Because you have done this, you
arrived, “Paul began to be intensely
are the cursed one.”—Gen. 3:14.
occupied with the word.” (Acts 18:
The characters in the account record- 2-5) Paul never lost sight of his main
ed at Genesis 3:14, 15 include a “ser- purpose in life, to serve Jehovah.
pent” and the “offspring” of the ser- Hardworking Paul was in a good po-
pent. A literal snake could not have sition to encourage his brothers and
understood what Jehovah said in the sisters. He reminded them not to al-
garden of Eden. So the object of Je- low the pressures of life and the need
hovah’s judgment must have been an to provide for the family to cause
intelligent creature. Who? Revelation them to neglect “the more important
12:9 leaves no doubt on this matter. things”—all aspects of Jehovah’s wor-
There “the original serpent” is clear- ship. w22.08 20 ˚3
ly identified as Satan the Devil. When
the Bible speaks of offspring in a fig- Wednesday, February 14
urative sense, it is referring to those In all the nations, the good news has
who think and act like their symbol- to be preached.—Mark 13:10.
ic father. So the offspring of the ser-
pent is made up of spirit creatures and Today it is God’s will that the good
humans who, like Satan, resist Jeho- news of the Kingdom be preached in
vah God and oppose His people. That all the earth. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) This is
would include the angels who aban- Jehovah’s work, and it is so important
doned their assignments in heaven in that he has placed it under the direc-
Noah’s day as well as wicked humans tion of his beloved Son. We can be
who behave like their father the Devil. sure that under Jesus’ capable over-
—Gen. 6:1, 2; John 8:44; 1 John 5:19; sight, the preaching work will be com-
Jude 6. w22.07 14-15 ˚4-5 pleted to Jehovah’s satisfaction be-
fore the end comes. (Matt. 24:14)
Tuesday, February 13 How can we be sure of that? Short-
ly before he ascended to heaven, Je-
Make sure of the more important
sus met with a number of his faithful
things.—Phil. 1:10. followers on a mountain in Galilee. He
The apostle Paul loved his brothers told them: “All authority has been giv-
very much. He was no stranger to en me in heaven and on the earth.”
hardship; thus, he could show com- Note his very next statement: “Go,
passion and empathy for fellow be- therefore, and make disciples of peo-
lievers when they were going through ple of all the nations.” (Matt. 28:18,
trials. One time, Paul ran out of funds 19) So, among other things, Jesus
and had to find work to support him- has been given the authority to direct
self and his companions. (Acts 20: the preaching work. And that preach-
34) He was a tentmaker by trade. ing work would continue under Je-
When he arrived in Corinth, he at first sus’ supervision right down to our
worked with fellow tentmakers Aqui- day. w22.07 8 ˚1, 3; 9 ˚4
Thursday, February 15 ylon. (Dan. 5:5, 25-29) Still later, Da-
The hour is coming in which all those rius the Mede and his appointed of-
ficials also noticed “an extraordinary
in the memorial tombs will hear his
spirit in” Daniel. They acknowledged
voice and come out, those who did
that Daniel “was trustworthy and no
good things to a resurrection of life.
negligence or corruption could be
—John 5:28, 29. found in him.” (Dan. 6:3, 4) We do
The righteous, who did good things well to ask ourselves: ‘Am I known
before their death, will receive “a res- as someone who can be trusted?’ We
urrection of life” because their names bring praise to Jehovah when we are
will already be written in the book of trustworthy. w22.09 8-9 ˚2-4
life. This means that the resurrection
of “those who did good things” de- Saturday, February 17
scribed at John 5:29 is the same as Become imitators of God, as beloved
the resurrection of “the righteous” children.—Eph. 5:1.
mentioned at Acts 24:15. This under-
We benefit by adhering to Jehovah’s
standing is in harmony with the state-
standards of right and wrong. Can you
ment made at Romans 6:7, which says:
see why? Imagine what would happen
“The one who has died has been ac- if every bank came up with its own
quitted from his sin.” The sins com- standards for determining the value of
mitted by these righteous ones were currency or if each construction com-
canceled at death, but their record pany followed its own standards of
of faithfulness remains. (Heb. 6:10) measurements. The result would be
Of course, these righteous resurrect- chaos. And if medical personnel failed
ed ones will need to remain faithful in to adhere to consistent standards of
order for their names to remain in the care, some patients might die. Cer-
book of life. w22.09 18 ˚13, 15 tainly, reliable standards are a pro-
tection. Likewise, God’s standards
Friday, February 16
of right and wrong protect us. Je-
Everything [Jehovah] does is hovah blesses those who try to live
trustworthy.—Ps. 33:4. by his standards. He promises: “The
The prophet Daniel set an excellent righteous will possess the earth, and
example of being trustworthy. Al- they will live forever on it.” (Ps. 37:
though he had been taken into cap- 29) Can you imagine how united,
tivity by the Babylonians, he soon peaceful, and happy mankind will
earned a reputation as a man who be when everyone follows Jehovah’s
could be trusted. His reputation grew standards? Jehovah wants you to en-
when, with Jehovah’s help, he inter- joy that kind of life. Surely, each one
preted the dreams of Babylonian King of us has good reasons to love righ-
Nebuchadnezzar. (Dan. 4:20-22, 25) teousness! w22.08 27-28 ˚6-8
Many years later, Daniel again proved
to be trustworthy when he accurately
interpreted a mysterious message that
appeared on the palace wall in Bab-
Sunday, February 18 promised, and we know that he al-
Keep your senses in all things. ways keeps his word. (Num. 23:19) We
are convinced that Jehovah has both
—2 Tim. 4:5.
the desire and the power to accom-
When we face adversities, our loyalty plish everything that he says he will
to Jehovah and his organization can do. Our heavenly Father loves us, and
be tested. How can we overcome such he wants us to trust in him. When our
challenges? We need to keep our sens- hope in Jehovah is strong, we will be
es and stay awake, standing firm in able to endure trials and face the fu-
the faith. We keep our senses by re- ture with courage and joy. w22.10 24
maining calm, thinking clearly, and ˚1-3
striving to see matters from Jeho-
vah’s perspective. When we do that, Tuesday, February 20
our thoughts will not be controlled by They are a rebellious people, . . . who
emotions. Perhaps we feel mistreated are unwilling to hear the law of
by a fellow Christian, perhaps some- Jehovah.—Isa. 30:9.
one in a position of responsibility.
Because the people refused to listen,
Likely, the brother did not intend to
Isaiah foretold that Jehovah would al-
hurt you. (Rom. 3:23; Jas. 3:2) Still,
low them to suffer calamity. (Isa. 30:
his actions may have upset you. You
5, 17; Jer. 25:8-11) And, indeed, they
may have even wondered, ‘If a brother
were taken into captivity by the Bab-
can act this way, is this really God’s or-
ylonians. However, there were some
ganization?’ That is exactly how Satan
faithful ones among the Jews, and
wants us to react. (2 Cor. 2:11) Such
Isaiah told them that one day Jeho-
negative thinking could cause us to
vah would restore them to favor. (Isa.
separate ourselves from Jehovah and
30:18, 19) And that is exactly what
his organization. So we must be care-
happened. Jehovah brought an end
ful not to become embittered. w22.11
to their captivity. However, their de-
20 ˚1, 3; 21 ˚4 liverance would not come right away.
Monday, February 19 The statement “Jehovah is waiting pa-
tiently to show you favor” indicat-
Hope in Jehovah.—Ps. 27:14. ed that some time would pass before
Jehovah has given us the marvelous the faithful ones would be rescued.
hope of everlasting life. Some hope In fact, the Israelites spent 70 years
to live forever in heaven as immor- in exile in Babylon before a remnant
tal spirit creatures. (1 Cor. 15:50, 53) was allowed to return to Jerusalem.
Most, though, hope to live forever on (Isa. 10:21; Jer. 29:10) Once the peo-
earth in perfect health and happiness. ple were back in their homeland, the
(Rev. 21:3, 4) Whether we look for- tears of sorrow were replaced by tears
ward to everlasting life in heaven or of joy. w22.11 9 ˚4
on earth, our hope is precious to us.
Our hope for the future is guaran-
teed because it comes from Jehovah.
(Rom. 15:13) We know what he has
Wednesday, February 21 to learn the deeper truths of God’s
Happy are those who have been Word. Have you developed a hunger
for the deeper teachings of the Bi-
persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
ble? Are you willing to keep growing,
—Matt. 5:10.
to keep learning about Jehovah and
Today, in a number of lands, our his purposes? For many of us, though,
brothers and sisters are experiencing it is a challenge to study. What about
what the apostles endured in the first you? At school, did you learn to read
century when they were persecuted and study effectively? Did you find
for preaching about Jesus. Repeated- study to be enjoyable and rewarding?
ly, the judges of the Jewish high court Or did you conclude that you are not
“ordered them to stop speaking on good at learning from books? If so,
the basis of Jesus’ name.” (Acts 4:18- you are not alone. However, Jeho-
20; 5:27, 28, 40) But they knew that vah can help you. He is perfect and is
a higher authority had ‘ordered them the best Teacher there is. w23.03 9-10
to preach to the people and to give ˚8-10
a thorough witness’ about the Christ.
(Acts 10:42) So their spokesmen, Pe- Friday, February 23
ter and John, boldly said that they Accept with mildness the implanting of
would obey God rather than those the word that is able to save you.
judges and declared that they would —Jas. 1:21.
not stop speaking about Jesus. (Acts
5:29) After being beaten for keeping If we are mild, we will allow God’s
their integrity, the apostles went out Word to take root in our heart. Only
from the Jewish high court, “rejoicing if we avoid a critical or proud spir-
because they had been counted wor- it will the Bible’s lessons about mercy,
thy to be dishonored in behalf of [Je- compassion, and love shape us. The
sus’] name,” and they kept right on way we treat others can indicate if we
preaching!—Acts 5:41, 42. w22.10 12- are allowing God’s Word to mold us.
13 ˚2-4 The Pharisees failed to let God’s Word
reach their heart, and as a result,
Thursday, February 22 they “condemned the guiltless ones.”
(Matt. 12:7) In a similar way, how we
Drawing near to God is good for me.
view and treat others reveals whether
—Ps. 73:28.
we have let God’s Word mold us. For
Understandably, learning about Jeho- example, are we inclined to mention
vah starts with the basics. In his letter the good we see in others, or are we
to the Hebrews, the apostle Paul re- quick to point out their flaws? Are
ferred to basic teachings as “the ele- we merciful and ready to forgive, or
mentary things.” He was not belit- are we critical and given to holding
tling “the primary doctrine”; he was grudges? Such self-examination can
comparing it to the milk that nour- reveal whether we are letting what
ishes a baby. (Heb. 5:12; 6:1) But he we read shape our thoughts, feelings,
also urged all Christians to keep mov- and actions.—1 Tim. 4:12, 15; Heb. 4:
ing beyond those basic teachings and 12. w23.02 12 ˚13-14
Saturday, February 24 kind under the rule of His Son, Je-
I, Jehovah your God, am grasping sus. Jesus is superior to Solomon in
every way. Solomon was an imperfect
your right hand, the One saying to
man who made serious errors in judg-
you, “Do not be afraid. I will help
ment that eventually brought hardship
you.”—Isa. 41:13.
on God’s people. Jesus, on the oth-
Consider the example of Joseph of er hand, is a perfect Ruler who makes
Arimathea. He was well-regarded by no mistakes. (Luke 1:32; Heb. 4:14,
Jewish society. He was a member of 15) Christ has proved that he will nev-
the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme er sin or do anything that would harm
court. However, during Jesus’ earth- his loyal subjects. It truly is an hon-
ly ministry, Joseph was anything but or to have him as our King. w22.12 11
courageous. John said that he was “a ˚9-10
disciple of Jesus but a secret one be-
cause of his fear of the Jews.” (John Monday, February 26
19:38) Although Joseph was interest- Be obedient to those who are taking
ed in the Kingdom message, he hid the lead among you and be submis-
from others that he had faith in Jesus. sive, for they are keeping watch over
No doubt he was afraid that he would you.—Heb. 13:17.
lose his prestigious position in the
What should we do if a contagious dis-
community. Whatever the case, the
ease is spreading where we live? We
Bible tells us that after Jesus died, Jo-
should obey emergency regulations,
seph finally “took courage and went
such as those regarding washing our
in before Pilate and asked for the
hands, social distancing, wearing a
body of Jesus.” (Mark 15:42, 43) Jo-
mask, and quarantining. Our diligence
seph’s support of Jesus was now no
in these areas shows how deeply we
longer a secret. Can you relate to Jo-
appreciate God’s gift of life. During
seph’s fear of man? w23.01 30 ˚13-14
emergencies, inaccurate information
Sunday, February 25 may circulate among friends, among
neighbors, and in the media. Rather
Happy are your men, and happy are than believe “every word” we hear, we
your servants who stand before you do well to listen to the most reliable
constantly, listening to your wisdom! governmental and medical sources
—1 Ki. 10:8. available. (Prov. 14:15) The Govern-
News of the peace and prosperity en- ing Body and the branch offices make
joyed by the Israelites under Solo- every effort to obtain accurate infor-
mon’s rule reached the queen of She- mation before giving direction regard-
ba. That sovereign from a distant land ing congregation meetings and the
traveled to Jerusalem to see the situa- preaching work. By being coopera-
tion for herself. (1 Ki. 10:1) After in- tive, we protect ourselves and others
specting Solomon’s kingdom, she said from harm. We may also enhance the
the words above. But the conditions congregation’s reputation in the com-
under Solomon’s rule were just a taste munity.—1 Pet. 2:12. w23.02 23 ˚11-12
of what Jehovah will do for man-
Tuesday, February 27 trials. Even when our enemies threat-
Listen and learn to fear Jehovah your en us with death, we will not compro-
mise. Why? In part because we know
God.—Deut. 31:13.
that if we die faithful to Jehovah, he
When the Israelites entered the Prom- will raise us from the dead with the
ised Land, they settled over a prospect of never dying. (John 5:28,
wide area. Israelites living in one 29; 1 Cor. 15:55-58; Heb. 2:15) We
area could easily have lost interest in know that Jehovah is able to keep us
the welfare of fellow Israelites living alive forever because he is the Source
in other parts of the country. But Je- of life and he lives forever. (Ps. 36:9)
hovah arranged for the Israelites to The Bible confirms that Jehovah has
gather together on various occasions always existed and will always exist.
to hear his written Word read and ex- —Ps. 90:2; 102:12, 24, 27. w22.12 2
plained. (Deut. 31:10-12; Neh. 8:2, 8, ˚1-3
18) Imagine how a faithful Israelite
must have felt as he arrived in Jeru- Thursday, February 29
salem and saw perhaps millions of his Who will separate us from the love
fellow worshippers from every part of of the Christ? Will tribulation or dis-
the country! Jehovah thereby helped tress or persecution?—Rom. 8:35.
his people to remain united. Later,
As Jehovah’s people, we are not sur-
when the Christian congregation was
prised when we have to face trials.
formed, it was made up of men and
We realize that, as the Bible says,
women who spoke many languages
“we must enter into the Kingdom
and who were from many social and
of God through many tribulations.”
economic backgrounds. But they were
(Acts 14:22) We also know that some
united in worship of the true God.
of our problems will not be com-
Those who became believers could
pletely solved until we are living in
understand God’s Word only with the
God’s new world, where “death will be
aid of fellow worshippers and by meet-
no more, neither will mourning nor
ing together with them.—Acts 2:42; 8:
outcry nor pain be anymore.” (Rev.
30, 31. w23.02 3 ˚7 21:4) Jehovah does not shield us from
Wednesday, February 28 trials. However, he does help us to en-
dure them. Note what the apostle
This means everlasting life. Paul said to Christians living in Rome.
—John 17:3. He first listed a number of trials that
Jehovah promises that those who he and his brothers were facing. Then
obey him will have “everlasting life.” he wrote: “We are coming off com-
(Rom. 6:23) When we meditate on pletely victorious through the one
what Jehovah is offering us, our love who loved us.” (Rom. 8:36, 37) This
for him certainly grows stronger. Just means that Jehovah can make you
think: Our heavenly Father loves us so successful even while the trial is run-
deeply that we will never be separated ning its course. w23.01 14 ˚1-2
from him. God’s promise of everlast-
ing life helps us to endure our current
Friday, March 1 en our Bible-reading skills. We can
Why do you boast?—1 Cor. 4:7. improve our understanding of Bible
passages by praying, reading at a slow
The apostle Peter urged his brothers pace, asking questions, and taking
to use whatever gifts and talents they brief notes. We can use discernment
had to build up their fellow believ- by carefully analyzing what we read
ers. Peter wrote: “To the extent that with the help of our Bible-based pub-
each one has received a gift, use it lications. And we can let God’s Word
in ministering to one another as fine mold us by maintaining the right atti-
stewards of God’s undeserved kind- tude as we read. When we apply our-
ness.” (1 Pet. 4:10) We should not selves in these ways, we will get more
hold back from using our gifts to the out of our Bible reading and draw ever
fullest for fear that others may be- closer to Jehovah.—Ps. 119:17; Jas.
come jealous or get discouraged. But 4:8. w23.02 13 ˚15-16
we must be careful that we do not
boast about them. (1 Cor. 4:6) Let Sunday, March 3
us remember that any natural abili- The plans of the diligent surely
ties we may have are gifts from God. lead to success.—Prov. 21:5.
We should use those gifts to build up
Choose a specific goal and then take
the congregation, not to promote our-
practical steps to reach your goal.
selves. (Phil. 2:3) When we use our
How can this be accomplished? Sup-
energy and abilities to do God’s will,
pose you wanted to improve your abil-
we will have cause for rejoicing—not
ity to teach. You could carefully study
because we are outdoing others or
the brochure Apply Yourself to Reading
proving ourselves superior to them,
and Teaching. When you are assigned
but because we are using our gifts to
a part on the midweek meeting, you
bring praise to Jehovah. w22.04 11-12
could ask a qualified brother to lis-
˚7-9
ten to your presentation beforehand
Saturday, March 2 and provide suggestions for improve-
ment. Earn a reputation not just for
Open my eyes so that I may see being skilled but also for being dili-
clearly the wonderful things from gent and dependable. (2 Cor. 8:22)
your law.—Ps. 119:18. What if the skill you want to develop
Jesus loved the Holy Scriptures, and involves something that you are not
his feelings were prophetically ex- naturally good at? Do not give up! Did
pressed in the words found at Psalm Timothy become a notable speaker
40:8: “To do your will, O my God, is or an outstanding teacher? The Bible
my delight, and your law is deep with- does not say. But no doubt Timothy
in me.” As a result, he was happy and became progressively more effective
successful in serving Jehovah. We too in carrying out his responsibilities as
can enjoy happiness and success if we he followed Paul’s advice.—2 Tim. 3:
10. w22.04 24-25 ˚8-11
work on getting God’s Word into our
heart. (Ps. 1:1-3) In harmony with Je-
sus’ words and example, let us sharp-
Monday, March 4 adequate opportunity to learn about
I saw a wild beast ascending out of the Jehovah—will all come back to life
here on the earth. (Acts 24:15; John
sea, with ten horns and seven heads.
5:28, 29) Does this mean that every-
—Rev. 13:1.
one will be resurrected during the
What is the seven-headed wild beast? Thousand Year Reign? No. Those who
We notice that this beast has the gen- wickedly rejected the opportunity to
eral appearance of a leopard but the serve Jehovah before their death will
feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion, not be raised to life. They had their
and it has ten horns. All of these are chance and proved that they were not
also features of the four beasts men- worthy of life on the Paradise earth.
tioned in Daniel chapter 7. Yet, here in —Matt. 25:46; 2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 17:8;
the book of Revelation, these charac- 20:15. w22.05 18 ˚16-17
teristics are combined into one beast,
not four separate beasts. This wild Wednesday, March 6
beast does not represent just one gov- Whom shall we go away to? You have
ernment or world empire. It is spo- sayings of everlasting life.—John 6:68.
ken of as ruling “over every tribe and
By means of “the faithful and discreet
people and tongue and nation.” So it
slave,” Jesus has built up a remark-
must be greater than any single na-
able organization on earth to promote
tional government. (Rev. 13:7) This
pure worship. (Matt. 24:45) How do
wild beast, then, must represent all
you feel about that organization? In
the political powers that have dom-
response, perhaps you think of the
inated humankind down through his-
words of the apostle Peter, who said
tory. (Eccl. 8:9) Another indication is
the words of today’s text to Jesus.
that the number ten is often used Where would any of us be today if we
in the Bible to denote completeness. had not come in contact with Jeho-
w22.05 9 ˚6 vah’s organization? Through it, Christ
Tuesday, March 5 makes sure that we are well-fed spiri-
tually. He also trains us to carry out
He will wipe out every tear from their our ministry effectively. Further, he
eyes, and death will be no more, nei- helps us to put on “the new personali-
ther will mourning nor outcry nor ty,” so that we are pleasing to Jeho-
pain be anymore.—Rev. 21:4. vah. (Eph. 4:24) Jesus provides wise
Who will benefit from these won- direction in times of crisis. The bene-
derful provisions? First of all, the fits of that direction were evident
great crowd of Armageddon survi- when the COVID-19 pandemic broke
vors, along with any children who may out. While many in the world were un-
be born in the new world. But Revela- certain about what course to take, Je-
tion chapter 20 also promises that the sus made sure that we received clear
dead will be resurrected. (Rev. 20:11- guidance to keep us safe. w22.07 12
˚13-14
13) Faithful “righteous” ones who
died in the past along with “unrigh-
teous” ones—who did not receive an
Thursday, March 7 has entrusted the elders with the re-
Make sure of the more important sponsibility of determining from the
Scriptures whether the sinner can re-
things.—Phil. 1:10.
main in the congregation. (1 Cor. 5:
Jehovah instructed the ancient Israel- 12) Among other things, they will en-
ites to teach their children about him deavor to answer the following ques-
regularly. (Deut. 6:6, 7) Those parents tions: Was the sin intentional? Did
had many opportunities throughout the person scheme to do what was
the day to talk with their children and wrong? Did he practice the sin over
instill love for Jehovah in their heart. an extended period of time? Most im-
For instance, a young Israelite boy portant, is there evidence that he is
might spend hours helping his father sincerely repentant? Are there indica-
plant the crops or bring in the harvest. tions that Jehovah has forgiven him?
His sister might spend much of the —Acts 3:19. w22.06 9 ˚4
day helping her mother with sewing,
weaving, and other household chores. Saturday, March 9
As parents and children worked to- Love truth.—Zech. 8:19.
gether, they could talk about many
Jesus urged his followers to pursue
important topics. For example, they
righteousness. (Matt. 5:6) This means
could discuss Jehovah’s quality of
that one needs to have a strong desire
goodness and consider how he was
to do what is right, good, and clean
helping the family. In many lands, par-
in God’s eyes. Do you love truth and
ents and children cannot spend time
righteousness? We are sure that you
together throughout the day. The par-
do. You hate lies and all that is wrong
ents may be at work, and the children and wicked. (Ps. 119:128, 163) Lies re-
may be in school. As a result, parents flect the personality of Satan, the rul-
must look for occasions when they er of this world. (John 8:44; 12:31)
can talk with their children.—Eph. 5: One of Satan’s goals is to slander the
15, 16. w22.05 28 ˚10-11 holy name of Jehovah God. Satan has
been spreading lies about our God
Friday, March 8
since the rebellion in Eden. He por-
Do you not know that unrighteous trayed Jehovah as a selfish and dis-
people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? honest Ruler who withholds good
—1 Cor. 6:9. from humans. (Gen. 3:1, 4, 5) Sa-
Serious sins are gross violations of tan’s lies about Jehovah have contin-
God’s law. If a Christian commits ued to poison the minds and hearts of
such a sin, he must approach Jeho- people. When humans choose not to
“love truth,” Satan can lead them into
vah God in prayer, and he must go
all kinds of unrighteous and wicked
to the elders of the congregation. (Ps.
conduct.—Rom. 1:25-31. w23.03 2 ˚3
32:5; Jas. 5:14) What role do the el-
ders play? Only Jehovah has the au-
thority to forgive sins fully, which he
makes possible on the basis of the
ransom sacrifice. Jehovah, however,
Sunday, March 10 feel that I am justified for being up-
[Jehovah’s] love endures forever. set, can I show unselfish love by over-
looking the offense?’ The more we
—Ps. 100:5.
deal with others in a loving way, the
As you work to overcome a bad habit, more we prove to be Jesus’ true fol-
you may suffer an occasional relapse. lowers. Jesus’ example also teach-
Or you may just feel impatient and es us to try to understand our fellow
frustrated because your goal seems believers. (Prov. 20:5) Granted, Je-
far away. What will help you to en- sus could read hearts. We cannot. But
dure? A vital quality—love for Jeho- we can make allowances for the im-
vah. Your love for Jehovah is a beauti- perfections of our brothers and sis-
ful quality, the very best you have. ters. (Eph. 4:1, 2; 1 Pet. 3:8) It is eas-
(Prov. 3:3-6) Strong love for God can ier to do so if we learn about their
help you to face life’s challenges suc- background. w23.03 30 ˚14-16
cessfully. The Bible often refers to Je-
hovah’s loyal love for his servants. Tuesday, March 12
This is a strong attachment that nev- He is a God, not of the dead, but of
er quits, never lets go. You are made the living.—Luke 20:38.
in God’s image. (Gen. 1:26) How can
Satan may take advantage of a life-
you reflect that kind of love? Start
threatening medical situation to try
with gratitude. (1 Thess. 5:18) Each
to get us to compromise. Medical doc-
day, ask yourself, ‘How has Jehovah
tors or unbelieving family members
shown love to me?’ Then make sure
may pressure us to accept a blood
to thank Jehovah in your prayers,
transfusion, which would violate
mentioning specific things that he has
God’s law. Or someone may try to per-
done for you. See his acts of love as
suade us to consider another thera-
personal, directed to you as an indi- py that goes against Scriptural princi-
vidual. w23.03 12 ˚17-19 ples. Although we do not want to die,
Monday, March 11 we know that Jehovah will not stop
loving us if our life should end. (Rom.
[Jesus] knew what was in man. 8:37-39) When Jehovah’s friends die,
—John 2:25. he keeps them in his memory, as if
Jesus dealt with all 12 apostles in a they were still alive. (Luke 20:37) He
kind and loving way. The lesson for longs to bring them back to life. (Job
us? What matters is not only what 14:15) Jehovah has paid a high price
other people do but also how we so that we “might . . . have everlast-
react to their mistakes and shortcom- ing life.” (John 3:16) We know how
ings. When we are upset with a fel- deeply Jehovah loves us and cares
low believer, we can ask ourselves: for us. So rather than abandon Jeho-
‘Why does what he did bother me vah when we are sick or threatened
so much? Does it reveal a negative with death, we turn to him for com-
fort, wisdom, and strength.—Ps. 41:3.
trait that I need to work on? Could
w22.06 18 ˚16-17
it be that the person who upset me
is dealing with a difficulty? Even if I
Wednesday, March 13 events and the noticeable change in
people’s attitude would help us discern
True wisdom cries aloud in the street.
that Jesus has become King. So rather
—Prov. 1:20.
than become upset when we see peo-
The Bible states: “The fear of Jeho- ple act selfishly and hatefully, we re-
vah is the beginning of wisdom, and member that their actions are fulfill-
knowledge of the Most Holy One is un- ing Bible prophecy. The Kingdom is in
derstanding.” (Prov. 9:10) So when we place! (Ps. 37:1) And we can expect
have an important decision to make, world distress to increase as Arma-
we should make Jehovah’s thinking geddon draws ever nearer. (Mark 13:8;
—“knowledge of the Most Holy 2 Tim. 3:13) Are you not thankful to
One”—the basis for our decision. We our loving heavenly Father for help-
can do that by consulting the Bible and ing us to make sense of our turbulent
Bible-based publications. When we do, times? w22.07 3-4 ˚7-8
we are showing true wisdom. (Prov. 2:
5-7) Jehovah is the only one who can Friday, March 15
give us true wisdom. (Rom. 16:27) A righteous man’s supplication has
Why is he the Source of wisdom? First, a powerful effect.—Jas. 5:16.
as the Creator, he has unlimited knowl-
edge and understanding of his cre- We can ask Jehovah to help our fel-
ation. (Ps. 104:24) Second, all of Je- low worshippers to endure sickness,
hovah’s actions reflect wisdom. (Rom. natural disasters, civil war, persecu-
11:33) Third, Jehovah’s wise counsel tion, or other difficulties. We can also
always benefits those who apply it. pray for our self-sacrificing broth-
(Prov. 2:10-12) If we are to acquire ers and sisters who provide relief
true wisdom, we must accept these ba- for those in need. You may person-
sic truths and allow them to guide us ally know some who are facing such
when making decisions and when tak- challenges. Why not mention them
ing a course of action. w22.10 19 ˚3-4 by name in your personal prayers?
We show genuine brotherly love by
Thursday, March 14 asking Jehovah to help them to en-
War broke out in heaven: Michael and dure. Those who take the lead in the
congregation greatly appreciate the
his angels battled with the dragon,
prayers of others and benefit from
and the dragon and its angels battled
them. That was true of the apostle
but they did not prevail, nor was a
Paul. He wrote: “Pray also for me,
place found for them any longer in
that the words may be given to me
heaven.—Rev. 12:7, 8. when I open my mouth, so that I
Satan lost the battle foretold in Reve- may be able to speak boldly in making
lation chapter 12, and he and the de- known the sacred secret of the good
mons were hurled down to the earth. news.” (Eph. 6:19) Today, too, we
Enraged, Satan began to vent his an- have many hardworking brothers who
ger on humankind, resulting in “woe take the lead among us. We show love
for the earth.” (Rev. 12:9-12) How can for them by asking Jehovah to bless
these prophecies benefit us? World their work. w22.07 23-24 ˚14-16
Saturday, March 16 to express yourself. You can even ask
Put on . . . the hope of salvation him for the wisdom to explain your
beliefs tactfully. (Luke 21:14, 15) If
as a helmet.—1 Thess. 5:8.
you are struggling with negative emo-
A soldier wears a helmet to protect tions, ask Jehovah to help you to talk
his head. In our spiritual warfare, we with a mature Christian about it. You
need to protect our mind from Satan’s can ask Jehovah to help the one you
attacks. He bombards us with temp- are confiding in to listen to you with
tations and ideas designed to corrupt understanding. See how he responds
our thinking. Just as the helmet pro- to your prayers, and accept the help
tects a soldier’s head, our hope pro- of others; you will feel less alone.
tects our thinking so that we can re- w22.08 10 ˚6
main faithful to Jehovah. If our hope
weakens and we allow fleshly think- Monday, March 18
ing to take hold of our mind, we can These men act in opposition to the
lose sight of the goal of everlasting decrees of Caesar.—Acts 17:7.
life. Consider the case of some Chris-
The new congregation in Thessaloni-
tians living in ancient Corinth. They
ca faced severe opposition. A mob
lost faith in a key promise of God—the
of vicious opposers dragged “some
hope of the resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:
of the brothers to the city rulers.”
12) Paul argued that people with no
(Acts 17:6) Can you imagine how
hope of a future life live only for the
shaken those newly converted Chris-
present. (1 Cor. 15:32) Today many
tians must have been? They could
who have no hope in God’s promis-
have slowed down in their service
es live for the moment, grasping what- to Jehovah, but the apostle Paul did
ever pleasures are available to them. not want that to happen. He made
We, however, put our trust in the fu- sure that the fledgling congregation
ture promised by God. w22.10 25-26 was well cared for. Paul reminded the
˚8-9 Thessalonians: “We sent Timothy, our
brother . . . , to make you firm and
Sunday, March 17
comfort you regarding your faith, so
Pray constantly.—1 Thess. 5:17. that no one might be shaken by these
Jehovah invites you to pray to him. tribulations.” (1 Thess. 3:2, 3) Tim-
He sees what you are dealing with, othy had seen how Paul strength-
and he assures you that he will listen ened the brothers in Lystra. Having
to your prayers at any time. He finds seen the outcome that Jehovah gave,
pleasure in listening to his worship- Timothy could assure his new broth-
pers. (Prov. 15:8) What can you pray ers and sisters that everything would
about when you feel alone? Pour your turn out well for them too.—Acts 14:
heart out to Jehovah. (Ps. 62:8) Tell 8, 19-22; Heb. 12:2. w22.08 21 ˚4
him about your concerns and how
they make you feel. Ask Jehovah to
help you to cope with your feelings
and to give you the courage you need
Tuesday, March 19 ones again. (John 5:28, 29; Rom. 6:
We . . . gain life through him. 23) We have not done anything to de-
serve these blessings; nor can we
—1 John 4:9.
ever repay God and Christ for what
In the late 19th century, a group of Bi- they have done for us. (Rom. 5:8,
ble students led by Charles Taze Rus- 20, 21) But we can show them the
sell began an intensive study of the depth of our gratitude. How? By using
Scriptures. They wanted to know the our resources to advance the King-
truth about the value of Jesus’ sacri- dom work. For example, we can make
fice and how his death should be com- ourselves available to help with con-
memorated. Today we benefit from structing and maintaining buildings
their research. How so? Our eyes have for pure worship. w23.01 26 ˚3; 28 ˚5
been opened to the truth about Jesus’ Memorial Bible reading:
sacrifice and what it accomplishes. (Daytime events: Nisan 9)
(1 John 2:1, 2) We have also learned Mark 11:1-11
that the Bible holds out two hopes
for humans who please God—immor- Thursday, March 21
tal life in heaven for some and ever- I saw . . . the Lamb . . . and with him
lasting life on earth for others. We 144,000.—Rev. 14:1.
draw closer to Jehovah as we consider
how much he loves us and how much Those ruling in God’s Kingdom will
we personally benefit from Jesus’ sac- help to care for billions of people
rifice. (1 Pet. 3:18) So like our faithful living across the globe. Like Jesus,
brothers of the past, we invite others the 144,000 will serve as kings and
to join us in observing the Memori- priests. (Rev. 5:10) Under the Mosa-
al according to the pattern Jesus set. ic Law, the priests were primarily re-
w23.01 21 ˚6-7 sponsible for protecting the people’s
Memorial Bible reading: physical health while making sure that
(Events after sunset: Nisan 9) they were spiritually healthy. The Law
Mark 14:3-9 was “a shadow of the good things to
come,” so it is reasonable to conclude
Wednesday, March 20 that Jesus’ corulers will assist in the
He died for all so that those who live unique role of caring for the physical
should live no longer for themselves, and spiritual needs of God’s people.
