1, 2. How does Jehovah comfort us in our trials, and what promise do we find in his Word?

A YOUNG single brother had been thinking about 1 Corinthians 7:28, which says that those who marry “will have tribulation in their flesh.” The brother spoke to an older married elder and asked him: “What is this ‘tribulation,’ and how would I deal with it if I marry?” Before answering the question, the elder told the young brother to think about something else that the apostle Paul wrote: Jehovah is “the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our trials,” or tribulations.​—2 Corinthians 1:3, 4.

² We know that Jehovah, our Father, loves us, and he comforts us when we have difficulties. You may remember certain times when Jehovah supported and guided you by means of his Word. We can be sure that he wants the best for us, as he did for his servants in the past.​—Read Jeremiah 29:11, 12.

3. What questions will we answer in this article?

³ Usually, it is easier to endure problems and tribulations when we know what has caused them. So why might we have tribulation in our marriage or in our family? And what examples from Bible times and from our time can help us find the comfort we need? Let us answer these questions and see how we can endure trials.

PROBLEMS IN MARRIAGE

4, 5. What tribulations might a husband and wife have?

⁴ After Jehovah created the first woman, he brought her to the man, and she became his wife. Then Jehovah said: “A man will leave his father and his mother and he will stick to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) Of course, all of us today are imperfect. (Romans 3:23) Because of this, when a man and woman get married, they can expect to have problems. For example, before getting married, a woman likely had to obey her parents. But God’s Word says that after marriage a husband becomes the head of his wife. (1 Corinthians 11:3) At first, the husband may find it difficult to give direction to his wife. And the wife may find it difficult to accept direction from her husband instead of from her parents. Also, when a couple first get married, they may have disagreements with their in-laws, and this too may be a trial.

⁵ Think, too, about how a husband and wife may feel when they find out they are going to have a baby. Although they may be very happy, usually they are also anxious. They may wonder whether the pregnancy will go well, and they may worry about the baby’s health. They also know that their expenses will increase. After the child is born, the couple will need to make other adjustments. The mother may spend most of her time caring for the baby. So the husband and wife may not be able to focus as much on each other as they did before. The father will also have more responsibilities. He has to make sure that his wife and child both have what they need.

6-8. How may a married couple feel if they cannot have children?

⁶ Some married couples have another type of tribulation. They desperately want to have children, but they are not able to. When the wife does not become pregnant, she may feel deep emotional pain. (Proverbs 13:12) In Bible times, it was very important for women to marry and have children. That is why Rachel, Jacob’s wife, felt extremely depressed when she could not get pregnant although her sister did. (Genesis 30:1, 2) In some countries today, many believe that it is very important to have a lot of children. People often ask missionaries living in those countries why they do not have any. Even after the missionaries try to explain the reason as best they can, some still say, “Oh, we will pray for you!”

⁷ Consider another example. A sister in England always wanted to have children. When she realized that she would not be able to have children in this system, she felt devastated. Then she and her husband decided to adopt a child. But she still grieved for some time. She said, “I knew that adoption would not be exactly the same as giving birth to my own child.”

⁸ The Bible says that a woman “will be kept safe through childbearing.” (1 Timothy 2:15) But this does not mean that she will get everlasting life just because she has children. So, what does this verse mean? A mother is very busy caring for her children and home. That can help her avoid such things as gossiping or getting involved in things that do not concern her. (1 Timothy 5:13) Even so, she may still have problems in her marriage and family.

9. What other tribulation may married people have?

⁹ Among the tribulations that some married people may have is the death of their mate. Even though they may have thought that this would never happen to them, many have had to endure this very difficult situation. Christians firmly believe in the promise of the resurrection, and this gives them much comfort. (John 5:28, 29) In his Word, our Father, Jehovah, has made many promises that comfort us during difficult times. Now let us see how some of Jehovah’s servants have felt that comfort and how it has helped them.

COMFORT WHEN WE SUFFER TRIALS

10. How was Hannah comforted? (See opening picture.)

¹⁰ Consider what happened to Hannah, Elkanah’s beloved wife. She wanted to have children but could not. However, her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, had many children. (Read 1 Samuel 1:4-7.) To make matters worse, Peninnah would make fun of Hannah “year after year” because of this. That hurt Hannah very much. What did she do to find comfort? She prayed to Jehovah. Hannah even went to Jehovah’s place of worship and prayed for a long time. She asked Jehovah to give her a son, and she trusted that He would help her. After she finished praying, she felt much better and “her face was no longer downcast.” (1 Samuel 1:12, 17, 18) She knew that Jehovah would either give her a son or comfort her in some other way.

11. How can prayer comfort us?

¹¹ Since we are imperfect and live in Satan’s world, we will continue to have trials. (1 John 5:19) But we have help. We can pray to Jehovah, “the God of all comfort.” That is what Hannah did. She told Jehovah exactly how she felt and begged him for help. In a similar way, when we are suffering, we should do more than simply mention our problems to Jehovah. We need to beg him for help and tell him exactly how we feel.​—Philippians 4:6, 7.

12. What helped Anna to be happy despite her trials?

¹² We may feel deep sadness because we do not have children or because someone we love has died. But we can still find comfort. Consider the example of Anna, who lived in Jesus’ day. After she had been married for only seven years, her husband died. And it seems that she did not have any children. But what helped her? “She was never missing from the temple.” Even when Anna was 84 years old, she was still going to the temple to pray and to worship Jehovah. (Luke 2:37) That is what comforted her and helped her to be happy despite her trials.

