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Let us remember that Jehovah is “the living God”
“The Lord lives!” (Ps. 18:46).
1. What can help us to continue serving Jehovah despite so many problems?
One of the main things that can help us to serve by worshiping Jehovah is to remember that Jehovah is the living God.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
2 Timothy 3:1 makes it very clear that we are living in the last days, which are critical and difficult to bear. So there are too many problems surrounding us in this system, which is why we must remember that Jehovah is the living God. Understanding this and keeping it in mind is vital to having the strength and confidence necessary to face opposition and persecution.
Because we all have many problems, but we also have to deal with persecution by the opposition and other handicaps that living in this system presents to us.
In fact, here we also have the support of Jeremiah 10:10 where he recognizes that Jehovah is the true God who is the living God and who is eternal.
2. How does Jehovah prove that he is the living God?
He does this in times of difficulty, giving us his support and always looking for opportunities to help us when we need it so much. And the text of 2 Chronicles chapter 16 verse 9 is beautiful, where it indicates that Jehovah is watching to show his strength in favor of those who serve him with a complete heart, that is, he is always looking out for us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In Psalm 23:4 it says that with his rod and with his staff he gives us security, that is, he gives us the rod so that we continue on the right path and the staff so that if during that path we have any difficulty we can lean on it.
Also the idea of the text of 2 Chronicles 16:9 where it mentions that the eyes of Jehovah are watching the whole earth to show his strength in favor of those who serve him with a complete heart, that shows that he is a living God who is also aware of all his servants to help them.
And when we suffer a difficulty, He is not waiting for us to ask for His help to give it to us, but as the paragraph says, He looks for the opportunity to do so.
3. What did David mean when he exclaimed: “The Lord lives!”?
In Psalm 18:6 he cried out to Jehovah for help and then in 18:46 when he said that Jehovah lives it is in response to Jehovah answering his prayer and that is why he said it.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
When David exclaimed Jehovah lives he was not simply saying that God exists, he was expressing confidence in Jehovah as a living God who helps his people again and again, David saw the hand of Jehovah in his life and that convinced him even more that Jehovah was alive and gave him the strength to continue serving and praising him.
These words were spoken by David after being rescued at a difficult time in his life. One reference work says that he was expressing his trust in Jehovah as if he were a living God who helps his people again and again, and that David saw how Jehovah answered his prayers and helped him in the moments when he needed it most.
And we know this very well because King David was going through a difficult time because Saul wanted to kill him and so he was chasing him, then he understood that Jehovah was alive and it was thanks to Jehovah that he was saved.
If the words of Psalm 18:29 are very beautiful when he expresses with the power of God I can climb a wall, so he knew that no matter what happens, he could count on Jehovah's help; he saw Jehovah's hand in his life, that is why he had that confidence in him and that is why he said Jehovah lives.
He showed that he really felt those words were that Jehovah exists or that Jehovah is alive because he had complete confidence in him that in any situation of problems Jehovah was there to help him and give him the necessary strength to move forward.
Here we have a reference work that claims that Jehovah was expressing that as gods he is alive and was helping his people again and again.
4. What are the benefits of seeing Jehovah as the living God?
It will give us strength to endure any problem.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
First, it helps us to serve Him with enthusiasm, second, we recognize that He will give us the strength to endure any problem, and He will motivate us to work hard for Him as well as have the determination to remain close to Him, which would be the third point.
It will motivate us to work hard for Jehovah, to serve him with enthusiasm to make known the good news we have for other people and it also strengthens our determination to remain close to him and have a close relationship with Jehovah.
The nuance is that he cares about his friends and not only does he care about his friends but he is willing to help them and gives them his help.
