DAILY TEXT, Today Wednesday January 25, 2023, The word of God is alive and acts with power. It is sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2023

Wednesday, January 25

The word of God is alive and works with power. It is sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12).

Meditating on God's Word helps us see our problems from the right perspective. Let's look at the case of a sister who had been widowed. An old man suggested that she read the book of Job and told her that it would help her. When he did, his first reaction was to criticize Job for his way of thinking. In his head, he said to him: "Job, but how negative you are!" Then he realized that his own attitude was very similar to Job's. This helped her correct her point of view and gave her the strength to deal with the pain of losing her husband. Jehovah also strengthens us through our brothers. Paul wrote that he was looking forward to seeing his spiritual brothers to encourage one another (Rom. 1:11, 12). w21.05 22 pars. 10, 11; 24 para. 12.

How can we strengthen each other in meetings?

One of the best occasions to encourage each other is in meetings. When we attend, we can take the initiative to strengthen others by telling them that we love them and appreciate what they do. For example, before a meeting, an elder named Peter told a sister who does not have her husband in the truth: “You have no idea how encouraging it is to see you here. He always has his six children ready and with comments prepared. Very grateful and with tears in her eyes, she replied: "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that today."

What effect does preaching have on us?

The ministry. Preaching makes us feel good and comforts us, whether people pay attention to the message or not (Prov. 11:25). A sister named Stacy found out for herself. When a relative of hers was expelled, she was devastated. He kept wondering if he could have done more to help him. I could hardly think of anything else. What helped you get out? The ministry. Going out to preach, he began to focus on the people in the territory who needed his help. She comments: “At that time, Jehovah gave me a Bible student who made very rapid progress, and that encouraged me greatly. What gives my life more stability is going out to preach.”

What does what Mary said teach us?

We may feel that, due to circumstances, we cannot do much in the ministry. But let us remember that if we do all we can, Jehovah will be pleased with us. When Mary, mentioned above, moved to a foreign-language congregation, it seemed to her that she could contribute almost nothing. He explains: “For a while, all I could do was offer a simple comment or read a Bible verse or give a tract in preaching.” Compared to those who spoke the language well, he felt very unhelpful. But then she corrected her thinking, realizing that Jehovah could use her regardless of her language limitations. He says: "The truths of the Bible are elegantly simple, and it is those truths that change people's lives."

What will give strength to those who are confined to their homes?

Even if we are confined to our house, Jehovah sees and values ​​our desire to participate in the preaching work. It can open up opportunities to witness to caregivers or medical personnel. If we compare what we do now with what we could do before, we may fall apart. But if we look at how Jehovah is helping us now, we will have the strength we need to endure any trial without losing joy.

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