1, 2. What challenge did Jephthah and his daughter face?

A YOUNG woman ran to meet her father. She was very happy to see him come back safely from fighting a battle. His great victory made her sing and dance with joy. But what her father next did and said must have surprised her. He ripped his clothes apart and cried out: “Oh no, my daughter! You have broken my heart.” He then told her that he had made a promise to Jehovah that would forever change her life. His promise meant that she would never be able to marry or have any children. But immediately she made a beautiful reply, encouraging her father to keep his promise to Jehovah. Her answer showed that she fully trusted that whatever Jehovah asked from her would be good. (Judges 11:34-37) When her father saw her faith, he was very proud of her because he knew that her willingness would make Jehovah happy.

² Jephthah and his daughter fully trusted in Jehovah and his way of doing things. They were faithful, even when it was not so easy for them. They wanted to have Jehovah’s approval, and that was worth any sacrifice.

3. Why can the example of Jephthah and his daughter be helpful for us today?

³ It is not always easy to stay faithful to Jehovah. We need to “put up a hard fight for the faith.” (Jude 3) To help us do so, let us learn how Jephthah and his daughter endured challenges in their lives. How did they stay faithful to Jehovah?

STAYING FAITHFUL DESPITE WORLDLY INFLUENCES

4, 5. (a) What command did Jehovah give the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land? (b) According to Psalm 106, what happened to the Israelites because of their disobedience?

⁴ Every day, Jephthah and his daughter would have been reminded of the results of the Israelites’ disobedience to Jehovah. Nearly 300 years earlier, Jehovah had commanded the Israelites to kill all false worshippers in the Promised Land, but they did not obey. (Deuteronomy 7:1-4) Many of the Israelites started to imitate the Canaanites, who worshipped false gods and lived immoral lives.​—Read Psalm 106:34-39.

⁵ Because of the Israelites’ disobedience, Jehovah did not protect them from their enemies. (Judges 2:1-3, 11-15; Psalm 106:40-43) It must have been very hard for families who loved Jehovah to stay faithful during those difficult years. However, the Bible mentions that there were faithful ones, such as Jephthah and his daughter as well as Elkanah, Hannah, and Samuel. They were determined to make Jehovah happy.​—1 Samuel 1:20-28; 2:26.

6. What worldly influences exist today, and what must we do?

⁶ In our time, people think and act like the Canaanites. Their lives are focused on sex, violence, and money. But Jehovah gives us clear warnings. He wants to protect us just as he wanted to protect the Israelites from such bad influences. Will we learn from their mistakes? (1 Corinthians 10:6-11) We must do all we can to avoid the world’s thinking. (Romans 12:2) Will we try our best to do so?

JEPHTHAH REMAINED FAITHFUL DESPITE DISAPPOINTMENTS

7. (a) What did Jephthah’s own people do to him? (b) How did Jephthah react?

⁷ In Jephthah’s day, the Israelites were oppressed by both the Philistines and the Ammonites because the Israelites had disobeyed Jehovah. (Judges 10:7, 8) In addition to the enemy nations, Jephthah also had challenges with his own brothers and the leaders of Israel. Because his brothers were jealous and hated him, they forced him to leave the land that legally belonged to him. (Judges 11:1-3) Jephthah refused to allow their cruel behavior to affect his attitude. How do we know that? Because when the elders of the nation begged him to help them, he did so right away. (Judges 11:4-11) What may have motivated Jephthah to react the way he did?

8, 9. (a) What principles in the Mosaic Law may have helped Jephthah? (b) What was of greatest importance to Jephthah?

⁸ Jephthah was a mighty warrior, and he knew Israel’s history and the Mosaic Law very well. The way Jehovah treated His people taught him God’s standards of right and wrong. (Judges 11:12-27) Jephthah used that knowledge in his life when he made decisions. He knew exactly how Jehovah felt about anger and revenge and how God wants His people to love one another. In addition, the Law taught him how to treat others, even those who hated him.​—Read Exodus 23:5; Leviticus 19:17, 18.

⁹ Joseph’s example likely helped Jephthah. He must have learned how Joseph showed his brothers mercy even though they hated him. (Genesis 37:4; 45:4, 5) Thinking about this example may have helped Jephthah to react in a way that pleased Jehovah. What his brothers did really hurt Jephthah. But fighting for Jehovah’s name and his people was more important than Jephthah’s personal feelings. (Judges 11:9) He was determined to be faithful to Jehovah. This attitude resulted in Jehovah’s blessing, both for himself and for the Israelites.​—Hebrews 11:32, 33.

10. How can we allow divine principles to help us act as Christians today?

¹⁰ Will we learn from Jephthah’s example? What will we do if our Christian brothers disappoint us or if we feel that they do not treat us well? We should not allow our hurt feelings to prevent us from serving Jehovah. Never stop going to Christian meetings or spending time with the congregation. Let us imitate Jephthah and obey Jehovah. This will help us overcome difficult situations so that we too can be a good example.​—Romans 12:20, 21; Colossians 3:13.

WILLING SACRIFICES REVEAL OUR FAITH

11, 12. What vow did Jephthah make, and what did this involve?

¹¹ Jephthah knew that he needed God’s help to free Israel from the Ammonites. He promised Jehovah that if He gave him the victory, he would offer as “a burnt offering” to Him the first person who came out of his house when he returned from the battle. (Judges 11:30, 31) What did that mean?

¹² Jehovah hates the sacrificing of humans, so we know that Jephthah was not going to make a literal sacrifice. (Deuteronomy 18:9, 10) Under the Mosaic Law, a burnt offering was a special gift that someone gave completely to Jehovah. So Jephthah meant that the person he would give to Jehovah would serve at the tabernacle for the rest of his or her life. Jehovah listened to Jephthah and helped him to win a total victory. (Judges 11:32, 33) But whom would Jephthah give to Jehovah?

13, 14. What do Jephthah’s words recorded at Judges 11:35 reveal about his faith?

¹³ Think about the scene mentioned at the beginning of this article. When Jephthah came back from the battle, the first person who came out to meet him was his beloved daughter, his only child! Would Jephthah be faithful to his promise? Would he give his own daughter to Jehovah to serve at the tabernacle for the rest of her life?

