‘The Son Is Willing to Reveal the Father’

“Who the Father is, no one knows but the Son, and he to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.”​—LUKE 10:22.

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?

Why could Jesus reveal his Father in a special way?

How did Jesus reveal his Father to others?

In what ways can you imitate Jesus and reveal the Father to others?

1, 2. What question is difficult for many to answer? Why?

WHO is God? This is a question that is very difficult for many people to answer. For example, most who say that they are Christians believe that God is a Trinity, but they say that this teaching is impossible to understand. One author and clergyman wrote that the teaching of the Trinity cannot be explained because there are some things that man is unable to understand. Others believe in evolution. They say that there is no God and that all the wonderful things we see in creation happened by accident. Charles Darwin did not deny that God exists. He said that humans do not have the ability to understand completely the subject of God.

² Whatever they believe, most people have questions about God. But many stop searching for God because the answers they find do not satisfy them. Satan has “blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) So it is not surprising that most people are confused and do not know the truth about God, the Father and the Creator of the universe!​—Isaiah 45:18.

3. (a) Who has revealed the Father to us? (b) What questions will we answer?

³ It is very important that people learn the truth about God. Why? Because only those who call “on the name of Jehovah” will be saved. (Romans 10:13) For us to call on God’s name means that we have to know who God is and what kind of Person he is. Jesus Christ taught these important truths to his disciples. He revealed the Father to them. (Read Luke 10:22.) This article will give us the answers to the following questions: Why was Jesus able to reveal the Father in a way that no one else could? How did Jesus do so? And how can we imitate Jesus by revealing, or telling others about, the Father?

JESUS COULD REVEAL THE FATHER IN A SPECIAL WAY

4, 5. Why could Jesus reveal his Father in a special way?

⁴ Jesus was the best person to help others get to know his Father. Why? Because before all other life was created, Jesus was a spirit creature who lived in heaven. He was “the only-begotten Son of God.” (John 1:14; 3:18) Only Jesus was there with his Father before all other creation began, and his Father was able to give him His complete attention. As they communicated with each other over thousands and thousands of years, Jesus learned about his Father and his qualities. As their relationship became stronger, their love and affection for each other grew deeper. (John 5:20; 14:31) Imagine how much Jesus learned about his Father’s personality!​—Read Colossians 1:15-17.

⁵ The Father chose the Son to be his representative, to speak for him as “The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13) So only Jesus was given a special assignment to reveal the Father to others. For this reason, John wrote that Jesus, “the Word,” is “in the bosom position with the Father.” (John 1:1, 18) John may have been thinking of a custom that was common at mealtimes. One guest would be placed close to another guest so that they could easily have a conversation. In a similar way, the Son was “in the bosom position” with his Father and was able to have deep conversations with him.

6, 7. How did the relationship between Jehovah and Jesus grow stronger?

⁶ The Son “came to be the one [God] was specially fond of day by day.” (Read Proverbs 8:22, 23, 30, 31.) The relationship between Father and Son continued to grow stronger. They worked together, and Jesus learned to imitate his Father’s qualities. As other intelligent creatures were created, the Son saw how Jehovah treated each one of them, and his love and respect for his Father grew deeper.

⁷ Even when Satan rebelled against Jehovah’s right to rule, the Son was able to learn how Jehovah would show love, justice, wisdom, and power in a complicated situation. This helped Jesus to be prepared for the difficulties he would experience in his ministry on earth.​—John 5:19.

8. Why do the powerful stories about Jesus help us to learn about the Father’s qualities?

⁸ Because of his close relationship with Jehovah, Jesus was able to reveal the Father in more detail than anyone else ever could. The best way for us to learn about the Father is to learn about what his only-begotten Son taught and did. For example, would we completely understand what the word “love” means if we only read an explanation in a dictionary? It would be difficult. But when we think about the stories in the Bible that describe Jesus’ ministry, we see the way he cared for others and we can understand what it means that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8, 16) Love was not the only quality that Jesus revealed to his disciples. He revealed God’s other qualities to them while he was on earth.

HOW JESUS REVEALED HIS FATHER

9. (a) In what two ways did Jesus reveal his Father to his disciples? (b) Give an example that Jesus used to reveal his Father.

⁹ How did Jesus reveal the Father to his disciples and to those who later became his disciples? He did this in two ways: through his teachings and through his conduct. First we will learn about Jesus’ teachings. What Jesus taught his followers teaches us about his Father’s ways, thinking, and feelings. For example, Jesus compared his Father to a man who owns a flock of sheep. One of them goes missing. Because he cares for each one, he leaves the flock to go and find the one lost sheep. Jesus said that when the man finds the lost sheep, “he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that have not strayed.” Why did Jesus use this illustration? He explained: “It is not a desirable thing with my Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.” (Matthew 18:12-14) What can you learn about Jehovah from this illustration? Sometimes you may feel that you are worthless and are forgotten. But remember, your heavenly Father is interested in you and cares for you. He thinks of you as one of “these little ones.”

10. How did Jesus reveal his Father through his own conduct?

¹⁰ The second way in which Jesus revealed the Father to his disciples was by his conduct. So when the apostle Philip asked Jesus: “Show us the Father,” Jesus could say: “He that has seen me has seen the Father also.” (John 14:8, 9) Here are some examples of how Jesus showed his Father’s qualities. When a leper begged Jesus to cure him, Jesus touched the man who was “full of leprosy” and told him: “I want to. Be made clean.” After he was cured, the leper knew that it was Jehovah who gave Jesus the power to cure him. (Luke 5:12, 13) Also, when Lazarus died, the disciples must have felt the Father’s compassion when Jesus “groaned in the spirit and became troubled” and “gave way to tears.” Although Jesus knew that he was going to resurrect Lazarus, he felt the same emotional pain that Lazarus’ family and friends felt. (John 11:32-35, 40-43) You may have your own favorite Bible stories about Jesus that help you to see the mercy the Father shows.

11. (a) When Jesus cleansed the temple, what did he reveal about his Father? (b) Why does this comfort us?

¹¹ When you read the story of how Jesus cleansed the temple, what do you learn? Imagine what happened: Jesus makes a whip of ropes and forces the people who are selling cattle and sheep out of the temple. Then he goes to the people who are changing money, scatters the coins, and turns their tables over. (John 2:13-17) That strong action made the disciples remember the prophecy that King David wrote: “Sheer zeal for your house has eaten me up.” (Psalm 69:9) What Jesus did showed that he really wanted to defend true worship. Do you see Jehovah’s personality in Jesus when you read this story? It reminds us that not only does God have all the power needed to remove wickedness from the earth but he really wants to remove it. Imagine how Jehovah must feel as he sees the wickedness all over the earth! The way that Jehovah and Jesus feel about the situation gives us great comfort when we suffer injustice.

12, 13. What can you learn about Jehovah from the way Jesus treated his disciples?

¹² Another example of how Jesus revealed his Father is the way he treated his disciples. They kept arguing about who was the greatest. (Mark 9:33-35; 10:43; Luke 9:46) Because Jesus had spent so much time with his Father, he knew how Jehovah feels about pride. (2 Samuel 22:28; Psalm 138:6) Jesus had also seen Satan the Devil’s proud attitude. Satan is a selfish creature who cares only about his own importance. So Jesus must have been very sad to see the disciples he had taught continue to show a proud attitude. They were interested in their own importance! He could even see this attitude among the ones he had chosen as apostles! They showed this proud attitude until the very last day of Jesus’ life on earth. (Luke 22:24-27) But Jesus continued to correct them with kindness. He never lost hope that one day they would learn to imitate the same humble attitude he had.​—Philippians 2:5-8.

