Thursday, August 22 You have made Pharaoh and his servants despise us and you have put a sword in their hand to kill us.​—Ex. 5:21.

[Áine]

Thursday, August 22

You have made Pharaoh and his servants despise us and you have put a sword in their hand to kill us.—Ex. 5:21.

 

At times, we face hardships—such as family opposition or the loss of our job. When we endure adversity for a long time, we may feel hopeless and downhearted. Satan takes advantage of such opportunities and seeks to get us to doubt Jehovah’s love for us. The Devil wants us to question whether Jehovah or His organization is responsible for our suffering. Something similar happened to some of the Israelites in Egypt. At first they believed that Jehovah had appointed Moses and Aaron to deliver them from slavery. (Ex. 4:29-31) But later when Pharaoh made their lives harder, they blamed Moses and Aaron for their problems. (Ex. 5:19, 20) They blamed God’s loyal servants. How sad! If you have been enduring hardships for a long time, pour out your heart to Jehovah in prayer and look to him for support. w22.11 15 ¶5-6

[dljbsp]

5 Points to share

 

1. Adversity and Blame: The Israelites blamed Moses and Aaron when Pharaoh increased their burdens, despite initially believing they were Jehovah’s chosen deliverers.

2. Human Reaction to Hardship: Prolonged hardship can lead to feelings of hopelessness and the temptation to blame others, even those who are loyal to Jehovah.

3. Satan’s Tactics: Satan uses difficult times to sow doubt about Jehovah’s love and care, trying to make us question Jehovah or His organization.

4. Encouragement to Pray: Instead of blaming others or doubting Jehovah, we are encouraged to pour out our hearts to Jehovah in prayer for strength and support.

5. Maintaining Faith: Trusting in Jehovah and remembering His past care can help us endure trials without losing faith or misplacing blame.