DAILY TEXT, Today Wednesday November 27, 2024, We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1).

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Wednesday, November 27, 2024

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1).

Even though they endured severe trials, all of the witnesses mentioned in today’s scripture have an outstanding record of loyalty to Jehovah. (Heb. 11:36-40) Did all their effort and endurance pay off? Of course it did. True, they did not see all of God’s promises fulfilled, but they did not give up putting their hope in him. And because they were confident that they had Jehovah’s approval, they had no doubt that they would see those promises fulfilled. (Heb. 11:4, 5) Thinking of their example gives us strength to always put our hope in Jehovah. The world is going from bad to worse. (2 Tim. 3:13) And Satan continues to test God’s servants. Whatever may come in the future, let us continue to serve Jehovah wholeheartedly, confident that “we have put our hope in a living God.”—1 Tim. 4:10. w22.06 25 §17, 18.

Why do we do well to notice the tactics Satan used with Job?

We do well to look at the tactics Satan used with Job, because the tactics he uses today are similar. Consider the charge he leveled not only against Job but against all human beings. He said: “A man will give all he has to save his life.”—Job 2:4, 5. Satan meant that our love for Jehovah is not sincere and that if our life is in danger, we will turn our backs on our God. He also claims that Jehovah does not love us and that he never appreciates what we do to please him. Satan does not deceive those of us who put our hope in him because we already know his tactics.

What can come to light when we go through some trial, and what example helps us understand this?

We should see trials as an opportunity to get to know ourselves better. Job realized through difficulties that he had some shortcomings that he needed to correct. For example, he saw that he needed to be more humble (Job 42:3). We too can discover many things about our personality when we go through a trial. That is what happened to Nicholas, who was imprisoned despite being very ill. He explains: “Going to prison is like having an X-ray: it allows you to see the qualities of a Christian.” When we identify our weak points, we can do something to improve.

Who should we listen to, and why?

We must listen to Jehovah, not to our enemies. Job paid close attention when Jehovah spoke to him. To bring him to his senses, Jehovah said something like this: “Have you seen my power in the things I have created? I know everything that has happened to you. Do you think I cannot care for you?” With humility and deep gratitude for Jehovah’s goodness, Job replied: “I heard about you with my ears, but now I see you with my eyes.”—Job 42:5 When Job said these words, he was probably still sitting in the ashes, his body covered in sores, mourning the death of his children. Yet, in the midst of this situation, Jehovah confirmed that he loved him and assured him that he had Jehovah’s approval.—Job 42:7, 8Books of Jehovah

According to Isaiah 49:15, 16, what should we keep in mind when we go through trials?

Today, people may insult us or treat us as if we were worthless. They may try to tarnish our personal reputation or that of the organization and “say all kinds of bad things” about us by lying. —Matt. 5:11. The story of Job teaches us that Jehovah is confident that we can be loyal when we go through trials. Jehovah loves us and will never forget those who put their hope in him. (Read Isaiah 49:15, 16.) Let us not listen to the slanderous words of God’s enemies. Consider what James, a brother in Turkey who has gone through difficult trials with his family, said. He says: “We realized that if we paid attention to the lies they said about God’s people, we would become discouraged. So we focused on the hope of the Kingdom and kept busy serving Jehovah, and in this way we remained joyful.” Let us follow Job’s example and listen to Jehovah. May the lies of our enemies not extinguish the light of our hope!

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