DAILY TEXT, From today Monday December 12, 2022, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him constantly ask God for it (Sant. 1:5).

DAILY TEXT, Monday December 12, 2022, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him constantly ask God for it (Sant. 1:5).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022

Monday December 12

If any of you lack wisdom, let him constantly ask God for it (James 1:5).

Before we start reading the Bible, let's ask Jehovah for help to make the most of what we read. For example, if we are looking for advice to solve a problem, let us ask him to help us find in his Word principles that guide us (Phil. 4: 6, 7). The ability to see with imagination is a wonderful gift from Jehovah. To bring a biblical story to life, let's imagine the scene and try to see ourselves in the place of the main character. Let's try to see the things he saw and feel the emotions he must have felt. Then let's meditate, that is, let's think carefully about what we read and what this can teach us. It helps us connect ideas and better understand the topic. Reading the Bible without meditating is like looking at the pieces of a puzzle scattered on a table but without putting them together. Meditating helps us see the big picture. w21.03 15 pars. 3-5.

What kind of trials do Jehovah's servants face?

ARE WE going through some difficult test? Perhaps some brother in the congregation has wronged us (James 3:2). Or our colleagues at school or work may make fun of us for serving Jehovah.—1 Pet. 4:3, 4. What if someone in our family is trying to stop us from going to meetings or talking to others about our faith? (Matt. 10:35, 36). If the test is making us suffer a lot, we may be tempted to throw in the towel. But we can be sure that whatever problem we face, Jehovah will give us both the wisdom and the strength to deal with it.

According to Romans 15:4, what effect can reading God's Word have on us?

In his Word, Jehovah has given us detailed explanations of how imperfect humans dealt with difficult situations. He has done it so that we learn from them. That's what the apostle Paul wrote by inspiration in Romans 15:4 (read it). Reading these stories can give us comfort and hope. But, for this, it is not enough to just read the Bible. We must allow what we read to shape our way of thinking and reach our hearts. When we need help to know how to deal with a problem, we can follow this method: 1) pray, 2) imagine, 3) meditate and 4) apply. Next, we'll discuss what each of these four steps consists of.b And then we'll use this method to learn from two Bible stories: one about King David and one about the Apostle Paul.

Why should we apply what we learn?

Apply. Jesus said that if we do not apply what we learn, we are like a man who builds his house on the sand. He works hard, but his efforts are for nothing. Why? Because when storms and floods come, the house will collapse (Matt. 7:24-27). Similarly, if we pray, imagine, and meditate but do not apply what we learn, our efforts will have been for nothing. When trials or persecution come, our faith will not be strong enough. On the other hand, if we study and apply what we learn, we will make better decisions, have more peace, and our faith will be strengthened (Is. 48:17, 18). Let's follow these four steps to see what we can learn from a story about King David.

What can we do to get Jehovah to help us?

Pray. With the account in mind, let us tell Jehovah specifically how we feel about being treated badly.—Ps. 6:6-9. Then let's ask him to help us find the principles that show us what to do.

How would you summarize the account of David and Absalom?

Imagine. Let's think about what this story tells us and imagine how all this affected King David. His son Absalom strove for years to endear himself to the people (2 Sam. 15:7). When he thought the time was right, he sent spies throughout Israel to prepare the people to accept him as king. He came to convince Ahithophel, who was David's close friend and adviser, to join the rebellion. Absalom then proclaimed himself king and tried to capture and kill David, who may have been seriously ill at the time (Ps. 41:1-9). When David found out about it, he fled from Jerusalem. Finally, Absalom's army faced David's loyal men. The rebel army lost, and Absalom was killed.