Study of the Watchtower, Let us help those who are experiencing difficulties, Week of February 20-26, 2023, Comments and Practical Answers.

Study of the Watchtower, Let us help those who are experiencing difficulties, 20-26-February-2023, Comments and Answers.

"Do not stop doing good to those who should do it if it is within your power to help them" (PROV. 3:27).

1. What does Jehovah often do to answer the prayers of his servants?

What Jehovah does is use any of us so that we are a source of great comfort for the brothers who need it. So it must be a great honor to help and be useful to Jehovah and our brothers.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

The truth is that regardless of the place we are occupying in the congregation, Jehovah at any given time can use us to serve as comfort to any brother who is having a hard time due to physical or emotional adversity.

And this is supported by the text of Colossians 4:11 where it says that we can all be collaborators in favor of the kingdom of God and also become a source of comfort for others.

We may think that this is a task for the brothers who have more responsibility, such as circuit overseers, other brothers, but thinking about the text we realize that Paul went through many adversities and imagine that he would not have had this support from these Brothers, perhaps I would have left this important and transcendental task and thanks to it the congregations were formed in the first century, this teaches us that any servant of Jehovah can do a great job helping and encouraging others.

WHEN OUTBREAKS ARISE

2. Why can it be difficult to help siblings when outbreaks occur?

During an outbreak it may be more difficult to help each other.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

There could be many reasons, perhaps we wanted to help and visit a brother in his home, but it is not safe to do so due to the contagion, or we would also like to invite those who have financial problems to eat, but we cannot possibly because our own family is suffering That same problem, despite this Jehovah wants us to help each other, as Proverbs 3:27 says we must do good and do everything in our power to help.

Well, perhaps we would like to invite them to eat or visit them, but in those situations it is difficult, so we would have to find another way to help them.

Yes, as Proverbs 3:27 says, do not stop doing good to those who should do it if it is within your reach, then we must keep in mind that we can have all that desire to help but even we ourselves can find ourselves in a difficult situation, then putting into practice what proverbs says would be doing everything in our power

And we have just come out of an epidemic outbreak and we really saw the help of the brothers who were watching over us from the elders to make a call a greeting if we were missing something, so that is an example for us too, how to help the brothers when they are going through not only a situation like this but when they are going through difficult moments of any situation.

3. What does the example of the elders of the Desi congregation teach us? (Jeremiah 23:4).

What it teaches us is what we have to do is get to know our brothers well and what does this imply, what it implies is that we be friends with everyone, how can we achieve it, as we saw in the previous article what Desi said that we preach with all the brothers of our group and not only that we preach but also do other activities such as inviting them to our house and spending time with them.

Jeremiah 23:4 the group elder of the congregation where Desi met knew her and the other brothers very well, because he used to go out to preach and do things for them. Therefore, it was easy for this old man to help our sister when the Covid 19 pandemic broke out. So this teaches us that Jehovah uses the elderly to shepherd his sheep, at the same time it teaches us that they should strive to be good shepherds and know each member of the congregation very well.

4. Why were the elders able to help Desi, and what is the lesson?

Because the elders apart from being spiritual brothers had become Desi's friends, she remembers that before the epidemic outbreak several elders called her or sent her messages and texts, that allowed her to have a friendship with them. So this teaches the elders that in addition to shepherding the sheep, they should be her friends.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, they were able to help her because they were already friends, the elders already knew Desi very well, they knew what worried her, how she felt, so it wasn't difficult for her to express those feelings.

Yes, then they must shepherd the sheep and be their friends before something bad happens or there is a crisis.

And what is being said is interesting because of course, as the paragraph says here, if the pastors make an effort to be friends before these moments of crisis come, they will not think too much about what other ways to find to reach these brothers because they already have that familiarity and They know how it can be the best way to find the way or the moment to be able to encourage these brothers.

And of course this is very practical because if we are going to make a grazing visit and we only visit the brothers when it is necessary to make a grazing visit that is normally scheduled by the group, well of course there is no familiarity the brothers can think well now They are already coming to tell me something, well what we are going to do is encourage them because we are now friends.

