May

After seeing the heavenly group, John sees “a great crowd.” Unlike the 144,000, the great crowd cannot be numbered. What do we learn about them? John is told: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:14) Upon surviving the great tribulation, this “great crowd” will live here on earth and enjoy amazing blessings. (Ps. 37:9-11, 27-29; Prov. 2:21, 22; Rev. 7:16, 17) Whether we have been selected to go to heaven or will remain here on earth, do we see ourselves in this description recorded in Revelation chapter 7? We should. What an exciting time that will be for both groups of God’s servants! We will be overjoyed that we chose to support Jehovah’s rulership. w22.05 21:6-7

If you have ever had to make an important decision, no doubt you prayed for wisdom​—and for good reason. (Jas. 1:5) King Solomon wrote: “Wisdom is the most important thing.” (Prov. 4:7) Of course, Solomon was not talking about just any sort of wisdom. He was referring to the wisdom that comes from Jehovah God. But can godly wisdom help us deal with the kinds of problems we face today? Yes, it can. One way that we can become truly wise is by studying and applying the teachings of two men who are widely respected for their wisdom. First, consider Solomon. The Bible says that “God gave Solomon wisdom and discernment in very great measure.” (1 Ki. 4:29) Second, consider Jesus, whose wisdom was unparalleled. (Matt. 12:42) Of Jesus, it was prophesied: “The spirit of Jehovah will settle upon him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding.”​—Isa. 11:2. w22.05 22:1-2

We are never too old to set and reach spiritual goals. Consider the example of a 75-year-old sister named Beverley. She had a severe health problem that made it hard for her to walk. But she longed to have a full share in the Memorial campaign. So she set specific goals. When Beverley reached her goals for the campaign, she was very happy. Her efforts motivated others to exert themselves in the ministry. Jehovah values the work of our older brothers and sisters, even if circumstances limit what they can do. (Ps. 71:17) Set goals that are within your reach. Cultivate qualities that will endear you to Jehovah. Learn skills that will allow you to be more useful to our God and his organization. Look for ways to serve your brothers and sisters more fully. Like Timothy, with Jehovah’s blessing “your advancement may be plainly seen by all people.”​—1 Tim. 4:15. w22.04 18:18-19

What if, in spite of your best efforts, one of your children says that he does not want to serve Jehovah? Do not conclude that you have failed as a parent. Jehovah has given all of us​—including your child—​the gift of free will, the ability to choose whether we will serve God or not. Do not give up hope that one day he will return. Remember the illustration of the lost son. (Luke 15:11-19, 22-24) That young man strayed far off the path of righteousness, but in the end, he returned. Parents, you have been granted a wonderful privilege, namely, to raise a new generation of worshippers of Jehovah. (Ps. 78:4-6) That is no small task, and we commend you most sincerely for your tireless efforts to help your children to love Jehovah and to bring them up in his discipline and admonition. You can be sure that our loving heavenly Father will be pleased.​—Eph. 6:4. w22.05 23:16-18

To promote peace and unity in the congregation, each one of us needs to give his personal best. Consider the first-century Christians. They had a variety of gifts and assignments. (1 Cor. 12:4, 7-11) But this was not a cause for competition and divisions. Rather, Paul urged each one to supply what was needed “to build up the body of the Christ.” Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “When each respective member functions properly, this contributes to the growth of the body as it builds itself up in love.” (Eph. 4:1-3, 11, 12) Those who did so promoted peace and unity​—traits that we observe in our congregations today. Be determined to avoid comparing yourself with others. Instead, learn from Jesus, and strive to imitate his qualities. Be confident that Jehovah “is not unrighteous so as to forget your work.” (Heb. 6:10) He appreciates your whole-souled efforts to please him. w22.04 16:15-16

What a relief it is to know that we do not need to decide if Jehovah will pardon a sinner! Still, there is something that we do need to decide. What is it? In some cases, an individual has sinned against us​—even seriously—​but then he may apologize and ask for our forgiveness. In other cases, the person may not. Even so, we can choose to forgive the person in the sense that we can decide to let go of any resentment and anger that we feel toward him. Realistically, this may take time and effort, especially if we have been deeply hurt. The Watchtower of September 15, 1994, says: “When you do forgive a sinner, this does not mean that you are condoning the sin. For the Christian, forgiveness means trustfully leaving the matter in Jehovah’s hands. He is the righteous Judge of all the universe, and he will carry out justice at the right time.” w22.06 25:6-7

