TREASURES FROM GOD'S WORD: Week of September 9-15, 2024, Value what you do for Jehovah, Prepared Speech.

TREASURES FROM GOD'S WORD: September 9-15, 2024, Appreciate what you do for Jehovah.

Appreciate what you do for Jehovah (10 mins.)

In the world, precious things are highly valued, such as gold and silver. We as servants of God value what is precious to us, we value the enormous privilege of serving Jehovah, he has allowed us to participate in an unparalleled work and to get closer to him in various ways. So today we are going to analyze: How can we appreciate what we do for Jehovah through Psalm 84, we are going to move on to the first point, which is to value the privilege of serving Jehovah, let's read what Psalm 84 1 to 3 says.

LET'S READ PSALM 84:1-3.

How beautiful is your great tabernacle, O LORD Almighty! 2 I long for the courts of the LORD; I faint with longing for them. My heart and my flesh rejoice before the living God. 3 Even the bird finds a home there, and the swallow a nest to care for its young, at your great altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

According to the explanation given to us in the magazine or publication that we found, the psalmist expresses a deep desire to be close to the house of Jehovah, as he mentions in the Psalm that even the swallows find their refuge in the temple of Solomon, building their nest near the altar and we see that there the psalmist uses a beautiful comparison and just as the swallows long for that Refuge. 

The psalmist also longed to serve in the house of Jehovah, for us this example teaches us the importance of being in the house of Jehovah. For example, valuing our Meetings and the Privilege of being in the presence of Jehovah and his people, such as the Assemblies.

We, like the swallows, for example, are always seeking to be close to Jehovah or to his spiritual activities, such as assemblies, meetings, preaching, and the construction of Kingdom Halls. We also feel motivated or motivate our children to have that same desire, so we must make sure to appreciate the special place we have in the congregation and the privilege of worshiping Jehovah.

The second point is that we not only value the privilege of being in the congregation, but enjoy our current responsibilities. For example, let's read what Psalm 84:10 says.

LET'S READ PSALM 84:10.

For one day in your courtyards is better than a thousand elsewhere! I would rather stand at the entrance to the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.

As we see, the psalmist recognizes that spending a single day in the temple courtyards is better than a thousand in any other place, and this feeling reminds us that our current responsibilities, even if they are small, are very valuable in the eyes of Jehovah. Sometimes, perhaps physical or personal limitations make us feel that we are not giving 100% in our service to Jehovah.

But we must then focus on what we can do, for example the Levite who served only two weeks a year, because he teaches us that we must appreciate every opportunity that is given to us in our service to Jehovah and that this is a blessing. So we are focusing on what we cannot do. Many brothers, for example, fall into this error of focusing on goals that perhaps they could not achieve. For example, perhaps serving in another place or being part of the construction group or going to Bethel. 

So we should not focus on what we may not have achieved yet, but rather enjoy what we already have, but we should value each small act of service that we perform, so we should focus on what we are doing and do it with joy and gratitude. As a third point, we will focus on the fact that Jehovah is good to those who serve, and for this we will read Psalm 84:11.

LET'S READ PSALM 84:11.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. The LORD will not withhold any good thing from those who live uprightly.

As we can see, Jehovah does not ignore that sometimes we have to go through difficulties that we must face and he sees our struggles, whether due to illness or personal circumstances, and he is always taking care of each one of us. We can turn to his word for comfort and encouragement, knowing that he deeply values ​​our faithfulness. So when we face challenges, let us remember that Jehovah values ​​us and if we serve him faithfully, since he will provide the necessary strength and support, he is good to all who sincerely seek him and of course, he never forgets our efforts.

In conclusion, all responsibilities or tasks assigned to us in Jehovah's service have their challenges. Sometimes we face challenges that can seem overwhelming and limit our capabilities. And our circumstances may change over time, whether due to health or age or the demands of daily life. However, all tasks, whether small or large, also carry with them many good things. 

For example, it gives us the opportunity to show our love for Jehovah every time we carry out a spiritual activity. In addition, we have the benefit of strengthening our faith and contributing to the well-being of the congregation. The secret then is not in how we face those responsibilities or how we see them. If we focus only on the difficulties, it is easy to feel discouraged or think that our contributions are not enough. But if we decide to focus on the positive, on the blessings and the purpose behind each assignment, then we will find joy in what we do.

And as we remember that everything we do for Jehovah is precious in his eyes, no matter how big it is, we each enjoy the task we are given. So the key to keeping this perspective is to remember that we serve the God of the universe who deeply values ​​our efforts and never forgets what we do for his name, every small act of service, because it is a sign of our devotion and our desire to honor Jehovah.

In our activity guide for this week, we can see some Levites doing various tasks. One of them is pouring water into a clay jar at the copper fountain, another is pulling a wheelbarrow full of clay jars, and finally another Levite is carrying a clay jar on his shoulder. Through these images, Jehovah teaches us that all responsibilities or tasks assigned to us have their challenges. However, they also have many good things, because if we focus on the positive, we will enjoy anything we do for Jehovah.

So no matter what challenges we face, if we face them, if we focus on the blessings and satisfaction that come from serving Jehovah, we will enjoy whatever we do for him and feel a deep sense of purpose and joy in our worship.