5. How can the elders know the needs of the brothers, and how can they help them?

One way to do this is by asking prudent questions, so they will know if a brother or sister needs material, emotional or spiritual support. That way they will be able to give the appropriate help, as our sister Desi says she needed emotional and spiritual support so the elders of her congregation prayed with her, but she doesn't remember the specific words they were saying, but she felt as if Jehovah was telling her Not alone. So the elders should support and help the brothers in their congregations.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, asking prudent questions as Proverb 20:5 says, being discerning people who know how to get those thoughts that are like deep waters.

Thanks to that, they will be able to know what situation they are in if there is a risk of losing their job, perhaps they cannot pay the mortgage on the house or medicines, and then take action by finding out that, then help the brothers in a material sense and above all emotional and spiritual But if you need material, we are there to lend a hand.

6. How can we help each other in the congregation? (See photos).

We can help each other in different ways, for example, children can make a card or a drawing to cheer up a brother, young people can offer to run an errand or buy something for a brother, others could prepare a meal for a sick person and leave it at home. , and it is also good to stay a little longer after the meeting to talk with the brothers, either in person or by videoconference, without forgetting to encourage the elderly, we can give them a little note of thanks for the work they do.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, we know that the elderly are the first to attend to their needs, but we as brothers must also help each other, as it says in First Thessalonians 5:11 and also as it says in Galatians 6:10, it says that while we have opportunities, we should do good, but also that more than everything we do with our brothers in faith.

Yes, the little sister has told me, we can do this with our brothers and any detail that we have with them can encourage them, not only those of us who know that they are going through some illness or some problem, but with all of us we have to try it because it might be what they need. Sometimes we don't know if our brothers are going through a problem and we can encourage them if they are under pressure.

It is important to get to know each other in the congregation and it is seen that we can all participate, he talks about how the children can make cards, the young people can help offer themselves to the older siblings, if we know that someone is sick we can bring them a meal and not forget that the The elderly also go through the same difficulties as us and they also need encouragement, surely if we write them a note from time to time we thank them for their work because just when we need it the most is when they are busiest, then we also have to take them into account .

ILLUSTRATION

In the photo we see how a brother who directs a part gives a comment to an older brother who is surely sick, this is another way to show encouragement among us.

Picture series: 1. A brother leads a face-to-face meeting at the Kingdom Hall. He uses the tablet to see a sick brother who has connected by video conference. 2. The older brother who has connected from his house raises his hand to make a comment. He breathes with the help of a tube that is connected to an oxygen tank. The brother who leads part of the meeting is happy to hear the encouraging comments from the many present in the Hall and from a sick brother who has to participate by videoconference. (See paragraph 6)

IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

7. What can be the effects of an emergency situation?

The effects of an emergency can be devastating and completely change one's life, for example we may lose our material possessions, our house or even the loss of a loved one.

Well, life changes us in a matter of seconds, we may lose material things, our house, our livelihood or a loved one.

8. What should elders and parents do before an emergency situation?

The elders should help the brothers to prepare for an emergency situation, so perhaps through a speech of needs of the congregation, they can give us reminders of how to stay safe and contact them, also we parents in worship in family we must talk with each member to tell them what to do if an emergency situation arises, so we will all be ready and remain calm in emergency situations.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, the elders, for example, help the brothers to prepare for these situations, making sure that everyone knows what they have to do at a given moment to be safe and to contact them, and the case of the sister from the previous article, Margaret says that in a speech about the needs of the congregation the elders reminded everyone that fire seasons were not over and he says that it was very timely because only five weeks after that speech it turns out that a great fire broke out.

We also observe the professionals who already deal with emergencies carry out drills over and over again because in an emergency you can lose your nerves and the more you know what you have to do, the better you will face it, that is why it is said that something we can do parents in the family is to explain to our children what to do at all times so that when an emergency arises they know how to do things calmly. 

9. What do the elderly have to do before and after an emergency situation?

Before an emergency the elders should make sure they have the correct contact details of all the brothers in their group, make a list and keep it up to date then to make that information to the coordinator of the body of elders and he will communicate with the circuit overseer and after an emergency situation, the superintendent will be in charge of coordinating the elderly so that they can help those in need. So working as a team before and after an emergency pays off.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, before the emergency occurs, you must make sure that you have all the contact details of the brothers in your group and make a list and keep it up to date.

