Examining the Scriptures Daily - 2017

[humble bumble bee]

"See" Jehovah's hand

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, November 21

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.—John 11:5.

 

Although Martha was the only woman mentioned by name as being one whom Jesus loved, he also had pure unselfish love for other godly women, such as his dear earthly mother, Mary, and Martha’s sister, Mary. (John 19:25-27) Why, then, is Martha mentioned in this way in the Gospel account? Jesus loved Martha not only for her hospitable and industrious nature but, no doubt, because of her spirituality. She was a woman who truly believed Jesus’ teachings. Martha had remarkable faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah. (John 11:21-27) At the same time, like all of us, she was not perfect. On one occasion while Jesus was being entertained in her home, Martha presumed to tell Jesus what he should do to correct a situation she thought to be wrong. “Lord,” said Martha, “does it not matter to you that my sister has left me alone to attend to things? Tell her to come and help me.”—Luke 10:38-42. w15 10/15 3:1, 2

[humble bumble bee]

Loved for spirituality

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, November 22

Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.—Jas. 4:8.

 

By continuing to ponder over spiritual things, we will maintain our enthusiasm for the truth. Thus we will be a source of refreshment to our brothers and to the interested ones we meet in the field service. Meditating deeply on God’s greatest gift, the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, will help us to cherish the privilege of having a close relationship with our Holy Father, Jehovah. (Rom. 3:24) Mark, a South African who spent three years in prison because of his Christian neutrality, said: “Meditation can be compared to an exciting adventure. The more we meditate on spiritual things, the more we discover new things about our God, Jehovah. At times when I’m feeling a little discouraged or anxious about the future, I pick up the Bible and meditate on a passage of Scripture. I feel that it really calms me down.” w15 10/15 4:15

[Spechellekaye]

What a great honor to be the only woman mentioned in the Bible that Jesus loved. We are given an opportunity to be in the same type of loving situation today with Jesus and Jehovah. We do this by believing in the ransom and building our spiritual relationship with Jehovah by daily Bible reading, meditation, meeting attendance,  public witnessing work, and remaining faithful and loyal to the end. 

[Spechellekaye]

The preaching of the good news  worldwide is proof of Jehovah’s helping hand when he helped his people defend and legally establish the good news. The unity we have worldwide is also proof of God’s helping hand. When we have a strong relationship with Him, we can easily see his hand in our life. So we must have a pure heart like the many examples in the power. No doubt that we all have personally seen Jehovah loving hand help us in our personal lives. 

[Spechellekaye]

Jehovah lovingly invites us to draw close to Him. This verse shows us that effort is required to have a relationship with HIm. We do this by taking in knowledge daily, so we can become aquainted with Him. We are obedient, and we have intimate, confidential talk with our heavenly Father by means of prayer, regularly. There is no greater honor than drawing close to God. 

[Hope]

I love Martha. I see much of myself in her.. I like to imagine she was the eldest in the family and that their parents may have died when they were fairly young - teenagers? Martha is the big sister/mom of the family, the one who handles things so her sister and brother don't have to worry about anything. She was able to put her emotions aside to be the practical one regarding Lazarus' death (sent for Jesus, met him when he arrived), allowing Mary to simply grieve. Martha had what I feel is the most familial relationship with Jesus out of anyone he interacted with - at the dinner, she fussed at him like he was her own brother and felt free to express sad disappointment when Jesus didn't arrive in time to save Lazarus. Jesus spoke affectionately, plainly and appreciatively to her and I like that a lot. He really cared for her.

She did bother a lot about things... but who else was going to do it, eh? Jesus' counsel to relax a bit and focus on spiritual things does not go amiss, however; a great reminder. All of that was a lovely slice of life.  

[Old]

Yes, mostly Marta. 

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, November 23

Give me understanding, so that I may observe your law and keep it with my whole heart.—Ps. 119:34.