(Heb. 10:1) We will have to wait and
but for him who died for them and
see just how these kings and priests
was raised up.—2 Cor. 5:15.
will communicate with subjects of
Jesus taught people about the bless- the Kingdom who are on earth. We
ings that God’s Kingdom would bring. can be confident that in the Paradise
We are thankful for the ransom be- to come, those on earth will receive
cause it opens the way for us to en- the guidance they need.—Rev. 21:3, 4.
joy a close friendship with Jehovah w22.12 11 ˚11-13
and Jesus. Those who exercise faith Memorial Bible reading:
in Jesus also have the hope of living (Daytime events: Nisan 10)
forever and of seeing their dead loved Mark 11:12-19
Friday, March 22 amount of pressure on true Christians
You keep proclaiming the death of the today. We face adversities that can
Lord, until he comes.—1 Cor. 11:26. discourage us and even test our loy-
alty to Jehovah. But we have noth-
One reason why we invite others to ing to fear. Jehovah is watching over
observe the Memorial with us is that us—he sees the challenges we are fac-
we want those who attend for the first ing, and he is ever ready to help us
time to learn the truth about what Je- deal with them. Yes, Jehovah “watch-
hovah and Jesus have done for all of es over those fearing him . . . to rescue
us. (John 3:16) We hope that what them.”—Ps. 33:18-20. w22.08 8 ˚1-2
they see and hear at the Memorial will Memorial Bible reading:
move them to learn more and to be- (Daytime events: Nisan 12)
come servants of Jehovah. We also in- Mark 14:1, 2, 10, 11;
vite those who are no longer serving Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16
Jehovah. We do so to remind them
that God still loves them. Many re- MEMORIAL DATE
spond to our invitation, and we are After Sundown
overjoyed to see them. Attending the Sunday, March 24
Memorial reminds them of how much
Keep doing this in remembrance
they enjoyed serving Jehovah in the
of me.—Luke 22:19.
past. (Ps. 103:1-4) Whether people re-
spond positively to our invitation or Each year during the Memorial season,
not, we diligently invite others to the we show our appreciation for what Je-
Memorial, knowing that Jehovah is in- sus has done by taking time to medi-
terested in individuals.—Luke 15:7; tate prayerfully on the meaning of his
1 Tim. 2:3, 4. w23.01 20 ˚1; 22-23 ˚9-11 death. We also encourage as many as
Memorial Bible reading: possible to join us for this special oc-
(Daytime events: Nisan 11) casion. And we are determined not to
Mark 11:20–12:27, 41-44 allow anything to prevent us from at-
tending the Memorial. At the Memori-
Saturday, March 23 al, we learn why mankind needs a ran-
The eye of Jehovah watches over som and how the death of one man
those fearing him.—Ps. 33:18. can atone for the sins of many. We are
reminded of what the bread and the
On the night before he died, Jesus wine represent and who should par-
made a special request to his heaven- take of them. (Luke 22:19, 20) And we
ly Father. He asked Jehovah to watch meditate on the blessings that are in
over his followers. (John 17:15, 20) store for those who cherish the earth-
Jehovah has always watched over ly hope. (Isa. 35:5, 6; 65:17, 21-23) We
—cared for and protected—his peo- should not take these truths for grant-
ple. However, Jesus knew that his ed. w23.01 20 ˚2; 21 ˚4
followers would face unprecedented Memorial Bible reading:
opposition from Satan. Jesus also re- (Daytime events: Nisan 13)
alized that they would need Jehovah’s Mark 14:12-16; Matthew 26:17-19
help to resist the Devil’s wicked at- (Events after sunset: Nisan 14)
tacks. Satan’s system puts an immense Mark 14:17-72
Monday, March 25 it saddens us to read about Jesus’ suf-
God loved the world so much that he fering and death. During the Memori-
al season, we especially take time to
gave his only-begotten Son, so that
reflect on the significance of his ran-
everyone exercising faith in him might
som sacrifice. (1 Cor. 11:24, 25) How-
. . . have everlasting life.—John 3:16.
ever, we find great joy in reflecting on
By giving his Son as a ransom to cov- all the things Jesus said and did while
er our sins, God makes it possible for he was on earth. We also find it stimu-
us to gain everlasting life. (Matt. 20: lating to think about what he is doing
28) The apostle Paul wrote: “Since now and what he will do for us in the
death came through a man, resurrec- future. w23.01 26 ˚1-2
tion of the dead also comes through Memorial Bible reading:
a man. For just as in Adam all are (Daytime events: Nisan 15)
dying, so also in the Christ all will be Matthew 27:62-66
made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:21, 22) Jesus (Events after sunset: Nisan 16)
taught his followers to pray for God’s Mark 16:1
Kingdom to come and for God’s will
Wednesday, March 27
to take place on earth. (Matt. 6:9, 10)
Part of God’s purpose is for humans [Seek] first the Kingdom.—Matt. 6:33.
to live forever on the earth. To ac- The disciples were very sad when Je-
complish that, Jehovah has appointed sus died. Not only had they lost their
his Son as King of the Messianic King- beloved friend but they also felt as
dom. God has been gathering 144,000 though they had lost their hope. (Luke
people from the earth to work with 24:17-21) However, when Jesus ap-
Jesus in fulfilling God’s will.—Rev. 5:9, peared to them, he took the time to
10. w22.12 5 ˚11-12 help them understand his role in fulfill-
Memorial Bible reading: ing Bible prophecy. He also gave them
(Daytime events: Nisan 14) an important work to do. (Luke 24:26,
Mark 15:1-47 27, 45-48) By the time Jesus ascend-
ed to heaven, the sadness of the disci-
Tuesday, March 26 ples had turned into great joy. Know-
The love the Christ has compels ing that their Master was alive and
us . . . so that those who live should ready to help them accomplish their
live no longer for themselves. new commission made them happy.
—2 Cor. 5:14, 15. Their joy moved them to praise Je-
hovah without letup. (Luke 24:52, 53;
When we lose a loved one in death, we Acts 5:42) To imitate Jesus’ disciples
miss that person so much! At first, we requires that we put God’s Kingdom
may feel nothing but pain, especial- first in our life. Although we need en-
ly if our loved one suffered before dy- durance to serve Jehovah continually,
ing. With time, however, we begin to he promises to bless us richly if we do
feel a measure of joy when we think so.—Prov. 10:22. w23.01 30-31 ˚15-16
of something he taught us or some- Memorial Bible reading:
thing he did or said to encourage us (Daytime events: Nisan 16)
or to make us smile. In a similar way, Mark 16:2-8
Thursday, March 28 of displeasing him moved Hananiah to
To dust you will return.—Gen. 3:19. take seriously any assignment he was
given. Those qualities will also help
We certainly do not want to make us to be dependable in our service
the same mistake that Adam and Eve to God. Note the example of Tychi-
made. We can avoid that outcome if cus, a trusted companion of the apos-
we keep learning about Jehovah, ap- tle Paul. Paul relied on Tychicus, de-
preciating his qualities, and trying to scribing him as a “faithful minister.”
understand his way of thinking. As (Eph. 6:21, 22) Paul trusted him not
we do, our love for Jehovah is sure only to deliver letters to the brothers
to grow. Consider Abraham. He truly in Ephesus and Colossae but also to
loved Jehovah. Even when he encourage and comfort them. Tychi-
found it hard to grasp Jehovah’s de- cus reminds us of the faithful, reliable
cisions, Abraham did not rebel. In- men who care for our spiritual needs
stead, he tried to get to know Je- today.—Col. 4:7-9. w22.09 9-10 ˚5-6
hovah better. For example, when he
learned of Jehovah’s decision to de- Saturday, March 30
stroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abra- Love covers a multitude of sins.
ham was at first afraid that “the Judge —1 Pet. 4:8.
of all the earth” would sweep away
Joseph faced severe trials that last-
the righteous along with the wick-
ed about 13 years. Joseph could have
ed. To Abraham, that seemed un-
questioned whether Jehovah really
thinkable, so he humbly asked Jeho-
loved him. And he could have won-
vah a series of questions. Jehovah
dered if Jehovah had abandoned him
patiently answered him. Finally, Abra-
in his time of need. But Joseph did
ham came to realize that Jehovah ex-
not become embittered. Instead, he
amines the heart of every human and
kept his senses by remaining calm.
that He never punishes the innocent When he had the chance to retaliate
along with the guilty.—Gen. 18:20-32. against his brothers, he refrained from
w22.08 28 ˚9-10 doing so and showed love for them
Friday, March 29 and forgave them. (Gen. 45:4, 5) Jo-
seph behaved this way because he was
The trustworthy person keeps able to think clearly. Rather than fo-
a confidence.—Prov. 11:13. cus on his problems, he saw the big
In 455 B.C.E., after Governor Nehe- picture—Jehovah’s purpose. (Gen.
miah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, 50:19-21) What is the lesson? If you
he looked for dependable men who are mistreated, do not become embit-
would take good care of the city. Ne- tered against Jehovah or wonder if he
hemiah selected, among others, the has abandoned you. Instead, meditate
chief of the Fortress, Hananiah. The on how he is helping you to endure
Bible describes Hananiah as “a most the trial. Additionally, when others
mistreat you, try to cover over their
trustworthy man [who] feared the
imperfections with love. w22.11 21 ˚4
true God more than many others.”
(Neh. 7:2) Love for Jehovah and fear
Sunday, March 31 and old. For instance, can you think
All rulerships will serve and obey of someone in your congregation who
is faithfully enduring a trial—perhaps
them.—Dan. 7:27.
peer pressure, family opposition, or
The prophet Daniel saw visions that poor health? Do you see in this person
clearly showed Jehovah’s supremacy commendable traits that you would
over all other authorities. Daniel first like to cultivate to a greater degree?
saw four huge beasts that symbolize By considering his or her good exam-
past and present world powers—Bab- ple, you may learn practical ways to
ylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome endure your own trials. How grateful
and its modern-day offshoot, Anglo- we are to have such living examples of
America. (Dan. 7:1-3, 17) Then Daniel faith to imitate—truly a cause for re-
saw Jehovah God sitting enthroned joicing!—Heb. 13:7. w22.04 13 ˚13-14
in the heavenly court. (Dan. 7:9, 10)
God takes all rulership away from hu- Tuesday, April 2
man governments and gives it to oth- There is more happiness in giving than
ers more deserving and more power- there is in receiving.—Acts 20:35.
ful. To whom? To “someone like a son
of man,” Jesus Christ, and to “the When we are facing a difficult situa-
holy ones of the Supreme One,” the tion in our personal life, we appreci-
ate it when a caring elder takes the
144,000 who will rule “forever and
time to listen to us and provide us
ever.” (Dan. 7:13, 14, 18) Clearly, Je-
comfort. When we need help with a
hovah is “the Supreme One.” The
Bible study, we are pleased when an
event that Daniel saw in vision har-
experienced pioneer agrees to sit in
monizes with something he had stat-
on the study and offers suggestions.
ed earlier. “The God of heaven,” Dan-
All these brothers and sisters are hap-
iel said, “removes kings and sets up
py to help us. We can share that
kings.”—Dan. 2:19-21. w22.10 14-15
joy if we make ourselves available to
˚9-11
serve our brothers. If you want to ex-
Monday, April 1 pand your service in these or simi-
lar ways, what will help you to reach
[The] tested quality of your faith your goals? Beware of setting a goal
produces endurance.—Jas. 1:3. that is too general. For example, you
Ask yourself: ‘How do I respond to may think, ‘I would like to do more in
counsel? Do I quickly acknowledge the congregation.’ But it may be dif-
my mistakes, or do I try to justi- ficult to know how to achieve such a
fy myself? Am I quick to blame oth- goal, and you may find it impossible
ers?’ As you read about faithful men to know when you have achieved it.
and women in the Bible, consider So choose a clear, specific goal. You
how they dealt with such matters. In might even write down the goal and
each case, ask yourself: ‘How can I how you plan to reach it. w22.04 25
˚12-13
be more like this loyal servant of Je-
hovah?’ We can also benefit by ob-
serving fellow believers, both young
Wednesday, April 3 his integrity. He remained faithful un-
You must love your neighbor der test. But will all perfect humans
be willing to do so when Satan is giv-
as yourself.—Jas. 2:8.
en an opportunity to test them? Each
Jehovah is now drawing together “a one will be able to answer this ques-
great crowd” of people and train- tion for himself when Satan is re-
ing them as subjects of his Kingdom. leased from the abyss at the end of the
(Rev. 7:9, 10) Despite living today in a 1,000 years. (Rev. 20:7) Those who
world divided by fear and war, those prove faithful during this final test will
making up this group strive to over- receive everlasting life and finally en-
come all national, tribal, and personal joy true freedom. (Rom. 8:21) Those
hatreds. They are already symbolical- who rebel will be destroyed forever.
ly beating their swords into plow- —Rev. 20:8-10. w22.05 19 ˚18-19
shares. (Mic. 4:3) Instead of partic-
ipating in wars that cause so much Friday, April 5
death, they are helping people to You will strike him in the heel.
find “the real life” by teaching them —Gen. 3:15.
about the true God and his purpos-
That prophecy was fulfilled when Sa-
es. (1 Tim. 6:19) Family members may
tan incited the Jews and the Romans
turn against them or they may suf-
to put the Son of God to death. (Luke
fer financially because they support
23:13, 20-24) Just as a literal heel
God’s Kingdom, but Jehovah makes
wound can temporarily cripple some-
sure that they have the things they
one, Jesus’ death temporarily put him
need. (Matt. 6:25, 30-33; Luke 18:29,
out of action and he lay lifeless in the
30) Those facts assure us that God’s
grave for parts of three days. (Matt.
Kingdom is a reality and that it will
16:21) If the prophecy of Genesis 3:15
continue to fulfill Jehovah’s purpose. was to be fulfilled, Jesus could not re-
w22.12 5 ˚13 main in the grave. Why not? Because
Thursday, April 4 according to the prophecy, the off-
spring would crush the serpent’s head.
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus. This meant that Jesus would need to
—Rev. 22:20. recover from his heel wound. And in-
By the end of the 1,000 years, all deed he did! On the third day after
those living on earth will have been his death, Jesus was resurrected as an
restored to perfect life. No longer immortal spirit creature. In God’s due
will anyone living be affected by the time, Jesus will crush Satan out of ex-
sin that was originally inherited istence. (Heb. 2:14) Those who will
from Adam. (Rom. 5:12) The curse of rule with Christ will share in ridding
Adamic sin will have been completely the earth of all of God’s enemies—the
removed. In that way, those on earth offspring of the serpent.—Rev. 17:14;
will “come to life” as perfect humans 20:4, 10. w22.07 16 ˚11-12
at the end of the 1,000 years. (Rev.
20:5) We know that Jesus resisted Sa-
tan’s efforts to make him compromise
Saturday, April 6 and benefit from Jehovah’s forgive-
The one walking with the wise will ness. (Luke 5:32) The elders pray in
behalf of a repentant one and ask Je-
become wise.—Prov. 13:20.
hovah to help him recover spiritual-
Parents, help your children develop ly. (Jas. 5:15) Suppose that a per-
wholesome friendships. God’s Word son is not repentant when the elders
makes it clear that our friendships meet with him. In that case, he will
have an influence on us—either for be disfellowshipped from the congre-
good or for bad. Do you know your gation. Yet, if the person later comes
children’s friends? What can you do to his senses and sincerely repents
to help your children make friends and turns around, Jehovah is willing
with those who love Jehovah? (1 Cor. to pardon him. (Luke 15:17-24) That
15:33) You can help them make wise is true even if his sins were very seri-
choices by inviting some who are do- ous.—2 Chron. 33:9, 12, 13; 1 Tim. 1:
ing well spiritually to join you in your 15. w22.06 9 ˚5-6
family activities. (Ps. 119:63) A fa-
ther named Tony explains: “Over the Monday, April 8
years, my wife and I have invited to Keep your senses, be watchful! Your
our home brothers and sisters of dif- adversary, the Devil, walks about like
ferent ages and backgrounds. They a roaring lion, seeking to devour
share a meal with us and join in our someone.—1 Pet. 5:8.
family worship. This is a great way
to get to know those who love and With Jehovah’s help, Christians earth
serve Jehovah with joy. . . . Their wide have overcome challenging situ-
experiences, zeal, and self-sacrificing ations and have been successful in op-
spirit have had a tremendous impact posing the Devil. (1 Pet. 5:9) You can
on our children and have helped them too. Very soon, Jehovah will direct
draw close to Jehovah.” w22.05 29-30 Jesus and his corulers “to break up
˚14-15 the works of the Devil.” (1 John 3:8)
After that, God’s people serving him
Sunday, April 7 on earth will “fear nothing and
have no cause for terror.” (Isa. 54:
Whatever things you may bind on
14; Mic. 4:4) Until then, though, we
earth will be things already bound
need to work hard to overcome our
in heaven.—Matt. 18:18.
fears. We must continue to strength-
When the elders meet with a wrong- en our confidence that Jehovah loves
doer, their goal is to reach the same and protects his servants. We will be
decision on earth that has already helped to do this by meditating on and
been reached in heaven. How does talking about how Jehovah has pro-
this arrangement benefit the congre- tected his servants in the past. And we
gation? It ensures that unrepentant can bear in mind how he has helped
wrongdoers who might harm Jeho- us personally to face distressing sit-
vah’s precious sheep are removed. uations. With Jehovah’s help, we can
(1 Cor. 5:6, 7, 11-13; Titus 3:10, 11) overcome our fears!—Ps. 34:4. w22.06
It may also help a sinner to repent 19 ˚19-20
Tuesday, April 9 itate to enjoy the best meal ever, why
It struck the image on its feet of hesitate to get baptized? Why wait?
Many might answer this way, “I am
iron and of clay.—Dan. 2:34.
not ready yet.” The fact is that the de-
The world power represented by the cision to dedicate yourself to Jehovah
“feet of iron and of clay” has already and to get baptized is the most impor-
appeared. It came into existence dur- tant decision you will ever make. So it
ing World War I when Britain and the does take time, careful thought, and
United States forged a special part- diligent effort to get ready. w23.03 7
nership, the Anglo-American alliance. ˚18-20
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image also
foretold things about this world power Thursday, April 11
that would distinguish it from the pre- It says, “and to your offspring,”
vious kingdoms. Unlike the previous in the sense of one, who is Christ.
world powers mentioned in the vision, —Gal. 3:16.
the Anglo-American alliance is sym-
At his anointing, Jesus became the
bolized, not by a solid metal like gold
primary part of the offspring of the
or silver, but by a mixture of iron
woman. After Jesus’ death and resur-
and clay. The clay represents “the off-
rection, God “crowned him with glory
spring of mankind,” or the common
and honor” and gave him “all authori-
people. (Dan. 2:43, ftn.) As is plain-
ty . . . in heaven and on the earth,” in-
ly evident today, their influence in
cluding the authority “to break up the
elections, civil rights campaigns, mass
works of the Devil.” (Heb. 2:7; Matt.
protests, and labor unions weakens
28:18; 1 John 3:8) But there would be
the ability of this world power to im-
a secondary part of the offspring. The
plement its policies. w22.07 4-5 ˚9-10
apostle Paul identified this part of
Wednesday, April 10 the offspring when he told both Jew-
ish and Gentile anointed Christians:
My food is to do the will of him “If you belong to Christ, you are real-
who sent me.—John 4:34. ly Abraham’s offspring, heirs with ref-
Are you hesitant about getting bap- erence to a promise.” (Gal. 3:28, 29)
tized? It might help if you ask your- When Jehovah anoints a Christian
self, ‘Why wait?’ (Acts 8:36) Note with holy spirit, that person becomes
that Jesus compared doing his Fa- part of the offspring of the woman.
ther’s will to food. Why? Food is good So the offspring is made up of Jesus
for us. Jesus knew that everything Christ and his 144,000 corulers. (Rev.
that Jehovah asks us to do is good 14:1) All of these reflect the spirit of
for us. Jehovah does not want us to their Father, Jehovah God. w22.07 16
do anything that would result in our ˚8-9
harm. Does Jehovah’s will for you in-
clude getting baptized? Yes. (Acts 2:
38) Then you can be confident that
obeying the command to get baptized
will benefit you. If you would not hes-
Friday, April 12 loyal to Jesus. He accepted the disci-
I loathe my life; I do not want to pline and learned from his mistakes.
Consequently, Jehovah rewarded Pe-
go on living.—Job 7:16.
ter’s loyalty and assigned him weighty
We expect to face trials during these responsibilities in the congregation.
last days. (2 Tim. 3:1) At such (John 21:15-17; Acts 10:24-33; 1 Pet.
times, we may feel distressed and 1:1) We benefit ourselves and others
overwhelmed, especially if it seems when we see beyond the embarrass-
that we are facing one trial after an- ment of the discipline, accept the cor-
other or even several trials all at once. rection, and make the needed adjust-
Remember, though, that Jehovah is ments. When we do so, we become
watching over us, and with his help even more useful to Jehovah and to
we can face any trial with confidence. our brothers. w22.11 21-22 ˚6-7
Consider how Jehovah helped the
faithful man Job. He experienced sev- Sunday, April 14
eral distressing trials in a short period Offer [Isaac] up there as a burnt
of time. In one day, Job learned about offering.—Gen. 22:2.
violent and shocking events that cost
Abraham knew that Jehovah would
him his livestock, killed his servants
never do anything unrighteous or
and, even worse, took the lives of his
unloving. According to the apostle
beloved children. (Job 1:13-19) Soon
Paul, Abraham reasoned that Jeho-
after, while still dealing with his im-
vah would be able to resurrect his
mense grief, Job was afflicted with a
dear son Isaac. (Heb. 11:17-19) After
painful and disfiguring disease. (Job
all, Jehovah had promised that Isaac
2:7) Jehovah was watching over Job.
would father a nation, and at that
Because Jehovah loved Job, He gave
point, Isaac had no children. Abra-
him what he needed to endure his ham loved Jehovah, so he trusted
trials successfully. w22.08 11 ˚8-10 that his Father would act with righ-
Saturday, April 13 teousness. In faith he obeyed, dif-
ficult though it was. (Gen. 22:1-12)
Those whom Jehovah loves he How can we imitate Abraham? Like
disciplines.—Heb. 12:6. him, we need to keep learning about
Discipline can be emotionally pain- Jehovah. As we do, we will draw clos-
ful. We may feel that it is not justi- er to him and love him even more.
fied or that it is too harsh. As a result, (Ps. 73:28) Our conscience will be
we may miss out on something special trained to reflect God’s thinking.
—seeing the discipline as an expres- (Heb. 5:14) As a result, when some-
sion of Jehovah’s love for us. (Heb. one tries to tempt us to do something
12:5, 11) So accept discipline, and wrong, we will refuse. We will hate
make the needed adjustments. More the very idea of doing anything that
than once, Jesus corrected Peter in would bring pain to our Father and
would damage our relationship with
front of the other apostles. (Mark 8:
him. w22.08 28-29 ˚11-12
33; Luke 22:31-34) What a humbling
experience! However, Peter remained
Monday, April 15 as Noah, Samuel, David, and Daniel
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it will have to learn about Jesus Christ
and exercise faith in his sacrifice. How
down, but a good word cheers it up.
much more so will the unrighteous!
—Prov. 12:25.
What will be the final outcome for
On their return visit to Lystra, Iconi- those who reject this marvelous op-
um, and Antioch, the apostle Paul and portunity? Revelation 20:15 tells us:
Barnabas “appointed elders for them “Whoever was not found written in
in each congregation.” (Acts 14:21- the book of life was hurled into the
23) No doubt those appointed lake of fire.” Yes, they will be com-
men proved to be a source of com- pletely destroyed forever. How impor-
fort to the congregations, as the el- tant it is, then, to make sure that our
ders are today. Elders, be alert to help name is written in the book of life and
those who may need “a good word” that it remains there! w22.09 19 ˚17-19
of encouragement. Paul reminded
fellow worshippers that in Jehovah’s Wednesday, April 17
strength, “a great cloud of witnesses” Maintain a clear conscience before
had endured hardships. (Heb. 12:1) God and men.—Acts 24:16.
Paul understood how the life stories
of those in the past who successfully Many of the choices we make regard-
endured all kinds of hardships could ing our health and medical treat-
infuse his brothers and sisters with ment are rightly determined by our
courage and help them keep focused Bible-trained conscience. (1 Tim. 3:9)
on the “city of the living God.” (Heb. When making decisions and discuss-
12:22) The same is true today. Who ing them with others, we do well to
has not been strengthened when read- apply the principle recorded at Phi-
ing about how Jehovah helped Gide- lippians 4:5: “Let your reasonableness
on, Barak, David, Samuel, and many become known to all men.” When we
others?—Heb. 11:32-35. w22.08 21-22 are reasonable, we do not become
˚5-6 overly concerned with our physical
health. We love and respect our broth-
Tuesday, April 16 ers and sisters, even if the decisions
they make are different from ours.
They were judged individually accord-
(Rom. 14:10-12) We show our grati-
ing to their deeds.—Rev. 20:13. tude to Jehovah, the Source of life,
Based on what “deeds” will resur- by safeguarding our life and by giving
rected ones be judged? Will it be him our best. (Rev. 4:11) For now, we
the deeds they practiced before they must deal with sicknesses and calam-
died? No! Remember, they were ac- ities. But this is not the life our Cre-
quitted of their previous sins when ator intended for us. Soon he will give
they died. Here, then, “their deeds” us everlasting life without pain and
cannot be deeds from their former death. (Rev. 21:4) In the meantime,
life. Rather, these must refer to their how good it is to be alive and to serve
deeds in response to their training in our loving heavenly Father, Jehovah!
the new world. Even such faithful men w23.02 25 ˚17-18
Thursday, April 18 age when they could not have chil-
Your kingdom has been divided and dren. Yet, God promised them that
they would have a child. (Gen. 18:
given to the Medes and the Persians.
10) How did Abraham react? The Bi-
—Dan. 5:28.
ble says: “He had faith that he would
Jehovah has clearly demonstrated his become the father of many nations.”
supremacy over “the superior author- (Rom. 4:18) Even though from a hu-
ities.” (Rom. 13:1) Consider three ex- man perspective the situation ap-
amples. Pharaoh of Egypt enslaved peared hopeless, Abraham was con-
Jehovah’s people and repeatedly re- fident that Jehovah would fulfill His
fused to release them. But God set promise. That faithful man was not
them free and drowned Pharaoh in disappointed. (Rom. 4:19-21) Such ac-
the Red Sea. (Ex. 14:26-28; Ps. 136: counts teach us that we can always
15) King Belshazzar of Babylon held rely on Jehovah to fulfill his promises.
a feast and “exalted [himself] against w22.10 27 ˚13-14
the Lord of the heavens” and “praised
gods of silver and gold” instead of Je- Saturday, April 20
hovah. (Dan. 5:22, 23) But God hum- You will see your Grand Instructor
bled that arrogant man. On “that very with your own eyes.—Isa. 30:20.
night,” Belshazzar was killed and his
Those words were fulfilled when the
kingdom was given into the hands of
Jews were released from captivity. Je-
the Medes and the Persians. (Dan. 5: hovah proved to be a Grand Instruc-
30, 31) King Herod Agrippa I of Pales- tor for them, and under his guidance,
tine had the apostle James killed and his people succeeded in restoring pure
then imprisoned the apostle Peter, worship. We are blessed to have Je-
with the intention of doing away with hovah as our Grand Instructor to-
him. But Jehovah prevented Herod day. Isaiah describes us as students
from carrying out his plan. “The angel who are being taught by Jehovah, say-
of Jehovah struck him,” and he died. ing: “You will see your Grand Instruc-
—Acts 12:1-5, 21-23. w22.10 15 ˚12 tor with your own eyes.” In this illus-
tration, the Instructor is depicted as
Friday, April 19
standing in front of his students. We
I will listen to you.—Jer. 29:12. are privileged to benefit from his in-
As we read about how Jehovah cared struction today. How does Jehovah
for those who were loyal to him in the instruct us? By means of his orga-
past, our hope will grow ever stronger. nization. How thankful we are for the
Everything in God’s Word was “writ- clear guidance we receive from that
ten for our instruction, so that source! The instruction given at our
through our endurance and through meetings as well as through the pub-
the comfort from the Scriptures we lications, broadcasts, and many oth-
might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4) Medi- er means helps us during challenging
times to endure with joy. w22.11 10
tate on how Jehovah has kept his
˚8-9
promises. Consider what God did for
Abraham and Sarah. They reached the
Sunday, April 21 fend truth and help to disprove the
What will be the sign . . . of the slander about our God, Jehovah. How
can you do that? You can choose a life
conclusion of the system of things?
course that says, in effect: “I reject
—Matt. 24:3.
Satan’s lies, and I uphold the truth. I
With regard to the timing of the end want Jehovah as my Sovereign, and I
of the Jewish system of things want to do what he says is right.” How
and “the conclusion of the system do you take such a stand? Approach
of things” in which we now live, Je- Jehovah in prayer and dedicate your-
sus said: “Concerning that day or the self to him and then make that dedica-
hour nobody knows, neither the an- tion public by getting baptized. Love
gels in heaven nor the Son, but the for what is true and right is a powerful
Father.” Then he warned all his dis- motive for choosing to get baptized.
ciples to “keep awake” and to “keep w23.03 3 ˚4-5
on the watch.” (Mark 13:32-37) Jew-
ish Christians in the first century Tuesday, April 23
had to remain watchful; their life de- Do not let your hearts be troubled
pended on it. Jesus told his follow- nor let them shrink out of fear.
ers: “When you see Jerusalem sur- —John 14:27.
rounded by encamped armies, then
know that the desolating of her has There is a kind of peace that this
drawn near.” At that moment, they world knows nothing about. It is “the
were to heed Jesus’ warning and “be- peace of God,” the calmness that
gin fleeing to the mountains.” (Luke comes from having a precious rela-
21:20, 21) Those who paid attention tionship with our heavenly Father.
to this warning survived when the Ro- When we have the peace of God, we
mans destroyed Jerusalem. Today we feel secure. (Phil. 4:6, 7) We enjoy
are living in the time of the end of this close friendships with others who love
wicked system of things. So we too him. And we enjoy a warm, personal
must keep our senses and keep on the relationship with “the God of peace.”
watch. w23.02 14 ˚1-2; 16 ˚3 (1 Thess. 5:23) When we know, trust,
and obey our Father, the peace of
Monday, April 22 God can calm our anxious heart when
we are facing a troubling situation. Is
Jehovah, the God of truth.—Ps. 31:5.
it really possible to find the peace of
Jehovah teaches his servants to be God when we are faced with a crisis,
honest and righteous. They thus find such as a disease outbreak, a disas-
a measure of dignity and inner peace. ter, civil unrest, or persecution? Any
(Prov. 13:5, 6) Has he done that for one of these crises can fill us with fear.
you as you have studied the Bible? Happily, brothers and sisters have fol-
You have learned that Jehovah’s ways lowed Jesus’ advice as mentioned in
are best for all humankind and for you today’s text. With Jehovah’s help,
personally. (Ps. 77:13) So you want to they have been able to find peace
take your stand for God’s righteous- while coping with severe trials. w22.12
ness. (Matt. 6:33) You want to de- 16 ˚1-2
Wednesday, April 24 iah: “Do not give [Jehovah] any rest.”
Be aglow with the spirit. Slave for (Isa. 62:7) What does that mean? Our
prayers to Jehovah should be so per-
Jehovah.—Rom. 12:11.
sistent that it is as if we were not
We cannot control everything that allowing Jehovah to rest. Isaiah’s
happens in our life. Therefore, it is im- words remind us of Jesus’ illustra-
portant that we do not measure our tions about prayer found at Luke 11:8-
value by the privileges of service that 10, 13. There Jesus encourages us to
we enjoy or compare our privileges “keep on asking” for holy spirit. We
with those that others enjoy. (Gal. can also beg Jehovah to provide the
6:4) It is important that we look for guidance we need in order to make
ways in which we can be useful. Make proper decisions. w22.11 8 ˚1; 9 ˚6-7
yourself available for privileges of ser-
vice by keeping your life simple and Friday, April 26
avoiding unnecessary debt. Set inter- We must enter into the Kingdom of
mediate goals that will help you reach God through many tribulations.
your long-term goals. For example, if —Acts 14:22.
your long-term goal is to become a
You and your family can prepare now
regular pioneer, could you serve as a
for persecution. Do not try to imagine
continuous auxiliary pioneer at pres-
all the bad things that could happen.
ent? If your goal is to serve as a min-
Instead, strengthen your friendship
isterial servant, could you spend more
with Jehovah and help your children
time in field service? The experience
to do the same. If at times you feel
you gain now may open the door to
anxious, pour out your heart to God.
further privileges of service in the fu-
(Ps. 62:7, 8) As a family, discuss all
ture. Be determined to do your best in
the reasons why you can trust in him.
any assignment you are given. w22.04
As in the case of a disaster, your per-
26 ˚16-17
sonal preparation and your trust in
Thursday, April 25 Jehovah will instill in your children
courage and peace. The peace of God
I love Jehovah because he hears my makes us feel secure. (Phil. 4:6, 7) By
voice, my pleas for help.—Ps. 116:1. means of it, Jehovah calms our heart
Jehovah can help us to cope with the despite the diseases, disasters, and
challenges in our life and to find joy persecution that can affect us today.
in our sacred service. When we ap- He uses hardworking elders to shep-
proach our God about a matter that herd us. And he gives all of us the
concerns us, Jehovah’s immediate re- privilege of helping one another. The
sponse may be to give us the strength peace that we enjoy now will equip us
to cope with the situation. And if to face greater trials to come, even
our trial does not end as soon as we the “great tribulation.”—Matt. 24:21.
had hoped, we may need to ask Je- w22.12 27 ˚17-18
hovah repeatedly for the strength to
endure it. He invites us to do so.
That is implied by these words of Isa-
Saturday, April 27 her feet and a crown of 12 stars on
I came to call, not righteous people, her head. She gives birth to a most un-
usual child—the Kingdom of God. The
but sinners.—Matt. 9:13.
Kingdom is heavenly, so the woman
We should strive to let go of guilt that must also be heavenly. She represents
we may feel because of serious sins the heavenly part of Jehovah’s orga-
committed in the past. Of course, we nization made up of his faithful spirit
would never consider the ransom sac- creatures. (Gal. 4:26) God’s Word
rifice to be an excuse to “practice sin also helps us to identify the primary
willfully.” (Heb. 10:26-31) But we can offspring of the woman. This offspring
rest assured that if we truly have re- was to be a natural descendant of
pented of a serious sin, have sought Abraham.—Gen. 22:15-18. w22.07 15-
the help Jehovah provides, and have 16 ˚6-8
changed our conduct, he has forgiv-
en us in a large way. (Isa. 55:7; Acts Monday, April 29
3:19) The ransom sacrifice is powerful You accepted it not as the word of
enough to cover all our sins and will men but, just as it truthfully is, as
make life in Paradise possible. Life the word of God.—1 Thess. 2:13.
there will never be boring. We will al-
Jehovah’s gift, the Bible, is filled with
ways have interesting people to meet
his wisdom. The Bible’s counsel has
and meaningful work to do. Best of
a positive effect on people. The Bible
all, each day we will be able to come
changes lives. When the first books of
to know our heavenly Father better
the Bible were composed, Moses told
and enjoy what he has provided. We
God’s people, the Israelites: “This is
will never run out of things to learn
no empty word for you, but it means
about him, and there will be so much
your life.” (Deut. 32:47) Those who
to learn about his creation. w22.12 13
obeyed the Scriptures could enjoy a
˚17, 19
successful and happy life. (Ps. 1:2, 3)
Sunday, April 28 Time has not drained God’s Word of
its power to improve people’s lives.
I will put enmity between you and The wise principles found in the Bible
the woman.—Gen. 3:15. are everlasting; they have proved to
“The woman” could not have been be beneficial to people living in every
Eve. The prophecy states that the off- time period. As we read that sacred
spring of the woman would “crush” book and meditate on what we learn,
the serpent’s head. The serpent is the the Author uses his powerful holy
spirit creature Satan, and no imper- spirit to help us see how we can ap-
fect human offspring of Eve’s would ply the Bible’s counsel in our life. (Ps.
have the ability to crush him. Some- 119:27; Mal. 3:16; Heb. 4:12) Yes, the
thing more was needed. The identity Bible’s living Author is eager to help
of the woman mentioned at Genesis 3: you. What an incentive to read the Bi-
15 is revealed in the last book of the ble regularly! w23.02 3 ˚5-6
Bible. (Rev. 12:1, 2, 5, 10) This is no
ordinary woman! She has the moon at
Tuesday, April 30 and enjoy amazing blessings. (Ps. 37:
He will bring ruin in an extraordinary 9-11, 27-29; Prov. 2:21, 22; Rev. 7:16,
17) Whether we have been selected to
way.—Dan. 8:24.
go to heaven or will remain here on
Revelation chapter 13 tells us that the earth, do we see ourselves in this de-
seventh head, the Anglo-American scription recorded in Revelation chap-
World Power, acts as a wild beast with ter 7? We should. What an exciting
“two horns like a lamb, but it began time that will be for both groups of
speaking like a dragon.” This beast God’s servants! We will be overjoyed
“performs great signs, even making that we chose to support Jehovah’s
fire come down out of heaven to the rulership. w22.05 16 ˚6-7
earth in the sight of mankind.” (Rev.
13:11-15) Revelation chapters 16 and Thursday, May 2
19 describe this wild beast as “the false Jehovah himself gives wisdom.
prophet.” (Rev. 16:13; 19:20) Daniel —Prov. 2:6.
mentions something similar, namely,
that the Anglo-American World Pow- If you have ever had to make an
er would “bring terrible destruction.” important decision, no doubt you
(Dan. 8:19, 23, 24, ftn.) That is exactly prayed for wisdom—and for good rea-
what happened during World War II. son. (Jas. 1:5) King Solomon wrote:
The two atomic bombs that played a “Wisdom is the most important
decisive role in ending that war in the thing.” (Prov. 4:7) Of course, Solo-
Pacific were the results of a joint effort mon was not talking about just any
by British and American scientists. sort of wisdom. He was referring to
The Anglo-American World Power, in the wisdom that comes from Jeho-
effect, made “fire come down out of vah God. But can godly wisdom help
heaven to the earth.” w22.05 10 ˚9 us deal with the kinds of problems
we face today? Yes, it can. One way
Wednesday, May 1 that we can become truly wise is by
studying and applying the teachings
After this I saw . . . a great crowd, of two men who are widely respected
which no man was able to number, out for their wisdom. First, consider Sol-
of all nations and tribes and peoples omon. The Bible says that “God gave
and tongues.—Rev. 7:9. Solomon wisdom and discernment in
After seeing the heavenly group, John very great measure.” (1 Ki. 4:29) Sec-
sees “a great crowd.” Unlike the 144,- ond, consider Jesus, whose wisdom
000, the great crowd cannot be num- was unparalleled. (Matt. 12:42) Of Je-
bered. What do we learn about them? sus, it was prophesied: “The spirit of
John is told: “These are the ones Jehovah will settle upon him, the spir-
who come out of the great tribulation, it of wisdom and of understanding.”
and they have washed their robes —Isa. 11:2. w22.05 20 ˚1-2
and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:14) Upon sur-
viving the great tribulation, this
“great crowd” will live here on earth
Friday, May 3 righteousness, but in the end, he re-
Let me tell the next generation about turned. Parents, you have been grant-
ed a wonderful privilege, namely, to
your power.—Ps. 71:18.
raise a new generation of worship-
We are never too old to set and reach pers of Jehovah. (Ps. 78:4-6) That is
spiritual goals. Consider the example no small task, and we commend you
of a 75-year-old sister named Bever- most sincerely for your tireless efforts
ley. She had a severe health problem to help your children to love Jeho-
that made it hard for her to walk. But vah and to bring them up in his disci-
she longed to have a full share in the pline and admonition. You can be sure
Memorial campaign. So she set specif- that our loving heavenly Father will
ic goals. When Beverley reached her be pleased.—Eph. 6:4. w22.05 30-31
goals for the campaign, she was very ˚16-18
happy. Her efforts motivated others
to exert themselves in the ministry. Sunday, May 5
Jehovah values the work of our old- All the body is harmoniously joined
er brothers and sisters, even if circum- together.—Eph. 4:16.
stances limit what they can do. (Ps.
