How to Gain Strength From the Scriptures

1. What types of trials may Jehovah’s people face?

ARE you suffering through a difficult trial? Perhaps someone in the congregation has hurt you. (Jas. 3:2) Or maybe your workmates or schoolmates ridicule you for serving Jehovah. (1 Pet. 4:3, 4) Or family members are possibly trying to stop you from attending meetings or from talking to others about your faith. (Matt. 10:35, 36) If a trial is especially painful, you may feel like giving up. But you can be confident that no matter what challenge you face, Jehovah will give you the wisdom to deal with it and the strength to endure it.

2. According to Romans 15:4, what effect can reading God’s Word have on us?

² In his Word, Jehovah included detailed descriptions of how imperfect individuals dealt with difficult trials. Why? So that we can learn from them. That is what Jehovah moved the apostle Paul to write. (Read Romans 15:4.) Reading these accounts can bring us a measure of comfort and hope. However, to benefit, we need to do more than just read the Bible. We must allow the Scriptures to mold our thinking and to touch our hearts. What can we do if we are looking for guidance on how to deal with a specific challenge? We can use this four-step method: (1) Pray, (2) Imagine, (3) Meditate, and (4) Apply. Let us discuss what is involved in each of those steps.b Then we will use this method of study to learn from incidents in the lives of King David and the apostle Paul.

3. Before you start reading the Bible, what should you do, and why?

³ (1) Pray. Before you start reading the Bible, ask Jehovah to help you to see how you can benefit from what you read. For example, if you are looking for counsel on how to deal with a problem, ask Jehovah to help you find principles in his Word that can guide you.​—Phil. 4:6, 7; Jas. 1:5.

4. What can help you to bring a Bible account to life?

⁴ (2) Imagine. Jehovah has given us the amazing faculty of imagination. To help you bring a Bible account to life, try to imagine the scene and see yourself in the place of the key character. Try to see the things he or she saw and to feel the emotions that the character might have felt.

5. What is meditation, and how can you meditate?

⁵ (3) Meditate. Meditation means thinking carefully about what you read and about how the information applies to you. It helps you to connect thoughts and gain a deeper understanding of a subject. Reading the Bible without meditation is like looking at pieces of a jigsaw puzzle on a table without assembling them. Meditation is like putting those pieces together so that you can see the whole picture. To help you meditate, you could ask and answer such questions as these: ‘What did the key character in the account do to help himself? How did Jehovah help him? How can I use the lessons I have learned to help me endure trials?’

6. Why must we apply what we learn?

⁶ (4) Apply. Jesus said that if we do not apply what we learn, we are like a man who builds his house on sand. He works hard, but he is wasting his effort. Why? Because when a storm and flood hit his house, it will collapse. (Matt. 7:24-27) Similarly, if we pray, imagine, and meditate but we do not apply what we learn, we will have wasted our effort. When our faith is tested by trials or persecution, it will not be strong enough. On the other hand, when we study and apply what we learn, we make better decisions, we gain more peace, and we develop stronger faith. (Isa. 48:17, 18) Using the four steps we have just discussed, let us see what we can learn from an incident in the life of King David.

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM KING DAVID?

7. What Bible account will we now consider?

⁷ Has a friend or a family member betrayed your trust? If so, you would benefit by reviewing the account of King David’s son Absalom, who betrayed his father and tried to steal the kingdom from him.​—2 Sam. 15:5-14, 31; 18:6-14.

8. What could you do to get Jehovah’s help?

⁸ (1) Pray. With the account in mind, tell Jehovah how you are feeling about the way you have been mistreated. (Ps. 6:6-9) Be specific. Then ask Jehovah to help you see principles that can guide you as you try to cope with this difficult challenge.

9. How would you summarize the events involving David and Absalom?

⁹ (2) Imagine. Think about the events in this account, and imagine how King David was affected. David’s son Absalom works for years to make the people love him. (2 Sam. 15:7) When Absalom feels that the time is right, he sends spies throughout all of Israel to prepare the people to accept him as their ruler. He even convinces one of David’s close friends and advisers, Ahithophel, to join in the rebellion. Absalom declares himself king, and then he tries to capture and kill David, who may have been seriously ill at the time. (Ps. 41:1-9) David learns of the plot and escapes from Jerusalem. Eventually, Absalom’s army clashes with forces loyal to David. The rebel army loses, and David’s son Absalom is killed.

10. How could King David have reacted?

¹⁰ Next, imagine how David must have felt as all of this was happening to him. He loved Absalom and trusted Ahithophel. Yet, both of these close companions betrayed him. They hurt him deeply and even tried to kill him. David could have lost faith in his other friends, suspecting that they too had joined Absalom. He might have thought only of himself and have wanted to flee the country alone. Or he could just have given up in despair. But David did none of those things. Instead, he overcame this difficult trial. Why was he able to do so?

11. How did David respond to the crisis?

¹¹ (3) Meditate. What principles can you learn from the account? Answer the question, “What did David do to help himself?” David did not panic and make hasty, unwise decisions. Neither did he procrastinate, seemingly paralyzed by fear. Instead, he prayed to Jehovah for help. He also asked his friends to help him. And he acted quickly to implement the decisions he made. Although he was deeply hurt, David did not become cynical and bitter. He continued to trust in Jehovah and to trust his friends.