¹⁴ Again, the principles in God’s Law must have helped Jephthah to make the right choice. Maybe he remembered the words of Exodus 23:19, which told God’s people to be willing to give their best to Jehovah. The Law also said that when a person makes a vow to Jehovah, “he must not violate his word. He should do everything he vowed he would do.” (Numbers 30:2) Like faithful Hannah, who probably lived during his time, Jephthah had to keep his promise, even though he knew what it meant for his daughter and himself. Because his daughter would serve at the tabernacle, she would never have children. So there would be no one to inherit Jephthah’s name and land. (Judges 11:34) Even so, Jephthah faithfully said: “I have opened my mouth to Jehovah, and I am unable to turn back.” (Judges 11:35) Jehovah accepted Jephthah’s great sacrifice and blessed him. Would you have been as faithful as Jephthah was?

15. What vow have many of us made, and how can we prove faithful?

¹⁵ When we dedicated our lives to Jehovah, we vowed that we would do his will no matter what. We knew that it would not always be easy to keep that promise. But how do we react when we are asked to do something that we do not like? If we overcome our feelings and willingly obey our God, we prove that we are faithful to our promise. Our sacrifices may be painful, but Jehovah’s blessings are always greater. (Malachi 3:10) But what about Jephthah’s daughter? How did she react to her father’s promise?

16. How did Jephthah’s daughter react to her father’s promise? (See opening picture.)

¹⁶ Jephthah’s vow was different from Hannah’s. She vowed to give her son Samuel to serve at the tabernacle as a Nazirite. (1 Samuel 1:11) A Nazirite was allowed to marry and have a family. But Jephthah’s daughter was given as a complete “burnt offering,” so she would not have the joy of being a wife and a mother. (Judges 11:37-40) Think about it! She could probably have married the best man in the land because her father was the leader in Israel. But now she would become a humble servant at the tabernacle. How did this young woman respond? She showed that Jehovah’s service came first by saying to her father: “Do to me as you have promised.” (Judges 11:36) She sacrificed her natural desires for a husband and children in order to serve Jehovah. How can we imitate her self-sacrificing attitude?

17. (a) How can we imitate the faith of Jephthah and his daughter? (b) How do the words at Hebrews 6:10-12 encourage you to be self-sacrificing?

¹⁷ Thousands of young Christian men and women are willing to sacrifice getting married or are choosing not to have children, at least for now. Why? Because they want to concentrate on serving Jehovah more. Also, many of our older ones sacrifice spending time with their children or grandchildren. Instead, they give their time and energy to Jehovah. Some of them work on construction projects or attend the School for Kingdom Evangelizers and move to a congregation that has a greater need for publishers. Others make plans to increase their service to Jehovah during the Memorial season. He will never forget the loving sacrifices of all these faithful ones. (Read Hebrews 6:10-12.) What about you? Would you be able to make sacrifices to serve Jehovah more fully?

WHAT LESSONS HAVE WE LEARNED?

18, 19. What have we learned from the Bible account about Jephthah and his daughter, and how can we imitate them?

¹⁸ What helped Jephthah overcome his many challenges? He let Jehovah guide his choices in life. He chose not to be influenced by the people around him. And he remained faithful even when others disappointed him. Jehovah blessed Jephthah and his daughter for their willing sacrifices, and He used both of them to promote true worship. Even when others stopped doing the right thing, Jephthah and his daughter remained faithful to Jehovah.

¹⁹ The Bible says: “Be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12) Let us imitate Jephthah and his daughter, knowing that when we remain faithful, Jehovah will bless us.

1, 2. (a) What can we learn from the endurance of Gideon and his 300 men? (See opening picture.) (b) According to Luke 21:19, why is endurance so important?

TRY to imagine the difficult and tiring battle between the Israelite soldiers, led by Judge Gideon, and their enemies. Gideon and his men chased the Midianites and their allies all night long for about 32 kilometers (20 miles)! The Bible tells us what happened next: “Gideon then came to the Jordan and crossed it. He and the 300 men with him were tired.” But they had not yet won the war, and they still had to fight 15,000 soldiers. These enemies had oppressed them for years, so the Israelites could not give up. Therefore, Gideon and his men kept chasing their enemies and finally defeated them!​—Judges 7:22; 8:4, 10, 28.

² We too are fighting a difficult and tiring battle. Our enemies include Satan, his world, and our own imperfections. Some of us have been fighting these enemies for many years. With Jehovah’s help, we have won many battles. However, we have not yet won the final victory. Sometimes we may get tired of fighting. Or we may get tired of waiting for the end of this wicked system. Jesus warned that we would have severe trials and cruel persecution during the last days. But he also said that if we endure, we can win. (Read Luke 21:19.) What is endurance? What will help us to endure? What can we learn from those who have endured? And how can we “let endurance complete its work”?​—James 1:4.

WHAT IS ENDURANCE?

3. What is endurance?

³ In the Bible, endurance means more than simply putting up with, or tolerating, a difficult situation. It involves the way we think and feel about our trials. Endurance helps us to be courageous, faithful, and patient. One reference book says that endurance is a quality that helps us to have strong hope and to avoid giving up when we have trials. It helps us to remain firm and unmovable even during the worst trials. And it allows us to turn those trials into victories and to focus on our goal, not on our pain.

4. Why can we say that endurance is motivated by love?

⁴ Love motivates us to endure. (Read 1 Corinthians 13:4, 7.) In what areas? Love for Jehovah motivates us to endure anything that he allows. (Luke 22:41, 42) Love for our brothers helps us to endure their imperfections. (1 Peter 4:8) Love for our marriage mate helps us to endure “tribulation” that even happily married couples have and helps strengthen our marriage.​—1 Corinthians 7:28.

WHAT WILL HELP YOU TO ENDURE?

5. Why is Jehovah the best one to help us endure?

⁵ Ask Jehovah for strength. Jehovah is “the God who supplies endurance and comfort.” (Romans 15:5) He is the only one who fully understands our situation, our feelings, and our background. So he knows exactly what we need in order to endure. The Bible says: “He satisfies the desire of those who fear him; he hears their cry for help, and he rescues them.” (Psalm 145:19) But how will God answer our prayers for strength to endure?