¹³ Can you see Jehovah’s personality from the way Jesus imitated his Father and patiently corrected the wrong attitude of his disciples? Do you learn about the Father from what Jesus said and did? His Father does not abandon His people even though they often make mistakes. The knowledge of God’s qualities encourages us to repent and pray for Jehovah’s forgiveness when we make mistakes.

THE SON WANTED TO REVEAL HIS FATHER

14. How did Jesus show that he wanted to reveal his Father to others?

¹⁴ Many rulers try to keep people under their control by keeping them in ignorance, not giving them the knowledge they need. Jesus was not like that. Jesus wanted to help others to learn about his Father, so he revealed everything they needed to know about Jehovah. (Read Matthew 11:27.) Jesus also gave his disciples “intellectual capacity that [they might] gain the knowledge of the true one,” Jehovah God. (1 John 5:20) What does that mean? Jesus helped his followers to understand what he taught about the Father. He did not hide his Father in the teaching of the Trinity, a strange teaching that no one could understand.

15. Why did Jesus not tell his disciples everything that he knew about his Father?

¹⁵ Did Jesus reveal everything that he knew about his Father? No, he showed wisdom when he did not tell his disciples everything. (Read John 16:12.) Why? Because his disciples were “not able to bear” all the knowledge at that time. But Jesus explained that much more knowledge would be revealed to them when “the helper” arrived. This helper was the holy spirit, which would guide them “into all the truth.” (John 16:7, 13) Wise parents may not tell their children everything until the children are old enough to understand. So like a wise parent, Jesus waited until his disciples were ready to understand more about the Father. Jesus was kind, and he remembered that his disciples had limited abilities.

IMITATE JESUS AND HELP OTHERS TO KNOW JEHOVAH

16, 17. Why are you able to reveal the Father to others?

¹⁶ When you get to know someone well and find that he has a loving personality, would you not want to tell others about him? When he was on earth, Jesus talked about his Father. (John 17:25, 26) Is it possible for us to do the same and reveal Jehovah to others?

¹⁷ As we have learned, Jesus had much greater knowledge about his Father than anyone else had. But he wanted to teach some of the things he knew, and he even gave his followers the ability to understand deeper things about his Father’s qualities. Jesus has helped us to know our Father in a way that most people today do not. We are so grateful that Jesus wanted to reveal his Father to us through his teachings and conduct! We feel honored to know Jehovah. (Jeremiah 9:24; 1 Corinthians 1:31) We have worked hard to have a close relationship with Jehovah, and he is now closer to us. (James 4:8) So we are able to teach others what we know about Jehovah. How can we do that?

18, 19. In what ways can you reveal the Father to others? Explain.

¹⁸ When we imitate Jesus by what we say and do, we reveal the Father to others. Remember that many we meet in our ministry do not know who God is. They may have wrong ideas about God because they have been taught false teachings. We can teach them from the Bible what God’s name is, what his purpose for humans is, and what his personality is like. Also, some Bible stories help us to see God’s qualities in a new way that we did not understand before. We can talk to others in the congregation about what we have learned, so that they too can be encouraged.

¹⁹ We should imitate Jesus and reveal the Father through our conduct. When people see the love of Christ in the way we act, they may also want to have a relationship with Jesus and his Father. (Ephesians 5:1, 2) The apostle Paul told us: “Become imitators of me, even as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) We feel honored that by our conduct we can help people to see what Jehovah is like! Let us all continue to imitate Jesus by revealing the Father to others.

SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

Reveal the Father: To show God’s qualities through teaching and conduct

Compassion: To feel pity, sympathy, and understanding for others when they suffer

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Your heavenly Father is interested in you and cares for you

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Jesus revealed the Father through his teachings and through his conduct

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Jesus did not hide his Father in a strange teaching that no one could understand

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How can you imitate Jesus and reveal the Father to others?

Betrayal​—An Ominous Sign of the Times!

“How loyal and righteous and unblamable we proved to be.”​—1 THESSALONIANS 2:10.

FIND THESE IMPORTANT POINTS:

What lessons can we learn from how Delilah, Absalom, and Judas Iscariot betrayed others?

How can we imitate the loyalty that Jonathan and Peter showed?

How can we stay loyal to our marriage mate and to Jehovah?

1-3. (a) What is a sign that we are living in the last days? What does it include? (b) What three questions will we answer?

WHAT do Delilah, Absalom, and Judas Iscariot have in common? They were all disloyal. Delilah was disloyal to the man who loved her, Judge Samson. Absalom was disloyal to his father, King David. And Judas was disloyal to his Master, Christ Jesus. The horrible actions of each of these people caused much harm and distress to others! Why should this interest us?

² One writer lists betrayal as one of today’s most common human weaknesses. That should not surprise us. When Jesus prophesied about the sign of “the conclusion of the system of things,” he said: “Many . . . will betray one another.” (Matthew 24:3, 10) “To betray” means to give someone into the hands of an enemy by being disloyal. The disloyalty we see today shows that we are living in “the last days,” just as Paul prophesied. He said that people would be “disloyal, . . . betrayers.” (2 Timothy 3:1, 2, 4) Writers of books and films often make disloyal acts appear exciting or romantic. But the books and films do not tell us the truth. In real life, disloyalty and betrayal cause pain and suffering. Such acts are a sign that we are now living in the last days!

³ What lessons can we learn from the Bible about those who were disloyal in the past? What examples of people who proved their loyalty to others can we imitate? To whom must we be determined to remain loyal? Let us find the answers.

WARNING EXAMPLES FROM THE PAST

4. How did Delilah betray Samson? Why was that so evil?

⁴ The first example is deceitful Delilah, with whom Judge Samson had fallen in love. Samson wanted to lead the fight against the Philistines for God’s people. The five Philistine lords may have known that Delilah had no loyal love for Samson. They offered her a lot of money to find out the secret of his unusual strength so that they could kill him. Greedy Delilah accepted their offer. But her efforts to find out Samson’s secret failed three times. She kept on trying “with her words all the time and kept urging him.” Finally, “his soul got to be impatient to the point of dying.” So he told her that his hair had never been cut and that if it was cut, he would lose his power.a (See footnote.) Now that she knew his secret, Delilah had someone shave Samson’s hair off while he was sleeping on her lap. Then she gave him to his enemies and let them do whatever they wanted with him. (Judges 16:4, 5, 15-21) What she did was evil! Because she was greedy, Delilah betrayed someone who loved her.

5. (a) How was Absalom disloyal to David? What did this show about Absalom? (b) How did David feel about Ahithophel’s betrayal?

⁵ The next example is disloyal Absalom. He had a fire in his heart, a burning desire for power and authority. Absalom wanted to take the throne from his father, David, and be king himself. The first thing Absalom did was to keep “stealing the hearts of the men of Israel.” He pretended to love the people, and he made them false promises. He showed affection for them by hugging and kissing them, pretending to be interested in them and their needs. (2 Samuel 15:2-6) Absalom was even able to get David’s trusted friend Ahithophel to betray David and join the rebellion. (2 Samuel 15:31) In Psalms 3 and 55, David wrote about how such disloyalty hurt him. (Psalm 3:1-8; read Psalm 55:12-14.) Absalom’s evil plan was against Jehovah’s appointed king. This betrayal showed that he ignored God’s right to choose who would be king. (1 Chronicles 28:5) Absalom’s rebellion failed, and David continued to rule as Jehovah’s anointed king.

