Áine

Thursday, September 18 Always offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that make public declaration to his name.—Heb. 13:15. Today all Christians have the privilege of offering sacrifices to Jehovah by using their time, energy, and resources to further the interests of God’s Kingdom. We can show that we cherish our privilege to worship Jehovah by offering him our very best sacrifices. The apostle Paul outlines various aspects of our worship that we should never neglect. (Heb. 10:22-25) These include approaching Jehovah in prayer, making public declaration of our hope, meeting together as a congregation, and encouraging one another “all the more so as [we] see [Jehovah’s] day drawing near.” Toward the end of the Revelation account, Jehovah’s angel states the following twice for emphasis: “Worship God!” (Rev. 19:10; 22:9) May we never forget this deep spiritual truth regarding Jehovah’s great spiritual temple and the cherished privilege we have to worship our great God! w23.10 29 ¶17-18

Wednesday, September 17 Happy are those whose lawless deeds have been pardoned and whose sins have been covered.—Rom. 4:7. God pardons or covers over the sins of those who put faith in him. He forgives them completely and no longer takes their sins into account. (Ps. 32:1, 2) He views such individuals as guiltless and righteous on the basis of their faith. Although they were declared righteous, Abraham, David, and other faithful worshippers of God were still imperfect sinners. But because of their faith, God viewed them as blameless, especially when compared with those who had no standing with him. (Eph. 2:12) As the apostle Paul makes clear in his letter, faith is central to having a personal relationship with God. That was true in the case of both Abraham and David, and it is true of us as well. w23.12 3 ¶6-7

Tuesday, September 16 We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.—John 6:69. The apostle Peter was loyal; he did not let anything cause him to give up permanently. He demonstrated his loyalty on one occasion when Jesus said something that his disciples did not understand. (John 6:68) Without waiting for an explanation, many stopped following Jesus. But not Peter. He recognized that only Jesus had “sayings of everlasting life.” Jesus knew that Peter and the other apostles would abandon him. Nevertheless, Jesus expressed confidence that Peter would recover and remain faithful. (Luke 22:31, 32) Jesus understood that “the spirit . . . is eager, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38) Accordingly, even after Peter denied knowing him, Jesus did not give up on his apostle. The resurrected Jesus appeared to Peter—evidently when Peter was alone. (Mark 16:7; Luke 24:34;1 Cor. 15:5) How that must have encouraged the downcast apostle! w23.09 22 ¶9-10

Thanks Shawn, rest assured that you are certainly not the only one who does this

You mean do you have a source for that please?

Monday, September 15 Brothers, take as a pattern of the suffering of evil and the exercising of patience the prophets who spoke in the name of Jehovah.—Jas. 5:10. The Bible contains many examples of people who were patient. Why not make it a study project to examine such examples? For instance, although David was anointed at an early age to be the future king of Israel, he had to wait many years before he received the kingship. Simeon and Anna worshipped Jehovah faithfully while they waited for the promised Messiah. (Luke 2:25, 36-38) As you study such accounts, look for the answers to the following questions: What may have helped this person to show patience? How did he benefit by being patient? How can I imitate him? You might also benefit by learning about those who did not show patience. (1 Sam. 13:8-14) You might ask: ‘What may have contributed to their lack of patience? What consequences did they face?’ w23.08 25 ¶15

Sunday, September 14 Comprehend fully what is the breadth and length and height and depth.—Eph. 3:18. When deciding whether to buy a house, you would want to examine all the aspects of your future home in person. We can do something similar when we read and study the Bible. If you just read it quickly, you may learn only basic facts—“the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God.” (Heb. 5:12) Instead, as with the house, go “inside” to examine the rich details. An excellent way to study the Bible is to see how the various parts of its message connect together. Endeavor to understand not only what truths you believe but also why you believe them. To understand God’s Word fully, we must learn deep Bible truths. The apostle Paul urged his Christian brothers and sisters to study God’s Word diligently so that they could “comprehend fully what is the breadth and length and height and depth” of the truth. Then they would become further “rooted and established” in their faith. (Eph. 3:14-19) We need to do the same. w23.10 18 ¶1-3