6. As promised in the Bible, how may Jehovah “make the way out” of trials for us?

⁶ When we ask Jehovah to help us endure, he promises to “make the way out.” (Read 1 Corinthians 10:13.) How does he do that? At times, he may remove the trial. But in most cases, he will give us strength so that we “may endure fully with patience and joy.” (Colossians 1:11) And because he knows our physical, mental, and emotional limits so well, Jehovah will never allow a situation to become so difficult that we cannot remain faithful.

7. Illustrate why we need spiritual food to endure.

⁷ Let spiritual food strengthen your faith. Why is spiritual food important? To illustrate: To climb Mount Everest, a person needs about 6,000 calories a day. That is much more than the average person needs. To endure and reach his goal, a climber must eat as many calories as possible. In a similar way, we need plenty of spiritual food to endure and to reach our goal. We must be determined to spend time in personal study and at our meetings. These activities will give us what we need to keep our faith strong.​—John 6:27.

8, 9. (a) According to Job 2:4, 5, what is involved when we face trials? (b) When you face trials, what invisible scene might you imagine?

⁸ Remember your loyalty to God. When we have trials, there is more involved than our suffering. Our loyalty to God is being tested. How we react to a trial shows whether we view Jehovah as the true Ruler of the universe. How is that so? Satan, an enemy of God who opposes his rule, insulted Jehovah by saying that humans serve God only for selfish reasons. Satan said: “A man will give everything that he has for his life.” Satan then said about Job: “But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike his bone and flesh, and he will surely curse you to your very face.” (Job 2:4, 5) Has Satan changed since he made that claim? Not at all! Many years later, when Satan was thrown out of heaven, he was still accusing God’s faithful servants constantly. (Revelation 12:10) Today, Satan still claims that humans worship God for selfish reasons. He is eager to see us reject God’s right to rule and stop serving Him.

⁹ When you are suffering during a trial, try to imagine this invisible scene. Satan and the demons are on one side. They are watching to see what you will do and claiming that you will give up. On the other side are Jehovah, our King Jesus Christ, the anointed who have been resurrected, and thousands of angels. They also see your struggle, but they are cheering you on! They are happy to see that you are able to endure and remain loyal to Jehovah. And then you hear Jehovah telling you: “Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice, so that I can make a reply to him who taunts me.”​—Proverbs 27:11.

10. How can you imitate Jesus in focusing on the rewards of endurance?

¹⁰ Focus on the rewards. Imagine that you are traveling on a journey. Along the way, you must go through a long tunnel. Everywhere you look, it is dark. But you know that if you keep traveling toward the end of the tunnel, you will again see light. Life can be like that journey. You may have to go through very difficult times, and you may feel overwhelmed by your problems. Even Jesus could have felt that way. When he was being executed on the torture stake, he was humiliated and in a lot of pain. This must have been the most difficult time in his life! What helped him endure? The Bible says that he looked at “the joy that was set before him.” (Hebrews 12:2, 3) Jesus focused on the rewards of his endurance, most important, that he would have a part in sanctifying God’s name and supporting his right to rule. He knew that the trial was temporary and that his reward in heaven would last forever. Today, the trials that you face may be overwhelming and painful, but remember that they are only temporary.

“THOSE WHO HAVE ENDURED”

11. Why should we consider the experiences of “those who have endured”?

¹¹ We do not have to endure alone. To encourage Christians to endure the many trials from Satan, the apostle Peter wrote: “Take your stand against him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers in the world.” (1 Peter 5:9) The experiences of “those who have endured” teach us how to remain faithful, reassure us that we can succeed, and remind us that our loyalty will be rewarded. (James 5:11) Let us consider a few examples.^[1]​—See endnote.

12. What do we learn from the example of the cherubs posted at Eden?

¹² The cherubs are angels of high rank. After Adam and Eve sinned, Jehovah gave some of the cherubs a new assignment on the earth. It was very different from the one they had in heaven. Their example can teach us how to endure when we have a difficult assignment. The Bible says that Jehovah “posted at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubs and the flaming blade of a sword that was turning continuously to guard the way to the tree of life.”^[2] (See endnote.) (Genesis 3:24) The Bible does not say that the cherubs complained or felt that they were too important for their new assignment. They did not get bored or give up. Instead, they stayed in their assignment until their work was done, perhaps at the time of the Flood, over 1,600 years later!

13. How was Job able to endure his trials?

¹³ The faithful man Job. Sometimes you may feel hurt because a friend or a family member said something discouraging. Or maybe you are seriously sick or are suffering because someone you love died. Yet no matter what happens, you can find comfort in the example of Job. (Job 1:18, 19; 2:7, 9; 19:1-3) Job did not know why he was suddenly suffering so many trials, but he never gave up. What helped him endure? First of all, he loved Jehovah and feared displeasing him. (Job 1:1) Job wanted to please God in good times and in bad times. In addition, Jehovah helped Job to see His power by telling him about some of the amazing things He created. This convinced Job even more that Jehovah would end his trials at the right time. (Job 42:1, 2) And that is what happened. “Jehovah removed Job’s tribulation and restored his prosperity. Jehovah gave him double what he had before.” Job lived “a long and satisfying life.”​—Job 42:10, 17.

14. According to 2 Corinthians 1:6, how did the endurance of Paul help others?

¹⁴ The apostle Paul. Are you suffering bitter opposition or even persecution? Are you a congregation elder or a circuit overseer who feels overwhelmed by your many responsibilities? If so, the example of Paul can help you. Paul suffered brutal persecution, and he was always worried about the brothers in the congregations. (2 Corinthians 11:23-29) But Paul never gave up, and his example strengthened others. (Read 2 Corinthians 1:6.) Your endurance can likewise encourage others to endure.

WILL ENDURANCE “COMPLETE ITS WORK” IN YOU?

15, 16. (a) What “work” must endurance complete? (b) Give examples of how we can “let endurance complete its work.”

¹⁵ The disciple James was inspired to write: “Let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything.” (James 1:4) How can endurance complete its “work” in us? When we go through a trial, we may notice that we need to be more patient, appreciative, or loving. As we endure the trial, we will learn to show these qualities even more, and in that way we will improve our Christian personality.

