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Yellow: Direct Response
Light Yellow: Additional Answer
Celeste: Extra Points
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?
THE Bible says that the times we live in are “critical and hard to bear.” (2 Tim. 3:1) In this system, everyone has problems, but God’s servants also have to deal with opposition and persecution. What can help us continue to worship Jehovah in spite of everything? One of the main things is to remember that Jehovah is “the living God.” (Jer. 10:10; 2 Tim. 1:12)
2. How does Jehovah prove that he is the living God?
2 Jehovah is a real person who supports us during difficulties and looks for opportunities to help us. (2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 23:4) Seeing him as the living God will give us the strength to endure any problem. Let's see how this was the case for King David.
3. What did David mean when he exclaimed: “The Lord lives!”?
3 David knew and trusted Jehovah. He asked for Jehovah’s help when King Saul and others were persecuting him. (Ps. 18:6) When Jehovah answered his prayer and rescued him, David exclaimed: “Jehovah lives!” (Ps. 18:46) By these words, David was not simply saying that God exists. One reference work states that he was expressing his trust in Jehovah “as a living God who continually helps his people.” David saw Jehovah’s hand in his life, and that convinced him even more that Jehovah is alive and gave him the strength to continue serving and praising him. (Ps. 18:28, 29, 49)
4. What are the benefits of seeing Jehovah as the living God?
4 Being convinced that Jehovah is the living God will help us to serve him with enthusiasm . It will give us the strength to endure any challenge and motivate us to work hard for him. It will also strengthen our resolve to stay close to him.
THE LIVING GOD WILL GIVE YOU STRENGTH
5. What helps us face difficulties with confidence? (Philippians 4:13)
5 We can endure any great difficulty if we remember that Jehovah is alive and there to support us. After all, no problem is too big for him. He is the Almighty and can give us the strength to endure anything. (Read Philippians 4:13.) So we have every reason to face trials with confidence. Seeing that Jehovah helps us with the smallest problems convinces us that he will also help us with the biggest ones.
6. What experiences strengthened young David’s trust in Jehovah?
6 Let’s look at two things David experienced that helped him trust Jehovah more. When he was a young shepherd , a lion came and stole a sheep from his father’s flock. On another occasion, a bear came and did the same thing. In both cases, David bravely pursued them and saved the sheep. He knew that Jehovah had given him the strength to do so, so he did not try to take the credit. (1 Sam. 17:34-37) David never forgot those experiences. He meditated on them and became even more convinced that the living God would strengthen him in the future.
7. What did David focus on, and why did that help him fight Goliath?
7 Later, when David was probably still a teenager, he went to visit the Israelite army camp. He saw that the soldiers were terrified because a Philistine giant named Goliath was saying, “Today I challenge the army of Israel!” (1 Sam. 17:10, 11). The soldiers were afraid because they were focused on how big Goliath was and what he was saying to them. (1 Sam. 17:24, 25) But David saw the bigger picture. He took Goliath’s words as a challenge against “the army of the living God,” not just Israel’s army . (1 Sam. 17:26) He was thinking mostly about Jehovah. He trusted that the God who had helped him with the sheep would help him in this situation as well. With Jehovah’s support, he faced Goliath and, as we know, defeated the Philistine! (1 Sam. 17:45–51)
8. What will help us strengthen our trust in Jehovah during difficult times? (See also image.)
8 Like David, we can cope with trials by remembering that the living God is ready to help us. (Ps. 118:6) We can strengthen that confidence by meditating on what Jehovah has done in the past. For example, read Bible accounts that remind you of how Jehovah saved his servants. (Isa. 37:17, 33-37) Also, consider information posted on jw.org that shows how Jehovah has supported brothers in modern times. And recall times when you have seen Jehovah’s hand in your own life. Don’t worry if something as spectacular as defeating a bear or a lion doesn’t come to mind. The point is that Jehovah has done many things for you in your life. For example, he has invited you to be his friend. (John 6:44) And it is because of his help that you continue in the truth. Why not ask Him to help you recall times when He has answered your prayers, supported you when you needed it most, or sustained you during difficult times? Meditating on what Jehovah has done for you will further convince you that He will continue to support you.
9. How should we view problems? (Proverbs 27:11)
9 Knowing that Jehovah is the living God will help us see our problems in the right perspective. They are part of a larger issue between Jehovah and Satan. The Devil claims that when things get bad, we will abandon Jehovah. (Job 1:10, 11; read Proverbs 27:11.) So by remaining faithful, we show that we love Jehovah and that Satan is a liar. Are you facing opposition from the government, financial problems, apathy in the preaching work, or some other adversity? If so, remember: What you are going through gives you the opportunity to make Jehovah happy. Remember, he will not let the trial go beyond what you can bear. (1 Cor. 10:13) He will give you the strength to endure.
ILLUSTRATION
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?