13. How can true friends comfort us if our relatives disappoint us?

¹³ We can also find comfort from the true friends we make in the congregation. (Proverbs 18:24) Paula was only five years old when her mother stopped serving Jehovah. Paula was very sad, and things were difficult for her. But then a pioneer sister named Ann encouraged her and took a loving interest in her. “Even though Ann was not related to me, I found her loving concern to be such a help,” Paula explains. “It helped me to keep serving Jehovah.” Since then, Paula’s mother has returned to the congregation, and this makes Paula very happy. Ann too is happy that she could help Paula to continue serving Jehovah.

14. How do we benefit when we comfort others?

¹⁴ When we are busy doing good things for other people, we often forget about our own problems. For example, many sisters, married or unmarried, know that when they share the good news of the Kingdom with others, they are working with Jehovah and are doing his will. This makes them happy. In fact, all of us can show concern for others by sharing the good news with them. And when we do kind things for our brothers and sisters, we draw closer to them. (Philippians 2:4) That is what the apostle Paul did. He cared for others just as “a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.” Paul also comforted and encouraged his brothers “just as a father does his children.”​—Read 1 Thessalonians 2:7, 11, 12.

COMFORT IN THE FAMILY

15. Who have the responsibility to teach young ones about Jehovah?

¹⁵ How can we comfort families in the congregation? At times, new ones might ask us to help them teach their children about Jehovah or even to study the Bible with their young ones. The Bible shows that Jehovah gives parents the responsibility to teach and train their children. (Proverbs 23:22; Ephesians 6:1-4) Although in some cases others may help, it is very important for parents to teach their children themselves. Parents need to talk with their children regularly.

16. What should we remember when we are helping children?

¹⁶ When a parent asks us to study the Bible with his or her child, it is good to remember that we do not have the same authority as the parent. Sometimes we may even study with a child whose parents are not in the truth. When we study with children who are not our own, it would be wise to study in their home when their parents or another mature Witness is around or to study in a public place. In this way, we will not give anyone the wrong impression. And in time, perhaps the parents themselves will be able to teach their children about Jehovah.

17. How can children comfort others in the family?

¹⁷ Young ones who have learned to love Jehovah can comfort and encourage their family members. How so? By respecting their parents and working hard to help them in practical ways. Also, when children stay faithful to Jehovah, this is encouraging to the entire family. Before the Flood, Lamech worshipped Jehovah. He said about his son Noah: “This one will bring us comfort from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that Jehovah has cursed.” That prophecy was fulfilled after the Flood when Jehovah removed the curse from the ground. (Genesis 5:29; 8:21) Today, children who remain faithful to Jehovah can also comfort their family. They can help everyone in the family to endure trials now and in the future.

18. What can help us to endure despite any trials?

¹⁸ Jehovah’s people today are finding comfort through prayer, meditation on Bible examples, and close friendship with their brothers and sisters. (Read Psalm 145:18, 19.) We know that Jehovah is always ready to comfort us, and he will surely help us to endure any trials we may have!

1, 2. (a) What are three precious treasures from Jehovah? (b) What will we consider in this article?

JEHOVAH is the richest Person in the universe. Everything belongs to him. (1 Chronicles 29:11, 12) But Jehovah is very generous to all. How grateful we are that he has shared many spiritual treasures with us! What are some of those treasures? They include (1) God’s Kingdom, (2) our ministry, and (3) the precious truths found in his Word. But if we are not careful, in time we could forget how valuable these treasures are. We need to keep reminding ourselves of their value and deepen our love for them because, as Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there your hearts will be also.”​—Luke 12:34.

² Let us consider how we can keep our love and gratitude for the Kingdom, the ministry, and the truth strong. As we do so, meditate on how you personally can deepen your love for these spiritual treasures.

GOD’S KINGDOM IS LIKE A PRECIOUS PEARL

3. What was the man in Jesus’ story willing to do in order to buy one pearl? (See opening picture.)

³ Read Matthew 13:45, 46. Jesus told a story about a man who was buying and selling pearls. One day, he found a pearl that was more valuable than all the other pearls he had seen before. The man wanted the pearl so much that he sold everything he had to buy it. Can you imagine how precious that pearl was to him?

4. What are we willing to do for the Kingdom?

⁴ What can we learn from Jesus’ story? The truth of God’s Kingdom is like that precious pearl. If we love the Kingdom as much as the man valued the pearl, we will be willing to give up everything in order to become and to remain subjects of the Kingdom. (Read Mark 10:28-30.) Let us see how two people did that.

5. What was Zacchaeus willing to do for the Kingdom?

⁵ Zacchaeus was a tax collector. He had become rich by extorting money from people. (Luke 19:1-9) But one day, Zacchaeus heard Jesus talk about the Kingdom. He liked what he heard so much that he wanted to change completely. He said: “Look! The half of my belongings, Lord, I am giving to the poor, and whatever I extorted from anyone, I am restoring four times over.” Zacchaeus returned the money he had taken from people and stopped being greedy.

6. What changes did one woman make, and why did she do so?

⁶ When one woman heard about the Kingdom some years ago, she was involved in a lesbian relationship. She was also the president of an organization that fought for the rights of homosexuals. But as she studied the Bible and learned about the value of God’s Kingdom, she realized that she needed to make major changes in her life. (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10) Because of her love for Jehovah, she left that organization and ended her lesbian relationship. She got baptized in 2009, and the next year, she became a regular pioneer. She made these big changes because her love for Jehovah was stronger than any improper desires she had.​—Mark 12:29, 30.

7. How can we keep our love for God’s Kingdom strong?

⁷ In order to become subjects of God’s Kingdom, many of us had to change our lives completely. (Romans 12:2) But our fight is not over. We must not let our love for the Kingdom be weakened by anything, such as a love for material things or any immoral sexual desires. (Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 5:27-29) To help us keep our love for God’s Kingdom strong, Jehovah has given us another valuable treasure.

OUR MINISTRY SAVES LIVES

8. (a) Why did the apostle Paul describe our ministry as a “treasure in earthen vessels”? (b) How did Paul show that he loved the ministry?

