Watchtower Study, What to do if we have doubts, Week of December 30 to January 5, 2025, Comments and Answers.

Watchtower Study, What to do if we have doubts, December 30-January 5, 2025, Comments and Answers.

“Prove all things” (1 THES. 5:21).

1, 2. a) What doubts may arise?

Doubts that may arise include questions such as whether Jehovah cares about us, whether the sacrifices we have made for him have been worth it, and whether we are still useful to him.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

These concerns can affect our faith and cause us to question our decisions and our value in serving Jehovah.

Yes, it may happen that a young person is not sure whether Jehovah notices him or not and this causes him to hold back from taking the step towards dedication and baptism.

Another question that arises was from a brother mentioned in the paragraph, who as a young man decided to put Jehovah first instead of earning a lot of money, and whether he now regrets having done so or not.

Well, also the example of an older sister, who no longer has as much strength as she had before. And she feels discouraged because she can no longer do everything she did before.

Some questions we can ask ourselves are as stated in paragraph one at the end. Could it be that Jehovah pays attention to me? Another thing is that if the sacrifices that have been made for him have been worth it? And the last question we could ask ourselves is: Are we still useful by being useful?

The footnote refers to when someone has trouble believing that they are valuable to Jehovah, that Jehovah finds them useful, or if they wonder if any of their decisions were correct. It refers to those types of negative thoughts that can weaken the faith.

1, 2. b) What will we see in this article?

In this article, we will see how the Bible can help us if we think that Jehovah cares about us, that the decisions we made in the past were not wise, or that we are no longer useful to Jehovah.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

On the other hand, according to the note for this paragraph, in this article, when talking about doubts we will not refer to a lack of faith in Jehovah and his promises, but rather when someone finds it difficult to believe that he is a valuable father, Jehovah does not ask himself. if some of your decisions were correct.

HOW WE CAN RESOLVE QUESTIONS

3. What will help us resolve our doubts?

The word of God will help us resolve our doubts. Thanks to it, our faith in Jehovah and our friendship with him will be stronger, allowing us to be "firm in the faith."

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

1 Corinthians 16:13, is very interesting not because the first thing it says is that we must stay awake to see if we are firm in the faith and if we are brave to continue being brave in the faith So if this This is what it raises the Bible, each one of us must think about how my faith is in relation to what it has to do with Jehovah.

4. How can we prove all things, as 1 Thessalonians 5:21 advises us?

We can prove all things by comparing what we think with what the Bible says. For example, if a young person is not sure whether Jehovah cares about him, it is best to consult the Bible to see Jehovah's point of view to resolve his doubt.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

Well, what we have to do is compare what we think with what the Bible says. For example, if a young person is not sure if Jehovah notices him, then the best thing he could do instead of remaining with this doubt, is to check by going to the Bible what Jehovah's point of view on what he is doing. .

The idea of ​​checking in Greek had to do with testing or verifying the authenticity of precious metals. Well, it is also true that what we have is precious, but sometimes we have to do the check to verify that it is gold of many carats.

5. How can we “listen” to the answers that Jehovah gives us?

To "listen" to the answers that Jehovah gives us, we must look for biblical texts that speak about what concerns us, use the many study tools that the organization gives us to investigate the topic, ask Jehovah to guide our investigation and to Help us find answers, extract biblical principles and seek practical information for our circumstances and analyze biblical stories from people who went through similar situations.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

You have to start reading the Bible, but it is not enough, it is as Proverbs 2:3-6 says, you have to search and you have to search hard, as it says as if it were gold silver a treasure, and fortunately Jehovah's organization gives us those tools. So if one has that problem, it is necessary to investigate and investigate that problem and ask Jehovah to help us find the solution.

When I read the text of Proverbs 2:4, it says to search for treasures, and it made me think about the people who dedicate themselves to that, who have the necessary tools and machinery to dig deep and search for treasure, that is what the paragraph was mentioning, that the more we deepen our relationship with Jehovah, the closer it will be and we will find true treasures.