6. How did Judas betray Jesus? How is the name Judas used today?

⁶ Now think about what the traitor Judas Iscariot did to the Christ. At the last Passover that Jesus celebrated with his 12 apostles, he told them: “Truly I say to you, One of you will betray me.” (Matthew 26:21) Later that night, Jesus announced to Peter, James, and John in the garden of Gethsemane: “Look! My betrayer has drawn near.” At that very moment, Judas came to the garden with a crowd, “and going straight up to Jesus he said: ‘Good day, Rabbi!’ and kissed him very tenderly.” (Matthew 26:46-50; Luke 22:47, 52) Judas “betrayed righteous blood” when he gave Jesus into the hands of those who wanted to kill him. And for how much money did greedy Judas betray Jesus? For only 30 pieces of silver! (Matthew 27:3-5) Ever since then, people use the name Judas to describe someone as a traitor, especially someone who betrays his friend.b​—See footnote.

7. What lessons have we learned from the lives of (a) Absalom and Judas and (b) Delilah?

⁷ What have we learned from these warning examples? Absalom and Judas both died in shame because they became traitors against the anointed of Jehovah. (2 Samuel 18:9, 14-17; Acts 1:18-20) Whenever people hear Delilah’s name, they think of how she was disloyal and pretended to love someone. (Psalm 119:158) It is important that we reject greed or any wrong desire toward seeking authority, which would cause us to lose Jehovah’s friendship! These are powerful lessons to help us reject anything that could make us disloyal.

IMITATE THOSE WHO WERE LOYAL

8, 9. (a) Why did Jonathan promise to be loyal to David? (b) How can we imitate Jonathan?

⁸ The Bible also has many examples of people who were loyal. We will discuss what we can learn from two of them. We will start with a man who showed his loyalty to David. Jonathan, King Saul’s eldest son, would probably have been the next king of Israel. But Jehovah chose David instead. Jonathan respected God’s decision and was not jealous of David. Jonathan’s “soul became bound up with the soul of David,” and Jonathan promised to be loyal to him. He even showed David royal honor when he gave him his clothes, sword, bow, and belt. (1 Samuel 18:1-4) Jonathan did all he could to support David. He even put his own life in danger when he protected David from Saul. Jonathan was loyal and told David: “You yourself will be king over Israel, and I myself shall become second to you.” (1 Samuel 20:30-34; 23:16, 17) It is not surprising that after Jonathan’s death, David expressed his sadness and his love for him in a song.​—2 Samuel 1:17, 26.

⁹ Jonathan knew whom he should be loyal to. He was completely loyal to the Sovereign, Jehovah, and he supported David as the anointed of God. It is similar for us today. Even if we have not been given a special responsibility in the congregation, we should be willing to support the brothers who have been appointed to take the lead among us.​—1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13; Hebrews 13:17, 24.

10, 11. (a) Why did Peter stay with Jesus and remain loyal? (b) How can we imitate Peter? What should that encourage us to do?

¹⁰ The other good example we can learn from is the apostle Peter, who promised to be loyal to Jesus. Christ used an illustration to help his disciples understand how important it would be for them to have faith in his body and blood that would soon be sacrificed. The illustration was not literal, but many of his disciples found it shocking, and they left him. (John 6:53-60, 66) So Jesus asked his 12 apostles: “You do not want to go also, do you?” It was Peter who answered: “Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life; and we have believed and come to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-69) Did this mean that Peter completely understood everything Jesus had just said about the sacrifice that Jesus himself would make? Probably not. But Peter made a decision to be loyal to God’s anointed Son, Jesus.

¹¹ Peter did not think that Jesus must have had the wrong idea and that Jesus would later realize this and change what He had said. Peter was humble, and he knew that Jesus had “sayings of everlasting life.” It is similar for us today. How do we react when we read something in our Christian publications from “the faithful steward” that is hard to understand or that is different from the way we think personally? We should try hard to understand it. We should not just wait and expect a change that agrees with our personal thinking.​—Read Luke 12:42.

STAY LOYAL TO YOUR MARRIAGE MATE

12, 13. Why might a person betray his marriage mate? Why is a person’s age not an excuse for that to happen?

¹² To betray someone in any way is a wicked act. Betrayal must not be allowed to affect the peace and unity of Christian families and the congregation. Let us learn how we can strengthen our loyalty to our marriage mate and to our God.

¹³ Adultery is one of the most hurtful kinds of betrayal. A person who has been unfaithful to his marriage mate has broken his loyalty and has given his attention and affection to another person. The mate who has been betrayed is suddenly alone. His or her life has completely changed, as if it has been turned upside down. How does that happen to two people who once loved each other? Often it begins when marriage mates lose interest in each other’s feelings. Professor of Sociology Gabriella Turnaturi explains that a betrayal could happen because a couple stop doing everything they can to strengthen their relationship. This can even happen to older couples who have been married for a long time. For example, a 50-year-old man who had been married for 25 years divorced his faithful wife so that he could be with another woman to whom he was attracted. Some say that this is normal conduct for someone his age. But age does not excuse this kind of conduct. To be unfaithful to a mate is not normal. It is betrayal.c​—See footnote.

14. (a) How does Jehovah feel about those who are disloyal to their marriage mates? (b) What did Jesus say about disloyalty in a marriage?

¹⁴ How does Jehovah feel about those who leave their mates without a Scriptural reason? Our God hates divorce, and he has used strong words against those who treat their marriage mates badly and abandon them. (Read Malachi 2:13-16.) Jesus feels the same way as his Father about disloyalty in a marriage. He taught that a person cannot reject or abandon his mate and act as if nothing has happened.​—Read Matthew 19:3-6, 9.

15. How can those who are married strengthen their loyalty to their mates?

¹⁵ How can those who are married strengthen their loyalty to their marriage mates? God’s Word says: “Rejoice with the wife [or husband] of your youth” and, “See life with the wife [or husband] whom you love.” (Proverbs 5:18; Ecclesiastes 9:9) As both mates grow older, they must do everything they can to keep their relationship strong, both physically and emotionally. What does this mean? A couple need to stay close to each other by being kind, taking care of each other’s needs, and spending time with each other. They have to work hard to protect their marriage and their relationship with Jehovah. To do this, couples need to study the Bible together, regularly work in the ministry together, and pray together for Jehovah’s blessing.

STAY LOYAL TO JEHOVAH

16, 17. (a) How might our loyalty to God be tested in the family and in the congregation? (b) What example shows that good results can come when we obey God’s command not to associate with disfellowshipped relatives?

¹⁶ There are those in the congregation who committed serious sins and were disciplined “with severity, that they may be healthy in the faith.” (Titus 1:13) Because of their conduct, some had to be disfellowshipped. For “those who have been trained by it,” the discipline has helped them to repair their relationship with God. (Hebrews 12:11) What if we have a relative or a close friend who is disfellowshipped? What we do in this situation is a test of whether we are loyal to that person or to God. Our loyalty should be to Jehovah. He is watching us to see whether we follow his command not to have association with anyone who is disfellowshipped.​—Read 1 Corinthians 5:11-13.

