Watchtower Study, Week of May 25-31, 2026, Be discerning and “you will succeed”, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, May 25-31, 2026, Be discerning and “you will succeed”, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response

Light Yellow: Additional Response

Celeste: Additional Points

“He who is discerning in dealing with a matter will succeed” (PROV. 16:20).

1, 2. What is insight, and how does it help us?

In life there are situations where reacting well can be quite a challenge. Sometimes, others don't treat us with as much respect as we'd like. Someone might form a wrong impression of us or treat us unfairly. And sometimes we face challenges that frighten us. What can help us? The Bible gives us the key: discernment.

2 Insight is the ability to understand a situation well, to see beyond the obvious. It allows us to understand why some things happen and why people act in certain ways. And, thanks to that, we can be more prudent and sensible. For example, insight helps us to rein in our words, to know when to be quiet, to control anger, to forgive others, and to accept advice and discipline. (Sal. 4:4; Prov. 10:19; 19:20). When we are discerning, what we do and say not only pleases Jehovah, but also benefits us and those around us. This quality is especially useful if we feel tempted to react rashly or to give free rein to our emotions. Let us look at three Bible accounts that show how insight can help us to be humble, to remain calm, and to trust completely in Jehovah.

INSTEAD OF BEING PROUD, LET'S SHOW HUMILITY

3. Who was Naaman?

3 To truly succeed, we must put aside pride (1 Pet. 5:5). How can discernment help us to do this? Consider the example of Naaman. Who was he? He was a man with a lot of authority, the head of the army of Syria, a nation that was north of Israel. However, Naaman had leprosy, a terrible skin disease (2 Kings 5:1).

4. How did Naaman demonstrate that he was able to see beyond?

4 An Israelite girl who was a servant to Naaman's wife told her mistress that there was a prophet in Israel who could heal her husband. (2 Rey. 5:2, 3). Naaman might have thought, “But she’s just a girl! How can this slave girl, who is from an enemy nation, tell me anything useful?” However, Naaman was able to see beyond that. Instead of acting proudly and ignoring him, he was humble and took his words seriously. So he asked the king of Syria for permission to go to Israel in search of a cure, and he granted it. (2 Rey. 5:4, 5).

5. What happened to Naaman when he arrived in Israel?

5 Naaman arrived in Israel and presented himself before King Jehoram; he was surely excited and eager to regain his health. However, Jehoram thought the king of Syria was only looking for an excuse to fight him. When the prophet Elisha heard about this, he asked Jehoram to send Naaman to see him (2 Kings 5:6-9). But things didn't go as Naaman had imagined. It turns out that Elisha didn't even come out of his house to meet him and talk to him! Instead, he sent a messenger to tell him what he needed to do to be healed. (2 Rey. 5:10).

6. (a) Why might Naaman have reacted with pride to the messenger’s instructions? (b) How did Naaman’s servants show that they were discerning, and what happened in the end? (2 Kings 5:13, 14)

6 At first, Naaman did not react well to the messenger’s instructions. In fact, he “became indignant” and “went away in a rage” (2 Kings 5:11, 12). Why? Perhaps he thought that, as the leader of the Syrian army, he deserved to be treated with more respect. Furthermore, he may have felt that, with his instructions, Elisha was showing contempt for Syria. In any case, Naaman was ready to leave for Syria without further ado. However, his servants were perceptive and begged him to reconsider. Naaman set aside his pride and humbly followed Elisha's instructions. Thanks to this, he recovered his health. (lea 2 Reyes 5:13, 14).

7. What do we learn from Naaman? (Proverbs 22:4; see also the pictures.)

7 What do we learn from this story? When we are perceptive, we see beyond the obvious, beyond appearances. We also prevent emotions from controlling us. Furthermore, insight motivates us to be humble, because we understand that we do not know everything and that we need others to help us, especially Jehovah. How did Naaman demonstrate a certain degree of insight? Although he did not yet serve Jehovah, he was humble and listened to the Israelite girl, to his servants, and most importantly to Elisha, who spoke in Jehovah's name. Naaman was able to set aside his pride. Thanks to that, he made a successful decision, for he recovered his health. So, before reacting to a certain situation, we must stop and think. For example, if someone gives us advice from the Bible that we don't like, or if we don't understand an instruction from the organization, let's ask ourselves: "What will my words and actions reflect: that I am humble, or that I am proud?" (it’s Proverbs 22:4).

