Watchtower Study, Week of February 24 to March 2, 2025, Jehovah remembers all your tears, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, February 24, March 2, 2025, Jehovah remembers all your tears, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response

Light Yellow: Additional Response

Celeste: Additional Points

“Collect my tears in your wineskin. Aren't they written down in your book? (PSA. 56:8).

1, 2. What situations could make us cry?

WHO hasn't cried? We can cry with joy when good things happen to us, such as the birth of a child. Perhaps we shed tears when a beautiful memory comes to mind or when we reunite with a dear friend after many years.

2 But most of the time we cry because our hearts are hurting. Maybe someone has let us down terribly or we are in a lot of pain due to a very serious illness or the loss of a loved one. At such times, we may feel like Jeremiah when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. The prophet said: “Streams of water flow from my eyes […]. My eyes will weep without stopping, without rest” (Lam. 3:48, 49).

3. How does Jehovah feel when he sees his servants suffer? (Isaiah 63:9).

3 Jehovah knows how many tears of pain we have shed throughout our lives. The Bible assures us that he is aware of all our suffering and that he listens to us when we beg him to help us. (Ps. 34:15). But, in addition to seeing and listening to us, it does something else. He is our Father and he loves us very much, and he feels very sad when he sees his children cry. So he immediately gets to work helping us (read Isaiah 63:9).

4. What Bible examples will we analyze, and what will we learn about Jehovah?

4 In his Word, we see what Jehovah did when he saw his servants crying. Let's think about the case of Anna, David and King Hezekiah. What made you cry? What did Jehovah do for them? And how does his example comfort us when sadness, betrayal or despair make us shed tears?

TEARS FOR SADNESS

5. How did Ana feel?

5 Ana went through very sad situations that cost her many tears. Her husband was not only married to her, but also to Peninah, a woman who hated her and treated her very badly. As if that were not enough, Hannah was barren, while Peninnah had several children (1 Sam. 1:1, 2). And for that reason he constantly made fun of her. How would you have felt in his place? Ana was “deeply distressed,” so “she ended up crying and didn't eat anything.” (1 Sam. 1:6, 7, 10).

6. What did Ana do to feel better?

6 What did Ana do to feel better? To begin, he went to the tabernacle, the center of pure worship. And once he was there, possibly near the entrance to the courtyard of the tabernacle, “he began to pray to Jehovah and could not stop crying.” She begged God to remember her and told him: “Look how much I am suffering.” (1 Sam. 1:10b, 11). She told Jehovah everything she felt. Can you imagine how sad Jehovah must have felt to see his beloved daughter crying?

7. How did Hannah feel after opening her heart to Jehovah?

7 How did Hannah feel after opening her heart to Jehovah and hearing the reassuring words of the high priest Eli? The story says: “He went and ate, and the sadness disappeared from his face.” (1 Sam. 1:17, 18). Although her situation had not yet changed, Ana felt relieved. He had left the heavy emotional burden in Jehovah's hands. He saw her anguish, heard her plea, and then blessed her by allowing her to have children. (1 Sam. 1:19, 20; 2:21).

8, 9. According to Hebrews 10:24, 25, why should we make every effort to go to meetings? (See also the image).

8 What do we learn? Are you going through a difficult situation that makes you cry? Maybe you are grieving the death of a family member or friend. In those cases, it is normal that you do not feel like being with anyone. But remember the example of Hannah. She went to the tabernacle and there Jehovah comforted her. He can also comfort you if you go to meetings, even though you may feel sad and weak. (read Hebrews 10:24, 25). There we heard very encouraging biblical passages. In this way, Jehovah can help us replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. This way we will feel better, even if the situation does not improve immediately.

9 At meetings, brothers comfort us and show us how much they love us, and that can lift our spirits. (1 Thes. 5:11, 14). Consider the words of a special pioneer who lost his wife: “I still mourn her death. Sometimes I sit in a corner and start crying and crying... But the meetings give me the encouragement I need to keep going. The comments the brothers make and the nice words they say to me calm me down. When I get to the salon, sometimes I feel consumed by anguish, but I always feel better there.” When we go to meetings, Jehovah can use brothers and sisters to help us.

