Study of the Watchtower, How to strengthen our faith in the promise of the new world, Week of July 3 to 9, 2023, Comments and Practical Answers.

Study of the Watchtower, How to strengthen our faith in the promise of the new world, 3-9-July-2023, Comments and Answers. 

“When he [Jehovah] says something, doesn't he do it?” (NUM. 23:19).

1, 2. As we wait for the new world to come, what should we do?

As we wait for the new world to come, we must strengthen our faith in that promise, because no matter how long we have been witnesses or how strong our faith is, it could weaken and then we are in danger of being easily entangled by sin. Hence, to strengthen our faith it is good that we review the evidence that Jehovah will soon bring the new world.

3. What will we analyze in this article?

In this article we will first talk about why we need to have strong faith in the promise of the new world. Then we will discuss how we can meditate on the rescue, think about the power of Jehovah, focus on spiritual activities can strengthen our faith. Finally, we will see how the words that Jehovah spoke to Habakkuk can strengthen our faith.

WHY WE NEED TO HAVE STRONG FAITH

4. What kinds of decisions require strong faith?

Decisions that have to do with friendships, entertainment, education, marriage, children and work. The decisions we make on these matters will reflect whether we have strong faith or, on the contrary, we have faulty spiritual vision and are focused on material issues, worldly achievements, and recreation.

5, 6. Why do we need strong faith when we go through trials? Give an example.

When we go through trials we need strong faith, because trials can demoralize us, tire us out or discourage us. Especially, those trials that last over time such as persecution and chronic diseases. From there, we need a strong faith to help us endure and continue serving Jehovah with joy.

By going through such strong tests, we could come to think that Jehovah will never bring the new world. But this does not necessarily mean a weakened faith. Rather it is similar to when we face a long and cold winter that makes us think that summer will never come. But we know that summer always comes. In the same way, we could feel that the new world will never come, but if our faith is strong, we will know that Jehovah's promises will always be fulfilled. And that confidence will help us continue to put our duration first.

7. What attitude should we avoid?

We must avoid the incredulous attitude that many people have who think that the promises of the New World are too good to be true. Hence, the importance of constantly strengthening our faith.

MEDITATE ON THE RESCUE

8, 9. How does thinking about the ransom strengthen our faith?

Meditating on the ransom strengthens our faith because it gives us a guarantee that Jehovah's promises will be fulfilled, and because it increases our confidence that Jehovah will bring a new, better world in which we can live forever and happily.

Also, meditating on the rescue strengthens our faith because it makes us reason about everything that Jehovah was willing to do so that Jesus was born on earth as a perfect man, and about the high price he had to pay to give us hope of living in the new world. That feeds our confidence and gives us the assurance that Jehovah will make sure to fulfill his promise.

THINK ABOUT THE POWER OF JEHOVAH

10. According to Ephesians 3:20, what can Jehovah do?

Jehovah can use his power to make everything he promises come true. And although from a human point of view the idea of ​​living forever in the new world may seem impossible. Ephesians 3:20 assures us that Jehovah can use his power to do infinitely more than anything we ask or imagine. Hence, reflecting that Jehovah can fulfill even the most extraordinary promises strengthens our faith.

11. Name one remarkable promise of Jehovah (see the sidebar “Some Extraordinary Promises Jehovah Fulfilled”).

There is the promise of Genesis 18:14, where Jehovah assures Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son. This promise is extraordinary because Sarah and Abraham were already very old and Genesis 18:11 says that Sarah had already passed the childbearing age. However, Genesis 21: 1 and 2, which shows that Jehovah turned his attention to Sarah and as promised, Sarah bore Abraham a son.

There is also the promise in Genesis 17:8, where Jehovah promises Abraham that his descendants will live forever in the land of Canaan. This promise seemed impossible because the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for almost 400 years. But Joshua 11 23 shows how Jehovah made it possible for Joshua to seize the Promised Land and it was distributed as an inheritance among all the tribes of Israel. In this way, the descendants of Abraham came to live in the land of Canaan.

In addition there is the promise of two Samuel 7:8,16, where Jehovah assures that a descendant of David will sit on Jehovah's Throne forever. This promise seemed impossible because after Zedekiah's death there were no more kings of David's line. However, Luke 1:32,33 shows that this promise was fulfilled when Jehovah appointed Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, king of the Kingdom to rule over all the inhabitants of the earth.

Another promise is that of Jeremiah 29:10, where Jehovah promised that the Israelites who returned from the Babylonian exile would rebuild Jerusalem. This promise is extraordinary because Jerusalem was left desolate and because the Babylonians were notorious for not letting their prisoners return home. But the texts of Ezra 1: 1, 3 and 2: 1, show how Jehovah fulfilled his promise by driving the withdrawal of Persia to proclaim a decree throughout his kingdom so that the words of Jeremiah's prophecy would be fulfilled. . So much so, that Cyrus himself came to say that Jehovah had entrusted him with that mission. 

We can quote the promise that we find in 2 Kings 19:32-34, where it is stated that the Assyrians would not conquer Jerusalem. This seemed impossible because the Syrian army was huge and had managed to conquer many towns and cities in Judah. However, Isaiah 37: 36,37, shows how Jehovah fulfilled his promise using an angel who in one night killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp, for which they had to retreat without achieving their goal.

There is the promise of Luke 1:13,31, where Jehovah promises that Elizabeth would have a son and that Mary would give birth to the son of God. This was an extraordinary promise because as Luke 1:18,34 shows Elizabeth was a very old woman and Mary was a virgin. But the texts of Luke 1: 572 and 2: 7 show that Jehovah fulfilled his promises and both Elizabeth and Mary had their children.

