Leaderboard

When I went to my grandpa’s funeral the other day, I honestly didn’t expect anything to break through the spiritual fog I’ve been living in. If I'm being blunt...I’ve been spiritually thin for weeks...maybe even months now...and I’ve been carrying around this quiet shame about it. I’ve been attending meetings on Zoom, half-present, half somewhere else entirely. My study habits have fallen apart. My prayers feel like they start strong in my chest...but die before they have the ability to reach my mouth. And honestly, (except for a few people), I’ve been afraid to admit any of this out loud because it feels like one more failure stacked on top of everything else that’s already crushing me. But at the end of the funeral, my Uncle gave the prayer and said something in it that stopped me cold. It clung to me...refusing to let go...and I now fully believe that wasn't JUST my Uncle speaking...that was Jehovah...talking through him...directly to me. He said Jehovah misses my grandpa’s thoughts. Not just his presence...not just his service...but his thoughts. I don’t know why that hit me the way it did, but it felt like someone reached inside my chest and pulled a cord I didn’t even realize was still connected. Because if Jehovah misses my grandpa’s thoughts, then Jehovah has been missing mine too...and that realization crushed me. For the first time in a while...I went home...fired up my computer, made myself a steaming hot cup of Maxwell House...and started doing some personal research. Not research for a Midweek meeting...or a Watchtower study...but just for ME. You know...Psalm 139:1-4 is one of those scriptures we hear so often that it becomes background noise. “Jehovah knows our thoughts before we speak them.” I usually take that to mean he’s interested in us...that he's aware of everything. But sitting there in my computer room...sipping from that steaming mug...I suddenly heard it differently. If Jehovah knows my thoughts before I speak them, then he also knows when those thoughts toward him have gone “quiet”. I mean, that only makes sense, right? He knows when the conversation has stopped. He knows when the prayers have dried up. He knows when the spiritual part of me that used to reach for him with wide open arms has suddenly gone silent. And if he knows what it's like when we're engaged...when we're pouring our heart out to him...if he can FEEL that...then it follows that he also feels the absence of it. But he's not angry at me...he's not judging me...he's actually longing for me to start speaking again. The more I thought about this...the more another verse began to tug at my brain...pulling me deeper into my research...pushing me further from Satan and his thinking...tugging me towards Jehovah...towards his outstretched arms. Malachi 3:16 suddenly sprang to mind...the verse about Jehovah listening so closely to the conversations of those who fear him that he writes them down in a book of remembrance. I’ve always thought of that verse as something encouraging, something that shows how much Jehovah values loyalty. But now I’m seeing the other side of it. If Jehovah "writes down" our spiritual conversations...if he records them, if he appreciates them THAT much...then what does it mean when the pages go blank...when the entries stop...when a gap appears, like when you're recording your voice and suddenly stop talking for a few seconds. Again, it means Jehovah notices. It means he feels the silence...it's like he starts straining to hear us...to detect WHY we've quit talking. It means he misses the sound of MY voice. And that’s where I’ve been...I've been living in that silence...in that “pause” of the voice recording. My wife is overseas, dealing with medical issues that keep getting mishandled. She’s in a homeless shelter. She’s not getting the help she needs. Every day I wake up with this knot in my chest that doesn’t go away, and every night I go to bed with the same knot, only tighter...thicker...heavier. My thoughts have been consumed by fear, frustration, helplessness, and guilt...that's just the plain and simple truth. And somewhere in the middle of all this chaos, my spiritual voice dimmed. Not because I stopped loving Jehovah. Not because I don’t care. But because I’ve been mentally and emotionally exhausted in a way I don’t know how to explain to anyone...not even to Jehovah. (Try THAT thought on for size) So when my Uncle said Jehovah misses my grandpa’s thoughts, it felt like Jehovah was quietly telling me, “Tim, I miss yours too.” Not in the way to make me feel ashamed. Not in a “get it together, Tim!” kind of way either. But in a way that reminded me that my relationship with him isn’t built on perfect attendance or flawless study habits. It’s built on connection...on conversation...on thoughts that turn toward him even when life is tearing and ripping you apart...even then. That’s why I’m going to the Kingdom Hall this morning. It’s been over a month since I’ve walked through those doors. I don’t have answers for the questions people will ask. I don’t have a neat explanation for the mess my life is in. I don’t have some powerful spiritual comeback story. But I do have one desire today...just one honest, fragile goal that I desperately want to accomplish this morning. I want to turn the volume up just a little. Not all the way...I'm not ready for that yet...I'm not even sure I'm ready for this. But I'm going to try...because if there's one thing I know for certain: there is temporary pain in serving Jehovah...but there is everlasting death in choosing the other side. And if any of you reading this are struggling in your own way...if your prayers have gone quiet, if your study has gone cold, if your meeting attendance has slipped...if your thoughts toward Jehovah have been drowned out by fear or grief or exhaustion...please believe me: Jehovah misses your thoughts too! Not your performance...not your “perfection”...no, he misses your thoughts...the ones you used to give him...the ones you still want to give him even if you don’t know how. Honestly...just speaking plainly among friends...I may regress. I may crawl back into my hole and ask the ground to cover me over. I may get hurt today...someone may offend me...may unknowingly rip open wounds that are still bleeding and raw...but I'm going anyways. Why? Because Jehovah misses my thoughts...and because the silence between me and my best friend is something that I can no longer endure. Even if everyone else in that Kingdom Hall were to suddenly descend upon me and start asking hurtful questions or saying mean things, (obviously I'm exaggerating), I'm not there to listen to them anyway. I'm there because my best friend is there...because HE misses my thoughts...and truthfully...because I can no longer endure the silence between me...and Jehovah.