ILLUSTRATION

At a Kingdom Hall, a group of brothers and sisters are comforting an older brother who is very sad. The brothers comfort us. (See paragraphs 8 and 9).

10. How can we follow Ana's example in moments of deep sadness?

10 Hannah felt better when she unburdened herself to Jehovah. You too can do what 1 Peter 5:7 says and cast all your concerns on Jehovah with confidence that he will hear you. A sister explains what she felt when robbers ended her husband's life: “I felt like my heart was broken into thousands of pieces and that it would be impossible to heal it.” What helped you? She says, “I turned to my loving heavenly Father and felt his comfort every time I prayed to him. Sometimes I didn't know how to explain to him what I felt, but he understood me. When she was plunged into sadness and despair, she asked him for peace. I immediately felt my heart and mind filled with calm, and I had the strength to move forward.” When you vent to Jehovah, he feels your pain and perfectly understands your feelings. Even if the problem does not go away, Jehovah can calm you down and give you a measure of peace (Ps. 94:19; Phil. 4:6, 7). Plus, it will reward you for your endurance. (Heb. 11:6).

TEARS FOR A BETRAYAL

11. How did David feel when others treated him badly?

11 During his life, David faced many painful situations that brought tears to his eyes. Many hated him, and even some family members and friends betrayed his trust and tried to harm him (1 Sam. 19:10, 11; 2 Sam. 15:10-14, 30). At one point in his life he wrote: “I have exhausted myself from sighing so much; All night I soak my bed with tears; “With my tears I flood my bed.” Why did he feel this way? He himself explained: “Because of all those who harass me” (Ps. 6:6, 7). People hurt David so much that he couldn't hold back his tears.

12. According to Psalm 56:8, what was David convinced of?

12 Although David's life was difficult, he was sure that Jehovah loved him. He wrote: “Jehovah will hear my cry.” (Ps. 6:8). On another occasion he wrote the beautiful words found in Psalm 56:8 (read it). These words poetically describe how much Jehovah loves us and cares about how we feel. David said it was as if Jehovah was collecting each of his tears in a wineskin or writing them down in a book. He was completely convinced that his loving heavenly Father was aware of and remembered all his sufferings, and that he knew not only his problems, but also how they made him feel.

13. What can comfort us if someone disappointed us or betrayed us? (See also the image).

13 What do we learn? Have you been disappointed or betrayed by someone you love? Are you heartbroken because your marriage or courtship ended? Are you sad because someone you love stopped serving Jehovah? Let's look at a real life case. One brother said how he felt when his wife was unfaithful and abandoned him: “I couldn't believe it, I was in shock. I felt worthless, sad and angry.” What can comfort you if someone betrayed you or let you down? Keep in mind the fact that Jehovah will never abandon you. The brother said: “I realized that people can fail you, but Jehovah cannot. He is our Rock; It will always be there, no matter what happens. He will never abandon his loyal ones” (Ps. 37:28). Remember that no one loves you as much as Jehovah loves you. Maybe they hurt you a lot, but don't let that stop you from seeing how much Jehovah cares about you. (Rom. 8:38, 39). Even if someone treats you badly, you can be sure of one thing: Jehovah does love you!

ILLUSTRATION

A brother is clutching his wedding ring with a worried face as he meditates on some of the things that King David experienced. The book of Psalms assures us that Jehovah is close to those who are heartbroken. (See paragraph 13).

14. What does Psalm 34:18 assure us?

14 If you suffered betrayal, you can also be comforted by the words David wrote in Psalm 34:18. (read it). A reference work says that it is possible to translate the expression “those who are sunk in discouragement” as “those who have nothing good to hope for.” How does Jehovah help those who feel this way? The same text says that he “is close” to those who feel broken, perhaps because of betrayal or disappointment. It's like a dad who, when he sees his little one crying, takes him in his arms and comforts him. He feels our pain and comes immediately to help us. He desires to calm our hearts and alleviate our suffering. In addition, it gives us many good things to look forward to, and thus helps us endure the problems we have now. (Is. 65:17).

