DAILY TEXT, From today Wednesday, December 20, 2023, Flee to the mountains (Luke 21:21).

DAILY TEXT, Wednesday, December 20, 2023, Flee to the mountains (Luke 21:21).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2023

Wednesday, December 20

Flee to the mountains (Luke 21:21).

Can we imagine how difficult it must have been for those first century Christians to leave almost everything they had and start a new life somewhere else? They needed faith to trust that Jehovah would help them get what they needed. But, five years before the Romans surrounded Jerusalem, the apostle Paul had given the Hebrews some advice that would be of great help to them. He said: “Let your way of life be free from the love of money, and be content with the things you have. For he has said: 'I will never leave you and I will never forsake you.' So we can say with confidence: 'Jehovah is my helper. I will not have fear. What can man do to me?'” (Heb. 13:5, 6). How did Christians who took Paul's advice to heart before the Roman invasion fare? Surely it was easier for them to adapt to a simpler life in their new home. They were sure that Jehovah would provide for their basic needs. w22.01 4 paras. 7, 9.

How does Psalm 23:1-6 help us understand what David meant when he said that God's servants would lack “nothing good”?

What did David mean when he said that Jehovah’s servants would lack “nothing good”? Something that will help us understand it is to analyze some similar words that we find in Psalm 23 (read Psalm 23:1-6). David begins this psalm by saying: “The Lord is my Shepherd. I will lack nothing.” In the rest of this psalm, David mentions the things that are truly important: the abundant spiritual blessings he enjoys because Jehovah is his Shepherd. Jehovah “guides him in the paths of righteousness” and loyally supports him through thick and thin. David recognizes that his life in Jehovah's “grassy meadows” will not be without problems. He may sometimes feel discouraged, as if he were walking “in the valley of deep darkness,” and he says he will have enemies. But, since Jehovah is his Shepherd, David affirms: “I will fear no evil.”

So in what sense did David lack “nothing good”? In a spiritual sense, he had everything he needed. His happiness did not depend on material things. He was satisfied with what Jehovah gave him. For David, the most important thing was to have the blessing and protection of his God.

What “secret” did Paul record for us?

Paul gave similar advice to Timothy, and it works for us too. He wrote, “Therefore, if we have food and clothing, let us be content with that” (1 Tim. 6:8). Does this mean we can't enjoy a tasty meal, have a decent place to live, or buy a piece of clothing from time to time? Paul was not referring to that. What he meant is that we should be content with what we have in a material sense (Phil. 4:12). That was Paul's “secret.” The most valuable possession we have is our friendship with God, not material things (Hab. 3:17, 18).

What lesson do we learn from what Moses told the Israelites?

What we think we need may not be what Jehovah thinks. Let's look at what Moses said to the Israelites after they had spent 40 years in the wilderness: “The Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He is well aware of your journey through this great desert. During these 40 years, the Lord your God has been with you and you have lacked nothing” (Deut. 2:7). During those 40 years, Jehovah gave them manna as food. And his clothes, the same ones in which they had left Egypt, never wore out (Deut. 8:3, 4). Some Israelites may have thought that all this was little, but Moses reminded them that they had everything they needed. Jehovah will be happy if we learn to be content with what we have, that is, if we value even the smallest things that he gives us, see them as a blessing and give thanks for them.

Why do we know that David trusted in Jehovah and not in himself?

David knew that Jehovah is loyal and cares deeply for those who love him. Although his life was in danger when he composed Psalm 34, his faith was so strong that he felt as if the angel of Jehovah were camping around him (Ps. 34:7). Apparently, David compared the angel of Jehovah to a soldier who was camping very alert in case the enemy appeared. Although David was a powerful warrior and Jehovah had promised him that he would become king, he did not trust in his ability to throw a stone or use the sword to defeat his enemies (1 Sam. 16:13; 24). :12). Rather, he trusted in God and that his angel rescues those who fear him. Of course, we do not expect him to protect us today in a miraculous way. But what we do know is that no servant of God who trusts in him will suffer permanent harm.

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