To promote peace and unity in the
71:17) Set goals that are within your
congregation, each one of us needs to
reach. Cultivate qualities that will en-
give his personal best. Consider the
dear you to Jehovah. Learn skills that
first-century Christians. They had a
will allow you to be more useful to our
variety of gifts and assignments.
God and his organization. Look for
(1 Cor. 12:4, 7-11) But this was not a
ways to serve your brothers and sis-
cause for competition and divisions.
ters more fully. Like Timothy, with Je-
Rather, Paul urged each one to sup-
hovah’s blessing “your advancement
ply what was needed “to build up the
may be plainly seen by all people.” body of the Christ.” Paul wrote to
—1 Tim. 4:15. w22.04 27 ˚18-19 the Ephesians: “When each respective
Saturday, May 4 member functions properly, this con-
tributes to the growth of the body as
From infancy you have known the it builds itself up in love.” (Eph. 4:
holy writings.—2 Tim. 3:15. 1-3, 11, 12) Those who did so promot-
What if, in spite of your best efforts, ed peace and unity—traits that we ob-
one of your children says that he serve in our congregations today. Be
does not want to serve Jehovah? Do determined to avoid comparing your-
not conclude that you have failed as self with others. Instead, learn from
a parent. Jehovah has given all of us Jesus, and strive to imitate his quali-
—including your child—the gift of ties. Be confident that Jehovah “is
free will, the ability to choose wheth- not unrighteous so as to forget your
er we will serve God or not. Do not work.” (Heb. 6:10) He appreciates
give up hope that one day he will re- your whole-souled efforts to please
him. w22.04 14 ˚15-16
turn. Remember the illustration of the
lost son. (Luke 15:11-19, 22-24) That
young man strayed far off the path of
Monday, May 6 great crowd, no doubt the hope of
Christ Jesus came into the world better things to come is very precious
to save sinners.—1 Tim. 1:15. to you. The Devil wants to rob you of
your hope. His goal is to make you
What a relief it is to know that we do believe that Jehovah will not keep his
not need to decide if Jehovah will par- promises. If Satan succeeds in rob-
don a sinner! Still, there is some- bing us of our hope, we will lose cour-
thing that we do need to decide. What age, and we may even stop serving Je-
is it? In some cases, an individual has hovah. w22.06 20-21 ˚2-3
sinned against us—even seriously—but
then he may apologize and ask for our Wednesday, May 8
forgiveness. In other cases, the person We have this hope as an anchor
may not. Even so, we can choose to
for the soul, both sure and firm.
forgive the person in the sense that we
—Heb. 6:19.
can decide to let go of any resentment
and anger that we feel toward him. Re- Our firm hope helps us to ride out
alistically, this may take time and ef- stormy trials because we are con-
fort, especially if we have been deeply vinced that calmer times lie just
hurt. The Watchtower of September 15, ahead. Remember, Jesus warned that
1994, says: “When you do forgive a we would be persecuted. (John 15:20)
sinner, this does not mean that you So meditating on our promised future
are condoning the sin. For the Chris- reward allows us to keep steady on
tian, forgiveness means trustfully leav- our Christian course. Consider how
ing the matter in Jehovah’s hands. He hope kept Jesus steadfast despite the
is the righteous Judge of all the uni- cruel death that awaited him. On the
verse, and he will carry out justice at day of Pentecost 33 C.E., the apos-
the right time.” w22.06 9 ˚6-7 tle Peter quoted a prophecy from the
book of Psalms that beautifully ex-
Tuesday, May 7 presses Jesus’ calm assurance: “I will
Hope in Jehovah.—Ps. 27:14. reside in hope; because you will not
leave me in the Grave, nor will you al-
Jehovah promised that in our day, he
low your loyal one to see corruption.
would bring together people out of
every nation and tribe and tongue, . . . You will fill me with great joy
and he would unite them in pure wor- in your presence.” (Acts 2:25-28; Ps.
ship. Today, that remarkable group of 16:8-11) Jesus had the firm hope that
people is known as the “great crowd.” God would resurrect him and that he
(Rev. 7:9, 10) Although consisting of would have the joy of being reunited
men, women, and children of differ- with his Father in heaven.—Heb. 12:
ent backgrounds, that diverse group 2, 3. w22.10 25 ˚4-5
forms a peaceful, united global broth-
erhood. (Ps. 133:1; John 10:16) They
are always ready to share their hope
of a better world with anyone who
will listen. (Matt. 28:19, 20; Rev. 14:
6, 7; 22:17) If you are part of the
Thursday, May 9 marvelous! No doubt your faith was
We all stumble many times. tested in a number of ways as you
were progressing toward baptism. But
—Jas. 3:2.
as you grow spiritually, you will face
On one occasion, two of the apos- new tests. Satan will try to weaken
tles, James and John, had their moth- your love for Jehovah and to draw
er ask Jesus to give them prominent you away from serving Him. (Eph. 4:
positions in the Kingdom. (Matt. 20: 14) You must not allow that to hap-
20, 21) James and John were thus pen. What can help you to remain loy-
displaying the traits of pride and am- al to Jehovah and fulfill your dedica-
bition. (Prov. 16:18) James and John tion vow? You must continue to make
were not the only ones who displayed progress—to “press on” to Christian
bad traits on that occasion. Note how maturity.—Heb. 6:1. w22.08 2 ˚1-2
the other apostles reacted: “When the
ten others heard about it, they be- Saturday, May 11
came indignant at the two brothers.” Honor your father and your mother,
(Matt. 20:24) We can imagine that just as Jehovah your God has com-
sharp words were exchanged among manded you, so that you may live
James, John, and the other apostles. a long time and you may prosper.
How did Jesus deal with the situation? —Deut. 5:16.
He did not become indignant. He did
not say that he was going to look for In the family, each member has a re-
better apostles, men who had greater sponsibility to keep sensitive, family
humility and who would always treat matters private. For example, a Chris-
one another with love. Rather, Jesus tian woman may have a habit that
patiently reasoned with these sincere her husband finds amusing. Would he
talk about it to others and thus cause
men. (Matt. 20:25-28) He continued
her embarrassment? Of course not!
to deal with them in a loving way.
He loves his wife, and he would never
w23.03 28-29 ˚10-13
want to do anything to hurt her. (Eph.
Friday, May 10 5:33) Teenagers want to be treated
with a measure of respect. Parents do
Be wise, my son, and make my heart well to recognize this. They would not
rejoice, so that I can make a reply to humiliate their children by revealing
him who taunts me.—Prov. 27:11. their mistakes to others. (Col. 3:21)
You have accomplished much. You Children need to learn to be discreet,
have diligently studied the Bible, per- not disclosing information to outsid-
haps for a number of years. Your stud- ers that could embarrass other mem-
ies have convinced you that the Bible bers of the family. When each family
is the Word of God. More than that, member does his part to keep person-
though, you have come to know and al family matters private, the family
love the Author of that sacred book. bond is strengthened. w22.09 10 ˚9
Your love for Jehovah has grown to
the point that you are now one of
his dedicated, baptized servants. How
Sunday, May 12 this issue. The apostle Paul under-
Listen to this, Job; stop and consider. scored the importance of keeping
peace. Paul thus helped his fellow be-
—Job 37:14.
lievers to see how damaging such dis-
Jehovah spoke to Job, reminding him putes were to individuals and to the
of His infinite wisdom and loving care congregation as a whole. (Rom. 14:
for His creatures. He spoke of many 19, 20) He was also willing to change
awe-inspiring animals. (Job 38:1, 2; his own behavior to avoid stumbling
39:9, 13, 19, 27; 40:15; 41:1, 2) Jeho- others. (1 Cor. 9:19-22) We can like-
vah also used a faithful young man wise build others up and maintain
named Elihu to strengthen and com- peace if we refrain from making is-
fort Job. Elihu assured him that Je- sues over matters of personal prefer-
hovah always rewards His worshippers ence. w22.08 22 ˚7
for their endurance. But Jehovah also
moved Elihu to give Job some lov- Tuesday, May 14
ing counsel. Elihu helped Job to fo- Jehovah . . . loves the one who pursues
cus on the big picture by reminding righteousness.—Prov. 15:9.
him of his position in relation to Jeho-
If we are pursuing a specific goal in
vah, the Creator of the universe. Je-
Jehovah’s service, we keep putting
hovah also gave Job an assignment;
forth effort to reach it. The same is
he was to pray for his three compan-
true when we pursue righteousness.
ions who had sinned. (Job 42:8-10)
And Jehovah will patiently help us
How does Jehovah support us today
to make progress, to improve steadi-
when we experience difficult trials?
ly over time. (Ps. 84:5, 7) Jehovah
Jehovah does not speak to us directly,
lovingly reminds us that righteous-
as he did with Job, but He does speak
ness is not a burden. (1 John 5:3) On
to us through His Word, the Bible.
the contrary, it is a protection, some-
—Rom. 15:4. w22.08 11 ˚10-11 thing we need every day. Remember
Monday, May 13 the spiritual suit of armor that the
apostle Paul described. (Eph. 6:14-
It is best not to eat meat or drink wine 18) Which part protected the soldier’s
or do anything over which your broth- heart? It was “the breastplate of righ-
er stumbles.—Rom. 14:21. teousness,” which represents Jeho-
The congregation in Rome was made vah’s righteous standards. Just as a
up of both Jewish and Gentile Chris- breastplate protects the literal heart,
tians. When the Mosaic Law was done so Jehovah’s righteous standards can
away with, the restrictions it had protect your figurative heart, the per-
placed on eating certain foods were son you are on the inside. By all
no longer in force. (Mark 7:19) From means, then, make sure that your suit
that time on, some Jewish Christians of armor includes the breastplate of
felt free to eat all kinds of foods. Oth- righteousness!—Prov. 4:23. w22.08 29
˚13-14
er Jewish Christians, however, could
not bring themselves to do so. The
congregation became divided over
Wednesday, May 15 our loved ones will be among those
The word of our God endures forever. restored to life early on in the earth-
ly resurrection. Additionally, “the un-
—Isa. 40:8.
righteous,” such as those who did not
God’s Word has provided sound guid- have sufficient opportunity to know
ance to faithful men and women for Jehovah or to serve him faithfully be-
thousands of years. How has that fore they died, will be raised to “a
been possible? Jehovah saw to it that resurrection of judgment.” All these
copies were made of the sacred text. resurrected ones will need to be in-
Although the copyists were imperfect, structed. (Isa. 26:9; 61:11) So the
they were extremely careful. Regard- greatest educational program in all
ing the Hebrew Scriptures, for exam- human history will need to be imple-
ple, one scholar wrote: “It may be mented.—Isa. 11:10. w22.09 20 ˚1-2
safely said that no other work of an-
tiquity has been so accurately trans- Friday, May 17
mitted.” So we can be confident that He is the living God.—Dan. 6:26.
the words we read in our Bible to-
Jehovah has shown his supremacy
day convey the thoughts of its Au-
over entire coalitions of rulers. He
thor, Jehovah. Jehovah is the Source
fought for Israel, enabling them to
of “every good gift and every perfect
conquer large portions of the Prom-
present.” (Jas. 1:17) The Bible is one
ised Land. (Josh. 11:4-6, 20; 12:1,
of the best gifts that Jehovah has giv- 7, 24) Time and again, Jehovah has
en us. A gift tells us something about proved to be the Supreme One! When
the giver—how well he knows us and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
our needs. The same is true about the boasted about ‘his own strength and
Giver of the Bible. When we examine might and the glory of his majesty’ in-
this gift, we learn much about Jeho- stead of humbly acknowledging Jeho-
vah. We learn how well he knows us vah as the One deserving of praise,
and what we need. w23.02 2-3 ˚3-4 God struck him with insanity. After he
recovered, Nebuchadnezzar “praised
Thursday, May 16
the Most High” and acknowledged
The earth will certainly be filled with that “[Jehovah’s] rulership is an ever-
the knowledge of Jehovah.—Isa. 11:9. lasting rulership.” He added: “There is
What a wonderful day it will be when no one who can hinder him.” (Dan. 4:
the resurrection starts here on earth 30, 33-35) The psalmist observed:
during Christ’s Thousand Year Reign! “Happy is the nation whose God is Je-
All who have lost loved ones long to hovah, the people he has chosen as
his own possession.” (Ps. 33:12) What
see them again. That is how Jehovah
good reason, indeed, we have to keep
feels too. (Job 14:15) Imagine what
our integrity to Jehovah! w22.10 15-16
joyous reunions will take place earth
˚13-15
wide. “The righteous,” whose names
are written in the book of life, will re-
turn to “a resurrection of life.” (Acts
24:15; John 5:29) Perhaps many of
Saturday, May 18 you, to comfort you, and to feed you
spiritually. (Matt. 6:14; 24:45; 2 Cor.
Your word is truth.—Ps. 119:160.
1:3) When you meditate on what God
The many Bible prophecies that have has done for you already, you will
already been fulfilled strengthen our strengthen your hope in what he will
confidence in the reliability of God’s do for you in the future. We are cer-
promises for the future. We feel as tain that Jehovah will keep his prom-
did the psalmist who prayed to Je- ises. As the psalmist wrote, “happy is
hovah: “I long for your salvation, for the one . . . whose hope is in Jehovah
your word is my hope.” (Ps. 119:81) his God, . . . the One who always re-
Through the pages of the Bible, Jeho- mains faithful.”—Ps. 146:5, 6. w22.10
vah has kindly given us “a future and a 27 ˚15; 28 ˚17
hope.” (Jer. 29:11) Our hope for the
future depends, not on man’s efforts, Monday, May 20
but on Jehovah’s promises. May we On you Jehovah will shine.
continue to build our trust in God’s —Isa. 60:2.
Word by being keen students of Bi-
Does the prophecy about the restora-
ble prophecy. For further proof that
tion of pure worship apply to us to-
we can trust the Bible, consider the
day? Absolutely! In what way? Since
good results people experience when
1919 C.E., millions of people have bro-
they follow its advice. (Ps. 119:66,
ken free from captivity to Babylon the
138) For example, married couples
Great, the world empire of false re-
who were once on the brink of divorce
ligion. They have been directed to a
are now happily united. Their children
much better place than Israel’s Prom-
enjoy being raised in the loving at-
ised Land. They have been led to a
mosphere of a Christian home, where
spiritual paradise. (Isa. 51:3; 66:8)
they feel secure and loved.—Eph. 5: Since 1919 C.E., the anointed have
22-29. w23.01 5 ˚12-13 enjoyed living in a spiritual paradise.
As time has progressed, those with
Sunday, May 19
an earthly hope, the “other sheep,”
Rejoice in the hope.—Rom. 12:12. have also settled in this spiritual land
Think about how you have already and have enjoyed Jehovah’s abundant
benefited personally from the fulfill- blessings. (John 10:16; Isa. 25:6; 65:
ment of the promises contained in 13) The spiritual paradise they inhab-
God’s Word. For example, Jesus has it exists throughout the world. So,
promised that his Father will provide today, no matter where we live on
you with the necessities of life. (Matt. earth, we can be part of the spiritu-
6:32, 33) Jesus has also assured you al paradise as long as we are actively
that Jehovah will give you holy spir- supporting true worship. w22.11 11-12
it when you ask for it. (Luke 11:13) ˚12-15
Jehovah has kept those promises.
Likely, you can think of other promis-
es that he has kept in your behalf.
For instance, he promises to forgive
Tuesday, May 21 gregation meeting. Brothers who have
Are you not from everlasting, O Jeho- that privilege should keep in mind the
purpose of the meeting. Prayer is not
vah? O my God, my Holy One, you do
to be used to counsel the congrega-
not die.—Hab. 1:12.
tion or to make announcements. For
Do you find it difficult to grasp the most congregation meetings, a total
idea that Jehovah has existed “for all of five minutes is allotted for song
eternity”? (Isa. 40:28) That is not un- and prayer, so the brother who is of-
usual. Elihu said of God: “The num- fering the prayer need not use “many
ber of his years is beyond comprehen- words,” especially at the beginning
sion.” (Job 36:26) But just because of a meeting.—Matt. 6:7. w22.07 24
we do not understand something does ˚17-18
not mean that it is untrue. For ex-
ample, though we may not understand Thursday, May 23
fully how light works, does this mean You are going to hear of wars and
that light does not exist? Not at all! reports of wars. See that you are not
Similarly, we humans may never ful- alarmed, for these things must take
ly comprehend how it is that Jehovah place, but the end is not yet.
has always existed and will always ex- —Matt. 24:6.
ist. But this does not mean that God
does not live eternally. The Creator is Jesus foretold that during the last
days, there would be pestilences, or
not limited by what we can or cannot
widespread diseases, “in one place af-
understand. (Rom. 11:33-36) And he
ter another.” (Luke 21:11) How does
existed before the material universe
knowing that bring us peace? We are
—including light sources such as the
not surprised by disease outbreaks.
sun—came to be. Yes, he existed be-
We realize that events are proceed-
fore he “stretched out the heavens.”
ing as Jesus said they would. We thus
—Jer. 51:15. w22.12 2-3 ˚3-4
have reason to follow the advice Je-
Wednesday, May 22 sus gave to those living during the
time of the end: “See that you are not
May my prayer be as incense prepared alarmed.” A disease outbreak will no
before you.—Ps. 141:2. doubt disrupt some aspects of your
At times, we are invited to offer a routine, but do not let it interfere with
prayer on behalf of others. For exam- your personal study or meeting atten-
ple, a sister who is conducting a Bible dance. The real-life experiences found
study may ask the sister who has ac- in our publications and videos will re-
companied her to offer a prayer. The mind you that your brothers and sis-
visiting sister might not know the stu- ters are keeping their integrity despite
dent well, so she might prefer to offer similar challenges. w22.12 17 ˚4, 6
the concluding prayer at the study. In
that way, she can more easily adapt
her prayer to the needs of the student.
A brother may be asked to pray at a
meeting for field service or at a con-
Friday, May 24 trying to resolve?’ When we take time
Bad things happen to everyone. to consider such questions, we may
conclude that our love for our broth-
—Eccl. 9:11, “Holy Bible—Easy-to-
er can move us simply to overlook the
Read Version.”
offense. We individually prove that we
The patriarch Jacob made it obvious are real followers of Jesus when we
that he loved his son Joseph very show unselfish love toward our broth-
much. (Gen. 37:3, 4) As a result, Ja- ers and sisters despite their imperfec-
cob’s older sons became jealous of tions. In the process, we may help
their brother. When they saw an op- others to recognize the true religion
portunity, they sold Joseph to a group and to join us in worshipping Jeho-
of Midianite merchants. Those mer- vah. Let us be determined to continue
chants took Joseph hundreds of kilo- demonstrating the love that identifies
meters away to Egypt, where he was true Christians. w23.03 31 ˚18-19
sold once more—this time to Poti-
phar, chief of Pharaoh’s guards. How Sunday, May 26
quickly Joseph’s life changed, from God is love.—1 John 4:8.
being his father’s dearly beloved son
The Bible gives evidence of its Au-
to being a lowly slave of an Egyp-
thor’s greatest quality—love. Because
tian! (Gen. 39:1) We sometimes en- Jehovah loves us, he did not over-
counter hardships that are “common whelm us with more details than we
to men”—that is, trials that all hu- can handle. (John 21:25) Jehovah
mans experience. (1 Cor. 10:13) Or we also showed love by communicating
may suffer simply because we are dis- with us in a style that dignifies us.
ciples of Jesus. For example, we might In the Bible, he does not give us an
be ridiculed, opposed, or even perse- endless list of rules, micromanaging
cuted because of our faith. (2 Tim. 3: every aspect of our life. Rather, he ap-
12) Whatever trial you face, Jehovah peals to our thinking ability through
can make you successful. w23.01 14-15 real-life stories, stirring prophecies,
˚3-4 and practical counsel. In these ways,
God’s Word moves us to love and
Saturday, May 25
obey him from our heart. The Bible
Where there is no wood, the fire reveals that Jehovah is keenly inter-
goes out.—Prov. 26:20. ested in us. How so? His Word is filled
We may at times feel the need to ap- with accounts that express human
proach a fellow believer who has of- emotion. We can relate to Bible char-
fended us. First, though, we do well to acters because they were people “with
feelings like ours.” (Jas. 5:17) More
ask ourselves such questions as: ‘Do I
important, by observing how he dealt
have enough facts?’ (Prov. 18:13)
with people like us, we are able to un-
‘Could it be that the offense was not
derstand more clearly that “Jehovah
intentional?’ (Eccl. 7:20) ‘Have I ever
is very tender in affection and merci-
made a similar mistake?’ (Eccl. 7:21,
ful.”—Jas. 5:11. w23.02 6 ˚13-15
22) ‘By approaching the person, will I
create a bigger issue than the one I am
Monday, May 27 How, though, does Jesus promote hu-
Keep your senses, be watchful! mility? Jesus promotes humility by his
example. For instance, he directs all
—1 Pet. 5:8.
glory to his Father, never to himself.
The last book of the Bible begins with (Mark 10:17, 18; John 5:19) How do
the words: “A revelation by Jesus you feel about seeing such humility?
Christ, which God gave him, to show Does it not move you to love God’s
his slaves the things that must short- Son and to follow him? Surely it does.
ly take place.” (Rev. 1:1) So we have a Why is Jesus humble? Because he
keen interest in current world events loves and imitates his Father, who is
and in knowing how they may fulfill humble. (Ps. 18:35; Heb. 1:3) Are you
Bible prophecy. And we may be eager not drawn to Jesus, who perfectly re-
to discuss such events with one an- flects Jehovah’s qualities? w23.03 3-4
other. When discussing Bible prophe- ˚6-7
cy, however, we should avoid specu-
lating. Why? Because we would not Wednesday, May 29
want to say anything that could cause There is going to be a resurrection
disunity in the congregation. For in- of both the righteous and the unrigh-
stance, we may hear world leaders teous.—Acts 24:15.
talk about how they can solve a par-
The Bible speaks of two groups of peo-
ticular conflict and bring peace and
ple who will be resurrected with the
security. Instead of speculating that
prospect of living forever on earth,
such a statement fulfills the prophe-
“the righteous” and “the unrighteous.”
cy at 1 Thessalonians 5:3, we need to
“The righteous” are those who faith-
keep up-to-date with the latest pub-
fully served Jehovah while they were
lished information. When we base our alive. On the other hand, “the unrigh-
discussions on material published by teous” did not. Because both groups
Jehovah’s organization, we help the are resurrected, can we say that their
congregation to remain united “in the names are written in the book of life?
same line of thought.”—1 Cor. 1:10; Before dying, “the righteous” had their
4:6. w23.02 16 ˚4-5 names written in the book of life. Were
their names taken out of that book
Tuesday, May 28
when they died? No, because they are
Ride in the cause of truth and humility still “living” in Jehovah’s memory. Je-
and righteousness, and your right hovah “is a God, not of the dead, but
hand will accomplish awe-inspiring of the living, for they are all living to
things.—Ps. 45:4. him.” (Luke 20:38) This means that
when the righteous are restored to life
Why do you love Jesus Christ? Jesus
on earth, their names will be found
stands for truth, humility, and righ- written in the book of life, although
teousness. If you love truth and righ- “in pencil” at first.—Luke 14:14. w22.09
teousness, it is understandable that 16 ˚9-10
you also love Jesus Christ. Think
of how Jesus courageously defended
what is true and right. (John 18:37)
Thursday, May 30 the end. More than 2,500 years ago,
Jehovah God took the man and settled Daniel foretold that after Babylon,
four other world powers would have
him in the garden of Eden to cultivate
a significant impact on God’s peo-
it and to take care of it.—Gen. 2:15.
ple. Furthermore, he revealed that the
Jehovah wanted the first human to Anglo-American World Power would
enjoy His creation. When God made be the last of these. This gives us com-
Adam, He gave him an unspoiled par- fort and hope that soon God’s King-
adise to explore and assigned him to dom will sweep away every trace of
cultivate and expand that paradise. human rule and take full charge of the
(Gen. 2:8, 9) Imagine Adam’s excite- earth. w22.07 4 ˚9; 5 ˚11-12
ment as he watched seeds germinate
and flowers blossom. What a privi- Saturday, June 1
lege Adam had to care for the garden My flesh is covered with maggots and
of Eden! Jehovah also invited Adam clods of dirt; my skin is full of scabs
to name the different animals. (Gen. and pus.—Job 7:5.
2:19, 20) Jehovah could have chosen
each name himself; instead, he dele- Job enjoyed a close friendship with
gated the task to Adam. No doubt be- Jehovah. He had a large, united fam-
fore deciding what to call them, Adam ily, and he was very wealthy. (Job 1:
studied the animals carefully, observ- 1-5) But in just one day, Job lost near-
ing their specific traits and behaviors. ly everything. First, he lost his wealth.
Adam must have enjoyed this experi- (Job 1:13-17) Then, all his beloved
ence. It surely gave him an opportuni- children died. Imagine the shock,
ty to increase his appreciation for his grief, and despair that Job and his
Father’s wisdom, artistry, and creativ- wife felt on learning that all ten of
their children had been crushed to
ity. w23.03 15 ˚3
death. No wonder Job ripped his
Friday, May 31 clothes apart in mourning and col-
lapsed to the ground! (Job 1:18-20)
It will crush and put an end to all Satan next attacked Job’s health and
these kingdoms, and it alone will robbed him of his dignity. (Job 2:
stand forever.—Dan. 2:44. 6-8) At one time, Job had been high-
As represented by the feet of an im- ly respected in his community. Peo-
mense image, Anglo-America is the ple came to him for guidance. (Job
last world power foretold in the Bible. 31:18) Now they avoided him. He was
(Dan. 2:31-33) It will not be succeed- an outcast, rejected by his brothers,
ed by another political power. Rather, his close companions, and even by his
it will come to a swift end at Arma- own household servants!—Job 19:13,
geddon when God’s Kingdom crushes 14, 16. w22.06 21 ˚5-6
it and all other human governments.
(Rev. 16:13, 14, 16; 19:19, 20) How
can this prophecy benefit us? Dan-
iel’s prophecy provides additional evi-
dence that we are living in the time of
Sunday, June 2 I came to be in the Lord’s day.” (Rev.
Let us by love grow up in all things. 1:10) When John wrote those words
in about 96 C.E., “the Lord’s day”
—Eph. 4:15.
was still far off. (Matt. 25:14, 19;
After baptism, all of us need to fol- Luke 19:12) But according to Bible
low the advice the apostle Paul gave prophecy, that day started in 1914
to fellow believers in Ephesus. He when Jesus was enthroned as King in
encouraged them to become “full- heaven. From that year onward, the
grown” Christians. (Eph. 4:13) That is prophecies of Revelation, which in-
another way of saying, ‘Continue to volve God’s people, started to under-
make progress.’ You already love Je- go fulfillment. Yes, we are now living
hovah very much. But your love for in “the Lord’s day”!—Rev. 1:3. w22.05
him can grow deeper. How? The apos- 2 ˚2-3
tle Paul points to one way, as record-
ed at Philippians 1:9. Paul prayed that Tuesday, June 4
the love of the Philippians “abound The wild beast was caught, and along
still more and more.” So we can grow with it the false prophet.—Rev. 19:20.
in our love. We can do that by acquir-
While still alive, both the wild beast
ing “accurate knowledge and full dis-
and the false prophet were hurled into
cernment.” The more we get to know
the fiery lake that burns with sulfur.
Jehovah, the more we love him and
So while they are still functioning,
appreciate his personality and way
these political enemies of God will
of doing things. We grow in our ea-
be destroyed forever. What does this
gerness to please him, never wanting
mean for us? As Christians, we must
to do anything that would disappoint
be loyal to God and his Kingdom.
him. We work hard to discern what his
(John 18:36) We need to remain neu-
will is and how we can cooperate with
tral with regard to this world’s politi-
it. w22.08 2-3 ˚3-4
cal affairs. Such neutrality can be ex-
Monday, June 3 tremely difficult, though, because the
world’s governments demand our full
A revelation by Jesus Christ, which support, both in word and in deed.
God gave him, to show his slaves the Those who succumb to their pressure
things that must shortly take place. receive the mark of the wild beast.
—Rev. 1:1. (Rev. 13:16, 17) Any who receive that
What is written in the book of Reve- mark, however, will incur Jehovah’s
lation is not for people in general but disapproval and lose out on everlast-
for us, God’s dedicated servants. As ing life. (Rev. 14:9, 10; 20:4) How im-
God’s people, we should not be sur- portant it is for each one of us to
prised to discover that we are shar- maintain strict neutrality, no matter
ing in the fulfillment of the prophe- what pressure is put on us to do other-
cies found in this fascinating book. wise! w22.05 10-11 ˚12-13
The aged apostle John identified the
time when these prophecies are to
be fulfilled. He said: “By inspiration
Wednesday, June 5 “A good name [or, “a good reputa-
Have you seen a man skillful at his tion,” ftn.] is to be chosen rather
than great wealth.” (Prov. 22:1) Sol-
work? He will stand before kings; he
omon also observed that people who
will not stand before common men.
love money are seldom happy with
—Prov. 22:29. what they have. (Eccl. 5:10, 12) And
One goal you can set is to learn a use- he warned against putting all our trust
ful skill. If we develop our skills, we in money, since whatever money we
will be equipped to take on added re- have can quickly disappear.—Prov. 23:
sponsibilities. Consider the vast num- 4, 5. w22.05 21 ˚4-5
ber of workers needed to build Bethel
facilities, Assembly Halls, and King- Friday, June 7
dom Halls. Many of these workers ac- Jehovah is waiting patiently to show
quired their skills by working along- you favor, and he will rise up to show
side brothers who are experienced you mercy. For Jehovah is a God of
tradesmen. Today, both brothers and justice. Happy are all those keeping
sisters are learning the skills that are in expectation of him.—Isa. 30:18.
needed to help maintain Assembly
As we meditate on our current bless-
Halls and Kingdom Halls. In these and
ings, we strengthen our relationship
other ways, Jehovah God, “the King
with Jehovah. And meditating on the
of eternity,” and Christ Jesus, “the
blessings that Jehovah has in store for
King of . . . kings,” are accomplishing
us will keep the hope of serving him
marvelous things by means of capable
forever very real to us. All of this will
workers. (1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15) We want
contribute to our joy in serving Jeho-
to work hard and use our skills to glo-
vah now. Jehovah “will rise up” in our
rify Jehovah, not ourselves.—John 8:
behalf when he brings an end to this
54. w22.04 24 ˚7; 25 ˚11
wicked world. We are confident that
Thursday, June 6 Jehovah—“a God of justice”—will not
allow Satan’s world to exist for one
Money is a protection.—Eccl. 7:12. day longer than justice requires. (Isa.
Solomon was fabulously wealthy, and 25:9) We wait patiently with Jehovah
he lived in luxury. (1 Ki. 10:7, 14, 15) for that day of deliverance to arrive.
Jesus, on the other hand, had few In the meantime, we are determined
possessions and no permanent home. to continue to treasure the privilege
(Matt. 8:20) Yet, both men had a bal- of prayer, to study and apply God’s
anced view of material things be- Word, and to meditate on our bless-
cause their wisdom came from the ings. As we do, Jehovah will help us to
same Source—Jehovah God. Solo- endure with joy in our worship to him.
mon acknowledged that with money, w22.11 13 ˚18-19
we are able to obtain life’s necessi-
ties and perhaps a few wants. Yet, as
wealthy as he was, Solomon realized
that there are more important things
than money. For example, he wrote:
Saturday, June 8 The book of Revelation compares the
Do not forsake the instruction millions of supporters of Babylon the
Great to protective “waters.” (Rev. 17:
of your mother.—Prov. 1:8.
15) But it also reveals that the wa-
Although the Bible does not describe ters would ‘dry up,’ indicating that the
Timothy’s baptism, it is not hard to world empire of false religion would
imagine the joy that his mother, Eu- lose many of its supporters. (Rev. 16:
nice, felt that day. (Prov. 23:25) Eu- 12) In fulfillment of that prophecy,
nice had successfully met the chal- today a considerable number of peo-
lenge of teaching her son to love ple have abandoned false religion and
Jehovah and his Son, Jesus Christ. have begun looking elsewhere for an-
Timothy was raised in a religious- swers. w22.07 5-6 ˚14-15
ly divided household. His father was
a Greek, and his mother and grand- Monday, June 10
mother were Jews. (Acts 16:1) Timo- The one who does not practice mercy
thy was likely a teenager when Eunice will have his judgment without mercy.
and Lois embraced a different religion Mercy triumphs over judgment.
—Christianity. Still, the household re- —Jas. 2:13.
mained divided. Which path would
Timothy take? Christian mothers to- Being forgiving shows appreciation.
In one parable, Jesus compared Jeho-
day likewise love their family. More
vah to a master who canceled an enor-
than anything, they want to help their
mous debt that one of his slaves could
children to develop a close friendship
not repay. Yet, the forgiven slave
with Jehovah. And our God highly
failed to act mercifully toward a slave
values their efforts. (Prov. 1:8, 9) Je-
who owed him a much smaller amount
hovah has guided countless mothers
of money. (Matt. 18:23-35) What was
as they helped their children to accept
Jesus teaching us? If we truly appreci-
the truth. w22.04 16 ˚1-3
ate Jehovah’s great mercy toward us,
Sunday, June 9 we will be moved to forgive others.
(Ps. 103:9) The Watchtower expressed
God put it into their hearts to carry it this way years ago: “No matter how
out his thought.—Rev. 17:17. many times we forgive our fellow
Soon Jehovah will put it into the creatures, it could never equal the ex-
hearts of the political powers “to car- tent of God’s forgiveness and mercy
ry out his thought.” With what re- to us through Christ.” Forgivers will
sult? Those political powers, the “ten be forgiven. Jehovah shows mercy to
kings,” will turn on false religious or- those who are merciful. (Matt. 5:7)
ganizations and destroy them. (Rev. Jesus made that clear when he taught
17:1, 2, 12, 16) How do we know that his disciples how to pray.—Matt. 6:14,
the end of Babylon the Great is near? 15. w22.06 10 ˚8-9
To answer that question, it is helpful
to remember that the ancient city of
Babylon was partly protected by the
waters of the mighty Euphrates River.
Tuesday, June 11 patched Timothy to care for the spir-
By means of your offspring all nations itual needs of the new believers in
Thessalonica. (1 Thess. 3:1, 2) How
of the earth will obtain a blessing for
happy the Thessalonians must have
themselves.—Gen. 22:18.
been. We can learn from Paul’s ex-
Jesus came to earth as a man. He has perience in Thessalonica. We may be
perfectly reflected his Father’s per- reaching out for a privilege of service,
sonality. (John 14:9) So through him but circumstances beyond our con-
we have come to know and love Jeho- trol are preventing us from receiving
vah God. We have also benefited from it. (Eccl. 9:11) If that is true in your
Jesus’ teachings and his guidance as case, be willing to pick a different goal
he directs the Christian congregation that is within your reach. w22.04 25-
today. He has taught us how to live in 26 ˚14-15
a way that will help us to gain Jeho-
vah’s approval. And we all can bene- Thursday, June 13
fit from Jesus’ death. When Jesus was Happy is the man who keeps on
resurrected, he offered the value of enduring trial.—Jas. 1:12.
his blood as a perfect sacrifice that
Jehovah comforts us by giving us a
“cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
hope for the future. Consider just a
He is now a glorious, immortal King.
few thoughts from the Bible that can
Soon, Jesus will crush the serpent’s
comfort us when we experience trials.
head. (Gen. 3:15) What a relief it will
In the Scriptures, Jehovah assures us
be for faithful mankind when Satan
that nothing—and that includes se-
comes to his end! Until then, do not vere trials—“will be able to separate
give up. Our God is trustworthy. He us from [his] love.” (Rom. 8:38, 39)
will bring countless blessings to “all He also assures us that he “is near
nations of the earth.” w22.07 18 ˚13; to all those calling on him” in prayer.
