LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: Week of October 21-27, 2024, Video: Mark Noumair: I Cling to You, and You Cling to Me, Analysis and Answers.

LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: 21-27-October-2024, Video: Mark Noumair: I Cling to You, and You Cling to Me, Analysis and Answers.

I hold on to you, and you hold on to me (15 mins.)

Audience discussion. Play the VIDEO. Then ask:

How did Anna show loyal love?

Hannah, a woman mentioned in the Bible, showed her loyal love for God despite going through difficult times. Even though she was older, had lost her husband, and temple worship seemed to be on the decline, she never stopped going to the temple to worship Jehovah. Her loyalty did not depend on what was happening around her; she continued to serve God day and night. This shows that even though she may have felt pain or disappointment, her love and devotion to God remained steadfast. It is as if she were saying, “I cling to you, Jehovah” no matter what happened in her life.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Hannah did not let herself be carried away by circumstances despite everything that was happening around her, such as the loss of her husband or the decaying state of the temple. Hannah never allowed those difficulties to make her abandon her service to Jehovah. This shows that her loyal love did not depend on external situations, but on her firm relationship with God. Her love was based on a deep commitment, not on temporary circumstances.

Her faith was rewarded even though she was old and probably physically weak. Hannah was strong enough to stand firm in her daily worship, as a result she was rewarded by seeing baby Jesus, the promised Messiah. This shows that even though loyalty can be difficult, Jehovah always rewards the faithful love we show Him.

Anna was an exceptional woman who demonstrated unwavering loyalty to God in the midst of adversity. Despite living in a corrupt environment, losing her husband, and facing loneliness, Anna remained steadfast in her faith. At 84 years old, Anna could have retired, but instead, she devoted herself even more to worshiping and serving God in the temple. Her love and devotion were evident in her constant fasting and prayer.

How can we imitate her?

We can imitate Hannah by remaining loyal to Jehovah even when we face difficulties or disappointments. At times, we may feel that things are not going our way, or that we are being treated unfairly. However, instead of giving up or turning away from God, we should continue to do what is right, like Hannah: being in the right place, that is, continuing to attend spiritual meetings and activities, having the right attitude, and doing what is right. If we do this, we are showing that, like Hannah, we are clinging to Jehovah, trusting that he also sustains us.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Continue serving Jehovah, no matter the difficulties: Like Anna, we can continue showing loyalty to Jehovah, even when life presents us with challenges. Although we cannot always control what happens to us, we can decide to keep our faith active, continue attending meetings, praying, and trusting that God sees our efforts and supports us.

Maintaining a right attitude: Not only did Hannah continue to do the right thing in serving Jehovah, but she did so with the right attitude, showing gratitude and enthusiasm. We can imitate her not only with our actions, but also with a positive and thankful attitude toward God, even in the midst of difficulties. This ensures that our loyal love is genuine and reflects our confidence that God cares for us as well.

We can imitate her when we dedicate our lives to our God. No matter how old we are, age is no impediment to dedicating our lives to the sacred service of Jehovah, nor are we ever too old once we are in service. What we give to the service of Jehovah, we will be able to testify in the blessings we will receive from Jehovah, just as Anna was especially blessed at that time.