in a waterless country, like the shadow of a heavy crag in an exhausted land.” (Isa. 32:1, 2) Such men are themselves greatly respected and dearly loved by those associated with them in the congregations.

19. How can we be confident now that Jehovah the Great Shepherd cares for us?

¹⁹ It was the Lord Jesus who said: “I know my sheep and my sheep know me,” and so it must be that the shepherds of God’s sheep, which in turn are Christ’s sheep, must know those in the congregation and be known by them. In that way we will know that it is Jehovah, God of the universe, who cares for us and feeds us through faithful undershepherds even today in the time for the conclusion of the present wicked system of things.

Are You a Spiritual Person?

ARE you a spiritual-minded person or are you a physical-minded person? This is a question that all who claim to be servants of Jehovah God would do well to ask themselves. Why? Because of the words of the apostle Paul found at 1 Corinthians 2:14, 15. These show that “a physical man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him . . . However, the spiritual man examines indeed all things.”

While the “spiritual man” mentioned at 1 Corinthians 2:15 primarily refers to those footstep followers of Christ who have heavenly hopes, in a sense all who truly serve God can be said to be spiritual persons. Such faithful men of old as Abel, Noah, Abraham and the long line of faithful Hebrew prophets and kings can be said to have been spiritual men even though they entertained earthly hopes.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE “SPIRITUAL MAN”

The “spiritual man” referred to by the apostle Paul is not one who all day long wears a sanctimonious or religious expression on his face. Not at all! He does not wear his spirituality on his sleeve, so to speak. He knows that the scribes and Pharisees who opposed Jesus Christ were not spiritual men. They might have had the reputation of being such because of their repeating long prayers in public and wearing conspicuous religious paraphernalia. But those very things stamped them as actually being physical men and hypocrites at that, for they did it solely to be seen of men.—Matt. 6:5; 23:5.

In contrast to all such is the “spiritual man.” He sincerely worships Jehovah God “with spirit and truth,” the only acceptable way. He has faith, he knows that God is, that God lives, for all visible creation testifies eloquently to His existence. (John 4:24; Rom. 1:20) Knowing that God