An early morning…
A light mist still lies over a quiet pond…
An angler sits there… very calm… focused…
His rod is cast out…
He waits.

No hurry… no noise… only patience.

Behind him stands a man.
He watches.
He says nothing.
Minutes pass… maybe even an hour…

Then he finally says:
“I can’t imagine anything more boring than fishing.”

The angler turns slightly… smiles… and calmly says:
“I can… watching.”

This simple scene… it goes straight to the heart.

Because isn’t this exactly what many people do today with faith?

They stand by…
They observe…
They maybe hear something…
They see how others believe…
And then they judge:

“That’s not for me.”
“That’s boring.”
“That gives me nothing.”

But… they have never really tried it themselves.

Dear brothers and sisters…
dear listeners…

Faith in Jehovah is not for spectators.

It is not for people who only observe from the outside.

Because Jehovah… wants to be experienced.

1. Spectators never understand the depth

Imagine… you are standing in front of a beautifully set table.

Fresh bread…
Fragrant stew…
Sweet dessert…

You look at it… maybe even for a long time…
You analyze… you describe…

But you eat nothing.

What happens?

You remain hungry.

You cannot judge the taste…
You cannot feel the warmth…
You cannot experience the joy…

Why?

Because you are only watching.

That is exactly how it is with Jehovah’s Word.

It is not theory.
Not dry philosophy.
Not mere information.

It is life.

In the Bible we read in James 1:22:
“However, become doers of the word and not hearers only.”

That means:
Not just listening…
Not just analyzing…
Not just observing…

But acting.

2. Why many perceive faith as “boring”

Why do some say:
“That’s not for me”?

Because they have never truly immersed themselves.

They may have:

– never prayed sincerely
– never tried to apply Jehovah’s counsel
– never experienced how Jehovah answers
– never felt how he carries them

They stand… like the man at the pond…
a little distance away…

And judge.

But how unfair would it be…
to judge a book… that you have never read?
To criticize a song… that you have never heard?
To reject a love… that you have never allowed?

3. Jehovah wants to be experienced

Jehovah is not a God of distance.

He is a God of closeness.

In Psalm 34:8 it says so beautifully:
“Taste and see that Jehovah is good.”

Did you notice the expression?

Not: “Observe and judge…”
But: “Taste.”

That means:

– try it
– experience it
– feel it
– trust

Only then… do you understand.

4. A profound illustration

Imagine a child…

It stands at the edge of a swimming pool.
The water sparkles…
Other children laugh… jump in… enjoy themselves…

But this child stays standing.

It says:
“I think swimming is not fun.”

Why does it say that?

Because it has never gone into the water.

Maybe it has fear…
Maybe uncertainty…
Maybe doubts…

But as long as it only stands at the edge…
it will never understand what it is missing.

Isn’t that exactly what many people do with Jehovah?

They stay at the edge.

They observe others…
They see their joy… their peace… their hope…

But they do not jump in.

5. What happens when you take the step?

Now imagine…
the child gathers courage.

Very carefully…
one foot into the water…
Then the other…

Maybe hesitant at first…
Maybe with uncertainty…

But then…

Suddenly it realizes:

The water carries.

It begins to move…
to swim…
to laugh…

And suddenly it says:
“Why didn’t I do this earlier?”

That is exactly how it is with Jehovah.

When we begin:

– to really pray
– to truly trust
– to act according to his word

Then something happens.

Jehovah becomes real.

Not just an idea…
Not just a thought…
But a living, tangible reality.

6. A second touching illustration

Imagine a person who only ever reads about love…

They know definitions…
They understand theories…
They can explain what love is…

But they have never experienced it themselves.

Never felt it…
Never given it…
Never received it…

Can they really say what love is?

No.

Because some things…
can only be understood… when you live them.

And that is exactly how it is with Jehovah.

You can read about him…
talk about him…
think about him…

But you will only understand him…
when you live with him.

7. A heartfelt invitation

Maybe there is someone here…
who feels a bit like that spectator.

Maybe you have thought:
“I don’t know… if this is really for me…”

Then I would like to tell you something very loving:

Jehovah invites you.

Not to watch…
but to experience.

Not to judge…
but to feel.

Not to stand at the edge…
but to come one step closer.

In Jeremiah 29:13 it says:
“You will search for me and find me, for you will search for me with all your heart.”

Jehovah is not hiding.

But he allows himself to be found…
by those who truly seek him.

8. Final thought – deeply moving

Let us return once more to the angler…

The man stood by…
He saw…
He judged…

And perhaps walked away…
without ever understanding…
how fulfilling it can be… to fish.

How sad it would be…

if someone spent their whole life
only being a spectator…

And never experienced…
how beautiful it is… to live with Jehovah.

Dear listeners…

Let us not be spectators.

Let us not only observe…
not only hear…
not only judge…

But…

Let us taste.

Let us experience.

Let us truly come to know Jehovah.

Because only then…
will we be able to say with all our heart:

“There is nothing more beautiful.”

The new JW Broadcasting episode is expected to be released on Monday, May 4th, 2026, and anticipation is building.

What are your expectations for this month’s program?

Who do you think will be the presenter?

What theme do you believe will be highlighted?

And about the music—we already know there will be one. But the big question is: what will the new original song be this time?

Personally, that’s what I’m most curious about.

Let’s share our thoughts, expectations, and predictions!

A media interviewer was asking this to random people,
"If you had the chance to ask God any question and get the answer immediately, what would you ask Him?"

What question would you ask?

While you meditate and consider this question,
I want to share with you the interview with 1 young man who gave what I consider the best one:

Today there are 7,099 living languages (This number includes sign languages, creoles, pidgins, mixed languages, constructs, and unclassified languages). It is predicted by some that in 100 years from now only 10% of these will still be alive ~ that is roughly 700. 
~ In 2016 the entire Bible had been translated into 636 languages, and the complete New Testament into 1,442 languages, and is currently in the process of being translated into many more languages. The Watchtower magazine is translated into over 300 languages, and has a circulation of over 62 million copies bimonthly, making it the most circulated and most translated magazine on the planet. The Brochure Listen to God and Live Forever is in well over 640 languages (figure from mid 2016) and counting...

Of those 7,000+ languages, just 397 languages have one million or more native speakers, only about 90 languages have ten million or more native speakers (23 of these account for more than half the world's population), just 10 languages have one hundred million or more native speakers, and only 1 language has close to one billion native speakers (Mandarin Chinese ~ worth learning!).

These are the names of those top 10 languages, in order of population (according to Wikipedia):
Mandarin Chinese
Spanish
English (2nd place if including all speakers)
Hindustani
Arabic
Portuguese
Bengali
Russian
Japanese
Punjabi

"World Languages":
World languages are international languages with a huge number of both native speakers and non-native speakers. The three most agreed upon world languages are (in order):
English (By far the most international)
French
Spanish
Less strict sources include the following in this category...
Mandarin Chinese
Arabic
Portuguese
Russian
German

"Endangered Languages":
On the other side of the list, 1,955 languages have less than 1,000 native speakers. About 692 of those languages have less than 100 native speakers, and 363 of that number have less than 10 native speakers left. About 219 of those languages exist solely as an auxiliary language and has no native speakers left at all, or exist as a constructed language that a mere handful of people, and in some cases just a single person, can speak it to varying degrees of fluency. 199 languages have unknown statistics.
Apparently the least spoken native language in the world is Taushiro (Pinche), a Peruvian language spoken fluently by only one elderly man.

Language distribution:
Africa: 2,144
Americas: 1,061
Asia: 2,294
Europe: 287
Pacific: 1,313

Constructed languages:
According to another source, there may be over 300 constructed languages in total.
Eperanto is by far the most successful of all constructed languages, having close to two million speakers around the world, and now even has a small population of native speakers (children taught Esperanto as one of their first languages by their parents). It is said to be one of the easiest spoken languages to learn, and along with Latin and Koine Greek, is even taught in some Universities (as well as in one primary school in Brazil). The complete Bible has been translated into Esperanto.

Klingon (from Star Trek) is an actual constructed language that has up to 30 speakers. Apparently parts of the Bible have been translated into Klingon too. @Qapla

Sign language stats:
Out of the 137 sign languages, the most used is Chinese Sign Language, while the most international is American Sign Language (part of the French Sign Language family). Some sign languages have a written form, tho few people can read them.

Oldest living language:
Hebrew.
Since Jehovah God blessed Shem, it's reasonable to assume that Shem's language was not affected when God confused the language of the disapproved people at Babel. Abram the Hebrew was a direct decendent of Shem (see the lineage: Genesis 11:10-26), and would have spoken the same language as his direct ancestor. Therefore, altho the original Hebrew has changed dramatically over time into its modern decendent language, the oldest living language would probably be Hebrew ~ as well as most likely being the oldest language of humankind.
In Paradise will we all return to speaking the original language, Hebrew? Or will God create a brand new language for us? We will have to wait an see...

Sources:
https://www.ethnologue.com/statistics/size
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers
http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200001953

https://www.jw.org/en/

Mephibosheth (we will nickname him Mephib (for short)

•  The son of Jonʹa·than, from King Saul (Grandpa)
• We remember the account, when he only was 5 years old, his nurse picked him up fleeing from danger, she was fleeing in panic, and he fell and was crippled." (2 Samuel 4:4) 

But then when we hear next about Mephib,

he is living in some town called, "Lo-debar" 

So where is Lo-debar?

• After the tragedy when he was 5, Mephib thereafter lived in the house of Machir, at Lo-debar.
• This was far north of another town, Gibeah, which evidently was the first capital under King Saul. 
• So likely Saul's family, including first son Jonathan, were living in Gibeah with their father the King, and therefore possibly this is where Mephib was born/raised
• So how would young, crippled Mephib ever be able to return home from far away Lo-debar?

