Laif ahn Minischri Meetin Werkbuk Risaach Infamayshan
© 2023 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
NOVEMBA 6-12
CHREZHAZ FAHN DI WERD A GAAD | JOB 13-14
“If Wahn Man Ded, Ih Ku Liv Agen?”
w99-E 10/15 3 ¶1-3
Our Quest for a Longer Life
EVEN today few would contradict this reflection on the brevity of life, though it was written some 3,500 years ago. People have always found it unsatisfactory to taste the prime of life briefly and then to grow old and die. Therefore, methods to prolong life have proliferated throughout history.
In Jobʼs time Egyptians ate the testicles of animals in a vain attempt to regain their youth. One of the prime objectives of medieval alchemy was to produce an elixir that could lead to longer life. Many alchemists believed that artificially produced gold would give immortal life and that eating from golden plates would prolong life. Ancient Chinese Taoists reckoned that they could alter the bodyʼs chemistry by using such techniques as meditation, breathing exercises, and diet and thus obtain immortality.
The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León is known for his insatiable search for the fountain of youth. An 18th-century doctor recommended in his book Hermippus Redivivus that young virgins be kept in a small room in springtime and their exhalations collected in bottles and used as a life-extending potion. Needless to say, none of these methods had any success.
w15-E 4/15 32 ¶1-2
Can a Cut-Down Tree Sprout Again?
COMPARED to a majestic cedar of Lebanon, a gnarled and knotty olive tree [Olea europaea] may not seem especially impressive. But olive trees have the remarkable ability to survive the elements. Some are estimated to be 1,000 years old. An olive treeʼs expansive root system enables it to rejuvenate itself even when the trunk has been destroyed. As long as the roots remain alive, it will sprout again.
The patriarch Job was convinced that even if he should die, he would live again. (Job 14:13-15) He used a tree—perhaps an olive tree—to illustrate his confidence in Godʼs ability to resurrect him. “There is hope even for a tree,” Job said. “If it is cut down, it will sprout again.” When rainfall breaks a severe drought, a dry olive stump can spring back to life with shoots rising from its roots, producing “branches like a new plant.”—Job 14:7-9.
w11-E 3/1 22 ¶5
“You Will Have a Yearning”
Jobʼs words teach us a tender lesson about Jehovah: He has special attachment to those who, like Job, place themselves in his hands, allowing him to mold and shape them into people who are desirable in his eyes. (Isaiah 64:8) Jehovah treasures his faithful worshippers. For loyal ones who have died, he has “a yearning.” The Hebrew word thus rendered is “unquestionably one of the strongest words to express the emotion of longing desires,” says one scholar. Yes, not only does Jehovah remember his worshippers but he also longs to restore them to life.
Spirichwal Chrezhaz
w08-E 3/1 3 ¶3-5
Rescue Needed!
Most of us will never be trapped underground like those nine coal miners or have to face death in a catastrophe. Still, we all need to be rescued, for we cannot escape the ravages of sickness and old age and finally death. “Man, born of woman, is short-lived and glutted with agitation,” observed the faithful patriarch Job. “Like a blossom he has come forth and is cut off, and he runs away like the shadow and does not keep existing.” (Job 14:1, 2) Today, some 3,500 years later, those words continue to prove true, for who of us can escape lifeʼs fatal outcome—death? Regardless of where we live or how well we guard our health, we need to be rescued from the clutches of suffering, old age, and death.
Scientists and others work hard trying to extend life beyond what people now view as a normal life span. One organization states that its mission is “to conquer the blight of involuntary death” and “to help its members succeed in working towards the possibility of human physical immortality.” Thus far, however, the combination of advanced science and sheer willpower has not extended human life much beyond the 70 or 80 years that Moses mentioned 3,500 years ago.—Psalm 90:10.
Whether you share Jobʼs feelings about life and death or not, it is inevitable that as the years move along, you too will ‘run away like the shadow,ʼ far away from your friends, your family, your home, and all that you have accomplished—off into death. “The living are conscious that they will die,” wrote wise King Solomon of ancient Israel. “As for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten.”—Ecclesiastes 9:5.
it-2-E 905
Shadow
The way in which a shadow changes in size and finally is no more as a result of the sunʼs progress is used as a simile of manʼs being short-lived or transient. (1Ch 29:15; Job 8:9; 14:1, 2; Ps 102:11; 144:4; Ec 6:12; 8:13) For an individualʼs days to be “like a shadow that has declined” signifies that his death is near.—Ps 102:11; 109:23.