Jehovah promised that in our day, he would bring together people out of every nation and tribe and tongue, and he would unite them in pure worship. Today, that remarkable group of people is known as the “great crowd.” (Rev. 7:9, 10) Although consisting of men, women, and children of different backgrounds, that diverse group forms a peaceful, united global brotherhood. (Ps. 133:1; John 10:16) They are always ready to share their hope of a better world with anyone who will listen. (Matt. 28:19, 20; Rev. 14:6, 7; 22:17) If you are part of the great crowd, no doubt the hope of better things to come is very precious to you. The Devil wants to rob you of your hope. His goal is to make you believe that Jehovah will not keep his promises. If Satan succeeds in robbing us of our hope, we will lose courage, and we may even stop serving Jehovah. w22.06 27:2-3

Our firm hope helps us to ride out stormy trials because we are convinced that calmer times lie just ahead. Remember, Jesus warned that we would be persecuted. (John 15:20) So meditating on our promised future reward allows us to keep steady on our Christian course. Consider how hope kept Jesus steadfast despite the cruel death that awaited him. On the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., the apostle Peter quoted a prophecy from the book of Psalms that beautifully expresses Jesus’ calm assurance: “I will reside in hope; because you will not leave me in the Grave, nor will you allow your loyal one to see corruption. . . . You will fill me with great joy in your presence.” (Acts 2:25-28; Ps. 16:8-11) Jesus had the firm hope that God would resurrect him and that he would have the joy of being reunited with his Father in heaven.​—Heb. 12:2, 3. w22.10 44:4-5

On one occasion, two of the apostles, James and John, had their mother ask Jesus to give them prominent positions in the Kingdom. (Matt. 20:20, 21) James and John were thus displaying the traits of pride and ambition. (Prov. 16:18) James and John were not the only ones who displayed bad traits on that occasion. Note how the other apostles reacted: “When the ten others heard about it, they became indignant at the two brothers.” (Matt. 20:24) We can imagine that sharp words were exchanged among James, John, and the other apostles. How did Jesus deal with the situation? He did not become indignant. He did not say that he was going to look for better apostles, men who had greater humility and who would always treat one another with love. Rather, Jesus patiently reasoned with these sincere men. (Matt. 20:25-28) He continued to deal with them in a loving way. w23.03 14:10-13

You have accomplished much. You have diligently studied the Bible, perhaps for a number of years. Your studies have convinced you that the Bible is the Word of God. More than that, though, you have come to know and love the Author of that sacred book. Your love for Jehovah has grown to the point that you are now one of his dedicated, baptized servants. How marvelous! No doubt your faith was tested in a number of ways as you were progressing toward baptism. But as you grow spiritually, you will face new tests. Satan will try to weaken your love for Jehovah and to draw you away from serving Him. (Eph. 4:14) You must not allow that to happen. What can help you to remain loyal to Jehovah and fulfill your dedication vow? You must continue to make progress​—to “press on” to Christian maturity.​—Heb. 6:1. w22.08 32:1-2

In the family, each member has a responsibility to keep sensitive, family matters private. For example, a Christian woman may have a habit that her husband finds amusing. Would he talk about it to others and thus cause her embarrassment? Of course not! He loves his wife, and he would never want to do anything to hurt her. (Eph. 5:33) Teenagers want to be treated with a measure of respect. Parents do well to recognize this. They would not humiliate their children by revealing their mistakes to others. (Col. 3:21) Children need to learn to be discreet, not disclosing information to outsiders that could embarrass other members of the family. When each family member does his part to keep personal family matters private, the family bond is strengthened. w22.09 38:9

Jehovah spoke to Job, reminding him of His infinite wisdom and loving care for His creatures. He spoke of many awe-inspiring animals. (Job 38:1, 2; 39:9, 13, 19, 27; 40:15; 41:1, 2) Jehovah also used a faithful young man named Elihu to strengthen and comfort Job. Elihu assured him that Jehovah always rewards His worshippers for their endurance. But Jehovah also moved Elihu to give Job some loving counsel. Elihu helped Job to focus on the big picture by reminding him of his position in relation to Jehovah, the Creator of the universe. Jehovah also gave Job an assignment; he was to pray for his three companions who had sinned. (Job 42:8-10) How does Jehovah support us today when we experience difficult trials? Jehovah does not speak to us directly, as he did with Job, but He does speak to us through His Word, the Bible.​—Rom. 15:4. w22.08 33:10-11

