DAILY TEXT, From today Monday, December 25, 2023, Rejoice with the wife of your youth (Prov. 5:18).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2023

Monday December 25

Rejoice with the wife of your youth (Prov. 5:18).

Young couples, you can benefit from the experience of those who have learned to trust in Jehovah. Some couples have been in full-time service for decades. Why not ask them for advice if you need help analyzing your goals? This is a way to show that they trust in Jehovah (Prov. 22:17, 19). Remember, marriage is a gift from Jehovah, and he wants married people to enjoy it.​—Matt. 19:5, 6. Why don't you analyze what you are doing with your life? Are you doing everything you can to show Jehovah your appreciation for the gifts he has given you? Talk to Jehovah, search his Word for principles that apply to his circumstances, and follow the advice he gives you. You can be sure that if you focus your life on serving Jehovah, you will have a truly happy marriage. w21.11 18, 19 paras. 16, 18.

Why should marriages set spiritual goals?

Married couples today can follow the example of Priscilla and Aquila by putting the interests of the Kingdom first. The best time to talk about goals in life is during courtship. When a couple sets definite goals in their service to Jehovah and strives to achieve them, they have a better chance of seeing the holy spirit at work. (Eccl. 4:9, 12) Let's look at the case of Russell and Elizabeth. Russell says, “When we were dating, we talked specifically about our spiritual goals.” Elizabeth adds: “We talked about it so that when the time came to make certain decisions, they wouldn't stop us from achieving our goals.” Their circumstances allowed them to move to Micronesia to serve where help preaching was needed.

According to Psalm 28:7, what will happen if we trust in Jehovah?

Like Russell and Elizabeth, many couples have decided to live a simple life so that they can devote as much time as possible to preaching and teaching. If a couple sets goals to serve Jehovah wholeheartedly and then works hard to achieve them, they will receive many blessings. They will see how Jehovah cares for them, their trust in him will increase, and they will truly be happy. (Read Psalm 28:7.)

How did the apostle Peter and his wife show that they trusted the promise of Matthew 6:25, 31-34?

Another good example for marriages is that of the apostle Peter and his wife. Between six months and a year after meeting Jesus, the apostle Peter had to make an important decision. Since he made a living from fishing, when Jesus invited him to follow him full-time, Peter had to analyze his family situation (Luke 5: 1-11). He decided to accompany Jesus in his work of preaching. What a wise decision! And we have good reason to believe that his wife supported him. The Bible indicates that after Jesus was resurrected, she traveled with Peter at least for a time (1 Cor. 9:5). Without a doubt, her good example gave Peter moral authority to give advice to both wives and husbands (1 Pet. 3:1-7). It is clear that Peter and his wife were relying on Jehovah’s promise that he would provide for them if they put the Kingdom first in their lives. (Read Matthew 6:25, 31-34.)

What do you learn from Tiago and Esther's experience?

And if you have been married for a few years, how can you continue to cultivate the desire to do more for Jehovah? One way is by looking at what other couples have done. For example, you could read the article series “They Willingly Volunteered to Serve.” That's what Tiago and Esther, a couple from Brazil, did. Those articles helped them want to serve where the need was greatest. Tiago says: “Reading stories of how Jehovah has helped his servants in our days made us want to see how his hand guided us and cared for us.” Over time, this couple moved to Paraguay, where they have been serving in the Portuguese field since 2014. Esther says: “A text that we both love is Ephesians 3:20. In our service to Jehovah, we have seen those words fulfilled many times.” In the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he assured us that Jehovah would give us much more than we ask for. And that promise has always been kept.

All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2023 Watch T ower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania JW.ORG.