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Monday, September 7 He becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.—Heb. 11:6. Jehovah gives us peace and contentment now and will give us everlasting life in the future. We can place our hope in Jehovah, convinced that he has both the desire and the power to reward us. And that conviction moves us to stay busy in our worship, just as faithful servants of God in the past were moved to do. This proved true of Timothy in the first century. (Heb. 6:10-12) Timothy put his hope in the living God. (1 Tim. 4:10) Therefore, he had good reason to work hard and exert himself. In what ways? The apostle Paul encouraged him to make progress as a teacher and a public speaker. Timothy was also to set a good example for fellow believers, both young and old. And he was assigned some difficult tasks, which included giving firm but loving counsel to those who needed it. (1 Tim. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-5) Timothy could be sure that Jehovah would reward him.—Rom. 2:6, 7. w24.0622-23 ¶10-11

Sunday, September 6 You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things.—Rev. 4:11. The most important reason why we preach the good news is that we love Jehovah God and his holy name. We view our ministry as a way to praise the God we love. We wholeheartedly agree that Jehovah God is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power from his loyal worshippers. We give him glory and honor when we share with others the convincing evidence that he “created all things” and that we owe him our very existence. We give him power—our power—when we use our time, energy, and resources to share in the ministry as fully as our circumstances allow. (Matt. 6:33; Luke 13:24; Col. 3:23) Put simply, we love to speak about the God we love. We also feel compelled to tell others about his name and what it stands for. w24.05 17 ¶11

Saturday, September 5 Lord, even the demons are made subject to us by the use of your name.—Luke 10:17. If you prepare well for the ministry, you are likely to feel more comfortable when speaking with others. Jesus helped his disciples to prepare before he sent them out into the ministry. (Luke 10:1-11) Because they put into practice what Jesus had taught them, the disciples felt a deep sense of joy in what they were able to accomplish. How might we prepare for the ministry? We need to give thought to how we can express the truth effectively in our own words. It is also helpful to anticipate two or three common reactions from those in the territory and have in mind how we will respond in each case. Then when we approach people, we can try to relax, smile, and be friendly. w24.04 16 ¶6-7

Friday, September 4 Jehovah detests a devious person, but His close friendship is with the upright.—Prov. 3:32. We can learn about the importance of having a sincere heart from Jesus’ first meeting with Nathanael. When Philip brought his friend Nathanael to meet Jesus, something remarkable happened. Although Jesus had never met Nathanael, Jesus said: “See, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” (John 1:47) Jesus saw in Nathanael an extraordinary sincerity. Like us, Nathanael was imperfect. But there was nothing artificial or insincere about him. Jesus admired that and commended Nathanael for it. Most of the requirements for pleasing Jehovah listed in Psalm 15 are related to how we treat others. Psalm 15:3 states that a guest in Jehovah’s tent “does not slander with his tongue, he does nothing bad to his neighbor, and he does not defame his friends.” Misusing our speech in such ways could cause serious harm to others.—Jas. 1:26. w24.06 10 ¶7, 9; 11 ¶10

Thursday, September 3 Will the Judge of all the earth not do what is right?—Gen. 18:25. Do we have good reason for confidence regarding all of Jehovah’s judgments, both favorable and unfavorable? Yes! As Abraham understood so well, Jehovah is the perfect, all-wise, merciful “Judge of all the earth.” He has trained his Son and delegated all judging to him. (John 5:22) Both Father and Son can read what lies in each human heart. (Matt. 9:4) In every case, they will do “what is right”! Let us be determined to trust that Jehovah knows best. We recognize that we are not qualified to judge—but he is! (Isa. 55:8, 9) So we confidently leave all the judging to him and his Son, the King who perfectly reflects his Father’s justice and mercy.—Isa. 11:3, 4. w24.05 7 ¶18-19

