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Friday, October 23 He was moved with pity for them, because they were as sheep without a shepherd.—Mark 6:34. No doubt you love Jehovah and want to serve others. How can you strengthen your desire to serve? Why not think about the joys that can come from serving your brothers and sisters? Jesus said: “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” (Acts 20:35) He lived by this principle. He found real joy in serving others. Consider an example found at Mark 6:31-34. On this occasion, Jesus and his apostles were tired. They were on their way to an isolated place to get some rest. But a crowd got there ahead of them, hoping to be taught by Jesus. He could have said no. After all, he and his companions “had no leisure time even to eat a meal.” Or Jesus could have sent the people away after sharing only one or two truths. But because he was motivated by love, he “started to teach them” until “the hour had grown late.”—Mark 6:35. w24.11 16 ¶9-10

Thursday, October 22 O Jehovah, what is man that you should notice him?—Ps. 144:3. From the Bible, we learn that Jehovah notices those who seem unimportant to others. For example, Jehovah sent the prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as the future king of Israel. Jesse called seven of his eight sons to meet Samuel but did not include David, the youngest. Yet, it was David whom Jehovah chose. (1 Sam. 16:6, 7, 10-12) Jehovah saw who David really was on the inside—a young man who valued spiritual things. Think about how Jehovah has already shown that he notices you. He offers to give you advice tailored to fit your needs. (Ps. 32:8) How can he do that unless he knows you well? (Ps. 139:1) When you apply Jehovah’s advice and see how it helps you, you will become convinced that Jehovah is interested in you. (1 Chron. 28:9; Acts 17:26, 27) Jehovah takes note of your efforts. He sees your inner qualities and is moved to reach out to you.—Jer. 17:10. w24.10 25-26 ¶7-9

Wednesday, October 21 I saw . . . a great crowd . . . out of all nations.—Rev. 7:9. We are moved to keep zealously preaching by considering what is being accomplished worldwide today. Each year, millions of interested ones attend the Memorial and study the Bible with us. Hundreds of thousands get baptized and join us in the preaching work. We do not know how many may yet respond to our preaching work, but we do know that Jehovah is gathering a great crowd who will survive the coming great tribulation. (Rev. 7:9, 14) The Master of the harvest continues to see potential in the field, so we have good reason to keep preaching. (Luke 10:2) Jesus’ disciples have always been identified by their zealous preaching. When people witnessed the outspokenness of the apostles, “they began to realize that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13) As people observe us in the ministry, may they see that we too have been influenced by Jesus’ zealous example. w25.03 18 ¶15; 19 ¶17-18

Tuesday, October 20 The virgins who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast.—Matt. 25:10. In the parable of the virgins, Jesus spoke of ten virgins who went out to meet a bridegroom. (Matt. 25:1-4) They all hoped to accompany the bridegroom to his marriage feast. Jesus described five of them as “discreet” and the other five as “foolish.” The discreet virgins were prepared to wait for the bridegroom as long as needed, even if he arrived late at night. Thus, they brought oil lamps to provide light in the dark. They even brought extra oil in case the bridegroom should delay. So they were prepared to keep their lamps burning. (Matt. 25:6-10) When the bridegroom arrived, the discreet virgins went in with him to the wedding feast. In like manner, anointed Christians who have proved ready by remaining vigilant and faithful until the coming of Christ will be judged worthy of joining the Bridegroom, Jesus, in his heavenly Kingdom.—Rev. 7:1-3. w24.09 21 ¶6

We are now being told by both our organisation and our governments to store food etc for 3 days plus, depending where we are living I know that many Americans have huge houses often with cellars and can easily store things… but most of us in other countries either have small apartments or houses, so space is limited I’m thinking of storing things under the bed etc… I don’t have lots of food here but I’m trying to buy extras as I can So where are you storing food? i need to keep things away from mice and because the house is very damp all dry goods will need to be in a sealed container

Meanwhile in my world I’m still trying to decide whether I buy tea bag’s or potatoes 😆

A lot of countries are now bringing in curfews to try and bring back law and order… they’re rioting over many different things, food shortages, schools, economy etc, but one thing is sure that it’s spreading through Europe It must be so frightening for the friends caught up in this, maybe unable to leave their homes etc It’s good to keep them all in our prayers.

Monday, October 19 When you spread a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; and you will be happy, because they have nothing with which to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous ones.—Luke 14:13, 14. Brothers, you demonstrate that you are “hospitable” when you do good things for others, including those outside your circle of close friends. (1 Pet. 4:9) One reference work describes a hospitable man this way: “The door of his house—and of his heart—must be open to strangers.” Ask yourself, ‘What is my reputation when it comes to welcoming visitors?’ (Heb. 13:2, 16) A hospitable man shares what he can with visitors, including lowly ones of little means and hardworking servants, such as circuit overseers and visiting speakers.—Gen. 18:2-8;Prov. 3:27; Acts 16:15; Rom. 12:13. w24.11 21 ¶6

Sunday, October 18 Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.—Matt. 6:9. Our love for Jehovah moves us to sanctify his name. We want to have a part in clearing his name of the reproach that Satan has brought on it by his malicious lies. (Gen. 3:1-5; Job 2:4; John 8:44) In our ministry, we are eager to stand up for our God, telling the truth about him to all who will listen. We want everyone to know that his greatest quality is love, that his way of ruling is righteous and just, and that his Kingdom will soon end all suffering and bring peace and happiness to the human family. (Ps. 37:10, 11,29; 1 John 4:8) When we defend Jehovah’s reputation in our ministry, we sanctify his name. We also have the satisfaction of knowing that we are living up to our name. w24.05 18 ¶12