NOVEMBA 13-19
CHREZHAZ FAHN DI WERD A GAAD | JOB 15-17
“Noh Bee Laik Elifaz Wen Yu Di Giv Komfert”
w05-E 9/15 26 ¶4-5
Resist Wrong Thinking!
In all three speeches, Eliphaz presented the idea that God is so exacting that nothing his servants do is good enough for him. “Look! In his servants he has no faith,” Eliphaz told Job, “and his angels he charges with faultiness.” (Job 4:18, footnote) Eliphaz later said of God: “In his holy ones he has no faith, and the heavens themselves are actually not clean in his eyes.” (Job 15:15) And he asked: “Does the Almighty have any delight in that you are righteous?” (Job 22:3) Bildad was in agreement with this viewpoint, for he stated: “There is even the moon, and it is not bright; and the stars themselves have not proved clean in [Godʼs] eyes.”—Job 25:5.
We must be on guard against being influenced by such thinking. It can lead us to feel that God requires too much of us. This view attacks our very relationship with Jehovah. Moreover, if we succumb to this type of reasoning, how would we respond when we are given needed discipline? Rather than humbly accepting the correction, our heart may become “enraged against Jehovah himself,” and we may harbor resentment toward him. (Proverbs 19:3) How spiritually disastrous that would be!
w15-E 2/15 9 ¶16
Imitate Jesusʼ Humility and Tenderness
16 Our tender words. Our tender affection for others moves us to “speak consolingly to those who are depressed.” (1 Thess. 5:14) What can we say to encourage such ones? We can lift their spirits by expressing our genuine care and concern for them. We can offer sincere commendation to help them see their positive qualities and abilities. We can remind them that Jehovah drew them to his Son, so they must be precious in his eyes. (John 6:44) We can reassure them that Jehovah deeply cares for his servants who are “brokenhearted” or “crushed in spirit.” (Ps. 34:18) Our tender words can have a healing effect on those who need comfort.—Prov. 16:24.
Spirichwal Chrezhaz
w06-E 3/15 14 ¶11
Highlights From the Book of Job
7:9, 10; 10:21; 16:22—Do these statements indicate that Job did not believe in the resurrection? These are comments about Jobʼs immediate future. What, then, did he mean? One possibility is that if he should die, none of his contemporaries would see him. From their standpoint, he would neither return to his house nor get further acknowledgment until Godʼs appointed time. Job might also have meant that no one can come back from Sheol on his own. That Job hoped in a future resurrection is clear from Job 14:13-15.
NOVEMBA 20-26
CHREZHAZ FAHN DI WERD A GAAD | JOB 18-19
“Neva Abandan Yu Bradaz ahn Sistaz
Wat Da Sohn Lesn Wi Ku Laan Fahn Wen Jeezas Mi Krai?
9 Yoo ku help dehn wan weh looz wahn famili memba er fren eena det. Jeezas neva onli krai wid Marta ahn Mayri, bot ih mi aalso lisn tu dehn ahn gi dehn komfert. Wee ku du di saym ting fi dehn wan weh looz wahn famili memba er fren eena det. Dan, wahn elda weh liv da Australia, seh: “Afta Ah mi looz mi waif eena det, Ai mi need help. Wahn lata bradaz ahn dehn waif mi aalwayz redi fi lisn tu mi. Dehn mi dehdeh fi mi ahn dehn neva stap mi wen Ah mi shoa how sad Ah mi feel, ahn dehn neva feel shaym wen dehn si mi krai. Dehn aalso help mi eena difrent wayz, fi egzampl, dehn wash mi kaar, dehn gaahn bai mi groashriz, ahn dehn kuk fi mi wen Ah mi feel laik Ah kudn du dehnya tingz fi miself. Ahn dehn mi pray wid mi aal di taim. Dehn proov fi bee chroo frenz ahn bradaz ‘weh baan fi wen taimz haad.ʼ”—Prov. 17:17.
