DAILY TEXT, Today Sunday April 14, 2024, Present Isaac as a burnt offering (Gen. 22:2).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2024

Sunday April 14, 2024

Present Isaac as a burnt offering (Gen. 22:2).

Abraham knew that Jehovah would never do anything unjust or cruel. As the apostle Paul explained, Abraham concluded that Jehovah could resurrect his beloved Isaac from him (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? We need to know Jehovah better and better. If we do, we will draw closer to him and love him even more (Ps. 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. w22.08 28, 29 paras. 11, 12.

What do we have to do to vigorously seek justice? (Proverbs 15:9).

We must strive daily to love justice more. Strengthening our love for Jehovah’s righteous standards is like strengthening a muscle: it takes constant effort. It's something we can do every day. We know that Jehovah is reasonable and he never expects us to do more than we can do (Ps. 103:14). He assures us that he “loves those who earnestly seek justice” (read Proverbs 15:9). Is it true that if we have a spiritual goal we continue striving until we reach it? Well, with that same determination we seek justice. And Jehovah will patiently help us to continue progressing, to improve as time goes by (Ps. 84:5, 7).

What does “the breastplate of justice” represent, and why do we need it?

Jehovah lovingly reminds us that doing what he says is right is not a burden (1 John 5:3). On the contrary, he protects us, and we need that protection every day. Let's think about the spiritual armor that the apostle Paul spoke about (Eph. 6:14-18). What part protects the heart of the Christian? “The breastplate of righteousness,” which represents Jehovah's righteous standards. Just as a shell protects the physical heart, Jehovah's standards protect our symbolic heart, that is, who we are on the inside. That is why it is so important that our spiritual armor always wears the breastplate of righteousness (Prov. 4:23).

How do we put on the breastplate of justice?

How do we put on the breastplate of justice? Taking into account God's standards in our daily decisions. Before choosing the topics we will talk about, the music we will listen to, the entertainment we will watch or the books we will read, let us ask ourselves: “What will enter my heart? Is it something that pleases Jehovah? Or does he encourage things he considers unjust, such as sexual immorality, violence, greed and selfishness?” (Philipp. 4:8). If our decisions are in accordance with Jehovah's will, his righteous standards will protect our hearts from evil influences.

How does Isaiah 48:18 assure us that it is possible to obey Jehovah's standards forever?

What if we are worried about not being able to continue living by Jehovah's righteous standards day after day, year after year? Let's think about a comparison that Jehovah uses and that we find in Isaiah 48:18 (read it). Jehovah promises that our righteousness can be “like the waves of the sea.” Let's imagine that we are on the seashore calmly watching the waves come non-stop, one after the other. Didn't we think at that moment that perhaps one day the waves would stop coming? Of course not. We know that the waves have been reaching that beach for thousands of years, and they will surely continue to do so.

So what should we do so that our righteousness is like the waves of the sea? When we have to make a decision, let us first think about what Jehovah wants us to do, and then do it. No matter how difficult a decision may be, our loving Father will always be there to help us be constant and continue to obey his righteous rules day after day (Is. 40: 29-31).

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