Wednesday, September 2 Jehovah is with us. Do not fear them.—Num. 14:9. When we have cultivated proper fear of Jehovah, we love him so much that we would never do anything to displease him. We are eager to learn the difference between right and wrong, between truth and falsehood, so that we can gain Jehovah’s approval. (Prov. 2:3-6; Heb. 5:14) If we were to fear humans more than we fear God, we could be led away from the truth. Consider the example of the 12 chieftains who spied out the land that Jehovah had promised to give to the Israelites. For ten of the spies, their fear of the Canaanites was stronger than their love for Jehovah. They told their fellow Israelites: “We are not able to go up against the people, because they are stronger than we are.” (Num. 13:27-31) From a human standpoint, the Canaanites were stronger. That part was true. But to say that the Israelites would not be able to conquer their enemies left Jehovah out of the picture. w24.07 9 ¶5-6

Tuesday, September 1 Keep testing whether you are in the faith.—2 Cor. 13:5. We must exert ourselves not only to reach maturity but also to maintain it. This requires that we avoid overconfidence. (1 Cor. 10:12) We should “keep testing” ourselves to make sure that we are continuing to make progress. In his letter to the Colossians, the apostle Paul again highlights the need to remain mature. Even though they had become full-grown Christians, Paul warned them against being ensnared by worldly thinking. (Col. 2:6-10) And Epaphras, who evidently knew those in the congregation well, prayed constantly that they might “finally stand complete,” or mature. (Col. 4:12) The point? Both Paul and Epaphras understood that maintaining maturity requires personal effort and God’s support. They wanted the Colossians to remain mature, or full-grown, Christians despite any challenges they were facing. w24.04 6-7 ¶16-17

Monday, August 31 Do collect my tears in your skin bottle.—Ps. 56:8. During his life, David had to endure several troubling situations that made him shed tears. He faced hostility from others and even betrayal by those he trusted. (1 Sam. 19:10, 11; 2 Sam. 15:10-14, 30) At one point, he wrote: “I have grown weary with my sighing; all night long I soak my bed with tears; I flood my couch with weeping.” (Ps. 6:6) Despite the adversities that David faced, he was convinced that Jehovah loved him. He wrote: “Jehovah will hear the sound of my weeping.” (Ps. 6:8) The words of our text paint a touching portrait of Jehovah’s tender care. David felt as if Jehovah were collecting his tears in a bottle or recording them in a book. David was sure that Jehovah noticed and remembered his pain. David was convinced that his loving heavenly Father was aware not only of what he had been through but also of how it had affected him. w24.12 22 ¶11-12

Sunday, August 30 Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted.—Ps. 34:18. Even if others have mistreated you, you can be certain that Jehovah loves you and values you. If you feel “crushed in spirit,” remember that Jehovah saw good things in your heart and personally drew you to him. (John 6:44) He is always ready to help you because you are precious to him. We can learn about Jehovah’s feelings by considering Jesus’ example. During his earthly ministry, Jesus took notice of those who were looked down on by others, and he treated them with compassion. (Matt. 9:9-12) When a woman hoping to be healed of a grievous sickness touched his garment, Jesus comforted her and commended her for her faith. (Mark 5:25-34) Jesus perfectly reflects his Father’s personality. (John 14:9) So you can be certain that Jehovah values you and takes note of your good qualities, including your faith and your love for him. w24.10 7 ¶4-5

Saturday, August 29 Make sure of the more important things.—Phil. 1:10. Consider this scenario. You are looking for a job to support your family. Two jobs are available. You review all the facts, taking note of the type of work, the schedule, the travel time, and so on. In both cases, the work itself is Scripturally acceptable. Perhaps you favor one option because you prefer the type of work or because the salary is higher. There are other factors, though, to consider before making a decision. For example, would either job conflict with your congregation meeting schedule? Would either job cut into the time you need to care for your family’s emotional and spiritual needs? Asking such questions will help you to put “the more important things”—your worship and your family’s needs—ahead of material advantages. Then you can reach a decision that Jehovah will bless. w25.01 17 ¶11-13

