“Be courageous and very strong . . . Jehovah your God is with you.”—JOSH. 1:7-9.
Sometimes all of us who are down and tired of this bewildered wicked world, forget that we need complete faith in Jehovah God and also courage to endure all things. We also end up forgetting that we need look to one another as brothers and sisters, not as humans, perhaps of different nationalities, color, or even languages; in the end we are all related. Before Jehovah’s eyes we are all precious and our difference in such things does not really matter to him. In this world, there is just too many prejudices because each individual is either too different or maybe does not belong in certain parts of ‘society’. To be completely fair what has any of this to do with it? In reality, we are all related whether we want to admit it or not. We are descendants of Adam and Eve, yet because of their disobeying Jehovah God’s command they sinned. Not only that but it evidently showed their lack of faith.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” says Paul at Romans 3:23. Adam and Eve’s punishment was death through sin. However, this did not prevent them from having children, of which had inherited such a sin. Thus we grow old and die, we deal with various life threatening complications to the point that it’s unbearable. No one wants to see a loved one pass away in death or even suffer. Nevertheless, the Bible as God’s Word tells us of a provision of a future to come. Jehovah God never said he’d leave us to die. Instead he still provides for us daily. When you go outside on a bright shinny day, what do you see? Or perhaps when you step out in the evening and look up at the sky? There is life all around us of which we should be grateful for. Our lives are so precious to OUR Heavenly Father above that he is not just the Giver of life and the supplier of it, but also the Restorer of it. Jesus illustrates such an example in the book of Matthew, Chapter 6 verse 26 where he says “Observe intently the birds of heaven, because they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses; still YOUR heavenly Father feeds them. Are YOU not worth more than they are?”
Jehovah God first loved us. Everything about his qualities reflects on love. We have fine examples in 1 John 4:8 where it states “He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love”. One of his greatest show of love for us was sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die on our behalf. John 3:16 says “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” But what is faith? Faith means to convey the thought of confidence, trust, and firm persuasion. Hebrews 11:1 states, “Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.” Faith also conveys the idea something that underlies visible conditions and guarantees a future possession, as described in the Insight on the Scriptures. In order to be acceptable to God we must let go of all our wickedness and listen to what he has to tell us. Follow not just his laws but also his commandments, his principles. Exercising faith in his beloved Son gives us a future of living forever on earth.
Which moves us to another word we as humans usually do not use or have lack of, Courage. The courage to change and follow Jehovah is not easy but it can be done. Like the scripture at the beginning, Joshua 1:9 says that we need to be strong and courageous for Jehovah God is with you. Leading to this is the ability to stand firm when it comes to trials and tribulation. We may never want to for fear it may injure us, but how much so did Jesus Christ show such a fine example when he put up everything for our sake. Jehovah God was not the only one who loved us, but also his Son. The only human who has existed that I can think of who through faith did as God asked, to offer up his only son, was Abraham of old. He did not have to give his only son, yet he had faith that God would resurrect his son. In fact, he based such faith in God’s promises.
However, always keep in mind that as we are living in the ends of this wicked system of things we must have strong faith and when we lack it, ask God for it. When tribulation and trials, even persecution takes effect we can keep in mind that “God is for us a refuge and strength, a help that is readily to be found during distresses.”(Psalms 46:1) And no matter what, “The name of Jehovah is a strong tower. Into it the righteous runs and is given protection” (Proverbs 18:10). When you feel that it is just too much, do as the Psalmist said in chapter 55 verse 22, “Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself, and he himself will sustain you. Never will he allow the righteous one to totter”. Sometimes we forget that Jehovah God can help us in anything, more like everything… So Jesus Christ tells us to rely on Jehovah Our God. Proverbs 3:5, 6 says “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.”
Notice what faithful King David told his son Solomon, “Be courageous and strong and act. Do not be afraid nor be terrified, for Jehovah God, my God, is with you. He will not desert you or leave you until all the work of the service of Jehovah’s house is finished.” (1 Chronicles 28:20). Though he had made many mistakes, he still had confidence in Jehovah’s promises and no matter what wanted to do what was right. For all his wrongdoings involving Bathsheba and Uriah, he wholeheartedly begged Jehovah in prayer for forgiveness of his sins. When reading Psalm 51, we see his heartfelt remorse against the bad things he had done that appeared bad in the eyes of Jehovah God.
