PSalms Digging for Spiritual Gems: (8 min.) Why are Moses, Aaron, and Samuel good examples?

Transcription

1 PSalms Digging for Spiritual Gems: (8 min.) Ps 99:6, 7 Why are Moses, Aaron, and Samuel good examples? (w15 7/15 8 _5) 5 We thereby follow the example of the faithful servants of Jehovah described at Psalm 99:1-3, 5. (Read.) As that psalm indicates, Moses, Aaron, and Samuel offered their full support to the arrangement for true worship in their day. (Ps. 99:6, 7) Today, before moving on to serve as priests with Jesus in heaven, the remaining ones of his anointed brothers faithfully serve in the earthly courtyard of the spiritual temple. Millions of other sheep loyally support them. (John 10:16) Although having different hopes, both groups unitedly worship Jehovah here at God s footstool. As individuals, however, we do well to ask ourselves, Am I giving full support to Jehovah s arrangement for pure worship? Ps 101:2 What does it mean to walk with integrity of heart inside our house? (w05 11/1 24 _14) 14 For us to walk with Jehovah, he must be real to us. Remember, Jehovah assured faithful ones in ancient Israel that he was not hidden from them. Today, he likewise reveals himself to his people as the Grand Instructor. Is Jehovah that real to you, as though he were standing before you to instruct you? That is the kind of faith we need if we are to walk with God. Moses had such faith, for he continued steadfast as seeing the One who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27) If Jehovah is real to us, then we will take his feelings into account when we make decisions. For example, we would not even consider engaging in wrongdoing and then try to hide our sins from Christian elders or family members. Rather, we endeavor to walk with God even when no fellow human can see us. Like King David of old, we resolve: I shall walk about in the integrity of my heart inside my house. Psalm 101:2.

2 What does this week s Bible reading teach me about Jehovah? *** w15 1/15 pp par. 8 Let Jehovah Fortify and Safeguard Your Marriage *** 8 Read Psalm 97:10. Friendship with Jehovah is a vital source of moral protection. As we learn about God s endearing qualities and we endeavor to become imitators of God, as beloved children, and go on walking in love, we will be fortified to reject sexual immorality and every sort of uncleanness. (Eph. 5:1-4) *** w15 9/15 p. 19 par. 3 In What Ways Does Jehovah Love Us? *** 3 In what ways, then, does Jehovah love us? The answer to that question lies in understanding the basic relationship between Jehovah God and us. Jehovah, of course, is the Creator of all humans. (Read Psalm 100:3-5.) That is why the Bible calls Adam a son of God, and Jesus taught his followers to address God as our Father in the heavens. (Luke 3:38; Matt. 6:9) Being the Life-Giver, Jehovah is our Father; the relationship between him and us is that of a father to his children. Simply put, Jehovah loves us the way a devoted father loves his children. *** w11 3/15 p. 16 par. 19 Trust in Jehovah as the End Draws Near *** 19 God may at times provide needed support by means of a comforting fellow believer or by spiritual food at the right time. You have likely heard a brother or a sister say: This article is just what I needed. It was written just for me! Yes, no matter what our circumstances or need may be, Jehovah will prove his love for us if we trust in him. After all, we are his sheep, and he has placed his name upon us. Ps. 100:3; John 10:16; Acts 15:14, 17. *** w11 4/15 pp par. 15 Are You Allowing God s Spirit to Lead You? *** Yes, Jehovah was real to him. If God is real to us, we will not view unclean entertainment or do anything else in private that we know displeases God. Our resolve will be like that of the psalmist who sang: I shall walk about in the integrity of my heart inside my house. I shall not set in front of my eyes any good-for-nothing thing. Ps. 101:2, 3. *** w11 9/15 p. 25 par. 3 Are You Known by Jehovah? *** The Bible explains that Jehovah, who examines hearts, draws desirable ones. (Read Haggai 2:7; John 6:44.) Therefore, you can conclude that you are serving Jehovah because he drew you. He will never leave the ones whom he has drawn if they remain faithful. God views them as very precious, and he loves them dearly. Ps. 94:14.