⁸ Jesus gave us the assignment to preach and teach the good news about God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 28:19, 20) The apostle Paul described the ministry as a treasure carried in earthen vessels, or clay jars. (2 Corinthians 4:7; 1 Timothy 1:12) Because we are imperfect, we are like those clay jars. But the message we preach is like a precious treasure because it can result in everlasting life for us and for those who listen to us. That is why Paul said: “I do all things for the sake of the good news, in order to share it with others.” (1 Corinthians 9:23) Paul worked hard to teach others about God’s Kingdom. (Read Romans 1:14, 15; 2 Timothy 4:2.) Love for the good news helped him to keep preaching despite facing cruel persecution. (1 Thessalonians 2:2) How can we imitate Paul’s love for the ministry?

9. What are some ways we can show that we love the ministry?

⁹ One way Paul showed that he loved the ministry was by using every opportunity to speak to others. Like Paul and the early Christians, we too share the good news with people from house to house, in public places, and wherever else we may find them. (Acts 5:42; 20:20) We look for ways to preach to as many people as possible. If we are able, perhaps we can serve as an auxiliary pioneer or a regular pioneer. Or we may learn another language, move to another area in our own country, or even move to another country.​—Acts 16:9, 10.

10. What benefits did Irene experience because she worked hard to share the good news?

¹⁰ Irene, an unmarried sister in the United States, wanted to share the good news with people who spoke Russian. So in 1993, she joined a Russian group in New York City. At that time, there were only about 20 publishers in that group. After 20 years, Irene said, “I still do not speak Russian perfectly.” Yet, Jehovah has helped her and other publishers to preach to people in that language. As a result, today there are six Russian congregations in New York City. Irene studied the Bible with many people, and 15 of them got baptized. Some of them serve as Bethelites, pioneers, and elders. Irene says, “When I think of other goals I could have pursued, I can’t imagine one that would have brought me more joy.” Irene really treasures her ministry!

11. What are the results when we continue preaching despite persecution?

¹¹ If we treasure our ministry, we will be like the apostle Paul and continue preaching even when we are persecuted. (Acts 14:19-22) For example, between the years 1930 and 1944, our brothers in the United States were severely persecuted. But they still continued to preach. When the authorities tried to stop them, our brothers went to court and won many cases. In 1943, Brother Knorr mentioned one of the victories we won in the U.S. Supreme Court. He said that there would not have been any cases to bring to that Court if the brothers had not continued preaching. He added that because the brothers all over the world kept preaching, they proved that persecution is not successful. Brothers in other countries have also won similar legal cases. Yes, our love for the ministry will not allow persecution to stop us from preaching.

12. What are you determined to do?

¹² When we treasure our ministry, we will not be concerned only about how many hours we write on our report. We will do everything we can to give a “thorough witness to the good news.” (Acts 20:24; 2 Timothy 4:5) But what will we teach to others? Consider another treasure from God.

THE PRECIOUS TRUTHS WE LEARN

13, 14. What is the “treasure store” that Jesus referred to at Matthew 13:52, and how do we fill it?

¹³ A third treasure that Jehovah has given to us is all the truths that we have learned. Jehovah is the Source of truth. (2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 31:5) And as a generous Father, he wants to share these truths with us. So far, we have learned many of these by reading his Word and our publications and by attending our conventions, assemblies, and weekly meetings. As we collect more and more truths, we will have what Jesus called a “treasure store” of truths “both new and old.” (Read Matthew 13:52.) Jehovah will help us to fill our “treasure store” if we search for truths the same way that we would search for hidden treasures. (Read Proverbs 2:4-7.) How do we do that?

¹⁴ We need to study the Bible and our publications regularly and do careful research. This will help us to discover “new” truths, ones we did not know before. (Joshua 1:8, 9; Psalm 1:2, 3) The first issue of the Watch Tower, published in July 1879, compared the truth to a flower hidden among many weeds. In order to find a flower like that, a person must search for it carefully. And when he finds it, he should not be content to have only one. He should continue his search to find more and more flowers. In a similar way, we should not be content when we find only one truth. We should be eager to continue searching for many more truths.

15. Why may we call some truths “old,” and which do you especially value?

¹⁵ When we started studying the Bible, we learned some wonderful truths. We may call them “old” truths because we learned them first. What are some of these truths? In the beginning, we learned that Jehovah is our Creator and that he has a purpose for humans. We also learned that God sent his Son to earth to die as a ransom sacrifice so that we could be free from sin and death. And we learned that God’s Kingdom will end all suffering and that we can live forever on earth in peace and happiness.​—John 3:16; Revelation 4:11; 21:3, 4.

16. What do we need to do when there are adjustments in our understanding of Bible truths?

¹⁶ At times, our understanding of a Bible prophecy or a scripture may be adjusted. When that happens, it is important to take the time to study the adjustment and meditate on it. (Acts 17:11; 1 Timothy 4:15) We not only need to understand the main differences between the old understanding and the new one, but we also need to pay attention to the details of the new understanding. Such a careful study will guarantee that the new truth becomes part of our collection of Bible truths. Why is it good for us to make such efforts?

17, 18. How can holy spirit help us?

¹⁷ Jesus taught that God’s spirit can help us to remember things that we learned in the past. (John 14:25, 26) How can this help us when we preach the good news? Consider the experience of a brother named Peter. In 1970, he was 19 years old and had recently begun serving at Bethel in Britain. Peter was preaching from house to house and met a bearded middle-aged man. He asked the man if he would like to understand the Bible. The man was a Jewish rabbi, and he was shocked that a young man thought he could teach him the Bible. To test Peter, the rabbi asked, “So, my boy, what language was the book of Daniel written in?” Peter said, “Part of it was written in Aramaic.” “The rabbi,” Peter remembers, “was surprised that I knew the answer​—but not as surprised as I was! How did I know the answer? When I went home and checked the Watchtower and Awake! magazines from the previous months, I found an article explaining that Daniel was written in Aramaic.” (Daniel 2:4, footnote) Yes, the holy spirit can help us to remember information that we have read and put in our treasure store in the past.​—Luke 12:11, 12; 21:13-15.

