Study From The Watchtower, Week of June 19 to 25, 2023, Jehovah will help you face unexpected problems, Underlined Answers.

Study From The Watchtower, June 19-25, 2023, Jehovah will help you face unexpected problems, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Answer.

Dark Yellow: Additional Answer.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

"Many are the difficulties of the righteous, but Jehovah delivers him from them all" (Ps. 34:19).1. What are we convinced of?

WE servants of Jehovah know that he loves us and wants the best for us (Rom. 8:35-39). We are also convinced that obeying biblical principles always benefits us (Is. 48:17, 18). But what if we have to face a problem that we did not expect?

2. What problems might we have, and what might we wonder about?

2 All of Jehovah's servants have problems. For example, a family member may do or say something that disappoints us. We may have health problems that limit our service to Jehovah. We may suffer the devastating consequences of a natural disaster. Or we may be persecuted for our beliefs. When we go through these trials, we may wonder, “Why is this happening to me? Have I done something wrong? Does this mean that Jehovah is not blessing me?” . If you have ever felt this way, don't be discouraged. Many loyal servants of Jehovah have experienced the same thing (Ps. 22:1, 2; Hab. 1:2, 3).

3. What does Psalm 34:19 teach us?

3 (Read Psalm 34:19). Two important ideas are mentioned in this verse: 1) the righteous go through difficulties and 2) Jehovah delivers them from them. One of the things that Jehovah does to free us from trials is to help us have a realistic view of life in this system. It is true that Jehovah promises us that we will be happy if we serve him, but that does not mean that we will have a life without problems now (Is. 66:14). God wants us to focus on the eternal future that awaits us; that is the life he desires for us (2 Cor. 4:16-18). And, meanwhile, he helps us to go on day by day (Lam. 3: 22-24).

4. What will we analyze in this article?

4 In this article, we will look at some examples of Jehovah's faithful servants both from Bible times and today. As we will see, unexpected problems may come our way. But, if we trust in Jehovah, he will always sustain us (Ps. 55:22). As you examine each of these examples, ask yourself: “What would I have done in a situation like that? How does this example help me trust Jehovah more? What practical lessons can I learn?”

EXAMPLES OF BIBLICAL TIMES

5. What problems did Laban cause Jacob? (See cover drawing.)

5 There were servants of Jehovah in Bible times who faced problems they did not expect. Let's think about Jacob. His father commanded him to marry one of Laban's daughters, a relative who worshiped Jehovah. And he assured him that Jehovah would give him many blessings (Gen. 28: 1-4). So Jacob did the right thing: he left Canaan and traveled to the place where Laban lived, who had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob fell in love with the youngest, Raquel. To marry her, he was willing to work seven years for Laban (Gen. 29:18). But things did not turn out as he expected. Laban deceived him and gave him his eldest daughter, Leah, as his wife. A week later he allowed him to marry Rachel, but on the condition that she work for him for another seven years (Gen. 29:25-27).But that was not all. Laban was also unfair to Jacob in business matters. He was taken advantage of for 20 years! (Gen. 31:41, 42).

ILLUSTRATION

Jacob is with his family and his servants. They give water to a large herd of sheep and goats. Jacob worked 20 years for Laban, who took advantage of him. During that time, Jehovah blessed Jacob. (See paragraph 5).

6. What other problems did Jacob have?

6 Jacob had to deal with more problems. He had a big family, but his children didn't always get along. In fact, they even sold Joseph as a slave. On the other hand, two of Jacob's sons—Simeon and Levi—disgraced the family and name of Jehovah. Furthermore, his beloved wife, Raquel, died giving birth to her second child. And, because of a long period of famine, Jacob had to go to live in Egypt when he was already very old (Gen. 34:30; 35: 16-19; 37:28; 45: 9-11, 28).

7. How did Jehovah show Jacob that he was pleased with him?

7 Despite all these difficulties, Jacob never lost faith in Jehovah and his promises. And Jehovah made it clear to him that he was pleased with him. For example, despite Laban's constant deceptions, Jacob came to have many material possessions thanks to Jehovah. And surely Jacob felt very grateful to his God when after so many years he was reunited with Joseph, whom he had given up for dead. Jacob was able to endure all these tests because he had a strong friendship with Jehovah (Gen. 30:43; 32:9, 10; 46:28-30). We too can deal with unexpected problems if we have a strong friendship with him.

8. What did King David want to do?

8 King David was unable to do all that he would have liked to do in his service to Jehovah. For example, he wanted from his heart to build a temple to his God. When he told the prophet Nathan, he replied: "Do what your heart tells you, for the true God is with you" (1 Chron. 17:1, 2). Can we imagine how happy David must have felt hearing those words? He may have started planning that huge project right away.