Yes, as the sister said, you have to make sure you have all the possible information about the brothers so that in a moment of special circumstances they can act because after all this there are also other steps that the superintendent of the group has to notify the coordinator of the congregation so that he is in turn transmit it to the superintendent of the circuit, what does all this mean that we all have to be coordinated and that is why we must provide our profile, that is, telephone number if we have changed residence, etc.

And this is being put into practice in the locality because recently, through the preaching groups, a message was sent to us to update our data, they provided us so that the body of elders can have the list updated and in case of emergency they can put contact us and meet our needs.

The text of 2 Corinthians says that many times the elderly work tirelessly with a lot of effort, many sleepless nights and we are encouraged to work as a team, so we are going to make their work easier if we help them by updating our data by giving information that they request as soon as possible. 

10. Why is it so important for the elders to take care of the sheep? (John 21:15).

Because part of shepherding God's flock is taking care of the sheep, in addition the effects of a disaster are usually negative and leave an emotional mark on our brothers, and for this reason they need constant support. So the elderly should not be surprised by a painful reaction from a brother, rather they should understand that it is a normal reaction and that our brother needs spiritual and emotional support, even for a long time.

Well, Jesus set the example, Peter had betrayed him three times, he had told him that he did not know him and now he needed that to be erased from his mind and Jesus knew it, so the text that we have read speaks of this fact of how Jesus reinforces the I want him to continue feeding and caring for his sheep, so we must be very patient with our brothers, because it is very normal for them to return memories of their loved ones of those personal belongings they lost or the situation they experienced.

And also, as the first of Peter 5:2 mentions, the flock is under the care of the superintendents, so they have the responsibility of watching over the brothers and giving that emotional and spiritual support when they need it.

11. What help will families need for a while?

Families who have survived a disaster will need to be reminded that they still have the love of Jehovah and their brothers, so the elders will strive to help them maintain their spiritual activities, such as prayer, study, attending meetings and preaching. We parents, too, need to help our children understand that their best friend is Jehovah and that they will always have his support as well as the support of our global family.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

That is if the text of Romans 12:15 is telling us to cry with those who cry and it is true that the feelings are very particular, they are individual, we have to have that empathy and respect that each one has their emotions but at all times help them to recover normality as well as possible in a spiritual sense because it is what will comfort their spirits and what will really help them to continue facing those difficult moments.

Yes, also a group that must be kept in mind are also children, especially parents because they can be very traumatized, it can be very difficult for them to assimilate a circumstance like this, so it is good that parents focus on the good things they have and the things that a catastrophe cannot destroy how brotherhood is, the brothers we have in the congregation and of course the love of Jehovah.

12. What can the congregation do to help with relief efforts? (See photo).

For example, if a disaster has occurred in our area, we can ask the elderly how we can help. If possible, offer our house for a while as accommodation for displaced brothers or those who participate in Relief work, we can also help with the delivery of food and other basic products and if the emergency situation has occurred far from us, we can pray for the victims or support with our donations and if our circumstances allow us to travel to that area, ask the elderly how we can help. That way, if they invite us, we will receive training to help when and where it is most needed.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Some ways that the paragraph mentions to help is by offering our own house, our home for our brothers who are displaced so that they can stay for as long as necessary, another way is by participating in relief work or delivering food and products from First need.

And this is well appreciated in the photo, you can see some brothers who are willing to help perhaps a mother with her son who, after a disaster, could have lost their home and their belongings and here they are taking food and water, which are products basics so they can spend a few days.

And the emergency situation may not be near if it is not far away we can also do things like pray and support relief efforts with our donations.

And here he supports the idea of ​​prayer because it might seem like a little thing to us, but even the apostle Paul is in a very critical situation where he said that they even feared for their own lives, in second Corinthians 1:11 he says you can also help us by praying for us In other words, if the apostle Paul asked to ask for him to receive help, we have to understand that Jehovah will listen to our prayers when we ask for help for our brothers.

ILLUSTRATION

We see how a couple is helping a mother and her son in a timely manner, they bring them some food and in this way they show their Christian love towards them.

A couple brings food and other things to a mother and her child, who are in a temporary shelter. If a disaster occurs in the area where we live, can we offer to help? (See paragraph 12).