¹⁸ If we love the truths we learn from Jehovah and we are grateful for them, we will want to keep adding them to our treasure store. The more we do this, the more prepared we will feel to teach others.

PROTECT YOUR TREASURES

19. Why must we protect our spiritual treasures?

¹⁹ In this article, we have learned how important it is for us to value spiritual treasures. But we must be very careful that we do not allow Satan and this world to weaken our love for these treasures. If we are not careful, we could become distracted by things such as the promise of a job that pays a lot of money, the dream of living in luxury, or the desire to show off our material things. The apostle John reminds us that this world and all that it offers will soon be gone. (1 John 2:15-17) That is why we must remain grateful for our spiritual treasures and protect them.

20. What are you determined to do to protect your spiritual treasures?

²⁰ Be willing to give up anything that could weaken your love for God’s Kingdom. Be determined to preach with zeal, and never lose your love for the ministry. Keep searching for Bible truths. As you do this, you will build up “treasure in the heavens, where no thief gets near and no moth consumes. For where your treasure is, there your hearts will be also.”​—Luke 12:33, 34.

1, 2. (a) What big issue affects all mankind? (b) Why is this issue important to us?

FOR many people today, money is the big issue. It is what they think about and worry about. They spend their time trying to make more money or keep the money they have. For other people, the most important issue is their family, their health, or the things they want to accomplish in life.

² There is an issue that is much more important than any of these. That issue is the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty. It is very important that we never stop focusing on this issue. If we are not careful, we could become so busy with our daily lives or so worried about our own problems that we forget how important it is. If we support Jehovah’s sovereignty, we will be better able to deal with problems in our daily life, and we will draw closer to Jehovah.

WHY IS THIS ISSUE IMPORTANT?

3. What does Satan claim about God’s rulership?

³ Satan the Devil has raised the question of whether Jehovah has the right to rule. Satan wants humans to think that Jehovah is a corrupt Ruler and that He does not want what is best for us. Satan has implied that people would be much happier if they ruled themselves. (Genesis 3:1-5) He has also implied that no human is really loyal to God and that if life gets to be too difficult, anyone will reject Him as Ruler. (Job 2:4, 5) So Jehovah is allowing time to go by to make it clear to all that life without God as Ruler is miserable.

4. Why must the issue of sovereignty be settled?

⁴ Of course, Jehovah knows that the Devil’s accusations are lies. So why has he allowed time for Satan to try to prove his point? The answer involves everyone, both in heaven and on earth. (Read Psalm 83:18.) Adam and Eve rejected Jehovah’s rulership, and so have many others since then. This could make some think that the Devil is right. As long as the issue remains unsettled in the minds of humans or angels, there cannot be real peace and unity. But after Jehovah’s sovereignty is vindicated, everyone will live under his wonderful rule forever. There will be peace throughout the universe.​—Ephesians 1:9, 10.

5. How are we involved in the issue of sovereignty?

⁵ God’s sovereignty will be vindicated, and rule by Satan and humans will completely fail and be removed. God’s rule through his Messianic Kingdom will succeed. Faithful people will have proved that humans can keep their integrity and loyally support God’s rulership. (Isaiah 45:23, 24) Do we want to be among these faithful ones? Of course! So then, we need to understand how important this issue truly is.

VINDICATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SALVATION

6. How important is the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty?

⁶ The vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty is more important than our personal happiness. But that does not mean that our salvation does not matter or that Jehovah does not really care about us. How do we know this?

7, 8. How will the vindication of God’s sovereignty benefit us?

⁷ Jehovah loves humans very much. In fact, we are so precious to him that he gave his Son so that we could have everlasting life. (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9) If Jehovah did not keep his promises for our future, Satan and other opposers would be right. Satan claims that Jehovah is a liar who keeps good things from humans and rules in an unfair way. Opposers make fun of Jehovah’s promises and say: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are continuing exactly as they were from creation’s beginning.” (2 Peter 3:3, 4) But Jehovah will keep his promises. He has made sure that the vindication of his sovereignty will include salvation for obedient humans. (Read Isaiah 55:10, 11.) Jehovah’s sovereignty is based on love. So we can be sure that he will always love and value his loyal servants.​—Exodus 34:6.

⁸ The fact that Jehovah’s sovereignty is such an important issue does not mean that our salvation is not important to him. Jehovah cares deeply about us. We need to keep in mind what is more important and loyally support Jehovah’s rulership.

HOW JOB CHANGED HIS VIEWPOINT

9. What did Satan say about Job? (See opening picture.)

⁹ It is important that we have the right viewpoint regarding Jehovah’s sovereignty. We can see this from reading the book of Job, one of the first Bible books written. There we read that Satan claimed that if Job suffered greatly, he would reject God. Satan even asked God to make Job suffer. Jehovah would not do that, but he did allow Satan to test Job, saying: “Everything that he has is in your hand.” (Read Job 1:7-12.) Soon after that, Job lost his servants and his possessions. Then he found out that his ten children had tragically died. Satan made it seem that God had caused these tragedies. (Job 1:13-19) Next, Satan made Job very sick with a painful and disgusting illness. (Job 2:7) To make matters worse, Job’s own wife and three false friends all said hurtful and discouraging things to him.​—Job 2:9; 3:11; 16:2.

10. (a) How did Job show his integrity to God? (b) Why did Job need correction?