The congregation in Rome was made up of both Jewish and Gentile Christians. When the Mosaic Law was done away with, the restrictions it had placed on eating certain foods were no longer in force. (Mark 7:19) From that time on, some Jewish Christians felt free to eat all kinds of foods. Other Jewish Christians, however, could not bring themselves to do so. The congregation became divided over this issue. The apostle Paul underscored the importance of keeping peace. Paul thus helped his fellow believers to see how damaging such disputes were to individuals and to the congregation as a whole. (Rom. 14:19, 20) He was also willing to change his own behavior to avoid stumbling others. (1 Cor. 9:19-22) We can likewise build others up and maintain peace if we refrain from making issues over matters of personal preference. w22.08 35:7

If we are pursuing a specific goal in Jehovah’s service, we keep putting forth effort to reach it. The same is true when we pursue righteousness. And Jehovah will patiently help us to make progress, to improve steadily over time. (Ps. 84:5, 7) Jehovah lovingly reminds us that righteousness is not a burden. (1 John 5:3) On the contrary, it is a protection, something we need every day. Remember the spiritual suit of armor that the apostle Paul described. (Eph. 6:14-18) Which part protected the soldier’s heart? It was “the breastplate of righteousness,” which represents Jehovah’s righteous standards. Just as a breastplate protects the literal heart, so Jehovah’s righteous standards can protect your figurative heart, the person you are on the inside. By all means, then, make sure that your suit of armor includes the breastplate of righteousness!​—Prov. 4:23. w22.08 36:13-14

God’s Word has provided sound guidance to faithful men and women for thousands of years. How has that been possible? Jehovah saw to it that copies were made of the sacred text. Although the copyists were imperfect, they were extremely careful. Regarding the Hebrew Scriptures, for example, one scholar wrote: “It may be safely said that no other work of antiquity has been so accurately transmitted.” So we can be confident that the words we read in our Bible today convey the thoughts of its Author, Jehovah. Jehovah is the Source of “every good gift and every perfect present.” (Jas. 1:17) The Bible is one of the best gifts that Jehovah has given us. A gift tells us something about the giver​—how well he knows us and our needs. The same is true about the Giver of the Bible. When we examine this gift, we learn much about Jehovah. We learn how well he knows us and what we need. w23.02 6:3-4

What a wonderful day it will be when the resurrection starts here on earth during Christ’s Thousand Year Reign! All who have lost loved ones long to see them again. That is how Jehovah feels too. (Job 14:15) Imagine what joyous reunions will take place earth wide. “The righteous,” whose names are written in the book of life, will return to “a resurrection of life.” (Acts 24:15; John 5:29) Perhaps many of our loved ones will be among those restored to life early on in the earthly resurrection. Additionally, “the unrighteous,” such as those who did not have sufficient opportunity to know Jehovah or to serve him faithfully before they died, will be raised to “a resurrection of judgment.” All these resurrected ones will need to be instructed. (Isa. 26:9; 61:11) So the greatest educational program in all human history will need to be implemented.​—Isa. 11:10. w22.09 40:1-2

Jehovah has shown his supremacy over entire coalitions of rulers. He fought for Israel, enabling them to conquer large portions of the Promised Land. (Josh. 11:4-6, 20; 12:1, 7, 24) Time and again, Jehovah has proved to be the Supreme One! When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon boasted about ‘his own strength and might and the glory of his majesty’ instead of humbly acknowledging Jehovah as the One deserving of praise, God struck him with insanity. After he recovered, Nebuchadnezzar “praised the Most High” and acknowledged that “[Jehovah’s] rulership is an everlasting rulership.” He added: “There is no one who can hinder him.” (Dan. 4:30, 33-35) The psalmist observed: “Happy is the nation whose God is Jehovah, the people he has chosen as his own possession.” (Ps. 33:12) What good reason, indeed, we have to keep our integrity to Jehovah! w22.10 42:13-15

The many Bible prophecies that have already been fulfilled strengthen our confidence in the reliability of God’s promises for the future. We feel as did the psalmist who prayed to Jehovah: “I long for your salvation, for your word is my hope.” (Ps. 119:81) Through the pages of the Bible, Jehovah has kindly given us “a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11) Our hope for the future depends, not on man’s efforts, but on Jehovah’s promises. May we continue to build our trust in God’s Word by being keen students of Bible prophecy. For further proof that we can trust the Bible, consider the good results people experience when they follow its advice. (Ps. 119:66, 138) For example, married couples who were once on the brink of divorce are now happily united. Their children enjoy being raised in the loving atmosphere of a Christian home, where they feel secure and loved.​—Eph. 5:22-29. w23.01 1:12-13