¹⁶ Because endurance can make us better Christians, we would not want to break Jehovah’s law just to end our trial. For example, if you struggle with immoral thoughts, do not give in to temptation! Ask Jehovah to help you reject the wrong thoughts. Do you have a family member who is opposing you? Do not give up! Be determined to continue serving Jehovah. As a result, you will strengthen your confidence in Jehovah. Remember: To have God’s approval, we must endure.​—Romans 5:3-5; James 1:12.

17, 18. (a) Illustrate the importance of enduring to the end. (b) As we get closer to the end, what confidence can we have?

¹⁷ We must endure, not just for a period of time, but to the end. Imagine a ship that is sinking. To survive, the passengers must swim all the way to the shore. The person who gives up when he starts to swim will drown. Similarly, the person who gives up just before he reaches the shore will also drown. If we want to live in the new world, we need to keep enduring. Let us have the same attitude as the apostle Paul, who said: “We do not give up.”​—2 Corinthians 4:1, 16.

¹⁸ Like Paul, we are absolutely convinced that Jehovah will help us endure to the end. Paul wrote: “We are coming off completely victorious through the one who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39) It is true that sometimes we will get tired. But let us imitate Gideon and his men. They got tired, but they did not give up. “They kept up the pursuit”!​—Judges 8:4.

1-3. (a) How have Christians shown that they are eager to meet together? (See opening picture.) (b) What will we discuss in this article?

WHEN Corinna was 17 years old, her mother was arrested and sent far away to a labor camp. Later, Corinna too was taken thousands of miles away from home to Siberia. There she worked on a farm and was treated like a slave. Sometimes she was forced to work outside in the freezing cold without enough clothes to keep her warm. Even so, Corinna and another sister decided that they would do everything they could to leave the farm and go to a congregation meeting.

² Corinna said: “We left our work area in the evening and walked to a railway station 25 kilometers (15 miles) away. The train departed at two o’clock in the morning, and we rode for six hours before disembarking and walking ten kilometers (six miles) to the meeting place.” Corinna was so happy that she had made that journey. She said: “At the meeting, we studied The Watchtower and sang Kingdom songs. It was a very upbuilding and faith-strengthening experience for us.” The two sisters returned to the farm three days later, but the farmer had not even noticed that they were gone.

³ Jehovah’s people have always looked forward to being with one another. For example, the first Christians were eager to meet together to worship Jehovah and learn about him. (Acts 2:42) Of course, you too likely look forward to going to the meetings. But like all your brothers and sisters, you may find it difficult to be at the meetings regularly. Perhaps you need to work many hours or you have a lot to do or you always feel tired. So, what will help us to do everything we can to be at our meetings?^[1] (See endnote.) How can we encourage our Bible students and others to be at our meetings regularly? This article will explain why attending meetings (1) is good for us, (2) helps others, and (3) pleases Jehovah.^[2]​—See endnote.

MEETINGS ARE GOOD FOR US

4. How does meeting together help us to learn about Jehovah?

⁴ Meetings educate us. Every meeting helps us to learn more about Jehovah. For example, most congregations recently studied the book Draw Close to Jehovah at the Congregation Bible Study. How did you feel when we discussed Jehovah’s qualities and when you heard how your brothers feel about him? Surely this made you love Jehovah even more. At the meetings, we also learn more about the Bible by paying attention to talks and demonstrations and by listening carefully when the Bible is read. (Nehemiah 8:8) And think of the many things we discover every week when we prepare for the Bible reading and then hear what others have learned from it.

5. How have meetings helped you to use what you learned from the Bible and to improve the way you preach?

⁵ Meetings teach us to use what we learn from the Bible in our lives. (1 Thessalonians 4:9, 10) For example, have you attended a Watchtower Study that made you want to do more in Jehovah’s service, to improve your prayers, or to forgive a brother or a sister? The meeting we have midweek can teach us how to preach the good news and how to help others understand the truth from the Bible.​—Matthew 28:19, 20.

6. How do our meetings encourage us and help us to keep strong?

⁶ Meetings encourage us. Satan’s world tries to weaken our faith and can make us feel stressed and discouraged. But our meetings encourage us and give us the strength to keep serving Jehovah. (Read Acts 15:30-32.) Often, we discuss how prophecies in the Bible have come true. This can help us feel even more sure that Jehovah’s promises for the future will come true. Our brothers and sisters encourage us not only when they give talks but also when they give comments and praise Jehovah by singing from the heart. (1 Corinthians 14:26) And when we speak to them before and after the meetings, we feel refreshed because we have many friends who really care for us.​—1 Corinthians 16:17, 18.

7. Why is it so important to be at our meetings?

⁷ At the meetings, we receive the help of God’s holy spirit. Jesus uses this holy spirit to lead the congregations. In fact, he told us that we should “hear what the spirit says to the congregations.” (Revelation 2:7) Holy spirit can help us to resist temptation and to preach boldly. It can also help us to make good decisions. That is why we must do all we can to be at our meetings and receive the help of God’s holy spirit.

WE HELP OTHERS AT THE MEETINGS

8. When our brothers see us at the meetings and hear us comment and sing, how does this help them? (See also the box “He Always Leaves Feeling Better.”)

⁸ At the meetings, we have opportunities to show our brothers and sisters that we love them. Many in our congregation are enduring great difficulties. The apostle Paul wrote: “Let us be concerned about one another.” (Hebrews 10:24, 25; footnote) We can show we care about our brothers by meeting together to encourage one another. When we go to the meetings, we show our brothers that we want to be with them and talk with them and that we are interested in how they are feeling. We also encourage them when they hear us comment and sing from our heart.​—Colossians 3:16.

9, 10. (a) Explain how Jesus’ words found at John 10:16 help us to understand why it is important to meet with our brothers. (b) If we are at the meetings regularly, how can we help someone who has been rejected by his family?

