Friday, November 7

Keep asking in faith, not doubting at all.​—Jas. 1:6.

As our loving Father, Jehovah does not like to see us in pain. (Isa. 63:9) Still, he does not prevent all our trials, which can be likened to rivers or flames. (Isa. 43:2) However, he does promise to help us “pass through” them. And he will not allow our trials to cause us permanent harm. Jehovah also gives us his powerful holy spirit to help us endure. (Luke 11:13; Phil. 4:13) As a result, we can be confident that we will always have exactly what we need in order to endure and to remain faithful to him. Jehovah expects us to trust in him. (Heb. 11:6) At times, our trials may seem insurmountable. We might even begin to doubt whether Jehovah will help us. But the Bible assures us that by God’s power we can “scale a wall.” (Ps. 18:29) So instead of giving in to our doubts, we should pray in full faith, trusting that Jehovah will answer our prayers.​—Jas. 1:6, 7. w23.11 49:8-9

Saturday, November 8

[Love’s] flames are a blazing fire, the flame of Jah. Surging waters cannot extinguish love, nor can rivers wash it away.​—Song of Sol. 8:6, 7.

What a beautiful description of true love! These words contain a reassuring truth for married couples: You can have unfailing love for each other. Whether a married couple will have unfailing love as long as they live depends on them. To illustrate, a campfire has the potential to burn indefinitely​—but only if it is fed. If left unattended, the fire will eventually go out. Likewise, the love between a husband and wife can remain strong indefinitely​—but only if they nurture their relationship. At times, a couple could feel that their love is cooling off, especially when they are weighed down by financial hardship, health concerns, or the pressures of raising children. So to keep “the flame of Jah” alive, both husband and wife should work to have a strong relationship with Jehovah. w23.05 23:1-3

Sunday, November 9

Do not be afraid.​—Dan. 10:19.

To develop courage, what do we need to do? Our parents may urge us to be courageous, but they cannot pass this quality on to us as if it were a family heirloom. Gaining courage is like learning a new skill. One way you can master the skill is by closely watching the instructor’s actions and then copying his example. In a similar way, we learn to be courageous by closely looking at how others show this quality and then copying their example. Like Daniel, we need to know God’s Word well. We must form a close bond with Jehovah by talking to him freely and often. And we need to trust in Jehovah, being convinced that we have his backing. Then when our faith is tested, we will be courageous. Courageous people often gain the respect of others. They may also attract honesthearted people to Jehovah. Certainly, we have good reasons to develop courage. w23.08 33:2, 8-9