Friday, March 16 The word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword.​—Heb. 4:12.

[Tia]

Glad you are here now sis!  Was thinking of you

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, January 26

Mankind cannot comprehend what happens under the sun. No matter how hard men try, they cannot comprehend it. Even if they claim that they are wise enough to know, they cannot really comprehend it.—Eccl. 8:17.

Modesty can help us to make good decisions even when we cannot fully know or control how things will turn out. As an example, if we enter some feature of the full-time service, what will happen to us if we get sick? What if our aging parents need our help? How will we look after ourselves in our old age? No amount of prayer or research will reveal a complete answer to questions like these. Our confidence in Jehovah will help us not only to acknowledge but also to accept our limitations. After doing research, consulting others, and praying for guidance, we need to take steps in the direction that God’s spirit is leading us. (Eccl. 11:4-6) That gives Jehovah something to bless, or he can gently redirect our goals.—Prov. 16:3, 9. w17.01 4:14

[CourageousMan]

What lesson can we learn from this daily that's Friday morning?

 

[Musky]

23 minutes ago, propy12 said:

What lesson can we learn from this daily that's Friday morning?

 

 

This is where you're supposed to tell us with an interesting comment on today's text.

[Tortuga]

Speaking of modesty...

Is Jehovah modest?

 

Don't look it up...

[dove]

Did you, I mean will you know the right answer when you see it? 

[Tortuga]

35 minutes ago, Dove said:

Did you, I mean will you know the right answer when you see it? 

Yup. 

[dove]

6 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Yup. 

 

Okay, just didn't know if you asked because you didn't know yourself and wanted to know, or were just testing us...

I would venture to guess that Jehovah is humble, but not modest in the sense that modesty is knowing your limits and Jehovah has no limits...

Edited January 26, 2018 by Dove

[boodles]

Taking steps gives Jehovah something to bless. Once we're moving he can also redirect us if needed.

[Tortuga]

2 hours ago, Dove said:

 

Okay, just didn't know if you asked because you didn't know yourself and wanted to know, or were just testing us...

I would venture to guess that Jehovah is humble, but not modest in the sense that modesty is knowing your limits and Jehovah has no limits...

 

Exactly!

Good job!

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, January 27

You must not eat from it.—Gen. 2:17.

Adam and Eve had to decide what to do. Would they obey Jehovah, or would they listen to the serpent? They decided to disobey God. (Gen. 3:6-13) By rebelling against Jehovah, Adam and Eve lost their perfection. Moreover, their rebellion resulted in alienation from Jehovah because his “eyes are too pure to look on what is evil.” Therefore, he “cannot tolerate wickedness.” (Hab. 1:13) If he had tolerated it, the well-being of all living creatures—in heaven and on earth—would be threatened. Above all, had God done nothing about the sin committed in Eden, his own trustworthiness would have been called into question. But Jehovah is faithful to his own standards; he never violates them. (Ps. 119:142) Thus, having free will did not entitle Adam and Eve to disregard God’s law. As a consequence of rebelling against Jehovah, they died and returned to the dust from which they had been created.—Gen. 3:19. w17.02 1:8, 10, 11

[Sophy]

No truer words have been spoken from this bible verse. 

[Sophy]

Obedience. A very important act. How so much has changed since their disobedience. Sigh. 

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, January 28

Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s mouth.—Matt. 4:4.

From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus allowed the Scriptures to direct him. Even his final words before he died included quotations of Messianic prophecies. (Matt. 27:46;Luke 23:46) In contrast, the religious leaders of that time disregarded God’s Word whenever it contradicted their own traditions. Quoting Jehovah’s words through the prophet Isaiah, Jesus said about them: “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshipping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines.” (Matt. 15:7-9) Jesus allowed God’s Word to guide not only his actions but also his teaching. When confronted with religious controversies, he appealed neither to his vast wisdom nor to his unparalleled experience. Instead, he held up the Scriptures as the final authority.—Matt. 22:33-40. w17.02 3:18, 19

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, January 29

Honor men of all sorts, . . . honor the king.—1 Pet. 2:17.

