DAILY TEXT, Today Monday, October 14, 2024,  This sure and firm hope that we have is like an anchor for the soul (Heb. 6:19).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2024

Monday, October 14, 2024

This sure and firm hope that we have is like an anchor for the soul (Heb. 6:19).

We know that our God is “merciful and compassionate, patient and full of faithful love and truth.” (Ex. 34:6) He loves justice. (Is. 61:8) Jehovah is pained to see us suffer, and he is very eager to end the suffering when the time he has set arrives. (Jer. 29:11) How we long for that day to come! No wonder we love Jehovah so much. And we love the truth because it helps us so much in life. Let’s look at an example. Among the teachings we have learned in the Bible is the hope we have for the future. Just as an anchor gives stability to a ship, the hope of the Bible gives us stability and calm when difficulties arise. When Paul said the words of today’s text, he was thinking of the hope that anointed Christians have of going to heaven. But what he said also applies to Christians who hope to live forever on the paradise earth. (John 3:16) Without a doubt, the hope of living forever has given meaning to our lives. w22.08 14, 15 pars. 3-5.

How did what the Bible teaches about the future help Yvonne?

Let's take the case of a sister called Yvonne. She was not raised in the truth and as a child she was afraid of death. She remembers that she once read in a book this sentence that had a great impact on her: “Someday there will be no tomorrow.” She says: “Those words kept me awake at night; I thought about the future. I said to myself: 'Life can't be just this. What am I doing here?' I didn't want to die!”

As a teenager, Yvonne was introduced to Jehovah’s Witnesses. She says, “I began to believe that I could live forever in Paradise on earth.” Discovering the truth has helped her greatly, as she confesses, “I no longer lie awake at night thinking about the future or death.” No wonder Yvonne values ​​the truth so highly, and she loves to share her hope with others. —1 Tim. 4:16

How did the man in Jesus' comparison show that he valued the treasure he found? And how do you feel about the truth?

The good news of God’s Kingdom is also part of the truth of the Bible. Jesus compared the truth of the Kingdom to hidden treasure. He said, “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it and hid it again. Then in his joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field” (Matt. 13:44). So the man wasn’t looking for the treasure. But when he found it, he made a great sacrifice to keep it: he sold everything he had. Why did he do that? Because he understood that the treasure was worth much, much more than anything he could give in exchange.

Do you feel the same way about the truth? I bet you do! We know that nothing this world has to offer can compare with the joy of serving Jehovah now and the hope of living forever under God’s Kingdom. Any sacrifice we make to have a close friendship with Jehovah is worth it. Being his friend is a great honor. And nothing brings us more joy than pleasing Jehovah in all things. —Col. 1:10.

What prompted Michael to change the course of his life?

Many Christians have made great sacrifices to bring joy to Jehovah. Some have given up prestigious careers in this world. Others have stopped seeking material wealth. Still others have completely changed the direction of their lives when they came to know Jehovah. That’s what Michael did. He was not raised in the truth. As a young man, he learned martial arts. He says: “I was proud of my physical condition. … Sometimes I felt invincible.” But he began studying the Bible, and learned how Jehovah views violence. —Ps. 11:5. Speaking of the Witness couple who taught him, he recalls: “They never told me to stop martial arts. They just focused on teaching me the truth.”

The more Michael learned about Jehovah, the more he loved him. One insight that resonated deeply with Michael was the knowledge that God has compassion for his servants. Michael came to understand that he had to make a life-changing decision. He says: “I knew that giving up karate would be the hardest decision of my life. But I also knew that if I did it, it would please Jehovah, and I was convinced that serving him was worthwhile.” Michael appreciated the truth he had found, and it motivated him to make radical changes in his life.—James 1:25.

How did the truth of the Bible enlighten Mayli?

To highlight the value of truth, the Bible compares it to a lamp shining in the darkness (Ps. 119:105; Eph. 5:8). Mayli from Azerbaijan is grateful that the light of God’s Word has illuminated her path. Her family was bifaithful: her father was Muslim and her mother Jewish. Mayli says, “I didn’t doubt God’s existence, but there were things I didn’t understand. I asked myself, ‘Why did He create us? What’s the point of someone suffering all their life and then being tormented in hell? ’ People say that everything that happens is God’s will, and that made me think, ‘Are we puppets in God’s hands? Does He enjoy watching us suffer? ’”

Mayli continued to search for answers to her questions. Later, she accepted a Bible study and became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She says: “Thanks to the Bible’s overwhelming logic, I now see life in a different light and have peace.” Like Mayli, all of us who serve Jehovah praise him for “calling us out of darkness into his marvelous light.”—1 Pet. 2:9.

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