THE LIVING GOD WILL GIVE YOU STRENGTH
5. What helps us face difficulties with confidence? (Philippians 4:13)
The text says I have strength for everything thanks to him who gives me power. Remembering these words will help us face difficulties with confidence so that Philippians 4:13 will be fulfilled. To have strength, we need to remember that Jehovah is alive and that he can give us his support, and that will allow us to endure any difficulty no matter how great it may be. If our confidence is strong, this thought will help us to know things and understand them.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Thinking about what Paul says here that he has the strength for everything but of course the strength was not his but Jehovah's, Jehovah as he says here no problem is too big for him we can never have a situation so complicated that we say that this is too much Jehovah cannot help me and he can help us in those situations if before we have noticed how small things help us every day that can help us strengthen our confidence that he can help us with all the problems.
Yes, remembering that Jehovah is alive and is there and that he is eager to help us will give us a lot of encouragement and strength when facing any test.
Furthermore, our strength is limited, but Jehovah's strength is infinite. He has created the universe with his great power and can give us that power. If we see it this way, as we have seen, we will have confidence when we face trials.
The apostle Paul wrote these words in Philippians to assure Christians that they will receive power from God to fulfill Jehovah's will; God can give us the strength we need to face any problem.
And also an idea that the paragraph says is that no problem is too big for Jehovah, so if we keep in mind that Jehovah is alive and is watching over us, we will always be safe at his side.
6. What experiences strengthened young David’s trust in Jehovah?
In the account of 1 Samuel 17:34 to 37, David mentioned to King Saul what he had experienced. Thanks to Jehovah's support, he faced a lion and on another occasion a bear, all to defend his sheep. So David was sure that Jehovah had given him the strength to do it, but he never acknowledged that he had achieved it because of him, because he was a good shepherd. He always attributed all this to Jehovah.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
This example of David is not very useful to us who have to trust in Jehovah and that he will always be there to solve even the biggest or smallest problems.
Two animals that no one can defeat, he dared to defeat them, he took a sheep from one, he took something else from the other and he only strengthened it and that was a child, so that belonged to him for his entire life and we do not have that individual power but we have the prayer that we can go to Jehovah for anything that we have asked for or that happens to us.
They went on two occasions, well then he had more, but on these two occasions he had to fight, let's say, with a bear to rescue a sheep and also with a lion and then he did not attribute it to himself but he thought it was thanks to Jehovah who gave him courage and strength to be able to do it.
So he never forgot these situations and that is why it helped him to meditate and convince himself even more that the living God would strengthen him in the future in any situation that might arise.
He used those experiences when he wanted to confront the giant Goliath. He explained to Saul that he had those experiences, that he killed a lion and a bear, but he says that it was Jehovah. Jehovah freed me from the claws of the lion and the bear and he will also free me from the hands of this Philistine. Thus, there are examples from the past of how Jehovah helped him and strengthened him to bravely confront Goliath. Something similar happens with us. Seeing from our past experience how Jehovah has helped us can give us strength to face future trials.
Well, I would have done exactly the opposite, I would have run away as fast as possible. If Jehovah gave him the strength to be able to knock down the bear and the lion, how could he not do it against Goliath who had challenged his army to Jehovah's army?
7. What did David focus on, and why did that help him fight Goliath?
When this event arose, unlike the Israelite soldiers who were frightened by the size of Goliath and the words of threats referring to the army, as such David saw it as a challenge against the army, but of the living God, he was not talking about human beings, but about the reputation of Jehovah and everything that this involved.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We see that unlike the soldiers of Israel who focused on the fact that Goliath was big, strong and very large, we see that David focused on the whole picture that Goliath was challenging Jehovah and that he had Jehovah on his side and that he was much bigger than Goliath.
It is interesting to note the story of the first Samuel chapter 17 verse 10 and 11 how the Israelite soldiers and Saul were terrified because they had simply focused on seeing the figure of this giant, however David, remembering what Jehovah had done with the bear and the lion, fully trusted in Jehovah that he would rescue him and help him defeat this giant.
So, since he loved Jehovah's reputation, he knew that he had to act and that Jehovah was going to support him once again, since he was not looking at the size of this man, nor at his intimidating words, but rather that he was offending the living God and as we already know according to the account of 1 Samuel, David defeated Goliath with the help of Jehovah.