Jehovah’s Witnesses willingly render honor to public servants, even as it may be expected and as may be customary in the land. We cooperate with them as they perform their duties. Of course, our honor and support have reasonable, Scriptural limits. We cannot go to the point of disobeying God or violating our Christian neutrality. (1 Pet. 2:13-16) Jehovah’s servants in the past set the pattern in their relationship with governments and officials. When the Roman Empire called on people to participate in a census, Joseph and Mary complied. They traveled to Bethlehem despite the fact that Mary was soon to give birth to her first child. (Luke 2:1-5) Later, when Paul was accused of wrongdoing, he respectfully defended himself and showed proper honor to King Herod Agrippa and to Festus, governor of the Roman province of Judea.—Acts 25:1-12; 26:1-3. w17.03 1:9, 10

[GrumpysWife]

Tuesday, January 30

These things . . . were written for a warning to us.—1 Cor. 10:11.

When the Israelites adopted the sinful ways of the Canaanites, Jehovah no longer granted them his protective care. (Judg. 2:1-3, 11-15; Ps. 106:40-43) What a challenge it must have been for God-fearing families to remain loyal to Jehovah during those hard years! Nevertheless, the Bible reveals that there were faithful ones, such as Jephthah, Elkanah, Hannah, and Samuel, who were determined to gain God’s approval. (1 Sam. 1:20-28; 2:26) We live in a world where people think and act in ways that are similar to those in ancient Canaan—they glorify sex and violence and promote materialism. Jehovah has given us clear warnings—just as he did the Israelites—to safeguard us from such influences. Will we learn from the mistakes of the Israelites? (1 Cor. 10:6-10) We must strive to remove any trace of Canaanitelike thinking from our lives. (Rom. 12:2) Have we been faithful in making an effort to do so? w16.04 1:4-6

[New World Explorer]

17 minutes ago, GrumpysWife said:

When the Israelites adopted the sinful ways of the Canaanites, Jehovah no longer granted them his protective care.

This is a very interesting "principle'' that could play out during GT

Loyal ones protected. 

[Ahuvah]

Was just talking about this with a sister - it's logical to think that we need to look at ourselves now, and make the necessary tweaks to make sure we are under his protective care, whichever direction  Jehovah goes with that.

[GrumpysWife]

Wednesday, January 31

A man of understanding acquires skillful direction.—Prov. 1:5.

When we are faced with serious decisions, it is vital to draw on the Bible as the best source of advice and to seek Jehovah’s guidance in prayer. Jehovah can give us the qualities we need to make decisions that are in harmony with his will. Make it a practice to ask: ‘Will this decision give evidence of my love for Jehovah? Will it bring joy and peace to my family? And will it show that I am patient and kind?’ Jehovah does not coerce us into loving him and serving him. In line with the free will that he grants us, he respects our responsibility and right to ‘choose for ourselves’ whether we will serve him. (Josh. 24:15; Eccl. 5:4) But he expects us to follow through on other decisions that we make based on his guidance. With faith in Jehovah’s way of doing things and the principles that he has kindly provided, we can make wise decisions and prove ourselves steady in all our ways.—Jas. 1:5-8; 4:8. w17.03 2:17, 18

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, February 1

Let endurance complete its work.—Jas. 1:4.

What “work” must endurance complete? It helps us to “be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything.” (Jas. 1:4) Trials often reveal our weaknesses, aspects of our personality that we need to refine. If we endure those trials, however, our Christian personality becomes more complete, or sound. For example, we may become more patient, appreciative, and compassionate. Because endurance completes the vital work of molding us as Christians, do not compromise Scriptural principles to bring an end to tests that come your way. For instance, what if you struggle with unclean thoughts? Rather than give in to temptation, prayerfully reject such desires. You will thus fortify your self-control. Are you facing opposition from an unbelieving family member? Instead of yielding under pressure, be determined to maintain your pattern of wholehearted worship. Remember: To have God’s approval, we must endure.—Rom. 5:3-5; Jas. 1:12. w16.04 2:15, 16

[GrumpysWife]

Friday, February 2

With humility consider others superior to you.—Phil. 2:3.