¹⁰ Was Satan’s claim right? No. Even though Job suffered terrible tragedies, he never rejected Jehovah. (Job 27:5) But, for a while, Job forgot what was really important and thought mostly of himself. He kept saying that he had done nothing wrong. Job also felt that he deserved to know why he was suffering. (Job 7:20; 13:24) We can probably understand Job’s feelings. Yet, Jehovah knew that Job had the wrong viewpoint, and he corrected Job. How did he do this?

11, 12. What did Jehovah help Job to appreciate? How did Job respond?

¹¹ We can read what Jehovah told Job in chapters 38 through 41 of the book of Job. Jehovah did not explain to Job why he was suffering. Instead, Jehovah wanted to help him understand how small he was in comparison with God. He taught Job that there were issues far more important than Job’s own problems. (Read Job 38:18-21.) Jehovah’s words helped Job to adjust his viewpoint.

¹² Was it unkind of Jehovah to speak to Job in this way after all he had suffered? No, and Job himself did not think so. Job understood and valued Jehovah’s counsel. He even said: “I take back what I said, and I repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1-6) Earlier, a young man named Elihu had also helped Job adjust his thinking. (Job 32:5-10) After Job listened to Jehovah’s loving counsel and changed his view, Jehovah let others know that he was pleased with Job’s faithfulness.​—Job 42:7, 8.

13. How could Jehovah’s counsel help Job after his trials had ended?

¹³ Jehovah’s counsel continued to benefit Job even after his trials had ended. “Jehovah blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the beginning.” In time, he “came to have seven more sons and three more daughters.” (Job 42:12-14) Although Job loved these children, he surely missed the ones who had died. And he probably never forgot all the terrible things that had happened to him and his family. Even if Job eventually learned the reason for his trials, he may have wondered why God had allowed him to suffer quite so much. If Job had such thoughts, he could have remembered what Jehovah told him. That would have comforted him and helped him have the right viewpoint.​—Psalm 94:19, footnote.

14. What can we learn from Job’s experience?

¹⁴ Meditating on what happened to Job can help us to adjust our thinking and can comfort us. The book of Job is part of the record that Jehovah had written “for our instruction, so that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) It teaches us that we should not think so much about our own problems that we stop thinking about the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty. Like Job, we show our support for Jehovah’s sovereignty by remaining faithful to him even when life is difficult.

15. What does our faithfulness when we have problems accomplish?

¹⁵ Job’s experience can comfort us because it shows that trials do not mean that Jehovah is angry with us. Trials give us an opportunity to support Jehovah’s sovereignty. (Proverbs 27:11) When we faithfully endure, we please Jehovah, and our hope for the future becomes stronger. (Read Romans 5:3-5.) Job’s experience shows us that “Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful.” (James 5:11) If we support Jehovah’s sovereignty, he will reward us. Knowing this helps us to “endure fully with patience and joy.”​—Colossians 1:11.

STAYING FOCUSED

16. Why do we need to remind ourselves that the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty is very important?

¹⁶ It is true that it can be difficult to focus on the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty when we are dealing with problems in life. Even small problems may seem big if we think too much about them. So we constantly need to remind ourselves how important it is to support God’s sovereignty no matter what difficulties we experience.

17. How can being busy in Jehovah’s work help us focus on what is really important?

¹⁷ Keeping busy in Jehovah’s work can help us remember what is really important. For example, a sister named Renee had a stroke, was in constant pain, and also had cancer. While she was in the hospital, she witnessed to those who worked there, other patients, and visitors. One time when Renee stayed in a hospital for two and a half weeks, she preached for 80 hours. Although Renee knew she was going to die, she never forgot what was really important. Supporting Jehovah’s sovereignty gave her peace.

18. What does Jennifer’s experience teach us about supporting Jehovah’s sovereignty?

¹⁸ We can also support Jehovah’s sovereignty when we are dealing with smaller, everyday problems. A sister named Jennifer spent three days at an airport waiting for a flight home. As flight after flight was canceled, Jennifer felt exhausted and alone. She could have begun to feel very sorry for herself. But instead, Jennifer prayed that Jehovah would help her share the good news with others who were waiting in the airport. She ended up witnessing to many people and placing a lot of literature. Jennifer said, “I felt that Jehovah blessed me despite the trying experience and gave me enough strength to carry his name in a worthwhile way.”

19. What identifies true worshippers?

¹⁹ Only Jehovah’s people truly understand the importance of Jehovah’s sovereignty. This understanding identifies true worshippers. So each of us must make sure to keep supporting Jehovah’s sovereignty.

20. How does Jehovah feel about all that you do to support his sovereignty?

²⁰ Jehovah notices and values all you do to support his sovereignty as you serve him faithfully and endure trials. (Psalm 18:25) The next article will explain further why Jehovah’s sovereignty deserves your support and how you can support it more fully.

1, 2. What does each of us need to be sure of? (See opening picture.)

AS WE discussed in the previous article, the Devil claims that Jehovah does not deserve to rule mankind. He says that Jehovah does not rule fairly and that humans would be happier if they ruled themselves. Is Satan right? Imagine if humans could rule themselves and live forever. Would they be happier than if they were ruled by God? Would you be happier if you could live forever and be completely independent from God?

² No one can answer these questions for you. Each one of us needs to think about them carefully. Then it should become clear that Jehovah’s way of ruling is the best and that he deserves our wholehearted support. We can be sure of that because of what we read in the Bible. Let us see what the Bible says about Jehovah’s right to rule the universe.

JEHOVAH HAS THE RIGHT TO RULE

3. Why does Jehovah have the right to be the Sovereign?

³ Jehovah is the only Sovereign of the universe because he is the almighty God and Creator. (1 Chronicles 29:11; Acts 4:24) In a heavenly vision, Christ’s 144,000 fellow kings said: “You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they came into existence and were created.” (Revelation 4:11) Jehovah created all things, so he has the right to rule over everyone, whether on earth or in heaven.