Today we have it very easy, because we have the JW library where we can find a lot of information, search specifically for the topic that concerns us and there we will find a lot of analysis of many topics in the Bible.

Yes, an important thing, as the paragraph says, is that we ask Jehovah for guidance to guide our steps so that the investigation is successful. The person who dedicates himself to searching for treasures does not look for any place first. He investigates, finds out where they can be those treasures and it covers that that terrain.

Yes, verse 6 of Proverbs says that Jehovah is the one who gives wisdom, so let's ask him for that wisdom, and let's look in the stories that we have from many men and women of faith for our problem, how they were able to face it because surely Our problem is not ours alone, it belongs to many brothers who have been through it throughout history for sure.

6. How do meetings help us resolve our doubts?

Meetings help us resolve our doubts because by attending them regularly, it is possible that in a speech or in a comment we hear just what we need to resolve our doubt.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, if we attend them regularly, it is possible that in a speech, in a comment, we hear everything we need to solve our problems.

Well, attending meetings is very important, I say it today it has been any speech, the song, the comments, it is listening to Jehovah and by attending regularly we can find what we need to resolve, not just our doubts. , but the circumstances we are going through.

It is very important to attend regularly, but also to be attentive during the meeting, because perhaps they are speaking to us giving the answer to our questions, and if we are not attentive, perhaps we will not even notice the answer.

We have seen three very important, necessary ways, we would say, first prayer to Jehovah, conscientious study in the slave publications that give us understanding about the biblical passages, and meetings as well.

“Could it be that JEHOVAH IS INTERESTED IN ME?”

7. What might we ask ourselves?

We may wonder if Jehovah pays attention to us, and if we feel unimportant, the idea of ​​being a friend of the creator of the universe may seem impossible and out of reach. And an example of this was in King David, who was very surprised that Jehovah paid attention to simple human beings and that is why he asked: "O Jehovah, what is man that you take him into account, the son of man mortal to that you pay attention to him?"

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

When we see that Jehovah is the almighty creator of the universe, we may feel unimportant and wonder whether to doubt that Jehovah pays attention to each of us individually.

Jehovah will also notice simple human beings, and that is why I ask, oh Jehovah, what is man that you take him into account, the son of mortal man that you pay attention to him? So we learn from David's reflection here that perhaps ours could also be true when one sees oneself so compared to the creator.

Well, in principle what we see is when we compare our insignificance with Jehovah, it is impressive and it is what happened to David, we think about the nights that he spent in the field watching the stars and thinking about what Jehovah was like, and this situation that Others we can have are not only those who begin in the truth, but over time as we learn more about the greatness of Jehovah, it can even make us feel smaller than ever.

And as the publications have said, sometimes it is easy to believe that Jehovah protects his people who sees them all as extremely valuable, but where doubt sometimes arises, it is clear that Jehovah sees his people as valuable.

If you really pay attention to me, you pay attention to each one individually, that is, but in me I am nobody here, in a place, a corner of the earth, you are going to pay attention to me. Well let's reflect on what we read. The Bible shows us that Jehovah pays attention to those who may seem unimportant, for example he sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as the future King of Israel. Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but he did not include the youngest, David. However, Jehovah had chosen just him, why, because he had looked inside and seen that he was a young man who greatly valued spiritual things.

8. According to 1 Samuel 16:6, 7, 10-12, what does Jehovah pay attention to?

Jehovah looks inside people and how much they value spiritual things. Even though David was the youngest of Jesse's sons and Samuel was not initially presented, Jehovah looked into his interior and chose him because he saw in him a young man who greatly valued spiritual things.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Hence the note for this paragraph mentions that although the Bible does not say how old David was when Jehovah chose him, it is likely that he was a teenager but a very spiritual one, since he had a close relationship with Jehovah. Which he had cultivated by meditating on what he knew about God.

Jehovah looks at the heart, at the inside of the person, he does not look at their appearance. In fact, here we see that David's father did not even take him into account to be anointed, perhaps because he was the youngest, he did not see any qualities in him, however, Jehovah does see what is inside people.