We know that taking undue pride in tribe, culture, or nation puts us at odds with Jehovah’s view of human rule and the human family. Of course, God does not expect us to renounce our culture. In fact, cultural differences illustrate the marvelous diversity of the human family. Still, we must remember that in God’s sight, all people are equal. (Rom. 10:12) Taking undue pride in our place of origin is at the heart of nationalism and could be the first step on a path to compromise. Christians are not immune to such pride, for even some in the first-century congregation discriminated against their brothers because of their nationality. (Acts 6:1) How can we tell if undue pride is taking root in us? Suppose a brother or sister from another land offered you a suggestion. Would you reject it, immediately thinking, ‘We do things better around here’? Instead, we should all apply the inspired counsel of today’s text. w16.04 4:12, 13

[hatcheckgirl]

Like the text said, Jehovah does not expect us to renounce our culture.  That's what makes being in the truth so amazing - learning and living side by side with all the diversity of cultures that make up the human race.  It makes our lives so much more interesting and fulfilling.  Sometimes challenging too, which is why we have a nice reminder in today's text.  Because pride is at the cause of all these challenging situations when we are rubbed up the wrong way (be it due to cultural differences or any other issues that come up).  Which is why Phil 2:3 comes in handy to smooth over issues and dampen undue pride.

[GrumpysWife]

Saturday, February 3

I must . . . declare the good news of the Kingdom.—Luke 4:43.

Jesus preached “the good news of the Kingdom,” and he expects his disciples to do the same. What group of people are preaching that message in “all the nations”? (Matt. 28:19) The answer is obvious—only Jehovah’s Witnesses. A missionary priest once told a Witness that he had lived in many different countries and that he had asked the Witnesses in each country what message they were preaching. What answer was he given? The priest said: “They were all so stupid that they gave the same answer: ‘The good news of the Kingdom.’” Far from being “stupid,” however, those Witnesses were speaking in unity, as true Christians should. (1 Cor. 1:10) And they were echoing the message contained in The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. This magazine is available in 254 languages, and an average of nearly 59 million copies of each issue are produced, making it the most widely circulated magazine in the world. w16.05 2:6

[GrumpysWife]

Sunday, February 4

Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart.—2 Cor. 9:7.

As Kingdom publishers, we may desire to enter the full-time ministry as regular pioneers. In order to make this possible, we begin taking steps to simplify our life. At the same time, we may find ourselves worrying about whether we could be genuinely happy with less in a material way. Of course, there is no Bible command that we pioneer; we could continue serving Jehovah as faithful publishers. However, Jesus assures us that those who make sacrifices for the Kingdom will receive abundant blessings. (Luke 18:29, 30) Moreover, the Scriptures show that it pleases Jehovah when we make “voluntary offerings of praise” to him and cheerfully do what we can to advance true worship. (Ps. 119:108) From these Scriptural points, along with prayers for guidance, can we not perceive Jehovah’s thinking? Reflecting on these thoughts may help us come to a decision that will be practical for us and will have our heavenly Father’s blessing. w16.05 3:13

[GrumpysWife]

Monday, February 5

Remember . . . your Grand Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of distress come.—Eccl. 12:1.

Many of the problems addressed in our publications for young people are not unique to them. All of us need to defend our faith, control our emotions, reject harmful peer pressure, and avoid unwholesome associations and entertainment. These topics and many others have been addressed in material designed for teenagers. Should adult Christians feel that it is demeaning for them to read publications directed to young people? Not at all! Although the material is presented in a way that appeals to youths, the information is based on timeless Scriptural principles, and all of us can benefit from these spiritual provisions. Besides helping young people to deal with problems, our publications help them to grow spiritually and draw close to Jehovah. Here, too, adult Christians can benefit.—Eccl. 12:13. w16.05 5:15, 16