Please pray for us brothers, it's a difficut siituation here in Pereira. so much devestation.... Jehovah has been kind and we are endevoring to press on, but the amount of detruction is beyond anything I have ever ecperienced.

Our Hall was upgraded with AC last year. Meanwhile, Twickenham Convention starts tomorrow and we have received advice re. the hot weather: “We care deeply about those most at risk in hot weather and many have expressed appreciation for the option to enjoy the live convention programme using JW Stream. Congregation elders have the details to access this provision. We’re sure you will carefully weigh Bible principles when deciding what is best for you personally.” Along with sensible advice for those that do decide to attend.

43 now +33 = 76 Some of family died in cancer in their late 30s. Im having problem with my stomach and im having a tumor in different parts of my body .. I dunno if they're benign or cancerous .. Life is shorter these days..

I don't care if AC makes me soft, at least I'm not sweating. 🥵

Bro Tim. I really appreciate your honesty. It brought tears to my eyes. I have two family members that may feel this same way! I am going to send to them your thoughts and hope they honestly hear what your are saying and apply it to themselves. I have certainly applied to myself! I think we all 'slip' at times and that needs to be quickly corrected in ourselves. Thank you for your honesty and happy to hear you are 'recovering'. DG

It's getting hotter everywhere brother. It's not the same world as back then. We have KHs without AC that have had to go Zoom only in London during the 5 heatwaves so far this year. This is unprecedented and will only get worse. All fans and AC units in the UK sold out in June and we have none in the shops. Last week in our monthly Announcements from branch we got a reminder to check our go bags because of the risk of wildfires in the UK. Yesterday we got the fulfilment ... From BBC news.

Lots of structural damage.🙈😢

Jehovah may have been missing your thoughts, because He has been reading your heart's letters, Tim. He wants you to read them outloud to Him, dear brother

One of my students mother passed away as a building collapsed. another still cannot locate his family in Cali. When it is this close, people I know and study with, pray with etc, it has an impact on my heart. I toight I had empathy before... Yesterday we were able to re-enter our building, get some stuff, clothes etc. Many arre worse off than us, and there are yet more eq in number and destruction happening even now. Fires, floods, eq, hurricanes oh we need the new world! I am trying to gather myself, for this is when the community needs the help of a better future. Gotta get out and preach!! Sorry to ramble on.

