DAILY TEXT, Today's Friday, February 16, 2024,  Everything Jehovah makes is trustworthy (Ps. 33:4).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2024

Friday February 16, 2024

Everything Jehovah does is trustworthy (Ps. 33:4).

The prophet Daniel left us an excellent example. When he was taken captive to Babylon, he soon gained a reputation for being trustworthy. And that fame grew when with the help of Jehovah he interpreted the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4: 20-22, 25). Many years later, Daniel again demonstrated that he was trustworthy when he accurately interpreted a mysterious message that appeared on the wall of the palace in Babylon (Dan. 5:5, 25-29). And later Darius the Mede and his officials also realized that Daniel “had an extraordinary spirit.” They recognized that he “was trustworthy and could not be blamed for negligence or corruption” (Dan. 6:3, 4). Let's ask ourselves: “Do others consider me someone they trust?” When we show that we are trustworthy, we honor Jehovah. w22.09 8, 9 paras. 2-4.

Why did Hananiah have a reputation for being very trustworthy?

In 455 BC, after rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Governor Nehemiah put some trusted men in charge of the city. One of them was Hananiah, the head of the Fortress. The Bible says that Hananiah “was a very trustworthy man and feared the true God more than many others” (Neh. 7:2). Love for Jehovah and fear of displeasing Him motivated Hananiah to take seriously any responsibility he received. These same qualities will help us be trustworthy servants of God.

How did Tychicus prove that he was a trustworthy friend of the apostle Paul?

Let's look at the example of Tychicus, a trusted companion of the apostle Paul. When Paul was under house arrest, he enlisted the help of Tychicus and said that he was a “faithful minister in the Lord” (Eph. 6:21, 22). He not only trusted him to bring letters to the brothers in Ephesus and Colossae, but also to encourage and console them. Tychicus makes us think of the faithful and trustworthy men of our day who care for our spiritual needs (Col. 4:7-9).

What good example do the elders and ministerial servants in our congregation set for us?

Today we greatly value the work of elders and ministerial servants, who are trustworthy brothers. Like Daniel, Hananiah, and Tychicus, they take their responsibilities seriously. For example, when we go to the midweek meeting, we are sure that all parts of the program will have been assigned. And the elders are very grateful when the brothers and sisters prepare well and present their assignments. Furthermore, when we invite our Bible students to the weekend meeting, we do not ask whether a speaker has been invited for the public talk. On the other hand, we trust that we will have the necessary publications to preach. Without a doubt, we feel that these faithful brothers take good care of us, and we thank Jehovah. But how can we prove that we are trustworthy?

How do we demonstrate balance in caring for others? (Proverbs 11:13)

We love our brothers and we care about what happens to them. But we must be balanced and respect their private life. In the Christian congregation of the first century there were people who were gossips, meddling in other people's affairs, and talking about things they should not (1 Tim. 5:13). We sure don't want to be like that. Let's imagine that someone talks to us about a personal matter assuming that it will remain between us. For example, a sister tells us that she has a health problem or that she is going through some other test, and she asks us not to tell anyone. It is clear that we must respect her wishes (read Proverbs 11:13).b In what other situations is it important that we know how to keep a confidence?

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