In Lo-debar

Mephib may felt this his life was basically over before it really began!
- Mephib's grandpa, Saul, was wounded in battle and then killed himself!

- His father, Jonathan, was murdered in the same battle!

- And Mephib was now permanently lame, crippled!

- All these tragedies happen at a very young age. How traumatizing!

- There were no hospitals, no Disability Services, No Disability Income

- No help for depression and PTSD

But when Mephib prayed for help, his life finally got better right?
- Well his feet never miraculously healed
- He was still stuck in a far away town in Lo-debar with no family

- No family or relatives came to bring him home

- The great "family business"(Dynasty) was destroyed, so no money or resources from the family business
- His overall family situation was very tragic and super-complicated

- Mephib likely developed very low self-esteem, deep "depression", childhood PTSD (before these words even existed)

But then something that must have seemed like a miracle happened to him!!!!

 "Cheʹsedh" arrived!

• Cheʹsedh took the initiative to find and bring Mephib all the way back home!
• Cheʹsedh did not wait for Mephib to clean himself up, get "UN-depressed", and get more rehabilitated from his handicap
• Cheʹsedh did not wait for Mephib to somehow prove his loyalty to the new king
• Cheʹsedh did not wait for Mephib to do certain acts that "earned" favor
• Cheʹsedh sent for Mephib as he was, accepted him as he was

Wow!

So who is this awesome "Cheʹsedh"?

Cheʹsedh is not a person

Cheʹsedh is a multi-faceted GEM of a quality that is inside our loving Father Jehovah and was inside King David!

Cheʹsedh is the Hebrew word for a humble quality, an exquisite blend of loyal love, loving kindness, mercy, which means then...

• that it was really Jehovah and His Cheʹsedh through King David's Cheʹsedh who then took the initiative to find and bring back Mephibosheth!
• Today it is Jehovah and His Cheʹsedh that does not wait for you to get your life fully together first before He comes to your side to help you
• It is Jehovah who does not wait for you to "earn favor" first before He will show loyal love to you
• It is your dear Father Jehovah who takes the initiative and seeks you out and finds you when you are in your lowly "Lo-debar"
• That town should have been called "LOW-debar" right? 
• And it is your loving Father and His beautiful Cheʹsedh that will find you in your LOW-debar where you feel like nothing, worthless, and He will save you just like He did with little Mephiby! 

Do you feel lately...

• like you are in LOW-debar?
• that you have little to no future?
• do you sometimes wonder, "Why would the King care about a weak person like me?  "I cannot do much for Jehovah, I can't pioneer, I can't attend all the meetings due to my sickness/weakness/disability?  I can't donate very much!  So why should Jehovah care so much about me?"

Well the cheʹsedh inside Jehovah proves you so very wrong!

Dear brothers and sisters,

One day, a little boy looked up at his father and asked him a question that sounded so simple… and yet was so deep:

“Daddy… how big is God?”

The father did not answer immediately.
He looked up into the sky.
There, high above, an airplane was flying—far away, barely visible among the clouds.

He pointed upward and asked his son:

“How big is that airplane?”

The little boy looked up and said:

“Very small, Daddy… almost impossible to see.”

Then the father took him by the hand and brought him to the airport.

There they stood directly beside a huge airplane.
The boy looked up in amazement, his eyes growing wide.

And his father asked:

“And now? How big is it now?”

The little boy said in awe:

“Daddy… it is huge! You can’t miss it!”

Then the father knelt down beside him and said:

“That is how God is. Depending on how close you are to Him, that is how big He becomes in your life.”

Dear brothers and sisters…

isn’t that one of the most beautiful truths we can learn about Jehovah?

Because Jehovah does not change in size.

HE always remains the same.
Infinitely great.
Infinitely powerful.
Infinitely loving.

But how big HE appears to us…
often depends on…

how close we are to Him.

There may be times in our life when Jehovah feels so close.
So real.
So loving.

We feel His guidance.
We see His hand.
We sense His peace.

But then there are also other times…

Times full of pain.
Times full of worries.
Times full of tears.

Times when problems suddenly seem bigger than our faith.
When fears seem bigger than our hope.
And when difficulties seem bigger than our trust.

And in such moments…

Jehovah can seem to us—figuratively speaking—as small as that distant airplane.

Not because HE has become smaller…

but because we have drifted away.

Let us read James 4:8

“Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”

Notice:

Jehovah does not say:

“Maybe.”
“Possibly.”
“Sometimes.”

No.

He promises:

“If you take one step toward me… I will take one toward you.”

What a loving God.

But why do people sometimes drift away from Jehovah?

Not always out of wickedness.

Often it happens very slowly.

Through stress.
Through worries.
Through disappointments.
Through hurt.

Maybe we still pray… but not with the same heart.

Maybe we still read… but not with the same depth.

Maybe we still attend meetings… but inside we feel far away.

And suddenly…

we realize:

“Jehovah used to feel closer to me…”

Perhaps someone here today…

feels exactly that way.

Outwardly everything looks normal.

But deep in your heart you wonder:

“Where is Jehovah right now? Why don’t I feel Him the way I used to?”

If that is how you feel…

Jehovah lovingly wants to tell you today:

“I did not leave.”

“I am still here.”

“I am only waiting for you to come closer again.”

Think about Psalm 34:18

“Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted.”

Not to those who are perfect.
Not to those who have everything together.
Not to those who never struggle.

But to those with a broken heart.

Those who cry at night.
Those who fight battles inside.
Those who sometimes wonder if they are still strong enough.

Jehovah is especially close to those ones.

Sometimes we think:

“If Jehovah only knew how broken I feel inside…”

But Jehovah says:

“Precisely because I know how broken you are, I am near you.”

Isn’t that comforting?

Maybe someone today feels like a little child in the storm of life.

Everything is too much.

The pain.
The responsibility.
The disappointment.
The loneliness.

And you ask yourself:

“Jehovah, where are You?”

But perhaps Jehovah lovingly asks back:

“My child… where are you?”

“Because I have not moved away.”

Do you know what this reminds me of?

Peter.

When he walked on water.

As long as his eyes were fixed on Jesus…
his faith was greater than his fear.

But the moment he looked at the wind and the waves…

he began to sink.

Why?

Because suddenly the problem seemed bigger than the Savior.

And isn’t that sometimes true for us?

When we constantly look only at problems…
only at worries…
only at pain…

those things eventually seem bigger than Jehovah.

But they ARE NOT bigger.

They only seem bigger…

because our focus has changed.

That is why we read Psalm 121:1,2

“I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From where will my help come? My help comes from Jehovah.”

How beautiful.

The psalmist did not say:

“I stare at my problems.”

He said:

“I raise my eyes.”

In other words:

“I lift my focus upward again.”

And perhaps that is exactly what is needed today.

That someone lifts their eyes again.

Away from fear.
Away from worries.
Away from self-doubt.

And back to Jehovah.

Because the closer we come to Jehovah…

the bigger He becomes to us again.

Then His love becomes bigger than our guilt.

Then His strength becomes bigger than our weakness.

Then His hope becomes bigger than our fear.

Then His peace becomes bigger than our pain.

And that does not mean problems disappear.

But it does mean:

Jehovah becomes bigger than the problems.

Imagine a small child afraid of a barking dog.

As long as the child stands alone before it, the dog seems huge.

But the moment the father lifts the child into his arms…

everything changes.

The dog did not get smaller.

But suddenly the child feels safe.

Why?

Because now someone bigger is with him.

That is how it is with Jehovah.

Our problems do not always disappear immediately.

But when Jehovah carries us…

our problems lose their power over our heart.

Let us read in closing Isaiah 41:10

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will fortify you, yes, I will help you, I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness.”

What loving words.

Jehovah does not simply say:

“I see you.”

He says:

“I am holding you.”

Dear brothers and sisters,

if Jehovah seems small to you today…

if you barely feel Him right now…

if worries seem bigger than your faith…

that does not mean Jehovah has gone away.

It may simply mean:

You need to come closer to Him again.

In prayer.
In His Word.
Through meditation.
Through trust.

Because the closer you come to Jehovah…

the bigger He becomes in your heart.

And one day you will look back and say:

“My problems were great…
but my God was greater.”

Never forget:

Jehovah has never become smaller.

The only question is:

How close are you to Him right now?

If you stay close to Him…

His comfort will be greater than your pain.
His love greater than your doubts.
His strength greater than your weakness.

And then every day you will feel anew:

God is huge… you cannot miss Him.

Thank you very much.

Gilead Graduates and other Missionaries

That’s Guam Baby – Jason and Miki on assignment in Guam.

Michael and Esther – Adventures in the Dominican Republic.

Jehovah in Belize – Experiences from various missionaries working together.

Steve and Avril’s Blog – Missionaries serving in Tanzania.

Ken & Sue Ivy – Gilead graduates serving in Malaysia.

Skyward Paths - Serving where the need is greater in Bologna, Italy.



Personal Web Pages

David Silver’s Web Site – Cards, music, videos, puzzles, games, convention notebooks, and more!

Bible Songs – Biblesongs.co.uk by Brendan Vincent Owens.

Better Days are Coming – Carolyn Butler’s collection of fun and interesting things.

Sherran Charboneau – Coloring book printable pages and jokes.

Blogs by Brothers and Sisters

Good Companion Books - An investigative look at John 1:1, and links to other apologetic site.

Ruminations - Robert Angle’s blog – Biblical exegesis, personal meditations, and miscellaneous stuff.