19 ˚19 (Ps. 145:18) Jehovah tells us that if
we rely on him, we can endure any
Wednesday, June 12
trial and even find a measure of happi-
We cannot avoid suffering such things. ness when we suffer. (1 Cor. 10:13;
—1 Thess. 3:3. Jas. 1:2) God’s Word also reminds us
We need to be flexible when setting that our trials are temporary and brief
goals. Why? Because we do not have when compared to the everlasting re-
complete control over our circum- ward he offers us. (2 Cor. 4:16-18) Je-
stances. To illustrate: The apostle hovah gives us the sure hope that he
Paul had helped to form a new con- will eliminate the root cause of all our
gregation in the city of Thessaloni- trials—Satan the Devil and those who
ca. But opposers forced Paul to leave imitate his wicked ways. (Ps. 37:10)
that city. (Acts 17:1-5, 10) If Paul Have you memorized some comfort-
had stayed, he would have put his ing Bible passages to help you endure
future trials? w22.08 11 ˚11
brothers at risk. But Paul did not
give up. Instead, he adapted to the
changed circumstances. Later, he dis-
Friday, June 14 of life. Some, an unspecified number,
Continue considering these things. will prove to be like Adam and Eve,
rejecting Jehovah’s rulership. What
—Phil. 4:8.
will happen to them? Revelation 20:15
Do you ever worry about whether you tells us: “Whoever was not found writ-
can continue living by Jehovah’s righ- ten in the book of life was hurled into
teous standards day after day, year af- the lake of fire.” Yes, these rebellious
ter year? Jehovah promises that our ones will be completely destroyed for-
righteousness can be “like the waves ever. But the majority of perfect man-
of the sea.” (Isa. 48:18) Imagine that kind will pass this final test. w22.09 23-
you are standing on the shore of a 24 ˚15-16
wide sea, watching the waves roll in
endlessly, one after another. In that Sunday, June 16
peaceful setting, would you worry Unless you get circumcised according
that one day those waves might sim- to the custom of Moses, you cannot
ply stop? No! You know that they be saved.—Acts 15:1.
will surely keep on coming. Your righ-
Some in the first-century congrega-
teousness can be just like the waves
tion insisted that Gentile converts be
of the sea! How? When you have a
circumcised, perhaps to avoid criti-
decision to make, first consider what
cism by outsiders. (Gal. 6:12) The
Jehovah would want you to do. Then
apostle Paul strongly disagreed with
follow through. No matter how dif-
that viewpoint, but rather than in-
ficult the decision might be, your lov-
sist that his way be followed, he hum-
ing Father will always be there to help
bly referred the matter to the apostles
you to remain constant and steady
and elders in Jerusalem. (Acts 15:2)
and to live your life day after day ac-
As a result, his conduct helped those
cording to His righteous standards.
Christians to maintain joy and peace
—Isa. 40:29-31. w22.08 30 ˚15-17
in the congregation. (Acts 15:30, 31)
Saturday, June 15 If a serious dispute does arise, we pro-
mote peace by seeking guidance from
As soon as the 1,000 years have those whom Jehovah has appointed
ended, Satan will be released from to care for the congregation. Often,
his prison.—Rev. 20:7. Bible-based direction can be found in
At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan our publications or in guidelines pro-
will be released from his confinement. vided by the organization. If we fo-
He will then try to mislead perfect hu- cus on following those instructions
mans. During that test, all perfect hu- rather than on promoting our per-
mans on earth will have an opportu- sonal views, we will contribute to the
nity to show clearly where they stand peace of the congregation. w22.08 22
on the issue of God’s name and sover- ˚8-9
eignty. (Rev. 20:8-10) Their individu-
al responses to Satan’s efforts will de-
termine whether their names should
be written permanently in the book
Monday, June 17 Jehovah promises: “I will certainly
A true friend shows love at all times. magnify myself and sanctify myself
and make myself known before the
—Prov. 17:17.
eyes of many nations; and they will
At one time or another, most of us have to know that I am Jehovah.”
feel the need to confide in a close (Ezek. 38:14-16, 23) Gog’s assault will
friend. Sometimes that may be dif- trigger Jehovah’s final showdown at
ficult. We may not be accustomed to Armageddon when He destroys “the
revealing our innermost thoughts to kings of the entire inhabited earth.”
anyone, and we would be devastat- (Rev. 16:14, 16; 19:19-21) In contrast,
ed if we learned later that our friend “only the upright will reside in the
told others what we said. On the oth- earth, and the one who keeps integri-
er hand, how we appreciate someone ty will remain in it.”—Prov. 2:21, ftn.
who can keep a confidence! Elders w22.10 16-17 ˚16-17
who are known to keep a confidence
are “a hiding place from the wind, a Wednesday, June 19
place of concealment” for their broth- [God’s] will is that all sorts of people
ers. (Isa. 32:2) We know that we can should be saved and come to an accu-
talk freely to these men, certain that rate knowledge of truth.—1 Tim. 2:4.
what we say to them will be kept con-
We cannot read hearts; only “Jehovah
fidential. We do not pressure them to
examines the motives.” (Prov. 16:2) He
tell us things that they should keep
loves all kinds of people, from all dif-
private. In addition, we appreciate
ferent backgrounds and cultures. And
our elders’ wives because they do not
Jehovah encourages us to “open [our]
try to pry information out of their hearts wide.” (2 Cor. 6:13) We seek to
husbands. Really, it is a blessing that love all in our spiritual family, not to
an elder’s wife is not told personal in- judge them. This also means that we
formation about her brothers and sis- are not to judge those outside the con-
ters. w22.09 11 ˚10-11 gregation. Would you ever judge a rel-
ative who does not share your faith,
Tuesday, June 18
saying, “That man will never come into
I am God. I will be exalted among the truth”? No, that would be pre-
the nations.—Ps. 46:10. sumptuous, self-righteous. Jehovah is
still giving “all people everywhere” an
We can be confident that Jehovah will
opportunity to repent. (Acts 17:30) Al-
rescue his loyal servants during the
ways remember that self-righteousness
coming “great tribulation.” (Matt. 24:
is a form of unrighteousness. May our
21; Dan. 12:1) He will do this when a
love for Jehovah’s standards of righ-
coalition of nations, known as Gog of
teousness promote joy and inspire oth-
Magog, makes its vicious, worldwide ers, helping them to draw closer to us
assault on those who are faithful to and to our God. w22.08 31 ˚20-22
Jehovah. Even if that coalition in-
cludes all 193 members of the Unit-
ed Nations, it will be no match for the
Supreme One and his heavenly forces!
Thursday, June 20 ally, we visit a physician and per-
They will certainly know that a proph- haps take medicine to combat the dis-
ease. In fact, we do all we reasonably
et was among them.—Ezek. 2:5.
can to avoid dying. And when some-
We can expect to face opposition as one we love dies, whether that person
we carry out our preaching work. That is young or old, do we not feel deep
opposition may well increase in the and lasting emotional pain? (John 11:
future. (Dan. 11:44; 2 Tim. 3:12; Rev. 32, 33) Certainly, our loving Creator
16:21) Still, we can be sure that Je- would not give us the desire and the
hovah will give us the help we need. capacity to keep living unless his pur-
Why? Jehovah has always helped his pose was for humans to keep living.
servants to accomplish their assign- w22.12 3 ˚5; 4 ˚7
ments—no matter how difficult the
tasks. Consider the prophet Ezekiel, Saturday, June 22
who preached to the Jewish exiles in The same kind of sufferings are being
Babylon. What kind of people were experienced by the entire association
in Ezekiel’s preaching territory? Je- of your brothers in the world.
hovah described them as “defiant,” —1 Pet. 5:9.
“hardhearted,” and “rebellious.” They
were as harmful as thorns and as dan- Many of our fellow worshippers may
be ill, fearful, or lonely in these dif-
gerous as scorpions. No wonder Jeho-
ficult times. Reach out to your broth-
vah told Ezekiel repeatedly: “Do not
ers and sisters. A disease outbreak
be afraid”! (Ezek. 2:3-6) Ezekiel was
may require that we maintain physi-
able to carry out his preaching com-
cal distancing even when we are with
mission because he was (1) sent by Je-
our fellow worshippers. At a time like
hovah, (2) empowered by God’s spir-
that, you might feel as did the apostle
it, and (3) nourished by God’s words.
John. He wanted to see his friend Ga-
w22.11 2 ˚1-2
ius face-to-face. (3 John 13, 14) Still,
Friday, June 21 John recognized that for a time, he
could not see Gaius. So John did
In the day you eat from it you will what he could; he wrote Gaius a let-
certainly die.—Gen. 2:17. ter. If it is not always possible for you
Jehovah created living things on to visit with your brothers and sisters
earth with a limited life span, except in person, try to contact them in oth-
for humans. He gave them the unique er ways. When you keep in touch with
prospect of never dying. Jehovah has fellow Christians, you will feel more
also created within us a strong desire secure and at peace. Reach out to the
to keep living. The Bible says regard- elders if you feel especially anxious,
ing humans that God has “put eterni- and accept their loving encourage-
ty in their heart.” (Eccl. 3:11) That is ment.—Isa. 32:1, 2. w22.12 17-18 ˚6-7
one reason why we view death as
an enemy. (1 Cor. 15:26) If we be-
come seriously ill, do we just accept
the condition and give up? No. Usu-
Sunday, June 23 his worshippers just because they had
Joseph’s master took him and gave erred! Rather, he lovingly reached out
to them, corrected them, and invit-
him over to the prison, the place
ed them back into his arms. He prom-
where the prisoners of the king were
ises to do the same for all repentant
kept under arrest.—Gen. 39:20.
sinners today. (Jas. 4:8-10) The Bible
The Bible indicates that for a time Jo- reveals God’s wisdom, his justice, and
seph’s feet were bound in fetters and his love. This book proves that Jeho-
his neck was put in irons. (Ps. 105:17, vah wants us to come to know him. He
18) Joseph’s situation was going from wants us to become his friends. w23.02
bad to worse. He went from being a 7 ˚16-17
trusted slave to being a lowly prison-
er. Have you ever been in a distressing Tuesday, June 25
situation that went from bad to worse You are doing well in paying attention
despite your earnest prayers? That to it.—2 Pet. 1:19.
can happen. Jehovah does not shield
For good reason, we are interested in
us from trials in a world that is ruled
seeing how current world events are
by Satan. (1 John 5:19) Still, you can
fulfilling Bible prophecy. For instance,
be sure of this: Jehovah is fully aware
Jesus provided a list of specific events
of what you are going through, and
to help us know when the end of Sa-
he cares about you. (Matt. 10:29-31; tan’s system is drawing near. (Matt.
1 Pet. 5:6, 7) Furthermore, he has 24:3-14) The apostle Peter encour-
promised: “I will never leave you, and aged us to pay attention to the ful-
I will never abandon you.” (Heb. 13:5) fillment of prophecy so that our faith
Jehovah can help you to endure even will remain strong. (2 Pet. 1:20, 21)
when your situation seems hopeless. He wants us to keep a balanced view
w23.01 16 ˚7-8 when considering Bible prophecy. He
urges us to “keep close in mind the
Monday, June 24
presence of the day of Jehovah.”
Our God . . . will forgive in a large (2 Pet. 3:11-13) Why? Not because
way.—Isa. 55:7. we want to work out the “day and
The Scriptures assure us that our God hour” when Jehovah will bring Arma-
will not abandon us when we make geddon, but because we want to use
mistakes. The Israelites sinned against the time we have left to perform “holy
Jehovah again and again; yet, when acts of conduct and deeds of godly de-
they sincerely repented, God forgave votion.” (Matt. 24:36; Luke 12:40) We
them. First-century Christians were want to maintain upright conduct and
also made aware of God’s love. Un- make sure that our efforts in Jeho-
der inspiration, the apostle Paul urged vah’s service reflect our deep love for
fellow believers to “forgive and com- him. To keep that focus, we must pay
fort” a man who had pursued a course attention to ourselves. w23.02 16 ˚4, 6
of serious sin but who had repented.
(2 Cor. 2:6, 7; 1 Cor. 5:1-5) How re-
markable that Jehovah did not reject
Wednesday, June 26 friend of Jehovah’s Son! You see Je-
sus as a perfect, humble reflection of
I have other sheep . . . I must bring in.
his Father. You have learned that he
—John 10:16.
fed the hungry, comforted the discour-
There are things that the “other aged, and even healed the sick. (Matt.
sheep” need to do now to qualify to 14:14-21) You have seen how he leads
live in Paradise. We need to show how his congregation today. (Matt. 23:10)
we feel about Jesus. For instance, we And you know that he will do far more
show our affection for him by the way in the future as King of God’s King-
we treat his spirit-anointed brothers. dom. How can you show that you love
Jesus said that he would judge the him? By following his example. You
sheep on that basis. (Matt. 25:31-40) can begin to do just that by dedicating
We can support them in the preach- yourself to Jehovah and getting bap-
ing and disciple-making work. (Matt. tized. w23.03 4 ˚8, 10
28:18-20) We do not need to wait un-
Friday, June 28
til we are living in Paradise to become
the kind of person that Jehovah wants Lift up your eyes to heaven and see.
there. Right now we can work at being Who has created these things?
honest in our speech and actions and —Isa. 40:26.
moderate in our habits. And we can Jehovah filled not only the heavens
be loyal to Jehovah, to our marriage but also the earth and the sea with
mate, and to fellow Christians. The a number of amazing creative works
more closely we conform to God’s that we can learn from. (Ps. 104:24,
standards while living in this wicked 25) And just think of the way God
world, the easier it will be for us to made us. He instilled in us an ap-
live by them in Paradise. We can also preciation for natural beauty. He also
develop skills and traits to show that made it possible for us to enjoy the
we are preparing to live then. w22.12 variety of his creation by means of
11-12 ˚14-16 our five senses—sight, hearing, touch,
taste, and smell. The Bible reveals
Thursday, June 27 another important reason why we
Whoever loves me will be loved by should examine creation. It teaches
my Father.—John 14:21. us about Jehovah’s qualities. (Rom. 1:
20) For instance, consider the designs
We love Jesus as our King because
that are so obviously present in na-
he is the ideal Ruler. Jehovah himself
ture. Do they not reveal God’s wis-
trained his Son and appointed him to
dom? And think about the variety of
rule. (Isa. 50:4, 5) Think, too, of the
foods we can enjoy. That is clear proof
self-sacrificing love Jesus has shown.
of his love for mankind. When we per-
(John 13:1) As your King, Jesus fully
ceive Jehovah’s personality from the
deserves your love. He explained that
things he made, we come to know him
those who truly love him—those whom
better and we are moved to draw clos-
he calls his friends—show their love by
er to him. w23.03 16 ˚4-5
obeying his commands. (John 14:15;
15:14, 15) What an honor it is to be a
Saturday, June 29 on our own needs. Instead, we regu-
The very essence of your word larly pray for our brothers and sis-
ters. When we do that, we are obeying
is truth.—Ps. 119:160.
Jesus’ command to love one another
As this world goes from bad to worse, and we show Jehovah just how much
our confidence in the truth will be put we love our fellow believers. Praying
to the test. People may try to sow for our brothers and sisters is not a
doubts in our mind—doubts about waste of time. God’s Word tells us that
the truthfulness of the Bible or about “a righteous man’s supplication has a
whether Jehovah has appointed a powerful effect.” (Jas. 5:16) Our fel-
channel for guiding his worshippers low worshippers need our prayers be-
today. But if we are convinced that cause they face many trials. w22.07
Jehovah’s Word is always true, we will 23-24 ˚13-15
be able to resist such attacks on our
faith. We will be “resolved to obey Monday, July 1
[Jehovah’s] regulations at all times, Become an example to the faithful
down to the last.” (Ps. 119:112) We ones in speaking.—1 Tim. 4:12.
will “not be ashamed” to tell oth-
ers about the truth and to encourage Our ability to speak is a gift from
them to live in harmony with it. (Ps. our loving God. However, the gift of
119:46) And we will be able to endure speech was misused. Satan the Devil
the most difficult situations, including lied to Eve, and that lie led to human
persecution, “with patience and joy.” sin and imperfection. (Gen. 3:1-4)
(Col. 1:11; Ps. 119:143, 157) The truth Adam misused his tongue when he
stabilizes us, giving us a definite pur- blamed Eve—and even Jehovah—for
pose and clear direction. It provides his own mistakes. (Gen. 3:12) Cain
lied to Jehovah after he killed his
us with hope for a better future un-
brother Abel. (Gen. 4:9) Today, it is
der the rulership of God’s Kingdom.
difficult to find a motion picture that
w23.01 7 ˚16-17
does not contain some bad language.
Sunday, June 30 Students hear profanity at school, and
adults are exposed to it in the work-
I am giving you a new commandment, place. If not careful, we might get so
that you love one another; just as I used to hearing bad language that we
have loved you, you also love one begin to use it ourselves. Of course,
another.—John 13:34. as Christians, we want to please Jeho-
On the night before his death, Je- vah, and that involves more than
sus prayed at length for his disciples, avoiding obscene speech. We want
asking his Father to “watch over them to use the remarkable gift of speech
because of the wicked one.” (John in a positive way—to praise our God.
17:15) How loving of Jesus! He was w22.04 4 ˚1-3
about to undergo a difficult trial of
his own; yet, he was concerned about
the welfare of his apostles. In imita-
tion of Jesus, we do not focus only
Tuesday, July 2 the truth. (Prov. 2:4-6) When we put
You cannot slave for God and for forth such effort, we always benefit.
Regarding his personal Bible reading,
Riches.—Matt. 6:24.
Corey says that he focuses on one
Jesus had a balanced view of materi- verse at a time. He explains: “I’ll read
al things. He enjoyed food and drink. every footnote, look up every cross-
(Luke 19:2, 6, 7) On one occasion, he reference, and do additional research.
made wine of the finest quality—the . . . I get so much out of my read-
first of his miracles. (John 2:10, 11) ing with this method!” Whether we
And on the day he died, he was wear- use that method or another, we show
ing an expensive garment. (John 19: our appreciation for the truth when
23, 24) But Jesus did not allow ma- we put time and effort into studying
terial things to become the focus it.—Ps. 1:1-3. w22.08 17 ˚13; 18 ˚15-16
of his life. Jesus taught that if we
seek the Kingdom first, Jehovah will Thursday, July 4
make sure that we have what we need. I was beside him as a master worker.
(Matt. 6:31-33) Many have benefited I was the one he was especially fond
from applying divine wisdom when it of day by day; I rejoiced before him
comes to money. Consider the exam- all the time.—Prov. 8:30.
ple of a single brother named Daniel.
While Jesus was on earth, he used
He says: “In my teenage years, I de-
creation to teach his disciples about
cided that I would make spiritual ac-
his Father. Consider one of the les-
tivities the most important thing in
sons he taught. Jehovah extends his
my life.” Because he has kept his life
love to everyone. In the Sermon on
simple, Daniel has been able to use
the Mount, Jesus drew the atten-
his time and skills on many theo-
tion of his disciples to two aspects
cratic projects. He adds: “There’s no
of creation that many people take for
amount of money that could equal
granted: sunshine and rain. Both of
the blessings Jehovah has given me.”
these are essential for the preserva-
w22.05 21-22 ˚6-7
tion of life. Jehovah could have with-
Wednesday, July 3 held these from undeserving humans.
Instead, he lovingly provides the sun
[Jehovah] called you out of darkness and the rain for all. (Matt. 5:43-45)
into his wonderful light.—1 Pet. 2:9. Jesus used this lesson to teach his dis-
We can show that we love the truth ciples that Jehovah wants us to show
by regularly studying the Bible and love toward everyone. Whenever we
Bible-based publications. After all, no enjoy a stunning sunset or see a re-
matter how long we have been in the freshing rain shower, we can reflect on
truth, we always have more to learn. Jehovah’s impartial love. His example
Study is hard work, but it is well worth can move us to show similar love by
the effort. Not all of us love to read preaching to all. w23.03 17 ˚9-10
and study. But Jehovah invites us to
“keep seeking” and to “keep search-
ing” for a deeper understanding of
Friday, July 5 ficult to touch the heart of young
I was greatly amazed.—Rev. 17:6. ones so that they will become faith-
ful servants of Jehovah. In any case,
What amazed the apostle John? A do not be overly anxious. Jehovah will
woman riding a scarlet-colored wild help you. Why not consult other expe-
beast. She is portrayed as a “great rienced parents for fresh ideas on how
prostitute” and is called “Babylon the to use the tools available for family
Great.” She commits “sexual immoral- worship? (Prov. 11:14) Jehovah can
ity” with “the kings of the earth.” also aid you in communicating with
(Rev. 17:1-5) Who is “Babylon the your children. Ask him to help you
Great”? This woman cannot represent draw out what is on their mind and in
a political organization because she is their heart.—Prov. 20:5. w22.04 17 ˚4,
spoken of as committing immoral- 7; 18 ˚9
ity with the world’s political leaders.
(Rev. 18:9) In fact, she endeavors to Sunday, July 7
control these rulers, symbolically rid- I continue praying, that your love may
ing them. Additionally, she cannot abound still more and more with accu-
represent the greedy commercial ele- rate knowledge and full discernment.
ments of Satan’s world. These are por- —Phil. 1:9.
trayed separately as “the merchants
of the earth.” (Rev. 18:11, 15, 16) An- We can grow in our love for Jeho-
cient Babylon was a center of false vah by getting better acquainted with
worship. So, then, Babylon the Great his Son, who perfectly reflects his Fa-
ther’s personality. (Heb. 1:3) The best
must represent all forms of false wor-
way to get to know Jesus is to study
ship. In fact, she is the world empire
the four Gospel accounts. If you have
of false religion.—Rev. 17:5, 18. w22.05
not yet developed the useful hab-
11 ˚14-16
it of reading the Bible every day, why
Saturday, July 6 not start now? As you read the ac-
counts about Jesus, take special note
Your adversary, the Devil, walks about of his qualities. He was approach-
like a roaring lion, seeking to devour able; he lovingly took small children
someone.—1 Pet. 5:8. into his arms. (Mark 10:13-16) He put
A mother may at times wonder if her his disciples at ease; they felt free to
children will choose to serve Jehovah. speak their mind when in his pres-
After all, parents know how much ence. (Matt. 16:22) In this regard,
pressure their children face in Sa- Jesus imitated his heavenly Father.
tan’s world. Additionally, many moth- Jehovah is also very approachable.
ers have the challenge of raising their We can turn to him in prayer. When
children without a husband or with we pray, we can pour out our heart to
a husband who does not worship Je- him. We are confident that he will not
hovah. Challenges are not unique condemn us. He loves us; he cares for
to those living in religiously divid- us.—1 Pet. 5:7. w22.08 3 ˚4-5
ed households. Even when both par-
ents are in the truth, it can be dif-
Monday, July 8 unburdening ourselves of resentment.
You, O Jehovah, are good and ready (Eph. 4:31, 32) He urges us to “let
go of anger and abandon rage.” (Ps.
to forgive.—Ps. 86:5.
37:8) There is wisdom in following
As our Creator, Jehovah knows every- that advice. Harboring resentment
thing about us. Just think! He knows can be harmful to our physical and
every detail about every person on mental health. (Prov. 14:30) Our har-
this earth. (Ps. 139:15-17) So he can boring such resentment will not affect
see all the imperfections that we in- the offender any more than our drink-
herited from our parents. Even more, ing poison would harm the one who
he is aware of all the experiences that offended us. Rather, when we forgive
have molded and shaped our person- others, we are giving ourselves a gift.
ality. What does this intimate knowl- We find peace of mind and heart, and
edge of humankind move Jehovah to we are able to move ahead in our ser-
do? It moves him to act mercifully to- vice to Jehovah. w22.06 10 ˚9-10
ward us. (Ps. 78:39; 103:13, 14) Jeho-
vah has proved that he is eager to for- Wednesday, July 10
give. He understands that because of Put on the breastplate of faith and
the actions of the first man, Adam, we love and the hope of salvation as a
all came under the curse of sin and
helmet.—1 Thess. 5:8.
death. (Rom. 5:12) There was no way
for us to free ourselves or any oth- Our hope acts as a figurative hel-
er person from that curse. (Ps. 49: met that protects our thinking and
7-9) However, our loving God showed safeguards us from choosing a self-
compassion and arranged for us to be indulgent lifestyle, which would spoil
set free. As John 3:16 reveals, Jeho- our relationship with Jehovah. (1 Cor.
vah sent his only-begotten Son to die 15:33, 34) Our helmet of hope can also
in our behalf.—Matt. 20:28; Rom. 5: protect us from thinking that there is
19. w22.06 3 ˚5-6 no point in even trying to please Je-
hovah. Recall that Job’s false comfort-
Tuesday, July 9 er Eliphaz used similar reasoning with
A kind man benefits himself. Job. Eliphaz said: “What is mortal
man that he should be pure?” Further,
—Prov. 11:17.
he said of God: “Look! He has no faith
That forgivers will be forgiven was in his holy ones, and even the heavens
made clear by Jehovah in connec- are not pure in his eyes.” (Job 15:14,
tion with his servant Job. That faith- 15) What lies! Remember who is be-
ful man had been deeply hurt by the hind such thinking—Satan. He knows
cutting remarks of three men named that if you allow yourself to dwell on
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Jehovah such thoughts, your hope will fade. In-
instructed Job to pray in their behalf. stead, reject such lies. Never doubt
After Job did so, Jehovah blessed that Jehovah wants you to live for-
him. (Job 42:8-10) Harboring resent- ever and that he will help you to reach
ment is damaging. Jehovah wants us that goal.—1 Tim. 2:3, 4. w22.10 25-26
to enjoy the relief that comes from ˚8-10
Thursday, July 11 struction. (Rev. 12:9, 12) But he is
Job did not sin with his lips. not waiting passively. Satan is des-
perate and furious, venting his an-
—Job 2:10.
ger on God’s people. (Rev. 12:13, 17)
Satan wanted Job to believe that he For that reason, the world’s hatred of
was suffering because he had lost Je- God’s people has intensified. We have
hovah’s approval. For instance, Satan no reason, though, to fear Satan and
used a strong wind to bring down the his followers. Instead, we can have
house where all ten of Job’s children the same conviction as did the apos-
had been enjoying a meal together. tle Paul, who wrote: “If God is for us,
(Job 1:18, 19) He also caused fire to who will be against us?” (Rom. 8:31)
fall from heaven and destroy not only We can have complete confidence in
Job’s flocks but also the servants who Jehovah. w22.07 18 ˚14-15
were caring for them. (Job 1:16) The
wind and fire obviously came from a Saturday, July 13
supernatural source; hence, Job con- This good news of the Kingdom will be
cluded that Jehovah God must have preached in all the inhabited earth.
been that Source. And as a result, —Matt. 24:14.
Job believed that he had somehow
Jesus was not worried that there
upset Jehovah. Even so, Job refused
would be a shortage of workers dur-
to curse his heavenly Father. Job ac-
ing the conclusion of the system of
knowledged that over the years he
things. He knew that the prophetic
had received many good things from
words of the psalmist would be ful-
Jehovah. He therefore reasoned that
filled: “Your people will offer them-
if he was happy to accept the good,
selves willingly on the day of your mil-
he should also be willing to accept the
itary force.” (Ps. 110:3) If you are
bad. So he said: “Let the name of Je-
sharing in the preaching work, you
hovah continue to be praised.”—Job
are supporting Jesus and the faith-
1:20, 21. w22.06 21 ˚7
ful slave and are helping to fulfill that
Friday, July 12 prophecy. The work is going ahead,
but there are challenges. One chal-
You will be hated by all people on lenge that Kingdom preachers face is
account of my name. But the one who opposition. Apostates, religious lead-
has endured to the end will be saved. ers, and politicians have given many
—Mark 13:13. the wrong impression about our work.
Jesus gave his disciples a similar If our relatives, acquaintances, and
warning, recorded at John 17:14. We workmates are misled by this propa-
have certainly seen the fulfillment of ganda, they may pressure us to stop
that prophecy, especially during the serving Jehovah and to stop preach-
last 100 years. How so? Shortly af- ing. In some countries, the oppo-
ter Jesus was installed as Messianic sition takes the form of intimidation,
King in 1914, Satan was cast out of threats, arrests, and even imprison-
heaven. He is now confined to the vi- ment. w22.07 8 ˚1; 9 ˚5-6
cinity of the earth, awaiting his de-
Sunday, July 14 missionary trip. There was “a sharp
We must enter into the Kingdom of burst of anger” between them, and
they parted ways. (Acts 15:37-39) But
God through many tribulations.
Paul, Barnabas, and Mark mended
—Acts 14:22.
the rift in their relationship. Paul lat-
Jehovah expects us to set aside time er spoke well of Barnabas and Mark.
to study the Bible regularly and to (1 Cor. 9:6; Col. 4:10) We too need to
think deeply about what we read. resolve any differences we might have
When we apply what we learn, our with others in the congregation and
faith grows stronger and we draw clos- then continue to focus on their good
er to our heavenly Father. As a result, qualities. In that way, we will promote
we are strengthened to endure trials. peace and unity. w22.08 23 ˚10-11
Jehovah also gives his holy spirit to
those who rely on his Word. And that Tuesday, July 16
spirit can give us “the power beyond Stop judging that you may not
what is normal” to endure any trial. be judged.—Matt. 7:1.
(2 Cor. 4:7-10) With Jehovah’s back-
While we try hard to live by Jehovah’s
ing, “the faithful and discreet slave”
righteous standards, we must avoid
produces an abundance of articles,
judging others and becoming self-
videos, and music that can help us
righteous. We keep in mind that Je-
to build strong faith and stay alert
hovah is “the Judge of all the earth.”
spiritually. (Matt. 24:45) Jehovah has
(Gen. 18:25) Jehovah has not en-
trained his people to love and to com-
trusted such judging to us. Consider
fort one another during distressing
the example of the righteous man Jo-
times. (2 Cor. 1:3, 4; 1 Thess. 4:9) Our
seph. He avoided judging others, even
brothers and sisters are eager to help those who treated him badly. His own
us remain faithful when we experience brothers assaulted him, sold him into
difficulties. w22.08 12 ˚12-14 slavery, and convinced their father
Monday, July 15 that Joseph was dead. Years later, Jo-
seph was reunited with his family.
[Endeavor] to maintain the oneness of Now a powerful head of state, Joseph
the spirit in the uniting bond of peace. could have judged his brothers harsh-
—Eph. 4:3. ly and sought vengeance. Joseph’s
By freely mentioning the good quali- brothers were afraid he might do ex-
ties of our brothers and sisters, we actly that, even though they were sin-
give them added reason for drawing cerely sorry for what they had done.
close to one another, which builds up But Joseph assured them: “Do not be
the congregation in love. At times, afraid. Am I in the place of God?”
even mature Christians may disagree (Gen. 37:18-20, 27, 28, 31-35; 50:15-
or argue with each other. That hap- 21) Joseph humbly left the judging to
pened to the apostle Paul and his Jehovah. w22.08 30 ˚18-19
close friend Barnabas. These two men
strongly disagreed about whether to
take Mark with them on their next
Wednesday, July 17 ment, or pain. Humility will also help
Do not withhold good from those to us to be trustworthy. A Christian who
is humble does not try to impress oth-
whom you should give it if it is within
ers by being the first to reveal a mat-
your power to help.—Prov. 3:27.
ter. (Phil. 2:3) He does not exagger-
Did you know that you can be used by ate his own importance by suggesting
Jehovah to answer someone’s fervent that he is aware of information that he
prayer? That is true whether you are is not allowed to reveal. Humility will
an elder, a ministerial servant, a pio- also prevent us from spreading specu-
neer, or a congregation publisher. It lations about matters that are not dis-
is true whether you are young or old cussed in the Bible or in our Bible-
or whether you are a brother or a sis- based publications. w22.09 12 ˚12-13
ter. When someone who loves Jeho-
vah calls out to him for help, our God Friday, July 19
often uses the elders and other faith- True knowledge will become abundant.
ful servants to become “a source of —Dan. 12:4.
great comfort” to that person. (Col.
An angel told Daniel that the prophet-
4:11) What a privilege it is to serve Je-
ic words in Daniel’s book would be un-
hovah and our brothers in that way!
derstood more fully by God’s people,
We may be able to do so when there is
but that “none of the wicked [would]
a disease outbreak, a disaster, or per-
understand.” (Dan. 12:10) Now is the
secution. We may want to help others,
time for us to prove that we are not
but that can be challenging if our own
among the wicked ones. (Mal. 3:16-
family members are suffering. Still, we
18) Jehovah is gathering those whom
want to help our brothers, and Jeho-
he views as “a special property,” or a
vah is pleased when we do what we treasured possession. We surely want
can for them.—Prov.19:17. w22.12 22 to be among them. Truly, we are liv-
˚1-2 ing in exciting times. But far more
Thursday, July 18 amazing things are about to happen.
Soon we will see the destruction of
This is my commandment, that you all wickedness. Following that, we will
love one another just as I have loved see the fulfillment of Jehovah’s prom-
you.—John 15:12. ise to Daniel: “You will stand up for
Love is the foundation of trust. Jesus your lot at the end of the days.” (Dan.
said that the two greatest command- 12:13) Do you long for the day when
ments are to love Jehovah and to love Daniel, along with your loved ones,
our neighbor. (Matt. 22:37-39) Our will “stand up” again? If so, do your
love for Jehovah impels us to imitate utmost now to be faithful, and you
his perfect example of trustworthi- can be sure that your name will re-
ness. For instance, love for our broth- main written in Jehovah’s book of life.
ers and sisters moves us to keep their w22.09 24 ˚17; 25 ˚19-20
personal matters private. We would
never want to reveal something that
could cause them harm, embarrass-
Saturday, July 20 them. (Acts 24:15; Titus 1:1, 2) The
I am sending you.—Ezek. 2:3. faithful man Job was certain that Je-
hovah longs to resurrect those who
Those words must have strengthened have died. (Job 14:14, 15) The proph-
Ezekiel. Why? No doubt he recalled et Daniel was aware that humans have
that Jehovah had used similar words the prospect of being resurrected with
when He commissioned Moses and the opportunity to live forever. (Ps.
Isaiah as His prophets. (Ex. 3:10; 37:29; Dan. 12:2, 13) Jews in Jesus’
Isa. 6:8) Ezekiel also knew how Je- day also knew that Jehovah could
hovah had helped those two prophets grant his faithful servants “everlast-
overcome challenges. So when Jeho- ing life.” (Luke 10:25; 18:18) Jesus re-
vah told Ezekiel twice: “I am send- peatedly spoke of this promise, and he
ing you,” the prophet had good rea- himself was resurrected by his Father.
son for trusting in Jehovah’s support. —Matt. 19:29; 22:31, 32; Luke 18:30;
Further, in the book of Ezekiel, we John 11:25. w22.12 4-5 ˚8-9
find this statement numerous times:
“The word of Jehovah came to me.” Monday, July 22
(Ezek. 3:16) Moreover, the statement I trust in you, O Jehovah.
“The word of Jehovah again came —Ps. 31:14.
to me” occurs repeatedly. (Ezek. 6:1)
Jehovah invites us to be close to him.
