October
Sunday, October 1
Happy is the one who finds no cause for stumbling in me.—Matt. 11:6.
God’s Word forms the basis for our teachings and beliefs. Even so, many today are stumbled because they think that our way of worship is too simple and that what we teach does not match what they want to hear. How can we avoid being stumbled? The apostle Paul told Christians living in Rome: “Faith follows the thing heard. In turn, what is heard is through the word about Christ.” (Rom. 10:17) So we build up our faith by studying the Scriptures, not by participating in unscriptural religious ceremonies, no matter how pleasing to the eye these ceremonies might be. We must acquire strong faith based on accurate knowledge because “without faith it is impossible to please God well.” (Heb. 11:1, 6) Thus, we do not need to see a spectacular sign from heaven to prove that we have found the truth. A careful examination of the Bible’s faith-strengthening teachings is enough to convince us and to dispel any doubt. w21.05 4-5 ¶11-12
Monday, October 2
My situation has actually turned out for the advancement of the good news.—Phil. 1:12.
The apostle Paul faced many challenges. He especially needed strength when he was beaten, stoned, and imprisoned. (2 Cor. 11:23-25) Paul openly admitted that he at times battled negative emotions. (Rom. 7:18, 19, 24) He also endured “a thorn in the flesh” of some sort, which he desperately wanted God to remove. (2 Cor. 12:7, 8) Jehovah empowered Paul to carry out his ministry despite all the challenges he faced. Consider what Paul accomplished. For example, while he was housebound—in custody in Rome—he zealously defended the good news before Jewish leaders and perhaps before government officials. (Acts 28:17; Phil. 4:21, 22) He also preached to many in the Praetorian Guard, and he witnessed to all who visited him. (Acts 28:30, 31; Phil. 1:13) During that same time, Paul wrote inspired letters that benefit true Christians to this day. w21.05 21 ¶4-5
Tuesday, October 3
“Do not go beyond the things that are written,” so that you may not be puffed up with pride.—1 Cor. 4:6.
Pride led King Uzziah of Judah to resist counsel and to act presumptuously. Uzziah was a very capable man. He was successful in military campaigns, in construction projects, and in agricultural developments. “The true God made him prosper.” (2 Chron. 26:3-7, 10) “However, as soon as he was strong, his heart became haughty to his own ruin,” the Bible says. Jehovah had earlier commanded that only the priests were allowed to offer incense at the temple. But King Uzziah presumptuously went into the temple to offer incense. Jehovah was not pleased and struck that proud man with leprosy. (2 Chron. 26:16-21) Could pride lead us into a snare like the one that caught Uzziah? Yes, it could, if we think too much of ourselves. Let us remember that any talents we have and any privileges we receive in the congregation are from Jehovah. (1 Cor. 4:7) If we are proud, Jehovah will not use us. w21.06 16 ¶7-8
Wednesday, October 4
Do not rejoice because the spirits are made subject to you, but rejoice because your names have been written in the heavens.—Luke 10:20.
Jesus knew that his disciples would not always have outstanding experiences in their ministry. In fact, we do not know how many of those who initially listened to the disciples became believers. The disciples needed to find joy not just through their accomplishments but, more important, from knowing that Jehovah was pleased with their diligent efforts. If we endure in our ministry, we will gain everlasting life. As we wholeheartedly sow and cultivate seeds of Kingdom truth, we are also “sowing with a view to the spirit” by allowing God’s holy spirit to operate freely in our life. As long as we do not “give up” or “tire out,” Jehovah guarantees that we will reap everlasting life, regardless of whether we help a new disciple to dedicate himself to God.—Gal. 6:7-9. w21.10 26 ¶8-9
Thursday, October 5
He was moved with pity for them . . . And he started to teach them many things.—Mark 6:34.
On one occasion, Jesus and his disciples were exhausted from their intensive preaching activity. They needed a place where they could rest, but a large crowd found them. Moved with pity, Jesus began teaching the people “many things.” Jesus put himself in the place of the people in the crowd. He saw how much they were suffering—how much they needed hope—and he wanted to help them. People today are in the same condition. Do not be misled by their outward appearance. They are like sheep straying helplessly, having no shepherd to guide them. The apostle Paul described people like this as being without God and having no hope. (Eph. 2:12) When we consider the spiritual condition of those in our territory, love and compassion move us to help them. And the best way we can help is by offering to study the Bible with them. w21.07 5 ¶8
Friday, October 6
Let us not become egotistical, . . . envying one another.—Gal. 5:26.