We are praying for you and others (Venesuelans). We are devastated as if we were there with you. I can speak for myself that the emotional pain I am experiencing confuses me and hurts me because our brothers are going through so much. I wonder at times why Jehovah does not bring this system to a close. But, he has his schedule and will bring it on time. Continue praying for strength, faith and help others. We should ALL be out of this soon.

There was a 4.8 in Spain this morning. Not a big one but it made some damages and was felt in Madrid. https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/earthquake-measuring-richter-20260815014340-nt.html

A major, shallow quake has just struck Ende, Indonesia. That makes five Major quakes in just the past four days.

My first Kingdom Hall in the '70s had no AC, no fans, only small windows. It was miserable in the summer 🥵 Nearly impossible to keep the children still, babies whining, pregnant sisters gasping.. Yay for air con - and my sincere condolences to those without it.. 🙏🏼💐

Of course you are all in our prayers, as well as our family in Venezula. These disasters happen so fast and furious that it is hard to wrap our minds around it all. How Jehovah's organization keeps up with all the disasters is beyond me! The cost and the volunteer manpower needed for disaster relief committee's has to be enormous, yet it is always there and ready for the next disaster. Keep donating, keep praying and keep the faith!

That's what I'm thinking. We have all of the signs that we are in the last days so whether Jehovah has a predetermined date or not really doesn't affect us, it will happen right in time, whatever determines that time is.

>>He said Jehovah misses my grandpa’s thoughts. Not just his presence...not just his service...but his thoughts. I don’t know why that hit >>me the way it did, but it felt like someone reached inside my chest and pulled a cord I didn’t even realize was still connected. Because if >>Jehovah misses my grandpa’s thoughts, then Jehovah has been missing mine too...and that realization crushed me. For the first time in a >>while...I went home...fired up my computer, made myself a steaming hot cup of Maxwell House...and started doing some personal >>research. Waoh! That's profound. Jehovah missing our thoughts when we are dead. It's a profound truth which has always been there but on reading that verse, which says Jehovah discerns our thoughts while we are living... So if he misses our thoughts when we are dead, it shows a connection to Job which says Jehovah in fact yearns to bring his faithful ones back to life. Waoh! No wonder it hit you in a different way. It hit me like a Wow! moment. I learned one thing: Our thoughts are a shared relationship we have with Jehovah and no one else, unless we choose to share with others. And if Jehovah misses it, then surely he yearns to bring us to life in the resurrection so that relationship can continue. I wish I had an opportunity to share that with someone else in a way they can understand how valuable, cherished and loved we are by Jehovah even if and when we sleep in death. That's profound bro. Very profound. Thanks for sharing. Next time I happen to read Psalm 139 I would attempt to try it on the other lines, not just that line on discerning our thoughts while alive. Thanks for sharing.

We love you Tim! Empathy is not my strong emotion, but you moved me too. This system stinks and watching our loved ones suffer takes it out of us. I hope your wife finds good help. That constant search is hard too. May Jehovah give you both the strength you need and the peace of God that protects your heart and mind (Phil 4:6-9).

Who is Conner Leahy? Connor Leahy is a German-American artificial intelligence researcher, entrepreneur, and prominent advocate for AI safety and alignment. So, he's a guy that makes money off of encouraging people to make sure AI is controlled? So, he's always worried because he makes money encouraging other people to be worried? And we should listen to him so we can pay him more money? This seems circular to me....

The earth is definitely in peril. The weather patterns are so far off and every single decision greedy men and corporations make just plunge it further into disaster after disaster. These data centers going in all over the world are the last nail in the coffin I think. They will cause untold damage to the water and atmosphere and sink innocent people who depend on these resources further into despair. It's no wonder the Bible tells us that "men will become faint out of fear". The news media is geared to make people afraid of absolutely everything - everything we eat, every kind of medicine we take, every phone call or message we get, every place we go, - every decision we make is a wrong one. The stress of life is getting too great and people are going nuts because they can't handle it. Seems like life is nothing but mass murders, natural disasters, fear of another world war and general craziness. And this all BEFORE the GT happens! Life after the GT starts is something we all must spiritually and mentally prepare for now - I have a feeling what we are experiencing now will feel like a cakewalk compared to after the GT starts.