¹⁷ One example shows us the good results that can come when a family remains loyal to Jehovah by following his command not to associate with disfellowshipped relatives. A young man had been disfellowshipped for over ten years. During that time, his father, mother, and four brothers “quit mixing in company” with him. Sometimes he would try to spend time with them, but each member of the family stayed loyal. They did not have any contact with him. After he was reinstated, or accepted back into the congregation, he said that he always missed being with his family, especially at night when he was alone. He said that if his family had spent even a little time with him, it would have satisfied his need to be with them. But they did not communicate with him in any way. So the strong desire to be with them was one reason why he wanted to repair his relationship with Jehovah. Remember this example if ever you are tempted to break God’s command not to associate with your disfellowshipped relatives.

18. Now that we have learned about the examples of loyalty and disloyalty, what will you do?

¹⁸ We live in a world where people are disloyal and betray one another. But in the congregation, we have many examples of people who are loyal and whom we can imitate. The way they live shows “how loyal and righteous and unblamable” they are. (1 Thessalonians 2:10) Let us do everything we can to stay loyal to God and to one another.

[Footnotes]

SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

Betrayal: To be disloyal and unfaithful to someone who loves and trusts you

Adultery: A married person has sex with someone he or she is not married to

Disfellowshipped: To be removed from the congregation and no longer be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses

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In real life, disloyalty and betrayal cause pain and suffering

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In the congregation, there are many examples of people who are loyal

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Even though others rejected Jesus, Peter was loyal to Jesus as God’s anointed Son

Maintain a Complete Heart Toward Jehovah

“My son, know the God of your father and serve him with a complete heart.”​—1 CHRONICLES 28:9.

LOOK FOR THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS:

What is the figurative heart?

What is one way we can examine our heart?

How can we serve Jehovah with a complete heart?

1, 2. (a) What part of the body is mentioned figuratively in the Bible more than any other? (b) Why is it important that we understand the meaning of the figurative heart?

THE Bible often mentions parts of the body in a figurative way, that is, to describe something else. For example, Job stated: “There is no violence upon my palms.” King Solomon said: “A report that is good makes the bones fat.” Jehovah told Ezekiel: “Harder than flint, I have made your forehead.” And some told Paul: “You are introducing some things that are strange to our ears.”​—Job 16:17; Proverbs 15:30; Ezekiel 3:9; Acts 17:20.

² One part of the body is mentioned figuratively in the Bible more than any other. It is the heart. Faithful Hannah mentioned it in a prayer. She said: “My heart does exult in Jehovah.” (1 Samuel 2:1) Bible writers mention the heart almost a thousand times, mostly in a figurative way. It is very important that we understand the meaning of the figurative heart because the Bible tells us that we need to protect it.​—Read Proverbs 4:23.

THE FIGURATIVE HEART​—WHAT IS IT?

3. How are we able to know the meaning of the figurative heart in the Bible? Give an example.

³ Even though the Bible does not give us a definition of the figurative heart, we are still able to know what it is. How? As an example, think of a very beautiful picture that is made of a thousand small stones closely set together. To see what pattern is formed by all the stones, we have to step back and look at the whole picture. In the same way, we need to look at the many places where the word “heart” is used in the Bible so that we can understand what it means. So, what is the figurative heart?

4. (a) What does the word “heart” mean in the Bible? (b) What is the meaning of Matthew 22:37?

⁴ Bible writers use the word “heart” to describe the entire person we are inside. It includes our desires, thoughts, personality, attitudes, abilities, motivations, and goals. (Read Deuteronomy 15:7; Proverbs 16:9; Acts 2:26.) But there are times when the word “heart” does not mean all these things. For example, Jesus said: “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.” (Matthew 22:37) Here, the word “heart” refers to a person’s true emotions, desires, and feelings. Jesus mentioned heart, soul, and mind separately because he wanted to emphasize that we must show our love for God in our feelings as well as by the way we live our life and use our mind. (John 17:3; Ephesians 6:6) But when the word “heart” is mentioned by itself, it means the entire person we are inside.

WHY WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR HEART

5. Why do we want to do our best to serve Jehovah with a complete heart?

⁵ King David reminded Solomon: “My son, know the God of your father and serve him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul; for all hearts Jehovah is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts he is discerning.” (1 Chronicles 28:9) Jehovah examines all hearts, including ours. (Proverbs 17:3; 21:2) We can be friends with Jehovah and have a happy future only if Jehovah likes what he finds in our heart. So we want to follow David’s advice by doing our best to serve Jehovah “with a complete heart,” that is, with all our heart.

6. What should we realize about our determination to serve Jehovah?

⁶ We are already showing by the zealous work we do as Jehovah’s Witnesses that we want to serve God with a complete heart. But we realize that Satan’s wicked world and our sinful tendencies can have a powerful influence on us and can weaken our determination to serve Jehovah with all our heart. (Jeremiah 17:9; Ephesians 2:2) To make sure that this does not happen, we must regularly examine our heart. How can we do that?

7. What shows what our heart is really like?

⁷ No human can see what we are inside, just as no one can see the center, or heart, of a tree. Still, as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, just as the fruit of a tree shows whether the tree is healthy inside or not, so our actions show what our heart is really like. (Matthew 7:17-20) Let us consider one of these actions.

ONE WAY WE CAN EXAMINE OUR HEART

8. According to Matthew 6:33, how do we show what is in our heart?

⁸ In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also told his listeners what they should do to show their desire to serve Jehovah with a complete heart. He said: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) We show what we are desiring, thinking, and planning in our heart by what we put first in our life. So one way to know if we are serving God with a complete heart is to think carefully about what is most important in our life.

9. What did Jesus invite some men to do? What did their reaction show?

⁹ Let us consider a situation that happened soon after Jesus told his followers to keep seeking first the Kingdom. This situation shows that it is possible to know what a person feels in his heart by what he puts first in his life. Luke tells us that Jesus firmly decided to go to Jerusalem even though he knew what he would suffer there later. While he and his apostles were on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus met some men and invited them to be his followers. Those men were willing to accept his invitation, but they wanted to do some other things first. One man replied: “Permit me first to leave and bury my father.” Another said: “I will follow you, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those in my household.” (Luke 9:51, 57-61) We can certainly see a great difference between Jesus’ firm decision to do God’s will and the weak reaction of those men to Jesus’ invitation. They put their own desires first, and this showed that they were not willing to serve God with a complete heart.

10. (a) How have we reacted to Jesus’ invitation to be his followers? (b) What illustration did Jesus give?

¹⁰ Our reaction was different from that of those men. We have accepted Jesus’ invitation to be his followers and are now serving Jehovah every day. In this way, we show how we feel in our heart about Jehovah. But even though we are busy serving Jehovah, we need to remember that our heart could still be in danger. What is it in danger of? We learn the answer from what Jesus said to those he had invited to be his disciples. He warned them: “No man that has put his hand to a plow and looks at the things behind is well fitted for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) What is the lesson in this illustration?

DO WE “CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD”?

11. In Jesus’ illustration, what happened to the work of the man plowing a field? Why did this happen?

¹¹ Let us add more details to Jesus’ illustration so that we can better understand the lesson in it. A worker is busy plowing a field. But while he is plowing, he cannot stop thinking about his home. Back home he could be with his family and friends and enjoy food, music, laughter, and shade. He wants these things very much. After plowing for quite a while, the worker’s desire for those pleasant things in life becomes so strong that he turns around to look at “the things behind.” Even though there is still much work to do before the field is planted, the worker is distracted and does not do his work well. Of course, the master is disappointed because his worker did not endure.