If he not only saw the giant Goliath but saw the whole picture, he saw that he was messing with the army, apart from the fact that it was the army of Israel, it was the army of the living God, and so what he wanted was for him to stop messing with Jehovah, and as has already been said, since he already had proof that Jehovah was helping him, he had perfect confidence that at this moment he was going to do the same.
And Saul's soldiers were also Israelites, their God was also Jehovah and they knew that he was alive but they did not see him as a living God at their side as a friend as a father who was taking care of them and who would give them whatever was necessary to overcome any difficulty, even a giant.
That is why it is important to be able to experience how it was in David's case that Jehovah is a God who moves as if he were alive, who moves for his own when this happened to him with the animals and that is what living it is that made him trust in everything that was coming ahead as in this case.
And the rest of the Israelites, as the story of one Samuel 17 says in verses 10 and 11, it says that when they heard the words of the Philistine they were very afraid and then in 24 and 25 it says that when they saw him they retreated in terror, they concentrated on what they saw and heard, but David, although he also saw the same thing and heard the same thing but saw beyond, trusted in Jehovah and knew that just as he had helped him with the bear and the lion, he would also help him against Goliath if he trusted in Jehovah.
8. What will help us strengthen our trust in Jehovah during difficult times? (See also image.)
Like David, when we go through difficult situations in our lives, we need to remember what he has done in the past to save his servants, and even ourselves.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, we must meditate on what Jehovah has done in the past to show that he is attentive to what happens to his servants. We can do this by reviewing the biblical accounts of servants of the past, as we have done now with the subject of David, but also brothers who are now, well, in the present, which we can also see on jw.org and also what he has done with us in our lives.
In Psalm 11:86, paragraph 8, it says, The Lord is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? These are undoubtedly beautiful words for difficult times in our lives, but although we may not have had an experience as spectacular as David's, we have received his help, in addition to being invited to be his friends, which not everyone has.
For example, with respect to information on the page, I began to think about the communications that we receive practically every week about our brothers in Russia, where the organization keeps us well informed about their condition. Interviews are made with them and they explain biblical texts that have helped them endure. Jehovah supports them in difficult times and that strengthens us and also helps us endure difficult situations.
Yes, something that Jehovah has done for us is what John 6:44 says: He has invited us to be his friends, he has brought us to the truth and it is also important that he is helping us to remain in the truth, to continue day to day with problems and difficulties and we must not forget that.
We have a lot of information from the JW, for example the section the Bible changed their lives, we have many stories and experiences of our brothers in modern times who have had to face many difficulties in order to continue serving Jehovah, this can help us too.
Well it would have a very powerful impact to see that Jehovah takes care of his friends and that Jehovah is very powerful, because it mentions how Hezekiah is going through a very difficult time, the Assyrians are going to invade him, they are there with great desire to do a lot of harm to Jehovah's people, they mock them, they are trying to undermine them morally and physically and instead Jehovah tells him some very clear words he says they are not going to enter, they are not going to shoot and they are not going to raise a ramp to attack you, then they would think what is going to happen, well Jehovah in one night an angel killed the 185,000 soldiers, which indicates that for Jehovah nothing is impossible. If one is going through a very difficult time and one thinks that for Jehovah nothing is impossible, it can give us courage, it can give us encouragement and to know that we are in his hands and that we are not going to be able to go through a situation beyond what we can bear.
And stories like this one, just like that of David, also help us to think that when we face trials we must see the whole picture. Hezekiah also understood that it was not an attack against him but against the living God, against Jehovah. In this way we will see the whole picture and we will see how Jehovah is at our side; we are not alone.
9. How should we view problems? (Proverbs 27:11)
If we see these from the correct perspective, we will understand that trials are, as Proverbs 27:11 indicates, a moment of demonstration to Jehovah that we love him and that Satan's accusation of saying that we are going to abandon him when things get ugly is a big lie.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We must see them from the correct perspective as an opportunity to show Jehovah that we love him and that Satan is a liar since he claims that when we have problems we will abandon Jehovah, so if we remain faithful as Proverbs 27:11 says, then Jehovah will respond to the one who challenges him.