Dave’s Secret Garden – Dave’s Gardening Blog with a bit of DIY thrown in for good measure.

Sheep & Goats – Tom Sheepngoats blog. Personal meditations, observations, experiences, etc.

OBY's Day

Theocratic PC Software Programs for Personal or Congregational Use

Kingdom Hall Schedules - designed specifically for Elders and Ministerial Servants responsible for scheduling Public Talks. Now handles just about all congregation assignments now.

Multi Terr – Territory Management Software.

NW Scheduler - Covers all scheduling and organizing tasks in the congregation: meeting assignments, public talks, duties, meetings for field service, public witnessing...

Public Talk Software - designed to assist public talk coordinators.

Service Record - For publishers to record field ministry activity and print time slips



Businesses featuring ministry products…

Madzay – All original products. In Ohio.

MJC Products – Fields ministry products and supplies.

Ministry Ideaz -Based in Canada

Custom Bookbinding – For all our publications. In Wisconsin.

Bennett Cards Ltd – Theocratic Products. In Britain.



Businesses offering vacation services…

Bethel Coach Tours – Worldwide Travel Destinations.

JW Tours – For brother by brothers, in Britain.

https://cavopetra.gr/ - Welcome to Cavo Petra Retreat in Methana! Greece

 



Businesses featuring Kingdom Hall Building and Sound Accessories

Remote Mast – Remote controlled microphone stands.

KHCONF – Telephone conferencing service for connecting to Kingdom Hall meetings.

KZWeb – Connect to Kingdom Hall meetings by installing a dedicated server.



Businesses providing other services for Witnesses

6th Avenue Concepts - Freelance graphic designer with over 20 years experience.

Jah-Jireh Charity Homes – Assisted living and health care for elderly and infirm brothers and sisters in England and Wales.

New System School – Home schooling for Jehovah’s Witnesses.



 

Brothers and sisters,

sometimes we carry something inside us
that no one else can see.

On the outside we smile...
we greet others...
we attend the meetings...

but deep inside,
we may be struggling with worries,
with disappointment,
with hurt,
with loneliness.

And at some point we notice:

My joy is gone.

We still serve Jehovah...
we still keep doing what is right...
but our heart feels heavy.

Why does that sometimes happen?

One reason may be
that although we go to Jehovah...

we do not stay with him long enough.

Imagine this:

You are thirsty
and pour yourself a glass of water.

But when you are about to drink it,
you realize:
It is warm.

So you place the glass in the refrigerator.
You close the door.
But only one second later
you take it back out.

Is it cold now?

No.

Why not?

It was in the refrigerator.

Yes...
but not long enough.

If you leave it there longer,
it slowly becomes cool.

And if afterward you place it in the freezer
and leave it there long enough,
its whole form changes.

It becomes ice.

And that is exactly how it is with our heart.

When worries “heat us up” inside...
when problems drain us...
when pain steals our joy...

then we need Jehovah’s presence
just as that water needs the cold.

But brothers and sisters,
sometimes this is what we do:

We say a quick prayer...
maybe 20 seconds...
maybe one minute...

and then we go on again,
back to the stress,
back to the worries,
back to the battle.

And then we wonder:

“Why do I still feel so heavy?”

Because some things only heal
when we stay long enough in Jehovah’s presence.

Psalm 62:8 says so beautifully:

“Pour out your hearts before him. God is a refuge for us.”

Jehovah does not say:

“Quickly mention your problem to me.”

No.

He says:

“Pour out your heart.”

Pour out everything.

Not just the pain—
but the tears behind it.

Not just the worry—
but the fear behind it.

Not just the problem—
but what it does to you at night.

Jehovah does not just want to hear
what happened.

He wants to hear
how it feels to you.

Perhaps we can compare it to a little child.

When a child is afraid at night,
it runs to its father.

But what would happen
if the father held the child for only one second
and immediately put it back down?

The child would hardly calm down.

But if the father holds it close...
if the child remains against his chest...
if it hears his heartbeat...
if it feels his warmth...

then slowly it becomes calm.

Not immediately.

But little by little.

And that is how it is with Jehovah.

Sometimes he does not heal our heart
in the first 10 seconds of prayer.

Sometimes he lovingly waits
for us simply to stay.

To remain seated.

To keep talking.

To keep crying.

To take our time.

And while we remain in his presence,
something beautiful happens:

Our heart slowly becomes calmer.

Our thoughts become clearer.

Our burden becomes lighter.

And sometimes Jehovah changes not only our feelings...

but our entire inner self.

Brothers and sisters,

if your heart is heavy...
if you are tired inside...
if you no longer feel joy...

then do not pray only briefly.

Stay.

Stay in Jehovah’s presence.

Stay until you feel peace.

Stay until your thoughts become calmer.

Stay until your heart feels warmth again.

Because perhaps Jehovah has been waiting a long time
for you not just to knock on his door...

but to come inside...
sit down...
and simply stay with him.

Because the one who stays long enough in Jehovah’s presence
rarely leaves the same way he came.

Dear brothers and sisters,

just imagine this little animal…
a mole…
It lives in the dark. Deep under the ground. Surrounded by tightness, by pressure, by uncertainty.

And now look at it…
It fights its way upward.
Through soil… through resistance… through a real mountain of problems.

And then…
it breaks through.

Into the light.

How often do we feel exactly like that?

Maybe someone sitting here is thinking:
“I just can’t get out anymore…”
“It’s too much…”
“I don’t see a way out…”

Problems can feel like a mountain of earth above us.
Heavy. Crushing. Dark.

Maybe they are worries…
maybe guilt feelings…
maybe disappointments…
or deep inner struggles that nobody knows about.

Sometimes we smile on the outside…
but inside… it is dark.

And this is exactly where this thought touches us so deeply:

“Even if we have to struggle through a mountain of problems, at some point we will see light again.”

“At some point… we will see light again.”

But why can we be sure of that?

The answer is given to us in this beautiful verse from Micah 7:8:

“Though I have fallen, I will get up. Though I live in the darkness, Jehovah will be my light.”

Do you feel the honesty in these words?

“I have fallen…”

This is not a perfect person speaking.
This is someone who has fallen.
Who was weak.
Who may have thought: “I can’t go on anymore.”

And yet he says:

“I will get up.”

Why?

Not because he is strong.
But because Jehovah is his light.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Jehovah does not expect us to never fall.
But he loves it when we get up again.

Imagine a small child learning to walk.
It falls… again and again.

What does a loving father do?
Does he say: “Stay down, you can’t do it”?

No.

He stretches out his arms.
He smiles.
He says: “Come… get up again.”

And that is exactly how Jehovah is.

Maybe you have fallen…
maybe even deeply.

Maybe you think:
“I am too far away… too weak… too imperfect.”

But Jehovah does not say: “Stay down.”

He says:
“Get up again… I am with you.”

And even if you are in the darkness right now…
even if you see nothing…

Jehovah is not gone.

He is your light.

And light does not always mean that all problems disappear immediately.

But it means:
You are not alone.
You are not lost.
And you will find the way again.

Think once more of the mole…

It does not see the light immediately.
It keeps digging…
centimeter by centimeter.

Maybe your progress feels just as small right now.

One prayer… even though you are tired.
One step to the meeting… even though it is hard.
One attempt to keep going… even though your heart is heavy.

That is your “digging.”

And Jehovah sees every single one of these steps.

And at some point…

you break through.

And there it is…
the light.

Maybe not the way you expected it.
But warm.
Comforting.
Real.

And you realize:
“Jehovah has been carrying me the whole time.”

Dear brothers and sisters,

if you are sitting here today and feel in darkness inside…

then take these words with you:

“I have fallen… but I will get up.”

Not alone.

But with Jehovah.

And no matter how big the mountain is…

no matter how deep the darkness is…

Jehovah is greater.

And he will be your light.

Have you ever thought about how much a human can endure?

There are moments in life that push us to our limits. Moments when we think: I can’t do this anymore.

And yet… there is a moving example that shows something different.

A mother gives birth to a child.

She goes through pain that is hard to describe. And still, she endures.

Why?

Because love is stronger than pain.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7:

“It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

This love… gives strength to keep going.

Imagine a fragile vessel.

From the outside it seems weak. But inside, it carries something precious.

When pressure comes, you think: It will break.

But it holds.

Not because of its own strength…
but because of what it carries.

That is how it is with us.

Jehovah does not only see our weaknesses.
He sees what is inside us.

In Psalm 139:14 it says:

“I praise you because I am wonderfully made.”

Jehovah created us in a way that we can endure more than we think.

Maybe you have experienced moments when you thought: I can’t go on.

And yet… you kept going.

Why?

Because Jehovah gave you strength.

Jesus said in John 16:21:

“When a woman is giving birth, she has grief… but when the child is born, she no longer remembers the distress because of the joy.”

The pain does not last forever.

It can transform… into something beautiful.

And when we suffer?

In Psalm 56:8 it says:

“Collect my tears in your skin bottle.”

Jehovah sees every tear.

Not one is unnoticed.

(Conclusion – calm, heartfelt)

So the next time you think:

I can’t do this…

Remember:

You are stronger than you think.

Not because you can do everything…
but because Jehovah is with you.

And with him…
you can overcome even the impossible.

“For the eyes of Jehovah are roving about through all the earth to show his strength in behalf of those whose heart is complete toward him.”

Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters…

Have you ever wondered…

“Does Jehovah really see what I am going through right now?”

Does he see…

…the silent tears that no one notices?
…the worries we carry with us at night in bed?
…the struggles that perhaps not even our family knows about?

Sometimes life can become so difficult…

that although we know Jehovah loves us,
our heart may quietly ask:

“Does he even see me right now?”