4. Why does free will not give us the right to rebel against God?

⁴ Satan has not created anything. So he does not have any right to rule the universe. Both Satan and the first human couple were defiant when they rebelled against Jehovah’s sovereignty. (Jeremiah 10:23) Did their free will give them the right to reject Jehovah’s rulership? No. Free will gives someone the right to make choices and decisions but not the right to rebel against the Creator, Jehovah. Clearly, rebelling against God is a misuse of free will. As humans, we need Jehovah’s rule and guidance.

5. Why are God’s decisions always just?

⁵ Think about another reason why Jehovah has the right to rule. He uses his authority in a perfectly just way. He tells us: “I am Jehovah, the One showing loyal love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I take delight.” (Jeremiah 9:24) Jehovah does not need human laws to help him decide what is right. Instead, he sets the standard for what is right. And based on his own perfect justice, Jehovah gave laws to humans. The psalmist said: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.” So every law, principle, and decision that comes from Jehovah is right. (Psalm 89:14; 119:128) Satan claims that Jehovah is not a fair Ruler. Yet, Satan himself cannot bring justice to the world.

6. What is one reason why Jehovah has the right to rule?

⁶ Another reason why Jehovah has the right to rule is that he has the knowledge and wisdom to take care of the universe. We see this in the way he gave his Son the ability to heal diseases that no doctor could cure. (Matthew 4:23, 24; Mark 5:25-29) Although these are miracles to us, they were not miracles to Jehovah. He understands how the body works and can heal any damage to it. He can also bring the dead back to life and stop natural disasters from happening.

7. How is Jehovah wiser than anyone in Satan’s world?

⁷ The world ruled by Satan cannot bring peace, whether within a country or between countries. Only Jehovah has the wisdom to bring world peace. (Isaiah 2:3, 4; 54:13) We feel as the apostle Paul did when he said: “O the depth of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How unsearchable his judgments are and beyond tracing out his ways are!”​—Romans 11:33.

JEHOVAH’S RULERSHIP IS BEST

8. How do you feel about Jehovah’s way of ruling?

⁸ As we have seen, the Bible clearly shows that Jehovah has the right to rule. It also shows why he is the best Ruler. One reason is that he rules with love. We feel close to him when we think of how he is “merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love and truth.” (Exodus 34:6) God treats us with dignity and respect. He cares for us better than we can care for ourselves. The Devil says that Jehovah holds back good things from His servants, but this is a lie. God even gave his precious Son so that we could have the hope of living forever.​—Read Psalm 84:11; Romans 8:32.

9. How do we know that God cares about us as individuals?

⁹ Jehovah loves all of his people as a group. But he is also very interested in each person. Think of what happened in ancient times. For about three hundred years, Jehovah used judges to guide his nation and give them victory over their enemies. Yet during all this time, Jehovah still paid attention to individuals. One of these was a woman named Ruth. She was not an Israelite, and she had given up many things in order to become a worshipper of Jehovah. He rewarded her with a husband and a son. But more than that, Ruth’s son became part of the family line that led to the Messiah. Jehovah also had Ruth’s life story written down in the Bible, in a book that is named after her. How do you imagine Ruth will feel when she comes back to life and learns about these things?​—Ruth 4:13; Matthew 1:5, 16.

10. Why can we say that Jehovah’s rulership is not harsh?

¹⁰ Jehovah’s rulership is not harsh. Rather, those who obey him feel free and joyful. (2 Corinthians 3:17) David said of Jehovah: “In his presence are majesty and splendor; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.” (1 Chronicles 16:7, 27) The psalmist Ethan wrote: “Happy are the people who know the joyful shouting. O Jehovah, they walk in the light of your face. They rejoice in your name all day long, and in your righteousness they are exalted.”​—Psalm 89:15, 16.

11. How can we become even more convinced that Jehovah’s sovereignty is best?

¹¹ The more we meditate on Jehovah’s goodness, the more convinced we become that his rule is best. We feel like the psalmist who said to God: “A day in your courtyards is better than a thousand anywhere else!” (Psalm 84:10) Jehovah designed and created us, so he knows exactly what will make us happy. He generously gives us far more than we need. Anything Jehovah asks us to do is for our own good. Even if we have to make sacrifices, we will always be happy if we obey Jehovah.​—Read Isaiah 48:17.

12. What is the main reason we support Jehovah’s sovereignty?

¹² We learn in the Bible that after the Thousand Year Reign of Christ, some will rebel against Jehovah’s sovereignty. (Revelation 20:7, 8) What will cause them to do that? At that time, the Devil will try to make people behave in a selfish way. He has always done that. He may try to convince people that they can live forever without obeying Jehovah. This could never be true. But we should ask ourselves, ‘Would I believe a lie like that?’ If we really love Jehovah and are convinced that he is good and that he has the right to rule the universe, then a lie like that will be disgusting to us. We will want to live only under the sovereignty of Jehovah, who rules with love.

LOYALLY SUPPORT GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

13. How do we support God’s sovereignty when we imitate him?

¹³ As we have seen, Jehovah has the right to rule, and his way of ruling is the best. His sovereignty deserves our full support. We support it when we are loyal to Jehovah and imitate him. When we do our best to act the way Jehovah would, we show that we love and support his way of ruling.​—Read Ephesians 5:1, 2.

14. How can elders and family heads imitate Jehovah?

¹⁴ We learn from the Bible that Jehovah always uses his power in a loving way. Family heads and elders who love Jehovah’s sovereignty will imitate him and not be harsh or controlling. The apostle Paul tried hard to imitate God and his Son. (1 Corinthians 11:1) He did not embarrass others or force them to do what was right. Instead, he kindly motivated them to do what was right. (Romans 12:1; Ephesians 4:1; Philemon 8-10) In doing this, Paul imitated Jehovah. When we treat others with love, we support Jehovah’s sovereignty.

