TREASURES FROM GOD'S WORD: Week of November 11-17, 2024, “They Forgot God, Their Savior,” Prepared Speech.

TREASURES FROM GOD'S WORD: November 11-17, 2024, “They Forgot God Their Savior.” Prepared Speech.

“They forgot God, their Savior” (10 mins.)

Today we are going to explore an important lesson from the story of the Israelites and their challenges in the desert. On several occasions they let fear, hunger and impatience separate them from their faith in Jehovah their Savior. By reflecting on these stories, we can learn to strengthen our relationship with God and avoid the same mistakes based on specific examples. We will see: How did Jehovah show his love and patience despite human weakness? And how can we apply these lessons in our daily lives? 

When the Israelites left Egypt and came to the Red Sea, they experienced a moment of great fear. In front of them was the sea and behind them the Egyptian army in pursuit. Panic took hold of them and they quickly forgot the miracles that Jehovah had performed to free them from slavery. At that moment, instead of remembering that God had rescued them with great acts of power, they rebelled and claimed Moses. Let's read Psalm 106:7-9. If you found it, please accompany me with the reading. It says like this.

LET'S READ PSALM 106:7-9

In Egypt our ancestors did not appreciate your wonderful works. They did not remember your great and loyal love, but rebelled by the sea, by the Red Sea. 8 Yet for his name's sake he saved them, to make his power known. 9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through its depths as through a desert;

As we can see, the Israelites forgot God and his acts of kindness. What can we learn from this? In situations of danger or uncertainty, it is natural for us to feel afraid, but we need to remember that Jehovah is with us, he has given us promises of protection and has shown us that he has the power to help us. We must not let fear weaken our trust in Jehovah, but we must strengthen our faith instead of falling into complaint or rebellion. This is a time to pray, ask for his help and remember that he has already helped us in the past. 

The next challenge occurred when the Israelites felt hungry and thirsty after crossing the Red Sea and entering the desert and began to feel the difficulties of the journey. In Exodus 15:24 we read: In Egypt, our ancestors did not appreciate* your wonderful works. They did not remember your great faithfulness, but rebelled by the sea, by the Red Sea. 8 Yet for his name's sake he saved them, b to make his power known. c 9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through its depths as through a desert;

This text indicates that when they did not find drinking water, the people grumbled against Moses later in Exodus 16:3, they complained of hunger and got to the point of saying that it would have been better to have stayed in Egypt where they had food. Jehovah in his mercy provided them with manna and water on several occasions, even so, as Psalm 106:13-14 indicates, the Israelites soon forgot their works and returned to complaining again and again. The text says the following:

LET'S READ PSALM 106:13,14. 

But they quickly forgot what he had done; they did not wait for his direction. 14 In the wilderness they followed their own desires; they tested God in the dry land.

This story reminds us of the value of gratitude. Constant complaints can make us forget the blessings we already have and make us dissatisfied. It is vital that instead of complaining, we make a conscious effort to remember everything Jehovah has given us and trust that he will provide what is necessary in difficult times. Being grateful strengthens our faith and helps us maintain a positive attitude, even in times of trial.

Another significant moment in the history of the Israelites occurred when Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive instructions from Jehovah. Meanwhile, the people waited in the camp, but as the days passed and Moses did not return, they began to lose patience and felt abandoned. Instead of trusting in Jehovah who had performed miracles to free them, they sought guidance in an image. They asked Aaron to make a golden calf, a God who could guide them as mentioned in Exodus 32:1,2. Please read Psalm 106:19-21, it says:

LET'S READ PSALM 106:19-21.

At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a bronze statue. 20 They exchanged my glory for the image of a bull that eats grass. 21 They forgot God their Savior, who did great things in Egypt.

We see how impatience can lead us to wrong decisions. When we feel impatient, we may feel that God has delayed or is not with us, and we may look for hasty solutions or alternatives that are not correct. It is essential to cultivate patience and trust that God has his own time for everything. Even if we feel that a situation is taking a long time to resolve, we can trust that Jehovah always fulfills his promises and never abandons us.

When they saw the dark cloud and the lightning on Mount Sinai, the people were so afraid that they asked Moses to speak to Jehovah for them. This reaction shows that although they respected Jehovah's power, their relationship with him was still weak and they depended a lot on Moses. It is easy to see how their faith faltered in Moses' absence and how they quickly turned to idols or to complaining in times of uncertainty.

This story reminds us that our faith should not depend on other people. Although the brothers in the congregation strengthen and encourage each of us, we must cultivate a personal relationship with Jehovah. This means trusting in him and seeking his guidance directly through prayer and Bible study. Our faith in God must be solid and personal, so that we can face life's challenges without depending on the physical presence of others. It is impressive to see how Jehovah reacted when the Israelites made the golden calf. Although he was disappointed, he showed compassion when Moses interceded for them and gave them the opportunity to repent. 

This act shows that Jehovah is patient and willing to forgive when someone truly repents. God's patience teaches us that he understands our limitations and is willing to give us opportunities to correct our mistakes. By reflecting on this, we can feel encouraged to approach Jehovah with a sincere heart, ask for forgiveness for our failures, and strive to make changes.

Jehovah does not expect us to be perfect, but rather to have a humble heart willing to improve. After reviewing these stories, we can reflect on how the challenges of the Israelites are similar to those we face today. In times of uncertainty when it seems that our prayers are not answered immediately or when we face problems that have no quick solution, we should remember the lessons of faith and patience that the history of the Israelites teaches us.

As Romans 15:4 says, all things that were written before were written for our instruction. We can trust that Jehovah hears our prayers, even if the answer is slow in coming, we can stay focused on the blessings we already have, and above all trust that our savior Jehovah is always with us. Looking at the whole story, we realize that Jehovah values ​​the patience and faithfulness of those who trusted in him.

No matter the circumstances, God guided and protected those who maintained their faith. Likewise, our tests of faith offer us the opportunity to demonstrate our loyalty to Jehovah. We know that in the end, patience and trust in God always have their reward. The stories of the Israelites teach us valuable lessons about how to maintain our faith in Jehovah, our savior.

In our activity guide for this week, we can see a sister who is about to go out to preach, however, she remembers times when Jehovah helped her in the past. And in the series of images we see her receiving a shepherding visit, we also see how Jehovah's organization helped her in the past, and finally we see her receiving a letter and a photo from a friend. 

In conclusion, this illustration teaches us that when we go through problems, it is of utmost importance to remember specific things that Jehovah did for us in the past, which will give us the courage and strength to continue forward despite the difficulties that may arise.  In moments of fear, complaint or impatience we need to remember God's example, his patience, his love and his willingness to forgive. These qualities strengthen us and help us stay close to him. Jehovah wants to help us, but he also expects us to do our part by cultivating genuine faith and trusting in his timing.

Every time we face challenges, let us remember that Jehovah does not change. Through his word, he assures us that he is with us and that his spirit gives us the strength to endure any difficulty. We can always maintain our faith in him, no matter the circumstances. Jehovah is faithful and will never abandon us.