We are given some information in the note, it says: that some time after David was anointed, three of his brothers were already enlisted in Saul's army, that they could not enlist until they were 20 years old, but it does not mention that The five youngest, older than David, were in the army. Therefore, apparently those five minors were still in their teens, and David probably even less so. In the book “Lessons I Learn from the Bible” there is an image of the moment when David is anointed and it is seen that he has barely reached adolescence. Thus we notice how Jehovah notices people who may not be important, but He sees something in that person that deserves to be recognized.

The note says that he was very young when Jehovah chose him. He seems to have been a very spiritual person, and it is obvious that he had a close relationship with Jehovah, which he cultivated by meditating on what he already knew about Jehovah.

As we have read, he was tending sheep, which means he probably spent a lot of time alone. It is very likely that in addition to being very young, he was not a young man that many would notice, but Jehovah did. And that is the beautiful lesson we learn.

9. How can you be sure that Jehovah cares about you? (See also the image).

Think about what Jehovah has done to show you that he cares about you, he gives you advice that fits perfectly with what you need, to do this you have to know him very well. By putting this advice into practice and seeing the good results, you will be convinced that Jehovah cares about you. Furthermore, Jehovah pays attention to everything you do for him and notices your beautiful qualities, he wants to be your friend, and he wants you to accept that invitation.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

One reason is because he gives specific, individual advice to each of us. Because he knows perfectly well what we need and he does it so that things go well for us.

An example of this is the young sister who appears in the image that accompanies the paragraph, because she is looking for what Jehovah thinks about her situation, and from what she is seeing, it seems that her problem is that she is suffering harassment, she is suffering bullying. Because you are watching the animated whiteboard video of "How to defend yourself without landing a single blow." So through the wide variety of articles, videos and publications that we receive from the Slave, Jehovah makes sure that we easily find those tips that are adapted to our situation.

Jeremiah 17:10 says that Jehovah searches the heart, analyzes our most intimate thoughts, to repay each of us according to our conduct and according to our fruits. So this is a guarantee that Jehovah cares about us, because he pays attention to everything we do and feel.

In Psalm 139:1 it says: “O Jehovah, you have examined me thoroughly”, this expression “thoroughly” makes us see Jehovah pausing, dedicating time to us personally, speaking personally and does not stop at storing data. , but he wants to know feelings. This is impressive from someone as great as Jehovah.

Here is a very important invitation that we should take into account, and it is in 1 John 4:19, where it says that we love Him because He first loved us. It means that Jehovah is the one who takes the initiative so that we take him into consideration and change attitudes that we may have from the past.

When Jehovah examines the heart or analyzes the thoughts, he not only sees what we achieve, but also what is behind it, our feelings or what we are trying to do, and that makes us people better known to Him. He not only looks at the outside but also looks at what's inside.

ILLUSTRATION

A young sister does her personal study. He has the Bible open and watches a video on his tablet. “If you seek him, he will let you find him” (1 Chron. 28:9). (See paragraph 9).

“DID I MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS?”

10. When we look back, what might we ask ourselves?

Looking back, we may wonder if our decisions were the best. We may question whether giving up a good job or not starting a certain business so we could do more for Jehovah was the right decision.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Now, seeing that some acquaintances who dedicated themselves to making money seem to be living very well, we might ask ourselves: "Were all the sacrifices we made for Jehovah really worth it? Or would we have been better off if we had decided otherwise?"

It may be the case that a brother, looking back, might wonder if the decisions he made in the past were the best; perhaps at some point in his life he decided not to start a certain business or gave up a good job in order to dedicate himself more to Jehovah. . And perhaps with the passage of time you see that some of your acquaintances did well in the material and work aspects. And you may wonder if the sacrifice you have made for Jehovah has really been worth it.

It may be that the person who has done well financially away from Jehovah may also wonder if he has made the best decisions because everything he has does not bring him happiness. Which reaffirms that service to Jehovah is what brings that happiness.