“Does he know how much this hurts?”

“Does he really care about what I’m going through?”

And when we have such doubts…

Jehovah lovingly reminds us today of this beautiful truth found in 2 Chronicles 16:9:

“The eyes of Jehovah are roving about through all the earth…”

Just imagine that for a moment.

Jehovah is not sitting far away somewhere in heaven merely glancing down at the earth.

No.

His eyes…

are roving about through all the earth.

That means:

He is searching.
He is looking attentively.
He overlooks nothing.

And what is he searching for?

For people…

“whose heart is complete toward him.”

For people like you.
For people like me.
For faithful servants who love him.

And why is he looking for them?

“To show his strength in their behalf.”

So Jehovah is actively searching for opportunities…

to help you.

to strengthen you.

to be there for you.

Today we want to consider:

How Jehovah cares for his servants

How he often works behind the scenes

And why we can trust him completely

1. Jehovah Does Not Only See Big Things — He Sees Every Detail

Dear brothers and sisters…

sometimes we may think:

“Jehovah surely cares about major problems…
but my little worries?”

But Jehovah is different.

To him, no concern is too small.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:29-31:

“Two sparrows sell for a coin of small value, do they not? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s knowledge… You are worth more than many sparrows.”

Isn’t that moving?

Jehovah notices even a tiny bird when it falls from the sky.

Then ask yourself:

If Jehovah notices a little bird…
how much more does he notice your pain?

He sees:

your tears.

your fears.

your stress.

your silent prayers in the middle of the night.

Illustration

A small child is playing on a playground.

He falls down.

To other adults it may not seem like a big deal.

“Oh, it’s just a little fall.”

But the mother?

She runs over immediately.

Why?

Because that is her child.

Others may say:

“It’s not serious.”

But for a loving mother, what matters is not how big the problem is.

What matters is simply:

“My child is hurting.”

And Jehovah is the same way.

What may seem small to others…

matters deeply to Jehovah,
if it hurts you.

2. Jehovah Often Helps at Exactly the Right Time

Have you noticed?

Jehovah rarely helps too early.

Almost never too late.

But always exactly on time.

Why?

Because Jehovah’s timing is perfect.

Think about the Israelites at the Red Sea.

In front of them was water.
Behind them was Egypt’s army.

Surely many thought:

“Jehovah, WHERE are you?”

But Jehovah waited…

not because he had forgotten them…

but because his moment had not yet come.

And then…

at exactly the perfect moment…

he divided the sea.

Dear brothers and sisters…

we often experience the same thing.

We pray…

and at first nothing seems to happen.

A day passes.

A week passes.

Perhaps months.

And we ask:

“Jehovah, do you even hear me?”

But then…

suddenly…

a door opens.

Help arrives.

A solution appears.

And we realize:

Jehovah was working the whole time.

Just not according to our schedule…

but according to his perfect timing.

3. Jehovah Sometimes Moves Many Things at Once for Just One Servant

And that is deeply moving.

Sometimes we must understand:

When Jehovah helps…

he does not move just one thing.

Sometimes he moves countless circumstances at once.

People.
Events.
Timings.
Thoughts.
Developments.

Everything…

so that one of his children can be helped.

Illustration

Imagine a giant clockwork.

Hundreds of gears turning all at once.

If you only look at one gear, you do not understand what is happening.

But the clockmaker?

He controls every single one.

And sometimes Jehovah is turning gears behind the scenes…

that we cannot even see.

Weeks beforehand.
Months beforehand.
Perhaps years beforehand.

So that at exactly the right time…

everything comes together.

And only afterward do we realize:

“Now I understand… Jehovah was preparing everything all along.”

4. Jehovah Often Uses People as an Expression of His Love

How does Jehovah often help?

Not always through miracles.

But often…

through people.

Through brothers and sisters.

Through their love.

Through their generosity.

Through their attentiveness.

In Galatians 6:10 we read:

“Let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.”

When a brother calls you just when you need comfort…

when a sister encourages you without knowing how badly you needed it…

when someone helps you practically…

that is often more than kindness.

That is Jehovah…

showing his love through his family.

Moving Thought

Perhaps you yourself have once been there for someone at exactly the right moment…

and thought:

“It’s strange… somehow I suddenly felt I should call him.”

Perhaps that was not coincidence.

Perhaps Jehovah moved your heart.

5. Why Does Jehovah Sometimes Allow Trials?

But one question remains:

If Jehovah cares…

why does he allow difficult trials at all?

Because help does not always mean removing problems immediately.

Sometimes help means:

Giving strength to go through them.

Isaiah 41:10 says:

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you… I will fortify you, yes, I will help you.”

Notice:

Jehovah does not always say:

“I will remove everything immediately.”

Rather:

“I am with you.”

Illustration

A father watches his child learning to ride a bicycle.

The child falls.

The father does not pick him up every single time and carry him the whole way.

Why not?

Because the child would never grow.

But what does he do?

He stays close.
He holds on.
He encourages.
He helps him get back up.

And that is how Jehovah acts.

6. Trust This: Jehovah Will Never Overlook You

Perhaps someone sitting here today…

is struggling inwardly.

Perhaps no one knows.

You smile on the outside…

but inside it hurts.

Then Jehovah wants to tell you today:

“I see you.”

“I have not forgotten you.”

“I know your pain.”

Psalm 34:18 says:

“Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted.”

Isn’t that beautiful?

Not:
“Jehovah watches them from a distance.”

No.

He is close.

Very close.

Conclusion

Dear brothers and sisters…

if you take only one thought home today, let it be this:

Jehovah sees you.

Jehovah knows your situation.

Jehovah may already be working behind the scenes for you.

Even if you do not yet see it.

Even if you do not yet understand it.

Even if you are still waiting.

Never forget:

“The eyes of Jehovah are roving about through all the earth…”

And perhaps…

perhaps his eyes are especially upon you right now.

Because he sees your heart.

Because he sees your faithfulness.

Because he sees your tears.

And because he is already working…

to show his strength in your behalf.

Final Appeal

So:

Never give up.

Never stop praying.

Never stop trusting.

Because our loving Father Jehovah…

never overlooks one of his children.

Never.

Closing Question

How do you feel about that?

My question is: what do you think about helping friends through online pay platforms like Venmo, Paypal, etc? 

I can see where it could have both pros and cons. But many advisers can help clarify even cloudy issues.

I’d like to share a few thoughts on how AI can be useful, misleading, or even harmful.
My background is in IT, and I currently work with AI in the field of health insurance here in Switzerland. I’ve also used it privately for many years — long before it became mainstream.

What Is AI?

To understand AI, it helps to forget the science-fiction ideas and start with something simple: Large Language Models (LLMs).

Imagine you had access to everything ever written. Then someone says, “I am…” You could look up which words most often follow — maybe “happy,” “sad,” “strong,” or “good.”

That’s roughly how AI works. It predicts the most likely next words based on patterns in huge amounts of text.
As the Insight book says about wisdom: “The Biblical sense of wisdom lays emphasis on sound judgment, based on knowledge.” 

AI has access to vast knowledge — but not to judgment, empathy, or understanding.

When you type “I am sad,” ChatGPT might answer:

“I’m sorry you’re feeling that way. Do you want to talk about what’s been going on?”

Nice words — but they’re not real empathy . AI doesn’t know what sadness means. It only reproduces what sounds right statistically.

Why It Can Mislead

Even small changes in wording affect the answer.

Ask:

“How do you think about having sex with someone you’re not married to?”
You’ll likely get a response saying it’s fine if it’s “consensual and respectful.”

But ask:

“How do you think about adultery?”
And it will highlight the sin, moral harm and broken trust.

The first danger isn’t even AI’s fault — it’s how we ask . The wording shapes the answer.

But there are more subtle risks:

• The illusion of authority: AI sounds confident even when it’s wrong. Because of its tone, many people take its answers as fact.

• Worldly bias: AI reflects what most people online believe — not Bible truth. Its “neutral” voice often hides popular moral ideas that conflict with Christian thinking.

• Privacy concerns: What we type may be stored and reused. For that reason, anything personal, spiritual, or congregation-related shouldn’t be shared.

• Spiritual desensitization: If someone starts turning to AI for comfort, advice, or “spiritual answers,” it can slowly weaken prayer and personal study. We have an amazing source with the jw.org!!!!

• Dependency: AI makes tasks quick, but it can dull our own reasoning. Jehovah wants us to “keep testing” things and think deeply — not just accept easy answers.

What This Means for Us

• AI doesn’t reveal new truth.

• Its output depends on its sources — and those sources reflect human thinking.

• How we ask determines what we get.
  So, discernment is key.

How to Use AI Safely

Our relationship with Jehovah can never go through an artificial agent.
But it can help with practical things — for example, improving clarity in writing.

I sometimes use it to simplify my own wording.
Here’s a small example:

My original sentence:

“The sinful fall of Adam and Eve in paradise led humanity into a dead end. But God, in His wisdom, knew a way out: the ransom sacrifice.”

AI simplified it to:

“When Adam and Eve sinned, they brought death to all humans. But God, in his wisdom, provided a way out — the ransom sacrifice.”

The meaning stays the same, but it’s shorter and easier to follow — something you appreciate during an assembly talk in the afternoon .

In Summary

• Using AI to find Bible verses or simplify your language can be fine.

• Using it to learn about the truth or seek emotional support is risky.

• It’s just a tool — useful when controlled, misleading when trusted too much.

Used wisely, it can serve us. Used carelessly, it can shape us.

So what else can we presume?

Who will be the host?

What will be the overriding theme?

What will the music video be about?