12. How could a Christian today be in the same situation as the worker in Jesus’ illustration?

¹² Now consider how a similar situation could happen today. The worker could be any Christian who seems to be doing well but whose heart is in danger. For example, let us imagine a brother who attends meetings and participates in the ministry. But at the same time, he cannot stop thinking about some things of this world that he likes. In his heart, he wants them very much. After the brother serves God for several years, his desire for some of the things in this world becomes so strong that he turns back and looks at “the things behind.” Even though there is still much work to do in the ministry, he becomes distracted and does not serve God as well as he did before. (Philippians 2:16) Jehovah, “the Master of the harvest,” is sad when one of his workers stops enduring.​—Luke 10:2.

13. What does it mean to serve Jehovah with a complete heart?

¹³ The lesson for us is very clear. To serve Jehovah with a complete heart means more than being regular at our congregation meetings and in the ministry. (2 Chronicles 25:1, 2, 27) If in his heart a Christian continues to love “the things behind,” that is, things that are part of this world’s way of life, his friendship with Jehovah would be in danger. (Luke 17:32) So to serve God with a complete heart, we must “abhor what is wicked” and “cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9; Luke 9:62) Even if some things in Satan’s world seem useful or pleasant, we must make sure that nothing stops us from serving God with our whole heart.​—2 Corinthians 11:14; read Philippians 3:13, 14.

STAY ALERT!

14, 15. (a) How is Satan trying to weaken our zeal for Jehovah’s service? (b) Illustrate how Satan tries to deceive us.

¹⁴ Our love for Jehovah motivated us to dedicate our life to him. Since then, many of us have proved for a long time that we are determined to serve Jehovah with a complete heart. But Satan is still trying to influence us. Our heart is still his target. (Ephesians 6:12) Of course, he knows that we will not stop worshipping Jehovah all of a sudden. So Satan tries to deceive us by using “this system of things” to weaken our zeal little by little. (Read Mark 4:18, 19.) Why does this trick work so well?

¹⁵ An illustration can help us answer this question. Imagine that you are reading a book by a very bright lamp, but then the light bulb burns out. You immediately know what happened because the room is now completely dark. You replace the old bulb with a new one, and the room is bright again. The next evening, you are reading by the same lamp. But what you do not know is that someone replaced the new bulb with one that is just a little weaker. You probably would not notice the difference. And if the next day someone put another bulb in the lamp and this bulb was just a little weaker than the one before, you probably would still not notice it. Why not? Because the lamp’s light is getting weaker so gradually that you do not realize it. In the same way, the influences of Satan’s world may cause our zeal for Jehovah’s service to become weaker little by little. If a Christian is not alert, he will not even notice the gradual change, and Satan will have succeeded.​—Matthew 24:42; 1 Peter 5:8.

WE MUST PRAY

16. How can we protect ourselves against Satan?

¹⁶ How can we protect ourselves against Satan and continue to serve Jehovah with a complete heart? (2 Corinthians 2:11) We must pray. After Paul encouraged Christians to “stand firm against the machinations of the Devil,” he told them to pray “on every occasion” and “with every form of prayer and supplication.”​—Ephesians 6:11, 18; 1 Peter 4:7.

17. What lesson do we learn from Jesus’ prayers?

¹⁷ To stay faithful, we need to imitate Jesus and his desire to serve Jehovah with a complete heart. Luke wrote about the way Jesus prayed on the night before his death: “Getting into an agony he continued praying more earnestly.” (Luke 22:44) Jesus prayed earnestly, or intensely. This was not the first time that Jesus prayed earnestly, but this time he was about to endure the most difficult test of his life on earth. For this reason, he prayed even “more earnestly,” and his prayer was answered. Jesus’ example shows that some prayers can be more intense than others. So the more difficult our trials are and the stronger Satan’s influence becomes, the more earnestly we should pray for Jehovah’s protection.

18. (a) What should we ask ourselves about our prayers? Why? (b) What are some of the things that affect our heart? In what ways? (See box on page 18.)

¹⁸ What will be the results of our earnest prayers? Paul said: “In everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts.” (Philippians 4:6, 7) If we want to serve Jehovah with a complete heart, we must pray intensely and frequently. (Luke 6:12) So ask yourself: ‘How intense are my prayers? How often do I pray?’ (Matthew 7:7; Romans 12:12) Your answers show a lot about how strong your desire to serve God is.

19. What will you do to continue to serve Jehovah with a complete heart?

¹⁹ As we have considered, the things we put first in life can tell us much about our heart. We want to make sure that neither the things we left behind nor the tricks of Satan weaken our firm decision to serve Jehovah with a complete heart. (Read Luke 21:19, 34-36.) Like David, we keep on supplicating Jehovah: “Unify my heart.”​—Psalm 86:11.

SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

Figurative heart: It usually refers to the entire person we are inside. It includes our desires, thoughts, personality, attitudes, abilities, motivations, and goals

To serve Jehovah with a complete heart: To serve Jehovah with the entire person we are inside. This means that we show love and zeal in our service to Jehovah and that we do not allow anything to distract us from serving him

To pray earnestly: To pray intensely from the heart, supplicating, or begging, Jehovah for help

[Blurb on page 17]

What we put first in our life shows if we are serving God with a complete heart

[Blurb on page 19]

If we are not alert, Satan may cause our zeal to weaken little by little

[Blurb on page 20]

The stronger Satan’s influence becomes, the more earnestly we should pray for Jehovah’s protection

[Box on page 18]

THREE THINGS THAT AFFECT OUR HEART

We can do things to keep our figurative heart healthy just as we can do things to keep our physical heart healthy. Let us consider three important things that affect our heart:

1 Food: We need to eat healthy food regularly to keep our physical heart healthy. In the same way, to keep our figurative heart healthy, we need to get spiritual food regularly through personal study, meditation, and meetings.​—Psalm 1:1, 2; Proverbs 15:28; Hebrews 10:24, 25.

2 Exercise: To be healthy, our physical heart at times needs exercise that makes it beat faster. In the same way, we need to exercise our figurative heart by participating zealously in the ministry and by doing more in the ministry if we can.​—Luke 13:24; Philippians 3:12.

3 Environment: The world that we live and work in can be stressful for our physical heart and our figurative heart. But we have relief from stress when we are with our brothers and sisters, who really care about us and who serve Jehovah with a complete heart.​—Psalm 119:63; Proverbs 13:20.

Jehovah Knows How to Deliver His People

“Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial.”​—2 PETER 2:9.

WHY CAN WE TRUST THAT JEHOVAH:

controls when things will happen so that his purpose comes true?

will be ready to use his power to save his people?

knows exactly how things will happen during the great tribulation?

1. What will the world be like during the “great tribulation”?

THE destruction of Satan’s world will begin very suddenly, when people do not expect it. (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 3) During “the great day of Jehovah,” the world will be full of confusion. (Zephaniah 1:14-17) There will be so much suffering and distress that the Bible describes this period as a time of “great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now.”​—Read Matthew 24:21, 22.

2, 3. (a) What will Satan try to do to God’s people during the great tribulation? (b) What can strengthen our confidence in Jehovah’s ability to save his people?