⁹ When we go to the meetings, we help the congregation to stay close together. (Read John 10:16.) Jesus compared himself to a shepherd and his followers to a flock of sheep. Think about this: If two sheep are on a hill, two other sheep are in a valley, and one sheep is somewhere else, are those five sheep a flock? No, because a flock of sheep stays together and follows the shepherd. In a similar way, we should not stay away from our brothers by not coming to the meetings. We need to meet together to become part of “one flock” and to follow “one shepherd.”

¹⁰ Our meetings help us to be united as a loving family. (Psalm 133:1) Some in the congregation have been rejected by their close family members, such as their parents or their brothers or sisters. But Jesus promised to give them a family who would love them and look after them. (Mark 10:29, 30) If you attend meetings regularly, you could become like a father, mother, brother, or sister to someone in the congregation. When we think of that, we want to do our best to be at all the meetings.

WE WILL PLEASE JEHOVAH

11. How does attending meetings help us to give Jehovah what he deserves?

¹¹ At the meetings, we give Jehovah what he deserves. Since he is our Creator, we should thank him, honor him, and praise him. (Read Revelation 7:12.) We can do this at the meetings when we pray to Jehovah, sing to him, and speak about him. What a wonderful opportunity we have every week to worship Jehovah!

12. How does Jehovah feel when we obey his command to attend meetings?

¹² Jehovah created us, and we should obey him. He commanded us to keep meeting together, especially as we get closer to the end. So when we obey that command, Jehovah is pleased. (1 John 3:22) He notices that we really want to be at the meetings and values all the effort we make to be there.​—Hebrews 6:10.

13, 14. How do we draw close to Jehovah and Jesus at meetings?

¹³ When we go to the meetings, we show Jehovah that we want to draw closer to him and his Son. At the meetings, we study the Bible and learn from Jehovah what we should do and how we should live. (Isaiah 30:20, 21) Even when some who do not serve Jehovah come to the meetings, they realize that God is guiding us. (1 Corinthians 14:23-25) Jehovah is directing our meetings with his holy spirit, and what we learn there comes from him. So when we go to the meetings, we listen to what Jehovah says, feel how much he loves us, and draw closer to him.

¹⁴ Jesus, the Head of the congregation, said: “Where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20) The Bible also says that Jesus “walks among” the congregations. (Revelation 1:20–2:1) Clearly, Jehovah and Jesus are with us and are strengthening us at our meetings. How do you think Jehovah feels when he sees that you are doing all you can to draw close to him and his Son?

15. How does going to meetings show God that we want to obey him?

¹⁵ When we go to the meetings, we show Jehovah that we want to obey him. Jehovah does not force us to do as he says. (Isaiah 43:23) So when we choose to obey his command to attend meetings, we show him that we love him and that we believe he has the right to tell us what to do. (Romans 6:17) For example, what will we do if our employer expects us to work so much that we cannot be at our meetings regularly? Or maybe the government says that if anyone meets to worship Jehovah, he will have to pay a fine, go to prison, or be punished with something even worse. Or at times we may simply prefer to do something else instead of going to the meetings. In each of these situations, we must decide what we will do. (Acts 5:29) But each time we choose to obey Jehovah, we make him happy.​—Proverbs 27:11.

KEEP MEETING WITH YOUR BROTHERS

16, 17. (a) How do we know that meetings were very important to Christians in the first century? (b) How did Brother George Gangas feel about Christian meetings?

¹⁶ After meeting together on Pentecost of the year 33, Christians met regularly to worship Jehovah. They “continued devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to associating together.” (Acts 2:42) And they did not stop meeting together even when they were persecuted by the Roman government and the Jewish religious leaders. Although it was not easy, they did all they could to continue meeting together.

¹⁷ Today, too, Jehovah’s servants feel very grateful for the meetings and enjoy being there. George Gangas, who was a member of the Governing Body for over 22 years, said: “To me, meeting with the brothers is one of life’s greatest pleasures and a source of encouragement. I love to be at the Kingdom Hall among the first, and leave among the last, if possible. I feel an inward joy when talking with God’s people. When I am among them I feel at home with my family, in a spiritual paradise.” He added: “My innermost thought and desire is to attend the meetings.”

18. How do you feel about our meetings, and what are you determined to do?

¹⁸ Do you also feel that way about worshipping Jehovah? If so, keep doing all you can to be with your brothers at the meetings, even when it is difficult. Show Jehovah that you truly feel like King David, who said: “Jehovah, I love the house where you dwell.”​—Psalm 26:8.

1. How can we obey both God and human governments?

THE Bible teaches us to obey human governments, but it also tells us that we must always obey God. (Acts 5:29; Titus 3:1) How is this possible? Jesus explained a principle that helps us to know whom we should obey. He said that we should pay back “Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.”^[1] (See endnote.) (Matthew 22:21) We pay back “Caesar’s things to Caesar” when we obey the laws of the government, treat government officials with respect, and pay taxes. (Romans 13:7) Yet if the government tells us to do something that God does not want us to do, we refuse to do so, but always in a respectful way.

2. How do we show that we do not take sides in the world’s politics?

² One way we pay back “God’s things to God” is by not taking sides in the political issues of this world. We are neutral in these matters. (Isaiah 2:4) Since Jehovah allows human governments to rule, we do not oppose them. We also do not get involved in any patriotic or nationalistic activity. (Romans 13:1, 2) We do not try to change governments or try to influence politicians, and we do not vote in political elections or become politicians.

3. Why must we remain neutral?

³ There are many reasons why God tells us to be neutral. One reason is that we imitate Jesus, who was “no part of the world.” He never took sides in politics or in wars. (John 6:15; 17:16) Another reason is that we support God’s Kingdom. Because we do not support human governments, we have a clean conscience when we preach that only God’s Kingdom will solve all mankind’s problems. False religions take sides in politics, and this divides people. But because we are neutral, we are united with our brothers and sisters around the world.​—1 Peter 2:17.

4. (a) How do we know that it will become more difficult to remain neutral? (b) Why should we prepare now to remain neutral?

⁴ We may live in a place where people do not expect us to take sides in politics. But the closer we get to the end of Satan’s system, the more difficult it will be for us to remain neutral. People today are already “not open to any agreement” and “headstrong,” and they will become even more divided. (2 Timothy 3:3, 4) Some of our brothers have already been affected by sudden political changes in their country. That is why we need to prepare ourselves now to stay neutral even in a difficult situation. Let us consider four things we can do to prepare.

