Kingdom Proclaimers Report
‘Happy Are the Spiritually Hungry’
JESUS said: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.” (Matthew 5:3) Such ones will seek life-giving information from God’s Word, the Bible, and taking in this knowledge will lead them to everlasting life.—Matthew 4:4; John 17:3.
◻ A spiritually hungry person in an African land walked for four hours in the cold and dark in order to obtain a copy of My Book of Bible Stories. Upon reaching the village where Jehovah’s Witnesses were preaching, he was bitterly disappointed to find that the last book had been placed. He stayed in the village for three days until an additional supply of books could be obtained, and then he was happy finally to have in his possession this fine spiritual information.
During the month of their stay in this isolated area, the Witnesses distributed 55 books, 365 brochures, and 145 magazines, and they obtained 5 subscriptions. They were very moved when, as they left, both adults and children called after them in the Kpelle language: “May Jehovah be with you!” Efforts are being made to follow up on the interest.
Another person in this same country was also spiritually hungry. She was the treasurer for her church and an entertainment officer for her county. When the Witnesses called on her, she tearfully admitted that the church fell far short of the Bible’s requirements for Christianity. The Witnesses showed her from her own Bible how to identify the true religion. Then she attended two meetings at the Kingdom Hall and afterward stated: “What I saw and heard really convinced me that this is the truth.” She was impressed by the meetings and by the conduct of those present. She saw that what the Witnesses who called on her had said was not something they had dreamed up but something real. She has since taken steps to break off her relationship with the church, and this has resulted in a good witness in the community.
◻ A young Melanesian catechist in New Caledonia was spiritually hungry. He found a copy of the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life on the table in his mother’s house, and he read chapters 2 and 3. The Bible texts Exodus 20:4, 5 and John 4:23, 24 discussed there touched his heart. In view of what these scriptures say, he asked his priest why the Catholic Church tolerates the use of images in worship. The priest evaded the question. The man went to a number of other “Christian” religions, but they did not give him satisfactory answers to his questions. Finally he decided to attend a meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses with his mother, who had already manifested an interest in the truth. The love he saw among the Witnesses and their Bible-based teachings impressed him very much.
Despite great distances, he regularly hitchhiked to the meetings, quickly took a stand for the truth, and was baptized. Now he is a ministerial servant. His mother and two of his fleshly sisters also became Witnesses of Jehovah. The young man preached to his own tribe and started many Bible studies. Now a number are attending meetings in this area—all because a young man happened to notice on a table a book explaining the Bible, studied it, and took seriously what he learned.
Jehovah has a great spiritual feeding program in operation today, and multitudes benefit from it. Isaiah aptly prophesied about it when he said: “Look! My own servants will eat, but you yourselves [members of false religion] will go hungry.” (Isaiah 65:13) Happy are we if we benefit from Jehovah’s provision for satisfying our spiritual hunger.