² Ezekiel prophesied about a final attack on God’s people near the end of the great tribulation. It is an attack by “Gog of the land of Magog.” “A numerous military force” will come against God’s people “like clouds to cover the land.” (Ezekiel 38:2, 14-16) No human organization will help Jehovah’s people. They will need to trust in God for salvation. How will Jehovah’s people react when their enemies come to exterminate them?

³ If you are a servant of Jehovah, do you have faith that Jehovah can and will save his people during the great tribulation? The apostle Peter wrote: “Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgment to be cut off.” (2 Peter 2:9) Our confidence in Jehovah’s ability to save his people will become stronger if we meditate on examples of how Jehovah saved his servants in the past. So let us consider three of these examples.

HE SURVIVED THE FLOOD

4. What had to be done before the Flood could come?

⁴ First, consider the account of the Flood in Noah’s time. Certain things had to be done before the Flood could come. A huge ark had to be built, and the animals had to be safely brought inside it. The Genesis account does not say that Jehovah waited until the ark was built before deciding when the Flood would come. Jehovah did not have to worry that the ark might not be ready in time. In fact, God decided when the Flood would start a long time before he told Noah to build the ark. How do we know that?

5. What did Jehovah announce, as written at Genesis 6:3? When did he make this announcement?

⁵ The Bible tells us that Jehovah made a decision and announced it in heaven. According to Genesis 6:3, he said: “My spirit shall not act toward man indefinitely in that he is also flesh. Accordingly his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years.” Jehovah was not talking about how long people live in general. Jehovah was announcing when he would end all wickedness on the earth.a (See footnote.) The Flood began in the year 2370 before Christ. So God must have made this announcement in the year 2490 before Christ. At that time, Noah was 480 years old. (Genesis 7:6) About 20 years after God made that announcement, in the year 2470 before Christ, the first of Noah’s three sons was born. (Genesis 5:32) After Noah’s sons were born, there were about 100 years left before the Flood would come. But Jehovah had still not told Noah about the special work He had for him to do and how it would help to save mankind. How long would God wait before he told Noah?

6. When apparently did Jehovah command Noah to build the ark?

⁶ It seems that Jehovah waited many years after Noah’s sons were born before telling Noah what He was going to do. Why do we think so? The Bible says that Noah’s sons were already grown and married when God commanded Noah to build the ark. Jehovah told him: “I do establish my covenant with you; and you must go into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.” (Genesis 6:9-18) So it is possible that Noah was told to build the ark only 40 or 50 years before the Flood.

7. (a) How did Noah and his family show their faith? (b) When did God finally tell Noah exactly when the Flood would begin?

⁷ While Noah and his family built the ark, they must have wondered about how God would bring the Flood and when the Flood would begin. But even though they did not know any of these details, they showed their faith by continuing to build the ark. The Bible says: “Noah proceeded to do according to all that God had commanded him. He did just so.” (Genesis 6:22) Finally, Jehovah told Noah that the Flood would begin in seven days. This gave Noah and his family just enough time to gather the animals into the ark. So when it began to rain “in the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month,” everything was ready.​—Genesis 7:1-5, 11.

8. How does the account of the Flood help us to be sure that Jehovah will know when to save his people at the end of this system?

⁸ The account of the Flood proves that Jehovah always knows the best time and the best way to save his people. As we get closer to the end of this system of things, we can be sure that all of Jehovah’s purposes will come true at the exact “day and hour” that he has decided.​—Matthew 24:36; read Habakkuk 2:3.

THEY WERE DELIVERED AT THE RED SEA

9, 10. How did Jehovah use his people to lead the Egyptian army into a trap?

⁹ We have learned from the account of the Flood that Jehovah controls when things will happen so that his purpose comes true. The second example that we will consider shows that we can trust Jehovah to use his unlimited power to save his people and to make sure his will is done. Of course, Jehovah is always able to save his people. But sometimes he allows them to be in a dangerous situation in order to trap his enemies. This is what happened when Jehovah freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

¹⁰ About three million Israelites left Egypt. Jehovah had Moses lead them in a way that made Pharaoh think that they were lost and confused. (Read Exodus 14:1-4.) So Pharaoh went after them with his army and trapped them at the Red Sea. There seemed to be no escape for the Israelites. (Exodus 14:5-10) But the Israelites were not in any real danger. Why not? Because Jehovah was ready to save them.

11, 12. (a) How did Jehovah help the Israelites? (b) What was the result of what Jehovah did? What does this teach us about Jehovah?

¹¹ “The pillar of cloud” that led the Israelites moved to the back of them and blocked the Egyptians. The pillar caused darkness for the Egyptians, but it gave light to the Israelites even at night. (Read Exodus 14:19, 20.) Jehovah then divided the sea with a strong east wind, and the bottom of the sea became dry ground. We know that this must have taken a long time because the account says: “At length the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on dry land.” The Israelites moved much slower than the war chariots of the Egyptian army. But it was still impossible for the Egyptians to reach the Israelites because Jehovah was fighting for his people. “He went throwing the camp of the Egyptians into confusion. And he kept taking wheels off their chariots so that they were driving them with difficulty.”​—Exodus 14:21-25.

¹² When all the Israelites were safely on the other side, Jehovah told Moses: “Stretch your hand out over the sea, that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, their war chariots and their cavalrymen.” When the soldiers tried to escape the waters coming toward them, “Jehovah shook the Egyptians off into the midst of the sea.” It was impossible for them to escape. “Not so much as one among them was let remain.” (Exodus 14:26-28) Jehovah showed that he has the power to save his people from any situation.

SOME ESCAPED JERUSALEM’S DESTRUCTION

13. What instructions did Jesus give? What might his followers have wondered?

¹³ The third example we will consider is what happened when Jerusalem was attacked by the Roman army in the first century. This example emphasizes that Jehovah knows exactly how things will happen to fulfill his purpose. Jehovah used Jesus to give instructions to the Christians living in Jerusalem and Judea before the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 after Christ. Jesus said that when they saw “the disgusting thing that causes desolation” standing in “a holy place,” they should “begin fleeing to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15, 16) But how would Jesus’ followers know when this prophecy was being fulfilled?

14. What things happened that made the meaning of Jesus’ instructions clear?

¹⁴ The meaning of Jesus’ words became clear many years after he had spoken them. In the year 66 after Christ, Roman armies led by Cestius Gallus came to Jerusalem to stop a Jewish rebellion. When the Jewish rebels, known as the Zealots, hid inside the temple, Roman soldiers began to destroy the temple wall. Those Christians who remembered Jesus’ instructions knew what all of that meant. They understood that the pagan Roman army carrying its idolatrous flags outside the temple wall was the “disgusting thing” standing in “a holy place.” It was time for Jesus’ followers to “begin fleeing to the mountains.” But how would they get out of a city that was surrounded by enemies? Something unexpected was about to happen.

15, 16. (a) What clear instruction did Jesus give? Why was it very important for his followers to obey it? (b) What will we need to do to be saved?