 

When appropriate, explain to your children the reasons behind a rule or a decision you make. If a teenager understands your thinking on the matter, he is more likely to obey you from a willing heart. “Giving reasons helps teenagers to trust you because they see that your decisions are not arbitrary or capricious but reasonable,” says Barry, who raised four children. A teenager is also maturing into an adult with his own “power of reason.” (Rom. 12:1) Barry explains: “Teenagers need to learn to make sensible decisions based on reason rather than emotion.” When you humbly give reasons for your decisions, your adolescent can sense that you recognize that he is progressing toward maturity, and he learns to make his own decisions with his “power of reason.” w15 11/15 2:11

Edited November 22, 2017 by GrumpysWife

[humble bumble bee]

Explanation --> Understanding --> Obedience

[Spechellekaye]

Great Bible scripture to remind us to first prepare our heart for understanding by means of prayer. We also need to pray for the heart attitude that will allow us to accept what we read so that we can be obedient and follow Jehovah's laws and principles to the best of our abilities. 

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, November 24

Let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.—Gal. 6:10.

 

Throughout the earth, there are millions who worship Jehovah and bear witness to his name and purpose. How should each worshipper of Jehovah view his fellow Witnesses? (Rom. 12:10) The apostle Peter wrote: “Now that you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth with unhypocritical brotherly affection as the result, love one another intensely from the heart.” Peter also told fellow believers: “Above all things, have intense love for one another.” (1 Pet. 1:22; 4:8) Because we have intense love for our fellow servants of Jehovah, we make up a unique worldwide organization. Moreover, because we love Jehovah and obey his laws, he supports us with the most powerful force in the universe, his holy spirit, or active force. This enables us to enjoy wonderful unity as a truly international brotherhood.—1 John 4:20, 21. w15 11/15 4:8, 9

[Spechellekaye]

Our local needs part last night focused on the same topic. The brother asked if we viewed our brothers and sisters as a threat or competition or if we viewed them as fellow workers. We want to have an “intense love” (warm personal attachment or deep affection) for our brothers and sisters.

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, November 25

Ten men out of all the languages of the nations . . . [will say]: “We want to go with you.”—Zech. 8:23.

 

Jehovah does not insist that we learn a specific language in order for us to get to know him or his purposes. (Rev. 7:9, 10) Has God’s communication with humans been hindered by the use of different languages and minor variations in translation? No. For example, we may be aware of only a few of the original-language words that Jesus used. (Matt. 27:46; Mark 5:41; 7:34; 14:36) However, Jehovah made sure that Jesus’ message was transmitted in Greek and, in time, in other languages. Later, Bible manuscripts were copied again and again by Jews and Christians, preserving the holy writings. These were translated into many more languages. John Chrysostom of the fourth/fifth century C.E. said that by his day, Jesus’ teachings had been translated into the languages of the Syrians, Egyptians, Indians, Persians, Ethiopians, and innumerable other peoples. w15 12/15 1:10, 11

[GrumpysWife]

 

Sunday, November 26

A word spoken at the right time—how good it is!—Prov. 15:23.

 

Our words may be just what our hearer truly needs, but unless we discern the best time to speak, their meaning could be lost. For example, in March 2011 an earthquake and tsunami devastated parts of eastern Japan, wiping out entire cities. More than 15,000 lost their lives. Although Jehovah’s Witnesses in the area suffered along with their neighbors, they took advantage of every opportunity to use the Bible to comfort those who were mourning. However, many of the local people have deep-rooted Buddhist beliefs and little or no knowledge of Bible teachings. Our brothers discerned that immediately following the tsunami was not necessarily the best time to tell the grief-stricken victims about the resurrection hope. Instead, they used their gift of speech to focus on giving emotional support and explaining from the Bible why such terrible things happen to innocent people. w15 12/15 3:7

[humble bumble bee]

When to speak

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, November 27

The naive person believes every word, but the shrewd one ponders each step.—Prov. 14:15.

Sadly, in this greedy world, there are those who seize on people’s illness as an opportunity to make money. Other individuals or companies stress the use of products that are high-priced in order to make large profits. To a sick person who desperately seeks relief or a way to stay alive longer, these “cures” may seem appealing. “The shrewd one” will be particularly cautious if the “word,” or recommendation, comes from someone whose qualifications are questionable. “The shrewd one” might reason: ‘He says that this vitamin, herb, or diet supposedly helped someone, but are there adequate witnesses to establish the matter? People differ. Is there valid reason to trust that it will help me? Should I do more research or even consult with some who are known to be trained or qualified in this field?’—Deut. 17:6. w15 12/15 4:14, 15

[Spechellekaye]

We do not want to rush into making any decision before doing research and praying for wisdom. We want to consider all the information, not just listening to one persons opinion or statement, and then take action based on the information received. Deut. 17:6 of today’s text is my personal study topic for the week. 