Friday, August 28 You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.—Ps. 145:16. Like Jehovah, we too can give materially out of love. For example, are you acquainted with a fellow believer who is in need of food or clothing? Jehovah can use you to give him something to help fill that need. Jehovah’s people are especially known for showing generosity when disaster strikes. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, brothers and sisters shared food, clothing, and other supplies with ones who were in need. Many also made generous contributions to the worldwide work. That helped to fund relief efforts around the globe. They took to heart the words of Hebrews 13:16: “Do not forget to do good and to share what you have with others, for God is well-pleased with such sacrifices.” w24.09 27 ¶6-7

Thursday, August 27 You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no one bad may remain with you.—Ps. 5:4. Jehovah is not a permissive God; he does not condone sin. (Ps. 5:4-6) He requires that we respect his righteous standards, which he has set forth for us in his Word. Of course, Jehovah does not expect perfection from imperfect people. (Ps. 130:3, 4) At the same time, he does not tolerate ‘ungodly men who turn his undeserved kindness into an excuse for brazen conduct.’ (Jude 4) Indeed, the Bible speaks of the “destruction of the ungodly” at God’s war of Armageddon. (2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 16:16) However, Jehovah does not want anyone to suffer destruction. The Bible clearly states that he “desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) Christian elders imitate Jehovah as they patiently try to help wrongdoers to change their ways and be restored to Jehovah’s favor. w24.08 26 ¶1-2

Wednesday, August 26 Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you.—Matt. 5:44. We can only begin to imagine the pain Jesus felt as well as the indignity and the injustice that he endured. Yet, he was not conquered by the injustice he suffered. Instead of cursing the soldiers who had nailed him to the stake, he prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) When we pray for those who mistreat us, it can lessen our feelings of resentment and anger and even change the way we view those who offend us. There is no telling what injustices we may yet face before this system ends. Whatever comes our way, let us never stop praying to Jehovah for help. Also, may we imitate the way Jesus responded to mistreatment and continue to apply Bible principles. If we do, we can be sure of inheriting a blessing from Jehovah.—1 Pet. 3:8, 9. w24.11 6 ¶16; 7 ¶17, 19

Tuesday, August 25 Safeguard your heart, for out of it are the sources of life.—Prov. 4:23. Unwholesome entertainment can divide our heart. So can bad association and materialistic thinking. If we detect that something is beginning to weaken our love for Jehovah, let us take swift action to remove it. (Matt. 5:29, 30) We must not let our heart become divided. We could fool ourselves into thinking that by increasing our spiritual activities, we need not reject bad influences. To illustrate, imagine yourself outside on a brutally cold and windy day. On arriving home, you turn on the heat. How much good would that do you if you left the door open? The cold air would quickly fill your house. The point? We need to do more than just take in spiritual food that warms our relationship with Jehovah. We must also close the door on unwholesome influences, so that this world’s cold “air,” or ungodly attitude, does not enter our heart and divide it.—Eph. 2:2. w24.07 21 ¶6-7

Monday, August 24 My God is my rock of refuge.—Ps. 94:22. Jehovah is a refuge. Just as a huge rock can be a person’s hiding place from a threatening storm, Jehovah safeguards us when we face situations that threaten our well-being. He keeps us safe and prevents us from suffering lasting harm. And he promises even more: He will eventually eliminate whatever threatens our peace and security. (Ezek. 34:25, 26) One way we make Jehovah our rocklike Refuge is by praying to him. When we pray, Jehovah gives us “the peace of God” that safeguards our heart and mind. (Phil. 4:6, 7) Jehovah is always there for us. We can trust him because he is “the eternal Rock.” (Isa. 26:3, 4) He will always be alive to keep his promises, hear our prayers, and give us the support we need. We can also depend on Jehovah because he is loyal to those who serve him. (2 Sam. 22:26) He will never forget what we do, and he will always reward us.—Heb. 6:10;11:6. w24.06 27 ¶4-6