THINK OF HUMAN GOVERNMENTS THE WAY JEHOVAH DOES

5. What does Jehovah think about human governments?

⁵ One way we can prepare now to remain neutral is to think of human governments the way Jehovah does. Jehovah did not give humans the right to rule over other humans when he created them. (Jeremiah 10:23) He views all humans as one family. But human governments have divided people by claiming that their nation is the best. Even when governments seem to be good, they cannot solve all problems. Also, they have become enemies of God’s Kingdom, which began ruling in 1914. Very soon this Kingdom will remove all human governments.​—Read Psalm 2:2, 7-9.

6. How should we treat those who have authority in the government?

⁶ God allows human governments to exist because they can maintain some peace and order. This helps us to preach the good news about God’s Kingdom. (Romans 13:3, 4) God even tells us to pray about those who have authority so that we can worship him in peace. (1 Timothy 2:1, 2) When we are not treated fairly, we may ask those who have authority in the government for help. That is what Paul did. (Acts 25:11) Although the Bible says that Satan controls human governments, it never says that he controls each individual who has authority in a government. (Luke 4:5, 6) So we should never give anyone the idea that a certain government official is controlled by the Devil. The Bible explains that we should not insult others.​—Titus 3:1, 2.

7. What thinking must we avoid?

⁷ We obey God by not favoring any politician or political group, even when their ideas or opinions could benefit us. At times, this may not be easy for us. For example, imagine that people rebel against a government that has caused much suffering, even for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Of course, you would not join those who are rebelling, but would you think that the rebels are right and hope that they are successful? (Ephesians 2:2) If we want to remain neutral, we should avoid feeling that one side is right or is better than another. This will be evident by what we say and what we do.

BE “CAUTIOUS” YET “INNOCENT”

8. When it is difficult to remain neutral, how can we be “cautious” yet “innocent”?

⁸ A second way to remain neutral is to be “cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves.” (Read Matthew 10:16, 17.) We are “cautious” when we think of difficulties ahead of time. And we remain “innocent” when we stay neutral in those difficult situations. Let us discuss some of those situations and what we can do to remain neutral.

9. What must we be careful of when talking to others?

⁹ Conversations. We must be very careful when people start discussing political issues. For example, when we are talking with someone about God’s Kingdom, we would not say that we agree or disagree with the ideas or opinions of a particular political group or leader. Instead of discussing what humans want to do to solve mankind’s problems, show from the Bible how God’s Kingdom will permanently fix them. If people want to argue about a topic, such as same-sex marriage or abortion, tell them what God’s Word says and how you try to follow it in your life. If someone says that certain laws should be removed or changed, we do not take sides, and we do not insist that the person change his opinion.

10. How can we make sure that we remain neutral when we watch or read anything in the media?

¹⁰ The media. Sometimes a news story is told in a way that strongly supports one side of an issue. This is especially true in countries where the news is controlled by the government. If news organizations or reporters take sides, we must be careful not to start thinking the way they do. For example, ask yourself, ‘Do I enjoy listening to a certain reporter because I agree with what he says about politics?’ To help you remain neutral, avoid watching or reading many reports that take sides in political issues. Instead, try to find reports that do not take sides. And always compare what you hear with “the standard of wholesome words” found in the Bible.​—2 Timothy 1:13.

11. How might it be hard for us to remain neutral when the things we own are very important to us?

¹¹ Materialism. When money and the things we own are very important to us, we may find it hard to stay neutral. After 1970 many Witnesses in Malawi had to give up everything they owned because they refused to join a political group. Sadly, some would not give up their comfortable life. A sister named Ruth remembers, “Some went into exile with us but later joined the political party and returned home because they did not want to put up with the discomforts of life in the refugee camp.” But most of God’s people are not like that. They remain neutral, even if as a result they have less money or lose everything they own.​—Hebrews 10:34.

12, 13. (a) What does Jehovah think about humans? (b) How can we tell if we are becoming too proud of our country?

¹² Pride. It is common for people to be proud and boast about their race, tribe, culture, city, or country. But Jehovah does not think that one person or group of people is better than another. To him, we are all equal. Of course, Jehovah made us all different from one another, and we can enjoy and admire this variety. He does not want us to give up our culture. But he also does not want us to think that we are better than others.​—Romans 10:12.

¹³ We should never be so proud of our country or nation that we think it is better than any other. If we feel that way, it may become very difficult for us to stay neutral. This happened in the first century. Some Hebrew brothers did not treat the Greek widows fairly. (Acts 6:1) How can we tell if we are starting to develop that kind of pride? If a brother or a sister from another place gives you a suggestion, do you immediately think, ‘We do things better here,’ and then reject it? If so, remember this important counsel: “With humility consider others superior to you.”​—Philippians 2:3.

JEHOVAH WILL HELP YOU

14. How can prayer help us, and what Bible example proves this?

¹⁴ A third way to stay neutral is to rely on Jehovah. Pray for holy spirit, which can give you patience and self-control. These qualities will help you if the government does something that is dishonest or unjust. Ask Jehovah for wisdom to recognize a situation that might make it difficult for you to stay neutral. And ask him to help you to do the right thing in that situation. (James 1:5) You may be sent to prison or punished in some other way because of being loyal to Jehovah. If so, pray for courage so that you can explain to others in a clear way why you are neutral. You can be sure that Jehovah will help you to endure.​—Read Acts 4:27-31.

15. How can the Bible help us to remain neutral? (See also the box “God’s Word Strengthened Their Conviction.”)

¹⁵ Jehovah has given us the Bible to strengthen us. Meditate on verses that will help you to remain neutral. Try to learn these verses and remember them, because they will help you if ever you do not have a Bible with you. The Bible can also strengthen your hope in what God says about the future. We need this hope to endure persecution. (Romans 8:25) Choose verses that describe the things you especially wish to enjoy in the new world, and imagine yourself there.

BENEFIT FROM FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF JEHOVAH

16, 17. What can we learn from the examples of God’s faithful servants who remained neutral? (See opening picture.)

