Endurance Is Rewarded

¹ “By endurance on your part you will acquire your souls.” (Luke 21:19) Those words, which form part of Jesus’ prophecy concerning “the conclusion of the system of things,” make clear that in keeping our integrity, we must be prepared to face many trials. But in Jehovah’s strength, each of us can ‘endure to the end’ and “be saved.”​—Matt. 24:3, 13; Phil. 4:13.

² Persecution, health problems, financial difficulties, and emotional distress can make each day a trial. We must never forget, however, that Satan is trying to break our integrity to Jehovah. Each day that we remain loyal to our Father is another day in which we have helped furnish a reply to the Taunter’s challenge. How rewarding it is to know that our “tears” in the face of trial are not forgotten! They are precious to Jehovah, and our integrity makes his heart glad!​—Ps. 56:8; Prov. 27:11.

³ Refined by Trials: Affliction can show up a weakness of faith or a personality flaw, such as pride or impatience. Rather than seeking to evade or end trials by unscriptural means, we must heed the counsel of God’s Word to “let endurance have its work complete.” Why? Because faithfully enduring trials helps us to become “complete and sound in all respects.” (Jas. 1:2-4) Endurance can help us to cultivate priceless qualities, such as reasonableness, empathy, and mercy.​—Rom. 12:15.

⁴ Tested Quality of Faith: When we endure trials, we acquire a tested quality of faith that has great value in the eyes of God. (1 Pet. 1:6, 7) Such faith equips us to remain steadfast through future trials. Moreover, we can sense God’s approval, and this strengthens our hope, making it more real to us.​—Rom. 5:3-5.

⁵ The ultimate reward for endurance is highlighted at James 1:12, which says: “Happy is the man that keeps on enduring trial, because on becoming approved he will receive the crown of life.” Hence, let us remain steadfast in our devotion to Jehovah, confident that he will richly reward “those who continue loving him.”

Part 2​—Conducting Progressive Bible Studies

Preparing to Conduct the Study

¹ Teaching effectively on a Bible study involves more than just discussing the material and looking up the cited scriptures. We need to present the information in a way that touches the student’s heart. This requires thorough preparation with the student in mind.​—Prov. 15:28.

² How to Prepare: Begin by praying to Jehovah about the person and his needs. Ask Jehovah to help you reach the student’s heart. (Col. 1:9, 10) To get the theme clearly in mind, take a moment to consider the title of the chapter or lesson, the subheadings, and any visual aids. Ask yourself, ‘What is the thrust of the material?’ This will help you to focus on the main points as you conduct the study.

³ Carefully review the material paragraph by paragraph. Identify the answers to the printed questions, marking only the key words and phrases. Analyze how the cited scriptures relate to the main point of the paragraph, and decide which ones to read during the study. You may find it helpful to make brief notes in the margin of the publication. The student should clearly see that what he is learning is from God’s Word.​—1 Thess. 2:13.

⁴ Personalize the Lesson: Next, consider the lesson with the particular student in mind. Try to anticipate his questions and the points that he may have difficulty understanding or accepting. Ask yourself: ‘What does he need to understand or work on in order to make spiritual progress? How can I reach his heart?’ Then adapt your teaching accordingly. At times, you may see a need to prepare an illustration, an explanation, or a series of questions to help the student grasp the meaning of a certain point or scripture. (Neh. 8:8) But avoid inserting additional information that contributes little to the theme. A brief review at the end of the study will help him to retain the main points.

⁵ What joy we have when new ones bear righteous fruit to Jehovah’s praise! (Phil. 1:11) To help them reach that goal, prepare well each time you conduct a Bible study.