DAILY TEXT, Wednesday, July 10, 2024, A good man benefits himself (Prov. 11:17).

DAILY TEXT, Today Wednesday, July 10, 2024. A good man benefits himself (Prov. 11:17).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2024

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Let us put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation (1 Thes. 5:8).

Christian hope is like a helmet that protects our minds and helps us not lead a life of complacency that ruins our friendship with Jehovah (1 Cor. 15:33, 34). The helmet of hope also protects us from the idea that pleasing Jehovah is not worth the effort. Let us remember that Eliphaz, one of Job's false friends, told him something similar: “How can mortal man be pure […]?” Then he added: “Look, God does not trust in his saints, and not even the heavens are pure in his sight” (Job 15:14, 15). What a big lie! Let's remember that it is Satan who wants us to think like this. He knows that if we continue to dwell on this idea, we will lose hope. Therefore, let us fight this lie. Let us never doubt that Jehovah wants all of his servants to live forever and that he will help us achieve that goal.​—1 Tim. 2:3, 4. w22.10 25, 26 paras. 8-10.

HOW TO KEEP HOPE STRONG

Why should we be patient until the day comes when our hope will come true?

It is not always easy to keep our hope strong. Maybe sometimes we get impatient as we wait for God to fulfill his promises. But Jehovah is eternal and he does not see time the way we do (2 Pet. 3:8, 9). He will accomplish what he has proposed in the best possible way, but perhaps he will not do it at the time we want. What will help us keep hope strong and be patient as the day comes when God will fulfill what he has promised? (James 5:7, 8).

According to Hebrews 11:1, 6, what is the relationship between hope and faith?

Our hope will remain strong if we are close to Jehovah because he is the one who guarantees that it will come true. In fact, the Bible connects hope with faith that Jehovah exists and that he “rewards those who earnestly seek him” (read Hebrews 11:1, 6). The more real Jehovah is to us, the more we will trust him to fulfill all of his promises. Let's see what we can do to deepen our friendship with him and thus keep our hope strong.

How can we be friends of God?

Let us pray to Jehovah and read his Word. It is true that we cannot see Jehovah, but it is possible to be his friend. We can talk to him when we pray to him, confident that he hears us (Jer. 29:11, 12). And we have the opportunity to hear him when we read his Word and meditate on it. As we read about how Jehovah cared for his loyal servants in the past, our hope grows ever stronger. All things in God's Word “were written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).

Why is it good for us to reflect on what Jehovah has done for others?

Let us reflect on how Jehovah has fulfilled his promises. Let's think about what he did for Abraham and Sarah. Because of their age, they could no longer have children, but God promised them that they would have one (Gen. 18:10). How did Abraham react? The Bible answers: “He had faith that he would be the father of many nations” (Rom. 4:18). To a human being, it might seem hopeless, but Abraham was sure that Jehovah would fulfill his promise. This faithful servant of God was not disappointed (Rom. 4:19-21). Stories like this teach us that we can always trust Jehovah to be faithful to his word, no matter how difficult a situation may seem to us.

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