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Let us examine the scriptures every day 2024
Wednesday July 17, 2024
Do not stop doing good to those you should do good to if it is within your power to help them (Prov. 3:27).
Did you know that Jehovah can use you to answer a brother's prayer? It does not matter if we are elders, ministerial servants, pioneers, publishers, young, old, men or women. When someone who loves Jehovah asks for help, our God often uses his elders and other servants to be “a source of great comfort” to that person.—Col. 4:11. It is a great honor to serve Jehovah and our brothers in this way. We can do this when epidemic outbreaks arise, in emergency situations or in the face of persecution. Now, we may have every desire to help others, but our own family is suffering. Even so, we want to help our brothers, and Jehovah is happy to see that we do everything in our power. (Prov. 19:17) w22.12 22 paras. 1, 2.
What does the example of the elders of the Desi congregation teach us? (Jeremiah 23:4).
What the elderly can do. If you are a congregation elder, know the sheep well (read Jeremiah 23:4). Desi, mentioned in the previous article, says: “The elders in my preaching group already had the habit of preaching with me and the other brothers, and they did things with us.”b Thanks to what they had done, these pastors were made it easier to help Desi when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and she lost some family members to the virus.
Why were the elders able to help Desi, and what is the lesson?
Desi explains: “The elderly were already my friends, so it wasn't difficult for me to tell them what I felt and what worried me.” What is the lesson for the elderly? Shepherd the sheep and be their friends before times of crisis. If due to an epidemic outbreak you cannot visit them in their homes, find other ways to be in contact with them. Desi remembers: “Sometimes several elders would call or message me on the same day. The texts they shared with me touched my heart, although I already knew them well.”
How can the elders know what the needs of the brothers are, and how can they help them?
One way elders can know what their brothers' needs are by asking them thoughtful questions (Prov. 20:5). Are your basic needs, such as food or medicine, covered? Could they lose their job or home? Do they need us to give them a hand to request some help from the Government? In Desi's case, some brothers helped her in a material sense. But what helped her the most was the emotional and spiritual support that the elders gave her. She says: “The elders prayed with me. I don't remember the specific words they said, but I do remember how I felt. It was as if Jehovah was telling me, 'You are not alone'” (Isa. 41:10, 13).
How can we help each other in the congregation? (See photos).
What the congregation can do. We know that the elderly are the first to attend to the needs of their brothers. But Jehovah asks all of us to encourage and help others.—Gal. 6:10. Even a small detail that shows our love can mean a lot to someone who is sick. Children could make a card or a drawing to encourage a sibling. Young people could offer to run an errand or purchase for a sister. Others might prepare a meal for a sick person and leave it at their home. Of course, when an illness is widespread, everyone in the congregation needs encouragement. That's why it may be good for us to stay a little longer after the meeting to talk with the brothers, either in person or by video conference. And the elderly also need encouragement. Some brothers make thank-you notes to the elderly, who are usually busier than ever during an outbreak. How good it is that we all strive to follow this biblical advice: “Continue to encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thes. 5:11).
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