Individuals may become rivals to Jehovah by accepting praise. A beautiful vessel does not deserve praise, but its maker does. Jehovah is the Potter and has a right to do with the clay as he wishes; he knows what he wants the vessel to look like and what purpose he wants it to serve. He will not change his ideas to suit us, but we must change our thinking to get in line with his. He knows best; we may never question him even though we may not understand him. And while he is loving and merciful, we dare not grow careless and think we can presume on his mercy, for he is also “a consuming fire.”—Deut. 4:24.

Exclusive devotion requires that we glory in being one of Jehovah’s witnesses, eager to stand up for our brothers who may be in disrepute because of their faithfulness. At a recent hearing before the United States Supreme Court, a government attorney implied that the Society’s attorney, H. C. Covington, was lying in an effort to keep the defendants, several youths of Jehovah’s witnesses, out of prison. Covington boldly denied the slur saying: “If all of Jehovah’s witnesses are put in prison, they want to be put there because of the law, not because of fraud!” Observed Knorr, If that is what Caesar wants, we are not afraid. In jail we can continue giving Jehovah exclusive devotion; but we cannot do so outside jail if we are outside because of having compromised.

In conclusion he counseled the students to go to God humbly in prayer when problems arise and to make straight paths for their feet. “You will not have a fence around you to protect you from snares but by reason of the training you have received here you are better equipped to give Jehovah exclusive devotion.” He then distributed the diplomas, after which one of the students read a resolution on behalf of the class, which was enthusiastically adopted.

In the resolution the students voiced their gratitude to Jehovah for the advanced theocratic education they received and also expressed thanks to the witnesses of Jehovah whose contributions made the school possible, as well as to the president of the school, the instructors and members of the Kingdom Farm family, “for their selfless interest, patience and loving help.” Gilead had done so much for them, and they resolved to pursue to the best of their ability the course of exclusive devotion to Jehovah, helping others by ministering the truth to them and at all times seeking to be blameless in speech and irreproachable in conduct. The 101 students had come from ten different lands, including the Philippines, Japan, Nigeria, Finland and Germany, and were being sent to twenty-four different lands.

The Knowledge Comes from God

When an Anglican bishop tried to minimize the effect of Jehovah’s witnesses’ district assembly at Luton, England, the local press published both the bishop’s letter and Jehovah’s witnesses’ reply. Among the letters that this subsequently drew from the public was one which read, in part: “I was particularly attracted by the high I.Q. of this vast body of people. Their discipline and organization has to be regarded with admiration. Does this not prove that the organized churches have failed in their duties to the people?” Any knowledge the witnesses might have is not to their personal credit, however, but they say, just as Jesus said when the people marveled at his ability to teach: “What I teach is not mine, but belongs to him that sent me.” (John 7:16, NW) It was the lack of such knowledge on the part of the followers of tradition that so sharply contrasted them with the true worshipers of the first century. The same remains true today.