An egotistical person is proud and selfish. An envious person not only wants what another person has but also wants to deprive the other person of what he has. Really, envy is a form of hatred. The negative qualities of egotism and envy could be likened to impurities contaminating the fuel that powers an aircraft. The plane may be able to take off, but the contaminants can block the fuel lines, causing the plane to crash. Similarly, someone may serve Jehovah for a while. But if he is motivated by egotism and envy, he will crash. (Prov. 16:18) He will stop serving Jehovah and will harm himself and others. We can combat egotism by keeping in mind the apostle Paul’s counsel: “Do nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with humility consider others superior to you.”—Phil. 2:3. w21.07 15-16 ¶6-8
Saturday, October 7
The good news we preach did not come to you with speech alone but also with power and with holy spirit and with strong conviction.—1 Thess. 1:5.
Some feel that the true religion should be able to answer every question, even questions that are not specifically addressed in the Bible. Is that a realistic expectation? Consider the apostle Paul’s example. He encouraged fellow believers to “make sure of all things,” but he also admitted that there were many things he did not understand. (1 Thess. 5:21) “We have partial knowledge,” he wrote, adding, “we see in hazy outline by means of a metal mirror.” (1 Cor. 13:9, 12) Paul did not understand everything; nor do we. But Paul did see the general outline of Jehovah’s purposes. He knew enough to be convinced that he had the truth! One way we can strengthen our conviction that we have found the truth is by comparing the pattern of worship set by Jesus with what Jehovah’s Witnesses are doing today. w21.10 18-19 ¶2-4
Sunday, October 8
After the age of 50 years, he will retire.—Num. 8:25.
Older ones, whether you are in full-time service or not, you can do much to help others. How? Adapt to your changed circumstances, set new goals, and focus on what you can do rather than on what you cannot do. King David wanted to build a house for Jehovah. But when Jehovah informed him that this privilege would be given to young Solomon, David accepted Jehovah’s decision and gave his wholehearted support to the project. (1 Chron. 17:4; 22:5) David did not feel that he was the better one for the assignment because Solomon was “young and inexperienced.” (1 Chron. 29:1) David knew that the success of the construction project depended on Jehovah’s blessing, not on the age or the experience of those taking the lead. In imitation of David, older ones today remain active even when their role changes. And they know that Jehovah will bless the young ones who are doing the work they once did. w21.09 9 ¶4; 10 ¶5, 8
Monday, October 9
He will guide the meek in what is right, and he will teach the meek ones his way.—Ps. 25:9.
Spiritual goals give our life direction and purpose. The key, however, is to set goals according to our abilities and circumstances, not those of others. We do not want to set ourselves up for disappointment and discouragement. (Luke 14:28) As a servant of Jehovah, you are a unique and valued member of his diverse family. Jehovah did not draw you to himself because you were better than your neighbors. He drew you because he looked into your heart and saw a meek and teachable person whom he could mold. Be assured that he appreciates it when you do your best to serve him. Your endurance and your faithfulness are evidence of “a fine and good heart.” (Luke 8:15) So continue to give Jehovah your best. Then you will have good reason to rejoice “in regard to [yourself] alone.”—Gal. 6:4. w21.07 24 ¶15; 25 ¶20
Tuesday, October 10
Whoever turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save him.—Jas. 5:20.
We often need to be patient while waiting for justice to be done. For instance, when the elders become aware of serious wrongdoing in the congregation, they prayerfully seek “wisdom from above” so that they can get Jehovah’s view on the situation. (Jas. 3:17) Their goal is to help the one who is sinning to turn “back from the error of his way” if possible. (Jas. 5:19, 20) They also want to do everything they can to protect the congregation and to comfort those who have been hurt. (2 Cor. 1:3, 4) And when handling cases of serious wrongdoing, the elders must first get all the facts, which may take some time. Then they prayerfully and carefully provide counsel from the Scriptures and apply correction “to the proper degree.” (Jer. 30:11) The elders do not rush to judgment. When matters are handled properly, the congregation will see the greatest good come to all. w21.08 11 ¶12-13
Wednesday, October 11
Where you go I will go . . . Your people will be my people, and your God my God.—Ruth 1:16.
