Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022
Friday July 22, 2022
Jehovah looks at the humble (Ps. 138:6).
If we do not receive a certain assignment, let us think of the example of the faithful angels. On one occasion, Jehovah asked the angels for suggestions on how to deceive wicked King Ahab. Several of them came up with ideas, but Jehovah chose one of them and told him that his would work.—1 Kings 22:19-22. Did others get discouraged and think: “Why did I say anything?”? There is nothing to indicate that this was the case. The angels are truly humble and want Jehovah to take all the credit (Judges 13:16-18; Rev. 19:10). Let us be very clear that the greatest honor we can have is to be Jehovah's Witnesses and preach the Kingdom. What makes us truly valuable to Jehovah and to our brothers is not assignments, but humility and modesty. So let us pray to Jehovah to help us continue to maintain these qualities. Let us meditate on all the good examples of humility and modesty that are in the Bible, and gladly serve our brothers in whatever is within our reach (1 Pet. 5:5). w20.12 26 paras. 16, 17
In harmony with 1 John 3:19, 20, what helped two sisters not to give in to discouragement?
Let's look at the examples of Deborah and Maria.* When Deborah was little, her family treated her with little love and rarely praised her. Because of this she felt humiliated and developed a very negative view of herself. When she made the slightest mistake, she felt like a complete failure. Maria's case was very similar. Her relatives humiliated her to the point that she felt that she was good for nothing. Even after being baptized, she did not feel worthy to call herself one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Despite everything, these sisters did not stop serving Jehovah. What helped them? On the one hand, they cast their burden on Jehovah through fervent prayer (Ps. 55:22). They understood that our loving heavenly Father knows that past experiences can cause us to think negative thoughts about ourselves. And he also sees our good qualities, even though sometimes we are not able to see them (read 1 John 3:19, 20).
How can someone who has a relapse feel?
If someone is trying very hard to get over a deep-seated addiction and has a relapse, they can feel very discouraged. Of course, if we commit a sin, it is normal for us to feel guilty (2 Cor. 7:10). But we must not go to the extreme of condemning ourselves and thinking: “I am a complete disaster; Jehovah will never forgive me.” This idea is wrong and can cause us to abandon Jehovah. Also, let's remember what Proverbs 24:10 says: if we lose heart, our strength will fail. Instead, let's “make things right” with Jehovah by praying for his forgiveness (Isa. 1:18). He will see that we are sorry from the heart and he will forgive us. On the other hand, let us talk to the elders, and they will patiently help us to recover spiritually (Jas. 5:14, 15).
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