Well, as something much bigger than the problem itself, but rather the issue between Satan and Jehovah, then if we face the problem in a way that we become faithful, then we are demonstrating that we love Jehovah and that Satan is a liar.
Say in conclusion that the test we are going through is an opportunity to make Jehovah happy.
Who would not say that the apostle Paul went through difficulties and that is why he gives us the advice that we found to the Corinthians that sometimes temptations are not something unique to us but that temptations or difficulties are common, however Jehovah will provide the way out if we remain faithful to him.
But in view of the issues at stake integrity is something important because with our integrity Jehovah can respond to Satan that we are really in favor of him we have the issue that he arose in Eden with his legitimate right to be the universal sovereign and then later with sovereignty with the issue that human beings obey Jehovah out of interest, so when a problem arises we have the opportunity to show our integrity and our loyalty to Jehovah and he can respond that Satan is a liar.
Let us remember that we are part of this great universal issue and of course, as 1 Corinthians 10:13 indicates, Jehovah will not allow the test to go beyond what we can bear, because He watches us, He watches His people, His servants and acts at the necessary time, either so that His servant faces the situation and gets out of it, or at least can remain loyal, or so that Jehovah gives a way out or ends that test, as we have mentioned again, Jehovah wants us to serve as living proof that Satan is a liar.
ILLUSTRATION
And in the image we can see a rather sad situation of being in jail, perhaps for defending the truth for doing things that Jehovah says and in a fair way he is paying the sentence for something that does not harm others. But still, this brother possibly the older brother or the younger brother, we do not know, which of the two or maybe both are remembering what Jehovah has done for them, in one of them we see perhaps the attitude of joy of knowing that he is doing the right thing and who knows if the other brother is also talking about the things that are a clear demonstration of Jehovah's support or it may be that one is preaching to the other in difficult circumstances, but they know that Jehovah is taking into account their situation.
Well, what I see is that the brothers are in prison but they are not focused on the fact that they are in prison. The older brother, perhaps I think, has been there before and is telling the younger one the reason why he is holding out until that day and that is a help for the young man. If he had not appreciated how Jehovah has helped him, as it has been said that he is helping the brothers in Russia and they say like themselves, if he had not focused on that then he would only see jail.
Well, in the hand and on the wall there are letters and drawings that the brothers have sent them and it is another way that Jehovah uses the rest of the congregation to help us in situations that we are facing.
The possibility that this could happen to us, not necessarily all of us will be imprisoned or we will be imprisoned but it could happen to us, that the older brother transmits seems to be that he has experience and that something that has been very useful to him in those two bunks are the little letters that appear in the back of encouragement, something that we will also need to face any test, the young man's face shows that he is taking advantage of that instruction and encouragement.
In a cell, two brothers are sitting on a bed talking. On the wall behind them are letters and a drawing. Our way of dealing with problems is part of a much bigger issue. (See paragraphs 8 and 9.)
THE LIVING GOD WILL REWARD YOU
10. What will the living God do for those who worship him?
He will reward those who worship him and give us peace, joy and an eternal future.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
As Hebrews 11:6 indicates, Jehovah rewards those who earnestly seek him and that is what he does. The reward is to give us peace and joy and of course in the future he wants to reward you with eternal life thanks to that goodness. And Jehovah does it because he is good, not because we deserve it. For this reason, we feel motivated to work hard for him.
And that should comfort them and make them work hard for Jehovah because we know that he rewards those who serve him with dedication.
Hebrews 11:6 without faith it is impossible to please God, that means that we have our part of the work, which is to strengthen ourselves spiritually so that Jehovah can do the rest, we know that he is a living God and as he says he exists and that he is diligently seeking everything that we wish to obtain, that is why we know that God is a happy God, that he is a living God and that we wish to continue supporting.
It also tells us that whoever approaches God has to believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him with determination, therefore we have the assurance that Jehovah gives us peace, joy and eternal life in the future and in addition to that, he wants to do it and has the power too.