15. How do we support Jehovah’s rulership by respecting those who have authority?

¹⁵ We also support Jehovah’s rulership by respecting and cooperating with those to whom he has given authority. Even if we do not fully understand or agree with a decision they make, we still support them. This is not what the world does, but it is what we do when we accept Jehovah as our Ruler. (Ephesians 5:22, 23; 6:1-3; Hebrews 13:17) And then we are happy, because God wants what is best for us.

16. How can the decisions we make show we support God’s sovereignty?

¹⁶ We can also support God’s sovereignty by the decisions we make. Jehovah does not give us a specific command for each situation in life. Instead, he tells us how he thinks. This helps us to understand what we should do. For example, Jehovah does not give Christians a list of what they should or should not wear. Instead, he explains that we should look modest and dignified as his Witnesses. (1 Timothy 2:9, 10) He wants us to think about how our decisions affect others. (1 Corinthians 10:31-33) When we make decisions based on how Jehovah thinks, we show that we love and support his way of ruling.

17, 18. How can married couples show that they support Jehovah’s sovereignty?

¹⁷ Consider one way that married Christians can support Jehovah’s sovereignty. A couple’s marriage may not be what they thought it would be. They may even be having serious problems. If so, they could benefit from thinking about how Jehovah treated the ancient nation of Israel. Jehovah described himself as being like a husband to his people. (Isaiah 54:5; 62:4) The nation disappointed Jehovah many times. That relationship was like a difficult marriage. But Jehovah was not quick to give up on Israel. Instead, he forgave them over and over again and kept his promises to them.​—Read Psalm 106:43-45.

¹⁸ Married Christians who love Jehovah try to imitate him. Even if there are problems in their marriage, they do not look for an unscriptural way to end it. They know that Jehovah views marriage vows as serious and wants a husband and wife to “stick” to each other. Sexual immorality is the only Scriptural reason why someone could divorce and be free to remarry. (Matthew 19:5, 6, 9) When Christians do all they can to make their marriage a success, they support Jehovah’s sovereignty.

19. What should we do when we make mistakes?

¹⁹ All of us are imperfect, and at times we do things that disappoint Jehovah. He knows this, and that is why he has provided Christ’s ransom. So when we make a mistake, we should ask Jehovah to forgive us. (1 John 2:1, 2) Instead of just feeling bad about our mistake, we can try to learn from it. We want to stay close to Jehovah, who will forgive us and help us to heal and to continue to serve him.​—Psalm 103:3.

20. Why should we support Jehovah’s sovereignty now?

²⁰ In the new world, everyone will be ruled by Jehovah and will learn his righteous ways. (Isaiah 11:9) But even now we can learn much about how he thinks and how he wants us to handle things. Soon, no one will question God’s right to rule. So let us do all we can now to support Jehovah’s sovereignty by obeying him, serving him faithfully, and trying our best to imitate him in all we do.

Why could Jesus rightly call the merchants who sold animals in Jerusalem’s temple “robbers”?

IN THE Gospel of Matthew we read: “Jesus entered the temple and threw out all those selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. And he said to them: ‘It is written, “My house will be called a house of prayer,” but you are making it a cave of robbers.’”​—Matthew 21:12, 13.

History shows that merchants in the temple treated their customers unfairly by charging very high prices. For example, doves were normally so cheap that the poor could buy them for sacrifices. However, ancient Jewish writings say that there was a time in the first century when a person had to pay a golden denar in order to buy two doves. It would take a worker about 25 days to earn that much money. Doves had become so expensive that the poor could no longer afford them. (Leviticus 1:14; 5:7; 12:6-8) Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel was so angry about this situation that he reduced the number of sacrifices the Jews were required to offer. Immediately, the price of two doves fell to a hundredth of a golden denar.

As we can see, the temple merchants were greedy and took advantage of their customers. That is why Jesus could rightly call them “robbers.”

JEHOVAH GOD wants his worshippers to enjoy peace. He wants them to pursue peace with one another. When they do so, there is peace in the Christian congregation. This peace attracts many people to the congregation.

For example, a witch doctor in Madagascar noticed the peace among Jehovah’s people and thought, ‘If ever I wanted to follow a religion, this would be the one.’ In time, he stopped worshipping demons, made changes in his marriage, and began to worship Jehovah, the God of peace.

Like that man, thousands of people every year become part of the Christian congregation and find the peace they want so much. But we read in the Bible that “bitter jealousy and contentiousness” in the congregation can destroy friendships and create trouble. (James 3:14-16) But the Bible gives us good advice on how to avoid those problems and strengthen our peace with our brothers and sisters. Let us see how this advice has worked in some real-life situations.

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

“I had trouble getting along with a brother who worked with me. Once when we were yelling at each other, two people came in and witnessed our blowup.”​—CHRIS.

“A sister with whom I often preached suddenly ended our arrangements for the ministry. Then she stopped talking to me altogether. I had no idea why.”​—JANET.

“I was on a three-person phone call. One of the others said good-bye, and I thought he was off the line. I then said unkind things about him to the other person on the phone, but the first person had not hung up.”​—MICHAEL.

“In our congregation, two pioneers began having problems. One took to scolding the other. Their bickering was discouraging to others.”​—GARY.

These may not seem like serious problems. But these situations could have caused lasting emotional pain to the people involved and could have damaged the peace of the congregation. Happily, these brothers and sisters followed Bible guidelines and had peace once again. What Bible guidelines do you think helped them?