Think about how you have already benefited personally from the fulfillment of the promises contained in God’s Word. For example, Jesus has promised that his Father will provide you with the necessities of life. (Matt. 6:32, 33) Jesus has also assured you that Jehovah will give you holy spirit when you ask for it. (Luke 11:13) Jehovah has kept those promises. Likely, you can think of other promises that he has kept in your behalf. For instance, he promises to forgive you, to comfort you, and to feed you spiritually. (Matt. 6:14; 24:45; 2 Cor. 1:3) When you meditate on what God has done for you already, you will strengthen your hope in what he will do for you in the future. We are certain that Jehovah will keep his promises. As the psalmist wrote, “happy is the one . . . whose hope is in Jehovah his God, . . . the One who always remains faithful.”​—Ps. 146:5, 6. w22.10 44:15, 17

Does the prophecy about the restoration of pure worship apply to us today? Absolutely! In what way? Since 1919 C.E., millions of people have broken free from captivity to Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion. They have been directed to a much better place than Israel’s Promised Land. They have been led to a spiritual paradise. (Isa. 51:3; 66:8) Since 1919 C.E., the anointed have enjoyed living in a spiritual paradise. As time has progressed, those with an earthly hope, the “other sheep,” have also settled in this spiritual land and have enjoyed Jehovah’s abundant blessings. (John 10:16; Isa. 25:6; 65:13) The spiritual paradise they inhabit exists throughout the world. So, today, no matter where we live on earth, we can be part of the spiritual paradise as long as we are actively supporting true worship. w22.11 46:12-15

Do you find it difficult to grasp the idea that Jehovah has existed “for all eternity”? (Isa. 40:28) That is not unusual. Elihu said of God: “The number of his years is beyond comprehension.” (Job 36:26) But just because we do not understand something does not mean that it is untrue. For example, though we may not understand fully how light works, does this mean that light does not exist? Not at all! Similarly, we humans may never fully comprehend how it is that Jehovah has always existed and will always exist. But this does not mean that God does not live eternally. The Creator is not limited by what we can or cannot understand. (Rom. 11:33-36) And he existed before the material universe​—including light sources such as the sun—​came to be. Yes, he existed before he “stretched out the heavens.”​—Jer. 51:15. w22.12 49:3-4

At times, we are invited to offer a prayer on behalf of others. For example, a sister who is conducting a Bible study may ask the sister who has accompanied her to offer a prayer. The visiting sister might not know the student well, so she might prefer to offer the concluding prayer at the study. In that way, she can more easily adapt her prayer to the needs of the student. A brother may be asked to pray at a meeting for field service or at a congregation meeting. Brothers who have that privilege should keep in mind the purpose of the meeting. Prayer is not to be used to counsel the congregation or to make announcements. For most congregation meetings, a total of five minutes is allotted for song and prayer, so the brother who is offering the prayer need not use “many words,” especially at the beginning of a meeting.​—Matt. 6:7. w22.07 31:17-18

Jesus foretold that during the last days, there would be pestilences, or widespread diseases, “in one place after another.” (Luke 21:11) How does knowing that bring us peace? We are not surprised by disease outbreaks. We realize that events are proceeding as Jesus said they would. We thus have reason to follow the advice Jesus gave to those living during the time of the end: “See that you are not alarmed.” A disease outbreak will no doubt disrupt some aspects of your routine, but do not let it interfere with your personal study or meeting attendance. The real-life experiences found in our publications and videos will remind you that your brothers and sisters are keeping their integrity despite similar challenges. w22.12 51:4, 6

The patriarch Jacob made it obvious that he loved his son Joseph very much. (Gen. 37:3, 4) As a result, Jacob’s older sons became jealous of their brother. When they saw an opportunity, they sold Joseph to a group of Midianite merchants. Those merchants took Joseph hundreds of kilometers away to Egypt, where he was sold once more​—this time to Potiphar, chief of Pharaoh’s guards. How quickly Joseph’s life changed, from being his father’s dearly beloved son to being a lowly slave of an Egyptian! (Gen. 39:1) We sometimes encounter hardships that are “common to men”​—that is, trials that all humans experience. (1 Cor. 10:13) Or we may suffer simply because we are disciples of Jesus. For example, we might be ridiculed, opposed, or even persecuted because of our faith. (2 Tim. 3:12) Whatever trial you face, Jehovah can make you successful. w23.01 3:3-4

We may at times feel the need to approach a fellow believer who has offended us. First, though, we do well to ask ourselves such questions as: ‘Do I have enough facts?’ (Prov. 18:13) ‘Could it be that the offense was not intentional?’ (Eccl. 7:20) ‘Have I ever made a similar mistake?’ (Eccl. 7:21, 22) ‘By approaching the person, will I create a bigger issue than the one I am trying to resolve?’ When we take time to consider such questions, we may conclude that our love for our brother can move us simply to overlook the offense. We individually prove that we are real followers of Jesus when we show unselfish love toward our brothers and sisters despite their imperfections. In the process, we may help others to recognize the true religion and to join us in worshipping Jehovah. Let us be determined to continue demonstrating the love that identifies true Christians. w23.03 14:18-19