¹⁵ Surprisingly, Cestius Gallus and his soldiers left Jerusalem and started to return home. The Zealots chased after them. Now that the Romans and the Jewish rebels had left the city, Jesus’ followers had an opportunity to escape. Jesus had clearly told them to leave the city right away and not to take their things with them. (Read Matthew 24:17, 18.) It was very important for them to obey Jesus and leave right away. Why? Because within a few days, the Zealots returned and began forcing the people of Jerusalem and Judea to join their rebellion. Several Jewish groups fought for control, and the situation in the city quickly got worse. It became harder and harder to leave Jerusalem. When the Romans returned in the year 70 after Christ, it became impossible to leave Jerusalem. (Luke 19:43) Anyone who stayed in the city was trapped! But the Christians who obeyed Jesus’ instructions and fled to the mountains were saved. They saw for themselves that Jehovah knows how to save his people. What lesson can we learn from this account?

¹⁶ During the great tribulation, Christians will need to obey instructions from God’s Word and organization. For example, Jesus instructed his followers to “begin fleeing to the mountains.” We too will receive instructions to “begin fleeing” during the great tribulation. How will we flee? We do not exactly know yet.b (See footnote.) But we can be sure that Jehovah will clearly tell us the meaning of that instruction at the right time. We will be saved only if we obey the instructions we receive at that time. So we should ask ourselves: ‘Do I obey instructions that Jehovah gives to his people now? Do I obey right away, or am I slow to obey?’​—James 3:17.

WE ARE STRENGTHENED FOR THE FUTURE

17. What do we learn from Habakkuk’s prophecy about Gog’s attack on God’s people?

¹⁷ Let us now talk more about the attack by Gog that we mentioned at the beginning. Like Ezekiel, the prophet Habakkuk spoke about this time. He said: “I heard, and my belly began to be agitated; at the sound my lips quivered; rottenness began to enter into my bones; and in my situation I was agitated, that I should quietly wait for the day of distress, for his coming up to the people, that he may raid them.” (Habakkuk 3:16) When Habakkuk heard about enemies coming to attack God’s people, he felt sick to his stomach, his lips trembled, and his body got weak. But he was willing to “quietly wait” for Jehovah’s great day. When Gog and his followers come to attack us, we too may become afraid. But we can have the same confidence as Habakkuk did and trust that Jehovah will save his people.​—Habakkuk 3:18, 19.

18. (a) Why should we not be afraid when our enemies come to attack us? (b) What will we consider in the next article?

¹⁸ The three examples that we have considered prove without question that Jehovah knows how to save his people. His purpose will surely come true, and he will defeat his enemies. If we want to be there to celebrate Jehovah’s great victory, we must remain faithful to the end. How does Jehovah help us to keep our integrity now? We will consider this in the next article.

[Footnotes]

SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

Gog of the land of Magog: An expression used in the prophecy we find in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 to refer to Satan the Devil from the time he was cast out of heaven

The great tribulation: The period of time that starts with the destruction of false religion and is followed by the attack on God’s people and the destruction of the rest of this wicked system

[Blurb on page 23]

Jehovah always knows the best time and the best way to save his people

[Blurb on page 24]

Jehovah has the power to save his people from any situation

[Blurb on page 26]

We will be saved only if we obey instructions from God’s Word and organization

[Picture on page 24]

Why were the Israelites not really in danger from Pharaoh’s army?

[Picture on page 25]

How would the Christians escape Jerusalem?

Jehovah Safeguards Us for Salvation

“You . . . are being safeguarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last period of time.”​—1 PETER 1:4, 5.

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?

How did Jehovah draw us to true worship?

How can we allow Jehovah to guide us with his counsel?

How does Jehovah give us encouragement?

1, 2. (a) Why can we be sure that God will help us to be faithful to the end? (b) How well does Jehovah know each of us?

“HE THAT has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13) Those words of Jesus make it clear that for us to survive the destruction of Satan’s world, we must be faithful to Jehovah to the end. But this does not mean that Jehovah expects us to endure by trusting in our own wisdom or strength. The Bible promises: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) What can we learn from those words?

² Jehovah makes sure that we are not tempted beyond what we can bear. Jehovah can do this because he knows everything about us, including the problems we have, what kind of person we are, and just how much we can endure. Does God really know us that well? Yes. The Scriptures tell us that Jehovah knows everything about each one of us. He knows our daily routine and habits. He even knows what is in our mind and heart.​—Read Psalm 139:1-6.

3, 4. (a) How does the interest that Jehovah showed in David prove that Jehovah pays attention to each one of us? (b) How is Jehovah showing interest in us today?

³ Does Almighty God really have this kind of interest in mere humans? The psalmist David thought about this. He said to Jehovah: “When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have prepared, what is mortal man that you keep him in mind?” (Psalm 8:3, 4) David may have asked this question because of the interest that Jehovah had shown in him. When David, the youngest son of Jesse, was still only a shepherd boy, Jehovah considered him “a man agreeable to his heart” and chose him to become a leader of Israel. (1 Samuel 13:14; 2 Samuel 7:8) The Creator of the universe knew David’s private thoughts and feelings even though David was just a shepherd boy. Imagine how David must have felt when he realized that!

⁴ The interest that Jehovah is showing in us today is also amazing. He is gathering people “of all the nations” who are “desirable” to him to become his worshippers. (Haggai 2:7) He is also helping those who are serving him to stay faithful. How does Jehovah do this? Before we consider the answer to that question, let us talk about how Jehovah draws people to true worship in the first place.

GOD DRAWS US

5. How does Jehovah draw people to his Son? Give an example.

⁵ Jesus said: “No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him.” (John 6:44) Those words show that to become a disciple of Christ, we must have God’s help. We need God to draw us to his Son. How does he do that? He uses the preaching work and his holy spirit. For example, when Paul and his missionary companions were in Philippi, they met a woman named Lydia. The Bible tells us that when they began to preach the good news to her, “Jehovah opened her heart wide to pay attention to the things being spoken by Paul.” God used his spirit to help her understand and accept the message. As a result, Lydia and her family got baptized.​—Acts 16:13-15.

6. How were all of us drawn by God to true worship?

⁶ Did this happen only to Lydia? Absolutely not. If you are a dedicated Christian, you were also drawn by God to true worship. Just as our heavenly Father saw something valuable in the heart of Lydia, he saw something good in you. When you began listening to the good news, Jehovah used his holy spirit to help you understand and accept the message. (1 Corinthians 2:11, 12) When you tried to use in your life what you learned from the Bible, he blessed your efforts. When you dedicated yourself to him, his heart was happy. The truth is that Jehovah helped you when you first started to serve him, and he has continued to help you ever since.

7. How do we know that God will help us to stay faithful?

⁷ Jehovah helped us to start serving him, so we can be sure that he will continue to help us to stay faithful. He knows that just as we did not come into the truth on our own, we will not stay in the truth on our own. The apostle Peter wrote to anointed Christians that they are being “safeguarded by God’s power,” or protected by God’s power, so that they can continue to be faithful to him. (1 Peter 1:4, 5) What Peter said can apply to all Christians. How does Jehovah safeguard us today? We should want to know the answer to this question because we all need God’s help to stay faithful to him.

GOD CAN PREVENT US FROM MAKING A MISTAKE

8. Why could we be in danger of making a serious mistake?

⁸ The problems of life and our own imperfections could prevent us from seeing things the way Jehovah sees them. We would then be in danger of making a serious mistake without even realizing it. (Read Galatians 6:1.) This is what once happened to David.

9, 10. How did Jehovah prevent David from making a serious mistake? What does Jehovah do for us today?