11. What motivated Timothy to work hard in the congregation? (1 Timothy 4:10)
In the text we read from 1 Timothy, Paul recognizes that they were working hard and putting in effort, so Timothy was sure that Jehovah would reward him for his hard work.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
As we said in the previous paragraph, having the correct perspective, why did he have to put up with who he was defending with his difficult attitude? Here we have the story of Second Timothy, who tells us that even from some members of the congregation there would be opposition that would put obstacles in his spiritual development, but that confidence made him turn to the example of his friend and father Paul.
Then also what Timothy was convinced was that even when his work says that it went unnoticed or was not valued but value would be rewarded, then the one who does not go unnoticed is Jehovah and as it says in Romans 2:6-7 it says that Jehovah will give to each one what he deserves for his works and he will also contribute honor in corruption by enduring doing what is right, sometimes we may overlook what the elders, the ministerial servants, pioneers, our own older brothers do, efforts that they also make but on the other hand Jehovah does not go unnoticed and that is why he rewards them.
Following Paul's advice, he improved as a teacher, as a speaker, he gave an excellent example to the young people, to the older people, and he managed to give firm but loving advice to those who needed it, and it was not easy for a young man to address Christians who had been in the organization for much longer and who were of course Jews, but Timothy knew that his work would not go unnoticed by Jehovah, rather it would be valued and rewarded.
If the apostle Paul said we have put our hope in a living God that was the reason, although they were Paul's words but he is speaking in plural so he is including Timothy that is why we know that what motivated Timothy to work so hard was not the desire to obtain prestige of obtaining an important position many of the things that are described in chapter four of first Timothy remained anonymous but he was sure that Jehovah would reward that work because he was sure that Jehovah is the living God.
Furthermore, the apostle Paul in his words to Timothy encourages him to be a good teacher and a good speaker and not only this but to give a good example to the young and also to the older.
You might think that your work was not being valued and was going unnoticed, but not at all. Paul was very clear that Jehovah sees everything. Even as Paul said when he wrote to the Romans, Jehovah gives each one what he deserves for his works.
12. What can motivate the elderly to work hard? (See also the image.)
Like Timothy, they are convinced that Jehovah will reward them for their tireless work. We have to recognize that we do not see much of what the elders do, and we think that they do not do as much as we would like. But they must shepherd the congregation, they must teach, they must preach, some support construction projects for Kingdom Halls, Assembly Halls or branches, they are also helping in Relief groups, patient visiting groups, hospital liaison committees, all of this last is extremely morally tiring and very exhausting for them.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We don't see it, but they really spend themselves for the people of God, they are willing to do it as Timothy did.
Well, they can be motivated by the same thing that happened with Timothy, knowing that Jehovah is going to value all the hard work that they are doing, whether it is seen or not or whether other people value it or not, and also by the fact of thinking that the congregation is not theirs but rather Jehovah's and that he is going to hold them accountable, so he is going to make them put in effort into that work as well.
If the paragraph is mentioning that apart from pastoring the congregation, they teach and preach and many also support construction projects and carry out relief work and other important tasks that we brothers value greatly are the service they provide in patient visiting groups or in hospital liaison committees.
Yes, they also know that the congregation belongs to Jehovah and not to any human being, which is why they carry out their work with all their soul and are completely sure that God will reward them.
13. How does Jehovah feel when he sees our efforts to serve him?
It is true that some brothers have greater responsibilities and of course they spend themselves in that way, but Jehovah also values our efforts, knowing that we try to give our best, he appreciates our contributions to the worldwide work, even if they are small.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Jehovah values our efforts to give our best; he looks at us with a smile when he sees that we strive to raise our hand to comment despite our shyness.
There is also the example of the widow mentioned in Luke 21:1 to 4, although she had only a little of everything she had, and Jehovah takes those things into account and values them greatly. In addition, Jehovah rewards us for the great effort we make.
