GodlyDevotion

I wanted to share some thoughts on this matter that has come up recently — a topic that touches on personal conscience and my relationship with Jehovah. It is very important to me. This may be the first time some of us are hearing that a few people may engage in birthday anniversaries or other social customs without consciously connecting them to their original meanings. But when we reflect on such practices, we’re reminded of a vital principle shared in the recent update: “Does this practice honor Jehovah? And does it show love and consideration for our brothers and sisters?” That question has stuck with me. It helps us view our decisions not only through the lens of personal freedom but through the lens of love. Because in this spiritual family, our decisions don’t stand alone. They ripple outward — touching hearts, memories, and sometimes, old wounds. For many of us who came into the truth, refusing to celebrate birthdays was one of the earliest — and most difficult — changes we made. Some of us faced mockery, emotional pressure, or even rejection from our families. And yet, we made that decision because we came to love Jehovah’s standards more than our own comfort. Why do we take such a clear stand? Because birthdays are rooted in paganism and linked to astrology, false gods, and spiritistic ideas about guardian spirits. Because the Bible’s two mentions of birthdays are both tied to violent, ungodly events: the execution of Pharaoh’s baker and the beheading of John the Baptist. Because no faithful servant of Jehovah in the Bible is shown celebrating a birthday — not Jesus, not the apostles, not the prophets. And, most of all, because birthdays often place emphasis on exalting the self. The focus becomes “my day,” “my gifts,” “my wishes,” rather than glorifying Jehovah or drawing attention to him. So for Jehovah’s people, the choice has been clear. We don’t celebrate birthdays — not because we want to be different for the sake of it, but because we want to be different for Jehovah’s sake. Today, however, toasting has largely lost those overt spiritual connotations. In many settings, it’s just a casual gesture — a way of saying “Cheers,” “Congratulations,” or “To your success.” The update helped me see why toasting is treated as a matter of conscience — not a congregational rule. But here’s where we have to be very careful. Just because something isn’t “forbidden” doesn’t make it spiritually wise. Some toasts still exalt human pride, wealth, or achievement, things Jehovah has warned us not to glorify. So the question is not simply: “Is this allowed?” But rather: “Does this bring peace?” “Does this build others up?” “Does this reflect my love for Jehovah and my brothers?” That’s the spiritual maturity Jehovah is drawing out of us — not blind rule-following, but discernment driven by love. Brother Lett used a powerful illustration of a child who needs to hold the hand of his mother before crossing the street. A mature adult would not need his mother’s hand to cross the street. What I got from that illustration is this: If the mother, while crossing the street, has an accident that kills the child due to negligence, she will answer to Jehovah. But for an adult, if he dies through his own negligence, he will answer to Jehovah. This is one of those situations where our actions now are being observed by Jehovah, and He will be keenly interested in how we display love and make decisions. With more freedom comes greater responsibility before Jehovah.

I love this point. It reminds me of the article I read a couple of months ago. When wolves were exterminated from Yellowstone National Park in the early 20th century, deer and elk populations exploded. These herds overgrazed trees and shrubs, especially near rivers. The entire ecosystem tipped into imbalance. What if humans were removed from earth? What if we are removed? Would the earth sustain itself? From a purely ecological or physical standpoint: Yes — the Earth’s natural systems (water cycle, carbon cycle, ecosystems, etc.) can continue functioning without human intervention. But from Jehovah’s perspective, earth was designed for us. It wouldn’t be earth without humans. It is our home, stage, and inheritance. We complete the earth. We sustain the earth. Imagine a violin that still exists, still vibrates in the air, still collects dust. But no one plays it. Is it “sustained”? Technically yes. Is it fulfilling its reason for being? No. Yes, Jehovah doesn’t need us. The earth doesn’t need us. But we are Jehovah’s creation and we bring and add meaning to his creation. We do this because we are image-bearers of him. We were not made out of necessity. But astonishingly, we were made out of desire. That is a raw kind of love.

I am a little off with the timeline of the books. I would love to get back to reading them, but I am missing the piece. Bro Walker, would you kindly share more insights on the order of the “between the verses” series?

The cry of peace reminds me of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Over the years in this forum, I have seen a lot of speculation on this subject. I, myself, have made some speculations too. It is interesting that, as time passes, our speculation has changed over time. I imagine seeing Jehovah smile at our interesting attempts to unravel the sacred secrets of His will. Who can blame us? We are curious beings. I mean even the angels peer into these things. Back to my recent speculations that is, most likely, going to change over time. Before the destruction of the city, the city had enjoyed a supposed victory against the Romans after the Roman governor of Syria, Cestius Gallus, led an army to Jerusalem but was unexpectedly defeated by Jewish rebels and forced to retreat. I remembered the Walk By Faith movie and the depictions of joy on the rebels' faces. All seemed well at first. However, it was towards the end of the movie that we saw the deplorable state of the city when the second couple came back. It was an easy destruction that was met without much retaliation from the Jews. Could this destruction be similar to the destruction of BTG? The destruction of BTG is the first of the fall of Satan's present system of things. Could the deplorable state of BTG continue until its final destruction? A look at the humiliation of Christendom in the Olympics was eye-opening to me, I think. I feel this humiliation will continue until the destruction comes on the world empire of false religion. Will it be met with retaliation? I don't think so. Maybe more of a pity or sadness.