¹⁶ A fourth thing that will help us stay neutral is to think about the examples of faithful servants of Jehovah. Many in Bible times had courage, and they made wise decisions that helped them to stay neutral. Think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to worship an image that represented the government of Babylon. (Read Daniel 3:16-18.) This Bible account helps many Witnesses today to be courageous and refuse to worship the flag of the country where they live. Jesus did not get involved with politics or other issues that divide people. He knew that his good example would help his disciples. He said: “Take courage! I have conquered the world.”​—John 16:33.

¹⁷ Many Witnesses in our time have remained neutral. Some of them have been tortured, put in prison, and even killed because they stayed faithful to Jehovah. Their examples can help us to have courage. One brother from Turkey said: “Franz Reiter was a young brother who was executed because he refused to join Hitler’s army. The letter he wrote to his mother the night before he died showed tremendous faith and confidence in Jehovah, and I wanted to follow his example if I faced such a trial.”^[2]​—See endnote.

18, 19. (a) How can the members of your congregation help you to remain neutral? (b) What are you determined to do?

¹⁸ The brothers and sisters in your congregation can help you to stay neutral. Let the elders know if you are in a difficult situation. They can give you good advice from the Bible. Also, if members of the congregation know what your situation is, they can encourage you. Ask them to pray for you. But we too should support our brothers and pray for them. (Matthew 7:12) To find lists of names of brothers who are in prison, see the article on jw.org called “Jehovah’s Witnesses Imprisoned for Their Faith​—By Location,” which can be found under NEWSROOM > LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS. Choose a few names, and ask Jehovah to help these brothers and sisters to be courageous and stay loyal to him.​—Ephesians 6:19, 20.

¹⁹ As we get closer to the end, we can expect governments to put more and more pressure on us to take sides. That is why it is important for us to prepare now to stay neutral in this divided world!

Felisa: I grew up in a humble family in Spain. My family was Catholic, and we were very religious. In fact, 13 of my relatives were priests or worked for the church. My mother’s cousin was a priest and a teacher in a Catholic school. After he died, Pope John Paul II honored him by beatifying him. My father was a metalworker, and my mother worked in the fields. We were eight children, and I was the oldest.

When I was 12, a civil war started in Spain. After the war, my father was sent to prison because the government did not like his political ideas. It was hard for my mother to find enough food for all of us. So she sent my three younger sisters, Araceli, Lauri, and Ramoni, to live with nuns in a convent in the city of Bilbao. There, my sisters would have enough food to eat.

Araceli: At that time I was 14 years old, Lauri was 12, and Ramoni was 10. We missed our family very much. At the convent, our job was cleaning. Two years later, the nuns sent us to a large convent in Zaragoza that cared for older people. We had to work hard cleaning the kitchen, and this made us very tired.

Felisa: When my sisters went to the convent in Zaragoza, my mother and my uncle, who was the local priest, decided to send me there too. They wanted to keep me away from a boy who liked me. I looked forward to spending some time at a convent because I loved God. I went to church every day, and I even wanted to become a Catholic missionary like my cousin in Africa.

But at the convent, I felt that I could not do many of the things I wanted to do. The nuns did not encourage me to serve God in another country, as I had hoped for. So a year later, I went back home and looked after my uncle, the priest. I did housework for him, and we prayed the Rosary together every evening. I also liked to arrange the flowers in the church and dress the images of Mary and the “saints.”

Araceli: While I was in Zaragoza, I took the first vows needed to become a nun. Then the nuns decided to separate my sisters and me. So they sent me to a convent in Madrid and Lauri to a convent in Valencia. Ramoni stayed in Zaragoza. In Madrid, I took my second set of vows to become a nun. Many people, such as students and elderly people, came to stay at the convent. So there was a lot of work to do. I worked in the convent hospital.

I looked forward to my life as a nun. I thought we would spend a lot of time reading the Bible and learning about it. But I was disappointed. No one used the Bible or even talked about God or Jesus. I learned some Latin, studied the lives of Catholic “saints,” and worshipped Mary. But most of the time, we just did hard work.

I started to feel stressed and worried. I felt that I should be earning money to help my family instead of working at the convent to make other people rich. So I talked to the mother superior about this and told her that I wanted to leave. But she locked me in a cell. She thought that this would convince me to stay.

The nuns let me out of the cell, but when they realized that I still wanted to leave the convent, they locked me in the cell again. After doing this three times, they said I could leave if I wrote the following: “I am leaving because I prefer to serve Satan rather than God.” I was shocked. I really wanted to leave, but I would not write those words. Finally, I said I wanted to talk to a priest, and I told him what had happened. He got permission from the bishop to send me back to the convent in Zaragoza. After a few months there, I was allowed to leave. Soon after that, Lauri and Ramoni also left the convent.

A BOOK THAT DIVIDED US

Felisa: Some time later, I got married and went to live in Cantabria, a province in Spain. I still went to church regularly. One Sunday in church, the priest angrily shouted, “Look at this book!” He showed us the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. He said, “If someone has given you a copy, give it to me or throw it away!”

I did not have that book, but I wanted one. Then a few days later, two women came to my house. They were Jehovah’s Witnesses, and they offered me that book. I read it that same night. When the women returned, they asked me if I wanted to study the Bible, and I said yes.

I always wanted to please God. Then I learned the truth about Jehovah, and I began to love him deeply. I wanted to tell everyone about him. In 1973, I got baptized. Whenever I could, I tried to speak to my family about the truth. But my family, and especially my sister Araceli, insisted that what I believed was wrong.

Araceli: Because I was treated so badly at the convent, I felt angry and unhappy with my religion. But I kept going to church on Sundays, and I prayed the Rosary every day. I still wanted to understand the Bible, and I asked God to help me. Then Felisa told me what she had learned. She was so excited about what she believed that I thought she was crazy. I did not agree with what she was saying.

Later, I went back to Madrid for work and then got married. Over the years, I had noticed that people who regularly went to church did not really live by Jesus’ teachings. So I stopped going to church. I no longer believed in “saints” or in hellfire, and I did not think that a priest could forgive sins. I even got rid of all the religious images I had. I did not know whether I was doing the right thing. I felt disappointed, but I kept praying to God: “I want to get to know you. Help me!” I remember that Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked on my door many times, but I never opened it. I did not trust any religion.

