Watchtower Study, Week of December 18-24, 2023, Jehovah “will make them strong”, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, December 18-24, 2023, Jehovah “will make them strong,” Answers Underlined.

Yellow: Direct Response.

Dark Yellow: Additional Response.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

“He will make them firm, he will make them strong, he will put them on a solid foundation” (1 PET. 5:10).

1. Where did the servants of God of the past draw strength from?

THE Bible often presents God's faithful servants as powerful people. But even the strongest didn't always feel that way. For example, at times King David was brave and felt “as strong as a mountain,” but at other times he felt weak and terrified (Ps. 30:7). On the other hand, Samson had incredible strength when Jehovah gave him his spirit, but he recognized that without God's power he would become “as weak as all other men” (Judges 14:5, 6; 16: 17). Where did these faithful servants get their strength? From Jehovah.

2. Why did the apostle Paul say that he was weak and yet powerful? (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10).

2 The apostle Paul recognized that he, too, needed the power that comes from Jehovah. (Read 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.) Like many of us, Paul had health problems (Gal. 4:13, 14). Furthermore, he struggled to do what was right (Rom. 7:18, 19). And sometimes he was distressed and feared for his life (2 Cor. 1:8, 9). Yet he said, “When I am weak, then I am powerful.” How was that possible? Because Jehovah gave him the strength he lacked, and thus made him powerful.

3. What questions will we answer in this article?

3 Jehovah promises to make us strong too (1 Pet. 5:10). But for that to happen we cannot sit idly by. Let's think about a car. For it to move forward it needs a powerful engine. But the engine will not propel the car if the driver does not step on the accelerator. Like that engine, Jehovah can give us the strength we need. But we have to do our part. What help has Jehovah given us to be strong? And what do we have to do to take advantage of them? To find out, let us see how Jehovah strengthened the prophet Jonah, Mary the mother of Jesus, and the apostle Paul. We will also see that Jehovah does the same for his servants today.

4. What can we do to receive Jehovah's strength?

4 One of the things we can do to receive Jehovah's strength is to pray. He answers our prayers by giving us “power beyond the ordinary” (2 Cor. 4:7). It is also good to read his Word and reflect on it (Ps. 86:11). What he tells us in the Bible “acts with power” (Heb. 4:12). So, if he prays to Jehovah and reads his Word, he will receive the strength he needs to endure, continue serving him with joy, or fulfill a challenging responsibility. Let's see how Jehovah strengthened the prophet Jonah.

5. Why did Jonah need strength?

5 Jonah needed strength. Jehovah had given him a mission. But, since he was afraid to fulfill it , he decided to flee and took a boat in the opposite direction. As a result, he and everyone on the ship almost died in a huge storm. When the sailors threw him overboard, he ended up in a dark and gloomy place: the belly of a big fish. How would Jonah feel? Would he think he was going to die there? Could he have thought that Jehovah had turned his back on him? In any case, he must have felt terribly distressed.

6. What gave Jonah strength in the belly of the fish? (Jonah 2:1, 2, 7).

6 What did Jonah do to receive strength inside the belly of the fish? From that lonely place, he prayed to Jehovah (read Jonah 2:1, 2, 7). Although he had disobeyed him, Jonah knew that Jehovah would hear his humble prayer, for he was repentant. Additionally, he reflected on the Scriptures. How do we know? For in his prayer, which is in Jonah chapter 2, he used many of the words and expressions of the Psalms (for example, compare Jonah 2:2, 5 with Psalm 69:1; 86:7). It is clear that Jonah knew those passages very well. And, as he meditated on them while living that difficult experience, he had confidence that Jehovah would help him. Later, when he returned to dry land, he was ready to accept his mission and fulfill it (Jon. 2:10-3:4).

7, 8. What helped a brother be strong during difficult times?

7 Jonah's example can help us when we go through difficult situations. Let's think about a brother from Taiwan named Zhiming. He is very sick and, in order to serve Jehovah, he suffers fierce opposition from his family. How do you get the strength that Jehovah gives? Praying and studying. He admits: “Sometimes when problems arise I feel so distressed that I cannot calm down to do my personal study.” But he doesn't throw in the towel. He says: “The first thing I do is pray to Jehovah. Then I put on my headphones and listen to some Kingdom songs. Sometimes I sing them quietly until I can calm down. And then I start studying.”

