DAILY TEXT, Today Saturday February 17, 2024,  Imitate God as beloved children (Eph. 5:1).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2024

Saturday February 17, 2024

Imitate God as beloved children (Eph. 5:1).

When we faithfully follow Jehovah's standards of right and wrong, we do well in life. Let's see why. For example, what would happen if each bank decided the value of coins or if each construction company had its own system of measurements? It would be chaos. And, if in a hospital each doctor or nurse treated patients in their own way, some could die. It is clear that following established rules protects us. And the same thing happens with God's rules, they are for our good. Jehovah blesses those who strive to respect them. He promises: “The righteous will inherit the land and live in it forever” (Ps. 37:29). Can you imagine what life will be like when everyone follows Jehovah's standards? We will live happily and enjoy peace and unity. Jehovah wants you to receive these blessings. Without a doubt, we have compelling reasons to love his justice. w22.08 27, 28 paras. 6-8.

What will help us love justice?

First: Love the person who sets the rules. If we want to love justice, we must love more the one who sets the standards for what is right and what is wrong. The more we love Jehovah, the more we will desire to live by his righteous standards. Let's think about Adam and Eve. If they had loved Jehovah, they would never have disobeyed him (Gen. 3:1-6, 16-19).

What did Abraham do to understand Jehovah better?

Don't we really want to look like Adam and Eve? To avoid making the same mistake as them, we must get to know Jehovah better and better, appreciate his qualities, and strive to understand his way of thinking. If we do, our love for him will surely grow. Let's look at Abraham, who deeply loved his God. Even when it was difficult for him to understand Jehovah’s decisions, he did not rebel. On the contrary, he did everything possible to get to know him better. For example, how did he react when he learned that Jehovah had decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? At first he feared that “the Judge of all the earth” would kill the righteous along with the wicked. It seemed impossible to him that God would do something like that, so he asked him some questions with great humility. And Jehovah was patient and answered him. At the end of the conversation, Abraham understood that Jehovah searches the hearts of all human beings and that he never punishes the innocent along with the guilty.​—Gen. 18:20-32.

How did Abraham show that he loved and trusted Jehovah?

Abraham's conversation with Jehovah about Sodom and Gomorrah left a deep impression on him. He undoubtedly contributed to her loving and respecting his Father more than before. Years later, Abraham faced a very complicated situation that tested his trust in God. Jehovah asked him to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. By then, as Abraham knew his God better, he did not ask any questions. He simply prepared to do what Jehovah had asked of him. Even so, making those preparations must have been very hard. He surely meditated on what he had learned from Jehovah. He knew that he would never do anything unfair or cruel. As the apostle Paul explained, Abraham concluded that Jehovah could resurrect his beloved Isaac (Heb. 11:17-19). And that made sense, because Jehovah had promised him that Isaac would be the ancestor of a nation, and at that time he still had no children. Because Abraham loved Jehovah, he was sure that he would act justly. With a heart full of faith he obeyed his Father, no matter how difficult it was (Gen. 22: 1-12).

How can we imitate Abraham? (Psalm 73:28).

How can we imitate Abraham? We need to know Jehovah better and better. If we do, we will draw closer to him and love him even more (read Psalm 73:28). Additionally, we will train our conscience according to God's way of thinking (Heb. 5:14). Thus, when someone places a temptation before us, we will say no. It will not even cross our minds to do something that hurts our Father's feelings and damages our friendship with him. What more can we do to show that we love God's justice?

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