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Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022
Wednesday, September 28
I, Jehovah, am your God, the one who teaches you for your own good (Is. 48:17).
When it comes to using our memory, we do well to imitate Jehovah. There are things that he decides to forget. For example, even though he has a perfect memory, he chooses to forgive and forget our mistakes if we repent (Ps. 25:7; 130:3, 4). And he wants us to do the same to those who offend us (Matt. 6:14; Luke 17:3, 4). We can show that we appreciate our wonderful brain by using it to honor the one who gave it to us. Some people prefer to use it selfishly and decide for themselves what is right or wrong. But since Jehovah created us, it stands to reason that his standards are better than what we can set for ourselves.—Rom. 12:1, 2. When we abide by his standards, we enjoy peace (Isa. 48:18). And our life has a clear purpose: to honor and make our Creator and Father happy (Prov. 27:11). w20.05 24 paras. 13, 14.
How does the gift of the Bible reflect Jehovah's love for mankind?
The Bible is a gift that reflects God's love. Our heavenly Father had men of the past write it by inspiration because he cares so much about his earthly children. In his Word, Jehovah answers the most important questions, such as where we come from, what is the meaning of life and what will happen in the future. As Jehovah wants all his children to know the answers to these questions, he has promoted the translation of the Bible into many languages through the centuries. Today the Bible—in whole or in part—is available in more than 3,000 languages. In fact, it is the most translated and distributed book in history. Regardless of where people live or what language they speak, most can learn the Bible's message in their native language (see the sidebar “The Bible Translated into African Languages”).
The Bible is translated into African languages
By the year 1800, the Bible—in whole or in part—was available in about seventy languages, but very few of them were African. At that time, the Bantu languages did not have a writing system. But everything changed when people like William Boyce, a Methodist missionary from England, went to Africa and lived with people who spoke unwritten languages. Boyce helped create a writing system for Xhosa, and with the help of others he translated the Gospel of Luke into that language. This Gospel, which was published in 1833, contains God's name in the same places where it now appears in the New World Translation. In addition, Boyce deciphered the complex grammatical rules not only of the Xhosa language, but also of all the Bantu languages. This opened the way for the Bible to be translated into many African languages. Today, the Bible, in whole or in part, can be read in more than a thousand African languages. It is clear that Jehovah wants people from all nations to receive this gift (Acts 10:35).
In 2019, the New World Translation was released in Xhosa, one of more than 180 languages in which this translation is available, in whole or in part.
Given Matthew 28:19, 20 and what the paragraph says, how can we show that we are thankful to have the Bible?
How can we show that we are grateful to have the Bible? By reading it every day, meditating on what it teaches, and doing our best to put what we learn into practice. In addition, we express our gratitude to God by doing our best to make the message of the Bible known to as many people as we can (Ps. 1:1-3; Matt. 24:14; read Matthew 28:19, 20).
What gifts have we talked about in this article, and what will be discussed in the next?
In this article we have talked about three gifts from God: our home, the Earth; our amazing brain, and its inspired Word, the Bible. But Jehovah has also given us gifts that are invisible. The next article will analyze some of them.
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