DAILY TEXT, Today's Friday January 28, 2022, Draw near to God and he will draw near to you (James 4:8).

DAILY TEXT, Today Thursday Friday, January 28, 2022

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022

Friday, January 28, 2022

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you (Jas. 4:8).

The apostle Paul was an excellent example of courage and endurance. At times he felt weak, but he was able to endure because he trusted Jehovah to give him the strength he needed.​—2 Cor. 12:8-10; Phil. 4:13. We, too, can have that kind of strength and courage if we humbly admit that we need Jehovah's help.—Jas. 4:10. We can be sure that trials are not a punishment from Jehovah. The disciple James assures us: “Let no one say during a trial: 'God is testing me.' Because, with bad things, no one can test God nor does he test anyone” (Jas. 1:13). If we are convinced of that, we will draw closer to our loving heavenly Father. Jehovah “does not vary or change” (Jas. 1:17). Just as it helped first-century Christians endure trials, so it will help each of us today.Let us pray to Jehovah to give us wisdom, faith, and courage. He will answer our prayers. w21.02 31 paras. 19-21

Why do we need wisdom?

The problem: not knowing what to do. When we experience problems, we want to make decisions that are pleasing to Jehovah, that benefit our brothers, and that help us have integrity (Jer. 10:23). We need wisdom to decide which way to go and what to say to our enemies. When we don't know what to do, we may feel that we are helpless victims of our circumstances, and this could rob us of happiness at any moment.

According to James 1:5, what should we do if we need wisdom?

The solution: ask Jehovah for wisdom. To endure trials without losing joy, we must first pray to Jehovah and ask him to give us the wisdom we need to make good decisions (read James 1:5). But how should we react if it seems to us that Jehovah does not answer our prayers at the moment? James says to keep praying "constantly to God." Jehovah is not going to get upset or angry with us because we ask him again and again for wisdom to endure trials. On the contrary, our heavenly Father will give it to us generously (Ps. 25:12, 13). He is aware of our trials, sympathizes with us, and wants to help us. Doesn't that make us happy? Now, how does Jehovah give us wisdom?

What else do we have to do to gain wisdom?

Jehovah gives us wisdom through his Word (Prov. 2:6). To get it, we have to study the Bible and the publications based on it. However, it is not enough to accumulate knowledge. We have to follow Jehovah's advice in our lives. James said, “Put the word into practice and do not just hear it” (Jas. 1:22). When we apply God's advice, we become more peaceful, reasonable and merciful people (Jas. 3:17). These qualities help us to face any test without losing joy.

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