Wen Sohnbadi Yu Lov Stap Serv Jehoava
16 Kantinyu fi sopoat faytful bradaz ahn sistaz weh ga wahn famili memba weh disfeloship. Now moa dan eva dehn need wi lov an inkorijment. (Heeb. 10:24, 25) Sohntaim, famili membaz a peepl weh disfeloship noatis dat sohn bradaz ahn sistaz eena di kangrigayshan noh taak tu dehn nohmoh; dehn chreet dehn laik if dehn tu mi geh disfeloship. Wi noh waahn dehn feel da way! Wi shuda komen an inkorij yong peepl weh ga payrents weh stap serv Jehoava. Sista Maria hozban mi geh disfeloship an ih mi lef di famili. Shee seh: “Som a mi frenz mi kohn da mi hows ahn kuk fi mee ahn mi chiljren. Dehn aalso help mi fi stodi wid mi chiljren. Dehn mi feel mi payn ahn dehn mi krai wid mi. Wen peepl wuda seh faals tingz bowt mee, dehn wuda taak op fi mi. Dehn mi reeli inkorij mi!”—Roam. 12:13, 15.
w90-E 9/1 22 ¶20
Are You Reaching Out?
20 A body of elders should realize that deletion may cause stress for a former overseer or ministerial servant, even if he voluntarily gives up the privilege. If he is not disfellowshipped, but the elders see that the brother is depressed, they ought to provide loving spiritual assistance. (1 Thessalonians 5:14) They should help him to realize that he is needed in the congregation. Even if counsel has been required, it may not be such a long time before a humble and grateful man again receives added privileges of service in the congregation.
Spirichwal Chrezhaz
w94-E 10/1 32
The Power of a Kind Word
However, when Job himself needed encouragement, Eliphaz and his companions did not utter kind words. They blamed Job for his adversity, implying that he must have had some secret fault. (Job 4:8) The Interpreterʼs Bible comments: “What Job needs is the compassion of a human heart. What he gets is a series of absolutely ‘trueʼ and absolutely beautiful religious clichés and moral platitudes.” So distraught was Job at hearing the speech of Eliphaz and his companions that he was compelled to cry out: “How long will you men keep irritating my soul and keep crushing me with words?”—Job 19:2.
Never should we cause a fellow servant of God to cry out in distress because of our thoughtless, unkind words. (Compare Deuteronomy 24:15.) A Bible proverb warns: “What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.”—Proverbs 18:21, TEV.
NOVEMBA 27–DISEMBA 3
CHREZHAZ FAHN DI WERD A GAAD | JOB 20-21
“If Yu Rich, Dat Noh Meen Yu Raichos”
w07-E 8/1 29 ¶12
Are You “Rich, Toward God”?
12 In Jesusʼ statement, being rich toward God is set in contrast with laying up material treasures for oneself, or enriching oneself materially. Thus, Jesus was saying that our main concern in life should not be the accumulation of material riches or the enjoyment of what we may possess. Instead, we should use our resources in such a way as to enrich, or build up, our relationship with Jehovah. Doing so will surely make us rich toward God. Why? Because it opens the door to many blessings from him. The Bible tells us: “The blessing of Jehovah—that is what makes rich, and he adds no pain with it.”—Proverbs 10:22.
Spirichwal Chrezhaz
w95-E 1/1 9 ¶19
Triumphing Over Satan and His Works
19 It is of interest that Godʼs servant Job had to contend with “disquieting thoughts” that Satan conveyed through Eliphaz and Zophar. (Job 4:13-18; 20:2, 3) Job thus suffered “vexation,” resulting in his indulging in “wild talk” about the “terrors” afflicting his mind. (Job 6:2-4; 30:15, 16) Elihu listened quietly to Job and sincerely helped him see Jehovahʼs all-wise view of matters. Likewise today, understanding elders show that they care for afflicted ones by not adding more “pressure” to such ones. Rather, like Elihu, they patiently listen to them and then apply the soothing oil of Godʼs Word. (Job 33:1-3, 7; James 5:13-15) Thus anyone whose emotions are disturbed by traumas, real or fancied, or who is “terrified . . . with dreams, and by visions” as Job was, may find soothing Scriptural comfort within the congregation.—Job 7:14; James 4:7.
DISEMBA 4-10
CHREZHAZ FAHN DI WERD A GAAD | JOB 22-24
“Yu Tink Wahn Persn Yoosful Tu Gaad?”
w05-E 9/15 27 ¶1-3
Resist Wrong Thinking!