Sunday, August 23 He became overjoyed in the holy spirit.—Luke 10:21. Jesus maintained a positive attitude about the preaching work. That helped him to stay enthusiastic about his ministry. For example, late in 30 C.E., Jesus saw that many were ready to respond to his preaching activity, and he likened them to a ripe field ready to be harvested. (John 4:35) About a year later, he told his disciples: “The harvest is great.” (Matt. 9:37, 38) And later he again emphasized: “The harvest is great . . . Beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2) Jesus never lost sight of the potential for people to respond to the good news, and he rejoiced when they did. Jesus taught his disciples to keep a positive view of their message, which would encourage them to maintain their zeal. w25.03 18-19 ¶15-16

Saturday, August 22 Do not become ashamed . . . of the witness about our Lord.—2 Tim. 1:8. Young Christians may at times lack the confidence to defend their beliefs. They may feel intimidated when the theory of evolution comes up in class. Why? Their teachers may present evolution as an established fact. If you are a parent, how can you help your child to have the confidence to stand firm in his beliefs? Assure him that he does not need to be ashamed because he knows the truth about creation. Why not? The fact is that many scientists also understand that life did not appear spontaneously or by chance. They perceive intelligent and obvious design in the complexity of life. As a result, they do not accept the evolution theory. Your child can fortify his own convictions by reflecting on the reasons that persuaded other brothers and sisters to believe that life was created. w24.12 18 ¶14-15

Friday, August 21 It is a snare for a man to cry out rashly, “Holy!” And only later to give consideration to what he vowed.—Prov. 20:25. Although courtship can be enjoyable, it is also a serious step that may lead to marriage. On their wedding day, a couple vow before Jehovah to love and respect each other for as long as they both live. Before making any vow, we should consider the matter very carefully. That is certainly true of the marriage vow. Courtship allows a couple to get to know each other and to make a good decision. Sometimes that decision is to get married; sometimes that decision is to end the courtship. If a couple break up, this does not mean that their courtship failed. Instead, the courtship served its purpose—it helped them come to a good decision. Why is it important to have the right view of courtship? When single people have the proper viewpoint, they will not date someone they have no intention of marrying. w24.05 26-27 ¶3-4

Thursday, August 20 The former things will not be called to mind.—Isa. 65:17. What about all the things that have caused God’s people pain and distress? Eventually, those things “will be forgotten [and] concealed from [God’s] eyes.” (Isa. 65:16) Jehovah will make our troubles go away, and in time the pain of such memories will vanish completely. Even now, it is soothing to our nerves to be at our Christian meetings, where we can relax and put behind us the stresses of this wicked world. We contribute to the calmness of our spiritual environment when we manifest the love, joy, peace, kindness, and mildness that are included in the fruitage of God’s spirit. (Gal. 5:22, 23) What a blessing it is for us to be associated with God’s organization! Those who remain in the spiritual paradise will see the complete fulfillment of God’s promise of “new heavens and a new earth.” w24.04 22 ¶9-10

Wednesday, August 19 The holy spirit has appointed you overseers.—Acts 20:28. Around the world, we need more brothers to serve as “gifts in men.” (Eph. 4:8) If you are a baptized brother, is it “within your power to help”? (Prov. 3:27) Are you willing to qualify as a ministerial servant? Could you reach out to care for the needs of your brothers as an elder? Are you able to adjust your circumstances to apply for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers? That school will equip you to be used even more fully by Jesus. If you feel unqualified, pray to Jehovah. Ask him for the help of his holy spirit to handle successfully any assignment you are given. (Luke 11:13) The brothers whom Jesus has appointed as “gifts in men” are proof that he has been leading us during these last days. (Matt. 28:20) Are you not grateful that we have a King who is loving, generous, and attentive and who provides qualified brothers to care for our needs? w24.10 23 ¶16-17