ILLUSTRATION

Images of a brother being discerning by humbly listening to others: 1. He pays attention to a younger brother who is using the brochure “Become Better Readers and Teachers” to give him advice. 2. He listens to an older sister who tells him about the congregation’s plans to use mobile preaching carts. 3. He attentively watches a JW Broadcasting video on his tablet.

Let us be like Naaman and listen humbly when we are given advice, a suggestion, or instructions from the organization. (See paragraph 7.)

INSTEAD OF REACTING WITH ANGER, LET'S REMAIN CALM

8. In what situations might it be difficult for us to remain calm?

8 We all face frustrating situations, but insight helps us stay calm. Of course, that's not always easy. Sometimes, we have justifiable reasons to be upset, perhaps because someone didn't treat us well or we suffered an injustice. (Eph. 4:26 and the study note “When They Get Angry”). Let us see how David and Abigail showed insight in a very tense situation.

9. How did Nabal treat David?

9 Picture the scene: David and his men are in the wilderness of Paran living as fugitives (1 Sam. 25:1). There they are in charge of protecting the shepherds and flocks of a rich man named Nabal (1 Sam. 25:15, 16). When shearing time arrives, David sends messengers to Nabal to wish him peace and to respectfully request some provisions (1 Sam. 25:6-8). But instead of thanking David and his men for all they have done, Nabal treats them with contempt and even insults them. (1 Sam. 25:10, 11).

10. How did Abigail and David demonstrate discernment? (1 Samuel 25:32, 33; see also the picture.)

10 How would you have felt if you had been David? It is easy to understand why David, a man of intense feelings, became angry. He was so furious that he wanted to kill Nabal (1 Sam. 25:13, 21, 22). However, as he was on his way to kill him, someone came to meet him. It was Abigail, Nabal’s wife, a very sensible woman. How did she show discernment? She was able to see beyond David's overreaction. She realized he was a good man and did everything she could to calm him down. She gave him many gifts and humbly advised him. (1 Sam. 25:18, 23-31). David also showed insight, for he listened carefully to Abigail and recognized that her wise words reflected Jehovah's viewpoint. In the end, David calmed down and avoided making a terrible mistake (read 1 Samuel 25:32, 33).

ILLUSTRATION

David listens attentively to Abigail's pleas as she kneels before him. David's men, standing beside her, watch intently. Abigail's servants wait behind her, their hands full of gifts.

David and Abigail showed discernment in a very tense situation, and thus avoided a tragedy. (See paragraph 10.)

11. How does insight help us when someone or something angers us? (Proverbs 19:11).

11 What do we learn from this story? When we are perceptive, we manage to remain calm, even if we have reasons to be angry. Furthermore, we consider the consequences of our words and actions. (Read Proverbs 19:11.) When Abigail reminded David of Jehovah's opinion about the situation, he was able to control his anger. If something makes us furious or frustrates us, let us not react with anger, rashly and without thinking (James 1:19). Let us talk to Jehovah about the matter and take the time to find out what he thinks about it. That's surely how we'll be able to control our emotions.

12. How can others help us to be insightful and remain calm?

12 Just as Jehovah used Abigail to enable David to see beyond, he can use others to help us become discerning. Therefore, if a situation makes us angry, a good idea is to talk to a mature brother who can help us see things from Jehovah's perspective. (Prov. 12:15; 20:18). On the other hand, if we see that a friend is reacting like David, can we imitate Abigail and show him Jehovah's viewpoint? Surely God will bless us if we strive to help others to be discerning and remain calm.

INSTEAD OF BEING AFRAID, LET US TRUST IN JEHOVAH

13. How does insight help us see beyond our fears?

13 There are situations in life that frighten us. But insight helps us see beyond our fears: it reminds us that anything or anyone that terrifies us is nothing compared to Jehovah's immense power. (Ps. 27:1). Our God can help us in any situation, even if it seems like we are at a dead end. The same thing happened to Jonah. Although he was a spiritual man, he needed more insight to successfully complete a difficult mission.