In Luke 21 1 to 4 we see the example of the poor widow who put in more than everyone else, even though it was only two little coins of very little value, Jehovah smiles when he sees that we make an effort to raise our hand and comment, many pray before commenting, they sweat before commenting, they get very nervous, because they think they are not going to say things well, but Jehovah smiles when he sees that effort, he knows what we are suffering, he also feels happy when he sees that we decide to forgive someone who has offended us, all of that although for us it may not be a big deal, but Jehovah values very much what we make an effort.
We also see that Jehovah pays attention to the details, as has been mentioned in what we can do, and there is the case of the poor widow. Jesus noticed that everyone contributed from what they had left over, but that widow who was nothing had done everything she had, and Jehovah praised her for that; she loved it, and Jesus told this to his disciples so that they could also appreciate the smallest effort, everything we can do to praise Jehovah.
He also mentions that it is very nice that Jehovah feels happy when we decide to forgive someone who has offended us.
Continuing with the story of the poor life, what the widow did did not make as much noise as what the rich did. She did not even know that Jesus saw her, nor does she know the impact that it had, which made us still talk about it even today. It was enough for her to know that Jehovah, because he saw her, knew that he would do everything he could and that is what Jehovah truly values, what makes him happy and what he rewards.
ILLUSTRATION
Well, it conveys what we are discussing in the paragraph: an old man is here, you can see that he works in construction, you can see that he is wearing the helmet and the obligatory vest for work and now he is surely making a shepherding visit through the zoom or the image because we see there with the Bible he is shepherding and he also works in construction.
We see that the brother seems to be taking advantage of the opportunity to pay a visit to encourage a sister along with another companion. In addition, we see that there is a helmet and a small frame, which means that he is helping with some construction work. Perhaps due to his age, we might think that he is a brother who is perhaps retired. However, we see the calendar, which is full of activities. He does not dedicate himself to feeding the pigeons, but rather he dedicates all his time to Jehovah. Therefore, what draws our attention is that he is a brother who does many things that sometimes simply no one sees.
And if we look at the calendar in the background, we don't see that everything is written well, that is, it seems that he has a very tight schedule, many things, elderly maintenance, etc., but even so, although he was very busy, he dedicates time to shepherding, which is very important.
And here we can see in the image this brother who seems to work in construction matters within the organization. He has a busy work schedule there and he is possibly coordinating with other brothers as well. It may be in the morning, but he is coordinating with other brothers, loving them with Bible texts to continue in this beautiful work, and one knows that to encourage others one has to spend time choosing an appropriate Bible text that is precise to motivate the brothers who are doing a good work in other places. All of this is work that we do not see, but that the elders work very hard at, because they know that Jehovah observes their work.
In the evening, two elders pay a sister a pastoral visit via video call. One of the elders is reading a Bible text. On the wall in front of him are a hard hat, a high-visibility vest, and a calendar with many things written on it. The living God will reward him for his hard work in the congregation. (See paragraphs 12 and 13.)
LET US STAY CLOSE TO THE LIVING GOD
14. Why do we say that staying close to Jehovah helps us to be faithful to him? (See also image.)
Because if Jehovah is real for us it will be easier for us to be faithful to him and we have in Joseph's house he completely refused to commit an immoral act he was very clear about it and he did not want to disobey or be unfaithful to Jehovah for him it was real and he did not want to displease.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Here Genesis 39:9 says that when Joseph was faced with the situation of committing an immoral sin, he rejected it, because he saw Jehovah as real and feared displeasing him, therefore when we set aside time to pray and study his word, our friendship with Jehovah grows and we also see him as real, as Joseph saw him and we avoid anything that displeases him.
When Jehovah is very real to us, it will be easier for us to be faithful to him. For example, we have the case of Joseph. For him, Jehovah was so real that he did not want to do anything that might displease him, and even though, so to speak, it was made easy for him, he flatly refused to be unfaithful to Jehovah.
And this relationship is seen in James 4:8. If we draw closer to Jehovah, if we have a close friendship with him, we will feel motivated in our heart, a pure heart full of love for Jehovah, and it will be easier for our hands to be clean, for our conduct to be holy, and for us to make him happy.