Surely, Ezekiel was convinced that
(Jas. 4:8) He wants to be our God,
he was sent by Jehovah. In addi-
our Father, and our Friend. He an-
tion, being the son of a priest, Eze-
swers our prayers and helps us during
kiel had likely been taught by his fa-
difficult times. And he uses his organi-
ther how throughout history Jehovah
zation to teach us and protect us. We
assured His prophets of His backing.
can draw close to Jehovah by pray-
To Isaac, Jacob, and Jeremiah, Jeho-
ing to him and by reading his Word
vah had spoken the words: “I am with and meditating on it. As we do, we are
you.”—Gen. 26:24; 28:15; Jer. 1:8. filled with love and appreciation for
w22.11 2 ˚3 him. We are motivated to give him the
Sunday, July 21 obedience and praise that he so rich-
ly deserves. (Rev. 4:11) The more we
This means everlasting life. get to know Jehovah, the more we will
—John 17:3. trust in him and the organization that
Even though Adam and Eve sinned he has provided to help us. The Devil,
and brought death to their children, however, tries little by little to under-
Jehovah did not change his mind re- mine our trust in Jehovah and his or-
garding his purpose. (Isa. 55:11) His ganization. But we can resist his tac-
purpose is still that faithful humans tics. When our faith is strong and our
live forever. Consider the things Je- trust in Jehovah is unshakable, we will
hovah has said and done in order to not abandon our God and his organi-
zation.—Ps. 31:13, 14. w22.11 14 ˚1-3
fulfill his purpose. Jehovah has prom-
ised that he will resurrect the dead
and make everlasting life available to
Tuesday, July 23 41; 39:1, 5, 13-16) By considering ex-
They . . . were willing to die rather amples from creation, Job learned a
great deal about the qualities of his
than serve or worship any god except
God. We too can learn more about
their own God.—Dan. 3:28.
our God when we examine his creative
Many true Christians have risked their works. However, we may not always
freedom and even their lives out of find it easy to do so. If we live in a
love for Jehovah as their Sovereign city, we may see little evidence of na-
Ruler. They are integrity-keepers, who ture in our daily lives. Even if we do
have resolve like that of the three He- live close to nature, we may feel that
brews whose lives were spared in the we have little time to study it, but it is
fiery furnace for remaining faithful to worthwhile to take the time and make
the Supreme One. The psalmist David the effort to observe creation. w23.03
wrote about the importance of keep- 15 ˚1-2
ing integrity to God: “Jehovah will
pass sentence on the peoples. Judge Thursday, July 25
me, O Jehovah, according to my righ- The shrewd one sees the danger and
teousness and according to my integ- conceals himself.—Prov. 22:3.
rity.” (Ps. 7:8) Again, David wrote:
Jesus said that “great earthquakes”
“May integrity and uprightness safe-
and other disasters would occur be-
guard me.” (Ps. 25:21) The best way
fore the end comes. (Luke 21:11) He
to live is to remain faithful to Jeho-
also spoke of an “increasing of law-
vah, maintaining our loyalty to him!
lessness,” which is evident in crime,
Then we will feel the same as did the
violence, and terrorist attacks. (Matt.
psalmist who wrote: “Happy are those
24:12) Jesus never said that these
who keep integrity . . . , who walk in calamities would impact only those
the law of Jehovah.”—Ps. 119:1, ftn. whom Jehovah has abandoned. In
w22.10 17 ˚18-19 fact, many of Jehovah’s faithful ser-
Wednesday, July 24 vants have been victims of disasters.
(Isa. 57:1; 2 Cor. 11:25) Jehovah may
His invisible qualities . . . are not miraculously protect us from all
perceived by the things made. disasters, but he will give us whatever
—Rom. 1:20. we need to remain calm and at peace.
Of all the conversations Job had We will find this easier if we have
throughout his life, one in particu- planned in advance how to respond.
lar must have stood out—the conver- But does preparing indicate that we
sation he had with Jehovah God. To lack faith in Jehovah? Not at all. In
strengthen Job’s confidence in His fact, preparing for a disaster shows
wisdom and ability to care for His ser- that we do have faith in his ability to
vants, Jehovah pointed to some ex- care for us. How so? God’s Word ad-
traordinary features of nature. For in- vises us to prepare for potential disas-
ters. w22.12 18 ˚9-10
stance, Job was reminded that God
provides for the animals, so He could
also take care of Job. (Job 38:39-
Friday, July 26 ty is under constant threat, so the Bi-
God has sent me ahead of you for the ble counsels us to “keep perceiving
preservation of life.—Gen. 45:5. what the will of Jehovah is” so that
we can deal with any type of threat.
While Joseph was in prison, Jeho- (Eph. 5:17) To make wise choices, we
vah caused the king of Egypt to have need to perceive, or sense, “the will of
two troubling dreams. When the king Jehovah.” We can do this by regular-
learned that Joseph had the ability ly studying God’s Word and meditat-
to interpret dreams, he sent for him. ing on it. The more we understand Je-
With Jehovah’s help, Joseph inter- hovah’s will and cultivate “the mind of
preted the dreams and impressed Christ,” the more likely we will walk
Pharaoh with the practical advice he “as wise persons,” even when we do
gave him. Seeing that Jehovah was not have specific rules to guide our
with the young man, Pharaoh appoint-
conduct.—1 Cor. 2:14-16. w23.02 16-17
ed Joseph as the food administrator
˚7-9
for all of Egypt. (Gen. 41:38, 41-44)
Later, a severe famine arose that af- Sunday, July 28
fected not only Egypt but also Ca-
naan, the land in which Joseph’s fami- Be transformed by making your mind
ly were living. Joseph was now in a over, so that you may prove to your-
position to save his family and thus selves the good and acceptable and
preserve the line of descent that would perfect will of God.—Rom. 12:2.
lead to the Messiah. Obviously, it was How often do you clean your home?
Jehovah who made everything Jo- Perhaps before you first moved in,
seph did succeed. In the end, Jeho- you scoured it thoroughly. But what
vah turned the cruel scheme of Jo- if you neglected it afterward? As you
seph’s brothers into a means by which know, dust and dirt can accumulate
He could accomplish His will. w23.01 quickly. To keep your home present-
17 ˚11-12 able, you need to clean it regular-
Saturday, July 27 ly. A similar ongoing effort is required
when it comes to our thinking and our
Pay attention to yourselves. personality. Of course, before getting
—Luke 21:34. baptized we worked hard to make nec-
A person who pays attention to him- essary changes in our life in order to
self is alert to any dangers that threat- “cleanse ourselves of every defilement
en his relationship with Jehovah, and of flesh and spirit.” (2 Cor. 7:1) Now,
he takes steps to avoid them. In this though, we need to follow the apos-
way, he keeps himself in God’s love. tle Paul’s counsel to “continue to be
(Prov. 22:3; Jude 20, 21) The apos- made new.” (Eph. 4:23) The dust and
tle Paul admonished Christians to pay dirt of this world can quickly accumu-
attention to themselves. For exam- late in us. To avoid that outcome and
ple, he told the Christians in Ephe- to remain presentable to Jehovah,
sus: “Keep strict watch that how you we must regularly examine our think-
walk is not as unwise but as wise per- ing, our personality, and our desires.
sons.” (Eph. 5:15, 16) Our spirituali- w23.01 8 ˚1-2
Monday, July 29 the bond that exists between Jeho-
He saw God’s spirit descending like vah and his Son. Jesus said: “The Fa-
ther loves me” and “I love the Fa-
a dove and coming upon him.
ther.” (John 10:17; 14:31) The bond
—Matt. 3:16.
between them grew stronger over the
Imagine what it was like to listen to course of billions of years. (Prov. 8:
Jesus teach. How often he referred 22, 23, 30) Now think how it must
to the Holy Scriptures from mem- have pained God to allow his Son to
ory! It was at the time of his bap- suffer and die. Jehovah loves mankind
tism and his being anointed with holy —including you—so much that he was
spirit that Jesus’ memory of his prehu- willing to give his beloved Son as a sac-
man existence was evidently restored rifice to enable you and others to live
to him. In his first recorded words af- forever. (John 3:16; Gal. 2:20) There
ter his baptism and in some of his last can be no greater reason to love God.
words before his death, Jesus quot- w23.03 4-5 ˚11-13
ed from the Scriptures. (Deut. 8:3;
Ps. 31:5; Luke 4:4; 23:46) And dur- Wednesday, July 31
ing the three and a half years between Hold fast to what you have.
those two events, Jesus often publicly —Rev. 2:25.
read and quoted from the Scriptures
and explained them. (Matt. 5:17, 18, We must reject the teachings of apos-
21, 22, 27, 28; Luke 4:16-20) Years be- tates. Jesus reproved some in Per-
fore he began his ministry, Jesus read gamum for promoting divisions and
and heard God’s Word repeatedly. At sects. (Rev. 2:14-16) He commend-
home, he no doubt heard Mary and ed those in Thyatira who had steered
Joseph quote from the Scriptures. clear of the “deep things of Satan,”
(Deut. 6:6, 7) Also, Jesus attend- and he urged them to “hold fast” to
ed the synagogue every Sabbath with the truth. (Rev. 2:24-26) Weak Chris-
his family. (Luke 4:16) While there, tians there who had allowed them-
he must have listened carefully as the selves to be seduced by false teach-
Scriptures were read. w23.02 8 ˚1-2 ings needed to repent. What about us
today? We must reject any teaching
Tuesday, July 30 that is opposed to Jehovah’s thinking.
Apostates may have “an appearance
You must love Jehovah your God.
of godliness,” but they prove “false
—Mark 12:30. to its power.” (2 Tim. 3:5) It is easier
There are so many reasons to love Je- to identify and reject false teachings
hovah. For example, you have come to when we are diligent students of God’s
understand that he is “the source of Word. (2 Tim. 3:14-17; Jude 3, 4) We
life” and that he is the Giver of “every need to make sure that our worship is
good gift and every perfect present.” acceptable to Jehovah. If we are doing
(Ps. 36:9; Jas. 1:17) Every good thing something that could make our wor-
that you enjoy comes from our gener- ship unacceptable, we need to take im-
ous, loving God. The ransom is a won- mediate action to make things right.
derful gift that Jehovah has given to —Rev. 2:5, 16; 3:3, 16. w22.05 4 ˚9;
us. Why can we say that? Consider 5 ˚11
Thursday, August 1 (Rev. 18:21-24) What does this mean
A book of remembrance was written for us? We need to maintain “the form
before him for those fearing Jehovah of worship that is clean and undefiled
from the standpoint of our God.”
and for those meditating on his name.
(Jas. 1:27) Never would we want to al-
—Mal. 3:16.
low ourselves to be influenced by the
Can you think of a reason why Jeho- false teachings, the pagan celebra-
vah would record in his “book of tions, the lax moral standards, and
remembrance” the names of those the spiritistic practices of Babylon the
whose speech shows that they fear Great! And we would continually call
him and meditate on his name? Our out to people to “get out of her,” so
speech reveals what is in our heart. that they can avoid sharing in her guilt
Jesus said: “Out of the abundance of before God.—Rev. 18:4. w22.05 11 ˚17;
the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matt. 14 ˚18
12:34) Jehovah wants those who love
him to enjoy life forever in the new Saturday, August 3
world. The way we speak can deter- I will mention Jehovah’s acts
mine whether Jehovah will accept of loyal love.—Isa. 63:7.
our worship. (Jas. 1:26) Some of
those who do not love God speak in Parents, create opportunities to teach
an aggressive, harsh, and proud way. your children about Jehovah and the
(2 Tim. 3:1-5) We do not want to be many good things he has done for
like them. We are eager to please Je- you. (Deut. 6:6, 7) This is especial-
hovah with our speech. But could Je- ly important if due to a religiously
hovah be pleased with us if we used divided household, you cannot study
gracious and kind speech at our Chris- regularly with your children at home.
tian meetings or in the ministry but A sister named Christine says: “Op-
spoke in a harsh and unloving way to portunities to discuss spiritual things
family members behind closed doors? were so few that I took advantage
—1 Pet. 3:7. w22.04 5 ˚4-5 of any moment we had.” In addition,
speak positively about Jehovah’s or-
Friday, August 2 ganization and about your brothers
and sisters. Do not criticize the el-
These will hate the prostitute and will
ders. What you say about them can
make her devastated and naked, and
determine whether your children will
they will eat up her flesh and com-
turn to them in times of need. Pro-
pletely burn her with fire.—Rev. 17:16. mote peace at home. Regularly ex-
God puts the thought into the hearts press your love for your husband and
of the ten horns and the wild beast to your children. Speak about your hus-
carry out the destruction of Babylon band in a kind and respectful way, and
the Great. Yes, Jehovah will motivate train your children to do the same.
the nations to use the scarlet-colored Thus, you create a peaceful atmo-
wild beast, that is, the United Nations, sphere that is conducive to learning
to turn on the world empire of false about Jehovah.—Jas. 3:18. w22.04 18
religion and completely destroy it. ˚10-11
Sunday, August 4 rely on those activities alone to bring
I know your deeds.—Rev. 3:1. him happiness. He also engaged in
spiritual pursuits. For example, he su-
Jesus’ message to those in the con- pervised the construction of a glo-
gregation in Ephesus indicated that rious temple for Jehovah’s worship—a
they had shown endurance and that seven-year building project! (1 Ki. 6:
they had continued without letup to 38; 9:1) After sharing in all sorts of
serve Jehovah in spite of various chal- activities, both secular and spiritual,
lenges. Even so, they had lost the Solomon realized that spiritual activi-
love they had at first. They needed ties are far more important than sec-
to rekindle that love—otherwise, their ular pursuits. He wrote: “The conclu-
worship would not be acceptable. sion of the matter, everything having
Likewise today, we need to do more been heard, is: Fear the true God and
than endure. We need to endure for keep his commandments.”—Eccl. 12:
the right reasons. Our God is interest- 13. w22.05 22 ˚8
ed in not only what we do but also
why we do it. Our motives are impor- Tuesday, August 6
tant to him because he expects our
God . . . by Christ freely forgave you.
worship to be based on our deep love
—Eph. 4:32.
and appreciation for him. (Prov. 16:2;
Mark 12:29, 30) We must continue The Bible is filled with examples of
to remain awake and alert. The mem- individuals whom Jehovah freely for-
bers of the congregation in Sardis had gave. Who comes to your mind? Per-
a different problem. Even though they haps you think of King Manasseh.
had been spiritually active in the past, That wicked man sinned against Jeho-
they were becoming lax in their ser- vah in terrible ways. He took the lead
vice to God. Jesus told them to “wake in false worship. He killed his own chil-
up.” (Rev. 3:1-3) Of course, Jehovah dren, offering them as sacrifices to pa-
will not forget our work.—Heb. 6:10. gan gods. He even went so far as to
w22.05 3 ˚6-7 place a carved image of a false god
in Jehovah’s sacred temple. Of him,
Monday, August 5 the Bible says: “He did on a grand
There is benefit in every kind of scale what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes,
to offend him.” (2 Chron. 33:2-7) Yet,
hard work.—Prov. 14:23.
when Manasseh showed heartfelt re-
Solomon called the enjoyment that we pentance, Jehovah freely forgave him.
can derive from our hard work “the (2 Chron. 33:12, 13) Perhaps you also
gift of God.” (Eccl. 5:18, 19) Solomon think of King David, who committed
knew what he was talking about. He serious sins against Jehovah, includ-
was a worker! He built houses, plant- ing adultery and murder. Yet, when
ed vineyards, and made gardens and David sincerely repented and acknowl-
pools. He also built cities. (1 Ki. 9: edged his error, Jehovah forgave him
19; Eccl. 2:4-6) That was hard work, as well. (2 Sam. 12:9, 10, 13, 14) Yes,
and no doubt it gave him a measure we can be certain that Jehovah is ea-
of satisfaction. But Solomon did not ger to forgive. w22.06 3 ˚7
Wednesday, August 7 Creator, they are sorely mistaken. At
Exercise patience; make your hearts one point, Job—possibly raising his
head and looking directly at his false
firm.—Jas. 5:8.
friends—says: “Until I die, I will not
It is not always easy to keep our hope renounce my integrity!” (Job 27:5)
strong. We might become impatient What helped Job to be so courageous
while we wait on God. However, Jeho- and strong despite all his suffering?
vah is eternal, and his view of time is Even when he was at his lowest point,
different from ours. (2 Pet. 3:8, 9) He he never lost hope that his loving God
will work out his purpose in the best would eventually bring him relief. He
way possible, but he may not act when knew that even if he died, Jehovah
we expect him to. What can help us to would resurrect him.—Job 14:13-15.
keep our hope strong as we wait pa- w22.06 22 ˚9
tiently for God to fulfill his promises?
(Jas. 5:7) Remain close to Jehovah, Friday, August 9
the one who guarantees our hope. You must pray, then, this way: “Our
In fact, the Bible closely links hope Father in the heavens, let your name
to faith that Jehovah exists and that be sanctified. Let your Kingdom
he is “the rewarder of those earnestly come. Let your will take place.”
seeking him.” (Heb. 11:1, 6) The more —Matt. 6:9, 10.
real Jehovah is to us, the greater our
We have been granted a marvel-
confidence will be that he will do all
ous privilege—that of approaching the
that he has promised. To keep our
Maker of heaven and earth in prayer.
hope strong, we must pray to Jehovah
Just think: We can pour out our hearts
and read his Word. Though we can-
to Jehovah at any time and in any lan-
not see Jehovah, we can draw close to
guage. We can pray to him from a hos-
him. We can speak to him in prayer,
pital bed or from a prison cell, confi-
confident that he will listen to us.
dent that our loving Father will listen
—Jer. 29:11, 12. w22.10 26-27 ˚11-13 to us. We do not take this privilege
Thursday, August 8 for granted. King David treasured the
privilege of prayer. He sang to Jeho-
Job began to speak and to curse the vah: “May my prayer be as incense pre-
day of his birth.—Job 3:1. pared before you.” (Ps. 141:1, 2) In
Imagine the scene. Sitting among the David’s time, the sacred incense used
ashes, Job is in constant pain. (Job in true worship by the priests was pre-
2:8) His companions relentlessly at- pared with great care. (Ex. 30:34, 35)
David’s reference to incense suggests
tack his character and attempt to de-
that he wanted to give careful thought
stroy his reputation. His trials weigh
to what he was going to say to his
on him like heavy stones, while his
heavenly Father. That is our earnest
grief over the loss of his children
desire too. We want our prayers to
claws at his heart. At first, Job is si-
please Jehovah. w22.07 20 ˚1-2; 21 ˚4
lent. (Job 2:13) If Job’s companions
interpret his silence as a sign that
Job is going to turn his back on his
Saturday, August 10 Jesus disclosed that in our day the
“Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” good news would overcome that ob-
stacle. (Rev. 14:6, 7) How so? We
says Jehovah.—Rom. 12:19.
are giving as many people as possible
Vengeance belongs to Jehovah. Jeho- a chance to respond to the Kingdom
vah has not authorized us to seek re- message. Today, people around the
venge when someone sins against us. world can read Bible-based material
(Rom. 12:20, 21) With our limited and on our jw.org website because it con-
imperfect viewpoint, we are simply tains information in over 1,000 lan-
not in a position to judge matters cor- guages! Approval was given to trans-
rectly, as God can. (Heb. 4:13) And, late the Enjoy Life Forever! book—our
at times, we allow our emotions to in- main study tool for making disci-
terfere with our good judgment. Je- ples—into more than 700 languages!
hovah inspired James to write: “Man’s w22.07 9 ˚6-7
anger does not bring about God’s
righteousness.” (Jas. 1:20) We can Monday, August 12
be certain that Jehovah will do the There is success through many
right thing and make sure that perfect advisers.—Prov. 11:14.
justice will be carried out. Forgiveness
Jesus felt compassion for people. The
shows our confidence in Jehovah’s
apostle Matthew reports: “On seeing
justice. By leaving matters in Jeho-
the crowds, he felt pity for them, be-
vah’s hands, we show that we are con-
cause they were skinned and thrown
fident that Jehovah will undo all the
about like sheep without a shepherd.”
harm that has been caused by sin. In
(Matt. 9:36) And how does Jehovah
his promised new world, painful emo-
feel? Jesus said: “It is not a desirable
tional wounds “will not be called to thing to my Father who is in heaven
mind, nor will they come up into the for even one of these little ones to per-
heart” ever again.—Isa. 65:17. w22.06 ish.” (Matt. 18:14) How heartwarming
10-11 ˚11-12 that is! As we get to know Jesus bet-
Sunday, August 11 ter, our love for Jehovah grows. You
can also learn to be more loving and
You will be hated by all the nations make progress as a Christian by get-
on account of my name.—Matt. 24:9. ting acquainted with mature brothers
The very fact that we are experiencing and sisters in your congregation. No-
such hatred is proof that we have Je- tice how joyful they are. They have no
hovah’s approval. (Matt. 5:11, 12) The regrets about their decision to serve
Devil is behind this opposition. But Jehovah. Ask them to tell you about
he is no match for Jesus! With Je- some of the experiences they have
sus’ support, the good news is reach- had in Jehovah’s service. When you
ing people of all nations. Consider the have an important decision to make,
evidence. As Kingdom preachers, we ask them for advice. After all, “there
is success through many advisers.”
also face the challenge of overcom-
w22.08 3 ˚6-7
ing a language barrier. In the revela-
tion that he gave to the apostle John,
Tuesday, August 13 Bible. As servants of Jehovah, we
The eyes of Jehovah are on the are convinced that he is “the God of
truth” and that he always wants what
righteous.—1 Pet. 3:12.
is best for us. (Ps. 31:5; Isa. 48:17) We
All of us will face some kind of trial. know that we can trust what we read
However, we will never have to face a in the Bible. We agree with what one
trial on our own. Like a loving fa- Bible scholar wrote: “There is no hint
ther, Jehovah is always watching over of falseness or chance of failure in
us. He is by our side, ready to hear anything God has said. God’s people
our pleas for help and eager to sup- can trust what he says because they
port us. (Isa. 43:2) We are convinced trust the God who has said it.” w23.01
that we can cope with adversity be- 2 ˚1-2
cause he has generously provided us
with everything we need to endure. Thursday, August 15
He has given us the gift of prayer, the Let us consider one another.
Bible, an abundance of spiritual food, —Heb. 10:24.
and a loving brotherhood to help us in
We build up our brothers and sisters
times of need. How grateful we are to
when we strengthen their faith in
have a heavenly Father who watches
Jehovah. Some are ridiculed by un-
over us! “Our hearts rejoice in him.”
believers. Others are dealing with seri-
(Ps. 33:21) We can show Jehovah that ous health problems or are struggling
we appreciate his loving care by tak- to overcome hurt feelings. Still others
ing advantage of all his provisions to have been waiting a long time for this
help us. We also need to do our part system of things to end. These situa-
to remain under God’s care. In other tions can be a test of faith for Chris-
words, if we continue to do our best tians today. Members of the first-
to obey Jehovah and do what is right century congregation faced similar
in his eyes, he will watch over us for- challenges. The apostle Paul used the
ever! w22.08 13 ˚15-16 Scriptures to build up the faith of
his brothers and sisters. For example,
Wednesday, August 14 Jewish Christians may have felt at a
The very essence of your word loss to answer the criticisms of un-
is truth.—Ps. 119:160. believing family members who claimed
that Judaism was superior to Chris-
Many today are suffering from a lack
tianity. No doubt Paul’s letter to the
of confidence. They do not know
Hebrews greatly strengthened those
whom they can trust. They won- Christians. (Heb. 1:5, 6; 2:2, 3; 9:
der whether people they look up to 24, 25) They could use his powerful
—politicians, scientists and business- reasonings to silence their accusers.
men—really have their best interests w22.08 23-24 ˚12-14
at heart. In addition, they do not have
high regard for Christendom’s clergy.
So it is not surprising that they view
with skepticism the book those reli-
gious leaders claim to represent—the
Friday, August 16 also be happy. (1 Tim. 1:11) Do we
Blessed is the man who puts his trust need ideal circumstances in our life to
be happy? No. In his sermon, Jesus
in Jehovah.—Jer. 17:7.
said that even “those who mourn” can
People in Satan’s world do not know be happy. Jesus said the same about
whom they can trust. They are con- “those who have been persecuted for
stantly disappointed by the conduct righteousness’ sake.” (Matt. 5:4, 10,
of commercial, political, and reli- 11) Jesus was teaching us that happi-
gious leaders. That feeling extends to ness results, not from having ideal cir-
friends, neighbors, and even family cumstances in our life, but from sat-
members. This should not surprise us. isfying our spiritual need and drawing
The Bible foretold: “In the last days close to God.—Jas. 4:8. w22.10 6 ˚1-3
. . . , men will be . . . disloyal, . . .
slanderers, . . . betrayers.” In other Sunday, August 18
words, people would reflect the per- The man of true discernment remains
sonality of the god of this system of silent.—Prov. 11:12.
things, who is far from trustworthy.
Discernment will help a Christian to
(2 Tim. 3:1-4; 2 Cor. 4:4) As Chris-
distinguish between “a time to be si-
tians, however, we know that we can
lent and a time to speak.” (Eccl. 3:7)
put our full trust in Jehovah. We are
“Speech is silver, but silence is gold-
convinced that he loves us and that he
en” is a common expression in some
“will never abandon” his friends. (Ps.
cultures. In other words, there are
9:10) We can also trust in Christ Jesus
times when it is better to keep quiet
because he gave his life for us. (1 Pet.
than to speak. Consider an example.
3:18) And we have learned from per-
One experienced elder is often asked
sonal experience that the Bible pro-
to help other congregations with their
vides reliable guidance.—2 Tim. 3:16, challenging problems. Commenting
17. w22.09 2 ˚1-2 on this, a fellow elder said, “He is al-
Saturday, August 17 ways careful never to share sensi-
tive information about other congre-
Happy is everyone who fears Jehovah, gations.” The elder’s discernment has
who walks in His ways.—Ps. 128:1. earned him the respect of the broth-
True happiness is not simply a light- ers with whom he serves on the body
hearted feeling that comes and goes. of elders. They are certain that he will
It can last throughout a person’s life. not reveal their confidential matters
How so? Jesus explained in his Ser- to others. Honesty is another element
mon on the Mount: “Happy are those of trust. We trust an honest person
conscious of their spiritual need.” because we know that he will always
(Matt. 5:3) Jesus knew that humans speak the truth.—Eph. 4:25; Heb. 13:
are made with an intense desire to 18. w22.09 12 ˚14-15
know and worship their Creator, Je-
hovah God. That is our “spiritual
need.” And since Jehovah is “the hap-
py God,” those who worship him can
Monday, August 19 17) Many brothers and sisters who
There is no wisdom, nor discernment, were displaced by a disaster or civil
unrest have done their best to adapt
nor counsel in opposition to Jehovah.
to their new situation and become in-
—Prov. 21:30.
volved right away in theocratic ac-
Many turn a deaf ear when true wis- tivities. Like the early Christians who
dom “cries aloud in the street.” were scattered by persecution, they
(Prov. 1:20) According to the Bible, continue “declaring the good news of
there are three groups of people who the word.” (Acts 8:4) Preaching helps
reject wisdom: “inexperienced ones,” them to focus on the Kingdom rather
“ridiculers,” and “foolish ones.” than on difficult circumstances. As a
(Prov. 1:22-25) The “inexperienced result, they have maintained their joy
ones” are those who are naive, easi- and peace. w22.12 19 ˚12-13
ly persuaded, or deceived. (Prov. 14:
15, ftn.) Think, for example, of the Wednesday, August 21
millions who are being misled by re- Jehovah is on my side; I will not be
ligious or political leaders. Some are afraid.—Ps. 118:6.
horrified when they learn that they
Jehovah values us as individuals. Be-
have been fooled by such leaders.
fore sending out his apostles to
But those mentioned at Proverbs 1:22
preach, Jesus helped them to over-
choose to remain inexperienced be-
come their fear of opposition. (Matt.
cause they like it that way. (Jer. 5:31)
10:29-31) He did so by talking about
They do not want to learn what the Bi-
one of the most common birds in Is-
ble says or to be held accountable rael: the sparrow. Those birds had lit-
to its standards. We certainly do not tle value in Jesus’ day. But he told
want to imitate those who are willfully his disciples: “Not one of them will fall
ignorant!—Prov. 1:32; 27:12. w22.10 19 to the ground without your Father’s
˚5-7 knowledge.” Then he added: “You are
worth more than many sparrows.” Je-
Tuesday, August 20
sus thus assured his disciples that Je-
Subject yourselves to every human hovah valued them as individuals, so
creation.—1 Pet. 2:13. they had no reason to fear persecu-
God’s organization gives us direction tion. The disciples surely recalled Je-
to keep us safe. We are regularly re- sus’ words when they saw sparrows
minded to give the elders our cur- while preaching in towns and villag-
rent contact information so that they es. Whenever you see a little bird, re-
can reach us during an emergency. We member that Jehovah values you as
may also receive direction about shel- an individual because you too “are
tering in place, evacuation, and ob- worth more than many sparrows.”
taining relief supplies or about how With his support, you can face oppo-
and when to assist others. If we fail sition with confidence. w23.03 18 ˚12
to obey, we could put in jeopardy our
life and the lives of the elders who
are keeping watch over us. (Heb. 13:
Thursday, August 22 Those and other resurrections prove
You have made Pharaoh and his that Jehovah has the power to bring
people back to life. While on earth,
servants despise us and you have
Jesus proved that his Father had giv-
put a sword in their hand to kill us.
en him that power. (John 11:23-25,
—Ex. 5:21.
43, 44) Now Jesus is in heaven and
At times, we face hardships—such as has been given “all authority . . . in
family opposition or the loss of our heaven and on the earth.” Thus, he is
job. When we endure adversity for a in position to fulfill the promise that
long time, we may feel hopeless and “all those in the memorial tombs” will
downhearted. Satan takes advantage be raised to life with the prospect of
of such opportunities and seeks to get remaining alive forever.—Matt. 28:18;
us to doubt Jehovah’s love for us. John 5:26-29. w22.12 5 ˚10
The Devil wants us to question wheth-
er Jehovah or His organization is re- Saturday, August 24
sponsible for our suffering. Some- The house of Israel will refuse to listen
thing similar happened to some of to you, for they do not want to listen
the Israelites in Egypt. At first they to me.—Ezek. 3:7.
believed that Jehovah had appoint-
By rejecting Ezekiel, the people were
ed Moses and Aaron to deliver them
rejecting Jehovah. The words of to-
from slavery. (Ex. 4:29-31) But later
day’s text assured Ezekiel that the
when Pharaoh made their lives hard-
people’s rejection did not mean that
er, they blamed Moses and Aaron for
he had failed as a prophet. Jehovah
their problems. (Ex. 5:19, 20) They
also assured Ezekiel that when the
blamed God’s loyal servants. How sad!
judgments he proclaimed came true,
If you have been enduring hardships
the people would “know that a proph-
for a long time, pour out your heart to
et was among them.” (Ezek. 2:5; 33:
Jehovah in prayer and look to him for
33) No doubt those comforting
support. w22.11 15 ˚5-6
thoughts gave Ezekiel the strength he
Friday, August 23 needed to fulfill his ministry. We too
derive strength from knowing that we
Most truly I say to you, the hour is have been sent by Jehovah. He hon-
coming, and it is now, when the dead ors us by calling us his “witnesses.”
will hear the voice of the Son of God, (Isa. 43:10) What a grand privilege
and those who have paid attention that is! Just as Jehovah urged Ezekiel:
will live.—John 5:25. “Do not be afraid,” Jehovah urges us:
Jehovah is the Life-Giver and has the “Do not be in dread.” (Ezek. 2:6) Why
power to bring people back to life. He is there no reason to fear our oppos-
empowered the prophet Elijah to res- ers? Like Ezekiel, we are sent by Jeho-
urrect the son of the widow of Zare- vah and have His backing.—Isa. 44:8.
phath. (1 Ki. 17:21-23) Later, with w22.11 3-4 ˚4-5
God’s help, the prophet Elisha re-
stored the life of the son of a Shunam-
mite woman. (2 Ki. 4:18-20, 34-37)
Sunday, August 25 in everything we do. In the meantime,
we need to keep working hard toward
The trustworthy person keeps
that goal. Notice the connection Paul
a confidence.—Prov. 11:13.
made between making our mind over
Today we deeply appreciate our trust- and discerning God’s will, as record-
worthy elders and ministerial ser- ed at Romans 12:2. Instead of passive-
vants. We are well cared for by these ly allowing ourselves to be molded by
faithful brothers, and we thank Jeho- this system of things, we must first ex-
vah for them! In what ways, though, amine ourselves to determine how
can we prove ourselves to be trust- much we are letting God’s thinking
worthy? We love our brothers and sis- —not the world’s—influence our goals
ters, and we are interested in their and decisions. w23.01 8-9 ˚3-4
well-being. However, we must be bal-
anced and respect their privacy. Some Tuesday, August 27
in the first-century Christian congre- Throw your burden on Jehovah, and
gation were “gossipers and meddlers he will sustain you. Never will he allow
in other people’s affairs, talking about the righteous one to fall.—Ps. 55:22.
things they should not.” (1 Tim. 5:13) Does Jehovah intervene in every situ-
We certainly do not want to be like ation we encounter? Does he maneu-
them. But suppose someone shares ver every event in our life, so that all
with us personal information with the bad things that happen are for a good
understanding that it is not to be re- reason? No, the Bible does not sup-
peated. For instance, a sister might port that view. (Eccl. 8:9; 9:11) How-
tell us about a health problem she is ever, we do know this: When we face
experiencing or some other trial she is a trial, Jehovah is aware of it and
facing, asking us to keep the matter to he hears our cries for help. (Ps. 34:
ourselves. We should respect her wish- 15; Isa. 59:1) More than that, Jeho-
es. w22.09 10 ˚7-8 vah can help us to endure hardships
successfully. How? One way that Je-
Monday, August 26 hovah helps us is by providing com-
Be transformed by making your mind fort and encouragement, often just at
over.—Rom. 12:2. the right time. (2 Cor. 1:3, 4) Can you
think of a time in your life when Jeho-
The Greek expression translated “mak-
vah sustained you by providing com-
ing your mind over” can be rendered
fort and encouragement just when
“renovation of your mind.” There-
you needed it most? Often, it is only
fore, we cannot simply decorate our
after we look back on a hardship that
life with a few good works. Rather, we
we see how Jehovah helped us get
must examine the person we are deep
through it. w23.01 17-18 ˚13-15
inside and make any needed changes
so that we can bring our life as close
as possible to Jehovah’s standards. We
should do this, not once, but continu-
ally. When we reach perfection, we
will always be able to please Jehovah
Wednesday, August 28 familiar with the Law, including the
The wild beast that was but is not . . . scribes, the Pharisees, and the Saddu-
goes off into destruction.—Rev. 17:11. cees. Those religious leaders read the
Scriptures often, but they failed to
This wild beast looks almost the same benefit from what they read. Jesus
as the seven-headed wild beast with highlighted three ways in which these
the exception that it is scarlet-colored. men were not getting the most out of
It is called “the image of the wild the Scriptures. His words to them will
beast” and is described as “an eighth help us improve in our ability (1) to
king.” (Rev. 13:14, 15; 17:3, 8) This understand what we read, (2) to find
“king” is spoken of as coming into ex- spiritual treasures, and (3) to allow
istence, then going out of existence, God’s Word to mold us. w23.02 8-9
and later reappearing. How well this ˚2-3
description fits the United Nations or-
ganization, which promotes the in- Friday, August 30
terests of the worldwide political sys-
The shrewd one sees the danger and
tem! It existed first as the League
conceals himself.—Prov. 22:3.
of Nations. Then it went out of ex-
istence during World War II. It later Some dangers that we must avoid in-
emerged again in its present-day form. clude flirting, heavy drinking, over-
By means of their propaganda, the po- eating, engaging in hurtful speech, as
litical beasts stir up opposition to Je- well as viewing violent entertainment,
hovah and his people. Symbolically, pornography, and similar things. (Ps.
they gather “the kings of the entire in- 101:3) The Devil is constantly look-
habited earth” together to the war of ing for opportunities to damage our
Armageddon, which is “the great day friendship with Jehovah. (1 Pet. 5:8)
of God the Almighty.”—Rev. 16:13, 14, If we are not watchful, Satan can
16. w22.05 10 ˚10-11 plant in our mind and heart seeds
of envy, dishonesty, greed, hatred,
Thursday, August 29 haughtiness, and resentment. (Gal. 5:
How do you read?—Luke 10:26. 19-21) If we do not take immediate
steps to uproot them, they will contin-
When Jesus learned to read the Sa-
ue to grow like a poisonous plant and
cred Writings on his own, he not only
cause trouble. (Jas. 1:14, 15) One sub-
came to know the Scriptures well but
tle danger is bad association. We must
also loved them and allowed them to
remember that we will be strong-
influence his actions. For example, re-
ly influenced by those with whom we
call the incident in the temple when
choose to spend our time. (1 Cor. 15:
Jesus was just 12 years old. The teach-
33) If we pay attention to ourselves,
ers who were well-versed in the Mo-
we will avoid unnecessary association
saic Law were in “amazement at [Je-
with those who do not live by Jeho-
sus’] understanding and his answers.”
vah’s standards. (Luke 21:34; 2 Cor. 6:
(Luke 2:46, 47, 52) We too can come
15) We will see the danger and steer
to know and love God’s Word as we
clear of it. w23.02 16 ˚7; 17 ˚10-11
regularly read the Scriptures. We can
learn from what Jesus said to those
Saturday, August 31 with a classmate on a high-school
This is what the love of God means, project. After working together, the
that we observe his commandments. classmate noticed that Kimberly was
different from other students. She
—1 John 5:3.
did not criticize people behind their
Your love for Jehovah has grown as back, she spoke in a positive way, and
you have learned more about him. she did not use profanity. Kimberly’s
Surely you want to draw closer to him classmate was intrigued and even-
now and forever. And you can. He tually agreed to a Bible study. How
kindly encourages you to make his pleased Jehovah is when we speak in a
heart rejoice. (Prov. 23:15, 16) You way that attracts people to the truth!
can do that not only by words but also We all want to speak in a way that
by actions. The way you live your life brings honor to Jehovah. w22.04 5-6
will show that you truly love Jeho- ˚5-7
vah. That is the best goal in life you
could ever choose. How can you dem- Monday, September 2
onstrate your love for Jehovah? First, Women . . . were ministering to them
you offer a special prayer in which from their belongings.—Luke 8:3.
you dedicate yourself to the only true
Jesus freed Mary Magdalene from the
God. (Ps. 40:8) Then, you make that
influence of seven demons! Her grati-
private dedication public by getting
tude moved her to become his follow-
baptized. That becomes a happy mile-
er and to support him in the ministry.
stone, a great turning point. You start
(Luke 8:1-3) Although Mary deeply
out on a new life, not for yourself,
appreciated what Jesus did for her
but for Jehovah. (Rom. 14:8; 1 Pet. 4:
personally, she may not have grasped
1, 2) That may sound like a big step
that his greatest gift was yet to come.
to take, and it is. But it opens the
He would give his life “so that every-
way for the very best life. w23.03 5-6
one exercising faith in him” could
˚14-15
enjoy everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Sunday, September 1 Still, Mary showed her appreciation
for Jesus by being loyal. While Je-
If any man thinks he is a worshipper of sus was suffering on the torture stake,
God but does not keep a tight rein on Mary stood nearby, providing emo-
his tongue, he is deceiving his own tional support to him and to others.
heart, and his worship is futile. (John 19:25) After Jesus died, Mary
—Jas. 1:26. and two other women brought spices
When we use the gift of speech well, to the tomb for his burial. (Mark 16:
we identify ourselves as worshippers 1, 2) Mary had the joy of meeting
of Jehovah. We help those around us the resurrected Jesus and of speaking
to see clearly the difference “between with him—a privilege that most disci-
one serving God and one not serving ples did not have.—John 20:11-18.
w23.01 27 ˚4
him.” (Mal. 3:18) Consider how this
proved to be true for a sister named
Kimberly. She was assigned to work
Tuesday, September 3 and “the scroll of life.” (Mal. 3:16;
I wish you were cold or else hot. Rev. 3:5; 17:8) This special book con-
tains the names of all those who wor-
—Rev. 3:15.
ship Jehovah with fear, or awe, and
We cannot rely merely on what we who treasure his name. They are in
have done in the past in Jehovah’s ser- line to receive everlasting life. Today
vice. Though we may have more limi- we can have our name written in that
tations than before, we need to keep book if we develop a close, person-
busy in “the work of the Lord,” re- al relationship with Jehovah based on
maining awake and alert right to the the ransom sacrifice of his Son, Jesus
end. (1 Cor. 15:58; Matt. 24:13; Mark Christ. (John 3:16, 36) All of us want
13:33) We must be zealous and whole- our name to be found in that book
hearted in our worship. Jesus’ mes- —whether we hope to live in heaven
sage to those in Laodicea highlight- or on the earth. w22.09 14 ˚1-2
ed yet a different problem. They were
“lukewarm” in their worship. Because Thursday, September 5
of their apathy, Jesus told them that The Devil who was misleading them
they were in a “miserable and pitiful” was hurled into the lake of fire and
state. They needed to display fiery sulfur.—Rev. 20:10.
zeal for Jehovah and his worship.