Sorry to hear. These are truly difficult times hard to deal with.

Tim, even while you felt that your thoughts toward Jehovah had gone quiet, everything you wrote shows that your heart never really left him. You were overwhelmed, grieving, frightened for your wife, and simply exhausted—and Jehovah knew the difference between silence caused by indifference and silence caused by pain. Going to the Hall was the right thing. So is honestly telling Jehovah where you have been. You may have felt far away from him. I know he was never far away from you. ub Dave

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

...it used to be a forest.

Beautiful report. I don't know why, but it has always irked me how much trouble people have with a little apostrophe S in "Jehovah's Witnesses." Even some fellow believers struggle with it. To me, that little apostrophe S carries real weight. It's the difference between simply being witnesses and being Jehovah's witnesses, people who belong to him and represent him specifically. Getting it right feels like a small way of honoring what the name actually points to. I do understand that in some pidgin and creole languages, the apostrophe S isn't used, and that's simply a language thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0gvsx3xZl4

Yes the scence of this world is getting worsen everytime as it is closer to the GT. But remember what Jesus said "...for these things must take place, but the end is not yet." (Mat 24:6) We need to endure all of this things in the last days until GT. Eduring this means our lives. fruitage of Jehovah's holy spirit helps us to make until the new world.

Many prayers my brother.

Thursday, August 13 God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out so that you may be able to endure it.—1 Cor. 10:13. Seeing Jehovah as a living Person will allow us to view our trials properly. How so? We begin to see our trials as part of a bigger issue between Jehovah and Satan. The Devil claims that when we suffer hardship, we will abandon Jehovah. (Job 1:10, 11; Prov. 27:11) But when we deal with our trials successfully, we show our love for Jehovah and prove the Devil a liar. Are you facing government opposition, economic hardship, negative responses to your preaching, or some other trial? If so, remember that your situation gives you an opportunity to make Jehovah’s heart rejoice. Remember, too, that he will never let you be tested beyond your limits. He will give you the strength to endure. w24.06 22 ¶9

This is a favorite scripture of mine,.. It became my favorite as my mother-in-law used to quote it often, as she suffered so many physical ailments that ultimately led to her death. We would visit her daily in the hospital. little. One day I walked in to find her hanging over the edge of her bed. She's said "I just told Jehovah he's got more confidence in my ability to suffer than I do." Jehovah was right. When it was too much, she was out, then gone. I will introduce you to her in the future. You will love her!

Archive.org has several old bibles in foreign languages. I have Biblia Sagrada - Joao Almeida 1903 (27M). Codex Vaticanus in its 3 columns of Greek (17M). Diatessaron (1867) (.5M). Latin Vulgate -Gutenberg 1462 (1.2G ouch)

Antarctica now at 2nd lowest. Massive Ice losses for 3 days straight during refreeze season. Melting season starts around Nov 1st. Ocean are at its hottest ever since record keeping began.

At least 20 dead following 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/10/world/live-news/colombia-earthquake-san-jose-del-palmar

I agree. If price needs to be adjusted, I can understand that. But a software you pay for cannot have a support like that. There are programs I have bought for $25 or $50, one single payment, not a subscription, and when I ask a question I receive a kind answer. I am not required to read the whole working manual and write a composition about it before asking. If many users ask the same questions, that means the interface is not clear enough. Fix the issues and the number of support tickets will greatly decrease.

I have had quite the opposite experience. But at the same time because I also work in tech support I know the value of gathering all the evidence and screenshots. I do that anyway even if they did not ask for it. I have check many of my replies and this is usually what I get.

What beautiful meaningful expressions. FWIW, I have been the sister who asked about someone, something and quickly realized, within seconds, how regrettable my words were. Please know, sometimes, we goof up ... royally. Mostly it is because, sadly, we don't know what to say and say the wrong thing. Lovingly, the person responded, "It's not something I want to talk about right now." I totally respected that! She turned what I mistakenly thought was kindness back to me. Maybe, just maybe, you can prepare yourself with simple kind words to indicate one way or another, you're not open to discuss those deep thoughts, personal situations, etc etc., but you are glad to be there. Simple. If at all possible, that is. Jehovah sees you and your wife. You both matter. Thank you for sharing because it really helps us all in many ways. 💙

Dont think anything will compare with this El Niño

Well said sis, it's shocking how many disasters this poor old earth is going through. Love to all.

