Wednesday, December 3
Clothe yourselves with . . . patience.—Col. 3:12.
Consider four ways we can demonstrate patience. First, a patient person is slow to anger. He tries to stay calm and to hold back from retaliating when provoked or under stress. (Ex. 34:6) Second, a patient person can wait calmly. If something takes longer than expected, such a person tries to avoid becoming restless or irritable. (Matt. 18:26, 27) Third, a patient person is not rash. When a patient person has an important task to accomplish, he does not rush into it; nor does he rush through it. Rather, he sets aside a reasonable amount of time to plan what he will do. Then he gives the task the time that it requires. Fourth, a patient person strives to bear trials without complaining. He does his best to continue enduring while maintaining a positive attitude. (Col. 1:11) As Christians, we need to show all these facets of patience. w23.08 35:3-6
Thursday, December 4
Jehovah is the examiner of hearts.—Prov. 17:3.
A key reason to protect our figurative heart is that Jehovah examines our heart. This means that he looks past what we appear to be to others and sees who we really are on the inside. He will love us if we fill our mind with his life-giving wisdom. (John 4:14) We will thereby leave no room for the moral and spiritual poison coming from Satan and his world. (1 John 5:18, 19) As we draw closer to Jehovah, our love and respect for him will grow. Because we do not want to hurt our Father, we will hate even the very thought of sinning. Marta, a sister in Croatia who was tempted to commit immorality, wrote: “I found it hard to think clearly and to suppress the urge to enjoy the temporary pleasure of sin. But fear of Jehovah protected me.” How did fear of God do that? Marta said that she meditated on the consequences that a bad decision would bring. We can do the same. w23.06 28:3-4
Friday, December 5
“The nations will have to know that I am Jehovah,” declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, “when I am sanctified among you before their eyes.”—Ezek. 36:23.
Jesus knew that Jehovah’s purpose is to sanctify His name, to clear it of all reproach. That is why our Master taught his followers to pray: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.” (Matt. 6:9) Jesus understood that this is the greatest issue facing all creation. No intelligent creature in the universe has ever done more to sanctify Jehovah’s name than Jesus has. Yet, when Jesus was arrested, what sin did his enemies accuse him of? Blasphemy! Jesus surely felt that to abuse or to slander his Father’s holy name was the most repugnant of sins. He was deeply disturbed that he would be charged and convicted of this crime. That may have been the main reason why Jesus was “in such agony” in the hours leading up to his arrest.—Luke 22:41-44. w24.02 6:11