My sister Lauri was living in France, and Ramoni was living in Spain. About 1980, they started to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was sure that, like Felisa, they did not realize that they were learning a lot of lies. Later, I met Angelines, one of my neighbors, and we became close friends. She too was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Angelines and her husband asked me many times whether I wanted to study the Bible with them. They realized that although I said I did not care about religion, I really wanted to know about the Bible. Finally, I told them: “All right. I will agree to study with you, but only if I can use my own Bible!” I had the Nácar-Colunga translation of the Bible.

THE BIBLE FINALLY UNITES US

Felisa: When I got baptized in 1973, there were about 70 Witnesses in Santander, which is the capital city of Cantabria. We had to travel far to preach to all the people in the hundreds of villages in the province. So we traveled by bus and later by car to go from village to village.

Over the years, I studied the Bible with many people, and 11 of them got baptized. Most of the people I studied with were Catholic. I needed to be patient with them. Just like me, they needed time to realize that what they believed was wrong. I knew that only the Bible and Jehovah’s holy spirit could help a person change his thinking and understand the truth. (Hebrews 4:12) My husband, Bienvenido, who had been a policeman, got baptized in 1979, and my mother began to study the Bible not long before she died.

Araceli: When I started studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, I felt that I could not trust them. But as time went by, I did not feel that way anymore. The Witnesses not only taught the Bible but also obeyed its teachings. My faith in Jehovah and in the Bible began to grow, and I felt much happier. Some of my neighbors noticed this change and told me, “Araceli, keep going on the way you have chosen!”

I remember praying, “Thank you, Jehovah, for not giving up on me and for giving me so many opportunities to find what I was looking for​—the true knowledge of the Bible.” I also asked my sister Felisa to forgive me for saying unkind things to her. From then on, instead of arguing with each other, we enjoyed talking about the Bible. I got baptized in 1989, when I was 61 years old.

Felisa: I am now 91 years old. My husband has died, and I cannot do as much as I used to. But I still read the Bible every day, and I go to meetings and out in the ministry whenever I can.

Araceli: I like to speak about Jehovah to all the priests and nuns I meet, perhaps because I was a nun. I have had interesting conversations with some of them, and many have taken books and magazines. I especially remember one priest. After I talked to him a few times, he agreed with what I was saying. Then he told me: “But where could I go at my age? What would my parishioners and my family say?” I replied: “And what will God say?” He realized that I was right, and I could see that he was sad. But it seems that he did not have the courage to change.

I will never forget when my husband told me that he wanted to come to a meeting with me. He was over 80 years old when he came to his first meeting, and after that he never missed a meeting. He studied the Bible and started preaching. I have many wonderful memories of us working together in the ministry. He died two months before the day he was going to get baptized.

Felisa: When I started serving Jehovah, my three younger sisters were against me. But later, they too accepted the truth. That was truly one of the best things that has ever happened to me. After that, we could enjoy spending time together talking about our dear God, Jehovah, and his Word! At last, we were all worshipping Jehovah.a

OUR ministry is important and valuable. But not everyone we preach to understands this. Even if people are interested in what the Bible says, they do not always feel that it is necessary to study God’s Word with us.

Take Gavin for example. He was attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall, but he did not want to have a Bible study. Gavin explains that he knew very little about the Bible and did not want others to know this. He was afraid he would be asked to join a religion, and he did not want to be fooled. What do you think? Was it possible to help Gavin? Think about the good effect that Bible teachings can have on a person. Jehovah told the Israelites: “My words will trickle as the dew, as gentle rains upon grass.” (Deuteronomy 31:19, 30; 32:2) Let us learn some things about dew and compare our ministry to it so that we can effectively help “all sorts of people.”​—1 Timothy 2:3, 4.

HOW CAN OUR MINISTRY BE LIKE THE DEW?

Dew is gentle. Dew forms gradually as moisture in the air turns into small drops of water. How did Jehovah’s words “trickle as the dew”? He spoke to his people in a kind, gentle, and caring way. We imitate him when we show respect for what others believe. We encourage them to reason for themselves and make their own decisions. When we show such personal interest, people will be more willing to accept what we say, and our ministry will be more effective.

Dew is refreshing. Our ministry will refresh others when we think of different ways to help them learn more about the truth. A brother named Chris, who first offered Gavin a Bible study, did not try to pressure him to accept it. Instead, he tried to find different ways to make Gavin feel more comfortable with discussing the Bible. Chris told Gavin that there is an important message discussed throughout the Bible and that learning about this message would help him understand the meetings better. Then, Chris explained that Bible prophecy convinced him personally that the Bible is true. As a result, they had many discussions about how prophecies were fulfilled. These conversations refreshed Gavin, and he finally accepted a Bible study.

Dew is vital to life. During the hot, dry season in Israel, it may not rain for several months. Without the moisture that dew provides, plants become dry and die. Jehovah foretold that in our day it would be as if there were a drought, that is, people would be thirsty “for hearing the words of Jehovah.” (Amos 8:11) He promised that anointed ones would be “like dew from Jehovah” as they preached the good news of the Kingdom, supported by the “other sheep.” (Micah 5:7; John 10:16) The message we preach is part of Jehovah’s provision to give life to those who thirst for the truth. Do we value this message?

Dew is a blessing from Jehovah. (Deuteronomy 33:13) Our ministry can be a blessing, or a gift, to those who respond. A Bible study was a blessing for Gavin because it helped him find answers to all his questions. He made quick progress, was baptized, and now enjoys preaching the good news of the Kingdom along with his wife, Joyce.

VALUE YOUR MINISTRY

Comparing our preaching work to dew can also help us to understand that our individual efforts in the ministry are valuable. How so? Individual drops of water help very little, but when there are millions of dewdrops, the ground is filled with moisture. Similarly, what we personally do in the ministry may seem very little to us. But as a result of the combined efforts of millions of Jehovah’s servants, a witness is given “to all the nations.” (Matthew 24:14) Will our ministry be a blessing from Jehovah to others? Yes, our message will be just like the dew, that is, gentle, refreshing, and vital to life!