DAILY TEXT, From today Monday, April 8, 2024, Maintain your good judgment and be vigilant! His adversary, the Devil, walks around him like a roaring lion trying to devour someone (1 Pet. 5:8).

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Monday April 8, 2024

Maintain good judgment and be vigilant! His adversary, the Devil, walks around him like a roaring lion trying to devour someone (1 Pet. 5:8).

All over the world there are brothers who, with the help of Jehovah, have overcome very difficult situations and have managed to stand against the Devil (1 Pet. 5:9). You can do it too. Soon, Jehovah will signal to Jesus and those who rule with him that it is time to “undo the works of the Devil” (1 John 3:8). After that, God's servants on Earth will see this promise fulfilled: “Nothing will make you afraid, nor will you have reason to be terrified” (Isa. 54:14; Micah 4:4). Until that day arrives, let us strive to overcome our fears. We must increasingly trust that Jehovah loves and protects his servants. What will help us achieve it? Reflect on how Jehovah has already cared for his servants and talk about it with others. Let us also keep in mind how he has helped us ourselves when we have gone through distressing situations. With Jehovah’s help, we can overcome our fears (Ps. 34:4). w22.06 19 paras. 19, 20.

THE FEAR OF DIE

Why is it normal to feel afraid of dying?

The Bible states that death is an enemy (1 Cor. 15:25, 26). Thinking about death can cause us a lot of distress, especially if we or our loved ones are very sick. Why are we afraid to think about death? Because Jehovah created us with the desire to live forever (Eccl. 3:11). But a reasonable degree of fear of death can protect us. For example, it may prompt us to watch our diet, exercise, avoid unnecessary risks, and go to the doctor and take medication when necessary.

How does Satan take advantage of our natural fear of dying?

Satan knows that we value life very much. That is why he assures us that we are willing to sacrifice anything—including our friendship with Jehovah—to stay alive (Job 2:4, 5). But how wrong he is! Because he “has the means to cause death,” he takes advantage of our natural fear of death to turn our backs on Jehovah.​—Heb. 2:14, 15. Sometimes Satan uses people to threaten us and tell us that if we don't renounce our faith, they will kill us. Or he may use a medical emergency to cause us to fall and fail Jehovah. Doctors or non-Witness relatives may pressure us to accept a blood transfusion, which is against God's law. Or perhaps someone tries to convince us to accept a treatment that violates biblical principles.

According to Romans 8:37-39, why should we not be afraid of dying?

None of us wants to die, but we know that if we were to lose our lives, Jehovah would still love us. (Read Romans 8:37-39.) Jehovah's friends who die remain alive in his memory, as if they still existed.​—Luke 20:37, 38. And he is eager to bring them back to life (Job 14:15). Jehovah has paid a very high price for us to have eternal life (John 3:16). We know very well how much he loves us and cares for us. That is why, when we are sick or are threatened with death, we do not turn our backs. On the contrary, we turn to him to give us comfort, wisdom and strength. That is exactly what Valeria and her husband did (Ps. 41:3).

What does Valeria's example teach you?

Valeria was diagnosed with a rare and very aggressive type of cancer when she was 35 years old. Let's see how Jehovah's love helped her overcome her fear of his death. She says: “The diagnosis they gave me changed our lives overnight. The only alternative was to have major surgery. I went to many surgeons, but none wanted to operate on me without blood. She was scared, but, since she wanted to obey God, there was no way she was going to accept a transfusion! Throughout my life Jehovah had shown me so much love..., now was my opportunity to show my love for him. Every time I was given bad news, I felt more strongly about not letting Satan have his way. I wanted Jehovah to be proud of me. Some time later I had surgery without blood, and everything went very well. I continue to struggle with my health problems, but Jehovah has never stopped giving us what we need. For example, the weekend before I was told I had cancer, we studied the article 'Let's face life's blows with courage' at the meeting. It suited us like a glove. We read it over and over again. Thanks to articles like this and our good spiritual routine, my husband and I did not lose our calm or balance, and we were able to make good decisions.”

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