12. What do Joshua 23:14 and Isaiah 55:10, 11 tell us about Jehovah's power?

Joshua 23:14, assures us that not a single one of the promises that Jehovah has made has failed. All have been fulfilled down to the smallest detail. For their part, 55:10,11 assure us that the words that come out of Jehovah's mouth do not return to him without results. On the contrary, without fail they are all successfully fulfilled for the purpose for which they were pronounced.

So, meditating on the promises that Jehovah made and how he fulfilled them helps us to perceive his great power and this not only strengthens our faith, but also prepares us to help others understand that the promise of the new world is not a dream not a fantasy Jehovah in Revelation 21: 1,5, promises that there will be a new heaven and a new earth and we know that his promises are faithful and true. So the promises of the New World will also be fulfilled.

FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES

13. How do meetings strengthen our faith?

Meetings strengthen our faith because they are like an anchor that keeps us firm in faith. As Romans 1:11,12 says, meetings are a means that Jehovah uses to strengthen us, which we also use to encourage one another through our faith.

The paragraph shows the example of Sister Ana, a full-time pioneer. She says that although the speaker is not a good teacher who does not say anything new, the meetings are of great help to her because he always hears something that makes her understand a Biblical truth better and this greatly strengthens her faith.

ILLUSTRATION

The brothers in a congregation pay attention to a brother who is giving a talk. The Meetings How does this activity help us to strengthen our faith? (See paragraph 13).

14. How does preaching strengthen our faith?

Preaching strengthens our faith because as Hebrews 10:23 shows, The more we publicly declare our hope, the more convinced we become that Jehovah is faithful to his promises.

The paragraph shows the example of Sister Barbara, who has been a Jehovah's Witness for more than 70 years. She tells that the more she talks about Jehovah and his wonderful promises, the greater her faith becomes. So the same can happen with each one of us as we take advantage of the preaching.

ILLUSTRATION

A brother preaches to his co-worker in a welding shop. The Preaching How does this activity help us to strengthen our faith? (See paragraph 14).

15. How does personal study strengthen our faith? (See also pictures).

It can strengthen us in many ways. We have the example of Susan, a sister mentioned in the paragraph. She tells that on Sundays she studies The Watchtower for the following week, on Mondays and Tuesdays the Midweek Meeting and the other days she dedicates us to a personal study project. She struggles to keep to the schedule and reports that her faith has grown more and more.

The paragraph also mentions the example of Sister Irene, who has been at World Headquarters for many decades. She says that by studying Biblical prophecies she is impressed to see how Jehovah's prophecies are fulfilled to the letter and this strengthens her faith. As we see in the examples of Susan and Irene, personal study is a good tool to cultivate and keep our faith strong.

ILLUSTRATION

A sister uses various Bible publications for her personal study. Personal Study How does this activity help us strengthen our faith? (See paragraph 15).

“IT WILL BE FULFILLED WITHOUT A DOUBT”

16. How do we know that what Jehovah said to Habakkuk also applies to us? (Hebrews 10:36, 37).

Jehovah told Habakkuk that the time set for the vision was yet to come, but nevertheless the prophecy was moving rapidly toward its end and would not fail. These words also apply to Christians because in Hebrews 10:36 37 the Apostle Paul says that we must be on the lookout because this promise will not come late and it will be fulfilled without any doubt.

17. How did a sister follow Jehovah's advice to Habakkuk?

Sister Louise, who began serving Jehovah in 1939, says she never thought she would turn 18 in this system, because Armageddon would come sooner. However, one thing that helped her was reading the accounts of Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and other servants of Jehovah whom she called the super-patients, because they had to wait to receive their promised reward from her. She adds that being on the lookout helps her not to lose sight of the fact that the new world is very close.

18. How does creation help us trust that Jehovah will bring about the new world?

When we look at creation and we see the stars, the trees, the animals and we look at ourselves, human beings. We see that for Jehovah there are no impossible things, because none of these things existed in the beginning. He created them all. Therefore, we can trust that his promise to create a new heaven and a new earth will also be fulfilled at the time he sets for it. And then, with the eternal life and perfect health that Jehovah promises us, we will be able to fully enjoy the new world.

19. How can we strengthen our faith?

We can strengthen our faith by gratefully pondering the ransom, thinking of Jehovah's power, and focusing on our spiritual pursuits.

HOW DOES THE FOLLOWING HELP US STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH?

Meditate on the rescue.

Meditating on the ransom helps us strengthen our faith by reminding us of God's promises and his love for us. As we reflect on Jesus' sacrifice and understand the purpose of the ransom, our confidence in God's promises is strengthened, helping us to gain a stronger perspective and maintain our faith in times of doubt or difficulty.

Think of the power of Jehovah.

Thinking about Jehovah's power helps us strengthen our faith by reminding us that God has the power to keep all his promises. As we reflect on the greatness of God and his ability to do impossible things, our faith is strengthened and our confidence in God's promises is renewed.

Remembering the promises fulfilled in the past and recognizing the power and faithfulness of God helps us to trust that he will fulfill his promise to bring the new world, also seeing the creation shows us the power of Jehovah and gives us confidence in his ability to keep their promises.

Focus on spiritual activities.

Focusing on spiritual activities such as Meetings and Preaching will help us strengthen our faith by staying focused on the truths and work of God. By participating in these activities we learn more about God's promises and his purpose for us, which helps us maintain a positive expectation and trust that God will fulfill his promises. Furthermore, by sharing our beliefs with others we strengthen our own faith and help others to strengthen theirs.