The book of Revelation describes
(Rev. 3:16, 17, 19) What is the lesson
“a great fiery-colored dragon.” (Rev.
for us? If we have lost a measure of
12:3) This dragon fights against Je-
our zeal, we must stir up our apprecia-
sus and his angels. (Rev. 12:7-9) It at-
tion for the spiritual riches we have.
tacks God’s people, and it gives pow-
(Rev. 3:18) Never would we want to al-
er to the political beasts. (Rev. 12:17;
low the pursuit of a comfortable life-
13:4) Who is this dragon? It is “the
style to distract us, causing us to rel-
original serpent, the one called Devil
egate spiritual activities to second
and Satan.” (Rev. 12:9; 20:2) He is the
place. w22.05 3-4 ˚7-8
one behind all the other enemies of
Wednesday, September 4 Jehovah. What happens to the drag-
on? Revelation 20:1-3 explains that
A book of remembrance was written an angel will hurl Satan into an abyss,
before him for those fearing Jehovah. which represents a prisonlike confine-
—Mal. 3:16. ment. During that confinement, Satan
For thousands of years, Jehovah has will “not mislead the nations anymore
been writing a special book. This book until the 1,000 years [have] ended.”
consists of a list of names, begin- Finally, Satan and his demons will be
ning with the name of the first faithful destroyed once and for all, represent-
witness, Abel. (Luke 11:50, 51) Down ed by their being hurled into “the
through the centuries, Jehovah has lake of fire and sulfur.” Just imagine a
added names to the book, and to- world without Satan and his demons.
day it contains millions of names. In What a wonderful time that will be!
the Bible, that book is called “a book w22.05 14 ˚19-20
of remembrance,” “the book of life,”
Friday, September 6 most mothers, you make many sacri-
Let him do hard work, doing good fices. You give up time, money, sleep,
and other things to care for your chil-
work with his hands, so that he
dren’s physical needs. But you should
may have something to share with
never be so busy caring for those
someone in need.—Eph. 4:28.
needs that you sacrifice your relation-
Jesus was a hard worker. In his ear- ship with Jehovah. Regularly set aside
ly years on earth, he worked as a car- time for private prayer, personal study
penter. (Mark 6:3) No doubt his par- of the Bible, and congregation meet-
ents appreciated his help as they tried ings. By doing so, you will strength-
hard to provide for the needs of their en yourself spiritually and set a good
large family. And as a carpenter, the example for your family as well as for
perfect man Jesus must have been others. w22.04 16 ˚1; 19 ˚12-13
in high demand! Jesus very likely en-
joyed his work. Yet, even while he was Sunday, September 8
applying himself to his secular work, Judge your servants by pronouncing
Jesus set aside time for spiritual ac- the wicked one guilty and bringing
tivities. (John 7:15) Later, as a full- what he did on his own head, and by
time minister, he advised his listeners: pronouncing the righteous one inno-
“Work, not for the food that perish- cent and rewarding him.—1 Ki. 8:32.
es, but for the food that remains for
What a relief it is to know that we
everlasting life.” (John 6:27) And in
do not have the burden of decid-
the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:
ing how individuals should be judged!
“Store up for yourselves treasures in
As the Supreme Judge, Jehovah will
heaven.” (Matt. 6:20) Godly wisdom
care for this important work. (Rom.
helps us to have a balanced view of
14:10-12) We can have complete con-
our secular work. As Christians, we
fidence that he will always judge in
are taught to do “hard work . . . , good
harmony with his perfect standards
work.” w22.05 22 ˚9-10
of right and wrong. (Gen. 18:25) He
Saturday, September 7 will never do anything unrighteous!
We long for the time when Jehovah
Your mother will rejoice. will completely undo all the bad ef-
—Prov. 23:25. fects of human imperfection and sin.
Eunice set a good example for Tim- At that time, all our physical and
othy. He could no doubt see that emotional wounds will be permanent-
his mother’s actions were motivated ly healed. (Ps. 72:12-14; Rev. 21:3, 4)
by her strong love for Jehovah and They will never come to mind again.
that serving Jehovah made his moth- While we wait for that wonderful time
er happy. Similarly today, many moth- to arrive, how thankful we are that
ers have reached the heart of fami- Jehovah has empowered us with the
ly members “without a word.” (1 Pet. ability to imitate him by being forgiv-
3:1, 2) You can do the same. How? ing. w22.06 13 ˚18-19
Make your relationship with Jeho-
vah your priority. (Deut. 6:5, 6) Like
Monday, September 9 We should view trials as an opportuni-
Will the Judge of all the earth not ty to learn about ourselves. The trials
that Job faced helped him to identi-
do what is right?—Gen. 18:25.
fy certain weaknesses and to correct
A good judge needs to have a thor- them. For one thing, he learned that
ough understanding of the law. He he needed to cultivate humility to a
should have a deep and strong sense greater degree. (Job 42:3) We too
of right and wrong. What else does a can learn a lot about ourselves when
good judge need? He needs to be able we are under trial. Once we identify
to consider all the relevant facts in a our weaknesses, we can work on cor-
case before he renders judgment. In recting them. w22.06 23 ˚13-14
this respect, Jehovah is uniquely qual-
ified as Judge. Unlike human judges, Wednesday, September 11
Jehovah always has a perfect grasp of “You are my witnesses,” declares
all the facts of any case that comes Jehovah, “Yes, my servant whom
before him. (Gen. 18:20, 21; Ps. 90:8) I have chosen.”—Isa. 43:10.
He is not limited by what humans see
Jehovah assures us of his support.
or hear. He completely understands
For example, just before Jehovah stat-
how a person’s actions are influenced
ed: “You are my witnesses,” he said:
by his genetic makeup, upbringing,
“When you pass through the waters,
and environment as well as by his
I will be with you, and through the
emotional and mental condition. Je-
rivers, they will not flood over you.
hovah also reads the heart. He fully
When you walk through the fire, you
perceives the motivations, intentions,
will not be scorched, nor will the
and desires of each person. Nothing
flame singe you.” (Isa. 43:2) As we
can be hidden from Jehovah. (Heb. 4:
carry out our ministry, we sometimes
13) Thus, Jehovah’s forgiveness is al-
encounter floodlike obstacles and
ways based on his complete knowl-
face firelike trials. Even so, with Je-
edge of a situation. w22.06 4 ˚8-9
hovah’s help we keep preaching. (Isa.
Tuesday, September 10 41:13) Most people today reject the
message. We keep in mind that their
A man will give everything that rejection does not mean that we have
he has for his life.—Job 2:4. failed as God’s Witnesses. We draw
We must pay close attention to the comfort and strength from know-
tactics used on Job because Satan ing that Jehovah is pleased when we
uses similar methods on us today. Sa- faithfully continue to declare his mes-
tan claims that we do not really love sage. The apostle Paul stated: “Each
Jehovah God and that we will turn person will receive his own reward ac-
against Him if it means saving our life. cording to his own work.”—1 Cor. 3:8;
Satan further claims that God does 4:1, 2. w22.11 4 ˚5-6
not love us and that He will not no-
tice our efforts to please Him. Be-
ing forewarned, we who hope in Jeho-
vah are not fooled by Satan’s tactics.
Thursday, September 12 1:26-28) Daniel saw “the Ancient of
Maintain your conduct fine among Days” clothed in white garments, with
flames of fire coming from His throne.
the nations.—1 Pet. 2:12.
(Dan. 7:9, 10) And John saw Jeho-
Today, we are seeing Bible prophecies vah seated on a throne surrounded
being fulfilled. People “out of all the by something like a beautiful emerald-
languages of the nations” are learning green rainbow. (Rev. 4:2-4) As we re-
to speak the “pure language” of Bible flect on Jehovah’s incomparable glo-
truth. (Zech. 8:23; Zeph. 3:9) Well ry, we are reminded of the incredible
over 8,000,000 people in 240 lands privilege of approaching him in prayer
are associating with Jehovah’s orga- and the importance of doing so with
nization, and each year tens of thou- reverence. w22.07 20 ˚3
sands get baptized! More important
than numbers, however, are the spir- Saturday, September 14
itual qualities, “the new personality,” [Beware] of the trickery of men.
that these new disciples have cultivat- —Eph. 4:14.
ed. (Col. 3:8-10) Many stopped being
Young ones, Satan will try to pre-
immoral, violent, prejudiced, and na-
vent you from making further spiritu-
tionalistic. The prophecy recorded at
al progress. One way he may do that is
Isaiah 2:4 is being fulfilled; they are
by raising doubts in your mind about
‘not learning war anymore.’ As we
some of the Bible’s teachings. For ex-
work hard to put on the new personal-
ample, sooner or later you will come
ity, we help draw people to God’s or-
across the God-dishonoring theory of
ganization and we prove that we are
evolution. You may have given lit-
following our overseer Christ Jesus.
tle or no thought to the subject when
(John 13:35) None of this happens by
you were younger, but now that you
accident. Jesus is giving us the help are older, perhaps you are confront-
we need. w22.07 9 ˚7-8 ed with it directly in school. What
Friday, September 13 your teachers say in support of evo-
lution may seem logical and convinc-
May my prayer be as incense prepared ing. However, they may have never
before you.—Ps. 141:2. seriously considered the evidence of
When we pray to Jehovah, we should the existence of a Creator. Remember
avoid being overly familiar. Instead, the principle found at Proverbs 18:
we pray with an attitude of deep re- 17: “The first to state his case seems
spect. Think about the amazing vi- right, until the other party comes
sions that Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and and cross-examines him.” Instead of
John received. They all depict Jeho- blindly accepting ideas that you hear
vah as a majestic King. Isaiah “saw at school as fact, carefully consider
Jehovah sitting on a lofty and ele- the truths found in God’s Word, the
vated throne.” (Isa. 6:1-3) Ezekiel Bible and in our publications. w22.08 2
˚2; 4 ˚8
saw Jehovah seated on his celestial
chariot, surrounded by “a brilliance
. . . like that of a rainbow.” (Ezek.
Sunday, September 15 are reminded of just how precious the
Observe carefully all that is written truth is. We also become even more
in it; for then your way will be suc- determined to “go on walking in the
truth”—that is, to keep living in a way
cessful and then you will act wisely.
that will bring Jehovah’s blessing and
—Josh. 1:8.
approval. We love the truth for many
We want to understand the meaning reasons. Most important, we love Je-
of what we read in God’s Word. Oth- hovah God, the Source of the truth.
erwise, our reading may not fully ben- Through his Word, the Bible, we have
efit us. For example, consider Je- come to know him not only as the all-
sus’ conversation with “a man versed powerful Maker of heaven and earth
in the Law.” (Luke 10:25-29) When but also as our loving heavenly Father,
the man asked what he needed to who tenderly cares for us.—1 Pet. 5:7.
do to gain everlasting life, Jesus di- w22.08 14 ˚1, 3
rected him to God’s Word by asking:
“What is written in the Law? How do Tuesday, September 17
you read?” The man was able to give Keep the poor in mind.—Gal. 2:10.
the right answer by quoting the scrip-
tures about loving God and loving The apostle Paul encouraged his
neighbor. (Lev. 19:18; Deut. 6:5) But brothers and sisters to show love
note what he said next: “Who really is through “fine works.” (Heb. 10:24) He
my neighbor?” The man revealed that helped his brothers and sisters not
he did not understand the real mean- only by what he said but also by what
ing of what he had read. As a result, he he did. For example, when fellow be-
did not know how to apply those scrip- lievers in Judea faced a famine, Paul
tures correctly in his life. We need Je- helped distribute relief to them. (Acts
hovah’s help to understand the Scrip- 11:27-30) In fact, even though Paul
tures. So ask him for his holy spirit in was busy preaching and teaching, he
order to concentrate, and then ask for always looked for ways to help those
his help to apply what you have read. who needed material assistance. By so
w23.02 9 ˚4-5 doing, he built up his fellow believ-
ers’ confidence that Jehovah would
Monday, September 16 care for them. Today, when we volun-
Go on walking in the truth. teer our time, effort, and skills to help
—3 John 4. with disaster relief, we too build up
the faith of our brothers and sisters.
“How did you come into the truth?”
The same happens when we regular-
No doubt you have answered that
ly donate toward the worldwide work.
question many times. It is one of the
In these and other ways, we help
first questions that a fellow believer
our brothers and sisters to trust that
will ask when we are getting acquaint-
Jehovah will never abandon them.
ed. We love to hear how our brothers
w22.08 24 ˚14
and sisters came to know and love Je-
hovah, and we enjoy telling them what
the truth means to us. (Rom. 1:11)
As a result of these conversations, we
Wednesday, September 18 We especially love to be with them to
Prophecy was at no time brought by praise and worship our loving heaven-
ly Father, and we need to remain unit-
man’s will, but men spoke from God
ed with them. (Ps. 133:1) At times,
as they were moved by holy spirit.
they help us to carry our burdens.
—2 Pet. 1:21.
(Rom. 15:1; Gal. 6:2) They also en-
The Bible contains many prophecies courage us to stay active in Jehovah’s
that were fulfilled, some of them hun- service and to keep spiritually strong.
dreds of years after they were re- (Heb. 10:23-25) Think how we would
corded. History confirms that these feel if we did not have the protec-
prophecies came true. This does not tion of the congregation to help us
surprise us because we know that the stand firm against our common ene-
Author of Bible prophecy is Jehovah. mies—Satan the Devil and his wicked
Think of the prophecies regarding the world. w22.09 2-3 ˚3-4
fall of the ancient city of Babylon. In
the eighth century B.C.E., the prophet Friday, September 20
Isaiah was inspired to foretell that the Whoever controls his lips acts
then powerful city of Babylon would discreetly.—Prov. 10:19.
be captured. He even gave the name
We may find that our self-control is
of its conqueror, Cyrus, and fore-
put to the test when we are using so-
told precisely how the city would be cial media. If not careful, we could
seized. (Isa. 44:27–45:2) Isaiah also unintentionally reveal confidential
prophesied that Babylon would even- matters to a large audience. And once
tually be destroyed and completely we broadcast the information elec-
deserted. (Isa. 13:19, 20) Babylon tronically, we have no control over
fell to the Medes and the Persians in how it will be used or how much dam-
539 B.C.E., and the site of this once age it will cause. Self-control also al-
great city is now a pile of ruins. w23.01 lows us to remain silent when oppos-
4 ˚10 ers try to trick us into revealing things
that could endanger our brothers and
Thursday, September 19
sisters. This might occur when we are
Keep encouraging one another. being interrogated by the police in a
—1 Thess. 5:11. land where our work is banned or re-
Jehovah has chosen us to be part of stricted. We can apply the principle to
his worldwide family of worshippers. “guard [our] mouth with a muzzle” in
Just think what a privilege that is and these and other situations as well. (Ps.
what benefits it brings! (Mark 10:29, 39:1) Whether we are dealing with our
30) Around the world, we have broth- family, our friends, our brothers and
ers and sisters who share our love for sisters, or anyone else, we need to be
Jehovah and who try their best to live trustworthy. And to be trustworthy,
by his standards. Our language, cul- we need self-control. w22.09 13 ˚16
ture, and dress may be different from
theirs, but we feel close to them, even
when meeting them for the first time.
Saturday, September 21 steps to make a dedication to Jehovah
Happy is the man . . . [whose] delight and get baptized. If we are baptized,
are we making progress as a preach-
is in the law of Jehovah, and he reads
er and teacher of the good news? Do
His law in an undertone day and
our decisions show that we are guid-
night.—Ps. 1:1, 2.
ed by Bible principles? Are we dis-
To be truly happy, we must take in playing Christian qualities in our deal-
spiritual food. And we need it. That is ings with others? If we see room for
why Jesus said: “Man must live, not improvement, let us pay attention
on bread alone, but on every word to Jehovah’s reminders, which ‘make
that comes from Jehovah’s mouth.” the inexperienced one wise.’—Ps. 19:7.
(Matt. 4:4) Therefore, we should not w22.10 20 ˚8
let a day go by without taking in some
spiritual food from God’s precious Monday, September 23
Word, the Bible. In the Bible, Jeho- They would go where the spirit
vah has lovingly given us vital infor- inclined them to go.—Ezek. 1:20.
mation on how to live a happy life.
Ezekiel saw how powerful God’s spir-
We learn what his purpose is for our
it is. In vision, he witnessed holy spir-
life. We learn how we can draw close
it at work on the mighty spirit crea-
to him and gain his forgiveness for
tures and on the gigantic wheels of
our sins. And we learn about the won- a celestial chariot. (Ezek. 1:21) What
derful hope that he promises for the was Ezekiel’s reaction? He recorded
future. (Jer. 29:11) These truths that what happened. “When I saw it, I fell
we gain from a study of the Bible fill facedown.” Overcome with awe, Eze-
our heart with joy! Whenever you feel kiel dropped to the ground. (Ezek. 1:
discouraged by life’s problems, spend 28) Later, whenever Ezekiel reflected
more time reading Jehovah’s Word on that impressive vision, it must have
and meditating on it. w22.10 7 ˚4-6 strengthened his conviction that with
the help of God’s spirit, he could ac-
Sunday, September 22
complish his ministry. Jehovah com-
Become full-grown in your under- manded Ezekiel: “Son of man, stand
standing.—1 Cor. 14:20. up on your feet that I may speak with
With good reason, the Bible encour- you.” That command gave Ezekiel the
ages us not to remain inexperienced. inner strength, or the “spirit,” that he
We acquire the right kind of expe- needed to get up from the ground.
rience by applying Bible principles in (Ezek. 2:1, 2) Later and throughout
our life. Little by little, we learn first- his ministry, Ezekiel was guided by
hand how those principles help us God’s “hand”—that is, God’s holy spir-
to avoid problems and make wise it.—Ezek. 3:22; 8:1; 33:22; 37:1; 40:1.
decisions. We do well to check our w22.11 4 ˚7-8
progress in this regard. If we have
been studying the Bible and attending
meetings for some time, we might ask
ourselves why we have still not taken
Tuesday, September 24 as the Bible says, but that his sacrifice
must be repeated over and over again.
Your own ears will hear a word
(Heb. 9:27, 28) Today many sincere
behind you.—Isa. 30:21.
people believe this false teaching. They
The prophet Isaiah here describes Je- gather together in churches regularly
hovah as an attentive instructor who —sometimes daily—to observe what
is walking behind his students, point- has come to be called “the Sacrifice
ing to the way ahead and giving them of the Mass.” Other religious organiza-
guidance. Today we hear God’s voice tions observe the death of Jesus less
from behind us. How? God’s inspired often, but most of their members have
words were recorded in the Bible long only a vague notion about what Je-
ago, a time far behind us. So when we sus’ sacrifice has accomplished. w23.01
read the Bible, it is as if we were hear- 21 ˚5
ing God’s voice coming from behind
us. (Isa. 51:4) How can we benefit to Thursday, September 26
the full from the guidance Jehovah Do not forget to do good and to
provides? Note that Isaiah makes two share what you have with others.
statements. First, “this is the way.” —Heb. 13:16.
Second, “walk in it.” It is not enough During Jesus’ Thousand Year Reign,
to know “the way.” We also need to the dead will be raised and obedient
“walk in it.” By means of Jehovah’s mankind will be brought to perfec-
Word, as it is explained by his orga- tion. Those whom Jehovah judges to
nization, we learn what Jehovah re- be righteous “will possess the earth,
quires of us. We also learn how to ap- and they will live forever on it.” (Ps.
ply what we learn. To endure with joy 37:10, 11, 29) Happily, “the last ene-
in our service to Jehovah, we need to my, death,” will be “brought to
take both steps. Only then can we be nothing.” (1 Cor. 15:26) Our hope of
assured of Jehovah’s blessing. w22.11 living forever is solidly based on God’s
11 ˚10-11 Word. That hope can help us to re-
main loyal during these difficult last
Wednesday, September 25 days. But to please Jehovah, we must
After my going away oppressive be motivated by more than just a de-
wolves will enter in among you. sire to stay alive. Our primary rea-
—Acts 20:29. son for remaining loyal to Jehovah
and Jesus is that we love them deep-
Soon after most of Jesus’ apostles
ly. (2 Cor. 5:14, 15) That love moti-
died, imitation Christians worked their
vates us to imitate them and to share
way into the congregation. (Matt.
with others the hope we have. (Rom.
13:24-27, 37-39) They spoke “twisted
10:13-15) As we learn to be unself-
things to draw away the disciples after
ish and generous, we become the type
themselves.” (Acts 20:30) One of the
of people whom Jehovah wants as his
“twisted things” that imitation Chris-
friends forever. w22.12 6-7 ˚15-16
tians eventually began teaching was
that Jesus did not offer his body “once
for all time to bear the sins of many,”
Friday, September 27 to this system of things. By applying
All those desiring to live with godly the counsel found at Hebrews 6:11, 12,
devotion in association with Christ we will hold fast to our hope “down
to the end.” Jehovah has a fixed day
Jesus will also be persecuted.
and hour when he will bring an end to
—2 Tim. 3:12.
Satan’s system. When that day comes,
Persecution can rob us of many things Jehovah will without fail fulfill the
that normally bring peace. We may prophecies that he had recorded in
become anxious, fearing what will his Word. Meanwhile, it may at times
happen next. These feelings are nor- seem that the end of this system has
mal. Still, we must be careful. Je- been delayed. However, Jehovah’s
sus indicated that persecution could day “will not be late!” (Hab. 2:3) So
cause his followers to stumble. (John may we be determined to “keep on
16:1, 2) While Jesus did tell us to ex- the lookout for Jehovah,” showing “a
pect persecution, he also assured us waiting attitude for the God of [our]
that we can remain faithful. (John 15: salvation.”—Mic. 7:7. w23.02 19 ˚15-16
20; 16:33) When our work is banned
or greatly restricted, we may receive Sunday, September 29
instructions from the branch office None can compare to you.—Ps. 40:5.
and the elders. These are meant to
protect us, to make sure that we keep A mountain climber’s goal is to reach
receiving spiritual food, and to help the summit. However, there are nu-
us continue preaching to the extent merous points along the route where
possible. Do your best to obey the di- he can stop and take in the view. In
rection you receive. (Jas. 3:17) Also, a similar way, regularly take time to
never reveal information about our stop and think about how Jehovah is
brothers and sisters to those who are making you successful even while you
not entitled to it.—Eccl. 3:7. w22.12 are enduring a hardship. At the end
20-21 ˚14-16 of each day, ask yourself: ‘In what
way did I see Jehovah’s blessing to-
Saturday, September 28 day? Although the trial is still running
Show the same industriousness. its course, how is Jehovah helping me
to endure?’ See if you can identify at
—Heb. 6:11.
least one blessing from Jehovah that
Today, Jesus continues to direct his has made you successful. True, you
disciples as they preach about God’s might be praying for your trial to end.
Kingdom in all the earth. He has done (Phil. 4:6) But we should also be aware
his part. Through Jehovah’s organiza- of the blessings we have right now. Af-
tion, Jesus trains us how to preach ter all, Jehovah promises to strength-
and he provides us with the tools we en us and to help us to endure. So nev-
need to spread the good news. (Matt. er lose appreciation for the fact that
28:18-20) We do our part by being in- Jehovah is supporting you. Then you
dustrious in our preaching and teach- will see how Jehovah is helping you
ing work and by keeping watchful as to succeed, even during times of trial.
we wait on Jehovah to bring an end —Gen. 41:51, 52. w23.01 19 ˚17-18
Monday, September 30 the songs at home, just as you would
Keep close in mind the presence of prepare for other parts on the meet-
ing and try to identify how the lyrics
the day of Jehovah.—2 Pet. 3:12.
tie in with the subject being discussed.
Ask yourself: ‘Does my way of life Also, focus more on the words and
show that I understand how close we less on your singing ability. Comment-
are to the end of this system of things? ing can be a real challenge for some.
Do my decisions regarding education What will help? Try to do so regularly.
and employment show that serving Remember, it is OK if your answer is
Jehovah is the most important thing short, simple, and to the point. Jeho-
in my life? Do I have faith that Jeho- vah greatly appreciates our determi-
vah will provide for me and my fami- nation to praise him at congregation
ly?’ Think how pleased Jehovah is meetings. w22.04 7-8 ˚12-15
when he sees us bringing our life into
harmony with his will. (Matt. 6:25- Wednesday, October 2
27, 33; Phil. 4:12, 13) We need to ex- Jehovah is my helper; I will not
amine our thinking regularly and fol- be afraid.—Heb. 13:6.
low through by making any necessary
The word “helper” refers to a person
adjustments. Paul told the Corinthi-
who runs to the aid of someone cry-
ans: “Keep testing whether you are
ing for help. Picture Jehovah hurry-
in the faith; keep proving what you
ing to rescue someone in distress. You
yourselves are.” (2 Cor. 13:5) So we
will surely agree that this description
need to keep making our mind over by
highlights Jehovah’s willingness—yes,
reading God’s Word, learning to think
eagerness—to be our Helper. With Je-
as he thinks, and then doing whatever
hovah on our side, we can endure our
is necessary to bring ourselves in line
trials with joy. What are some ways
with Jehovah’s will.—1 Cor. 2:14-16.
in which Jehovah helps us? To an-
w23.01 9 ˚5-6
swer, let us turn to the book of Isa-
Tuesday, October 1 iah. Why? Many of the prophecies Isa-
iah was inspired to write apply to
In the midst of the congregation God’s servants today. Further, Isaiah
I will praise you.—Ps. 22:22. often describes Jehovah in terms that
We can all contribute to the success we can easily understand. Take as an
of our congregation meetings by rais- example Isaiah chapter 30. There, in
ing our voices in song and by giving language that creates vivid pictures in
well-prepared comments. Some find it our mind, Isaiah describes how Jeho-
a challenge to sing or to give a com- vah helps us as his people (1) by lis-
ment in public. Do you? If so, consid- tening attentively and responding to
er what others have done to overcome our prayers, (2) by providing us with
their fears. As to song, some have guidance, and (3) by giving us bless-
found it helps to sing wholeheartedly. ings now and in the future. w22.11 8
˚2-3
When we sing our Kingdom songs, our
primary focus should be on our de-
sire to praise Jehovah. So prepare for
Thursday, October 3 writers of the Hebrew Scriptures rec-
Do not be afraid of the things you are ognized that Jehovah’s forgiveness is
unique. In some cases, they used a
about to suffer. . . . Prove yourself
Hebrew word that one reference work
faithful even to death, and I will give
says “is reserved especially to mark
you the crown of life.—Rev. 2:10.
the pardon extended to the sinner by
In Jesus’ messages to the congrega- God, and is never used to denote that
tions in Smyrna and Philadelphia, inferior kind and measure of forgive-
he told Christians there not to be ness which is exercised by one man to-
afraid to suffer persecution, since wards another.” Only Jehovah has the
their faithfulness would be rewarded. power to pardon a repentant sinner
(Rev. 3:10) We must expect persecu- completely. w22.06 4 ˚10-11
tion and be willing to endure it. (Matt.
24:9, 13; 2 Cor. 12:10) The book of Saturday, October 5
Revelation informs us that God’s peo- Train a boy in the way he should go;
ple would be persecuted in our day even when he grows old he will not
—“the Lord’s day.” (Rev. 1:10) Rev- depart from it.—Prov. 22:6.
elation chapter 12 mentions that war
If you are raising your children with-
breaks out in heaven immediately
out a mate or in a religiously divid-
following the birth of God’s King-
ed household, be assured that your
dom. Michael—the glorified Jesus
faithful example strengthens and mo-
Christ—and his armies fight against
tivates those around you. What if it
Satan and the demons. (Rev. 12:7, 8)
seems that your child is not respond-
As a result, those enemies of God are
ing to your efforts? Remember that
defeated and cast down to the vicinity training a child takes time. When you
of the earth, bringing untold suffering plant a seedling, you may at times
to the earth and its inhabitants.—Rev. wonder if it will ever grow into a plant
12:9, 12. w22.05 5 ˚12-13 that produces fruit. Although you
Friday, October 4 cannot control the outcome, you con-
tinue to water it in order to give it the
With Jehovah our God there is best opportunity to grow. (Mark 4:26-
no injustice.—2 Chron. 19:7. 29) Likewise, as a mother, you may
Jehovah’s judgments are always just sometimes wonder if you are reach-
and fair. He is completely impartial. ing the heart of your young ones. You
His forgiveness is never determined cannot control the outcome. But if
by someone’s appearance, wealth, you continue to do all that you can
prominence, or abilities. (1 Sam. 16:7; to train them, you give them the best
Jas. 2:1-4) No one can pressure or possible opportunity to grow spiritu-
bribe Jehovah. His decisions are nev- ally. w22.04 19-20 ˚16-17
er colored by frustration or senti-
ment. (Ex. 34:7) Without a doubt,
Jehovah’s understanding and his pen-
etrating insight make him the most
qualified Judge. (Deut. 32:4) The
Sunday, October 6 Ezek. 9:4, 6) If you have chosen to
Pride is before a crash, and a haughty support Jehovah’s rulership, you have
made a wise decision. Now you are ea-
spirit before stumbling.—Prov. 16:18.
ger to help others make the right
When he was a faithful worshipper choice. Blessings will come to those
of Jehovah, Solomon had a balanced who loyally support Jehovah’s ruler-
view of himself. As a young man, ship. We do well to consider such vital
he modestly acknowledged his limita- truths. Doing so will strengthen our
tions and asked for Jehovah’s guid- resolve to keep on serving Jehovah.
ance. (1 Ki. 3:7-9) Early in his reign, In addition, we can use what we have
Solomon was also aware of the dan- learned to help others make the right
ger of becoming prideful. Sadly, Solo- decision and stick to it. w22.05 15 ˚1-2
mon later failed to apply his own ad-
vice. Some time into his kingship, Tuesday, October 8
he proudly began to ignore God’s re- Happy are you when people . . .
quirements. For example, one of the lyingly say every sort of wicked
laws stated that a Hebrew king should thing against you.—Matt. 5:11.
not “take many wives for himself, so
We need to listen to Jehovah, not
that his heart may not go astray.”
our enemies. Job paid close attention
(Deut. 17:17) Solomon disregarded
when Jehovah spoke to him. God rea-
that law and acquired 700 wives and
soned with Job, in effect saying: ‘I
300 concubines! (1 Ki. 11:1-3) Perhaps
am aware of everything that has hap-
Solomon felt that he had “everything
pened to you. Do you think that I can-
under control.” In time, Solomon suf-
not take care of you?’ Job respond-
fered the consequences of his draw-
ed humbly and with deep appreciation
ing away from Jehovah.—1 Ki. 11:9-
for Jehovah’s goodness. “My ears
13. w22.05 23 ˚12
have heard about you,” he said, “but
Monday, October 7 now I do see you with my eyes.” (Job
42:5) Job was likely still sitting among
“My righteous one will live by reason the ashes, his body riddled with sores,
of faith,” and “if he shrinks back, when he said those words. Even so,
I have no pleasure in him.” Jehovah confirmed His love for Job
—Heb. 10:38. and assured him of His approval. (Job
People today have an important deci- 42:7, 8) Today, too, people may insult
sion to make. Will they support Jeho- us and treat us as if we were worth-
vah God as the rightful Ruler of the less. They may attempt to destroy our
universe, or will they stand behind his reputation as individuals or as an or-
vicious enemy, Satan the Devil? There ganization. From Job’s account, we
is no middle ground. Whatever deci- learn that Jehovah has confidence
sion they make will affect their ever- that we will remain loyal to him when
lasting future. (Matt. 25:31-33, 46) we face trials. w22.06 24 ˚15-16
During “the great tribulation,” they
will be marked either for survival or
for destruction. (Rev. 7:14; 14:9-11;
Wednesday, October 9 and commander” of his people. (Isa.
The marriage of the Lamb has arrived. 55:4) Since 1919 the faithful slave
has prepared a variety of publications
—Rev. 19:7.
that have given newly interested ones
Although there will be a great shout of their first taste of nourishing spiritu-
joy in heaven when Babylon the Great al food. In 1921 the slave prepared the
is destroyed, there is something else book The Harp of God to help interest-
that will bring greater joy. (Rev. 19: ed ones to learn basic Bible teachings.