⁹ David showed great self-control while he was being hunted by King Saul. Even when David had an opportunity, he did not try to take revenge against Saul. (1 Samuel 24:2-7) But soon after that, David lost his self-control. He needed food and water for him and his men, so he respectfully asked for the help of another Israelite, named Nabal. Nabal insulted David and refused to help him. This made David so angry that he decided to take revenge on Nabal and all the men in Nabal’s house. David did not stop to think that Jehovah would have judged him guilty of killing innocent people. But Abigail, Nabal’s wife, stopped David from making this terrible mistake. David realized that Jehovah had used Abigail to protect him, so he said to her: “Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me! And blessed be your sensibleness, and blessed be you who have restrained me this day from entering into bloodguilt and having my own hand come to my salvation.”​—1 Samuel 25:9-13, 21, 22, 32, 33.

¹⁰ What lesson can we learn from this account? Jehovah can prevent us from making a serious mistake. Of course, we should not expect that every time we are about to make a serious mistake, Jehovah will send someone to stop us. We also never know exactly how God will act in certain situations or what he will allow to happen to fulfill his purpose. (Ecclesiastes 11:5) But we can be sure that Jehovah always knows our situation and will help us to continue to be faithful to him. He promises us: “I shall make you have insight and instruct you in the way you should go. I will give advice with my eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8) How does Jehovah give us advice? How can we benefit from it? And why can we be sure that Jehovah is leading his people today? Note how those questions are answered in the book of Revelation.

COUNSEL PROTECTS US

11. How well does Jehovah know what is happening in the congregations of his people?

¹¹ In the vision recorded in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, the King Jesus Christ sees what is happening in the seven congregations of Asia Minor. Christ sees more than just the general situation in these congregations. In this vision, he mentions specific things that were happening and even mentions specific people. He also gives the congregations the commendation or counsel that each of them needs. What does this vision mean for us? The seven congregations represent the anointed Christians after 1914. And even though the counsel that Christ gave was mainly to the anointed, all the congregations of God’s people on earth today can benefit from it. So we can say that Jehovah is using his Son to guide His people today. How do we allow Jehovah to guide us?

12. How can we allow Jehovah to guide us?

¹² One way we allow Jehovah to guide us is by doing personal study. Jehovah gives us an abundance of counsel through the publications of the faithful and discreet slave. (Matthew 24:45) But if we want to benefit from this counsel, we must take time to study it and then use what we learn in our life. When we do personal study, we allow Jehovah to protect us from doing something wrong. (Jude 24) Have you ever studied something in our publications and thought, ‘This was written just for me’? You should accept this as correction from Jehovah. Just as a friend might tap us on the shoulder to get our attention, Jehovah can use his spirit to help us realize that there is something in our conduct or personality that we need to improve. When we accept the direction of the holy spirit, we allow Jehovah to guide us. (Read Psalm 139:23, 24.) Let us talk more about how much time and effort we put into our study.

13. Why would it be wise for us to think about how much time and effort we put into our study?

¹³ If we spend too much time on entertainment, we will not have enough time for personal study. One brother said that it is very easy to let this happen. Why? He explained: “Entertainment is more available now than ever before, and it is less expensive than ever before. It is available on TV, on the computer, and on the phone. We are surrounded by it.” If we are not careful, we could start using more and more of our time on entertainment until there is no time left for deep personal study. (Ephesians 5:15-17) Each of us should ask: ‘How often do I spend time studying the deeper things of God’s Word? Is it only when I have a talk or a meeting part to prepare?’ Perhaps we could better use our personal study time as well as our Family Worship evening to do deeper study and search the Bible for the wisdom of Jehovah, just as we would search for treasure. This wisdom can protect us and help us to stay faithful to the end.​—Proverbs 2:1-5.

ENCOURAGEMENT HELPS US TO ENDURE

14. How do the Scriptures show that Jehovah pays attention to our feelings?

¹⁴ David suffered many sad and stressful situations in his life. (1 Samuel 30:3-6) The Bible shows that Jehovah knew David’s feelings. (Read Psalm 34:18; 56:8.) God also knows our feelings. It comforts us to remember that God knows when we are “broken at heart” or “crushed in spirit.” This fact comforted David, who sang: “I will be joyful and rejoice in your loving-kindness, in that you have seen my affliction; you have known about the distresses of my soul.” (Psalm 31:7) But Jehovah does more than just notice our distress. He helps us to endure by giving us comfort and encouragement. One way he does this is by means of Christian meetings.

15. What lesson can we learn from Asaph’s experience?

¹⁵ Asaph’s experience helps us to understand why it is good for us to be at the meetings. Asaph kept thinking about how the righteous suffered, while the wicked seemed to be successful, and that discouraged him. He began to think that there was no value in serving Jehovah. He described his feelings this way: “My heart was soured and in my kidneys I was sharply pained.” As a result, he almost stopped serving Jehovah. What helped Asaph to correct his thinking? He said: “I proceeded to come into the grand sanctuary of God.” He was able to correct his attitude by associating with others who worshipped Jehovah. Asaph realized that the success of the wicked was only temporary and that Jehovah would make sure that justice was done. (Psalm 73:2, 13-22) We may sometimes feel like Asaph. The injustices that we see in Satan’s world can make us feel stressed and discouraged. But when we meet together with our brothers and sisters, we get the strength and help we need to keep serving Jehovah with joy.

16. How can the example of Hannah help us?

¹⁶ But what if a situation in the congregation makes it difficult for you to attend meetings? Perhaps you have had to give up a responsibility in the congregation and feel embarrassed. Or perhaps you have had a disagreement with a brother or a sister. If you are in one of these situations, the example of Hannah may help you. (Read 1 Samuel 1:4-8.) Her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, would often make Hannah extremely upset. This situation became especially hard for Hannah each year when the family went to offer sacrifices to Jehovah at Shiloh. She was so distressed that “she would weep and not eat.” But Hannah did not stop going to the place where she could worship Jehovah God. Jehovah valued her faithfulness and blessed her.​—1 Samuel 1:11, 20.

17, 18. (a) In what ways do we receive encouragement at the meetings? (b) How do you feel about the loving care that Jehovah gives you?

¹⁷ Christians today should imitate Hannah’s example by regularly being at the meetings. Our meetings give us the encouragement we need. We all have been encouraged by them. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) At the meetings, we feel the love of the brothers and sisters, and that comforts us. For example, something we hear in a talk or comment may touch our heart. A brother or a sister may kindly listen to us or say something that makes us feel better. (Proverbs 15:23; 17:17) And when we join in singing songs to Jehovah, we feel encouraged and cheerful again. We especially need the encouragement that we receive at the meetings when we have thoughts that trouble us. It is at the meetings that Jehovah’s “own consolations” help us to endure and continue to be faithful.​—Psalm 94:18, 19.

¹⁸ God’s loving care makes us feel as secure as the psalmist Asaph felt when he sang to Jehovah: “You have taken hold of my right hand. With your counsel you will lead me.” (Psalm 73:23, 24) We are so grateful to Jehovah for the protection and help he gives us to endure to the end!

SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

Safeguard: Protect. Jehovah safeguards us for salvation by protecting us so that we can endure to the end and not become unfaithful

Draw: Gently attract. Jehovah draws sincere people to true worship by means of the preaching work and his holy spirit

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Jehovah helped you when you first started to serve him, and he has helped you ever since

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You too were drawn by God to true worship

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We are protected if we allow God’s counsel to guide us

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Encouragement helps us to endure