8 What Zhiming has learned in his personal study has given him strength at the right time. On one occasion, when he was recovering from a delicate operation, a nurse told him that he had so few red blood cells that he would need a blood transfusion. But the night before he had surgery he had read about a sister who had undergone the same operation. The sister's red blood cell level was lower than his, but she did not accept blood and recovered well. Reading that experience gave Zhiming strength to be faithful.

9. What can you do if a test has left you powerless? (See also images).

9 When you are going through a trial, do you sometimes feel so distressed that it is very difficult for you to pray? Or does it seem to you that he doesn't have the strength to study? Remember that Jehovah understands perfectly what you are going through. Therefore, even when he prays a simple prayer to him, he can be convinced that he will give him just what he needs (Eph. 3:20). If physical or emotional pain makes it difficult for you to read and study, a good idea might be to listen to recordings of the Bible or our publications. Another thing that might help you is to play one of our songs or a video from jw.org. When you pray to Jehovah and seek the answer to your prayers in the spiritual gifts he gives, it is as if you were saying, “Please give me strength.”

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. Jonah prays from his heart to Jehovah in the belly of a fish. 2. A brother prays heartily to Jehovah in his bedroom. Next to him he has a Bible and a telephone with headphones. Like the prophet Jonah, what can give us strength to endure a trial? (See paragraphs 6 to 9).

BROTHERS GIVE US STRENGTH

10. How do brothers give us strength?

10 Jehovah can use brothers to give us strength. They can be “a source of great comfort” when we are going through difficult times or struggling to fulfill a responsibility (Col. 4:10, 11). “In times of trouble” is when we need our friends most (Prov. 17:17). If we feel weak, the brothers can give us physical, emotional and spiritual help. Let's see how Mary, the mother of Jesus, received help and strength.

11. Why did Mary need strength?

11 Mary needed strength to fulfill Jehovah's will. She must have felt very overwhelmed when the angel Gabriel communicated to her the great responsibility she would have. She was going to get pregnant without getting married. She had no experience as a mother, but she was going to raise the one who would be the Messiah. She had never had sexual relations, and now she would have to explain to her fiancé, Joseph, that she was pregnant (Luke 1:26-33).

12. According to Luke 1:39-45, how did Mary receive the strength she needed?

12 How did Mary receive the strength to fulfill such a great and unique responsibility? Leaning on others. For example, she told Gabriel to give her more information about the task Jehovah had given him (Luke 1:34). Shortly afterward, she made a long journey through “the hill country” of Judah to visit her relative, Elizabeth. And the visit was worth it! Elizabeth congratulated Mary, and through the spirit of God, she spoke an encouraging prophecy about the baby Mary was going to have (read Luke 1:39-45). In response, Mary said that Jehovah had “done mighty things with his arm” (Luke 1:46-51). Jehovah used Gabriel and Elizabeth to strengthen Mary.

13. What happened when Dasurí asked the brothers for help?

13 Just like Mary, other faithful servants of God can strengthen you too. Let's look at the example of a sister from Bolivia named Dasurí. Her father was diagnosed with a terminal illness and was hospitalized. She wanted to be a good daughter and take good care of him (1 Tim. 5:4). She needed the support of others to fulfill this responsibility, which was not always easy. She admits: “Many times I felt like I couldn't take it anymore.” But at first she didn't ask for help. Because? Dasurí explains: “she didn't want to be a burden on the brothers. She told myself: 'It is Jehovah who is going to help me.' But then I realized that by isolating myself from others I was actually fighting my problems alone” (Prov. 18:1). Dasurí decided to write to some friends to explain her situation. She goes on to say, “I have no words to express how much my dear siblings supported and strengthened me. They brought food to the hospital and encouraged me with texts from the Bible. How nice it is to feel that we are not alone! We belong to Jehovah's great family, a family that is willing to help you with whatever you need, to cry with you and fight at your side.”

14. Why should we accept help from the elderly?

14 Jehovah also uses the elderly to give us strength. They are like gifts he gives us to strengthen and comfort us (Isa. 32:1, 2). So talk to them when something worries you. And if they offer help, accept it gladly. Jehovah uses them to make him strong.