15. What does the bad example of the Israelites who were in the desert teach us? (Hebrews 3:12)
The Israelites knew that Jehovah existed, but they began to doubt that he would be helping them or that he would give them what they needed. In fact, shortly after leaving Egypt, they even said, "He is or is not Jehovah among us." This shows that Jehovah's servants, if they do not act quickly, can easily end up moving away from him, as it said in Hebrews 3:12.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, being certain that Jehovah exists does not mean that we are going to be faithful to him. The Israelites had no doubt that Jehovah existed, but they forgot the things that he had done for them and that is why in the end they forgot that he was the living God and they turned away from him. We do not want to do that.
They knew that Jehovah existed, however they could not trust him because they said who is going to give us what we need and that is the mistake they made, they believed that they knew he existed but they did not trust in him.
I really liked in this context the words of Exodus 17:2 when it was the people who told Moses to give us something to drink, they were forgetting that the one who was giving them something to drink was Jehovah, just as they were focusing their attention on the fact that it was the humans or in this case Moses who was helping them, because they began to move away from Jehovah.
And in verse 7 they even went so far as to ask whether or not Jehovah is among us, how could they forget the number of miracles that Jehovah did for them to get them out of Egypt, things that were impressive, opening the Red Sea, the plagues, but how departing from the idea that Jehovah was the living God made them doubt that he could keep them alive in the desert and give them the things necessary to survive.
ILLUSTRATION
Yes, there we see some classmates who are surely watching immoral videos or photos and we see how the little brother is running away. If we analyze the case of José José did not have all the things that we have within our reach today, so many videos, so many publications, but he did have a very close friendship with Jehovah and surely his little brother had it too.
And in the image we see a young brother rejecting the temptation to participate with his companions, seeing something that could perhaps be an immoral scene, as happened to Joseph. He understands that Jehovah is real and that he is watching. And of course he does not want to distance himself from Jehovah, but as James 48 says, to draw ever closer to his heavenly Father.
A young brother walks away from his classmates, who are gaping at something on a phone. Drawing closer to the living God will help him remain faithful. (See paragraphs 14 and 15.)
16. What could test our faith?
Our faith can be tested by what the people around us do and say; it can make it difficult for us to stay close to Jehovah, which causes discouragement.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, the apparent prosperity of this world, people who say that Jehovah does not exist, and that is why they do not even serve him and on top of that they are doing well in life, that can make our faith waver and what we do not want is to commit the error that Asaph committed, doubting whether or not it is worth serving Jehovah.
We could make the mistake of thinking that if we suffer problems it is because we have lost Jehovah's favor or even those people who do not serve Jehovah are doing well in life but here Psalm 73 reminds us that Jehovah led Asaph to see how they would all end up, this should remind us that many times this can happen to us that we wonder why we have problems or more difficulties than relatives, neighbors or even other brothers.
In Psalm 73, we have there recorded words of someone who had a special privilege in the temple of Jehovah, and yet he was very discouraged to see that people who ignored his laws were enjoying life as if nothing was happening, and that can happen to us too, thinking that our effort to serve him is in vain.
17. What will help us stay close to Jehovah?
Several things, first meditating on the consequences of moving away from Jehovah, second thinking about the benefits of serving him, also reflecting on the countless blessings we have received from Jehovah, all of that will not help us make the effort to always remain faithful to God.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In one part of the Psalm he says that when he was trying to understand it, that is, to understand that situation that was very distressing to him, but then he says, but now I am always with you, you hold my right hand, and finally, as we all would say, who else do I have in heaven and on earth? Apart from you, I desire nothing; that is what we all want to feel.
I really like the reflection of Psalm 73:24 because it says you guide me with your advice and then you take me to glory, we cannot stop meditating on everything that Jehovah does to us daily since we met him, what we have changed, what we have learned and think what would become of me if I had not followed in Jehovah's footsteps, because I would be as lost as the world is and I would have no reason to continue living.
Also Psalm 73:27 says it is a fact that those who stay far from you will die, of course this helped him to reflect on the video that although he felt a certain envy of them, they were on slippery ground he says and of course this is what happens in the world, we sometimes see people who are very successful but they are only slippery because they do not have the living God like us and as Asaph says, thank goodness he realized it and any of us if we have a problem we should also realize it.