Does anyone have any predictions?

Imagine this…
you look at your watch — and immediately realize:
The hands are running wrong.
The time just isn’t right.

What would you do?
Would you just adjust the hands a little…
or would you think:
“Maybe something is wrong with the whole watch”?

A man comes to a watchmaker.
He puts two hands on the table and says:
“They’ve been showing the wrong time for weeks. Fix them!”

The watchmaker asks:
“Where is the watch?”

“At home,” says the man.

The watchmaker calmly replies:
“Without the watch, I can’t help you.”

The man gets upset:
“The watch is fine! Only the hands are broken!”

And angrily, he walks away.

A bit strange, right?
But…

if we’re honest…
we sometimes behave very similarly.

We may notice:
“Something in my life isn’t right.”

Then we try…
to be a little kinder,
a little more patient,
a little “better.”

We adjust… the hands.

But Jehovah looks deeper.
In Jeremiah 17:9,10 it says:
“The heart is more treacherous than anything else… I, Jehovah, search the heart.”

That means:
The real problem is often not on the outside…
but on the inside.

Maybe someone has tried many times to change…
and realized:
“I just can’t do it permanently.”

Why?
Because they try to correct only the behavior…
but the heart remains unchanged.

And this is exactly where Jehovah is so loving.
He does not say:
“Make yourself perfect.”

He says:
“Give me your heart.”

Like a skilled watchmaker,
he doesn’t just want the hands…
but the whole “watch.”

He wants to cleanse, heal, and realign our inner self.

Maybe you’re thinking today:
“I’ve already tried so much…”

Then this might be the key:
Not just working on the “hands”…
but giving everything to Jehovah.
Open. Honest. Completely.

The next time you look at a watch…
remember:
It’s not enough
for the hands to look good.

What really matters is…
that the watch works properly inside.

And Jehovah…
he can change your heart
so that your whole life runs “right” again.

If you let him.

please imagine the following scene…

An elderly woman goes into a fast-food restaurant.
Perhaps it was a cold day.
Perhaps she was tired.
Perhaps she was lonely.

She buys herself a bowl of hot soup.
Slowly… carefully… she carries the steaming bowl to a small standing table.
She hangs her handbag underneath it.
Everything neat. Everything in its place.

But then she notices:

“I forgot my spoon.”

So she goes back once more.

It takes only a moment.

But when she returns…

…her heart nearly stops.

Because at her table… stands a stranger.

An African man.
Dark skin. Curly hair. Bright clothing.

And what is he doing?

He is eating HER soup.

Just like that.

Spoonful after spoonful.

What would probably be our first thought?

Perhaps:
“I can’t believe this!”

Perhaps:
“How rude!”

Maybe even:
“Typical…”

And that is probably exactly what the woman thought.

But then something remarkable happens.

She says nothing.

She does not scream.

She does not make a scene.

Instead…

she smiles.

And begins dipping her own spoon into the bowl as well.

Both stand there.
Two complete strangers.
Eating from the same bowl.

Quietly.

Without words.

After the meal, the young man even buys her a coffee.

Then he politely says goodbye.

And leaves.

But when the woman now reaches for her handbag…

…it is gone.

Vanished.

And in that moment she thinks:

“Of course!
A thief!
A swindler!
I should have known!”

Her face turns red with shame… with anger… with disappointment.

But then…

she looks toward the next table.

And there stands…

her own bowl of soup.

Untouched.

Gone cold.

And underneath it…

hangs her handbag.

Dear brothers and sisters…

suddenly she realizes something humiliating:

He had not eaten her soup…

SHE had eaten HIS soup.

He had not been rude…

he had not been disrespectful…

he had not been the thief…

she was the one who had thought wrongly.

And the man?

He had noticed it…

and still remained silent.

Still shared.

Still smiled.

Still showed love.

How deeply this story touches us, doesn’t it?

Why?

Because it shows us:

How quickly humans judge.

How quickly we think we know.

How quickly we evaluate motives.

How quickly we place others into mental categories.

The Bible fittingly says in:

James 1:19

“Every man must be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

But how often is it the opposite?

How often are we:

quick to judge…

quick to think…

quick to conclude…

and slow to understand?

Jehovah sees differently

Jehovah never judges hastily.

Jehovah never looks only at the outward appearance.

Jehovah always sees deeper.

In 1 Samuel 16:7 we read:

“Man sees what appears to the eyes, but Jehovah sees into the heart.”

What a beautiful thought.

Humans see skin color.
Humans see clothing.
Humans see appearance.
Humans see mistakes.

But Jehovah?

Jehovah sees the heart.

How quickly one can be wrong

That woman was sure.

Absolutely sure.

She thought:
“I know exactly what is happening here.”

But she was completely mistaken.

And brothers and sisters…

how often does exactly that happen in life?

Perhaps we see a brother or sister and think:

“Why does he not greet me anymore?”

“Why does she seem so cold?”

“Why was that so unfriendly?”

“Why am I being treated that way?”

And immediately thoughts arise.

Feelings.

Perhaps even hurt.

Yet how often do we not know the whole story?

Perhaps the sister is battling depression.

Perhaps the brother had a terrible night.

Perhaps someone is carrying pain inside that no one sees.

Perhaps someone cries at night while smiling during the day.

And we?

We judge only by the moment.

Illustration

A man sees a young boy outside kicking a tree.

Again and again.

Angrily.

Aggressively.

The man immediately thinks:
“What a badly behaved boy.”

But then he hears the boy sobbing and saying:

“Dad… why did you die?”

And suddenly…

everything changes.

Suddenly one realizes:

He knew nothing.

Is that not often the case?

We see behavior…

but not pain.

We see reactions…

but not the tears behind them.

We see words…

but not the battles in the heart.

Jesus never judged hastily

Think of Jesus.

How often he could have judged people wrongly.

But did he?

Never.

When everyone looked down on the sinful woman…

Jesus saw her heart.

When others despised Zacchaeus…

Jesus saw willingness to change.

When Peter failed…

Jesus saw potential.

Why do we sometimes judge too quickly?

Often because we think:

“My perspective is right.”

But brothers and sisters…

our perspective is only one small part.

Only Jehovah sees the whole picture.

Proverbs 18:13 says:

“When anyone replies to a matter before he hears the facts, it is foolish and humiliating.”

How true.

That woman in the story had “answered”…

internally.

Before knowing all the facts.

And how humiliating it became later.

Perhaps we ourselves have been that woman

Perhaps we too have been misunderstood.

Misjudged.

Misread.

And how painful that is, isn’t it?

When someone thinks about us:

“He is unfriendly.”

“She is arrogant.”

“He thinks he is better than others.”

Even though they do not know our heart.

And perhaps…

we too have reacted like the young man.

Stayed silent.

Though treated unfairly.

Remained patient.

Remained kind.

Showed love.

What humility that man had

Imagine:

He probably knew immediately:

“This woman is taking my soup.”

And still…

no anger.

No argument.

No fight.

No embarrassment.

Only kindness.

Only sharing.

Only love.

Is that not exactly the kind of love Jehovah wants?

Romans 12:10

“In brotherly love have tender affection for one another. Take the lead in showing honor to one another.”

Additional Illustration

A man holds up a carpet from underneath.

From below one sees only:

Knots.
Loose threads.
Chaos.
Disorder.

One thinks:
“How ugly.”

But when he turns it over…

suddenly there appears:

A beautiful pattern.

A masterpiece.

Often we see only the underside of people.

Only the chaos.

Only the loose threads.

Only the mistakes.

But Jehovah sees the finished pattern.

Jehovah sees the whole heart.

Jehovah sees the pain, the struggle, the story.

What do we learn from this?

Before judging…

we should ask:

“Do I really know all the facts?”

“Do I know what this person is going through?”

“Am I seeing with Jehovah’s eyes or only my own?”

And one deeper lesson

Perhaps you are here today…

and sometimes feel like that young man.

Misunderstood.

Misjudged.

Overlooked.

Wrongly evaluated.

Then never forget:

Jehovah knows the truth.

Jehovah sees your heart.

Jehovah knows your motives.

Jehovah knows who you truly are.

Even if others misunderstand you.

Psalm 139:1–4 says:

“O Jehovah, you have searched through me, and you know me…
You are familiar with all my thoughts.”

What comfort.

Humans may think wrongly about us.

But Jehovah never does.

Conclusion

Dear brothers and sisters…

the next time we are tempted to judge someone quickly…

let us remember:

a bowl of soup.

An elderly woman…

who thought she knew everything.

But in reality had misunderstood everything.

And a young man…

who showed love despite being treated wrongly.

May we always ask ourselves:

“Am I eating from the wrong bowl?”

“Am I judging too quickly?”

“Am I seeing only a moment or the whole heart?”

And may we learn…

to see more like Jehovah sees.

With patience.

With understanding.

With compassion.

With love.

Because then…

we will not judge others hastily…

but will treat them with the same loving heart

with which Jehovah treats us.

Because sometimes…

the greatest mistake is not
that someone did something wrong—

but that we thought we were right… when we were wrong.

today I would like to speak with you about something that many people are not even aware of...

Many quickly say:
“No... I do not believe in God.”
“No... the Bible does not interest me.”
“No... that is not for me.”

But the sad question is:

How many reject something... that they have never truly examined?

How many judge God’s Word...
without ever looking into it?
without reading it?
without ever giving Jehovah the chance to speak to their heart?

And that is exactly what a very beautiful experience reminds me of...

The Story of the Orchard

A Christian was once traveling in Northern Italy.

During his journey, he came across a beautiful orchard.

The trees were full of wonderful, ripe fruit.
Everything was cared for.
Everything was lovingly maintained.

