Remember That Jehovah Is “the Living God”

1. What helps Jehovah’s people to keep worshipping him despite the problems they face?

“CRITICAL times hard to deal with”​—that is how the Bible describes the days we live in. (2 Tim. 3:1) In addition to the challenges that everyone faces in this system of things, Jehovah’s people have to deal with opposition and persecution. What helps us to keep worshipping Jehovah despite these problems? One main thing is that we have come to know Jehovah as “the living God.”​—Jer. 10:10; 2 Tim. 1:12.

2. In what way is Jehovah the living God?

² Jehovah is a real Person who sustains us during our trials and looks for opportunities to support us. (2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 23:4) Viewing him as the living God can help us to face successfully any trial that comes our way. Consider how that was true of King David.

3. What did David mean when he said that “Jehovah is alive”?

³ David knew Jehovah and relied on Him. When pursued by his enemies, including King Saul, David prayed to Jehovah for help. (Ps. 18:6) After God answered his prayer and rescued him, David declared: “Jehovah is alive!” (Ps. 18:46) With these words, David was not merely acknowledging that God exists. One reference work notes that David was expressing confidence in Jehovah “as a living god who constantly acts on behalf of his people.” Yes, David knew from personal experience that his God was alive, and that conviction renewed his determination to serve and praise Jehovah.​—Ps. 18:28, 29, 49.

4. How do we benefit from viewing Jehovah as the living God?

⁴ Our being convinced that Jehovah is the living God can help us to serve him with zeal. We will have the strength to endure trials and the motivation to continue working hard in his service. We will also be determined to remain close to Jehovah.

THE LIVING GOD WILL STRENGTHEN YOU

5. What can give us confidence when we face trials? (Philippians 4:13)

⁵ We will be able to endure any trial, great or small, if we remember that Jehovah is alive and that he is there to sustain us. After all, any problem we face is no match for our God. He is the Almighty, and he can give us the power to endure. (Read Philippians 4:13.) We have every reason, therefore, to face our trials with confidence. Our experiencing Jehovah’s support during smaller trials convinces us that he will also help us during greater trials.

6. What experiences during David’s youth increased his confidence in Jehovah?

⁶ Consider two personal experiences that increased David’s confidence in Jehovah. When David was a young shepherd, a bear and a lion each carried off one of his father’s sheep. On both occasions, David courageously chased after the animals and saved the sheep. Yet, he did not claim the victory for himself. He knew that Jehovah was behind it. (1 Sam. 17:34-37) David never forgot those experiences. By meditating on them, he gained confidence that the living God would strengthen him in the future.

7. How did having the right perspective help David to face Goliath?

⁷ Later, likely while he was still a teenager, David visited the army camp of the Israelites. He found that the soldiers were terrified because a giant Philistine named Goliath had come out to “taunt the battle line of Israel.” (1 Sam. 17:10, 11) The soldiers’ fear was a result of their focusing on the giant and the taunts they heard on the battlefield. (1 Sam. 17:24, 25) David, however, viewed the situation from a different perspective. He viewed what was happening as a challenge, not merely against the battle line of Israel but against “the battle line of the living God.” (1 Sam. 17:26) David had Jehovah foremost in mind. David trusted that the God who had helped him when he was a shepherd would help him again in this situation. Certain of God’s backing, David faced Goliath and, of course, he won!​—1 Sam. 17:45-51.

8. How can we keep Jehovah in mind when facing trials? (See also picture.)

⁸ We too can face trials successfully if we remember that the living God is ready to assist us. (Ps. 118:6) We can build our confidence in that fact by considering what he has done in the past. Read Bible accounts that remind you of how Jehovah saved his worshippers. (Isa. 37:17, 33-37) Also, consider reports on our jw.org website that illustrate how Jehovah has supported our brothers and sisters in modern times. Furthermore, recall times when Jehovah has acted in your behalf. Do not worry if you cannot point to some spectacular experience, such as fighting off a bear or a lion. Why not? The fact is, Jehovah has been involved in your life! He has drawn you into a relationship with him. (John 6:44) Even now, it is only thanks to his help that you are still in the truth. Why not ask him to help you to remember moments when he answered your prayers, gave you support at just the right time, or sustained you through a difficult situation? Reflecting on such experiences will strengthen your conviction that Jehovah will continue to act in your behalf.

9. How can we view our trials? (Proverbs 27:11)

⁹ Seeing Jehovah as a living Person will allow us to view our trials properly. How so? We begin to see our trials as part of a bigger issue between Jehovah and Satan. The Devil claims that when we suffer hardship, we will abandon Jehovah. (Job 1:10, 11; read Proverbs 27:11.) But when we deal with our trials successfully, we show our love for Jehovah and prove the Devil a liar. Are you facing government opposition, economic hardship, negative responses to your preaching, or some other trial? If so, remember that your situation gives you an opportunity to make Jehovah’s heart rejoice. Remember, too, that he will never let you be tested beyond your limits. (1 Cor. 10:13) He will give you the strength to endure.