TEARS FOR DESPERATION

15. What situation caused King Hezekiah to cry uncontrollably?

15 When King Hezekiah of Judah was 39 years old, he became seriously ill. Through the prophet Isaiah, Jehovah told him that he was going to die of his illness (2 Rey. 20:1). There seemed to be no hope for Hezekiah. The news left him in tears, and he began to beg Jehovah to help him. (2 Rey. 20:2, 3).

16. When Jehovah heard Hezekiah's prayer and saw his tears, what did he feel and what did he do for him?

16 When Jehovah heard Hezekiah's prayer and saw him crying, he was greatly moved and through Isaiah told him: “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. “I’m going to heal you.” He showed him mercy by promising to lengthen his life and rescue Jerusalem from the hands of the Assyrians. (2 Rey. 20:4-6).

17. How does Jehovah support us when we have serious health problems? (Psalm 41:3; see also the image).

17 What do we learn? What can you do if you have a health problem that seems to have no solution? Vent your heart to Jehovah, even with your eyes full of tears. The Bible assures us that “the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort” will comfort us in all our trials (2 Cor. 1:3, 4). Of course, we cannot expect Jehovah to eliminate all our problems now. But we do have the certainty that it will sustain us (lee Salmo 41:3). For example, he gives us his holy spirit, which helps us have the strength, wisdom and inner peace we need. (Prov. 18:14; Phil. 4:13). And it also gives us hope that all diseases will disappear (Is. 33:24).

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. A sister prays intensely while receiving chemotherapy treatment. 2. King Hezekiah pleads with Jehovah while he is sick in his bed. Jehovah answers our prayers by giving us strength, wisdom and inner peace. (See paragraph 17).

18. What biblical text has helped you in a particularly complicated situation? (See the box “Words with which Jehovah dries our tears.”)

18 Hezekiah was comforted by the words of the Lord. We too can be comforted by what God tells us through the Bible. Jehovah made sure that it recorded words that encourage us when we go through difficult times. (Rom. 15:4) Consider the case of a West African sister who often cried because she had been diagnosed with cancer. She tells: “A text that comforts me a lot is Isaiah 26:3. Although we can rarely control what happens to us, this verse shows that Jehovah can give us the peace we need to control how we react to difficulties.”. Does any biblical text come to mind that has given you an injection of encouragement in especially difficult moments, when perhaps you were overcome by despair?

19. What reward awaits us?

19 We are deep into the last days, so it is logical to expect that we will experience more and more situations that make us cry. But, as we saw with the examples of Hannah, David, and King Hezekiah, Jehovah sees the tears we shed and feels our pain. He remembers each and every one of your tears. Therefore, when you go through painful situations, open your heart to Jehovah. Do not isolate yourself from the brothers of the congregation, who love you so much. And continue seeking the comfort that Jehovah gives us in the Bible. You can be sure that if you endure faithfully, he will reward you. Soon we will see the day when Jehovah will dry all our tears of pain (Apoc. 21:4). In the new world there will only be tears of joy!

HOW DID JEHOVAH COMFORT THESE SERVANTS OF HIS?

Ana

A sister explains what she felt when robbers ended her husband's life: “I felt like my heart was broken into thousands of pieces and that it would be impossible to heal it.” What helped you? She says, “I turned to my loving heavenly Father and felt his comfort every time I prayed to him. Sometimes I didn't know how to explain to him what I felt, but he understood me. When she was plunged into sadness and despair, she asked him for peace. I immediately felt my heart and mind filled with calm, and I had the strength to move forward.”

David

Although David's life was difficult, he was sure that Jehovah loved him. He wrote: “The Lord will hear my cry.” On another occasion he wrote the beautiful words we find in Psalm 56:8. David said it was as if Jehovah was collecting each of his tears in a wineskin or writing them down in a book. He was completely convinced that his loving heavenly Father was aware of and remembered all his sufferings, and that he knew not only his problems, but also how they made him feel.

King Hezekiah

When King Hezekiah of Judah was 39 years old, he became seriously ill. Through the prophet Isaiah, Jehovah told him that he was going to die of his illness. The news left him in tears, and he began to beg Jehovah to help him.

When Jehovah heard Hezekiah's prayer and saw him crying, he was greatly moved and through Isaiah told him: “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. “I’m going to heal you.” He showed him mercy by promising to lengthen his life and rescue Jerusalem from the hands of the Assyrians.