Tuesday, August 18 Let everything you do be done with love.—1 Cor. 16:14. Our greatest example, Jesus Christ, was motivated by love—love for his Father and love for people. That love moved him to work hard and perform humble tasks for others. (Matt. 20:28; John 13:5, 14, 15) Brothers, if you are motivated by love, Jehovah will bless you and will help you to reach your spiritual goals, such as qualifying as a ministerial servant. (1 Pet. 5:5) In the world, people who promote themselves are often admired. Not so in Jehovah’s organization. A brother who is motivated by love, as Jesus was, does not crave power, authority over others, or status. If such an ambitious person were to be appointed in the congregation, he would likely refuse to do some of the humble tasks needed to care for Jehovah’s precious sheep. He might consider such tasks to be beneath him.—John 10:12. w24.11 15 ¶6-7

Tuesday, August 18 Let everything you do be done with love.—1 Cor. 16:14. Our greatest example, Jesus Christ, was motivated by love—love for his Father and love for people. That love moved him to work hard and perform humble tasks for others. (Matt. 20:28; John 13:5, 14, 15) Brothers, if you are motivated by love, Jehovah will bless you and will help you to reach your spiritual goals, such as qualifying as a ministerial servant. (1 Pet. 5:5) In the world, people who promote themselves are often admired. Not so in Jehovah’s organization. A brother who is motivated by love, as Jesus was, does not crave power, authority over others, or status. If such an ambitious person were to be appointed in the congregation, he would likely refuse to do some of the humble tasks needed to care for Jehovah’s precious sheep. He might consider such tasks to be beneath him.—John 10:12. w24.11 15 ¶6-7

Sunday, August 16 I wrote to you: to determine whether you would give proof of your obedience in all things.—2 Cor. 2:9. He is “good and ready to forgive,” said David. (Ps. 86:5) Micah wrote: “Who is a God like you, pardoning error and passing over the transgression?” (Mic. 7:18) And Isaiah stated: “Let the wicked man leave his way and the evil man his thoughts; let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy on him, to our God, for he will forgive in a large way.” (Isa. 55:7) To imitate Jehovah, the congregation in Corinth was told to welcome back a repentant man and assure him of their love. By following that direction, the congregation showed their “obedience in all things.” True, only months had passed since the man was removed, but the discipline had successfully led him to repentance. So there would be no point in delaying his reinstatement into the congregation. w24.08 17-18 ¶12-1

Saturday, August 15 Go on bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the accurate knowledge of God.—Col. 1:10. Good work, as mentioned in today’s text, includes the preaching of the good news. So when we read God’s Word and meditate on it, our faith in Jehovah is strengthened and the importance of sharing the Kingdom message becomes clear. To get the most out of God’s Word, we should avoid rushing through our reading, study, and meditation. Take your time. If you come across a scripture that you have trouble understanding, do not skip over it. Instead, use the Watch Tower Publications Indexor the Research Guide for Jehovah’s Witnesses to find an explanation about the verse. If you take your time when studying, you will strengthen your confidence in the truthfulness of God’s Word. (1 Thess. 5:21) The more convinced you are, the more you will enjoy sharing what you have learned with others. w24.04 15 ¶4-5

Friday, August 14 Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire.—Jas. 1:14. Do you know in which areas you are most easily tempted? It does us no good to fool ourselves by denying our weaknesses or concluding that we are too strong to fall into wrongdoing. (1 John 1:8) After all, Paul indicates that even those “who have spiritual qualifications” might give in to temptation if they do not keep on guard. (Gal. 6:1) We must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge the areas in which we are not strong. (2 Cor. 13:5) Once we have identified those areas in which we are most susceptible to temptation, what should we do? Strengthen our resistance! To illustrate, in Bible times the most vulnerable part of a city wall was its gates. Therefore, the gates were the most heavily guarded. Similarly, we need to give special attention to any areas in which we know that we are especially weak.—1 Cor. 9:27. w24.07 15 ¶5-7