When he entered the temple of Jehovah and that is what prompted him to meditate, so this helps us see that although we can do it at any time as you said, having a spiritual activity, not stopping praying to Jehovah and reading the Bible every day, doing spiritual things, preaching, that is what will help us meditate positively.
18. Why can we look to the future with confidence?
Because we know that we serve a real person who cares about us and will always help us. He did so with the servants of the past like David whom we have just seen, and he does so today with all the faithful servants who are active in Jehovah's service. And very soon during the great tribulation we will say with confidence, Jehovah is my helper, I will not be afraid, as the words of Hebrews 13:5,6 say.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because no matter what problem we face we serve a living and true and real God so he cares about us he has done very good things for us in the past he will do it in the future so if we remain faithful to him we have nothing to worry about.
And we know that soon there will be a great tribulation but as Isaiah tells us, he says that he will be with us, that we should not be afraid, that he will sustain us, so whatever comes, trusting in Jehovah we know that we can be victorious.
Because we know that we serve a real person who cares about us and will always help us. He did so with the servants of the past like David whom we have just seen, and he does so today with all the faithful servants who are active in Jehovah's service. And very soon during the great tribulation we will say with confidence, Jehovah is my helper, I will not be afraid, as the words of Hebrews 13:5,6 say.
And in the first part of the same text when it says that they continue talking about the first time we saw each other and how you left your idols and we, as has been commented in The Watchtower, think about things from before, how we were before and how we are since we met Jehovah, evidently we are embodying in our lives and we make the necessary changes to demonstrate that Jehovah really acts in us and that we know that he is our refuge.
HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?
How does remembering that Jehovah is “the living God” strengthen you?
Because this way we will be able to serve Him with enthusiasm, and it will also give us the strength to endure any problem that may come our way and be motivated to work hard for Him.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, it strengthens us because He is a proactive God, not only does He help us when we need it, but He also looks for ways, as mentioned in the second chronicle, to help us, and in the future, we cannot even imagine what He will give us.
Well perhaps as humans we have the tendency to focus on that problem and it is as you said we sink, we fall apart but perhaps there the reflection that the article made us is to think is it true that we can see other examples of the past of the present but focusing on ourselves when Jehovah has helped us when we have prayed and we have come out ahead or in the face of those other difficulties that also perhaps were even greater than the one we have at that moment, then that will help us that with that meditation we move forward and continue trusting that Jehovah is the living God.
We also know that it strengthens us to know that we have a living God because He always gives us strength in difficult times, whether small or large, so remembering that strengthens our faith.
What will help you be convinced that “the living God” will reward you?
Well, remember what He did in the past and what He did now with us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We want to remember His power in favor of us, what He has done in the past, and what He is doing today. It is good to seek information on how He has supported the brothers in modern times, and that will undoubtedly help us when we go through similar situations.
And we were talking about the example of Timothy who worked hard for his brothers and strove to be a good example knowing that Jehovah would also reward him, that his example would serve us to also strive to work wholeheartedly in the congregation and give Jehovah the best that we have.
Well, as we read in Romans, Jehovah will reward us according to what we do and our works and it is true that our service is to Jehovah. It does not have to be seen what we do, but knowing how Jesus Christ also said that our father who is in the secrets will pay us, well, we are already happy with that.
What will help you stay close to the “living God”?
Like Timothy, we want to remember that our work does not go unnoticed by Jehovah, he will know how to reward our efforts since he values everything we do for his name and the Kingdom.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, it will help us to reflect on the blessings that we have received from Jehovah in our lives, but also to reflect on what could happen to us if we had not received Jehovah's blessing or the truth about how we would be now, in what situation, etc., because that will make us, as the question asks, very well remember what Jehovah can do for us.
Yes, just like in the case of Joseph and this young man we saw in the photograph as he approached the living God, Jehovah, this helped him to remain faithful, just like Joseph did as well.
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