Because of a famine in Israel, Naomi, her husband, and two sons moved to Moab. While there, Naomi’s husband died. Her two sons got married, but sadly, they too died. (Ruth 1:3-5) Those blows caused Naomi to sink deeper and deeper into despair. She became so overwhelmed by anguish that she concluded that Jehovah was opposing her. Note how she expressed her feelings about God: “The hand of Jehovah has turned against me.” “The Almighty has made life very bitter for me.” She also said: “It is Jehovah who opposed me and the Almighty who caused me calamity.” (Ruth 1:13, 20, 21) Jehovah understands that “oppression can drive the wise one into madness.” (Eccl. 7:7) He moved Ruth to reach out and show loyal love to Naomi. Willingly and gently, Ruth helped her mother-in-law to regain her emotional and spiritual balance. w21.11 9 ¶9; 10 ¶10, 13
Thursday, October 12
Keep asking God.—Jas. 1:5.
Does focusing on our present assignments mean that we should stop looking for ways to expand our service to Jehovah? By no means! We can and should set spiritual goals that help us to keep stretching forward in our efforts to be productive in the ministry and helpful to our brothers and sisters. We succeed when we wisely and modestly focus on serving others instead of ourselves. (Prov. 11:2; Acts 20:35) What goals might you set for yourself? Ask Jehovah to help you discern what you can realistically hope to accomplish. (Prov. 16:3) Could you pursue the goal of becoming an auxiliary or a regular pioneer, serving at Bethel, or sharing in theocratic construction projects? Or maybe you are in a position to learn a new language in order to spread the good news or even to preach in a foreign territory. w21.08 23 ¶14-15
Friday, October 13
[Jehovah’s] loyal love endures forever.—Ps. 136:1.
Jehovah takes delight in loyal love. (Hos. 6:6) By means of the prophet Micah, our God urges us “to love loyal love.” (Mic. 6:8, ftn.) Obviously, before we can do that, we need to know what loyal love is. What is loyal love? The expression “loyal love” occurs some 230 times in the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. What is it? According to the “Glossary of Bible Terms” found in that translation, it refers to “love motivated by commitment, integrity, loyalty, and deep attachment. It is often used in connection with God’s love for humans, but it is also love shown between humans.” Jehovah is the supreme example of loyal love. No wonder King David was moved to exclaim: “O Jehovah, your loyal love reaches to the heavens . . . How precious your loyal love is, O God!” (Ps. 36:5, 7) Like David, do we deeply appreciate God’s loyal love? w21.11 2 ¶1-2; 3 ¶4
Saturday, October 14
You must pray, then, this way: “Our Father in the heavens.”—Matt. 6:9.
Jehovah’s family of worshippers includes Jesus, who is “the firstborn of all creation,” and a multitude of angels. (Col. 1:15; Ps. 103:20) When Jesus was on earth, he indicated that faithful humans can view Jehovah as their Father. Speaking to his disciples, Jesus referred to Jehovah as “my Father and your Father.” (John 20:17) And when we dedicate ourselves to Jehovah and get baptized, we become part of a loving family of brothers and sisters. (Mark 10:29, 30) Jehovah is a loving Father. Jesus wants us to view Jehovah the way he does—as a warm and loving parent who is easy to approach, not as a cold authority figure. He began the model prayer with the words: “Our Father.” Jesus could have directed us to call Jehovah “the Almighty,” “the Creator,” or “the King of eternity”—all of which are appropriate and Scriptural titles. (Gen. 49:25; Isa. 40:28; 1 Tim. 1:17) However, Jesus used the intimate term “Father.” w21.09 20 ¶1, 3
Sunday, October 15
Manasseh came to know that Jehovah is the true God.—2 Chron. 33:13.
King Manasseh stubbornly ignored warnings that Jehovah gave him by means of His prophets. Finally, “Jehovah brought against [Judah] the army chiefs of the king of Assyria, and they captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with two copper fetters and took him to Babylon.” There, imprisoned in a foreign land, Manasseh apparently did some serious thinking. He “kept humbling himself greatly before the God of his forefathers.” He went even further. “He begged Jehovah his God for favor.” In fact, Manasseh “kept praying to Him.” (2 Chron. 33:10-12) In time, Jehovah answered Manasseh’s prayers. He saw the changes in that man’s heart, as reflected in his prayers. Jehovah was moved by Manasseh’s entreaty and restored him to the throne. Manasseh took full advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate the depth of his repentance. w21.10 4 ¶10-11
Monday, October 16
Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their hard work.—Eccl. 4:9.