11. Why did the writer of Psalm 73 feel distressed?

The writer of Psalm 73 was distressed because he saw that those who did not serve Jehovah seemed to enjoy health, peace, and wealth. This made him feel that everything he did for Jehovah was not worth it, and that is why he spent the entire day anguished over these negative thoughts.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

The Psalmist saw that those who did not serve Jehovah seemed to enjoy health, peace, and wealth. Psalm 73:3 says that he became envious of them, and Psalm 73:5 says that they do not live burdened like other humans. So the psalmist felt that everything he did for Jehovah was not worth it.

In Psalm 73:13,14 the Psalmist mentioned, it is clear that it has not been worth it for me to keep my heart pure, nor to wash my hands in innocence. So he thought that what he was doing for Jehovah was not worth it, because apparently those who lived around him were successful.

12. According to Psalm 73:16-18, what helped the psalmist think clearly?

What helps the psalmist think clearly was going to the sanctuary of Jehovah. In that place of peace I can understand that, although some led a comfortable life, a very dark future awaited them. This allowed him to see that putting Jehovah first was the best decision, which gave him peace of mind and strength to continue serving Him.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

It helped the psalmist to immerse himself in the wonder of God's people, where no one is repentant, and see the peace that is experienced when you serve Jehovah. In fact it was totally worth it, for we see that Asaph's sons continued to form a special group in the orchestral setting until the days of Josiah.

This psalm is a great help because it shows that if we ever feel this way, we know that this has happened before, and that this servant of God came to doubt that serving Jehovah was really worth it. But upon entering the sanctuary of Jehovah, that is, interacting with his brothers, he realized what those people really had. Well, a very dark, very desolate future, however he had Jehovah's blessing if he acted correctly and therefore that helped him put things in their place.

13. How can you have peace of mind? (See also images).

I can have peace of mind when thinking about all the good things I have and the treasures in heaven that I have accumulated. Unlike those who do not serve Jehovah who only have what this world offers and whose hopes are in what they can achieve in this life, I have a promise from Jehovah that he will give me much more than I can imagine. Although I cannot know what my life would have been like if I had made different decisions, I know that those who make decisions out of love for Jehovah and neighbor will never lack what is truly worthwhile.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Thinking about everything that Jehovah has given us over the years, we may look at the world and see that people who have not dedicated themselves to Jehovah have much in the material aspect, but they have a life without purpose and are empty, However, all of us who serve Jehovah and dedicate ourselves to Him have a life with purpose and a very good hope for a very near future.

A very interesting reason is that there is no way to know what would have happened if we had made other decisions, but we do know what we have at this moment, now and that Jehovah will never leave those who sacrifice things for Him, so yes. which is a guarantee, that is guaranteed.

One of the promises that the Psalm gives us is that Jehovah opens his hand and satisfies the desire of all living beings, so as long as it is in accordance with his will, Jehovah will send us everything we desire. Human beings today can only access what is in front of their eyes and nothing more.

ILLUSTRATION

A brother is cleaning the windows of a store and imagines that he is in Paradise with his wife, carrying a wheelbarrow full of fruit while deer eat grass near them. Let us always keep in mind the promises of Jehovah. (See paragraph 13).

“Could it be that I am useful to Jehovah?”

14. In what situation are some of Jehovah's servants, and what might they be wondering?

Some servants of Jehovah find themselves in situations where they would like to do more for Him, but cannot because of age, health problems, or a disability. This may lead them to feel unimportant to Jehovah and to wonder, “Can I be useful to him?”

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

We can ask ourselves if we are still useful to Jehovah, because looking back we see what we have done the most for Him, in His service we have given everything we could, but now we do not have the same strength. So it is inevitable to question whether I am still useful to Jehovah.

It is possible that a brother may suffer from a physical disability and be unable to do the same things he once did for Jehovah, and he may question whether he is still useful to Jehovah.