14. Why might Jonah have been afraid of the task Jehovah assigned him?

14 Jehovah gave Jonah a daunting task: to go to the Assyrian city of Nineveh and announce to its inhabitants that they were going to be destroyed. (Jonah 1:1, 2). If you had been Jonah, how would you have felt? Traveling on foot from Israel to Nineveh took about a month. The Assyrians were known for being cruel and violent. In fact, the Bible calls Nineveh “the city that sheds blood.” (Nah. 3:1, 7). What did Jonah do? Instead of doing what Jehovah commanded him, he decided to flee (Jon. 1:3).

15. What helped Jonah to trust Jehovah more? (Jonah 2:6-9).

15 Jehovah reminded Jonah of the immeasurable power of his. Even though the prophet was fleeing, Jehovah saved his life in a spectacular way. (Jon. 1:15, 17). That taught him an important lesson and helped him see beyond his fears. He had no reason to be afraid of the Ninevites, for Jehovah could protect him from any danger. (Read Jonah 2:6-9.) Jehovah gave him a second chance. And what did Jonah do this time? He obeyed and went to Nineveh. There he was very successful, for the people listened to him (Jonah 3:5).

16. How does insight help us to cope with intimidating situations? (Proverbs 29:25; see also the pictures.)

16 What do we learn from this story? We do not want anything, especially fear of man, to stop us from serving Jehovah (it’s Proverbs 29:25). Thanks to his insight, Jonah focused on the fact that God was on his side, not on the challenges ahead. We too can see beyond our fears if we think about how Jehovah has helped and protected us in the past. Furthermore, let us meditate on examples of brothers who successfully faced intimidating situations and responsibilities because of their trust in Jehovah. (Heb. 13:6). Let us put our complete trust in Jehovah and help others to do the same. In this way we will show that we are discerning.

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. The prophet Jonah walks toward the gates of the city of Nineveh. 2. A young brother walks through the halls of his school. He is surrounded by things that displease Jehovah. Rainbow flags are everywhere. And one young man threatens another.

Jonah’s example teaches us that discernment helps us to do what Jehovah asks of us and to successfully cope with intimidating situations. (See paragraph 16.)

LET US STRIVE TO BE EVER MORE PERSPECTIVE

17. What can we do to become more insightful?

17 As we have seen, discernment helps us to successfully overcome difficult situations. What can we do to become more discerning? Well, no one is as discerning as Jehovah, and he helps his servants to develop this quality (Ps. 32:8). How does he do this? Through his Word, he gives us advice so that we can make good decisions and control our emotions (Psalm 119:97-101). So we should meditate carefully on everything we read in the Bible. And he also gives us his holy spirit so that we may have insight, so let us not hesitate to ask him for it constantly. (Neh. 9:20, note).If we take advantage of these aids, when we face a difficult situation, we will be able to see things as Jehovah does and react in the best way. (Prov. 21:11, footnote).

18. What are you determined to do?

18 Insight is a very valuable treasure. Therefore, let us keep asking Jehovah to give it to us (Psalm 14:2). If we do, we will never stray “from the way of insight.” (Prov. 21:16, note). Let us be determined to always show this quality, no matter what. In this way we will succeed: we will make Jehovah happy!

WHAT CAN WE DO TO BE AS PERSPECTIVE AS THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS?

Naaman

To be discerning like Naaman, we must stop and think before reacting to a given situation. For example, if someone gives us Bible-based advice that we don't like, or if we don't understand an instruction from the organization, we should ask ourselves, "What will my words and actions reflect: that I am humble or that I am proud?"

David and Abigail

To be discerning like David, a good idea, if a situation angers us, is to talk to a mature brother who can help us see things as Jehovah sees them.

Furthermore, if we see a friend reacting badly, we can imitate Abigail and show him Jehovah’s viewpoint. In this way, we strive to help others to be discerning and remain calm.

Jonah

To be discerning like Jonah, we can see beyond our fears by reflecting on how Jehovah has helped and protected us in the past. Furthermore, meditating on examples of brothers and sisters who successfully faced daunting situations and responsibilities will strengthen our trust in Jehovah.