Closely related to the idea that God is too exacting is the view that he regards humans as useless. Eliphazʼ third speech contains the question: “Can an able-bodied man be of use to God himself, that anyone having insight should be of use toward him?” (Job 22:2) Eliphaz was implying that man is useless to God. In a similar vein, Bildad argued: “How can mortal man be in the right before God, or how can one born of a woman be clean?” (Job 25:4) According to that line of reasoning, how could Job, a mere mortal, ever presume to have a righteous standing before God?
Some people today are plagued with negative feelings about themselves. Such factors as family upbringing, exposure to the pressures of life, or being victims of racial or ethnic hatred may have contributed to this. But Satan and his demons also take delight in crushing a person. If they can influence an individual to feel that nothing he does is good enough for Almighty God, he is more vulnerable to despondency. In time, such a person could drift away, even draw away, from the living God.—Hebrews 2:1; 3:12.
Advancing age and health problems put limitations on us. The share we have in Kingdom service may seem quite small in comparison with what we did when we were younger, healthier, and stronger. How important it is to recognize that Satan and his demons want us to feel that what we do is not good enough for God! We must resist such thinking.
w95-E 2/15 27 ¶6
A Lesson in How to Handle Problems
His three companions further disheartened Job by voicing personal ideas rather than godly wisdom. Eliphaz went so far as to say that ‘God has no faith in his servantsʼ and that it did not really matter to Jehovah whether Job was righteous or not. (Job 4:18; 22:2, 3) It is hard to imagine a more discouraging—or more untruthful—remark than that! Not surprisingly, Jehovah later rebuked Eliphaz and his companions for this blasphemy. “You men have not spoken concerning me what is truthful,” he said. (Job 42:7) But the most damaging assertion was yet to come.
w03-E 4/15 14-15 ¶10-12
Youths Who Make Jehovahʼs Heart Rejoice
10 As revealed in the Bible account, Satan called into question not only Jobʼs loyalty but also that of all others who serve God—including you. In fact, speaking of mankind in general, Satan said to Jehovah: “Everything that a man [not just Job but anyone] has he will give in behalf of his soul.” (Job 2:4) Do you see your role in this vital issue? As indicated at Proverbs 27:11, Jehovah is saying that there is something you can give to him—a basis for him to make a reply to his taunter, Satan. Imagine—the Universal Sovereign is calling upon you to share in addressing the greatest issue of all time. What an awesome responsibility and privilege is yours! Can you fulfill what Jehovah is asking of you? Job did. (Job 2:9, 10) So did Jesus as well as countless others throughout history, including many youths. (Philippians 2:8; Revelation 6:9) You can do the same. Make no mistake about it, though, there is no neutral ground in this matter. By your course of action, you will show that you support either Satanʼs taunt or Jehovahʼs reply. Which will you choose to uphold?
Jehovah Cares for You!
11 Does it really matter to Jehovah which choice you make? Have not enough people already remained faithful for him to give an adequate reply to Satan? True, the Devil asserted that no one serves Jehovah out of love, a charge that has already been proved false. Still, Jehovah wants you to take his side on the issue of sovereignty because he cares about you as an individual. Jesus said: “It is not a desirable thing with my Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.”—Matthew 18:14.
12 Clearly, Jehovah is interested in the course you choose. More than that, he is affected by it. The Bible makes clear that Jehovah has deep feelings that are stirred by the good or the bad actions of humans. For example, when the Israelites repeatedly rebelled, Jehovah was “pained.” (Psalm 78:40, 41) Before the Deluge of Noahʼs day, when “the badness of man was abundant,” Jehovah “felt hurt at his heart.” (Genesis 6:5, 6) Think about what this means. If you adopted a wrong course, you could cause your Creator to feel pain. This does not mean that God is weak or is ruled by emotion. Rather, he loves you and cares about your welfare. On the other hand, when you do what is right, Jehovahʼs heart rejoices. He is happy not only because he has a further reply to give to Satan but also because he can now become your Rewarder. And that is something he wants to become. (Hebrews 11:6) What a loving Father you have in Jehovah God!
Spirichwal Chrezhaz
w04-E 7/15 21-22
Use Spiritual Goals to Glorify Your Creator
Consider how Jehovah accomplished the creation of the universe his creative purpose involving the earth. With the words “there came to be evening and there came to be morning,” Jehovah marked off the successive periods of creation. (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) At the beginning of each creative time period, he well knew his goal, or objective, for that day. And God carried out his purpose to create things. (Revelation 4:11) “[Jehovahʼs] own soul has a desire, and he will do it,” said the patriarch Job. (Job 23:13) How satisfying it must have been for Jehovah to see “everything he had made” and declare it “very good”!—Genesis 1:31.