“Do not become upset with one another on the way.” (Genesis 45:24) Joseph gave his brothers this wise advice when they were returning to their father. When a person does not control his feelings and allows himself to be easily upset, a bad situation may become even worse. Others may also become angry. Chris realized that it was sometimes difficult for him to be humble and follow instructions. He wanted to change, so he apologized to the brother he had argued with. Then Chris worked hard to control his temper. When the brother noticed how hard Chris was trying to change, he did the same. Now they have peace as they serve Jehovah together.

“Plans fail when there is no consultation.” (Proverbs 15:22) When Janet’s friend stopped talking to her, Janet decided to apply this Bible verse. She went to consult, or speak with, the sister. Janet asked if she had done something to offend or upset her. At first, they both felt a little awkward. But as they continued to talk calmly, they felt more comfortable. The sister realized that she had misunderstood something that had happened in the past and that Janet had actually not done anything to offend her. She apologized to Janet, and the two of them are now friends again as they serve Jehovah together.

“If, then, you are bringing your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, and go away. First make your peace with your brother.” (Matthew 5:23, 24) Jesus gave this advice in his Sermon on the Mount. After Michael said unkind things about the other brother, he felt terrible. He decided he would do whatever was necessary to fix the situation. So he went to the brother and told him how sorry he was. What happened? Michael says, “My brother genuinely forgave me.” They were friends once again.

“Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely even if anyone has a cause for complaint against another.” (Colossians 3:12-14) Remember the two pioneers who argued in the field ministry? An elder kindly helped them to see that they were upsetting others and making them uncomfortable. He reminded them that they should be patient with each other and help keep peace in the congregation. They accepted and applied his counsel. Now they get along well as they preach the good news.

That same advice, found at Colossians 3:12-14, can help you to be humble, forgive a person who has hurt you, and stop thinking about the matter. But what if we have tried to forgive and have not been able to? There is a Bible principle at Matthew 18:15 that can help us. Even though Jesus was mainly talking about serious sins, he described something we can do whenever we have a problem with a brother or a sister. In a kind and humble way, we can go to that one to discuss the matter and try to solve the problem.

There are many other practical suggestions in the Bible. Most of them involve relying on God’s holy spirit so that we can show “the fruitage of the spirit.” These qualities are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22, 23) Think about this. A machine runs smoothly when its parts are oiled. In a similar way, it is easier to settle our differences and have smooth relationships when we show these good qualities from Jehovah.

DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES MAKE THE CONGREGATION MORE ENJOYABLE

Each one of us has his own personality. We each have different qualities and ways of seeing things and expressing ourselves. These can make our friendships enjoyable and interesting. But our different personalities can also cause misunderstandings and disagreements. One experienced elder gave an example of how this can happen when he said: “Someone who is shy can have a difficult time being around an outgoing, backslapping person. That difference may seem unimportant; yet, it can lead to serious problems.” Do you believe that people whose personalities are quite different will never get along with each other? Let us look at the examples of two of the apostles. When we think of Peter, we may think of someone who always said whatever was on his mind. When we think of John, we may picture a loving brother who usually thought before he spoke or acted. Peter and John had different personalities. But they worked well together as they served Jehovah. (Acts 8:14; Galatians 2:9) It can be the same with us today. Even Christians with very different personalities can work well together.

But what if someone in your congregation says or does something that irritates you? It would be good to remember that Christ died for that brother just as he died for you, and you must love your brother. (John 13:34, 35; Romans 5:6-8) It would not be right to decide that you will not be friends with that person or that you will avoid him. Instead, ask yourself: ‘Is my brother doing something that is against Jehovah’s law? Is he trying to hurt me on purpose? Or do we just have different personalities? In fact, does he have qualities that I would like to have myself?’

For example, if he loves to talk but you are quiet, why not work together in the ministry and see what you can learn? Or what if he is more generous than you are? Have you noticed the happiness that comes from giving to the elderly, the sick, or the needy? Could you learn from that person how to be more generous yourself? The point is that even though you and your brother are different, you can focus on his good qualities. Even though you may never be best friends, you will become closer to each other. This will help create peace, both for you and the congregation.

In the first century, there were two sisters named Euodia and Syntyche. It seems they had very different personalities, but the apostle Paul encouraged them “to be of the same mind in the Lord.” (Philippians 4:2) We too want to worship Jehovah together with our brothers and sisters and promote peace in the congregation.

DO NOT ALLOW DISAGREEMENTS TO CONTINUE

Why should we quickly get rid of any bad feelings we have toward others? We could compare these feelings to ugly weeds that grow in a beautiful flower garden. If we do not pull the weeds out, they will take over the whole garden. In a similar way, if our bad feelings toward others become strong, this can affect the whole congregation. But if we love Jehovah and our brothers, we will do all we can to protect the peace of the congregation.

When we try to make peace with others, we may be surprised at how well things turn out. One Witness experienced this. Here is her story: “I felt that one sister was treating me as if I were a child. It really bothered me. As my irritation grew, I started being curt with her. I thought, ‘She does not show me the respect I deserve, so I am not going to show her respect.’”

Then this sister thought about her own attitude. “I began seeing my own personality flaws, and I was very disappointed in myself. I realized that I had to adjust my thinking. After praying to Jehovah about the matter, I bought the sister a small gift and wrote her a card to apologize for my bad attitude. We hugged each other and agreed to put the matter behind us. We have not had any more problems.”

Everyone needs peace. But feeling insecure or proud can make people act in a way that is not peaceable. In the world, this is common, but Jehovah expects something different of his worshippers. Among Jehovah’s Witnesses, there should be peace and unity. Jehovah inspired Paul to write Christians “to walk worthily of the calling” they had received. He encouraged them to do this “with all humility and mildness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, earnestly endeavoring to maintain the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3) “The uniting bond of peace” that Jehovah’s people enjoy is very precious. So let us each do all we can to make it stronger and to solve any problems we may have with our brothers and sisters.