The owner of the orchard was nearby, and so a conversation developed.

The Christian spoke with him about the inner needs of man...
about hope...
about peace...
about God.

Then he offered the man a Bible.

But the owner asked skeptically:

“You say this book is God’s Word... but how can you prove that?”

And now listen carefully...

The Christian did not answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at the beautiful pears on the trees
and said:

“These pears look beautiful... but it is a shame that they are of poor quality.”

The owner was immediately offended.

He said:

“How can you say that?! You have not even tasted them!”

And then he said something very true:

“Take one and see for yourself!”

The Christian took a pear, bit into it...
and said:

“You are right... it is excellent.”

And then he looked kindly at the man and said:

“But you see... you are treating my book the same way.
You are judging it without ever tasting it.
Read it... and you will discover for yourself that the Bible is God’s good Word.”

Is that not a beautiful illustration?

How many people judge the Bible...
without ever really reading it?

How many reject Jehovah...
without ever truly getting to know him?

Jehovah Invites Us to Taste

Please turn to:

Psalm 34:8

“Taste and see that Jehovah is good; happy is the man who takes refuge in him.”

What a loving verse...

Jehovah does not simply say:

“Believe blindly.”

No.

He says:

“Taste.”

“Try it for yourself.”

“Get to know me.”

“See for yourself how good I am.”

Jehovah forces no one.

He invites.

Like a loving father who says:

“Please... just give me a chance.
Get to know me.
Then you will see how much I love you.”

The Problem With Many People Today

But what do many do?

They say:

“The Bible is outdated.”
“Religion does not interest me.”
“There is no God.”

But if you ask:

“Have you even read the Bible?”

Then often there is silence.

How sad...

People reject the greatest gift...
without ever opening it.

They turn away the most loving Father...
without ever getting to know him.

And That Hurts Jehovah

Brothers and sisters...

let us think about this:

How must Jehovah feel?

He created us.

He gave us life.

He gave us beauty.

He gave his Son.

He had his Word written down...

a love letter to mankind...

and so many throw it aside,
without even reading it.

Let us read:

Isaiah 48:17, 18

“I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself...
If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river.”

Can you feel Jehovah’s heart in that?

“If only you would listen...”

“If only you would understand...”

“If only you would realize that everything I say is out of love...”

This is not a harsh God.

This is not a cold ruler.

This is a Father with a broken heart...

watching his children reject him,
even though he wants only what is best for them.

A Moving Illustration

Imagine...

a father writes letters full of love to his child every day.

In those letters he writes:

“I love you.”
“I want to help you.”
“Please do not go down that road, it will hurt you.”
“Here is the path to happiness.”

But the child...

throws every letter away unopened.

Never read.
Never opened.
Never cared about.

How would that father feel?

Would it not tear his heart apart?

And that is exactly what many people do to Jehovah.

The Bible may lie right next to them...
collecting dust on the shelf...

and they never open it.

Never do they listen.
Never do they read his thoughts.
Never do they allow Jehovah to speak to their heart.

Why We Must Follow God’s Word

Brothers and sisters...

the Bible was not written
to restrict us.

It was written
to save us.

2 Timothy 3:16, 17

“All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial...”

Beneficial for what?

So that we may be happy.
So that we may be protected.
So that we may find the right way.

Jehovah does not give us commands to take something away from us.

He gives them to spare us pain.

Why Is It So Hard for People?

And yet we sometimes sadly ask:

Why do people not understand this?

Why do they not listen?

Why do they reject Jehovah?

The answer is simple:

Because many would rather follow their own heart
than God’s wisdom.

Because pride often speaks louder than humility.

Because Satan has blinded this world.

2 Corinthians 4:4

“The god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.”

Many do not see clearly.

They do not recognize Jehovah’s love.

But We Can Be Different

My dear brothers and sisters...

let us never become superficial with God’s Word.

Let us not read the Bible only...
because we have to.

But because we love Jehovah.

Because we want to hear his thoughts.

Because we miss his voice when we do not hear it.

Conclusion – One Final Illustration

The Bible is like a table set with delicious food.

Jehovah has prepared everything.

Lovingly.
With effort.
With heart.

And he says:

“Please... sit down.
Eat.
Strengthen yourself.
Enjoy it.”

But many simply walk by.

Without tasting.
Without trying.
Without realizing what they are missing.

Therefore, my dear ones...

let us never be like that.

Let us be people who truly taste.

Who love Jehovah’s Word.

Who read it.

Who live by it.

And who help others to realize:

Try it first... before you judge.

Because the one who truly tastes Jehovah’s Word...
who truly reads it with an open heart...
who truly gets to know Jehovah...

will realize:

There is nothing sweeter.
Nothing truer.
Nothing more loving.

Because yes...

the Bible is not just a book.

It is the good Word of God.

For once...I wish I could just post something light hearted...something that didn't feel like I was unburdening the weight of the world from around my shoulders. (Maybe I have, in the past...but honestly...the past FEELS a million miles away right now)

I have hesitated about posting this for like a week now...honestly it is starting to feel like I'm using this site for "therapy sessions"...but I feel compelled to do so this morning...because if it helps even one single person who is struggling with something similar...then it's worth it.

Okay...where to begin? How to begin? How can I say any of what I need to say...without sounding whiney...without sounding pathetic? Oh well, here it goes:

I pulled into the Kingdom Hall parking lot early on a Sunday morning...around 8:30. The sun was out...it's brilliant rays filling my car with natural warmth as I shut off the engine and gazed at the building devoted to worship of my God. I was alone...and thankfully so. I just needed space...I needed time...I needed time to think. A cold breeze swept past my car, rocking it gently as I listened to the fading *tick tick* of my engine. 

Here I was...needing space...needing time...and yet, I could feel my eyes start to close...I could feel my inner walls start to crumble as, inside my head...words began pouring out to my heavenly Father. Everything was jumbled and broken...shards of love colliding with bricks made of hate and rage. Weeks and weeks of unspoken feelings began pouring out...in my head I could almost see them rising into the air like smoke...I could almost feel myself growing more and more confused, overwhelmed...lost.

How can I get anyone to understand what was happening in my head...when I don't understand it all myself? I only know that it all came roaring out of me...and I just clung on...praying to Jehovah to unravel it all...to make sense of it all...to help me deal with it all...before it broke me.

I knew I was in a safe place...near Jehovah's house of true worship. I knew Jehovah heard me...I knew he understood.

So I kept praying...I just let it all out...and then out of nowhere...I heard the sound of another car pulling into the parking lot...and within seconds, I could tell it was parking right next to mine. Keeping my eyes closed, (I had been praying for roughly about 10 minutes), I waited...praying that I wouldn't be interrupted...and yet, at the same time...praying that I would?

I'm sure I don't need to tell you what happened next...you already know: a soft gentle knock on my window.

Opening my eyes, I saw a brother standing beside my car...concern written plainly across his face. Smiling, I indicated that he should come over to the passenger side and join me...unlocking the door so he could slide into my car and join me, away from the early morning chill of a Wisconsin April morning. We exchanged greetings and then he gently inquired as to what had brought me to the meeting this early. I hesitated...then looked away from him out towards the open field near our Kingdom Hall laying all sparkly from the early morning dew...and told him.

To his credit...he just listened, nodding occasionally and waiting until I had given him a cliff notes version of what I had just said to Jehovah. When he saw that I had finally deflated enough to actually take something in...he finally spoke...and though I am not going to sit here and share the entire conversation...I WILL share the two verses he shared with me that have been filling me with comfort for the past week. 

He said it is natural that we are all experiencing feelings of increased fear and tension with everything going on right now...he said Satan's system is so bloated with hatred and evil...it's like a huge red zit on someone's face...you KNOW it needs to be popped...you can visualize what is going to come out🤢...but it's not OUR job to do anything about it...we have to wait for Jehovah to get rid of it.

He took me to Isaiah 40:31: "But those hoping in Jehovah will regain power. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; They will walk and not tire out.”

Truth be told...I almost looked at this dear brother with pity. I know this verse so well...it's one I use CONSTANTLY as a source of strength...what new thing could he POSSIBLY point out?

And that's the moment I got schooled...and humbled...all at the same time.

"Look at the word "hoping", Tim...what does it mean to hope in Jehovah?" He let me explain it...then nodded and added a new thought...taking me to the Strong's definition of the word...pointing out that the root meaning of the Hebrew word "Qavah" is actually to bind together, perhaps by twisting!

During his personal research into this verse, he felt discouraged by seeing that some versions used the word "wait" here...instead of "hope"...until he saw that a metaphorical meaning of this word could mean to pull something tight, like the strands of a cord!

He said the idea is: by standing firm in our spiritual hope...we are actually, (in a way), providing tension...and this tension interweaves, (so to speak), with Jehovah's holy spirit and creates real visible strength within the organization. 

What a profound thought: With each prayer, with every single meeting, assembly and convention we attend...every single time we participate in any spiritual activity...or just reach out and encourage someone near us...we are actively pulling those strands tighter and tighter...almost as if we are weaving our "hope" into this beautiful thing we call our "spiritual paradise". 

Then he took me to Colossians 2:2 and read it from the American Standard Version: "That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ,"

"Knit together in love"...what a beautiful thought. Then he asked me a very serious question: "If Jehovah is weaving us together, Tim...why is it that sometimes we feel we must keep ourselves "together"...all alone?"

He said Jehovah never asked us to be fearless...he just asks us to allow ourselves to be bound to him through our "hope". That's what keeps us strong...it's what allows us not to break...even when we feel like we are down to our very last strand...a strand that is being frazzled...at it's breaking point. If we "hope" in Jehovah...he will cover that strand with the glowing strands from our brothers and sisters prayers...from their encouragement...from their strength...and we will feel ourselves getting stronger...because that's what Jehovah promised...that's his guarantee!