15. What was the writer of Psalm 71 convinced of?

The writer of Psalm 71 was convinced that if he served Him faithfully, Jehovah would guide him, support him, and never abandon him. Furthermore, he learned that Jehovah is happy with those who make every effort to serve him despite their limitations.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

And although he asked Jehovah not to abandon him deep down he was sure that he would not in fact, he knew that he would guide him and support him as long as he continued to serve him and we know this because in verse 3 of the Chapter 71 says: "You are my Rock my strength in number 5 it says: "You are my hope" and in number 7 it says: "You are my firm Refuge" So he was very clear that Jehovah would help him, that he would never I would abandon, and this because he had already previously reflected on everything he had done.

Psalm 73, especially 23, mentions when Jehovah is pleased with a man's path, he guides his steps, not in the best path, but in the path that man always makes according to his circumstances and his possibilities. , but Jehovah values ​​everything we can do within our possibilities and he guides us to continue doing it.

And in this same Psalm that Paul cited in 37 and 25, David himself said: I was young and now I am old, but I have never seen a righteous man abandoned, nor his children searching for bread. So one way or another if we seek Jehovah we will obtain his blessing.

And this is a doubt a thought that can occur even if in the past we have been or have been used for great responsibilities and privileges, Psalm 71 possibly also written by David is the continuation of 70, which has this heading and he despite having Having been used by Jehovah for great feats, he felt the need to ask him for this in the times of his old age. So it is legitimate, it is not a sign of lack of faith, it is simply a need that we have to ask Jehovah.

He says even if we fall, that means that we do not have to be super strong, if we cannot have weaknesses, we can have physical or even spiritual weaknesses, but even if we fall, if we continue striving to serve Jehovah, to be faithful to him, Jehovah will help us. help us get out of the situation or at least comfort us.

16. Why do we say that older brothers are very useful to Jehovah? (Psalm 92:12-15).

Older brothers are very useful to Jehovah because, even if they feel that they cannot give much physically, Jehovah can help them give a lot spiritually. They can strengthen others by their good example and by caring for them. They can also tell how Jehovah has helped them throughout their lives and how eager they are to see his promises fulfilled. Furthermore, the prayers you pray for others are very powerful.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, Jehovah is so good that for those of us who are already a few years old, he tells us that we can still do things, because of course at the moment one cannot do what he believes is most important, but Jehovah sees other things. So I'm really happy because I can still do things, I can talk to others fortunately and it is known that in Bethel we have so many young people, when I talk to them or we talk to them about our service to Jehovah and I see that their eyes are opened and that they So of course, that gives me a lot of encouragement, because it makes me see that I can still do things.

Yes, in the previous paragraph of Psalm 71, verse 18, it says that even though I am old and gray, do not abandon me. Why? Because he says let me tell the next generation about your wonderful power. What happens is that even though we are older or are getting older, it is difficult for us to climb the stairs, we have another field. For example, if we go to the doctor, if we receive a message at home, something we can talk to the person who comes. So that's why we say that even if we get older, Jehovah will let us speak to the next generation.

May Jehovah in Psalm 92 compare the elders with the cedars of Lebanon, because these trees are known not only for their beauty and exquisite fruit, but also for their dignity, greatness, strength, and are productive, even after hundreds of years. and so are our elders who are faithful to Jehovah. Although their strength has diminished, they continue to be very productive, since these decades they have accumulated of faithful service to Jehovah and the effort they made in the past are now multiplying because their excellent example and their affectionate words leave traces on those of us who are younger. and they have a very great impact on us, it helps us to have good spirits and a great love for Jehovah.

17. Why should we strive not to compare ourselves with others?

We must strive not to compare ourselves with others because Jehovah never compares us with other people. Rather, He values ​​anything we do out of love and devotion to Him, no matter how small it may seem. Furthermore, the examples of Mary and the poor widow show that what is important to Jehovah is the faith and devotion behind our actions, not their material value.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, relying a little on the previous paragraph, although we are older and cannot do the same as when we were young, our experiences can revive the young people, because hearing experiences that were strengthening for us, can help them and as it says, although one You cannot go down the stairs or go up, even through the telephone we can talk to people who can help them spiritually. And then one also feels happy and strengthened, although we cannot give as much, but we can compare ourselves with at least in this case to the widow who gave what he could, gave the only thing he had.

