DAILY TEXT, Thursday, December 18, 2025. Jehovah shows loyal love to those who love him and obey his commandments (Dan. 9:4).

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Thursday, December 18, 2025

Jehovah shows loyal love to those who love him and obey his commandments (Dan. 9:4).

In the Bible, the Hebrew word translated “loyalty” or “loyal love” conveys the idea of ​​deep affection and attachment. It is often used to describe God’s love for his servants. The same word is also used to describe the love God’s servants have for one another (2 Sam. 9:6, 7). Jehovah expects us to be loyal to him as well. And that loyalty can grow stronger over time. This is clearly seen in the case of the prophet Daniel.

Throughout his life, Daniel demonstrated his loyalty to Jehovah many times. But when he was over 90 years old, he faced an extremely difficult test. Some court officials hated Daniel and did not respect Jehovah. So they devised a plan to get rid of Daniel. They got Darius to sign a law that put Daniel in an impossible situation: he had to be loyal to either God or the king. To demonstrate his loyalty to the king, all he had to do was stop praying to Jehovah for 30 days. Daniel stood firm. (Dan. 6:12-15, 20-22) w23.08 5 pars. 10-12

What did Daniel do to strengthen his loyalty to Jehovah?

To be loyal to Jehovah, it is necessary to love him deeply. Daniel remained loyal to his heavenly Father because he loved him very much. He likely nurtured that love by thinking about Jehovah’s qualities and how he displayed them (Dan. 9:4). In addition, Daniel meditated with a grateful heart on all the good things Jehovah had done for him and for his people (Dan. 2:20-23; 9:15, 16).

What loyalty tests do young Christians face? Give an example. What could we say to someone who asks us if Jehovah's Witnesses support homosexual behavior?

Like Daniel, our young people are surrounded by people who do not respect Jehovah or his standards. These people may look down on those who say they love God, and some may even pressure our young people to stop being loyal to Jehovah.

That's what happened to Gabriel, who lives in Australia. When he was a teenager, he was given a very difficult test in class. The teacher asked the students what they would do if a friend told them he was gay. She told them to stand on one side if they supported the friend's behavior, and on the other side if they didn't. Gabriel recounts: "Everyone stood on the side of those who were in favor except for one other Witness and me."

What happened next was a true test of loyalty for Gabriel. He recalls: “There was still a long time left in the class, and our classmates and even the teacher spent the whole time insulting and mocking us. I did my best to remain calm and explain my beliefs clearly, but they wouldn't listen.” How did Gabriel feel? He explains it this way: “Of course, I didn't like being insulted, but I felt incredibly happy because I was loyal to Jehovah and stood up for my faith.”

What can we do to always be loyal to Jehovah?

Like Daniel, we can always be loyal to Jehovah if we strive to love him wholeheartedly. To grow in that love, we need to get to know his personality well, and one way to do this is by studying the things he has created. (Rom. 1:20) Young person, what resources do you have to help your love and respect for Jehovah grow? In the section “Did Someone Design It?” there are videos and short articles you can watch. You could also review the brochures Is Life the Work of a Creator? and The Origin of Life.

Consider what a young sister in Denmark named Esther said about these publications: “I love the reasoning in these brochures. They don’t tell you what to believe, but they present the facts so you can draw your own conclusions.” Ben, mentioned in paragraph 9, says: “These articles and brochures greatly strengthened my faith. They showed me that God created life.” After studying this information, you will likely agree with what Revelation 4:11 says: “Jehovah our God, you deserve to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, because you created all things.”

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