9. How did David react when his expectations were not met?

9 But Jehovah's prophet was not slow to return with bad news. That same night, Jehovah told Nathan that it would not be David who would build the temple, but one of his sons (1 Chron. 17:3, 4, 11, 12). How did David react when he heard the message? He modified his plans. He proposed to gather the money and materials that his son Solomon would need to carry out the project (1 Chron. 29: 1-5).

10. How did Jehovah bless David?

10 Right after telling him that he would not build the temple, Jehovah made a covenant with David, promising that one of his descendants would reign forever (2 Sam. 7:16). In the new world, during the Thousand Year Reign of Christ, David will be overjoyed when he learns that the King is his descendant. This account teaches us that even though we cannot do everything for Jehovah that we would like, our God can give us unexpected blessings.

11. What blessings did first-century Christians receive even though the Kingdom did not come when they expected? (Acts 6:7).

11 First-century Christians faced some unexpected difficulties. For example, they were looking forward to the Kingdom of God, but did not know when it would happen (Acts 1:6, 7). So what did they do? They remained active in preaching. Seeing the good news being preached in more and more places, they realized that Jehovah was blessing his work.—Read Acts 6:7.

12. What did first-century Christians do during a time of famine?

12 In the first century there was a time of great famine in “all the inhabited earth” (Acts 11:28). Naturally, this situation also affected Christians. No doubt parents would be very concerned about how they would be able to support their families. And young people thinking of expanding their ministry may wonder if they should postpone their plans. In any case, the Christians adapted. They continued to do their best in the preaching work and willingly shared what they had with their brothers in Judea (Acts 11:29, 30).

13. What blessings did Christians receive during the time of famine?

13 What blessings did Christians receive during this difficult time? Those who received material help saw with their own eyes that Jehovah was taking care of them (Matt. 6:31-33). And surely they felt closer to the brothers who offered their support. On the other hand, those who made donations or otherwise participated in relief efforts were very happy (Acts 20:35). Jehovah blessed them all because they adapted to the changes.

14. What happened to Barnabas and the apostle Paul, and what was the result? (Acts 14:21, 22).

14 First-century Christians suffered persecution on many occasions, sometimes when they least expected it. Let's see what happened to Barnabas and the Apostle Paul while they were preaching in the region of Lystra. At first, the people welcomed them and listened to them. But later enemies turned the people against him, and some of those same people stoned Paul and left him for dead (Acts 14:19). But Barnabas and Pablo went to another place and continued preaching. Which it was the result? They made “a good number of disciples” and strengthened their brothers by their words and example (see Acts 14:21, 22). Barnabas and Pablo did not give up despite the persecution, and that benefited many people.Likewise, if we do not give up and continue doing the work that Jehovah has entrusted to us, we will receive many blessings.

PRESENT EXAMPLES

15. What do you learn from the example of Brother Alexander Macmillan?

15 During the years before 1914, Jehovah's servants had great expectations. One of them was Brother Alexander Macmillan. Like many at that time, he thought that very soon he was going to receive the heavenly reward from him. In a speech he gave in September 1914, he said, "This will probably be the last public talk I ever give." But it was not like that. Later, he wrote: "Some of us may have been a little hasty in thinking that we would go to heaven immediately." And he added: "What we had to do was keep busy in the Lord's service." And that was what he did. He preached with enthusiasm, encouraged many brothers who were imprisoned for their neutrality, and did not stop going to meetings even when he was very old.He made good use of the time while he waited for his reward. How did that benefit you? He wrote the following in 1966, shortly before he died: "My faith is as strong today as it has ever been." He undoubtedly left us a good example for all of us, especially for those of us who have been enduring in this system longer than we expected (Heb. 13: 7).

16. What unexpected problem did Brother Jennings and his wife face? (James 4:14).

16 Many of Jehovah's servants face unexpected health problems. For example, Brother Herbert Jennings explained in his biography that he and his wife were very happy being missionaries in Ghana. But some time later he was diagnosed with a mental illness. Brother Jennings described that situation as “a 'tomorrow' we didn't expect,” referring to the words of James 4:14 (read it). He wrote: “We faced reality and prepared to say goodbye to Ghana and many close friends, and return to Canada [for medical treatment].” Jehovah helped Brother Jennings and his wife to continue to serve him faithfully in these difficult circumstances.