Might we all be getting a bit soft. Oh I enjoy air-conditioning but I reflect back on the first 40 years going to the KH with no air C.

A lady was walking down the sidewalk when she met a little girl with a box of newborn kittens. So she asked the girl all about her kittens, even asking what religion they were. The little girl said they were Catholic; the lady thought that was adorable. The next week, the lady was walking with her friend and boasted about the girl's kittens being Catholic. When they came to the little girl with her kittens, the lady's friend asked what religion they were. This time, the girl said they were Jehovah's Witnesses. The two women gasped: "Why?" and "How?" The little girl replied: "Well, their eyes have opened now".

Hm, that is interesting, I thought that these instructions apply worldwide, but probably not. We have to close and lock all doors and windows 25 minutes before the meeting at latest (usually it happens even earlier than that). They also stay closed and locked during and after the meeting. Brother that is responsible for that unlocks and allows others to enter/exit kingdom hall. Not only that, locked are even doors in the fence at the entrance to KH premises (but these are locked only during the meeting and there is no impact to parking because we park outside KH premises). These are specific instructions we received from the branch and it is like this for some time already (it started few months after shooting attack in Germany). Good AC is therefore really required here.

In Japan, there are AC everywhere, but I remember in my cong in France, getting people to accept AC 20 years ago wasn't easy, it was delayed many times, now they are very happy with it

Until recently, our two-story Kingdom Hall had ceiling fans. After submitting an application to the Bethel office for renovation, we had air conditioners installed on both the first and second floors. Now we can practically freeze ourselves while listening to the program and the prepared talks.

We are fortunate to have air conditioning in our Kingdom Hall, and given the brutal heatwaves hitting Europe—and so many other regions around the globe dealing with record-breaking temperatures—it really makes a world of difference. My heart goes out to all the brothers and sisters worldwide who are sitting through meetings in high heat without AC; it definitely takes extra perseverance! On a lighter note: Do you know who would appreciate AC very much in the new world? Jonah!

Record breaking El Niño, +2.76C now. we are going to have a really dangerous winter coming up, forecast models are calling a very dangerous winter this year.