BEFORE PERSECUTION

13. What difficulties do brothers face in places where our work is prohibited?

Our brothers face very difficult difficulties, for example, they have economic problems, they get sick, they suffer the loss of relatives, in addition, another difficulty is that the elderly do not have freedom of movement, one can talk calmly with those who need encouragement, an example of this is what happened to Andrei says that a sister in his preaching group was having financial difficulties, had been in an accident and had several operations and was unable to work, but the brothers tried their best to help her and knew that Jehovah was aware of the situation.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, sometimes the persecution that arises in some places further complicates the help work that the brothers need and perhaps those who bear responsibility as elders are much more closely monitored, so that is why they do not have freedom but they can delegate other brothers to take care of it. of all our brothers who need help right now.

Yes, in addition, when the persecution arises, other habitual problems or everyone else continues to have it, for example, they may have financial problems or continue to become seriously ill and they may also continue to lose loved ones.

Well, he talks about a sister who, despite having financial difficulties, had an accident, they had to perform several operations on her and with the restrictions that were in place, I imagine she would be alone in the hospital, but the brothers managed in such a way that She was never alone and always had the necessary help.

14. How do elders show that they trust in Jehovah?

The elders show that they trust Jehovah by praying to him and leaving matters in his hands, in Andrei's case, he prayed and saw how Jehovah used other brothers who had greater freedom of movement to help the sister, some took her to medical appointments and others gave him financial help. This shows the elders that when our work is restricted they must delegate, but above all they must rely on Jehovah who will help them so that they can attend to the needs of the brothers.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, in these circumstances within their reach, surely there is no power to act because of what has been discussed, but what they have to do is pray to Jehovah because within Jehovah's reach it is to give the help that these brothers need and now a suggestion is given practice delegating because with teamwork and Jehovah's blessing it will be possible to give that much-needed help.

And an example is Jeremiah of someone who delegated, Jeremiah delegated to Baruch to enter since Jeremiah was forbidden to enter the house of Jehovah, he told Baruch to enter and read the scroll aloud the words of Jehovah to the people, so this It is an example for the elderly in case they cannot do everything they can due to the situation, so they delegate to others.

And delegating does not mean that they are going to make them less effective, for example they can organize in the case of this sister, it is said that some would go and take her to medical appointments, others would give her financial help, but of course the elderly are the ones who perhaps know best what that each brother needs, so it is not a matter of doing everything, let's say a little in a disorganized way, but organizing what is the work that they can do even if they are at a distance.

And above all, one thing that the elderly must keep in mind is that they will be moments to lean on Jehovah as the paragraph above all lean on Jehovah, there will be things that perhaps as elders we cannot do but Jehovah will extend his hand whatever he does lack to meet the needs of all. 

15. What must we do to stay together in times of persecution?

Usually in times of persecution we can only meet in small groups, so we must learn to be at peace with each other and forgive the mistakes of our brothers or immediately solve any disagreement. We must also take the initiative in supporting each other, so we will be united as a true family.

Well, since perhaps in those moments we can only meet in small groups, we have to be at peace with all the brothers, so we have to forgive the mistakes of our brothers and immediately solve any problem that we may have with them, since as proverbs 19 says: 11 It is a beautiful gesture to overlook an offense.

Let's fight against Satan, not among ourselves, that is, we must bear in mind that our enemies are not our brothers, it is true that due to imperfection friction and problems can arise, but the real enemy is Satan.

Ephesians 4:26 the idea I made is interesting when you get angry, don't sin, don't let the sun go down while you're still angry, that is, don't let it pass, just do it first. 

16. According to Colossians 4:3, 18, what can we do for the brothers who are being persecuted?

As these texts say in the case of the apostle Paul, the brothers prayed for him, but the apostle also wrote a greeting in his own handwriting. So this example shows us that we can pray for our brothers, their families and for those who risk their own Freedom to give them physical and legal spiritual help. On the other hand, if we can, like Paul, we can send them a personal letter to encourage them.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, what we can do is pray for them so that Jehovah gives them strength so that they can endure everything they are going through.

Yes, also, as first Timothy 2:1 and 2 mentions, we can pray even for those who hold high positions so that they intercede for our brothers who, even while in prison, will be able to have a more peaceful life.