Many of us fall short to Jehovah God’s glory, yet we can still re-kindle our friendship with him by earnestly praying to him in the privacy of our room in secret just as Jesus had advised us to do in Matthew 6:6. In here he says, “You, however, when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you.” This does not mean that only when we sin must we speak to Jehovah God in prayer but also when we want assistance, when we want help to deal with things. In reality we are invited to speak to him daily. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 asks that we “Pray incessantly.”
And as the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:6,7 “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let YOUR petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard YOUR hearts and YOUR mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.” Whenever you feel that things are too much just read Matthew Chapter 5-7 and keep an eye out for chapter 6 verses 19-34. It gives you a beautiful example and illustration of how Jesus teaches us to look to Jehovah God when times are good or horribly bad. In this Jesus helps us to remember that we are worth more than anything else to Jehovah, so much so that he gave his only-begotten son in our behalf. (John 3:16)
In the Jehovah's Witness Watchtower of November 15th, 2010, indicates that the psalms are rich with expressions of human emotions coupled with repeated assurances that Jehovah does listen to the cry of a lowly one who is overwhelmed by emotional stresses. Consider the following stanzas: We can always keep in mind the Psalmist who wrote, “In my distress I kept calling upon Jehovah, and to my God I kept crying for help. Out of his temple he proceeded to hear my voice, and my own cry before him for help now came into his ears” (Psalm 18:6). Another psalmist said, “Jehovah is near to those that are broken at heart; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.” (Psalm 34:18). Another fine example of how much Jehovah loves us in depicted in Psalm 147:3 where it says, “He [Jehovah] is healing the brokenhearted ones, and is binding up their painful spots.” Never forget that one way to approach Jehovah is through prayer. We must never forget that only he can help us to change or even so make life easier and better. Living in this world is hard and no doubt we want it all to go away. Keep in mind too that we are not perfect and we sin daily, yet Jehovah looks past our imperfections and through his Son, he forgives us. In order to draw close to Jehovah we must take into consideration in how Jehovah defines what it means to love him.
In conclusion 1 John 5: 3, 4 says “For this is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome, because everything that has been born from God conquers the world. And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith.” One thing I have learned is that looking back to all of my past experiences and the dreading of them for doing so much wrong, I can look to Jehovah God for help in forgetting such horrible memories. Even though they make me who I am today, I cannot never forget that it was Jehovah God who has helped me to change so much. It was our heavenly Father who gave me a new personality like it is stated in Ephesians 4:22-24, “That YOU should put away the old personality which conforms to YOUR former course of conduct and which is being corrupted according to his deceptive desires; but that YOU should be made new in the force actuating YOUR mind, and should put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty.”
I write this as a reminder to myself in order that I may never forget the blessings and amazing strength Jehovah God through his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, has given me in order to endure all things. He gives me the strength to live on in this world. Sustains me by providing me with my needed daily things which has become so hard to do in this world. Yet I have complete faith through his Son that things will be better soon. As I continue to try my best to go out in the ministry and preach the good news of Jehovah God’s Kingdom. I want to show everyone in the world how a horrible person, such as myself, who had gone through so much as they do or continue to, could change for the better. It also helps that I can read this and smile, because it will remind me of all the amazing things Jehovah has done for mankind; even all the examples of faithful humans who lived before me. Such fine examples are Noah, Rahab, Ruth, Moses, Ebed-melech, Jesus, Paul, so many more and all my amazing brothers and sisters of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
With so many examples of such faithful, devoted, and loyal servants; I want to run the race with them to attain the promise of everlasting life! Just as Paul in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1-3 says, “So, then, because we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus. For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Indeed, consider closely the one who has endured such contrary talk by sinners against their own interests, that YOU may not get tired and give out in YOUR souls.” I have high hopes that this will make us feel better and help us through our hard times or days. It sure made me feel special today. :D