17. How has Brother Jennings' example helped other Christians?

 17 Brother Jennings' candid words in his biography had a profound impact on others. One sister wrote: “I have never been so moved by an article […]. Seeing that Brother Jennings had to give up his privilege to care for his health prompted me to approach my situation in a more balanced way.” Another brother wrote: “After serving as a congregation elder for more than ten years, I was forced to resign due to mental illness. I felt such a failure that it was very depressing for me to read the biographies […]. But Brother Jennings' perseverance strengthened me."This reminds us that we can encourage others when we endure the problems that come our way. So even if we don't have the life we hoped for, we can be an example of faith and endurance to others (1 Pet. 5:9).

18. What can we learn from the example of a widowed sister in Nigeria? (See the photos that stage this experience).

18 Situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic have affected many of Jehovah's servants. For example, a widowed sister in Nigeria had very little food and money. One morning, when she had only one cup of rice left, her daughter asked her what they were going to eat after her. Our sister replied that they had no more food or money, but that they should imitate the widow of Sarepta. They would prepare their last meal and trust in Jehovah (1 Kings 17:8-16). Before they had even thought about that day's lunch, the brothers handed them a package of relief supplies. The package contained food for more than two weeks! That was when the sister realized that Jehovah had listened very carefully to what she said to her little daughter.It is clear that if we trust in Jehovah, unexpected problems can make us feel closer to him (1 Pet. 5:6, 7).

ILLUSTRATION

Images of a mother and her daughter, who face economic problems: 1. A mother and her daughter eat the little food they have sitting outside their humble home. 2. They are very happy when they receive a package of relief supplies. If we trust in Jehovah, unexpected problems can make us feel closer to him. (See paragraph 18).

19. What did Alexei Yershov have to deal with?

19 Over the past few years, many brothers have faced a situation that perhaps they did not expect: persecution. Let's look at the case of a brother from Russia, Alexei Yershov. When he was baptized in 1994, Jehovah's Witnesses in the area enjoyed some freedom to engage in Christian activities. But later things changed a lot in Russia. In 2020, agents broke into Brother Yershov's home, searched it, and confiscated many of his belongings. Months later, authorities filed criminal charges against him. And, as if that were not enough, the charges were based on videos recorded by a person who for more than a year pretended to be interested in studying the Bible. Treasonous treason!

20. What has brother Yershov done to make his friendship with Jehovah stronger?

20 Has Brother Yershov gotten anything good out of this bad experience? Yes. His friendship with Jehovah is now stronger. He says: “My wife and I pray together more often. I know that I could not cope with this situation without Jehovah's help." He adds: “Studying the Bible helps me fight discouragement. I meditate on the example of faithful servants of the past. There are many stories in the Bible that show how important it is to keep calm and trust in Jehovah.”

21. What did we learn in this article?

21 What did we learn in this article? That although life in this system can be unpredictable, if we trust in Jehovah, he will always be ready to help us. As the thematic text says, "many are the difficulties of the just, but Jehovah delivers him from all of them" (Ps. 34:19). Therefore, let's not focus on difficulties, but on Jehovah's power to sustain us. Thus we can say the same as the apostle Paul: "I have strength for everything thanks to him who gives me power" (Phil. 4:13).

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

How does Jehovah help us to have a realistic view of life in this system?

Jehovah helps us to have a realistic view of life in this system by reminding us that although he promises us that we will be happy if we serve him, that does not mean that we will have a problem-free life now, because he wants us to focus on the eternal future that awaits us, that is the life he wants for us.

Furthermore, he helps us move forward day by day, reminding us that his mercy is new each day, and that we can trust him to provide what we need. He also gives us examples of faithful servants past and present who have faced difficulties and trials, but have trusted him and found comfort and hope in the midst of adversity.

What did Jehovah do to support his faithful servants in Bible times?

Jehovah supported his faithful servants in Bible times in various ways. For example, Jacob had many material possessions despite his father-in-law's deceit, since he was able to recover his son Joseph, he also encouraged David by promising that one of his descendants would reign forever, and he blessed the great work that the Christians of the first century. In each case, Jehovah demonstrated his love and care for his faithful servants, helping them maintain their faith and hope in the midst of adversity and rewarding them for his faithfulness. 

How has Jehovah helped his servants in our day?

Jehovah has helped his servants in our day in many ways. In this mentioned article, several examples of brothers who faced unexpected difficulties such as serious illnesses, job loss and family problems will be presented, but who found comfort and hope in the midst of adversity by trusting in Jehovah.

In addition, Jehovah has provided comfort and strength through prayer and Bible study, and has given support and companionship through fellow believers. In short, Jehovah is always ready to help his faithful servants in any situation, and we can trust him to provide what we need.