Yes, in second Thessalonians 3:1, 2 it says to continue praying for us so that the word of Jehovah continues to spread rapidly, so another thing we can do is pray so that these brothers who are persecuted are courageous in those moments and continue supporting the kingdom in some way that many times they are preaching more than we are in freedom.

17. How can we now prepare for persecution?

We can do it by mentally preparing ourselves and continuing to strengthen our friendship with Jehovah, as seen in the photo in the paragraph we can study with the family and see the reasons we have to trust Jehovah, this will help us to be brave and remain calm in the face of persecution .

Well, instead of thinking about all the bad things that could happen to us, we should focus on strengthening our friendship with Jehovah now and if at any time we feel distressed, the best thing we can do is follow the advice that Psalm 62:8 gives, pour out our hearts before of him because that way Jehovah is going to become our rock, our refuge and he is going to give us the strength to continue forward.

ILLUSTRATION

A couple with their two children during family worship. The boy is commenting on a detail from the video "Daniel, a man of faith." How can he prepare his family for persecution now? (See paragraph 17).

18. What future awaits us?

Major trials await us such as the great tribulation, but Jehovah is preparing us to maintain peace and calm, but after the great tribulation a wonderful future awaits us where we will no longer suffer any type of difficulty or problems, because Jehovah will give us peace perfect and eternal

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

It is good to remember the idea and the promise of Jehovah that we will no longer experience moments of crisis that fill us with anxiety, which is what we have been analyzing both in this article and in the previous one, and what we have just seen in this paragraph as well. people who trust in Jehovah he will give us constant peace and it is what we really want and need and that with the help of Jehovah we will soon have.

Yes, I really liked this phrase that says that in the great tribulation at this time it will be important that we keep the bed and that we also help our brothers to do the same. 

HOW CAN WE HELP OTHERS TO FEEL PEACE IN THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS?

When an epidemic outbreak arises.

We learned that what the elderly can do is support the material, emotional and spiritual needs of our brothers, this implies being friends with them and the other members of the congregation, we can also encourage ourselves in different ways. For example, children can make a card or a drawing to cheer up a brother, young people can offer to run an errand or buy a sister, and others can prepare a meal for a sick person and leave it at home.

The idea is to get to know the flock well. It was commented that before these outbreaks appear, the elders have to shepherd the sheep and make an effort to be their friends, so when they arise, they will be able to give them the help they need.

Well, small expressions of love can sometimes be doing an errand for a brother who can't get him medicine, going shopping, even staying a little longer in meetings to talk with the brothers and get to know them better. 

In an emergency situation.

We learned that the elders before an emergency occurs, they must have the correct contact information of all the brothers in their group, pass this information to the coordinator and he will communicate with the circuit overseer and after an emergency the circuit overseer will coordinate the work of the elderly, so that they help those who need it, in the case of us we can help by offering our house for a while to accommodate displaced Brothers or those who participate in Relief work, we can also help with the delivery of food and other basic products and another way to help is to pray for the victims and give donations for the worldwide work.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

First of all, before the situation arises, help the siblings and make sure, for example, by having the list and contact information updated or, as we saw in the case of the sister, she said that they had a meeting where they had presented how they had to act and so that now when the situation arises the brothers are prepared and better keep calm.

Well, the congregation can also offer to give practical help, it can also be financial and emotional, and we have seen that if perhaps due to distance we cannot give practical help either, the Bible gave us support and told us that according to Paul we should pray for our brothers. because Jehovah hears those prayers. 

Faced with persecution.

We learned that the elders must pray and trust in Jehovah, they must also delegate, because Jehovah uses other brothers who have greater freedom of movement to help others, and in the congregation we can all promote peace, resolve disagreements and forgive mistakes. Thus we will maintain unity among us.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

In addition, we must review with our family the reasons we have to trust Jehovah. This will give us courage and we will remain calm.

Lean on Jehovah to know how to act with practical wisdom and meet the needs of the brothers and know how to delegate to other brothers to be able to attend to them.

Well, strive to be at peace with them, as we have been told, we have to remember that our enemy Satan is not our brothers, so we have to forgive their mistakes, solve any disagreement as soon as possible and take the initiative to support and encourage each other.