For our goals to become a reality, we too must have a strong desire to achieve them. What will help us develop such an intense desire? Even while the earth was formless and waste, Jehovah could foresee the end result—a beautiful jewel in space, bringing him glory and honor. Similarly, our desire to accomplish what we set out to do can be cultivated by meditating on the results and benefits of achieving the goal. That was the experience of 19-year-old Tony. He never forgot his first impression of a visit to a branch office of Jehovahʼs Witnesses in Western Europe. From then on, the question that occupied Tonyʼs mind was, ‘What would it be like to live and serve in a place like that?ʼ Tony never stopped thinking about the possibility, and he continued to reach out for it. How happy he was when several years later his application to serve at the branch was approved!
DISEMBA 11-17
CHREZHAZ FAHN DI WERD A GAAD | JOB 25-27
“Yu Noh Haftu Bee Perfek fi Stay Laayal”
it-1-E 1210 ¶4
Integrity
Job. Job, who evidently lived in the period between the death of Joseph and the time of Moses, is described as a man who had “proved to be blameless [Heb., tam] and upright, and fearing God and turning aside from bad.” (Job 1:1; see JOB.) That human integrity forms part of the issue between Jehovah God and Satan is clear from Godʼs questioning his Adversary about Job when Satan appeared during an angelic assembly in the courts of heaven. Satan imputed false motive to Jobʼs worship of God, alleging that Job served not out of pure devotion but for selfish benefits. He thereby placed in question Jobʼs integrity to God. Permitted to divest Job of his vast possessions and even of his children, Satan failed to crack Jobʼs integrity. (Job 1:6–2:3) He then claimed that Job was selfishly willing to endure the loss of possessions and children as long as he could save his own skin. (Job 2:4, 5) Thereafter stricken with a painful, consuming disease and subjected to dissuasion from his own wife as well as to disparaging criticism and slurs from companions who misrepresented Godʼs standards and purposes (Job 2:6-13; 22:1, 5-11), Jobʼs response was that he would not deny having been a man of integrity. “Until I expire I shall not take away my integrity from myself! On my justness I have laid hold, and I shall not let it go; my heart will not taunt me for any of my days.” (Job 27:5, 6) His maintaining integrity demonstrated that Godʼs Adversary was a liar.
Stay Laayal!
3 Fi wee az Gaad servants, laayalti meenz dat wi lov Jehoava wid aala wi haat ahn notn kyaahn kohn bitween wee ahn hihn, ahn bikaaz a dat, wi aalwayz du weh pleez hihn. Kansida how di Baibl yooz di werd laayalti. Di werd weh wi wuda chranslayt az “faytful” er “laayal” ku aalso meen kompleet, er helti. Fi egzampl, wen di Izrelait dehn mi aafa op wahn animal az wahn sakrifais tu Jehoava, di Laa mi seh dat di animal haftu bee helti. (Lev. 22:21, 22) Gaad peepl dehn neva sopoas tu aafa op wahn animal weh mi misn wahn fut, wahn ayz, er wahn aiy, ner dehn neva fi aafa op wan weh mi sik. Tu Jehoava, ih mi veri impoatant dat dehn onli aafa op wahn animal weh mi kompleet, er helti. (Mal. 1:6-9) Ahn wee ku andastan wai Jehoava kay soh moch bowt dat. Wen wee bai sohnting, noh mata da wat, wi noh waahn notn weh noh di werk er weh ga pees misn. Wi waahn sohnting weh kompleet an eena gud kandishan. Jehoava feel di sayhn way bowt fi wee lov ahn laayalti. Ih haftu bee kompleet.
4 Yu tink wi haftu bee perfek fi bee laayal? Af koars nat! Wi mait feel laik wee noh kompleet, er dat wi mek lata mistayk. Bot kansida too reezn wai wi noh haftu wori. Fos, Jehoava noh foakos pahn wi mistayk dehn. Di Baibl seh: “Oa Jah, if wi mistayk dehn da di onli ting yu wach, Oa Jehoava, hoo kuda eva stan op fronta yu?” (Ps. 130:3) Hihn noa dat wi noh perfek ahn dat wi da sinaz, ahn stilyet ih redi ahn wilin fi fagiv wi. (Ps. 86:5) Sekant, Jehoava noa weh wi ku du ahn weh wi kyaahn du, an ih noh ekspek wi fi du moa dan weh wi kud. (Reed Psalm 103:12-14.) Soh akaadn tu Jehoava, eena weh way wi ku bee kompleet?