And this was @Ferb reply 😂😂😂

Oh, I know you two! You both made jokes and laughed about my comment on the thread. I think that was some years ago. I think I said "True Love" as described in our movie is finding love in the most obscure places just as the sister depicted in the movies spilled drinks on the brother. Now that I think about it, why did I say that? 😭😭😭

"Love will find you if you are not looking." That's a generalised statement I have often heard. While I am not fully interested in a relationship, I tend to think of the aforementioned statement as not entirely true, at least for me. Thing is, if I don't find love and my future wife doesn't, how will we meet? Or maybe, there is just a miraculous way "true love" weaves itself. And yes, we have a movie "What is True Love?" that seems to support this narrative. Well, I thought to myself: "What if I could ask you dear married ones how you found love?" How did you meet your significant other? Did you wait for it? Did you seek it? Or you were not looking? A suitable experience in relation to the question will be most welcome. Let me go and grab my popcorn as I hear true love unravel its stories! 😂😂😂

Another one. Can't wait! Besides, are we going to see more paradise books in the future?

The reality is there is a lot of corruption in finance. I knew this would happen after an analysis of the foreign exchange market. Since the pandemic, there have been a lot of manipulations and crypto would be a target. I mentioned this a while back on a thread I think. I have been with cryptocurrency for some years. I lost trust in it when they introduced the futures contract. Before that, crypto used spot trading for trading contracts. Spot trading typically means you can buy and invest in it by trading it. With the majority of people buying, you can only expect its value to go up coupled with a sizeable amount of crypto coins released every period. Back then, you can not trade sell positions by shorting. You can only trade by buying it. Although, you can sell your coins to another person. With futures, however, the opportunity to short it now exists. This opens crypto to a lot of vulnerabilities meaning crypto is at the mercy of big financial banks, or who knows, the central banks. What happens when the feds have major banks decide to short (or trade it by selling) BTC with billions of dollars, wouldn't it instantly go to zero? That's what a decentralized gets it, no regulation or protection available in the financial markets. I have hence decided it is too much of a risk and not my cup of tea. Also, with the inflation happening, I expect something worse to come. How does inflation affect it? Risk on/risk off. This means that pairs directly traded with USD are targeted. Dollar goes up, they come down. This wouldn't happen if they stayed with spot trading because you only bought. But with futures, BTC would be dumping hard because traders will be shorting it, and who knows, financial banks. Lastly, I just don't trust my investment in the hands of an unknown figure that hasn't been found. I don't have a problem with the technology of blockchain. It looks too good and brilliant to be tossed away, but I don't think it is what it should be yet. And yes, I'm not a financial advisor 🙂

This is my plight. I haven't had covid at all, and I feel healthy. I am unsure if taking the vaccine is a good idea... I am always very cautious when it comes to vaccines. I don't believe in any conspiracy theories, but my body just doesn't react to vaccines well.

Here in my country, there is a devastating flood that is destroying homes and properties. It has spread to more than four states. Food supply is being impeded. Agriculture is being destroyed. I have no explanation for this as it has never happened like this before.

I was a little bit worried that a topic wasn't opened yet until I saw yours. Thanks, @Doak for starting the topic. I am about to watch it, and I am excited to see Neeta and Jade return to our screens.

Please don't stop writing. Your books are a gem for us.

I don't know what the OP means. But I did watch a Netflix documentary on minimalistic living and it doesn't necessarily mean living a poor lifestyle. It just broadens the perspective that we can live with less. Many of the things we own are necessary, and the burden of owning many things could make us feel empty. Like sister hope and a few mentioned, it really depends on an individual's needs and the size of a family. The takeaway from the movie is living with less contributes to a stress-free life. And there is a substantial amount of truth in it. So, I have decided that the latest Tesla plaid s, a sufficient amount of clean outfit, a cinema-sized TV for a good viewing experience, and a couple of other everyday stuff is okay for me in my goal of becoming a minimalist 🙂

I have always had the conviction that the pandemic will prepare us for the future when we will not have the opportunity to meet physically. Perhaps, the situation in Russia and Ukraine could also be a preparation for the future when the GT comes. Who knows? It's all happening fast at the same time and simultaneously.