Aquila and Priscilla had to leave familiar surroundings, set up a new home, and establish their tentmaking business in a new location. In their new home in Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla got involved with the local congregation and worked along with the apostle Paul to strengthen the brothers there. Later, they moved to other towns where there was a greater need for preachers. (Acts 18:18-21; Rom. 16:3-5) What a rich and rewarding life they must have enjoyed together! Modern-day couples can imitate Priscilla and Aquila by putting Kingdom interests first. The best time for a couple to talk about their goals in life is while they are courting. When a couple make decisions together and strive to reach common spiritual goals, they have more opportunities to see Jehovah’s spirit at work in their life.—Eccl. 4:12. w21.11 17 ¶11-12
Tuesday, October 17
Each of you should respect his mother and his father . . . I am Jehovah your God.—Lev. 19:3.
Clearly, we ought to take to heart God’s direction to honor our parents. Bear in mind that the direction found at Leviticus 19:3—to respect one’s mother and father—comes right after the statement: “You should be holy, because I, Jehovah your God, am holy.” (Lev. 19:2) In harmony with Jehovah’s counsel to honor our parents, we might ask ourselves, ‘How am I doing in this regard?’ If you feel that you should have done more in the past, you could decide now to make improvements. You cannot change the past, but you can be resolved from this point on to do more with and for your parents. Perhaps you could arrange to spend more time with them. Or what about offering them more support materially, spiritually, or emotionally? Doing so is in line with what Leviticus 19:3 says. w21.12 4-5 ¶10-12
Wednesday, October 18
Stop judging.—Matt. 7:1.
King David made serious mistakes. For example, he committed adultery with Bath-sheba, and he even had her husband killed. (2 Sam. 11:2-4, 14, 15, 24) As a result, David hurt not only himself but also his family, including his other wives. (2 Sam. 12:10, 11) On another occasion, David failed to manifest full reliance on Jehovah when he ordered an illegal registration of Israel’s army. What was the outcome? Some 70,000 Israelites died from pestilence! (2 Sam. 24:1-4, 10-15) Would you judge David to be unworthy of Jehovah’s mercy? Jehovah did not. He focused on David’s overall record of faithfulness and his sincere repentance. As a result, Jehovah forgave David for these serious sins. Jehovah knew that David loved him very much and wanted to do what was right. Are you not grateful that our God looks for the good in us?—1 Ki. 9:4; 1 Chron. 29:10, 17. w21.12 19 ¶11-13
Thursday, October 19
Instantly he recovered his sight, and he began to follow him, glorifying God.—Luke 18:43.
Jesus showed compassion to those who had physical limitations. Recall the report he sent to John the Baptist: “The blind are now seeing, the lame are walking, the lepers are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, [and] the dead are being raised up.” In response to Jesus’ miracles, “all the people gave praise to God.” (Luke 7:20-22) Christians are happy to imitate Jesus’ compassionate attitude toward those who have physical limitations. So we are kind, considerate, and patient with such ones. Granted, Jehovah has not given us the power to perform miracles. We are privileged, though, to tell those who are physically or spiritually blind the good news about a paradise where mankind will be restored to full physical and spiritual health. (Luke 4:18) This good news is already leading many to give praise to God. w21.12 9 ¶5
Friday, October 20
You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome Jehovah gave.—Jas. 5:11.
James relied on the Scriptures as his authority. He used God’s Word to help his audience to see that Jehovah always rewards those who, like Job, are loyal to Him. James got his point across by using simple words and logic. In that way, he drew attention, not to himself, but to Jehovah. The lesson: Keep your message simple, and teach from God’s Word. Our goal should be, not to impress others with how much we know, but to impress them with how much Jehovah knows and how much he cares about them. (Rom. 11:33) We can reach that goal by always basing what we say on the Scriptures. For example, rather than tell our Bible students what we would do in their place, we should help them to reason on Bible examples and to perceive Jehovah’s thinking and feelings. Then they will be motivated by a desire to please Jehovah, not us. w22.01 11 ¶9-10
Saturday, October 21
You must love your fellow man as yourself.—Lev. 19:18.
