DAILY TEXT, Thursday, November 14, 2024, Love believes all things (1 Cor. 13:7).

DAILY TEXT, Today Thursday, November 14, 2024, Love believes all things (1 Cor. 13:7).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2024

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Love believes all things (1 Cor. 13:7).

This statement does not mean that Jehovah asks us to trust others blindly. Rather, he expects us to trust them because they have proven themselves worthy of that trust. Trust does not come overnight. How can you 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 the opportunity to prove that they are trustworthy. If you do not 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 giving up on him right away, let time pass. And do not let the actions of a few keep you from trusting everyone else. w22.09 4 §7-8.

LET US LEARN FROM THOSE WHO DID NOT LOSE THEIR TRUST IN OTHERS

What did Hannah do despite the sins of those who represented Jehovah? And what do you learn from Hannah’s example? (See drawing.)

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.

How did Jesus show that he trusted his disciples despite their failures?

Jesus trusted his disciples despite their shortcomings. (John 15:15, 16) When James and John asked for an honorary position in the Kingdom, Jesus did not question why they served Jehovah or tell them they would no longer be his apostles. (Mark 10:35–40) And on the night he was arrested, all his disciples deserted him. (Matt. 26:56) But Jesus never lost faith in them. Even though he knew their shortcomings, “he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1) And after his resurrection, he even gave his 11 faithful apostles the great responsibility of leading the work of making disciples and caring for his precious sheep. (Matt. 28:19, 20; John 21:15–17) And he was right in trusting these imperfect men. They all remained faithful to the end of their lives on earth. As we have seen, Anna, David, Nabal's servant, Abigail, and Jesus all trusted imperfect human beings. Their good example encourages us to do the same.

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