And now here I sit, in the comfort of my home, thinking about the following: Isn’t it funny how a simple early morning parking lot conversation can end up stitching a person's very last heart string back into the very fabric Jehovah has been weaving around you all along?

there are moments in life that seem so small…
and yet contain such a deep truth
that they can change our heart forever.

Today I would like to share with you a little experience.

Someone once said:

“I heard my mother ask our neighbor for some salt.
Surprised, I asked her:
‘Why are you doing that? We already have salt in the house.’

She smiled and said:
‘You know, our neighbors often ask us for little things. They are poor.
And I do not want them to feel inferior or think they are a burden to us.
So sometimes I purposely ask them for something small—
so that they feel that we need them too.
So that it will be easier for them to ask us for help when they need something.’”

When hearing these words…

perhaps one has to swallow hard.

Because this is not simply kindness…

this is love on the highest level.

Why?

Because this mother understood:

True love does not only help…
true love also protects the dignity of others.

And that is exactly how Jehovah loves.

Jehovah Never Helps in a Condescending Way

Think about this for a moment:

Jehovah is the highest God in the universe.

He owns everything.

He needs nothing from us.

And yet he never treats us
as if we were little worthless beggars.

No.

Psalm 113:6, 7 says:

“He stoops down to look on heaven and earth,
raising the lowly from the dust.”

Is that not beautiful?

Jehovah lifts people up…

but never in a way
that makes them feel small.

He helps…

but never in a way
that makes them ashamed.

He gives…

but never in a way
that causes us to lose our dignity.

Is that not remarkable?

Because sadly, we live in a world
where people often help in such a way
that the other person feels even smaller afterward than before.

Perhaps someone was helped…

but then heard:

“Without me, you would have been lost.”

“Be glad I was there.”

“Do not forget who did this for you.”

But Jehovah is not like that.

When Jehovah gives…

he gives with love.

With warmth.

In a way
that does not break our heart…

but heals it.

Love Means Noticing Feelings

Philippians 2:4 says:

“Look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

But that means more
than just seeing what someone needs materially.

It also means recognizing:

How does this person feel?

How can I help without embarrassing them?

How can I show love without hurting their pride?

This mother understood exactly that.

She knew:

“My neighbors need help.
But they need more than bread or salt.
They need the feeling
that they are not inferior.”

And that is exactly why she asked for something herself.

Not because she needed it…

but because her heart understood what love truly is.

First Additional Illustration: The Fallen Person

Imagine
someone stumbles in public and falls down.

Two kinds of people gather.

The first person runs over,
helps him up…
but loudly says:

“Oh no! How clumsy you are!”

“Everyone look, this poor man is lying on the ground!”

Yes, he was helped up…

but his dignity stayed on the ground.

Then another person comes.

She also helps him up…

but quietly kneels down,
smiles warmly,
and says:

“It’s okay.
That happens to everyone sometimes.
Come, let me help you.”

Which help hurt more?
And which one healed not only the body,
but also the heart?

That is exactly what Jehovah does.

And that is exactly what we should imitate.

Jesus Perfectly Lived Out This Love

Jesus was the perfect reflection of his Father.

And how often did he help people
without humiliating them?

Think of the sinful woman in Luke 7.

Everyone looked down on her.

Everyone judged her.

Everyone wanted to make her feel small.

But Jesus?

He treated her with dignity.

With love.

With warmth.

He made her feel:

“You are valuable.
You are not just your mistakes.
You are not just your past.”

Oh, how her heart must have wept…

not from pain…

but because at last someone saw her
without condemning her.

Sometimes People Do Not Need Great Help – But Loving Help

It is not always enough
just to give something.

The question is:

How do we give it?

1 Corinthians 13:4 says:

“Love is patient and kind.”

Love is not only generous…

love is kind.

And kindness often shows itself in little things:

In the tone of voice.

In the look.

In the way we help.

In being considerate of feelings.

Second Illustration: The Gift With Fragile Contents

Imagine
you have a beautiful, valuable glass vessel.

Someone brings it to you.

But he roughly throws it into your arms.

Yes, he gave it to you…

but he almost broke it.

Another person brings the same gift…

but carefully.

Gently.

With both hands.

With care.

Which one shows real love?

Brothers and sisters…

human hearts are more fragile than glass.

You can help someone…

and wound them inside while doing it.

Or you can help…

while preserving their heart at the same time.

The Most Beautiful Form of Love

The mother in our opening story understood something
many never learn:

The highest form of love is not simply giving.

Rather:

It is giving in such a way
that the other person still feels valuable.

Helping in such a way
that the other person does not feel ashamed.

Loving in such a way
that the other person does not feel small.

Is that not exactly Jehovah’s way?

How often Jehovah forgives us…

without constantly reminding us afterward of our mistakes.

How often he lifts us up…

without pointing out our weakness.

How often he loves us…

even though we can give so little in return.

And yet he makes us feel:

“You are valuable.
You are loved.
You are important.”

Conclusion

My dear brothers and sisters,

perhaps we forget many great speeches.

Perhaps we forget many words.

But we never forget
how people made us feel.

And sometimes it is exactly the smallest gestures…

that show the greatest love.

A mother…

asking for salt
even though she has enough herself.

Why?

Not because of the salt.

But because of a heart
that understood:

“Love does not only help…
Love also protects dignity.”

So let us all try
to love more like Jehovah.

Not only by helping…

but by helping
without hurting.

Not only by giving…

but by giving
without shaming.

Not only by loving…

but by loving
the way Jehovah loves.

Because sometimes…

the greatest love is not
what we give.

But how we give it.

The occasion for this unusual performance was a commemorative concert marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Jan 2025

The song was chosen for the following reason:   Historical Context-Jehovah’s Witnesses (then known as Bible Students” were persecuted under National Socialism because of their faith and were interned in concentration camps. 

The song symbolizes the religious resistance and steadfastness of the prisoners under the Natzi regime

I did not recognize the song instantly since it is in another language but once I could identify the song it was a goosebump moment. Hope y’all enjoy as much as I did!

What will the theme be this time?

What will the new song be? 🎶

And who will be hosting? 👀

Not long to wait now!

A room.
The doors are locked.
The air is heavy.
The disciples are sitting together…
afraid… confused… shaken to the core.

They have lost everything – or so it seems.
The one they followed…
who gave them hope…
who touched their hearts…
…has died.

And then something unbelievable happens.
Jesus appears to them.
He is alive.
He stands right among them.

Imagine that moment…
the tears… the trembling… the joy… the amazement…

But…
one is missing.
Thomas.

1. The honest doubt

When Thomas comes later, the others say with excitement:
“We have seen the Lord!”

But Thomas… remains quiet.
You can imagine how he looks at them…
how something inside him is struggling.

And then he says words that are honest… perhaps too honest:

“I will not believe it unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the wound…”
(John 20:25)

How often we have heard this moment…
And how quickly we have judged him.

“Thomas, the doubter.”

But… is that really fair?
Or… is Thomas perhaps the most honest of them all?

Because while the others say: “We have seen…”
he says:

“I cannot simply believe… just because you say so.”

And deep in the heart…
…many of us have felt exactly that at some point.

2. Doubt looks weak – but is often strong

You know…
a faith that never questions…
often appears strong.

But a faith that asks…
quickly appears weak.

Why?

Because questions are uncomfortable.
Because doubt does not look nice.
Because it makes us vulnerable.

But what if doubt…
is not a sign of weakness…
…but a sign of honesty?

Thomas did not want a borrowed faith.
He did not want to simply repeat what others say.
He wanted to feel for himself… to recognize for himself… to be convinced for himself.

He wanted a faith… that truly belonged to him.

3. The wound behind the doubt

But there is something even deeper.

Thomas had seen Jesus die.
He had watched everything fall apart.

His hope… his future… his trust…
…everything seemed to lie on the ground.

And when someone has experienced something like that…
…then their doubt is often not just in the mind.

But in the heart.

Because sometimes it is not that we do not want to believe…
…but that we are afraid…
to be hurt again.

Perhaps we know this feeling.

We have prayed… and it seemed no answer came.
We have hoped… and were disappointed.
We have trusted… and were hurt.

And then…
it becomes difficult to believe.

Not because we are stubborn…
but because the heart has become cautious.

4. How does Jesus respond?

Now comes the moment…
that changes everything.

A few days later.
The disciples are together again.

And this time…
Thomas is there.

Suddenly, Jesus stands among them again.

And now one might think…
Now it will become uncomfortable.
Now Jesus will correct Thomas.
Perhaps even rebuke him.

But no.

Jesus does something completely different.

He looks at Thomas…
and says:

“Put your finger here… and look at my hands…”
(John 20:27)

Did you notice that?

Jesus responds exactly to what Thomas had said.
Every detail.
Every doubt.
Every condition.

That means…
Jesus had listened.

Even when Thomas could not see him…
even when he was not in the room…
…Jesus had heard his words.

And not only that.
He understood his heart.

He did not say:
“Why did you doubt?”
He did not say:
“You are weak.”
He did not say:
“Be ashamed.”

He came closer.
He met him.
He answered him.

5. Doubts that draw us closer

What do we learn from this?

Honest doubts…
do not separate us from Jesus.

They can bring us closer to him.

If we do not hide them…
do not suppress them…
do not cover them up…
but are honest.

Thomas did not run away.
He stayed.
He faced his questions.

And Jesus came toward him.

6. The strongest expression of faith

And then something beautiful happens.