God’s interest in how we treat people includes more than merely telling us to refrain from doing harm to our fellow man. Loving him as much as oneself is fundamental for a Christian who wants to please God. Consider how Jesus emphasized the importance of the command recorded at Leviticus 19:18. A Pharisee once asked Jesus: “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied that “the greatest and first commandment” is to love Jehovah with our whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole mind. Then Jesus quoted Leviticus 19:18, saying: “The second, like it, is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt. 22:35-40) There are countless ways to show love for neighbor. One way is by applying the counsel found at Leviticus 19:18. It says: “You must not take vengeance nor hold a grudge.” w21.12 10-11 ¶11-13
Sunday, October 22
Looking at the windstorm, he became afraid. And when he started to sink, he cried out: “Lord, save me!”—Matt. 14:30.
Jesus stretched out his hand and saved the apostle Peter. Significantly, Peter was able to walk on turbulent waters as long as he kept his focus on Jesus. But when Peter looked at the storm, he became overwhelmed with fear and doubt and began to sink. (Matt. 14:24-31) We can learn from Peter’s example. When Peter stepped out of the boat and onto the sea, he did not expect to get distracted and start sinking. He wanted to stay on top of the waters until he reached his Master. But he failed to remain focused on that goal. Granted, we cannot walk on water, but we do face tests of faith. If we lose sight of Jehovah and his promises, we will begin to sink spiritually. No matter what figurative storms come up in our life, we must keep our mind focused on Jehovah and his ability to help us. w21.12 17-18 ¶6-7
Monday, October 23
I will come into your house because of your great loyal love.—Ps. 5:7.
Prayer, study, and meditation are part of our worship. When we pray, we are communicating with our heavenly Father, who loves us dearly. When we study the Bible, we are taking in “the knowledge of God,” who is the Source of all wisdom. (Prov. 2:1-5) When we meditate, we are considering Jehovah’s appealing personality as well as his awe-inspiring purpose for all creation and how we fit into that purpose. Can you think of a better way to use your time? But how can we get the most from the limited time at our disposal? If possible, choose a quiet setting. Consider the example of Jesus. Before he undertook his earthly ministry, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness. (Luke 4:1, 2) In that quiet setting, Jesus could pray to Jehovah and meditate on his Father’s will for him. Doing so no doubt prepared Jesus for the tests that would soon come his way. w22.01 27-28 ¶7-8
Tuesday, October 24
There is accomplishment through many counselors.—Prov. 15:22, ftn.
An elder or another qualified brother might point out something that we need to work on. If someone loves us enough to share Bible-based counsel with us, we should take the counsel to heart. Realistically, we may find it especially difficult to accept direct counsel. We might even become offended. Why? Although we readily admit that we are imperfect, we might find it challenging to accept counsel when someone points out a specific flaw in us. (Eccl. 7:9) We might justify ourselves. We might question the counselor’s motives or take offense at the way he gave the counsel. We might even find fault with the counselor himself, reasoning: ‘What right does he have to counsel me? He has his own flaws!’ Ultimately, if the counsel we receive does not suit us, we might ignore it or look elsewhere for counsel that is more to our liking. w22.02 8-9 ¶2-4
Wednesday, October 25
Your strength will be in keeping calm and showing trust.—Isa. 30:15.
Might life in God’s new world present some challenges that could test our trust in Jehovah’s way of doing things? Consider, for example, what happened shortly after the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Some started complaining because they missed the fresh food they had enjoyed there, and they treated Jehovah’s provision of manna with contempt. (Num. 11:4-6; 21:5) Might we have similar thoughts after the great tribulation comes to its end? We do not know how much work will be involved in removing the effects of the destruction and in gradually making the earth a paradise. Likely, there will be a lot of work to do and some inconveniences at first. Would we dare to complain about what Jehovah provides at that time? One thing is certain: The more we appreciate Jehovah’s provisions now, the more likely we will do so then. w22.02 7 ¶18-19
Thursday, October 26
They will take firm hold of the robe of a Jew, saying: “We want to go with you.”—Zech. 8:23.
In the prophecy found at Zechariah 8:23, the expressions “a Jew” and “you people” refer to the same group—the anointed remnant. (Rom. 2:28, 29) The “ten men out of all the languages of the nations” represent the other sheep. They “take firm hold of”—loyally attach themselves to—the anointed, joining them in pure worship. Similarly, in fulfillment of the prophecy at Ezekiel 37:15-19, 24, 25, Jehovah has brought the anointed and the other sheep together in an unbreakable bond of unity. The prophecy mentions two sticks. Those with the heavenly hope are like the stick “for Judah” (the tribe from which the kings of Israel were chosen), and those with the earthly hope are like the stick “of Ephraim.” Jehovah would unite the two groups so that they would become “one stick.” This means that they serve unitedly under their one King, Christ Jesus.—John 10:16. w22.01 22 ¶9-10
Friday, October 27
Take care not to practice your righteousness in front of men to be noticed by them.—Matt. 6:1.
