Monday, August 25

Though you never saw him, you love him.​—1 Pet. 1:8.

Jesus had to stand up to temptations from Satan the Devil, including direct attacks on his loyalty to God. (Matt. 4:1-11) Satan was determined to make Jesus sin so that he would not be able to pay the ransom. During his earthly ministry, Jesus endured further tests. He faced persecution and threats to his life. (Luke 4:28, 29; 13:31) He had to deal with the imperfections of his followers. (Mark 9:33, 34) When he was on trial for his life, he was tortured and ridiculed. Then he was executed in an extremely painful and humiliating way. (Heb. 12:1-3) He had to endure the final part of his trial on his own, without Jehovah’s protection. (Matt. 27:46) Clearly, the ransom cost Jesus a great deal. Do we not feel deep love for Jesus when we reflect on how he willingly sacrificed so much in our behalf? w24.01 2:7-9

Tuesday, August 26

All who are hasty surely head for poverty.​—Prov. 21:5.

Patience helps us in our dealings with others. It helps us to listen attentively when others speak. (Jas. 1:19) Patience also promotes peace. It protects us from reacting too quickly and saying something unkind when we are under stress. And if we are patient, we will be slow to anger when someone hurts our feelings. Instead of retaliating, we will “continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely.” (Col. 3:12, 13) Patience can also help us to make better decisions. Instead of being hasty or impulsive, we will take the time to research and evaluate the options that we have. For example, if we are looking for work, we might be inclined to accept the first offer we receive. However, if we are patient, we will take the time to consider the impact the job could have on our family and spiritual life. By being patient, we may avoid making a bad decision. w23.08 35:8-9

Wednesday, August 27

I see in my body another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my body.​—Rom. 7:23.

If you feel discouraged by your sinful tendencies, thinking about the promise you made to Jehovah when you dedicated yourself to him will strengthen your resolve to fight against temptation. How? When you make a dedication to Jehovah, you disown yourself. This means that you say no to personal desires and ambitions that would displease Jehovah. (Matt. 16:24) So when you face a test, you will not need to spend time debating what to do. You will have already shut the door on all options except one​—faithfulness to Jehovah. You will remain firmly resolved to please Jehovah. You will in that sense be like Job. Even though he faced extremely difficult trials, he resolutely stated: “I will not renounce my integrity!”​—Job 27:5. w24.03 10:6-7