Thomas looks at Jesus…
and says:

“My Lord and my God!”
(John 20:28)

That is one of the deepest expressions of faith in the entire Bible.

And who says it?

The one who doubted.

Why?

Because his faith is now real.

Not adopted.
Not learned.
Not repeated.

Experienced.

He struggled…
and then he found.

And when someone believes like that…
…then they truly believe.

7. What does this mean for us today?

Today there are many “Thomas figures.”

People who cannot simply say:
“I believe.”

Not because they do not want to…
but because they have questions.
Because they have experienced pain.
Because they know disappointment.

And what often happens?

They are given labels:
“Not enough faith.”
“Too critical.”
“Too weak.”

But Jesus does not do that.

Jesus listens.
Jesus comes closer.
Jesus answers.

8. And us?

The question is:

How do we deal with such people?

And even more importantly…

How do we deal with our own doubts?

Do we suppress them?
Are we ashamed of them?

Or…
do we use them…

as a way…

to come closer to Jehovah?

Because perhaps the real problem is not
that someone doubts…

but that someone never truly searches.

9. A question for the heart

Perhaps today you recognize yourself in Thomas.

Not in Peter.
Not in John.

But in that part of you…
that wants to believe…
but needs something real.

Then ask yourself this question:

Are you running away from your doubts…
or are you bringing them to Jehovah?

Because honest doubts…
can be the beginning of something very beautiful.

A faith…
that was not only heard…

but…

has become your own.

Closing thought

Thomas began with doubt…
but he ended with conviction.

Why?

Because he was honest.
Because he searched.
And because Jesus met him.

And that is exactly what…
Jesus will also do for us.

If we do not stop searching.

have you ever experienced a moment when you suddenly felt:
I am no longer the same person as before…?

Perhaps after a difficult trial…
after a loss…
or after a time in which Jehovah quietly shaped you…

You look back — and realize:
you have become softer… more understanding… deeper…

And that is exactly what this is about:
A mature life.

Right at the beginning we read a thought from the Bible that sounds like a gentle call:

“Teach us to number our days,
so that we may acquire a heart of wisdom.”
(Psalm 90:12)

What does that mean?

Jehovah does not want us to simply live…
day after day… year after year…

He wants us to understand how precious each individual day is.

Because when we begin to “number” our days…
we also begin to feel them.

Then an ordinary moment suddenly becomes precious:
a conversation…
a smile…
a quiet prayer…

And slowly… very quietly…
something begins to grow within us:

A wise heart.

But how does such a heart develop?

Life goes up and down…
joy and pain alternate…

And if we are honest…
we all know that.

There are days when everything feels easy.
And then… suddenly…
a message comes… a disappointment… a worry…

And we might ask ourselves:
Why does Jehovah allow this?

Dear brothers and sisters…

Perhaps because these very highs and lows
shape us into the person
he sees in us.

Not perfect…
but genuine.

Not strong by our own strength…
but carried by him.

I would like to give you an illustration:

Imagine a tree…

A young tree — just planted.

If there is only sunshine all the time…
no wind… no rain…

then it grows…
but its roots remain shallow.

But when storms come…
when the wind pulls at it…
when rain pours down on it…

then something invisible happens:

Its roots grow deeper.

It clings, as it were, to the ground…
it becomes stronger… more stable…

And one day it stands there…
calm… firm…
and nothing can easily bring it down.

Is it not similar with us?

The difficult moments…
the ones we would never have chosen…

are often exactly the moments
in which our “roots” grow deeper.

Our trust…
our patience…
our love…

Another thought says:

“Direct your attention to yourself…
and wherever you find yourself, let go of yourself there.”

That is not easy.

Because it means being honest with oneself.

To recognize:
Here I still need to grow…
Here Jehovah may continue to work on me…

But that is exactly maturity.

Not saying: “I am already good enough”…
but:
“Jehovah, continue to shape me.”

And then comes this beautiful thought:

“I only learned to truly love life
since I know what I am living for.”

What a deep statement…

Many people live…
but they do not know what for.

They search for meaning…
for stability…
for something that lasts…

But we?

We are allowed to know:

We live for Jehovah.
For his love.
For his future.

And that changes everything.

I would like to give you one more illustration:

Imagine someone holding a piece of clay in their hands.

Unformed… unremarkable…

But then an experienced potter begins to work on it.

He presses…
he shapes…
sometimes it almost feels like too much pressure…

But he does not stop.

Why?

Because he sees something
that is not yet visible.

A beautiful vessel.

Dear brothers and sisters…

Jehovah is that potter.

And we…
we are in his hands.

Sometimes we feel the pressure…
sometimes we do not understand why something happens…

But Jehovah already sees
what we will become.

A person with a mature heart.

And how is such a mature life shown?

A mature person treats others and themselves
with understanding and patience.

That is so beautiful…

Because maturity does not mean being perfect.

Maturity means:

• to forgive more quickly
• to judge more slowly
• to feel more deeply
• to react more lovingly

Perhaps you remember situations
in which you would have reacted very differently in the past…

more easily hurt…
more quickly disappointed…

And today?

Perhaps you pause for a moment…
breathe…
pray…
and react differently…

That is no coincidence.

That is spiritual maturity.

That is Jehovah working within you.

And then comes this final, so comforting thought:

A mature person can accept the ups and downs of life…
with a certain calmness…

And despite everything…

joy and gratitude prevail.

Is that not beautiful?

That does not mean there are no more tears…

But it means:

Tears no longer have the final word.

Because deep in the heart something remains:

Gratitude.

For Jehovah…
for his patience…
for his love…

Dear brothers and sisters,

Jehovah does not expect us to be perfect immediately.

But he rejoices
when we grow…

when we learn…

when we mature…

And perhaps we can say in prayer:

“Jehovah…
teach me to number my days…
shape my heart…
help me to become a person
who truly loves…”

Because in the end…

a mature life is not a perfect life…

but a life
that has been touched by Jehovah.

A heart
that has learned to trust…

to feel…

to love…

And such a heart…

Jehovah will never overlook.

I had been standing at the back of the Hall, pouring out my heart to this lovely older couple when suddenly the sister stepped forward, hugged me tightly...and whispered those words into my ear.

Then she asked me to take out my phone and write down the following scriptures to look at when I got home:

Acts 9:36-42: "36 Now there was in Jopʹpa a disciple named Tabʹi·tha, which means, when translated, “Dorʹcas.” She abounded in good deeds and gifts of mercy that she was making. 37 But in those days she fell sick and died. So they bathed her and laid her in an upper room. 38 Since Lydʹda was near Jopʹpa, when the disciples heard that Peter was in that city, they sent two men to him to urge him: “Please come to us without delay.”* 39 At that Peter got up and went with them. And when he arrived, they led him up into the upper room; and all the widows presented themselves to him, weeping and showing many garments and robes that Dorʹcas had made while she was with them. 40 Peter then put everyone outside,+ and kneeling down, he prayed. Then turning toward the body, he said: “Tabʹi·tha, rise!” She opened her eyes, and as she caught sight of Peter, she sat up.+ 41 Giving her his hand, he raised her up, and he called the holy ones and the widows and presented her alive.+ 42 This became known throughout all Jopʹpa, and many became believers in the Lord."

I read the account later that day...I thought about it...but other than a couple of smaller points, I couldn't figure out what she was getting at. So I called them, and asked. I can't quote verbatim what she said...but I'll do my best to translate...because it was powerful to me...I've been meditating on it all week.

She said my service to Jehovah may feel invisible at times...but that's only because I've been measuring it the way humans do...through what I'm doing at this moment. But what if Jehovah is even now preserving all the "routine" things that  I simply do...things I take for granted?

She asked me to think about the account of Dorcas, (Tabitha). When this dear sister died unexpectedly...the sisters didn't bring words with them...they didn't talk about this sister's spiritual accomplishments...they literally brought clothes...clothes this dear sister had made for the widows!

She told me to think about what that would have looked like, (she is also a sewer...or maybe it's seamstress?), especially back then. Sewing clothes takes place quietly, it would have been done throughout the day...maybe even a few stitches at a time in between house chores. (This sister actually said that each and every stitch could be called a mini act of love that never asked to be noticed). 

And then I thought about it: Jehovah could have preserved so many other details about Dorcas to show us her value...but when he inspired Luke to write this book, he pointed us to what people were wearing!

This sister said, "Tim...when Dorcas died...the congregation didn't just "explain" how valuable she was...they literally FELT it."

Then she hit me with a few haymakers: Have I ever wondered if what I do for Jehovah would actually be missed if I suddenly stopped? If I stopped all my spiritual activity right here and now...what quiet acts would speak up for me and be missed?

Jehovah didn't record Dorcas's words...he recorded her acts...and when he chose to act on her behalf...he did so with resurrection.

Do you know what this sister asked me next?

"I sometimes wonder, Tim...why didn't Jehovah use that resurrection on a brother who had died but who was integral to the 1st century Christian congregation? I mean, he didn't HAVE to resurrect her JUST to prove that he could...so why her?"

Her conclusion? Get ready, because this hit me hard: 

"Jehovah didn’t just resurrect Dorcas. He resurrected the kind of service that is easiest to overlook."

Jehovah didn’t need to prove that he could resurrect...we already know that. Instead, with this resurrection, it appears he chose to show us what he remembers.

So maybe the question isn’t whether our service is visible.

Maybe the question is whether it’s woven.

Because what Jehovah records, he values. And what he values…he remembers.

Even when no one else does.

*To all my dear sisters...and to anyone else who feels invisible...just know Jehovah may not always make our quiet service visible...but he ALWAYS makes it count.