5 Servants a Jehoava haftu ga lov fi bee laayal. Wi lov fi Gaad ahn wi laayalti tu hihn az wi hevnli Faada mos aalwayz bee kompleet. If wi aalwayz lov Jehoava wid aala wi haat, eevn anda tes, den wi ku seh wi laayal. (1 Chron. 28:9; Mach. 22:37) Tink bak tu di chree Witnisiz weh wi mi reed bowt da di biginin a dis aatikl. Wai dehn ak da way? Yu tink di yong gyal da skool noh waahn ga fon, er di yong man di hoap dat ih klaasmayt wahn shaym ahn wen ih di preech, er di man weh haftu sopoat ih famili waahn looz ih jab? Af koars nat. Bot dehn noa dat Jehoava ga raichos standadz, ahn dehn waahn du evriting weh dehn kud fi pleez dehn hevnli Faada. Bikaaz dehn lov Gaad, dehn aalwayz tink bowt hihn wen dehn di mek disizhanz. Ahn soh dehn shoa dehn laayalti bai dehn akshanz.
Spirichwal Chrezhaz
w16.11-E 9 ¶3
Organized in Harmony With Godʼs Own Book
3 Creation proves that God is the incomparable Organizer. “Jehovah founded the earth in wisdom,” says the Bible. “He solidly established the heavens in discernment.” (Prov. 3:19) We know only “the fringes of [Godʼs] ways,” and “only a faint whisper has been heard of him.” (Job 26:14) Yet, the little we know about planets, stars, and galaxies moves us to acknowledge that these celestial bodies are superbly organized. (Ps. 8:3, 4) Galaxies consist of millions of stars, all moving in space in an orderly way. Why, planets in our solar system travel in orbits around the sun as though they were humbly obeying traffic laws! Surely the mind-boggling order evident in the universe helps us to see that Jehovah, who “skillfully made the heavens” and the earth, deserves our praise, loyalty, and worship.—Ps. 136:1, 5-9.
DISEMBA 18-24
CHREZHAZ FAHN DI WERD A GAAD | JOB 28-29
“Yoo Ga Wahn Gud Repyutayshan Laik Joab?”
w02-E 5/15 22 ¶19
Show Loving-Kindness to Those in Need
19 The Bible accounts we have discussed also underscore the fact that loving-kindness is to be shown to those who have a need that they themselves cannot fill. In order to continue his family line, Abraham needed Bethuelʼs cooperation. To have his remains taken to Canaan, Jacob needed Josephʼs help. And to produce an heir, Naomi needed Ruthʼs assistance. Neither Abraham, Jacob, nor Naomi could fill those needs without help. Similarly today, loving-kindness should especially be shown to those in need. (Proverbs 19:17) We should imitate the patriarch Job, who gave attention to “the afflicted one crying for help, and the fatherless boy and anyone that had no helper” as well as to “the one about to perish.” Job also ‘made glad the heart of the widowʼ and became ‘eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.ʼ—Job 29:12-15.
it-1-E 655 ¶10
Dress
Many other symbolic references are made to clothing. Just as a uniform or special attire identifies one as belonging to a certain organization or supporting a certain movement, so clothing, as used symbolically in the Bible, indicates the identification of a person by the stand he takes and his activities in harmony with it, as in the case of Jesusʼ illustration of the marriage garment. (Mt 22:11, 12; see HEADDRESS; SANDAL.) At Revelation 16:14, 15, the Lord Jesus Christ warns against falling asleep spiritually and being stripped of oneʼs identity as a faithful witness of the true God. This could be disastrous on the eve of “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”
w09-E 2/1 15 ¶3-4
What Is in a Name?