And because Jehovah does not compare us with others, nor for him, if what we do is the most we can, even if it is little, he will be happy, and what is shown here, Mary gave in that perfume to what was an entire year's salary, while the widow gave what was only a few minutes of work, two insignificant coins, but both are there in the Bible, as an example that they gave their best for Jehovah.

And as Galatians 6:4 mentions, he does not want us to compare ourselves with others nor does he compare us with others.

18. What can help you resolve your doubts? (See also the box “The Word of God helps you resolve your doubts”).

The word of God can help us resolve our doubts. By seeking in it the answers we need, we will feel that doubts disappear and our hearts will be filled with confidence. We must remember that Jehovah notices each one of us, values ​​the sacrifices we make for him and promises to reward us. Furthermore, we must never forget that Jehovah loves and cares for each of his faithful servants.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Well, it can help us to seek the answers we need in the word of God, the Bible, because Jehovah wants each of us as long as we are faithful and is interested in us. So if we look for the answers in the Bible, the doubts we have will disappear and our hearts will also be filled with joy and confidence.

In texts such as Isaiah 41:10 we are strengthened to remind ourselves that Jehovah will always give us the support and strength necessary to overcome our doubts.

The Word of God helps you resolve your doubts

Jehovah cares about you.

Isaiah 41:10. How interesting it is, because there it mentions that it says: «Do not be afraid because I am with you, if I will help you, and I will take you by the hand. So how important it is that we are never alone and that there is Jehovah and Jehovah's organization.

In Isaiah 48:17, it says that Jehovah teaches you and guides you, and as we have seen in the article, that teaching is personalized, which means that Jehovah has to know us very well to teach us personally. 

Jehovah values ​​the decision you made to serve him.

Proverbs 23:15 reminds us that all the decisions we make out of love for Jehovah will always rejoice his heart, because he says my heart will be glad.

Hebrews 13:5 says that your way of life should be free from the love of money and be content with the things we have, because Jehovah makes us a very beautiful promise: "I will never leave you and I will never abandon you." So if we keep this in mind and put the Kingdom first, we have that promise that will certainly not fail.

Jehovah appreciates anything you can do for him.

Yes Deuteronomy 16:17 Reminds us that what Jehovah asks of us is that we remain in accordance with what he himself has given us, that is, we remain in proportion to the blessing with which he has given us, he does not ask us more than what we have nor more than what he has given us.

The text of Hebrews 6 10 reminds us that Jehovah is not Unjust and does not forget your works and this can be very comforting to the older brothers who perhaps in the past did much, more work on a spiritual level, and they may think that Right now they serve for Jehovah, but they have to be sure that Jehovah will not forget what they did.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

How do we know that Jehovah cares about us?

Because He has demonstrated it with specific actions such as the rescue of his son Christ, and his word also confirms it to us, 1 Peter 5:7, that is, Jehovah has shown that he cares about us both with words and actions.

The fact that Jehovah has left specific advice for our needs in the Bible indicates that he knows us well and that he wants to be our friend. If he were not interested in us, he would not have left those advice and we have also seen the example of David, He was a simple shepherd, a teenager, and Jehovah chose him to be king.

What should we do if we doubt that we have made the right decisions in life?

Remember Luke 9:62, we must not look back, what we did is what we have done, remember that we always have to pay a price for the decisions we make, and the important thing is that we are happy taking Jehovah in our ways and helping to others, so we lay up treasures in heaven for ourselves (2 Timothy 4:16).

Well, thinking about all the good things that Jehovah has given us, all of these are spiritual treasures that we have accumulated, already in heaven, and we are sure that the decisions we have made out of love for Jehovah will make serving him truly worthwhile.

What should we do if we doubt that we are useful to Jehovah?

Remember that Jehovah does not think like we do, Jehovah and Jesus Christ do not see quantity but quality, God values ​​anything we do out of love and devotion to him no matter how small it may seem to us.

Well, don't think about what we can't do and think about what we can do. By example be examples in the congregation take into account the young people pray for for them for the brothers who are in prison there are many things that still we can do.