The Bible gives evidence of its Author’s greatest quality​—love. Because Jehovah loves us, he did not overwhelm us with more details than we can handle. (John 21:25) Jehovah also showed love by communicating with us in a style that dignifies us. In the Bible, he does not give us an endless list of rules, micromanaging every aspect of our life. Rather, he appeals to our thinking ability through real-life stories, stirring prophecies, and practical counsel. In these ways, God’s Word moves us to love and obey him from our heart. The Bible reveals that Jehovah is keenly interested in us. How so? His Word is filled with accounts that express human emotion. We can relate to Bible characters because they were people “with feelings like ours.” (Jas. 5:17) More important, by observing how he dealt with people like us, we are able to understand more clearly that “Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful.”​—Jas. 5:11. w23.02 6:13-15

The last book of the Bible begins with the words: “A revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place.” (Rev. 1:1) So we have a keen interest in current world events and in knowing how they may fulfill Bible prophecy. And we may be eager to discuss such events with one another. When discussing Bible prophecy, however, we should avoid speculating. Why? Because we would not want to say anything that could cause disunity in the congregation. For instance, we may hear world leaders talk about how they can solve a particular conflict and bring peace and security. Instead of speculating that such a statement fulfills the prophecy at 1 Thessalonians 5:3, we need to keep up-to-date with the latest published information. When we base our discussions on material published by Jehovah’s organization, we help the congregation to remain united “in the same line of thought.”​—1 Cor. 1:10; 4:6. w23.02 8:4-5

Why do you love Jesus Christ? Jesus stands for truth, humility, and righteousness. If you love truth and righteousness, it is understandable that you also love Jesus Christ. Think of how Jesus courageously defended what is true and right. (John 18:37) How, though, does Jesus promote humility? Jesus promotes humility by his example. For instance, he directs all glory to his Father, never to himself. (Mark 10:17, 18; John 5:19) How do you feel about seeing such humility? Does it not move you to love God’s Son and to follow him? Surely it does. Why is Jesus humble? Because he loves and imitates his Father, who is humble. (Ps. 18:35; Heb. 1:3) Are you not drawn to Jesus, who perfectly reflects Jehovah’s qualities? w23.03 10:6-7

The Bible speaks of two groups of people who will be resurrected with the prospect of living forever on earth, “the righteous” and “the unrighteous.” “The righteous” are those who faithfully served Jehovah while they were alive. On the other hand, “the unrighteous” did not. Because both groups are resurrected, can we say that their names are written in the book of life? Before dying, “the righteous” had their names written in the book of life. Were their names taken out of that book when they died? No, because they are still “living” in Jehovah’s memory. Jehovah “is a God, not of the dead, but of the living, for they are all living to him.” (Luke 20:38) This means that when the righteous are restored to life on earth, their names will be found written in the book of life, although “in pencil” at first.​—Luke 14:14. w22.09 39:9-10

Jehovah wanted the first human to enjoy His creation. When God made Adam, He gave him an unspoiled paradise to explore and assigned him to cultivate and expand that paradise. (Gen. 2:8, 9) Imagine Adam’s excitement as he watched seeds germinate and flowers blossom. What a privilege Adam had to care for the garden of Eden! Jehovah also invited Adam to name the different animals. (Gen. 2:19, 20) Jehovah could have chosen each name himself; instead, he delegated the task to Adam. No doubt before deciding what to call them, Adam studied the animals carefully, observing their specific traits and behaviors. Adam must have enjoyed this experience. It surely gave him an opportunity to increase his appreciation for his Father’s wisdom, artistry, and creativity. w23.03 12:3

As represented by the feet of an immense image, Anglo-America is the last world power foretold in the Bible. (Dan. 2:31-33) It will not be succeeded by another political power. Rather, it will come to a swift end at Armageddon when God’s Kingdom crushes it and all other human governments. (Rev. 16:13, 14, 16; 19:19, 20) How can this prophecy benefit us? Daniel’s prophecy provides additional evidence that we are living in the time of the end. More than 2,500 years ago, Daniel foretold that after Babylon, four other world powers would have a significant impact on God’s people. Furthermore, he revealed that the Anglo-American World Power would be the last of these. This gives us comfort and hope that soon God’s Kingdom will sweep away every trace of human rule and take full charge of the earth. w22.07 28:9, 11-12