DAILY TEXT, Today Friday November 15, 2024, The eyes of Jehovah are watching the whole earth (2 Chron. 16:9).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2024

Friday, November 15, 2024

The eyes of Jehovah are watching the whole earth (2 Chron. 16:9).

An elder named Micah felt that he had been treated harshly by other elders. Despite this, he kept his sense of judgment and struggled to control his emotions. He prayed hard for Jehovah’s holy spirit and strength to endure. He also looked for information in our publications. What is the lesson? If you feel that someone in the congregation has treated you badly, stay calm and try to control any negative feelings you may have. There may be circumstances that led that person to speak or act that way that you are unaware of. So tell Jehovah everything and ask him to help you see things the way that brother sees them. Give him the benefit of the doubt and overlook his offense. (Prov. 19:11) Remember that Jehovah is aware of the situation and will give you strength to endure. (Eccl. 5:8) w22.11 21 par. 5.

Why is it important for you to view Jehovah’s discipline as a demonstration of his love? —Hebrews 12:5, 6, 11.

Being disciplined can be very painful. But if we focus only on the pain, we may dismiss the importance of discipline as unfair or too harsh. We may also miss something very important: that discipline is a demonstration of Jehovah’s love. (Read Hebrews 12:5, 6, 11.) If we let our emotions get the better of us, we give Satan the opportunity to attack us. He wants us to reject discipline and, worse yet, to distance ourselves from Jehovah and the congregation. If you have been disciplined, what can help you maintain good judgment?

As shown in the drawings, what tasks did Jehovah give Peter after he accepted discipline? And what lesson can we learn from Peter’s example?

Accept discipline and make necessary changes. On more than one occasion, Jesus rebuked Peter in front of the other apostles. (Mark 8:33; Luke 22:31–34) What an embarrassment Peter must have felt! But he remained loyal to Jesus, accepted discipline, and learned from his mistakes. As a result, Jehovah rewarded his loyalty and gave him great responsibilities in the congregation. (John 21:15–17; Acts 10:24–33; 1 Pet. 1:1) The lesson? It pays to look beyond the embarrassment of discipline, accept correction, and make necessary changes. If you do, you will be more useful to Jehovah and to your brothers.

How did Bernardo feel at first when he was disciplined, but what helped him correct his way of thinking?

Consider what happened to Bernardo, a brother from Mozambique. He was an elder, but he was discharged. How did he feel at first? He says, “I was very hurt because I didn’t like the discipline I received.” He was worried that the brothers in the congregation would think badly of him. Bernardo admits, “It took me several months to see things from the right perspective and to trust in Jehovah and his organization again.” What helped him?

Bernard corrected his thinking. He explains: “As an elder, I used Hebrews 12:7 to help the brothers view Jehovah’s discipline in a positive light. Then I asked myself, ‘Who needs to put this verse into practice? ’ All of Jehovah’s servants, and that includes me.” Bernard did something else to strengthen his confidence in Jehovah and his organization. He spent more time reading the Bible and meditating deeply. And although he was still concerned about what the brothers thought of him, he went out to preach with them and participated in meetings. Eventually, he became an elder again. If you have been disciplined like Bernard, try to look beyond the embarrassment of the situation, accept the counsel, and make the necessary changes. (Prov. 8:33; 22:4) If you take these steps, you can be sure that Jehovah will reward you for sticking to him and his organization.

What organizational change might have tested the loyalty of some Israelites?

When organizational changes occur, our loyalty can be tested. If we are not careful, we may even turn away from Jehovah. Consider an organizational change that occurred with the coming of the Law of Moses and that affected some Israelites. Until then, heads of households were the priests of their households. They built altars and made sacrifices to Jehovah on behalf of their own. (Gen. 8:20, 21; 12:7; 26:25; 35:1, 6, 7; Job 1:5) But with the coming of the Law, heads of households no longer had that honor. Jehovah appointed priests from the family of Aaron to offer sacrifices. From then on, if a householder who was not a descendant of Aaron served as priest, he was liable to death. (Lev. 17:3–6, 8, 9) Was this change one of the reasons that Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 leaders of the people rebelled against Moses and Aaron? (Num. 16:1–3) We can’t be sure. Either way, Korah and the men who supported him were disloyal to Jehovah. What can you do if a change in the organization tests your loyalty?

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