10 Jehovah rewards those who worship him. (Heb. 11:6) He gives us peace and joy now, and in the future, eternal life. We are fully confident that he wants to reward us and that he has the power to do so. This conviction motivates us to work hard for him, just as God’s faithful servants did in the past. Consider Timothy. (Heb. 6:10-12)
11. What motivated Timothy to work hard in the congregation? (1 Timothy 4:10)
11 (Read 1 Timothy 4:10.) Timothy put his hope in the living God. He was confident that he would be rewarded. So he worked hard for Jehovah and for others. What did he do? The apostle Paul encouraged him to be a better teacher and speaker and to set a good example for younger and older brothers. He was given difficult assignments, such as giving firm but loving counsel to those who needed it. (1 Tim. 4:11–16; 2 Tim. 4:1–5) Timothy could be confident that even when his work went unnoticed or unappreciated, Jehovah would reward him. (Rom. 2:6, 7)
12. What can motivate the elderly to work hard? (See also the image.)
12 Like Timothy, elders can be assured that Jehovah sees and appreciates their good work. In addition to shepherding the congregation, teaching, and preaching, many elders also support construction projects and do relief work. Others serve on Patient Visitation Groups or Hospital Liaison Committees. Elders know that the congregation belongs to Jehovah, not to any human being. So they carry out their work wholeheartedly and are fully confident that God will reward them.—Col. 3:23, 24.
13. How does Jehovah feel when he sees our efforts to serve him?
13 We may not all be elders, but we can all give something to Jehovah. He values our efforts to give him our best. For example, he appreciates the contributions you make to the worldwide work, even if they are small. He looks at you with a smile when he sees you make an effort to raise your hand to comment despite your shyness. And he is very happy when you choose to forgive someone who has offended you. Even if you feel that you cannot do as much for Jehovah as you would like, remember that he values what you can do. He loves you and will reward you for it. —Luke 21:1-4.
ILLUSTRATION
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.)
14 If Jehovah is real to us, it will be easier for us to be faithful to him. This was the case for Joseph, who absolutely refused to commit an immoral act. God was real to him, and he did not want to displease him. (Gen. 39:9) To make Jehovah this real to us, we must set aside time to pray to him and study his Word. In this way, our friendship with him will grow. If, like Joseph, we have a close friendship with Jehovah, we will not want to do anything that displeases him. (James 4:8)
15. What does the bad example of the Israelites who were in the desert teach us? (Hebrews 3:12)
15 Those who forget that Jehovah is the living God can easily turn away from him. Consider what happened to the Israelites in the wilderness. They knew Jehovah existed, but they began to doubt that he would provide them with what they needed. They even asked, “Is Jehovah among us or not?” (Ex. 17:2, 7) In the end, they rebelled against God. We certainly don’t want to follow their bad example. (Read Hebrews 3:12.)
ILLUSTRATION
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?
16 This world makes it very difficult to stay close to Jehovah. Many people say that God does not exist, and often things seem to go well for those who do not do his will. All of this can test our faith. Of course, we are not going to stop believing in God, but we might wonder whether he will help us. Something similar happened to the writer of Psalm 73. He saw that those who ignored God’s laws continued to enjoy life as if nothing had happened. This led him to wonder whether serving Jehovah was worth it or not. —Ps. 73:11-13.
17. What will help us stay close to Jehovah?
17 What helped the psalmist correct his view? Meditating on what would happen to those who forgot Jehovah. (Ps. 73:18, 19, 27) He also thought about the benefits of serving him. (Ps. 73:24) We too can reflect on the countless blessings Jehovah has given us and compare all of that to the life we would have if we did not serve him. Doing so will help us to want to always be faithful to Jehovah and to say what the psalmist said: “For me, drawing near to God is good for me.” —Ps. 73:28
18. Why can we look to the future with confidence?
18 We can face any adversity that comes our way during these last days because we are “slaves of a living and true God.”—1 Thess. 1:9. He is a real person who cares about us and will always be there to help us. He did this for his servants in the past, and he will continue to do so today. The worst tribulation in history will soon occur, but we will not be alone.—Isa. 41:10. “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. ’”—Heb. 13:5, 6.
HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?
How does remembering that Jehovah is “the living God” strengthen you?
And it can help us to continue serving and worshipping Jehovah with faith and hope despite so many problems. It will give us the strength to endure any problem and motivate us to work hard for him.
What will help you be convinced that “the living God” will reward you?
Jehovah rewards those who worship him. Now parents and joy, in the future eternal life. We are completely sure that he wants to reward us and that he has the power to do so.
The text of Hebrews 11:6 shows that it would be an injustice on the part of God not to reward his servants for their fidelity; evidently, such a possibility is unthinkable.
What will help you stay close to the “living God”?
For Jehovah to be so real to us, we have to take time to pray to him and study his word. In this way, our friendship with him will grow. If, like Joseph, we have a close friendship with Jehovah, we do not want to do anything that displeases him.
Those who forget that Jehovah is the living God can easily end up turning away from him.
Be careful about what you see in your free time on social media. If you are always paying attention to the lives of others, you could start to be suspicious of how they live.
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