THE LIVING GOD WILL REWARD YOU

10. What will the living God do for those who worship him?

¹⁰ Jehovah is the Rewarder of those who worship him. (Heb. 11:6) He gives us peace and contentment now and will give us everlasting life in the future. We can place our hope in Jehovah, convinced that he has both the desire and the power to reward us. And that conviction moves us to stay busy in our worship, just as faithful servants of God in the past were moved to do. This proved true of Timothy in the first century.​—Heb. 6:10-12.

11. What moved Timothy to work hard in the congregation? (1 Timothy 4:10)

¹¹ Read 1 Timothy 4:10. Timothy put his hope in the living God. Therefore, he had good reason to work hard and exert himself. In what ways? The apostle Paul encouraged him to make progress as a teacher and a public speaker. Timothy was also to set a good example for fellow believers, both young and old. And he was assigned some difficult tasks, which included giving firm but loving counsel to those who needed it. (1 Tim. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-5) Timothy could be sure that even if at times his work went unseen or was not appreciated by others, Jehovah would reward him.​—Rom. 2:6, 7.

12. What can motivate elders to stay busy in their work? (See also picture.)

¹² Today, elders too can be certain that Jehovah sees and values their fine work. In addition to shepherding, teaching, and preaching, many elders support construction projects and disaster relief efforts. Others serve on Patient Visitation Groups or Hospital Liaison Committees. Elders who make themselves available for such work see the congregation as Jehovah’s arrangement, not as a man-made institution. As a result, they are whole-souled in their assignments and have full trust that God will reward them for what they do.​—Col. 3:23, 24.

13. How does Jehovah feel about our personal efforts in his service?

¹³ Not all can be elders. But all of us have something to offer Jehovah. Our God appreciates it when we do our best to serve him. He notices our contributions to the worldwide work, no matter how modest. He is pleased when we work hard to overcome our shyness and raise our hand to comment at meetings, and he rejoices when we overlook an offense and extend forgiveness. Even if you feel that you cannot do as much as you would like, trust that Jehovah values what you can do. He loves you for it, and he will reward you.​—Luke 21:1-4.

REMAIN CLOSE TO THE LIVING GOD

14. How does remaining close to Jehovah help us to stay faithful? (See also picture.)

¹⁴ If Jehovah is real to us, we will find it easier to stay faithful to him. That was true of Joseph. He firmly refused to commit immorality. God was real to him, and he didn’t want to displease Him. (Gen. 39:9) For Jehovah to be real to us, we need to make time to pray to him and to study his Word. Our friendship with him will thus grow. When, like Joseph, we have a close friendship with Jehovah, we will not want to do anything that displeases Him.​—Jas. 4:8.

15. What lesson can we learn from what happened to the Israelites in the wilderness? (Hebrews 3:12)

¹⁵ Those who forget that Jehovah is the living God can easily draw away from him. Consider what happened to the Israelites when they were in the wilderness. They were aware that Jehovah existed, but they began to doubt that he would provide for them. They even asked: “Is Jehovah in our midst or not?” (Ex. 17:2, 7) Thereafter, they rebelled against God. Surely, we want to avoid following their disobedient course, which stands as a warning example for us.​—Read Hebrews 3:12.

16. What could test our faith?

¹⁶ The world makes it challenging for us to remain close to Jehovah. Many reject the idea that God exists. Often, those who ignore what God requires seem to prosper. When we see that happen, our faith can be tested. While we would not deny that God exists, we could begin to wonder whether he will act in our behalf. The writer of Psalm 73 found himself wondering about this. He saw those around him ignoring God’s laws and still enjoying life. As a result, he began to question whether it was worth serving God.​—Ps. 73:11-13.

17. What will help us to remain close to Jehovah?

¹⁷ What eventually helped the psalmist to correct his view? He meditated on what would happen to those who forget Jehovah. (Ps. 73:18, 19, 27) He also considered the benefits that come from serving God. (Ps. 73:24) We too can reflect on the blessings that Jehovah has given us. Contrast that with how our life would be if we were not serving Jehovah. Doing so can help us to stick to a faithful course and conclude as did the psalmist: “As for me, drawing near to God is good for me.”​—Ps. 73:28.

18. Why can we face the future with confidence?

¹⁸ We can face whatever challenges come our way during these last days because we “slave for a living and true God.” (1 Thess. 1:9) Our God is a real Person who acts in behalf of those who worship him. He proved to be with his servants in the past, and he is with us today. We will soon face the greatest tribulation to occur on earth. But we will not face it alone. (Isa. 41:10) May we all “be of good courage and say: ‘Jehovah is my helper; I will not be afraid.’”​—Heb. 13:5, 6.