1-3) It is, in fact, the climax of the As times changed, additional publica-
book of Revelation—“the marriage of tions were provided. Which publica-
the Lamb.” All the 144,000 will be in tion helped you to come to know and
heaven just before the war of Arma- love our heavenly Father? w22.07 10
geddon is fought. However, that will ˚9-10
not be the time for the marriage of
the Lamb. (Rev. 21:1, 2) The mar- Friday, October 11
riage of the Lamb takes place after the You will keep me in your presence
war of Armageddon has been fought forever.—Ps. 41:12.
and all of God’s enemies have been
Jehovah is the most generous Per-
removed. (Ps. 45:3, 4, 13-17) What
son. No matter what you give him,
does the marriage of the Lamb real-
he will always give you back far more.
ly mean for those involved? Well, just
(Mark 10:29, 30) He will give you the
as a marriage joins a man and a wom-
most interesting, rewarding, and ful-
an together, so this symbolic marriage
filling life possible, even now in this
unites the King, Jesus Christ, with
dying old world. And that is just the
his “bride,” the 144,000. That climac-
beginning. You can go on serving your
tic event inaugurates the new govern-
beloved Father forever. The love be-
ment that will rule the earth for 1,000 tween you and your Father will con-
years.—Rev. 20:6. w22.05 17 ˚11-13 tinue to grow, and you will actually
Thursday, October 10 live as long as he lives, for all eterni-
ty. When you take the steps of dedi-
Happy is that slave if his master . . . cation and baptism, you have the
finds him doing so!—Matt. 24:46. privilege of giving something truly
Jesus foretold that during the time of precious to your Father. He has giv-
the end, he would appoint a “faithful en you every good thing, every hap-
and discreet slave” to provide spiritual py moment, that you have ever en-
food. (Matt. 24:45) This has proved to joyed. In response, you can give the
be the case. Our overseer has used a Owner of heaven and earth something
small group of anointed men to pro- that he does not already have—your
vide God’s people and interested ones willing, devoted service. (Job 1:8; 41:
with spiritual “food at the proper 11; Prov. 27:11) What better use could
time.” These men do not view them- you ever make of your life? w23.03 6
˚16-17
selves as masters over the faith of oth-
ers. (2 Cor. 1:24) Instead, they recog-
nize that Jesus Christ is the “leader
Saturday, October 12 your secular work that would affect
How can a young man keep his path your lifestyle. Satan has had a lot of
success in exploiting such fears. Sa-
clean? By keeping on guard according
tan tries to make us believe that Jeho-
to your word.—Ps. 119:9.
vah does not care about us personal-
During adolescence, sexual feelings ly and that we are on our own when
can become intense, and you may it comes to providing for our family.
face strong pressure to commit sexu- As a result, we might conclude that we
al immorality. Satan wants you to give need to do whatever it takes to hold
in to your desires. What can help on to our present employment, even
you remain morally clean? (1 Thess. 4: if it means ignoring Scriptural princi-
3, 4) In your personal prayers, share ples. w22.06 15 ˚5-6
your feelings with Jehovah. Tell him
how you really feel, and ask him to Monday, October 14
strengthen you. (Matt. 6:13) Remem- We have this hope as an anchor
ber that Jehovah wants to help you, for the soul, both sure and firm.
not to condemn you. (Ps. 103:13, 14) —Heb. 6:19.
Do not try to handle your problems
We know that our God is “merciful
on your own. Talk with your parents
and compassionate, slow to anger and
about your struggle. It is not easy to
abundant in loyal love and truth.” (Ex.
talk about such personal matters, but
34:6) Jehovah loves justice. (Isa. 61:8)
it is important to do so. By reading
It hurts him to see us suffer, and he
the Bible and meditating on its princi-
is ready—yes, eager—to bring all suf-
ples, you will find it easier to make de- fering to an end at the appointed time.
cisions that please Jehovah. You will (Jer. 29:11) How marvelous! No won-
notice that you do not need a rule for der we love Jehovah so much! What is
every situation because you will un- another reason why we love the truth?
derstand Jehovah’s thinking on mat- The truth brings great benefits to us.
ters. w22.08 5 ˚10-12 Consider an example. Bible truth in-
cludes our hope for the future. Just as
Sunday, October 13
an anchor steadies a boat, our Bible-
If anyone does not provide for those based hope can stabilize us when we
who are his own, . . . he has disowned face trials in life. In today’s text, the
the faith.—1 Tim. 5:8. apostle Paul was discussing the heav-
enly hope that anointed Christians
A Christian family head takes serious-
cherish. But his words also apply to
ly the responsibility to care material-
Christians who look forward to living
ly for his family. If you are a family
forever on a paradise earth. (John 3:
head, you may be worried about put- 16) Certainly, learning about the hope
ting food on the table and paying the of everlasting life has given our life
rent or the mortgage on your home. meaning. w22.08 14-15 ˚3-5
You may also be afraid that if you
lost your job, you would not be able
to find another one. Or you may have
hesitated to make an adjustment in
Tuesday, October 15 occurred since there came to be a
Do not let the sun set while you are nation until that time.” This “time
of distress” is the “great tribulation”
still angry.—Eph. 4:26.
mentioned at Matthew 24:21. Jesus
Love is the basis for trust. First Corin- stands up, or acts to defend God’s
thians chapter 13 describes many as- people, at the end of this time of dis-
pects of love that can help us to build tress, that is, at Armageddon. The
or rebuild our trust in others. (1 Cor. book of Revelation refers to these
13:4-8) For example, verse 4 says that ones as “a great crowd who come out
“love is patient and kind.” Jehovah of the great tribulation.”—Rev. 7:9, 14.
is patient with us even when we sin w22.09 21 ˚4-5
against him. Certainly, then, we can
be patient with our brothers if they Thursday, October 17
say or do things that irritate or hurt Whoever has sinned against me,
us. Verse 5 adds: “[Love] does not be- I will wipe him out of my book.
come provoked. It does not keep ac- —Ex. 32:33.
count of the injury.” We would not
Names that are presently in the book
want to make a mental record of
of life can be wiped out, or erased,
our brothers’ offenses for future ref-
as if Jehovah had initially written the
erence. Ecclesiastes 7:9 notes that we
names in pencil. (Rev. 3:5, ftn.) We
should “not be quick to take offense.”
must make sure that our name re-
Try to see your brothers and sis-
mains in that book until it is written
ters as Jehovah sees them. God loves
permanently in ink, as it were. One
them and does not keep track of their
group who has names written in the
sins. Neither should we. (Ps. 130:3)
book of life is made up of those who
Instead of focusing on their faults,
have been selected to rule with Je-
look for their fine qualities.—Matt. 7:
sus in heaven. According to the apos-
1-5. w22.09 3-4 ˚6-7
tle Paul’s words to his “fellow work-
Wednesday, October 16 ers” in Philippi, the names of the
anointed ones, who have been invit-
There will occur a time of distress. ed to rule with Jesus, are now in the
—Dan. 12:1. book of life. (Phil. 4:3) But in order
The book of Daniel reveals the se- to keep their names in that figurative
quence of exciting events that will oc- book, they must remain faithful. Then
cur during the time of the end. For when they receive their final sealing,
example, Daniel 12:1 reveals that Mi- whether before they die or before the
chael, who is Jesus Christ, is “stand- outbreak of the great tribulation, their
ing in behalf of [God’s] people.” That names will be written permanently in
part of the prophecy began to be ful- this book.—Rev. 7:3. w22.09 14 ˚3; 15
filled in 1914 when Jesus was appoint- ˚5-6
ed as King of God’s heavenly King-
dom. However, Daniel was also told
that Jesus would “stand up” during
“a time of distress such as has not
Friday, October 18 could easily develop a critical spirit
Happy are those hearing the word of and begin to doubt Jehovah and the
direction we receive through his or-
God and keeping it!—Luke 11:28.
ganization. To avoid such a course,
Have you ever had this experience? we can ask ourselves: ‘Do I usually
Someone cooks one of your favorite have something negative to say when
meals. But either because you are too we receive new direction or explana-
hurried or are too preoccupied men- tions? Am I inclined to find fault
tally, you gulp it down without real- with those taking the lead?’ When we
ly tasting each morsel. After you fin- are quick to correct such tendencies
ish eating, you realize how quickly in ourselves, Jehovah will be pleased
you ate and you wish you had slowed with us.—Prov. 3:34, 35. w22.10 20
down and enjoyed each bite. Well, ˚9-10
have you ever read the Bible in such
haste that you failed to savor its mes- Sunday, October 20
sage? Take the time to enjoy read- The house of Israel will refuse
ing God’s Word; visualize the scenes, to listen to you.—Ezek. 3:7.
imagine the sounds of the voices,
God’s spirit strengthened Ezekiel for
and think about what you have read.
the task of preaching to the “hard-
The whole experience will add to
headed and hardhearted” people in
your happiness. Jesus appointed “the
his territory. Jehovah told Ezekiel: “I
faithful and discreet slave” to provide
have made your face exactly as hard
spiritual food at the proper time, and
as their faces and your forehead ex-
we are very well-fed spiritually. (Matt.
actly as hard as their foreheads. I
24:45) The inspired Scriptures are the
have made your forehead like a dia-
primary ingredient in everything the
mond, harder than flint. Do not be
faithful slave produces.—1 Thess. 2: afraid of them or be terrified by their
13. w22.10 7-8 ˚6-8 faces.” (Ezek. 3:8, 9) In effect, Jeho-
Saturday, October 19 vah told Ezekiel: ‘Do not let the peo-
ple’s stubbornness discourage you. I
We have had our full share of ridicule will fortify you.’ Thereafter, God’s
from the self-assured.—Ps. 123:4. spirit carried Ezekiel along in his
The Bible warned that in the last days, preaching territory. “The hand of Je-
there would be no shortage of ridi- hovah rested strongly on me,” wrote
culers. (2 Pet. 3:3, 4) They are mo- Ezekiel. It took the prophet a week to
tivated by “their own desires for un- absorb the message that he had to de-
godly things.” (Jude 7, 17, 18) How liver. (Ezek. 3:14, 15) Then Jehovah
can we safeguard ourselves from fol- directed him to a valley plain where
lowing the course of ridiculers? One “spirit entered into [him].” (Ezek. 3:
way is to avoid associating with those 23, 24) Ezekiel was ready to begin his
who show a critical attitude. (Ps. 1:1) ministry. w22.11 4-5 ˚8-9
This means that we do not listen to
or read anything from apostates. We
realize that if we are not careful, we
Monday, October 21 about what life in Paradise will be
like. Actually, we can learn something
How long, O Jehovah, must I cry for
about Paradise from the peaceful rule
help, but you do not hear? . . . Why do
of King Solomon. And we can expect
you tolerate oppression?—Hab. 1:2, 3. that Jesus, the one greater than Solo-
The prophet Habakkuk faced many mon, will work along with his corulers
hardships. At one point, he seems to to bring wonderful conditions to the
have doubted whether Jehovah cared earth. (Matt. 12:42) Understandably,
about him. So he poured out his feel- the “other sheep” should be interested
ings to Jehovah in prayer. Jehovah in what they need to do to qualify to
responded to the heartfelt prayer of live forever in Paradise.—John 10:16.
his loyal servant. (Hab. 2:2, 3) After w22.12 8 ˚1; 9 ˚4
meditating on Jehovah’s saving acts,
Habakkuk was filled with renewed joy.
Wednesday, October 23
He became convinced that Jehovah He will surely show you favor at
cared for him and would help him en- the sound of your cry for help.
dure any trial. (Hab. 3:17-19) What is —Isa. 30:19.
the lesson for us? When you face Isaiah assures us that Jehovah will lis-
hardships, pray to Jehovah and tell ten attentively when we cry out to Him
him how you feel. Then look to him and will respond quickly to our suppli-
for support. When you do, you can cations. Isaiah adds: “He will answer
be confident that Jehovah will give you as soon as he hears it.” These re-
you the strength you need to endure. assuring words remind us that our Fa-
And when you feel his support, your ther is willing—yes, eager—to come to
faith in him will grow stronger. If you the aid of those who reach out to him.
stick to your spiritual routine, you will Knowing this helps us to endure with
not allow hardships or doubts to sepa- joy. Jehovah gives attention to the
rate you from Jehovah.—1 Tim. 6:6-8. prayer of each one of us. Why can we
w22.11 15 ˚6-7 say that? In the first part of Isaiah
chapter 30, the pronoun “you” is used
Tuesday, October 22 in the plural form because Jehovah is
Truly I tell you today, you will be with addressing his people as a group. How-
me in Paradise.—Luke 23:43. ever, in verse 19 “you” is addressed to
individuals. Isaiah writes: “You will by
Jesus and the two criminals beside no means weep”; “he will surely show
him were suffering as they felt their life you favor”; “he will answer you.” As a
draining away. (Luke 23:32, 33) Both loving Father, Jehovah views us as in-
of the criminals had been speaking dividuals and gives our prayers his per-
abusively of Jesus. (Matt. 27:44; Mark sonal attention.—Ps. 116:1; Isa. 57:15.
15:32) But one of them had a change w22.11 9 ˚5-6
of heart. He said: “Jesus, remember
me when you get into your Kingdom.”
Jesus replied with the words of today’s
text. (Luke 23:39-42) Jesus’ words to
the criminal should move us to think
Thursday, October 24 Controlling ingrained traits will like-
Prove yourselves cautious as ly require continual effort even after
baptism. (Rom. 7:21-23) Pray to Je-
serpents and yet innocent
hovah about the trait that you are
as doves.—Matt. 10:16.
struggling with, confident that he will
Preaching and teaching despite op- hear you and help you. (1 John 5:
position brings us joy and peace. In 14, 15) While Jehovah will not mi-
the first century when the Jewish raculously eliminate the trait, he can
authorities commanded the apostles strengthen you so that you do not
to stop preaching, those faithful men give in to it. (1 Pet. 5:10) Meanwhile,
chose to obey God. They kept preach- work in harmony with your prayers
ing, and that work made them hap- by not feeding inclinations of the old
py. (Acts 5:27-29, 41, 42) Of course, personality. And do not let your mind
when our work is restricted, we must dwell on improper desires.—Phil. 4:8;
be discreet while preaching. But if we Col. 3:2. w23.01 10 ˚7, 9-10
do our best, we will have the peace
that comes from pleasing Jehovah Saturday, October 26
and from sharing a lifesaving mes- Whoever loves God must also love
sage. Be confident that even during his brother.—1 John 4:21.
the most difficult times, we can have
One way we demonstrate our love
peace. At such times, we must re-
is by having a zealous share in the
member that the peace we need is
preaching work. We speak to every-
the peace that only Jehovah can give.
one we meet. We do not discriminate
Rely on him when you face a dis- against anyone because of his race,
ease outbreak, a disaster, or persecu- tribe, financial position, or social
tion. Stick close to his organization. background. In this way, we are work-
Look ahead to the marvelous future ing in harmony with Jehovah’s pur-
that awaits you. As you do, “the God pose “that all sorts of people should
of peace will be with you.”—Phil. 4:9. be saved and come to an accurate
w22.12 21 ˚17-18 knowledge of truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4) We
also prove our love for God and Christ
Friday, October 25
by showing love for our brothers and
Put on the new personality. sisters. We take a personal interest in
—Eph. 4:24. them and support them during their
That involves action on our part. trials. We comfort them when they
Among other things, we must work have lost a loved one, visit them when
hard to overcome such personality they are sick, and do our best to en-
traits as malicious bitterness, anger, courage them when they are disheart-
and wrath. (Eph. 4:31, 32) Why might ened. (2 Cor. 1:3-7; 1 Thess. 5:11, 14)
that be challenging? Because some We keep praying for them, remember-
negative personality traits are deep- ing that “a righteous man’s supplica-
tion has a powerful effect.”—Jas. 5:
rooted. For example, the Bible says
16. w23.01 28-29 ˚7-8
that some people are “prone to anger”
and “disposed to rage.” (Prov. 29:22)
Sunday, October 27 ity so that we can benefit fully from
Keep encouraging one another everything we read in the Bible. Je-
hovah gives his servants discernment.
and building one another up.
So turn to him in prayer, and ask
—1 Thess. 5:11.
him to help you develop this quality.
Just as a construction worker im- How can you work in harmony with
proves his skills over time, we too can your prayer? Carefully analyze what
become more effective in building one you read, and note how it relates to
another up. We can help others gain other things you know. Look for the
strength to endure trials by sharing meaning of a Bible passage, and see
with them examples of those who en- ways in which you can apply it in your
dured in the past. (Heb. 11:32-35; life. (Heb. 5:14) As you read with dis-
12:1) We can promote peace by men- cernment, your understanding of the
tioning the good we see in others, pre- Scriptures will grow. w23.02 10 ˚7-8
serve peace when it is threatened, and
restore peace when differences arise. Tuesday, October 29
(Eph. 4:3) And we can continue to By him we have life and move
build up the faith of our brothers and and exist.—Acts 17:28.
sisters by sharing with them important
Imagine that a friend gave you a very
Bible truths, by providing practical
old but priceless painting—a mas-
help, and by supporting any who have
terpiece. It has some discoloration,
become weak spiritually. We can expe-
stains, and cracks. Despite the imper-
rience happiness and contentment
fections, the painting is valued at mil-
when we help with the spiritual build-
lions of dollars. Surely you would ap-
ing work in the congregation. Unlike
preciate and protect that piece of
physical buildings that will eventually art. Similarly, Jehovah has given us a
decay, the results of our work can last valuable gift, the gift of life. In fact,
an eternity! w22.08 22 ˚6; 25 ˚17-18 Jehovah shows how much he values
Monday, October 28 our life by giving his Son as a ran-
som for us. (John 3:16) Jehovah is
Jehovah himself gives wisdom; from the Source of life. (Ps. 36:9) The
his mouth come knowledge and dis- apostle Paul acknowledged this truth
cernment.—Prov. 2:6. when he said: “By him we have life
Jesus identified an important quality and move and exist.” (Acts 17:25,
that we need if we are to understand 28) So we can appropriately refer to
what we read in God’s Word—discern- our life as a gift from God. He lov-
ment. (Matt. 24:15) What is discern- ingly provides us with what we need to
ment? It is the ability to grasp how stay alive. (Acts 14:15-17) But Jeho-
one idea relates to another and how it vah does not preserve our lives mirac-
differs from another and to see what is ulously. Rather, he expects us to care
not immediately obvious. In addition, for our physical and spiritual health
to the best of our ability.—2 Cor. 7:1.
as Jesus indicated, we need discern-
w23.02 20 ˚1-2
ment to identify events that fulfill Bi-
ble prophecy. We also need this qual-
Wednesday, October 30 in your choice of entertainment and
Write in a book all the words that your use of time. (Eph. 5:15, 16) You
grow as a Christian when you help
I speak to you.—Jer. 30:2.
other people. For example, you can
How grateful we are to Jehovah God make it your goal to help the elder-
for the Bible! Through its pages, he ly and the infirm in your congrega-
provides us with wise counsel that tion. Perhaps you can run errands for
can help us to cope successfully with them or assist them with their use of
the problems we face today. He also electronic devices. You also show love
gives us a wonderful hope for the fu- to those outside the congregation by
ture. More important, Jehovah has sharing the good news of the Kingdom
used the Bible to reveal many aspects with them. (Matt. 9:36, 37) If at all
of his personality. As we meditate on possible, make it your goal to share in
his beautiful qualities, our hearts are some aspect of the full-time ministry.
deeply touched and we are moved to w22.08 6 ˚16-17
draw close to our God by develop-
ing a warm friendship with him. (Ps. Friday, November 1
25:14) Jehovah wants people to know Let a rotten word not come out of
him. In the past, he revealed himself your mouth, but only what is good for
by such means as dreams, visions, and building up.—Eph. 4:29.
even angels. (Num. 12:6; Acts 10:3, 4)
But how could these dreams, visions, Profanity has no place on a Chris-
or messages from angels be studied tian’s lips. But there are subtle forms
unless they were written down? For of abusive speech that we also need
good reason, Jehovah had men “write to be on guard against. For example,
in a book” what he wanted us to know. we need to be careful not to make
Because “the way of the true God is unfavorable comparisons when talk-
ing about people of other cultures,
perfect,” we can be confident that this
tribes, or nationalities. Further, we
method of communicating with us is
never want to hurt others with cutting
excellent and beneficial.—Ps. 18:30.
remarks. Speak in a way that builds
w23.02 2 ˚1-2
others up. Be quick to commend rath-
Thursday, October 31 er than to criticize or complain. The
Israelites had much to be thankful for,
There is more happiness in giving than yet they routinely complained. A com-
there is in receiving.—Acts 20:35. plaining spirit can be contagious. You
Set worthwhile goals. Choose goals will recall that a negative report from
that will strengthen and refine you. ten spies caused “all the Israelites
(Eph. 3:16) For example, you may de- . . . to murmur against Moses.” (Num.
cide to improve your routine of per- 13:31–14:4) On the other hand, com-
sonal study and Bible reading. (Ps. 1: mendation can be a powerful force
2, 3) Or you may see the need to give for good. So look for opportunities to
attention to the frequency and the offer sincere commendation. w22.04 8
quality of your prayers. Perhaps you ˚16-17
need to exercise greater self-control
Saturday, November 2 “killed.” (Rev. 11:3, 7-11) But early in
I have been entrusted to your care 1919, those anointed brothers were re-
leased from prison, and later the
from birth; from my mother’s womb,
charges were dropped. The brothers
you have been my God.—Ps. 22:10.
immediately got back to work—King-
Since Bible times, Jehovah has helped dom work. But that did not stop Sa-
countless young ones to become his tan’s attacks on God’s people. Since
friends. He can also help your chil- that time, Satan has directed “a riv-
dren to grow spiritually if that is their er” of persecution against all of God’s
desire. (1 Cor. 3:6, 7) Even if your people. (Rev. 12:15) Truly, “this is
children seem to stray, Jehovah will where it calls for endurance and faith”
keep a loving eye on them. (Ps. 11:4) on the part of each one of us.—Rev.
When they show the slightest sign of 13:10. w22.05 5-6 ˚14-16
being “rightly disposed,” he will be
there, reaching out to them. (Acts 13: Monday, November 4
48; 2 Chron. 16:9) He may help you I heard the number of those who were
say the right thing at the right time sealed, 144,000.—Rev. 7:4.
—when your children need to hear it
In a vision, the apostle John sees two
the most. (Prov. 15:23) Or he may
groups who support Jehovah’s ruler-
move a caring brother or sister in the
ship and receive the blessings of ever-
congregation to take a special inter-
lasting life. The first group numbers
est in them. Even after your children
144,000. They are taken from the
become adults, Jehovah may bring
earth to form a government, or King-
back to their mind something that you dom, with Jesus in heaven. Along
taught them in the past. (John 14:26) with him, they rule over the earth.
You give Jehovah much to bless when (Rev. 5:9, 10; 14:3, 4) In the vision,
you continue to train your children by John sees them standing with Jesus
word and by example. w22.04 21 ˚18 on heavenly Mount Zion. (Rev. 14:1)
Down through the centuries, thou-
Sunday, November 3
sands have been selected to be part
The dragon became enraged. of the 144,000. (Luke 12:32; Rom. 8:
—Rev. 12:17. 17) John, however, is told that only
Since Satan no longer has access to a remnant, or a small number, would
the heavenly realm, he focuses his an- be alive on earth during the last days.
ger on the remnant of anointed ones, (Rev. 12:17) Then sometime during
who are the earthly representatives the great tribulation, this remnant will
of God’s Kingdom and who “have be taken to heaven to join the rest
the work of bearing witness concern- of the 144,000, who have already died
ing Jesus.” (2 Cor. 5:20; Eph. 6:19, faithful. There they will become co-
20) In 1918, eight prominent brothers rulers with Jesus in God’s Kingdom.
were convicted on false charges, and —Matt. 24:31; Rev. 5:9, 10. w22.05 16
˚4-5
each was sentenced to a long term
of imprisonment. It appeared as if the
work of these anointed ones had been
Tuesday, November 5 be when he sees us working hard to
Pay attention to my commandments! strengthen the peace and unity among
those whom he views as precious—his
—Isa. 48:18.
servants! (Isa. 26:3; Hag. 2:7) How
Jesus taught his followers to have a can we benefit to the full from the
proper view of themselves. Jesus as- blessings that we receive as God’s
sured them: “The hairs of your head servants? We can think deeply about
are all numbered.” (Matt. 10:30) That what we study in God’s Word. Such
statement is very comforting to us, study and meditation will help us to
especially if we tend to have a nega- cultivate Christian qualities that move
tive view of ourselves. It means that us to show “brotherly love” and “ten-
our heavenly Father is deeply inter- der affection for one another” in the
ested in us—that we have value in his congregation.—Rom. 12:10. w22.11 12-
eyes. We would never want to call into 13 ˚16-18
question Jehovah’s judgment by con-
cluding that we are unworthy of being Thursday, November 7
his worshippers and of receiving life I will forgive their error, and I will
in his new world. Some 15 years ago, no longer remember their sin.
The Watchtower recommended that we —Jer. 31:34.
develop this balanced view of our-
When we accept the fact that Jehovah
selves: “Certainly, we would not want
has forgiven us, we enjoy “seasons of
to think too highly of ourselves to
refreshing,” including peace of mind
the point of becoming conceited; nor
and a clean conscience. Such forgive-
would we want to go to the other ex-
ness cannot come from men but must
treme and think nothing of ourselves.
come from “Jehovah himself.” (Acts
Rather, our aim should be to cultivate
3:19) When Jehovah forgives us, he
a reasonable view of ourselves, realiz-
restores his relationship with us so
ing our strengths and our limitations.”
completely that it is as though we had
w22.05 24-25 ˚14-16
never sinned. Once Jehovah forgives
Wednesday, November 6 us, he will never accuse us or punish
us again for that sin. (Isa. 43:25) Je-
I make request . . . that they may all hovah puts our sins “as far off as the
be one.—John 17:20, 21. sunrise is from the sunset.” (Ps. 103:
How are we personally involved in 12) When we reflect on how great Je-
contributing to this unity? By being hovah’s forgiveness is, we are filled
peacemakers. (Matt. 5:9; Rom. 12:18) with gratitude and awe. (Ps. 130:4)
Each time we take the initiative to Jehovah’s decision to forgive is not
promote peaceful relations with oth- based on whether the sin was great or
ers in the congregation, we add to the small. Jehovah uses his knowledge as
beauty of the spiritual paradise. We our Creator, Lawgiver, and Judge
keep in mind that Jehovah has drawn when deciding whether he will extend
each of the inhabitants of the spiritu- forgiveness. w22.06 5 ˚12-14
al paradise to pure worship. (John 6:
44) Imagine how happy Jehovah must
Friday, November 8 He lovingly filled the earth with things
that would give us immense pleasure.
Whoever approaches God must believe
(Gen. 2:9) Even if at times we have
that he is and that he becomes the re-
just enough to get by, we do well to
warder of those earnestly seeking him.
focus on the fact that we are getting
—Heb. 11:6. by. Jehovah has not failed to provide
Jehovah has given a beautiful hope to for us. (Matt. 6:11) We need to keep
all those who love him. Soon he will in mind that any material sacrifice we
bring an end to sickness, sorrow, and make now is nothing in comparison to
death. (Rev. 21:3, 4) He will help “the what our loving God will give us, both
meek” who are hoping in him to trans- now and in the future.—Isa. 65:21, 22.
form the earth into a paradise. (Ps. 37: w22.06 15 ˚7-8
9-11) And he will make it possible for
each one of us to have a warm, per- Sunday, November 10
sonal relationship with him that will be Solid food belongs to mature people.
even more wonderful than what we en- —Heb. 5:14.
joy now. What a marvelous hope that
Newly interested people are not the
is! But what basis do we have for be-
only ones who need solid spiritual
lieving that God’s promises will come
food. All of us do. The apostle Paul
true? Jehovah never breaks a promise.
wrote that applying such spiritual sus-
We thus have good reason to “hope in
tenance would help us “to distinguish
Jehovah.” (Ps. 27:14) We show this by
both right and wrong.” In these dif-
waiting patiently and joyfully for our
ficult times when morals are at an all-
God to bring his purpose to comple-
time low, it can be a real challenge
tion. (Isa. 55:10, 11) May we remain
to adhere to Jehovah’s standards. But
loyal to Jehovah, certain that he will
Jesus sees to it that we obtain the
reward “those earnestly seeking him.”
strength we need through appetiz-
w22.06 20 ˚1; 25 ˚18
ing spiritual food. The source of this
Saturday, November 9 food is God’s inspired Word, the Bi-
ble. Like Jesus, we have given God’s
Your Father knows what you need even name the prominence that it deserves.
before you ask him.—Matt. 6:8. (John 17:6, 26) For example, in 1931
We can be sure that as family Head, we adopted the Scriptural name Je-
Jehovah will respect the principle he hovah’s Witnesses, thus attaching our-
had recorded at 1 Timothy 5:8. When selves in a very personal way to our
we are convinced that Jehovah loves heavenly Father. (Isa. 43:10-12) In ad-
us and that he loves our family, we dition, the New World Translation of
have no trouble believing that we will the Holy Scriptures has restored God’s
have the things we need. (Matt. 6:31- name to its rightful place in his Word.
33) Jehovah wants to provide for us, w22.07 11 ˚11-12
and what a loving, generous Provid-
er he is! When he created the earth,
he did more than just give us the ba-
sic things we would need to survive.
Monday, November 11 marriage to be between one man and
Your word is a lamp to my foot, and a one woman. And he would have heard
how Jehovah on two occasions in-
light for my path.—Ps. 119:105.
tervened to protect the honor of his
Bible truth also includes the good great-grandmother Sarah when she
news about God’s Kingdom. Jesus was in danger of being violated. (Gen.
compared the truth about that King- 2:24; 12:14-20; 20:2-7) As Joseph rea-
dom to a hidden treasure. As record- soned on such matters, he discerned
ed at Matthew 13:44, Jesus said: “The what was right and what was wrong in
Kingdom of the heavens is like a trea- God’s eyes. Because Joseph loved his
sure, hidden in the field, that a man God, he also loved Jehovah’s stan-
found and hid; and because of his joy, dards of righteousness, and he was de-
he goes and sells everything he has termined to uphold them. w22.08 26
and buys that field.” Notice that the ˚1-2
man was not looking for the treasure.
But when he found it, he made major Wednesday, November 13
sacrifices to obtain it. In fact, he sold Many of those asleep in the dust of the
everything he had. Why? He knew how earth will wake up, some to everlasting
valuable that treasure was. We know life.—Dan. 12:2.
that nothing this world has to offer can
compare to the joy we have in serv- This prophecy is not referring to a
ing Jehovah now, with the prospect symbolic resurrection, a spiritual re-
of everlasting life in the future under vival of God’s servants that occurs
Kingdom rule. The privilege we have of during the last days, as we previously
enjoying a close personal relationship understood. Rather, these words refer
with Jehovah is worth any sacrifice we to the resurrection of the dead that
have to make. Our greatest joy is “to takes place in the coming new world.
please him fully.”—Col. 1:10. w22.08 15 Why can we draw that conclusion?
˚8-9; 17 ˚12 The expression “the dust” is also used
at Job 17:16 as a parallel of the ex-
Tuesday, November 12 pression “the Grave.” This fact indi-
How could I commit this great badness cates that Daniel 12:2 is referring to
and actually sin against God? the literal resurrection that will occur
—Gen. 39:9. after the last days have ended and af-
ter the battle of Armageddon. What
How did Joseph know that his God does Daniel 12:2 mean, though, when
would consider adultery as an act it says that some will be resurrected to
of “great badness”? The Mosaic Law, “everlasting life”? It means that those
which included the clear command who are resurrected and come to
“You must not commit adultery,” know, or continue to know, and obey
would not be written down for anoth- Jehovah and Jesus during the 1,000
er two hundred years. (Ex. 20:14) Still, years will ultimately receive everlast-
Joseph knew Jehovah well enough to ing life.—John 17:3. w22.09 21 ˚6-7
perceive how He would feel about im-
moral conduct. For example, Joseph
surely knew that Jehovah designed
Thursday, November 14 remain calm and try to control any
[Love] believes all things. negative feelings that you may have.
You may not know what circumstanc-
—1 Cor. 13:7.
es could have caused the person to
That statement does not mean that speak or act that way. So talk to Jeho-
Jehovah expects us to trust others vah in prayer, and ask him to help you
blindly; rather, he expects us to trust see matters from the other person’s
them because they have shown them- standpoint. Give your fellow worship-
selves to be trustworthy. Trust, like per the benefit of the doubt and try
respect, needs to be earned, and that to overlook the offense. (Prov. 19:
takes time. How can you develop trust 11) Remember, Jehovah is aware of
in your brothers? Get to know them your situation and he will give you the
well. Speak with them at congregation strength you need to endure.—Eccl.
meetings. Arrange to work with them 5:8. w22.11 21 ˚5
in the ministry. Be patient with them,
giving them the opportunity to dem- Saturday, November 16
onstrate that they are trustworthy. At I avoid those who hide what they are.
first, you may want to be selective in —Ps. 26:4.
what personal matters you reveal to
Choose friends who love Jehovah.
someone you are just getting to know.
Your choice of friends will greatly
As your relationship strengthens, you
affect your growth as a Christian.
may feel more comfortable opening
(Prov. 13:20) Julien, who now serves
up about your feelings. (Luke 16:10)
as an elder, says: “When I was youn-
But what can you do if a brother be-
ger, I made good friends while shar-
trays your trust? Do not be quick to
ing in the ministry. These friends were
give up on him. Instead, give the mat- zealous, and they helped me see how
ter time. And do not allow the actions enjoyable the ministry can be. . . . I
of a few to discourage you from trust- also realized that I had been missing
ing your brothers. w22.09 4 ˚7-8 out on good company and interest-
Friday, November 15 ing friendships by limiting my friends
to those my own age.” What if you
The eyes of Jehovah are roving about realize that someone in the congre-
through all the earth.—2 Chron. 16:9. gation is not good association for
An elder named Miqueas felt that he you? Paul knew that some individu-
had been harshly treated by some als in the first-century Christian con-
brothers in positions of responsibility. gregation did not have a spiritual out-
Still, he kept his senses and worked look, so he warned Timothy to keep
hard to control his feelings. He prayed clear of them. (2 Tim. 2:20-22) Our
frequently, asking Jehovah to give friendship with Jehovah is precious.
him holy spirit and strength to en- We should not allow anyone to weak-
dure. He also looked up information en the bond that we have worked so
hard to forge with our heavenly Fa-
in our publications that could help
ther. w22.08 5-6 ˚13-15
him. What is the lesson? If you feel
mistreated by a brother or a sister,
Sunday, November 17 A person may know that Jehovah has
Stay away from the foolish man. the authority to decide what is right
and what is wrong, but he must also
—Prov. 14:7.
accept God’s standards for himself.
Unlike those who hate godly counsel, (Rom. 12:2) We show by our conduct
we cultivate love for God’s ways, in- that we truly believe that following
cluding his moral standards. We can Jehovah’s standards is the best way to
strengthen that love by comparing live. (Prov. 12:28) David felt that way,
the results of obedience with those for he said of Jehovah: “You make
of disobedience. Observe the kinds of known to me the path of life. In your
problems people bring on themselves presence is abundant joy; there is hap-
because they foolishly reject Jeho- piness at your right hand forever.”
vah’s wise counsel. Then consider —Ps. 16:11. w22.10 8 ˚9-10
how much better your life is because
you obey God. (Ps. 32:8, 10) Jeho- Tuesday, November 19
vah makes wisdom available to all, The Son cannot do a single thing of
but he does not force anyone to ac- his own initiative, but only what he
cept it. He does, however, describe sees the Father doing.—John 5:19.
the results that come to those who do
Jesus maintained a balanced and
not listen to wisdom. (Prov. 1:29-32)
humble view of himself. In his pre-
They will “bear the consequences of
human existence, Jesus built up a mar-
their way.” In time, their lifestyle will
velous record in Jehovah’s service. By
bring them nothing but distress, trou-
means of Jesus, “all other things were
ble, and eventual destruction. On the created in the heavens and on the
other hand, those who listen to Jeho- earth.” (Col. 1:16) At his baptism, Je-
vah’s wise counsel and apply what it sus evidently recalled things he had
says are promised: “The one listening accomplished when he was with his
to me will dwell in security and be un- Father. (Matt. 3:16; John 17:5) But
disturbed by the dread of calamity.” that knowledge did not cause Jesus to
—Prov. 1:33. w22.10 21 ˚11-13 become prideful. On the contrary, he
never exalted himself above anyone.
Monday, November 18
He told his disciples that he had come
Happy is everyone who fears Jehovah, to the earth, “not to be ministered
who walks in His ways.—Ps. 128:1. to, but to minister and to give his life
as a ransom in exchange for many.”
To fear Jehovah means that we re-
(Matt. 20:28) He also admitted mod-
spect him so much that we avoid
estly that he could not do a single
doing anything that displeases him.
thing of his own initiative. What hu-
(Prov. 16:6) Thus, we continually
mility Jesus displayed! Jesus provided
strive to conform to God’s standards an excellent example for us to follow.
of right and wrong as explained in the w22.05 24 ˚13
pages of the Bible. (2 Cor. 7:1) We will
be happy if we do the things that Je-
hovah loves and reject the things that
he hates. (Ps. 37:27; 97:10; Rom. 12:9)
Wednesday, November 20 ine how Paul must have felt. He had
Return to Jehovah.—Isa. 55:7. endured many hardships and had even
risked his life for them. (Acts 20:18-
When deciding if He will extend for- 21; 2 Cor. 1:8) May we never become
giveness, Jehovah considers whether like those who abandoned Paul! So
the sinner knew that what he was do- we should not be surprised that Satan
ing was wrong. Jesus made this clear targets responsible brothers in his at-
at Luke 12:47, 48. A person who will- tacks. His intent is that such attacks
fully schemes to do something wick- will break their integrity and intimi-
ed and knows full well that he is doing date us. (1 Pet. 5:8) Continue to sup-
something that is offensive to Jeho- port your brothers and loyally stick
vah sins in a serious way. Such a per- to them.—2 Tim. 1:16-18. w22.11 16-17
son is in danger of not being forgiv- ˚8-11
en. (Mark 3:29; John 9:41) Is there
any hope in that case? Yes! Jehovah Friday, November 22
also considers whether the sinner is Do you not fear God at all?
sincerely repentant. To repent means —Luke 23:40.