Jesus spoke about those who gave alms to the poor but made sure that others knew about their gifts. Those seemingly good works were of little value to Jehovah. (Matt. 6:2-4) We can be genuinely good only if we do the right thing for unselfish reasons. So you might ask yourself: ‘Do I not only know what is the right thing to do but also follow through and actually do it? What is my motive for doing good things?’ Jehovah is a God of action, and his spirit is an active force. (Gen. 1:2) So every aspect of the fruitage of the spirit can and must move us to action. For example, the disciple James wrote: “Faith without works is dead.” (Jas. 2:26) The same could be said of all the other aspects of the fruitage of God’s spirit. Each time we display them, we give evidence that God’s spirit is active in us. w22.03 11-12 ¶14-16
Saturday, October 28
Like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all your conduct.—1 Pet. 1:15.
While we may engage in various spiritual activities and do many good works, the apostle Peter highlighted one in particular. Leading up to his encouragement to become holy in all our conduct, Peter urges us: “Brace up your minds for activity.” (1 Pet. 1:13) What would that activity involve? Peter said that Christ’s anointed brothers would “‘declare abroad the excellencies’ of the One who called” them. (1 Pet. 2:9) In fact, all Christians today have the honor of doing this most important work, one that does the greatest amount of good. What a special privilege we have as a holy people to share regularly and zealously in the preaching and teaching work! (Mark 13:10) When we diligently do this, we prove that we love our God and our neighbor. And we show that we want to “become holy” in all our conduct. w21.12 13 ¶18
Sunday, October 29
If you forgive anyone for anything, I do also.—2 Cor. 2:10.
The apostle Paul kept a positive view of his brothers and sisters. He knew the difference between bad conduct and bad people. He loved his brothers and focused on their good qualities. If they were struggling to do the right thing, he assumed that their motives were good and that they simply needed help. Consider how Paul dealt with two sisters in the congregation in Philippi. (Phil. 4:1-3) Euodia and Syntyche seemed to have allowed personal differences to cause a rift between them. Paul was not harsh or judgmental; he focused on their good qualities. They were faithful sisters who had built up a fine record. Paul knew that Jehovah loved them. Paul’s positive view of these sisters motivated him to encourage them to resolve their differences. His outlook also allowed him to keep his joy and maintain strong friendships with those in that congregation. w22.03 30 ¶16-18
Monday, October 30
Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those who are crushed in spirit.—Ps. 34:18.
The peace that Jehovah gives calms our heart and stabilizes our thoughts. Consider how this proved true for a sister named Luz. She says: “I struggle with feelings of loneliness. At times, those feelings cause me to think that Jehovah does not love me. But when that happens, I immediately tell Jehovah how I feel. Prayer allows me to gain control of my feelings.” As her experience shows, we can find peace through prayer. (Phil. 4:6, 7) We know that Jehovah and Jesus will support us when we lose a loved one in death. We are motivated to preach and teach with compassion because Jehovah God and Jesus Christ show this tender quality. And we find comfort in knowing that Jehovah and his dear Son sympathize with our weaknesses and want to help us endure. We look forward to the day when Jehovah will “wipe out every tear from [our] eyes”!—Rev. 21:4. w22.01 15 ¶7; 19 ¶19-20
Tuesday, October 31
Go in through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it.—Matt. 7:13.
Jesus mentioned two different gates leading to two different roads, a “spacious” road and a “cramped” road. (Matt. 7:14) There is no third road. We must choose for ourselves on which road we will travel. This is the most important decision we will ever make—our everlasting life depends on it. The “spacious” road is popular because it is easy to travel. Sadly, many choose to remain on that road and to follow the crowd traveling on it. They fail to recognize that the one promoting this road is Satan the Devil and that his road leads to a dead end. (1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 1 John 5:19) In contrast with the “spacious” road, the other road is “cramped,” and Jesus said that few are able to find it. Why? Note that in the next verse, Jesus warns his followers against false prophets.—Matt. 7:15. w21.12 22-23 ¶3-5