That’s what came to my mind as well and we will be seeing a lot of this soon

Saturday, September 13 You are someone very precious.—Dan. 9:23. The prophet Daniel was a young man when the Babylonians made him a prisoner of war and dragged him far away from his homeland. But Daniel obviously impressed his captors. They saw “what appear[ed] to the eyes”—that Daniel was “without any defect, of good appearance” and that he came from an influential family. (1 Sam. 16:7) For those reasons, the Babylonians trained him to become an elite member of their society. (Dan. 1:3, 4, 6) Jehovah loved Daniel because of the type of person that this young man chose to be. In fact, Daniel may have been only in his late teens or early 20’s when Jehovah mentioned him favorably together with Noah and Job, men who had spent many decades building a good reputation with God. (Gen. 5:32;6:9, 10; Job 42:16, 17; Ezek. 14:14) And Jehovah continued to love Daniel throughout his long and remarkable life.—Dan. 10:11, 19. w23.08 2 ¶1-2

Friday, September 12 The scene of this world is changing.—1 Cor. 7:31. Have a reputation for being reasonable. Ask yourself: ‘Do people perceive me as being reasonable, yielding, and tolerant? Or do they view me as a rigid, harsh, or headstrong person? Do I listen to others and yield to their wishes when appropriate?’ The degree to which we are reasonable reflects the extent to which we are imitating Jehovah and Jesus. Reasonableness involves being flexible when our circumstances change. Such changes can create unexpected hardships for us. We may face a health emergency. Or sudden changes in the economy or in the political climate where we live may completely disrupt our life. (Eccl. 9:11) Even a change in a theocratic assignment can test us. We can successfully adapt to new circumstances if we take the following four steps: (1) accept reality, (2) look to the future, (3) focus on the positive, and (4) do things for others. w23.07 21-22 ¶7-8

Thursday, September 11 Demonstrate the proof of your love to them.—2 Cor. 8:24. We can show love to our brothers and sisters by welcoming them into our circle of friends. (2 Cor. 6:11-13) Many of us belong to congregations made up of brothers and sisters who are from different backgrounds and who have a variety of personalities. We can strengthen our love for all of them by focusing on their good qualities. When we learn to see others as Jehovah sees them, we prove that we love them. Love will be vital during the great tribulation. When that tribulation begins, where will we find protection? Consider what Jehovah instructed his people to do when ancient Babylon was attacked: “Go, my people, enter your inner rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a brief moment until the wrath has passed by.” (Isa. 26:20) It seems that those words also apply to us who will face the great tribulation. w23.07 6-7 ¶14-16

I’ve not thought about this very much either, although Satan doesn’t know the date he can still read the signs the way we do and he certainly knows prophecy

Wednesday, September 10 Even if I do it against my will, I still have a stewardship entrusted to me.—1 Cor. 9:17. What if, for a time, you feel that your prayers have become mechanical or that your ministry is in a rut? Do not conclude that you have lost Jehovah’s spirit. You are an imperfect human, and your feelings can fluctuate. If your zeal starts to diminish, reflect on the example of the apostle Paul. Although he tried to imitate Jesus, he knew that at times he might not feel as motivated as at other times. Paul was determined to accomplish his ministry despite how he might feel at the moment. Similarly, do not let your imperfect feelings make your decisions for you. Resolve that you will do the right thing despite how you feel. Your actions should in time affect your feelings for the better.—1 Cor. 9:16. w24.03 11-12 ¶12-13

I think much of this is symbolic

Tuesday, September 9 A stupid woman is loud. She is ignorant.—Prov. 9:13. Those hearing the “stupid woman” face a choice: Will they accept her invitation or reject it? There are valid reasons why we should avoid sexually immoral conduct. The “stupid woman” is described as saying: “Stolen waters are sweet.” (Prov. 9:17) What are “stolen waters”? The Bible likens sexual intimacies that a married couple may enjoy to refreshing water. (Prov. 5:15-18) Husband and wife can find pleasure in appropriate sexual acts within their legal marriage. How different, though, with “stolen waters.” That may refer to illicit, immoral sex. Such often occurs in secret, just as a thief often steals in secret. The “stolen waters” may seem particularly sweet if those involved feel that they are getting away with their sinful course. What a sad deception! Jehovah sees all. Nothing could be more bitter than losing his favor, so there is nothing “sweet” about that tragic loss.—1 Cor. 6:9, 10. w23.06 22 ¶7-9