“to change one’s mind, attitude, or
purpose.” It includes the idea that a The repentant criminal that hung be-
person feels regret and deep sadness side Jesus before he died was likely a
about the bad things he has done or Jew. The Jews worshipped one God,
about not doing the right things he but people from the nations believed
should have done. A repentant person in many gods. (Ex. 20:2, 3; 1 Cor. 8:
is grieved not only by the wrongs he 5, 6) Had that criminal been a man of
has committed but also by the poor the nations, the question asked in to-
spiritual condition that led to those day’s text might have been, “Do you
wrongs. w22.06 5-6 ˚15-17 not fear the gods at all?” Further-
more, Jesus was sent, not to people
Thursday, November 21 of the nations, but to “the lost sheep
of the house of Israel.” (Matt. 15:24)
All those desiring to live with godly
God had revealed to the Israelites that
devotion in association with Christ
he would raise the dead. The repen-
Jesus will also be persecuted.
tant criminal may have known about
—2 Tim. 3:12. this, and as his words suggest, he
Our enemies spread lies or mis- assumed that Jehovah would resur-
information about responsible broth- rect Jesus to rule in God’s Kingdom.
ers in Jehovah’s organization. (Ps. The man apparently hoped that God
31:13) Some brothers have been ar- would also resurrect him. As a Jew,
rested and charged as criminals. The the repentant criminal would have
first-century Christians faced a simi- known about Adam and Eve. So the
lar situation when the apostle Paul criminal could well have realized that
was wrongfully accused and arrested. the Paradise that Jesus mentioned at
Some stopped supporting the apostle Luke 23:43 would be a beautiful gar-
Paul when he was imprisoned in den here on earth.—Gen. 2:15. w22.12
Rome. (2 Tim. 1:8, 15; 2:8, 9) Imag- 8-9 ˚2-3
Saturday, November 23 ter had canceled his enormous debt,
that slave failed to forgive a fellow
With one purpose all of these were
slave’s relatively small debt. (Matt.
persisting in prayer.—Acts 1:14.
18:23-35) If you have had a misunder-
We can carry out the preaching work standing with someone in the congre-
only with the help of God’s spirit. gation, could you take the first step
Why? Because Satan wages war against to make peace before attending the
us in order to stop our preaching Memorial? (Matt. 5:23, 24) Doing so
activities. (Rev. 12:17) From a hu- would reflect your deep love for Jeho-
man standpoint, we seem totally out- vah and Jesus. w23.01 29 ˚8-9
matched by Satan. But by means of
our witnessing work, we are conquer- Monday, November 25
ing him! (Rev. 12:9-11) In what way? The one showing favor to the lowly is
When we share in the ministry, we lending to Jehovah.—Prov. 19:17.
show that we are not intimidated by
Satan’s threats. Each time we preach, One way that you can learn what your
Satan suffers a defeat. So we can con- brothers and sisters need is by draw-
clude that we are empowered by holy ing them out with tactful questions.
spirit and that we have Jehovah’s ap- (Prov. 20:5) Do they have enough
proval. (Matt. 5:10-12; 1 Pet. 4:14) food, medicine, and other supplies?
God’s spirit can make us equal to any Are they at risk of losing their job or
challenge we might encounter in our even their home? Do they need as-
ministry. (2 Cor. 4:7-9) What, then, sistance with applying for government
can we do to make sure that we keep aid? Jehovah invites all of us to en-
receiving God’s spirit? We need to pray courage and help others. (Gal. 6:10)
for it persistently, confident that Jeho- Even a small expression of our love
vah will hear our prayers. w22.11 5 can have a powerful effect on some-
˚10-11 one who is ill. A child could send a
card or a drawing to encourage a
Sunday, November 24 brother. A young adult might be able
to run an errand or shop for a sis-
We urge you, brothers, to warn the ter. What about preparing a meal
disorderly, speak consolingly to those for someone who is ill? Some Wit-
who are depressed, support the weak, nesses have sent a thank-you note to
be patient toward all.—1 Thess. 5:14. the elders, who are often busier than
We show love for our brothers and sis- ever during a disease outbreak. How
ters by working hard to keep peace good it is when we do our part to
with them. We strive to imitate Jeho- “keep encouraging one another and
vah’s example of forgiveness. If Jeho- building one another up”!—1 Thess. 5:
vah was willing to let his Son die for 11. w22.12 22 ˚2; 23 ˚5-6
our sins, should we not readily forgive
our brothers and sisters when they sin
against us? We would not want to be
like the wicked slave referred to in one
of Jesus’ parables. Even after his mas-
Tuesday, November 26 Jehovah’s approval, they were confi-
You are very much mistaken. dent that they would see the promises
come true. (Heb. 11:4, 5) Their exam-
—Mark 12:27.
ple can strengthen our resolve to con-
The Sadducees were thoroughly famil- tinue hoping in Jehovah. Today we
iar with the first five books of the He- live in a world that is going from bad
brew Scriptures, but they overlooked to worse. (2 Tim. 3:13) Satan has not
important truths contained in those finished putting God’s people to the
inspired books. For example, consider test. Regardless of the challenges that
how Jesus responded when the Sad- lie ahead, may we be determined to
ducees challenged him about the res- work hard for Jehovah, confident that
urrection. He asked them: “Have you “we have rested our hope on a living
not read in the book of Moses, in God.”—1 Tim. 4:10. w22.06 25 ˚17-18
the account about the thornbush,
that God said to him: ‘I am the God Thursday, November 28
of Abraham and God of Isaac and What profit is there in my death . . . ?
God of Jacob’?” (Mark 12:18, 26) Will the dust praise you?—Ps. 30:9.
Although the Sadducees had surely
One reason why we should try to stay
read that passage many times, Jesus’
healthy is that we can serve Jehovah
question revealed that they had over-
to the best of our ability. (Mark 12:
looked an important Scriptural truth
30) So we avoid choosing to do things
—the teaching of the resurrection.
that we know will harm our health.
(Luke 20:38) What lesson is there for
(Rom. 12:1) Granted, there is only so
us? When we read, we want to be alert
much that we can do to stay in good
to all that a verse or a Bible account
health. But we do what we can be-
can teach us. We want to perceive not cause we want to show our heaven-
only basic teachings but also deeper ly Father that we appreciate the gift
truths and principles that lie hidden of life. Sickness and old age may pre-
beneath the surface. w23.02 11 ˚9-10 vent us from doing many of the things
Wednesday, November 27 we once did. As a result, we may feel
frustrated and sad. But never should
We have . . . a great cloud of witness- we give up and neglect our health.
es surrounding us.—Heb. 12:1. Why not? Because no matter how old
All the witnesses referred to in to- or how sick we are, we can still praise
day’s text went through severe trials; Jehovah, as did King David. How
yet, they built an outstanding rec- touching it is to realize that our God
ord of faithfulness to Jehovah. (Heb. treasures us despite our being imper-
11:36-40) Were their endurance and fect! (Matt. 10:29-31) Even if we were
hard work wasted? Most definitely to die, he would long to resurrect us.
not! Even though during their life- (Job 14:14, 15) While we are alive, we
time they never saw the fulfillment want to do what we can to protect our
health and life. w23.02 20-21 ˚3-5
of all of God’s promises, they contin-
ued to hope in Jehovah. And because
they were certain that they had gained
Friday, November 29 fore. Unlike today, we will have no
Whoever blasphemes against the holy reason to fear animals; nor will they
fear us. (Isa. 11:6-9) We will have end-
spirit has no forgiveness forever.
less time to enjoy what Jehovah has
—Mark 3:29.
made. (Ps. 22:26) But parents, do not
Will the names of the great crowd wait until then to help your children
of other sheep still be in the book of to begin enjoying creation. As you
life after they survive Armageddon? use creation to teach your children
Yes. (Rev. 7:14) Jesus said that these about Jehovah, they will likely come
sheeplike ones will depart “into ever- to agree with what King David said:
lasting life.” (Matt. 25:46) But those “O Jehovah, there are no works like
Armageddon survivors will not imme- yours.”—Ps. 86:8. w23.03 25 ˚16-17
diately receive everlasting life. During
the Thousand Year Reign, Jesus “will Sunday, December 1
shepherd them and will guide them to What prevents me from getting
springs of waters of life.” Those who baptized?—Acts 8:36.
respond positively to Christ’s guid-
ance and are finally judged faithful to Was the court official from Ethiopia
Jehovah will have their names record- truly ready for baptism? Consider:
The Ethiopian man “had gone to Je-
ed permanently in the book of life.
rusalem to worship.” (Acts 8:27) He
(Rev. 7:16, 17) However, the goats will
must therefore have been a Jewish
be destroyed at Armageddon. Jesus
proselyte; he had converted to Juda-
says that they “will depart into ever-
ism. No doubt he had learned about
lasting cutting-off.” (Matt. 25:46) Un-
Jehovah from the sacred writings of
der inspiration, the apostle Paul tells
the Hebrew Scriptures. Still, he was
us that “these very ones will under-
eager to learn more. In fact, when
go the judicial punishment of everlast-
Philip met that official on the road,
ing destruction.”—2 Thess. 1:9; 2 Pet.
he found him poring over a scroll of
2:9. w22.09 16 ˚7-8
the prophet Isaiah’s writings. (Acts 8:
Saturday, November 30 28) He wanted to keep learning. He
had traveled all the way from Ethio-
There is an appointed time for pia in order to worship Jehovah at
everything.—Eccl. 3:1. the temple in Jerusalem. The Ethiopi-
Jehovah’s creation can provide fami- an learned from Philip some vital new
lies with a means to relax and have truths, including the identity of the
fun, thus strengthening family ties. Messiah. (Acts 8:34, 35) His love for
Through his handiwork, Jehovah has Jehovah and His Son grew. He was
given us wonderful settings to en- moved to make the life-changing de-
joy wholesome activities. Many fami- cision to get baptized as a follower of
lies like being together at a nature Jesus Christ. Seeing that the man was
reserve, in the countryside, in the ready, Philip baptized him. w23.03 8-9
mountains, or at the beach. In God’s ˚3-6
new world, parents and children will
enjoy Jehovah’s creation as never be-
Monday, December 2 drawn you to him so that you can be
Let your words always be gracious. his friend. (John 6:44) Does it not
warm your heart to know that Jeho-
—Col. 4:6.
vah has seen something good in you
We cannot please Jehovah if we are and that he paid the highest price so
untruthful. (Prov. 6:16, 17) Although that you can be counted as his friend?
many people today consider lying to Does it not strengthen your love for
be a normal part of speech, we stick Jehovah and Jesus? We do well to ask
to Jehovah’s view on the matter. (Ps. ourselves, ‘What will that love com-
15:1, 2) Of course, we avoid telling pel me to do?’ Our love for God and
outright lies, but we also avoid de- Christ moves us to show love to oth-
liberately giving the wrong impres- ers.—2 Cor. 5:14, 15; 6:1, 2. w23.01 28
sion to others. We should also avoid ˚6-7
spreading harmful gossip. (Prov. 25:
23; 2 Thess. 3:11) If you see that Wednesday, December 4
a conversation is turning into harm- I will change the language of the peo-
ful gossip, steer the discussion toward ples to a pure language.—Zeph. 3:9.
something positive. Since we live in
The Bible plays a vital role in Jeho-
a world where bad speech is rampant,
vah’s purpose to have his worshippers
we must work hard to ensure that
“serve him shoulder to shoulder.” Je-
our speech pleases Jehovah. He will
hovah had many parts of the Scrip-
bless our sincere efforts to use our tures written in such a way that they
speech in a positive way in the minis- would be understood only by hum-
try, at the meetings, and in our daily ble readers. (Luke 10:21) People every-
conversations. When the influence of where read the Bible. But only the
this ungodly system of things finally humble truly understand and apply
comes to an end, it will be much easi- what it says. (2 Cor. 3:15, 16) We
er to honor Jehovah with our speech. discern Jehovah’s wisdom in the Bi-
—Jude 15. w22.04 9 ˚18-20 ble. Jehovah uses the Scriptures not
only to teach us as a group but also
Tuesday, December 3 to instruct and comfort us as indi-
We love, because he first loved us. viduals. All of us can sense Jehovah’s
—1 John 4:19. personal interest in us as we read his
Word. (Isa. 30:21) How often have
When we consider how much Jehovah
you turned to the Scriptures and read
and Jesus love us, we are moved to
a verse that seemed written just for
love them in return. (1 John 4:10) We you? Yet, the Bible appeals to millions
love them even more when we realize of people. How can it contain such
that Jesus died for us personally. The up-to-date information that is tailored
apostle Paul acknowledged this and to your personal needs? This is possi-
expressed his appreciation when he ble only because the Bible is the work
wrote to the Galatians, saying: “The of a uniquely wise Author.—2 Tim. 3:
Son of God . . . loved me and handed 16, 17. w23.02 4-5 ˚8-10
himself over for me.” (Gal. 2:20) On
the basis of the ransom, Jehovah has
Thursday, December 5 favor of God’s Kingdom, Jehovah will
Ponder over these things; be absorbed consider them to be opposers. (Luke
11:23; Rev. 6:15-17) Truly, Jehovah’s
in them, so that your advancement
faithful servants will stand out as dif-
may be plainly seen by all people.
ferent during that desperate time of
—1 Tim. 4:15.
tribulation. They will still be the only
As true Christians, we love Jehovah group of people on earth serving Je-
very much. We want our service to hovah God and refusing to give their
him to be of the best possible qual- support to “the wild beast.”—Rev.
ity. If we are going to reach our full 13:14-17. w22.05 16-17 ˚8-9
potential, though, we need to set spir-
itual goals, such as cultivating Chris- Saturday, December 7
tian qualities, learning useful skills, He had everlasting good news to de-
and looking for ways to serve oth- clare to those who dwell on the earth,
ers. Why should we be interested in to every nation and tribe and tongue
making spiritual progress? Primarily, and people.—Rev. 14:6.
we want to please our loving heav-
The “good news of the Kingdom”
enly Father. Jehovah is happy when
is not the only message that God’s
he sees us use our talents and abili-
people are to declare. (Matt. 24:14)
ties to the full in his service. In addi-
They also need to support the work
tion, we want to make spiritual prog-
of the angels who are described in
ress so that we can be more helpful to
Revelation chapters 8 through 10.
our brothers and sisters. (1 Thess. 4:9,
These angels announce a series of
10) No matter how long we have been
woes for those who reject God’s King-
in the truth, we all can make spiritual
dom. Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses have
progress. w22.04 22 ˚1-2
been declaring a judgment message,
Friday, December 6 likened to “hail and fire,” revealing
God’s judgments on the various ele-
They will eat up her flesh and com- ments of Satan’s wicked world. (Rev.
pletely burn her with fire.—Rev. 17:16. 8:7, 13) People need to know that the
The political elements of this world end is near so that they can make
will soon turn on Babylon the Great, drastic changes in their lives and sur-
the world empire of false religion. This vive Jehovah’s day of anger. (Zeph. 2:
action will mark the beginning of the 2, 3) But this message is not popular.
great tribulation. Will this result in a Declaring it calls for courage on our
flood of new ones deciding to turn to part. During the great tribulation, the
the worship of Jehovah? No. To the final judgment message will become
contrary, Revelation chapter 6 shows more hard-hitting.—Rev. 16:21. w22.05
that at that critical time, people who 7 ˚18-19
are not serving Jehovah will seek pro-
tection from the political and com-
mercial systems of this world, which
are compared to mountains. Since
those people will not take a stand in
Sunday, December 8 form his mind so that he is guided by
You must love Jehovah your God with the thinking of Jehovah. (Rom. 12:2;
Eph. 4:23) He must be determined to
your whole heart and with your whole
leave behind his former bad ways of
soul and with your whole mind.
thinking and acting. (Col. 3:7-9) Of
—Matt. 22:37.
course, it is our faith in the sacrifice
Consider a Christian couple who are of Christ that provides the real basis
about to become parents. Over the for Jehovah to forgive us and cleanse
years, they may have heard a num- us from sin. Jehovah will extend the
ber of talks on the subject of rais- value of that sacrifice to us when he
ing children. But now those principles sees that we are making a sincere ef-
will take on new meaning for them. fort to change our course of conduct.
They are going to have a child of their —1 John 1:7. w22.06 6 ˚16-17
own to bring up. What an awesome
responsibility! Certainly, new circum- Tuesday, December 10
stances can change our perspective Do not be afraid of the things you are
on well-known Bible principles. This about to suffer.—Rev. 2:10.
is one reason why Jehovah’s worship-
Humans have a bad record of harming
pers read the Scriptures and, as Is-
one another. (Eccl. 8:9) For example,
rael’s kings were told to do, medi-
people abuse their authority, crimi-
tate on them “all the days” of their nals commit violent acts, bullies at
life. (Deut. 17:19) Parents, you have school insult and threaten their class-
one of the greatest privileges a Chris- mates, and some people even treat
tian can have, namely, to teach your their family members brutally. No
children about Jehovah. But you want wonder humans fear other humans!
to do more than merely impart in- How does Satan try to take advantage
formation about our God. You want to of our fear of man? Satan uses fear of
help your children to love him dearly. man to try to force us to make com-
w22.05 26 ˚2-3 promises and to stop us from preach-
ing. Under the influence of Satan,
Monday, December 9
governments have banned our work
Clothe yourselves with the new and persecuted us. (Luke 21:12) Vari-
personality.—Col. 3:10. ous elements of Satan’s world spread
It is not enough for us to feel sor- misleading information and vicious
ry about a sinful course or a sin that lies about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Peo-
we have committed. We must also be ple who believe these lies may mock
ready to take action. Conversion is an us or even attack us physically. (Matt.
important factor that Jehovah con- 10:36) Are we surprised at Satan’s tac-
siders when deciding to extend for- tics? Not at all. He was already using
giveness. Conversion means “a turn- them in the first century.—Acts 5:27,
ing around.” In other words, a person 28, 40. w22.06 16 ˚10-11
must change course by leaving his bad
way and pursuing the way of Jehovah.
(Isa. 55:7) The individual must trans-
Wednesday, December 11 ing exactly as was foretold in a re-
Those bringing the many to righteous- markable prophecy about “the last
days.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5) The fulfillment
ness [will shine] like the stars, forever
of this prophecy, which is impossible
and ever.—Dan. 12:3.
for any sincere person to deny, pro-
Who will be among “the many” vides evidence that Christ Jesus has
brought to righteousness? These will begun ruling as King of God’s King-
include those who are resurrected and dom. But this is only one of many
also those who survive Armageddon prophecies concerning the Kingdom.
together with any children who may All these prophecies fit together like
be born in the new world. By the end the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to pro-
of the 1,000 years, all living on earth vide a clear picture of where we are in
will be perfect. We must remember Jehovah’s timetable of events. w22.07
that being perfect does not in itself 2 ˚1-2
mean that a person will automatical-
ly gain everlasting life. Think of Adam Friday, December 13
and Eve. They were perfect, but they Wisdom is proved righteous by its
needed to demonstrate their obedi- works.—Matt. 11:19.
ence to Jehovah God before they
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we
would be granted everlasting life.
received clear direction about how to
And, sadly, they failed to obey him.
hold congregation meetings and en-
(Rom. 5:12) Since all will have gained
gage in the preaching work. Almost
perfection by the end of the 1,000
overnight, we began attending Chris-
years, will all those perfect people ful-
tian meetings, assemblies, and con-
ly support Jehovah’s rule forever? Or
ventions by means of videoconferenc-
will some prove to be like Adam and ing tools. We also began witnessing
Eve—who despite being perfect be- almost entirely by letter and tele-
came unfaithful? These questions will phone. Jehovah blessed our efforts.
need to be answered. w22.09 22-23 Many branches reported notable in-
˚12-14 creases in the number of publishers.
In fact, many have had encouraging
Thursday, December 12
experiences during that time. Some
The kingdom of the world has become may have felt that the organization
the Kingdom of our Lord and of his was being overly cautious with regard
Christ.—Rev. 11:15. to the pandemic. But time and time
When you look at world conditions, again, it became evident that the di-
do you find it difficult to maintain a rection we received was well-founded.
positive outlook? Family ties are fray- And as we meditate on the loving way
ing. People in general are becom- in which Jesus is leading his people,
ing more and more violent, selfish, we are assured that no matter what to-
and aggressive. Many find it difficult morrow may bring, Jehovah and his
beloved Son will be with us.—Heb. 13:
to trust those in authority. But these
5, 6. w22.07 13 ˚15-16
very conditions can give you confi-
dence. Why? Because people are act-
Saturday, December 14 progress, let us go on walking order-
Pray constantly. Give thanks for every- ly in this same course.” (Phil. 3:16)
Just think of the benefits that come
thing. This is God’s will for you in
from doing our best to “go on walking
Christ Jesus.—1 Thess. 5:17, 18.
in the truth”! Not only do we improve
In addition to praising Jehovah in the quality of our own life but we also
our prayers, we are moved to thank bring joy to Jehovah and to our fel-
him for the marvelous things he pro- low believers. (Prov. 27:11; 3 John 4)
vides. For instance, we can thank Really, could we have any greater rea-
him for the magnificent colors seen sons to love the truth and to live the
in flowers, the endless variety of deli- truth? w22.08 18-19 ˚16-18
cious food, and the refreshing compa-
ny of dear friends. Our loving Father Monday, December 16
gives us this and much more, just to Shepherd the flock of God.
make us happy. (Ps. 104:12-15, 24) —1 Pet. 5:2.
Even more important, we thank Jeho-
How can elders show that they love
vah for the abundant spiritual food he
Jehovah and Jesus? An important
provides and for the marvelous hope
way is by caring for the needs of Je-
we have for the future. It can be so
sus’ sheep. (1 Pet. 5:1, 2) Jesus made
easy to forget to thank Jehovah for
that point clear to the apostle Peter.
all that he does for us. What can help
After denying Jesus three times, Peter
you to remember? You could make a
was likely desperate to prove that he
list of specific requests you have made
loved Jesus. Following his resurrec-
and periodically check it to see how
tion, Jesus asked Peter: “Simon son
Jehovah has answered them. Then say
of John, do you love me?” We can be
a prayer to thank him for his help. sure that Peter would have done any-
—Col. 3:15. w22.07 22 ˚8-9 thing to prove his love for his Master.
Sunday, December 15 Jesus told Peter: “Shepherd my little
sheep.” (John 21:15-17) And for the
His delight is in the law of Jehovah, rest of his life, Peter tenderly cared
and he reads His law in an undertone for the Lord’s sheep, proving that he
day and night.—Ps. 1:2. had love for Jesus. Elders, how can
We know that it is not enough simply you demonstrate that the importance
to study the truth. To benefit fully, we of Jesus’ words to Peter is not lost
must live the truth, that is, apply what on you? You can show how much you
we learn in our life. Only then will the love Jehovah and Jesus by regularly
truth bring us real happiness. (Jas. 1: engaging in the shepherding work and
25) How can we make sure that we by making a special effort to help in-
are living the truth? One brother sug- active ones return to Jehovah.—Ezek.
gests making a personal examination 34:11, 12. w23.01 29 ˚10-11
to identify areas where we are doing
well and areas where we want to make
improvement. The apostle Paul put it
this way: “To the extent we have made
Tuesday, December 17 and Bible literature. Jehovah’s peo-
God is faithful, and he will not let you ple have so far translated God’s Word,
in whole or in part, into over 240
be tempted beyond what you can bear.
languages, and anyone can obtain a
—1 Cor. 10:13.
copy without charge. As a result, peo-
Avoid the pitfall of thinking that no ple of all nations are responding to
one else can understand the partic- the “good news of the Kingdom” be-
ular challenge that you are facing. fore the end comes. (Matt. 24:14) Our
Thinking that way could lead you to God of justice wants to give as many
conclude that your situation is hope- people as possible the opportunity to
less and that you are powerless to re- get to know him by reading his Word.
sist improper desires. The Bible says That is because he loves us all very
otherwise. It states: “Along with the much. w23.02 5 ˚11-12
temptation he will also make the way
out so that you may be able to endure Thursday, December 19
it.” Therefore, even when an improp- Stop being molded by this system of
er desire is strong, we can successful- things, but be transformed by making
ly endure it. With Jehovah’s help, we your mind over.—Rom. 12:2.
can keep from acting on it. Always re-
Do you love righteousness? No doubt
member this: As an imperfect human,
you do. But we all are imperfect, and
you may not be able to keep improp-
if we are not careful, the world’s view
er desires from surfacing. But when
of righteousness can easily affect us.
they do, you can reject them decisive-
(Isa. 5:20) When people think of a
ly, as Joseph did when he quickly ran
righteous person, many may think of
away from Potiphar’s wife. (Gen. 39:
someone who is smug, judgmental, or
12) You do not need to act on improp-
self-righteous. But God does not like
er desires! w23.01 12-13 ˚16-17
those qualities at all. When Jesus was
Wednesday, December 18 on earth, he strongly criticized the re-
ligious leaders of his day for setting
There is no partiality with God. up their own standards of righteous-
—Rom. 2:11. ness. (Eccl. 7:16; Luke 16:15) Genuine
Justice is an attribute of Jehovah. righteousness is not in any way like
(Deut. 32:4) Justice is closely linked self-righteousness. Righteousness is a
with impartiality, and Jehovah is im- beautiful quality. Simply put, it means
partial. (Acts 10:34, 35) His impartial- doing what is right in the eyes of Je-
ity is reflected in the languages that hovah God. In the Bible, the words for
were used to write the Bible. Jehovah “righteousness” convey the idea of
promised that in the time of the end, living by the highest of standards—Je-
“the true knowledge” found in the Bi- hovah’s standards. w22.08 27 ˚3-5
ble would “become abundant.” Many
would understand it. (Dan. 12:4) One
way that such knowledge has become
abundant is through the translating,
publishing, and distributing of Bibles
Friday, December 20 He knew that although Jehovah had
I have called you friends. disciplined him, his heavenly Father
loved him. The psalmist was con-
—John 15:15.
vinced that no matter what situation
Jesus trusted his disciples despite he faced, his loving God would always
their failings. (John 15:16) When be ready to help him. (Ps. 118:29) We
James and John asked Jesus for a need to be convinced that Jehovah
special position in the Kingdom, Je- loves us personally. Our having that
sus did not question their motives for conviction will help us to overcome
serving Jehovah or remove them as three common fears, namely, (1) fear
apostles. (Mark 10:35-40) Later, all of not being able to provide for our
of Jesus’ disciples abandoned him on family, (2) fear of man, and (3) fear
the night he was arrested. (Matt. 26: of death. w22.06 15 ˚3-4
56) Jesus, however, never lost faith in
them. He was well-aware of their im- Sunday, December 22
perfections; yet, he “loved them to Happy is the man who keeps on
the end.” (John 13:1) The resurrect- enduring trial, because on becoming
ed Jesus even assigned his 11 faith- approved he will receive the crown
ful apostles the weighty responsibility of life.—Jas. 1:12.
to take the lead in the disciple-making
We must make sure that the worship
work and to care for his precious
of Jehovah comes first in our life. As
sheep. (Matt. 28:19, 20; John 21:15-
our Creator, Jehovah richly deserves
17) His confidence in these imperfect
our worship. (Rev. 4:11; 14:6, 7) Thus,
men was not misplaced. All of them
we need to give priority to worship-
served faithfully until the end of their
ping him in the way that he approves,
earthly course. Certainly, Jesus set a
“with spirit and truth.” (John 4:23,
fine example in trusting imperfect hu-
24) We want God’s holy spirit to guide
mans. w22.09 6 ˚12
our worship so that it is in harmony
Saturday, December 21 with the truths that are found in his
Word. Our worship must come first
Jehovah is on my side; I will not be even if we live in a land where our
afraid.—Ps. 118:6. work is restricted or banned. Right
When we are convinced that Jehovah now, over 100 of our brothers and
loves us—that he is on our side—we sisters are imprisoned simply because
can defeat Satan’s efforts to make they are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even
us afraid. For example, the writer of so, they happily do whatever they can
Psalm 118 faced some very distress- to pray, study, and tell others about
ing situations. He had many enemies, our God and his Kingdom. When we
including some in high places (verses are reproached or persecuted, we can
9, 10). At times, he was under great be happy knowing that Jehovah is
pressure (verse 13). And he had re- with us and that he will reward us.
ceived strong discipline from Jeho- —1 Pet. 4:14. w22.10 9 ˚13
vah (verse 18). Still, that psalmist was
moved to sing: “I will not be afraid.”
Monday, December 23 listen to all my words that I speak to
Wisdom is a protection.—Eccl. 7:12. you.” (Ezek. 3:10) With those instruc-
tions, Jehovah told Ezekiel to store
Throughout the book of Proverbs, Je- in his memory the words written in
hovah provides timeless advice that the scroll and to meditate on them.
will improve our life if we apply it. Doing so nourished Ezekiel personal-
Consider just two examples of such ly. It also provided him with a power-
wise counsel. First, be content with ful message to deliver to the people.
what you have. Proverbs 23:4, 5 gives (Ezek. 3:11) With God’s message in
this advice: “Do not wear yourself out his heart and on his lips, Ezekiel was
to gain wealth. . . . For it will sure- ready to take on his assignment and
ly sprout wings like an eagle and fly fulfill it. w22.11 6 ˚12-14
off into the sky.” Yet, both rich and
poor today are obsessed with making Wednesday, December 25
money. This often causes them to be- To obey is better than a sacrifice.
have in a way that harms their rep- —1 Sam. 15:22.
utation, their relationships, and even
If organizational changes test your
their health. (Prov. 28:20; 1 Tim. 6:9,
loyalty, what should you do? Ful-
10) Second, think before you speak. If
ly support the organizational changes.
not careful, we can cause great harm
During their travels in the wilderness,
with our words. Proverbs 12:18 states:
the Kohathites carried the ark of the
“Thoughtless speech is like the stabs
covenant before all the people. (Num.
of a sword, but the tongue of the
3:29, 31; 10:33; Josh. 3:2-4) What
wise is a healing.” We preserve good
a privilege! However, things changed
relationships when we avoid gossiping
for them when the Israelites settled
about the faults of others.—Prov. 20:
in the Promised Land. The Ark no
19. w22.10 21 ˚14; 22 ˚16-17
longer needed to be moved regularly.
Tuesday, December 24 So the Kohathites were assigned oth-
er duties. (1 Chron. 6:31-33; 26:1, 24)
Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the There is no record that the Kohath-
house of Israel.—Ezek. 3:1. ites complained or demanded a more
Ezekiel needed to absorb fully the prominent role because of their rich
message he was to deliver. It had to heritage. What lesson can we learn?
become part of him, as it were, affect- Wholeheartedly support changes that
ing his inmost feelings. Then some- Jehovah’s organization makes, includ-
thing surprising happened. Ezekiel ing any that affect your assignment.
discovered that the scroll “was as Find joy in whatever assignment you
sweet as honey.” (Ezek. 3:3) Why? For are given. Remember that your as-
Ezekiel, the honor of representing Je- signment does not reflect your worth
hovah was a sweet, or a pleasant, ex- as a person. Jehovah values your obe-
perience. (Ps. 19:8-11) He was grate- dience far more than any assignment.
w22.11 23 ˚10-11
ful that Jehovah had approved of him
to serve as his prophet. Later, Jeho-
vah told Ezekiel: “Take to heart and
Thursday, December 26 ers and sisters affected by disasters.
He did not become ashamed of my “They may begin to get over their
losses, but memories of a lost loved
prison chains.—2 Tim. 1:16.
one, a treasured heirloom, or a nar-
Onesiphorus searched for the apos- row escape can persist. These mem-
tle Paul, and when he found him, he ories may trigger feelings of grief all
looked for practical ways to support over again. That is not a lack of faith
him. In doing so, Onesiphorus risked but a normal human reaction.” Elders
his own life. What is the lesson for us? take to heart the counsel to “weep
We must not let fear of man intimi- with those who weep.”—Rom. 12:15.
date us or prevent us from supporting w22.12 22 ˚1; 24-25 ˚10-11
our brothers who are being persecut-
ed. Instead, let us defend them and Saturday, December 28
come to their aid. (Prov. 17:17) They Keep walking by spirit and you will
need our love and support. Consider carry out no fleshly desire at all.
how our brothers and sisters in Russia —Gal. 5:16.
have come to the aid of their dear fel-
To help us win the fight to do what
low believers who are imprisoned.
is right, Jehovah generously provides
When some are put on trial, many
his holy spirit. When we study God’s
brothers and sisters come to the court
Word, we are placing ourselves under
to support them. What is the lesson
the influence of that spirit. We also re-
for us? When responsible brothers
ceive holy spirit when we attend our
are defamed, arrested, or persecuted,
meetings. At those Christian gather-
do not become intimidated. Pray for
ings, we can spend time with broth-
them, care for their family members,
ers and sisters who, like us, are trying
and look for other practical ways to
hard to do what is right, and that
show your support.—Acts 12:5; 2 Cor.
is encouraging. (Heb. 10:24, 25; 13:7)
1:10, 11. w22.11 17 ˚11-12
And when we approach Jehovah in
Friday, December 27 earnest prayer and beg him for help
with some weakness, he will give us
They have become a source of great his holy spirit to strengthen us to
comfort to me.—Col. 4:11. keep fighting. While these activities
Providing spiritual and emotional help will probably not make wrong desires
is part of the work done by Chris- disappear, they will help us resist the
tian elders. (1 Pet. 5:2) In the face urge to act on those desires. Once
of a disaster, elders should first make we have established a wholesome rou-
sure that each brother and sister is tine of spiritual activities, it is essen-
safe and has food, clothing, and shel- tial that we maintain that routine and
ter. But for many months thereafter, keep cultivating proper desires. w23.01
survivors will likely need spiritual 11 ˚13-14
and emotional support. (John 21:15)
“It takes time to recover,” says Har-
old, who serves on a Branch Commit-
tee and who has met with many broth-
Sunday, December 29 ject wrong tendencies or attitudes and
I will not let myself be controlled by to remain on a faithful course. Exam-
ine how the passage can be used to
anything.—1 Cor. 6:12.
set straight, or correct, a wrong view-
Although the Bible is not a health-care point, perhaps one you have encoun-
book or a dietary manual, it does re- tered in the ministry. And look for any
veal Jehovah’s thinking in these areas. discipline the verses provide that can
For example, he exhorts us to “ward train you to reflect Jehovah’s think-
off harmful things” that could damage ing. When you keep these four bene-
our body. (Eccl. 11:10) Gluttony and fits in mind, you will find spiritual
drunkenness, both life-threatening, treasures that can enrich your Bible
are condemned in the Bible. (Prov. 23: reading. w23.02 11 ˚11
20) Jehovah expects us to exercise
self-control when deciding what and Tuesday, December 31
how much to eat and drink. (1 Cor. 9: His kingdom will not be destroyed.
25) We can make decisions that show —Dan. 7:14.
deep appreciation for God’s gift of life
by using our thinking ability. (Ps. 119: A prophecy in the book of Daniel fore-
99, 100; Prov. 2:11) For instance, we told that Jesus would receive his King-
show good judgment in what we eat. If dom at the end of a prophetic period
we like a certain food but know that of seven times. Is it possible to know
it makes us sick, common sense moves when that joyous event occurred?
us to avoid eating it. We also prove (Dan. 4:10-17) The “seven times” rep-
that we are sound in mind when we resent a period of 2,520 years. That
get sufficient sleep, exercise regular- time period began in 607 B.C.E. when
ly, maintain a good routine of person- the Babylonians removed the last king
al hygiene, and keep our home clean. from Jehovah’s throne in Jerusalem.
w23.02 21 ˚6-7 It ended in 1914 C.E. when Jeho-
vah enthroned Jesus—“the one who
Monday, December 30 has the legal right”—as King of God’s
Kingdom. (Ezek. 21:25-27) How can
How do you read?—Luke 10:26.
this prophecy benefit us? Knowing
How can you find spiritual treasures about the “seven times” reassures us
when reading the Bible? Consider that Jehovah fulfills his promises right
what 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 states. Note on time. Just as he set a definite time
that “all Scripture is . . . beneficial” for for the establishment of his Kingdom,
(1) teaching, (2) reproving, (3) set- he will also see to it that all the other
ting things straight, and (4) disciplin- prophecies will be fulfilled according
ing. You can obtain those four bene- to his timetable. Yes, Jehovah’s day
fits even from Bible books that you do “will not be late!”—Hab. 2:3. w22.07 3
not use often. Analyze the account to ˚3-5
see what it teaches you about Jeho-
vah, about his purpose, or about god-
ly principles. Consider how it is helpful
for reproving. Do this by noting how
the verses help you to identify and re-