OUR HOPE GIVES US STRENGTH

15. What beautiful hope do all Christians have?

15 The hope that the Bible gives us fills us with strength (Rom. 4:3, 18-20). All Christians have the wonderful hope of living forever, whether in heaven or in a paradise here on Earth. Because of that hope, we have the strength to endure trials, preach the good news, and fulfill our responsibilities in the congregation (1 Thes. 1:3). Let's see how that same hope strengthened the apostle Paul.

16. Why did the apostle Paul need strength?

 16 Paul needed strength. In his letter to the Corinthians he said it was as fragile as a clay pot. He said that he had been oppressed, persecuted, and torn down, and that he had been indecisive. There were even times when he almost lost his life (2 Cor. 4:8-10). He wrote all this on his third missionary journey. Probably at that time he did not know that more difficulties awaited him. Later, during that same trip, a violent mob attacked him, he was arrested, he almost died in a shipwreck and ended up in prison.

17. According to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, what gave Paul strength to endure trials?

17 What gave Paul strength to endure? Focus on your hope (read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18). He told the Corinthian brothers that, although his body was “wasting away,” his spirit was intact. He focused on the life he would have in the future. For him, the heavenly hope was very special, “of an increasingly extraordinary greatness.” And he was willing to endure anything to win the reward. Paul meditated on that hope, and as a result he felt that he was “being renewed every day.”

18. How does hope strengthen Tíjomir and his family?

18 Hope is what gives strength to a brother from Bulgaria named Tíjomir. A few years ago, his younger brother, Zdravko, died in a traffic accident. Tíjomir was devastated. What has helped him and his family cope with this pain? Think about what the resurrection will be like. He explains: “For example, we start talking about where we will receive Zdravko, what food we will prepare for him, who we will invite to his welcome party, and what details of the last days we will tell him.” Tíjomir says that focusing on hope gives his family strength to continue holding on and waiting for the moment when Jehovah resurrects his brother.

19. What can you do to strengthen your hope? (See also the image).

 19 What can you do to strengthen your hope? If you hope to live forever on Earth, read what the Bible says about Paradise and imagine yourself there (Is. 25:8; 32:16-18). Think about what life will be like in the new world. Do you see yourself there? And who do you see? That hears? What do you feel? The images of Paradise that appear in our publications will help you let your imagination run wild. You can also watch music videos, such as Real Life, Very Close, or I Contemplate That Day. If we are in the habit of thinking about what life will be like in the new world, difficulties will seem “momentary and light” (2 Cor. 4:17). The hope that Jehovah gives him will make him strong.

ILLUSTRATION

A deaf sister watches the “True Life” music video in sign language and ponders what her life will be like in the new world. She imagines herself playing the cello alongside other musicians. What does she imagine her life will be like in the new world? (See paragraph 19).

20. Where will we get strength even in the moments when we feel weak?

20 “Through God we will have strength” even in the moments when we feel weak (Ps. 108:13). Jehovah has already given us everything we need to be strong. Therefore, when you find it difficult to fulfill a responsibility, endure a trial, or continue to joyfully serve Jehovah, pray to him from the heart and study the Bible for his guidance. Also, accept the help of the brothers and keep his hope very alive. Then Jehovah “through his glorious power” will strengthen him “with all the power necessary to endure all things with patience and happiness” (Col. 1:11).

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

How do prayer and personal study give us strength?

One of the things we can do to receive Jehovah's strength is to pray. He answers our prayers by giving us power beyond the ordinary. It is also good to read his word and reflect on it. What he tells us in the Bible acts with power. So, if we pray to Jehovah and read his word, we will receive the strength we need to endure, continue serving him joyfully, or fulfill a challenging responsibility.

How do brothers give us strength?

Jehovah can use brothers to give us strength. They can be a source of great comfort when we are going through difficult times or struggling to fulfill a responsibility. In times of distress is when we most need our friends to help us physically, emotionally and spiritually.

How does our hope give us strength?

The wonderful hope of living forever, whether in heaven or in a paradise here on earth. Because of that hope, we have the strength to endure trials, preach the good news, and fulfill our responsibilities in the congregation.

The hope that the Bible gives us fills us with strength as mentioned in Romans 4:3,18-20.