Saturday, October 17 We have this treasure in earthen vessels.—2 Cor. 4:7. What is this treasure? It is the lifesaving work of preaching the Kingdom message. (2 Cor. 4:1) What are the earthen vessels? They represent God’s servants, who take the good news to others. In Paul’s day, merchants used clay jars to transport valuable goods, such as food, wine, and money. Similarly, Jehovah entrusts us with the valuable message of the good news. With Jehovah’s backing, we can have the strength needed to deliver our message faithfully. At times, we may experience fear of man or fear of rejection. How can we overcome that challenge? Consider the prayer of the apostles when they were ordered not to preach. Rather than give in to fear, they asked Jehovah to help them keep speaking with boldness. Jehovah immediately answered their prayer. (Acts 4:18, 29, 31) If fear of man affects you sometimes, ask Jehovah to help you conquer your fear of man with your love for people. w24.04 16 ¶8-9

Friday, October 16 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways. Do not stray onto her paths.—Prov. 7:25. Solomon’s account illustrates what can happen to any worshipper of Jehovah. He might fall into serious sin and later feel that everything occurred suddenly. Or he might say, “It just happened.” And yet, if he thinks about what actually occurred, he will likely discover that he took some unwise steps that led to his transgression. Those steps might have involved bad association, unwholesome entertainment, or frequenting questionable places—whether in person or online. Perhaps he had also stopped praying, reading the Bible, attending meetings, or sharing in the ministry. Like the young man discussed in Proverbs, he may not have committed the sin so suddenly after all. What is the lesson for us? We need to avoid not only the sin itself but also the steps that lead to sin. Solomon makes that very point after relating the account.—Matt. 5:29, 30. w24.07 16 ¶10-11

Thursday, October 15 From Jehovah you will receive the . . . reward.—Col. 3:24. Today, elders can be certain that Jehovah sees and values their fine work. In addition to shepherding, teaching, and preaching, many elders support construction projects and disaster relief efforts. Others serve on Patient Visitation Groups or Hospital Liaison Committees. Elders who make themselves available for such work see the congregation as Jehovah’s arrangement. They are whole-souled in their assignments and have full trust that God will reward them for what they do. (Col. 3:23, 24) Not all can be elders. But all of us have something to offer Jehovah. Our God appreciates it when we do our best to serve him. He notices our contributions to the worldwide work, no matter how modest. And he rejoices when we overlook an offense and extend forgiveness. Trust that Jehovah values what you can do. He loves you for it, and he will reward you.—Luke 21:1-4. w24.06 23 ¶12-13

Wednesday, October 14 Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those who are crushed in spirit.—Ps. 34:18. Are you coping with emotional distress caused by disappointment or by betrayal from someone you trusted? Regardless of how a person has treated you, your heavenly Father loves you. When coping with betrayal, we can be comforted by David’s reassuring words found in today’s text. One reference work says that those “crushed in spirit” may refer to “those who have nothing good to look forward to.” How does Jehovah respond to those who feel that way because of bitter disappointment? Like a loving parent who holds and comforts a child in distress, Jehovah “is close to” us—ever compassionate and ready to help us if we feel crushed by betrayal or loss. He is eager to comfort and soothe our broken heart and pained spirit. And he gives us many things to look forward to that help us endure our present trials.—Isa. 65:17. w24.12 23 ¶13-14

Tuesday, October 13 You think, not God’s thoughts, but those of men.—Matt. 16:23. Consider one occasion when the apostle Peter did not reflect Jehovah’s thinking on matters. Jesus had told his apostles that he would have to go to Jerusalem, be handed over to the religious leaders there, endure torture, and then be put to death. (Matt. 16:21) Peter may have found it hard to accept that Jehovah would allow Jesus—the hope of Israel and the promised Messiah—to be put to death. (Matt. 16:16) So Peter took Jesus aside and said: “Be kind to yourself, Lord; you will not have this happen to you at all.” (Matt. 16:22) Because Peter did not reflect Jehovah’s thinking on the matter, he was not thinking in agreement with Jesus. Peter may have had good intentions, but Jesus rejected Peter’s advice. There is a lesson for us. Leading a self-sparing life was not Jehovah’s will for Jesus. On that occasion, Peter learned a valuable lesson about making God’s thoughts his thoughts. w25.03 9 ¶5-6

Monday, October 12 A man is declared righteous . . . only through faith in Jesus Christ.—Gal. 2:16. Being declared righteous means that the charges against us have been dropped and that our record has been expunged, or wiped clean. By doing this, Jehovah does not violate his own standards of justice. He does not declare us righteous on our own merit; nor does he condone our sins. But because of our faith in the atonement arrangement and the ransom price that was paid, Jehovah has a basis for canceling our debts. (Rom. 3:24) What does this mean for each of us? Those who have been selected to rule with Jesus in heaven have already been declared righteous as children of God. (Titus 3:7;1 John 3:1) Their sins have been forgiven. They no longer have, as it were, a criminal record, and thus they qualify to be in the Kingdom. (Rom. 8:1, 2, 30) Those who have an earthly hope have been declared righteous as friends of God, and their sins are forgiven.—Jas. 2:21-23. w25.02 5 ¶17; 7 ¶18