“Then Jehovah’s spirit empowered him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands.” — Judges 14:6 Just picture the scene for a moment. A young man is walking along a dusty road. The sun is high in the sky. Vineyards stretch out on both sides of the path. It seems like a completely ordinary day. No war. No battle. No danger appears to be anywhere in sight. That morning, Samson surely did not wake up thinking, Today I’m going to fight for my life. He simply wanted to continue on his way. But then something completely unexpected happens. Suddenly, a deafening roar shatters the silence. Not somewhere in the distance. Right nearby. A young lion bursts out of the vineyards. Hungry. Powerful. Fast. Its eyes are fixed on Samson. There is no fence. No tree to climb. No weapon in his hand. No one there to help him. In that moment, everything is decided. And that is exactly how life sometimes feels for us too. We wake up in the morning, perhaps read the daily text, pray to Jehovah, and expect it to be just another ordinary day. Then suddenly... ...the doctor's phone call comes. ...a job loss. ...a painful disappointment from someone we trusted. ...a diagnosis. ...news that completely knocks the ground out from under our feet. Or perhaps we suddenly realize that our own courage is fading. That doubts are growing louder. That worries have taken hold of our heart. No one goes looking for those lions. They simply appear. And very often we ask ourselves, “Jehovah... why now? Why me?” Maybe that isn't the best question. Perhaps a better question would be, “Jehovah, what do you want to teach me through this lion?” Because one thing stands out immediately in Samson’s account. Jehovah did not keep the lion away. He certainly could have. Jehovah could have caused the lion to run in another direction. He could have prevented Samson from ever meeting it. But he didn't. Why? Not because Jehovah is cruel. Not because Samson didn't matter to him. But because Jehovah knew: Beyond that lion, something even greater was waiting. Sometimes Jehovah protects us, not by removing every difficulty, but by giving us the strength to walk straight through it. How often we pray, "Jehovah, please take this problem away." Yet Jehovah may answer, "I will give you something even more precious. I will give you strength you don't even know you have yet." And that is exactly what happened to Samson. The Bible does not first say that Samson was strong. It says, “Then Jehovah’s spirit empowered him.” That is the key to the whole account. The hero of this story is not Samson. The hero is Jehovah. Samson did not possess superhuman strength on his own. His strength came from Jehovah. And that completely changes the way we look at the lions in our own life. Because we do not have to defeat them by our own strength. How often do we think, "I can't do this anymore." And you know what? Maybe that's actually true. On our own, there really are some things we simply cannot do. But Jehovah has never asked us to fight with our own strength. He doesn't say, "Be strong." He says, "I will make you strong." What a tremendous difference! Perhaps right now you are facing a lion that no one knows about except Jehovah. Maybe you smile at the Kingdom Hall. Maybe you share in the ministry. Maybe no one realizes how much your heart sometimes aches. No one sees the sleepless nights. No one hears the quiet prayers. No one knows about the tears you try so hard to hide. But Jehovah knows. He sees every single one of them. He hears every unspoken prayer. And that is exactly why he can give you the precise strength you need today. Not tomorrow. Today. There is something else that is interesting. The lion did not disappear simply because Samson had faith. He still had to face it. That is often true for us as well. Faith does not mean that our difficulties disappear. Faith means that Jehovah walks through them with us. And sometimes we experience God's nearness most deeply in the very places where we least expected to find it. Many servants of Jehovah could tell you that. They would probably say, "The hardest period of my life was also the time when I felt closest to Jehovah." Isn't that remarkable? Very often, our darkest valleys become the places where our faith grows the deepest. Later, Samson passed by that place again. The roaring lion was no longer there. Instead, he found honey. Sweetness. Nourishment. Something precious. What a beautiful picture. Where there had once been fear, he now found something sweet. Danger had become a blessing. Pain had become something valuable. How often we don't understand that until much later. While we are in the middle of the struggle, nothing seems to make sense. Only years later do we look back and say, "Now I understand why Jehovah allowed me to walk that path." Perhaps without that illness we would never have learned to pray so earnestly. Perhaps without that disappointment we would never have discovered how faithful Jehovah truly is. Perhaps without that loss we would never have experienced the love of our spiritual family so deeply. Perhaps without that lion we would never have discovered the strength that Jehovah could develop within us. The lion was meant to destroy Samson. Yet in the end, that very lion became part of his story. Not because of the lion. But because of Jehovah. Perhaps one day your greatest struggle will no longer be the chapter of your life that fills you with shame. Perhaps it will become the chapter that gives someone else courage. Perhaps one day someone will ask, "How did you make it through?" And you will be able to answer, "Not me. Jehovah carried me." Isn't that the most beautiful answer of all? So let us change where we focus our attention. Not constantly on the lion. But on the One who is stronger than every lion. The lion roars loudly. But Jehovah's voice is stronger. The lion brings fear. Jehovah gives peace. The lion wants us to give up. Jehovah wants to show us that, with his help, we can accomplish far more than we ever thought possible. Perhaps today you are standing right in front of such a lion. You don't know what tomorrow will bring. You feel small. Weak. Perhaps even alone. Then remember Samson. Not his muscles. Not his courage. But the one sentence that changed everything: “Then Jehovah’s spirit empowered him.” That same Jehovah is still alive today. He has not changed. He knows your name. He knows your story. He knows your tears. And he also knows the lion standing in front of you right now. So don't step into tomorrow filled with fear. Walk into it with Jehovah. Perhaps he will not remove the lion immediately. But he will never leave you to face it alone. And perhaps one day you will look back and realize: The lion was never proof that Jehovah had abandoned me. It was the very place where Jehovah showed me more clearly than ever before just how close he had always been.