We have no control over the name given to us at birth. However, we alone determine the reputation that we acquire. (Proverbs 20:11) Why not ask yourself: ‘If Jesus or the apostles had the opportunity, what name would they choose for me? What would be an appropriate name to describe my dominant quality or my reputation?ʼ
This question deserves serious thought. Why? “A name is to be chosen rather than abundant riches,” wrote wise King Solomon. (Proverbs 22:1) Certainly, if we gain a good name, or reputation, in the community, we have a valuable asset. More important, though, if we make a good name with God, we will acquire a lasting treasure. How so? God promises that he will write in his “book of remembrance” the names of those who fear him, and he will grant them the prospect of everlasting life.—Malachi 3:16; Revelation 3:5; 20:12-15.
Spirichwal Chrezhaz
g00-E 7/8 11 ¶3
Smile—Itʼs Good for You!
Does smiling really make a difference? Well, do you remember when someoneʼs smile brought you a sense of relief or made you feel relaxed? Or when the absence of a smile made you feel nervous or even rejected? Yes, a smile does make a difference. It affects both the one who is smiling and the one smiled at. The Bible character Job said of his adversaries: “I would smile at them—they would not believe it—and the light of my face they would not cast down.” (Job 29:24) “The light” of Jobʼs face may have denoted his brightness or cheerfulness.
DISEMBA 25-31
CHREZHAZ FAHN DI WERD A GAAD | JOB 30-31
“Weh Joab Mi Du fi Mek Shoar Hihn Stay Kleen Eena Jehoava Sait?”
w10-E 4/15 21 ¶8
Turn Your Eyes Away From Worthless Things!
8 True Christians are not immune to the desire of the eyes and of the flesh. Therefore, Godʼs Word encourages us to exercise self-discipline in connection with what we look at and long for. (1 Cor. 9:25, 27; read 1 John 2:15-17.) The upright man Job was one who recognized the strong link between seeing and desiring. He stated: “A covenant I have concluded with my eyes. So how could I show myself attentive to a virgin?” (Job 31:1) Not only did Job refuse to touch a woman in an immoral way but he would not even allow his mind to entertain such a thought. Jesus emphasized that the mind must be kept clean of immoral thoughts when he said: “Everyone that keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”—Matt. 5:28.
w08-E 9/1 11 ¶4
Consider the “End Afterward”
Before taking the first step down such a road, ask yourself, ‘Where is this leading me?ʼ Just pausing to contemplate the potential “end afterward” may suffice to prevent you from taking a course that can have serious consequences. AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, abortions, ruined relationships, and guilty consciences litter the path of those who have chosen to ignore such signposts. The end of the road for those practicing immorality is clearly stated by the apostle Paul. They “will not inherit Godʼs kingdom.”—1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.
w10-E 11/15 5-6 ¶15-16
Young Ones—Be Guided by Godʼs Word
15 When do you think your loyalty to God will be tested the most—when you are with others or when you are alone? Well, when you are at school or at work, your spiritual defenses are likely up. You are alert to possible spiritual danger. It is when you are relaxing and your guard is down that you become most vulnerable to an attack on your moral standards.
16 Why should you want to obey Jehovah even when you are alone? Remember this: You are able either to hurt Jehovahʼs feelings or to make his heart rejoice. (Gen. 6:5, 6; Prov. 27:11) Jehovah is affected by your actions because “he cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5:7) He wants you to listen to him so that you can benefit yourself. (Isa. 48:17, 18) When some of Jehovahʼs servants in ancient Israel ignored his counsel, they caused him to feel pain. (Ps. 78:40, 41) On the other hand, Jehovah felt deep affection for the prophet Daniel, for an angel called him a “very desirable man.” (Dan. 10:11) Why? Daniel remained loyal to God not only when in public but also in private.—Read Daniel 6:10.
Spirichwal Chrezhaz
w05-E 11/15 11 ¶3
The Art of Listening With Love
Companions of the man Job heard no fewer than ten of his discourses. Still, Job exclaimed: “O that I had someone listening to me!” (Job 31:35) Why? Because their listening provided no comfort. They neither cared about Job nor wanted to understand his feelings. They surely did not have fellow feeling as sympathetic listeners. But the apostle Peter counsels: “All of you be like-minded, showing fellow feeling, having brotherly affection, tenderly compassionate, humble in mind.” (1 Peter 3:8) How can we show fellow feeling? One way is by showing concern for the other personʼs feelings and trying to understand them. Making such sympathetic comments as “that must have been upsetting” or “you must have felt misunderstood” is one way to show that we are concerned. Another way is to put what the person is saying in our own words, thus showing that we understood what he said. Listening with love means paying attention not only to the words but also to the emotions subtly expressed.