3 *** w11 10/15 p. 24 par. 8 Trust in Jehovah, the God of All Comfort *** 8 Our mind often needs comfort because various trials can cause great mental distress. In our own strength, we likely cannot cope with these tests of faith. However, the psalmist sang: When my disquieting thoughts became many inside of me, your own consolations began to fondle my soul. (Ps. 94:19) *** w10 10/1 p. 19 How Can You Combat Negative Feelings? *** God well knows our emotional makeup. After all, it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves. (Psalm 100:3) Thus, even when we feel that our fellow humans do not understand us, we can be sure that God understands. *** w10 11/15 pp par. 19 Jehovah Is Our Sovereign Lord! *** If we put forth needed effort to resist them and rely on God to sustain us, we can maintain our integrity. We can be confident of this because God is faithful and does not allow us to be tempted beyond what [we] can bear. Jehovah never forsakes us to the point of permitting us to come into situations that make it humanly impossible to do his will. Ps. 94:14. *** w08 8/15 pp par. 17 Jehovah Tenderly Cares for His Elderly Servants *** 17 The Scriptures make it clear that older ones can continue to prosper spiritually despite the problems accompanying old age. The psalmist declared: Those who are planted in the house of Jehovah... will still keep on thriving during gray-headedness, fat and fresh they will continue to be. (Ps. 92:13, 14) *** w07 8/1 p. 32 Are God s Eyes Upon You? *** DOES Jehovah, the Master Creator, have the ability to see? Of course he does! The Bible reasons plainly: The One forming the eye, can he not look? (Psalm 94:9) Jehovah s vision is vastly superior to that of humans. Not only does he see our outward appearance but he is also the examiner of hearts, and he can make an estimate of hearts. (Proverbs 17:3; 21:2) Yes, he has the ability to evaluate our thinking, motivation, and inmost desires. *** w05 7/15 p. 26 par. 2 Are You Faithful in All Things? *** 2 How does God view the dependability of his worshippers? In the same way as did David, who said of them: My eyes are upon the faithful ones of the earth, that they may dwell with me. The one walking in a faultless way, he it is who will minister to me. (Psalm 101:6) Yes, Jehovah takes delight in the faithfulness of his servants. *** w05 8/1 p. 27 par. 6 Jehovah Is the Rewarder of Those Earnestly Seeking Him *** 6 Is it really possible that we imperfect humans can be precious in the eyes of the allpowerful Creator, Jehovah God? Yes! In fact, there are numerous Bible passages that assure us of this. By taking these to heart, we can echo the words of the psalmist who stated: When my disquieting thoughts became many inside of me, your own consolations began to fondle my soul. (Psalm 94:19)

4 What points from this week s Bible reading can I use in the field ministry? *** w14 7/15 p. 16 par. 19 Jehovah s People Renounce Unrighteousness *** 19 Some who had problems with alcohol before becoming Witnesses have made the personal choice to abstain from alcoholic beverages altogether. Others avoid certain types of entertainment that are not in themselves wrong but that can fuel personal moral weaknesses. (Ps. 101:3) *** w14 12/1 p. 4 Do You Know and Use God s Name? *** Some, though, may feel that because God is holy and almighty, it would be disrespectful to use his name. Of course, it would be wrong to use God s name in an unworthy way, just as you would not misuse the name of your close friend. However, it is Jehovah s will that those who love him honor his name and make it known. (Psalm 69:30, 31; 96:2, 8) Recall that Jesus taught his followers to pray: Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. We can have a part in sanctifying God s name by making it known. Doing so draws us closer to him. Matthew 6:9. *** w13 2/1 p. 6 Moses A Man of Love *** After all, when we serve God out of genuine love, not only will we do the right things but we will enjoy doing them! Psalm 100:2. *** w13 4/15 p. 28 par. 6 Do Not Tire Out *** The teaching and interchange of encouragement that we receive at our gatherings for worship help us to experience real happiness and give us quietness from days of calamity. (Ps. 94:12, 13) *** w13 4/15 p. 28 par. 7 Do Not Tire Out *** 7 There is something even more important, however, than the personal benefits we receive from our meetings. The primary purpose of our gathering together is to worship Jehovah. (Read Psalm 95:6.) What a privilege we have to praise our wonderful God! (Col. 3:16) Jehovah deserves our regular worship through our attendance and participation at theocratic gatherings. (Rev. 4:11) It is no wonder, then, that we are exhorted not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom! Heb. 10:25. *** w13 6/15 p. 18 par. 9 Appreciate Jehovah s Loyalty and Forgiveness *** 9 Above all, we want to remain loyal to Jehovah. How do we do that? By striving to view things the way that he views them loving what he loves and hating what he hates and then conducting ourselves accordingly. (Read Psalm 97:10.) The more we bring our thoughts and feelings into harmony with Jehovah s thoughts and feelings, the more we will be inclined to obey his commands. Ps. 119:104.