12. What did Jehovah do to help David?

¹² How did Jehovah help David? By doing some research, you will learn that Jehovah gave David the strength he needed to endure this trial. (Ps. 3:1-8; superscription) Jehovah blessed the decisions David made. And he supported David’s loyal friends as they fought to protect their king.

13. How can you imitate David if another person seriously hurts you in some way? (Matthew 18:15-17)

¹³ (4) Apply. Ask yourself, ‘How can I imitate David?’ You would need to act immediately to solve the problem. Depending on the circumstances, you could apply Jesus’ counsel recorded in Matthew chapter 18 either directly or in principle. (Read Matthew 18:15-17.) But you should not make hasty decisions that are driven by emotion. You should pray for Jehovah to give you a calm heart and the wisdom you need to deal with the matter. Do not lose faith in your friends. Instead, be willing to accept help that is offered. (Prov. 17:17) Most important, follow the advice Jehovah gives you in his Word.​—Prov. 3:5, 6.

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM PAUL?

14. What situations might cause you to focus on 2 Timothy 1:12-16; 4:6-11, 17-22?

¹⁴ Are you dealing with opposition from members of your family? Or do you live in a country where the work of Jehovah’s people is severely restricted or even banned? If so, you might be encouraged by reading 2 Timothy 1:12-16 and 4:6-11, 17-22.c Paul wrote this portion of Scripture while he was in prison.

15. What could you ask Jehovah for?

¹⁵ (1) Pray. Before you read those passages, tell Jehovah about your problem and how it makes you feel. Be specific. Then ask Jehovah to help you discern principles in the accounts about Paul’s trials that will help you to know how you should respond to the challenge you are facing.

16. How would you summarize Paul’s situation?

¹⁶ (2) Imagine. Imagine yourself in Paul’s situation. He is bound in chains in a prison in Rome. He had been in prison before, but this time he is certain that he will be executed. Some of his associates have abandoned him, and he is physically exhausted.​—2 Tim. 1:15.

17. How could Paul have reacted?

¹⁷ Paul could have focused on the past, thinking that if he had made different choices, he might not have been arrested. He could have become bitter with the men in the district of Asia who had abandoned him, and he might have adopted a cynical attitude toward his other friends. But Paul did not do any of those things. Why was he able to stay confident and hopeful?

18. How did Paul respond to the trial he faced?

¹⁸ (3) Meditate. Answer the question, “How did Paul help himself?” Even with the threat of death hanging over him, Paul did not lose sight of the big issue​—that of bringing glory to Jehovah. And he continued to think about how he could encourage others. He relied on Jehovah through regular prayer. (2 Tim. 1:3) Rather than focus excessively on those who had abandoned him, he expressed deep gratitude for the loving support of his friends who loyally helped him in practical ways. In addition, Paul continued to study God’s Word. (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 4:13) Most important, he had absolute confidence that Jehovah and Jesus loved him. They had not abandoned him, and they would reward him for his loyal service.

19. How did Jehovah help Paul?

¹⁹ Jehovah had warned Paul that he would have to endure persecution for being a Christian. (Acts 21:11-13) How did Jehovah help Paul? He answered Paul’s prayers and over time gave him power. (2 Tim. 4:17) Paul was assured that he would receive the reward that he had worked so hard to gain. Jehovah also moved Paul’s loyal friends to give him practical help.

20. With Romans 8:38, 39 in mind, how can you imitate Paul?

²⁰ (4) Apply. Ask yourself, ‘How can I imitate Paul?’ Like Paul, we should expect that we will be persecuted for our faith. (Mark 10:29, 30) To maintain our integrity under trial, we need to rely on Jehovah in prayer and maintain a good study routine. And we must always remember that one of the most important things we can do is to bring glory to Jehovah. We can be certain that Jehovah will never abandon us and that there is nothing anyone can do to break his love for us.​—Read Romans 8:38, 39; Heb. 13:5, 6.

LEARN FROM OTHER BIBLE CHARACTERS

21. What helped Aya and Hector to overcome the challenges they faced?

²¹ Whatever our circumstances, we can gain strength from Bible examples. For instance, Aya, a pioneer in Japan, says that the story of Jonah helped her to overcome her fear of public witnessing. Hector, a youth in Indonesia whose parents do not serve Jehovah, is motivated by the example of Ruth to learn about Jehovah and serve him.

22. How can you get the most out of Bible dramas or the series “Imitate Their Faith”?

²² Where can you find Bible examples that will strengthen you? Our videos and audio dramas and the series “Imitate Their Faith” help bring Bible events to life.d Before you watch, listen to, or read these well-researched accounts, ask Jehovah to help you find specific points that you can apply. Imagine yourself in the place of the main character. Meditate on what these dear servants of Jehovah did and how he helped them to overcome difficulties. Then apply the lessons to your own situation. Thank Jehovah for the help he is already giving you. And show that you appreciate the help by looking for opportunities to encourage and support others.

23. According to Isaiah 41:10, 13, what does Jehovah promise to do for us?

²³ Life in this world controlled by Satan can be hard to deal with, even overwhelming at times. (2 Tim. 3:1) But we do not need to be anxious or afraid. Jehovah knows what we are going through. When we fall, he promises to hold on to us with his strong right hand. (Read Isaiah 41:10, 13.) With full confidence in his support, we can gain strength from the Scriptures and overcome any challenge.