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, November 28

The love the Christ has compels us.—2 Cor. 5:14.

Paul realized that we could not accept the extraordinary love of Christ without being compelled, or moved, to live for him. When our minds fully comprehend what Jehovah has done for us and our hearts are moved by his love, we desire to live our lives whole-souled for Christ Jesus. How do we show that desire? Those who love Jehovah are compelled to imitate Christ’s example, following his steps closely. (1 Pet. 2:21; 1 John 2:6) Through our obedience, we prove our love for God and Christ. Jesus said: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. In turn, whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him.” (John 14:21; 1 John 5:3) So ask yourself: ‘In what areas am I doing well in following in the steps of Christ Jesus? In what areas could I improve?’ This self-examination is vital, as we are constantly being pressured to follow the ways of this world.—Rom. 12:2. w16.01 2:7-9

[Spechellekaye]

The love Paul had for Jesus prevented him from acting selfishly and helped him to focus on serving God and fellow humans inside and outside the congregation. Our love for Jesus should motivate us the same way. We do not want to be pursuing selfish goals and living largely to gratify ourselves. Instead, we need to do a self-examination and adjust our affairs to give first place to the work God has given us to do.

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, November 29

We will be like him, because we will see him just as he is.—1 John 3:2.

Do you feel that you have more than average zeal in the ministry? Are you a keen student of God’s Word who loves to delve into “the deep things of God”? (1 Cor. 2:10) Have you seen Jehovah’s special blessing on your ministry? Do you have a burning desire to do Jehovah’s will? Do you have a deep inner feeling of responsibility to help others spiritually? Have you seen proof that Jehovah has personally intervened in your life? If you answer these questions with a resounding yes, does this mean that you now have the heavenly calling? No, it does not. Why not? Because these are not unique feelings experienced only by those who have the heavenly calling. Jehovah’s spirit works with equal force in those who have the hope of living forever on earth. In fact, if you are wondering whether you have received the heavenly calling, that would in itself indicate that you have not received it. w16.01 3:14, 15

[Omoyeme]

Well, that's putting it succinctly!

 

All this time...

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, November 30

I rejoiced before him all the time.—Prov. 8:30.

Jesus joyfully worked alongside his Father, rejoicing both in what he accomplished and in the knowledge that Jehovah was fond of him. What, though, about us? Jesus said that there is happiness both in giving and in receiving. (Acts 20:35) It brought us joy to receive the truth, and it brings us joy to share the truth with others. As we share Bible truths with others, we see spiritually hungry ones filled with delight as they begin to understand and appreciate our God and the precious truths contained in his Word. It touches our heart to see them make changes not just in their thinking but also in their way of life. We realize that the work of sharing the good news is vitally important. It opens the way to everlasting life for those who become reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:20) What more joyful, satisfying work could we engage in than that of helping people chart a course that will result in their living forever? w16.01 5:6, 7

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, December 1

Close friendship with Jehovah belongs to those who fear him.—Ps. 25:14.

Three times the Bible identifies Abraham as God’s friend. (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; Jas. 2:23) In fact, that faithful man is the only person specifically referred to that way in the Bible. Should we assume, then, that Abraham was the only human ever to become Jehovah’s friend? No, for the Bible shows that friendship with God is something that each of us can attain. God’s Word teems with accounts of faithful men and women who feared Jehovah, put faith in him, and became his close friends. The apostle Paul wrote of “a great cloud of witnesses,” all of whom surely were God’s friends. (Heb. 12:1) Among them we find a delightful variety of people. They have enjoyed the wonderful privilege of being friends of God. May we continue to imitate such examples of faith. (Heb. 6:11, 12) As we do so, we may be assured of a great reward—being Jehovah’s close friends forever! w16.02 2:1, 2, 19