5 *** w12 4/15 p. 31 par. 17 Jehovah Safeguards Us for Salvation *** As we raise our voices in song to Jehovah, our spirits are uplifted. Especially when we are beset by disquieting thoughts do we need the encouragement that we receive at meetings, where Jehovah sustains us with his own consolations and supports us in our determination to remain faithful. Ps. 94:18, 19. *** w12 5/15 p. 25 par. 12 Are You Reflecting the Glory of Jehovah? *** 12 If we are to reflect Jehovah s glory, we must become imitators of God. (Eph. 5:1) One way to imitate Jehovah is to adopt his viewpoint regarding matters. Striving to live in any other way is dishonoring to him and damaging to us. Since the world that surrounds us is under the influence of the wicked one, Satan the Devil, we must work hard to have a hatred for what Jehovah hates and a deep love for what he loves. (Ps. 97:10; 1 John 5:19) We need heartfelt conviction that the only proper way to serve God is by doing all things for his glory. Read 1 Corinthians 10:31. *** w12 6/15 p. 28 par. 11 They Were Borne Along by Holy Spirit *** We never get bad advice from the Bible. Humans, on the other hand, are simply not wise enough to recommend what always works. (Jer. 10:23) Their advice is constantly being revised and updated as they come to realize that earlier advice was flawed. The thoughts of men, says the Bible, are as an exhalation. Ps. 94:11. *** w12 8/15 p. 18 A Meeting Marked by Unity and Thrilling Plans *** Brother Herd referred to Psalm 92:12-14 and asked, How does Jehovah enable us to flourish? He answered: In the spiritual paradise, God keeps us warm, protects us, and gives us refreshing waters of truth. Let us thank him for that. Brother Herd then urged the audience: Let us be content to stay in Jehovah s house not just for a short while but forever. *** w12 8/15 p. 24 par. 19 Beware of the Devil s Snares! *** 19 Prayer and Bible study promote in us a love for what is good. But it is equally important that we develop a hatred for what is bad. (Ps. 97:10) Meditating on the consequences of pursuing selfish desires can help us to avoid them. (Jas. 1:14, 15) When we learn to hate what is bad and truly love what is good, the bait that Satan places in his traps repels us; it holds no allure. *** w11 3/15 p. 9 par. 7 Receive God s Spirit, Not the World s *** 7 What does my choice of entertainment reveal about me? (Read James 3:14-18.) Satan tries to alienate us from God by stirring up love of violence in our hearts. The Devil knows that Jehovah hates anyone who loves violence. (Ps. 11:5) Therefore, Satan tries to use literature, movies, music, and electronic games some of which incite players to simulate gross immorality and brutality to appeal to our fleshly desires. Satan does not mind if part of our heart is loving what is right as long as part of it loves what is bad, what he promotes. Ps. 97:10.

6 *** w11 4/15 p. 20 par. 11 The Fruitage of the Spirit Glorifies God *** If we were to serve Jehovah dutifully but joylessly, our sacrifice of praise would be incomplete. We therefore endeavor to heed the psalmist s exhortation: Serve Jehovah with rejoicing. Come in before him with a joyful cry. (Ps. 100:2) Service rendered from a joyful, willing heart glorifies God. *** w10 4/15 p. 22 par. 12 Turn Your Eyes Away From Worthless Things! *** 12 Another good-for-nothing, or worthless, thing to avoid is entertainment that promotes materialism or the occult or that features violence, bloodshed, and death. (Read Psalm 101:3.) Christian parents have the responsibility before Jehovah to be selective about what they allow to be viewed in their home. Of course, no true Christian would deliberately involve himself in spiritism. Still, parents need to be aware of films, TV series, video games, and even comics and children s books that highlight uncanny practices. Prov. 22:5. *** w10 7/15 p. 19 par. 17 Have a Full Share in the Great Spiritual Harvest *** 17 Do you welcome the cleansing influence of God s word of truth in your life? How do you react, for example, when you are alerted to the dangers of this world s degrading entertainment? (Ps. 101:3) Do you avoid unnecessary fellowship with schoolmates and fellow workers who do not share your beliefs? (1 Cor. 15:33) Are you sincere in your efforts to overcome personal weaknesses that could make you impure in Jehovah s eyes? (Col. 3:5) Do you keep separate from this world s political disputes and the nationalistic spirit that permeates many competitive sports? Jas. 4:4. *** w06 7/15 p. 13 pars. 6-8 Highlights From Books Three and Four of Psalms *** 92:14, 15. By being diligent students of God s Word and by regularly associating with Jehovah s people, elderly ones continue to be fat and fresh spiritually vigorous and prove to be valuable assets to the congregation. 94:19. Whatever the cause of our disquieting thoughts may be, reading and meditating on the consolations found in the Bible will comfort us. 95:7, 8. Listening to Scriptural counsel, paying attention to it, and readily obeying it will prevent us from becoming hard-hearted. Hebrews 3:7, 8.