DAILY TEXT, Today Tuesday, October 15, 2024,  Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry (Eph. 4:26).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2024

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry (Eph. 4:26).

Trust is based on love. Many characteristics of love are mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 that will help us trust others more or regain lost trust. (1 Cor. 13:4-8) For example, verse 4 says that “love is patient and kind.” Jehovah is patient with us even when we sin against him. So we, too, should be patient with our brothers if they say or do things that upset or hurt us. Verse 5 adds that love “is not easily provoked” and “keeps no record of injury.” We don’t want to keep a mental record of all our brothers’ offenses. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says not to get angry easily. Let’s try to see our brothers as Jehovah sees them. He loves them and doesn’t keep a record of their sins. So neither should we. (Ps. 130:3) Instead of focusing on their flaws, let’s focus on their beautiful qualities. (Matt. 7:1-5) w22.09 3, 4 pars. 6, 7.

What can you do to increase your trust in others?

Trust doesn’t come overnight. What can you do to help your trust in others grow? Get to know them well. Talk with them at meetings. Spend time together in the preaching work. Be patient with them and give them opportunities to prove that they are trustworthy. If you don’t know someone well, you may not talk much about personal things at first. But as you get to know that person better, you may feel more comfortable talking about how you feel. (Luke 16:10) But what can you do if a brother betrays your trust? Instead of writing him off right away, let time pass. And don’t let the actions of a few keep you from trusting everyone else. One thing that will help is to consider the example of faithful servants of Jehovah who continued to trust others despite some disappointments.

What did Hannah do despite the sins of those who represented Jehovah? And what do you learn from Hannah's example?

Have you been disappointed by the actions of a responsible brother? If so, Hannah’s example can help you. In her day, the highest spiritual authority in Israel was the high priest Eli. But his family left much to be desired. His sons, who were priests, engaged in immoral sexual relations, but he did little to correct their shameless behavior. Yet Jehovah did not immediately remove Eli from his position. What did Hannah do? Although Eli was still high priest, she continued to worship Jehovah at the tabernacle. When she was praying in great distress, Eli jumped the gun and concluded that she was drunk. He even spoke harshly to her. (1 Sam. 1:12–16) Hannah had promised Jehovah that if she had a son, she would take him to serve in the tabernacle. She was willing to keep her vow, even though the child would be in Eli’s care. (1 Sam. 1:11) Did Eli’s sons need to be corrected? Of course, and Jehovah did it in his own time (1 Sam. 4:17). In the meantime, he rewarded Hannah with a son, Samuel (1 Sam. 1:17-20).

How did David show that he did not become distrustful despite the betrayals he suffered?

Have you ever experienced betrayal by a friend? If so, consider the example of King David. When his son Absalom tried to take the kingdom from him, David’s friend Ahithophel supported the rebellion. What a blow it must have been for David to lose the support of his son and someone he considered a friend. But this betrayal did not turn David into a distrustful man. He continued to trust Hushai, a loyal friend who did not join the rebels. And he was not wrong to trust Hushai, for this faithful friend even risked his life to help him (2 Sam. 17:1-16).

How did Nabal's servant show that he trusted others?

Consider also the example of one of Nabal’s servants, a very wealthy Israelite. David and his men were very good to Nabal’s servants and protected them. Some time later, David asked him for food for his men, whatever he could give them. When Nabal refused, David became so angry that he said he would kill all the men in his house. One of the servants told Nabal’s wife, Abigail, what had happened. He knew that his life depended on what she did. And he did not run away. Instead, he trusted that Abigail would fix the situation because she had a reputation for being a sensible woman. And his trust paid off. Abigail summoned courage and convinced David not to go ahead with his plan (1 Sam. 25:2-35). And she, in turn, trusted that David would be reasonable.

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