Wednesday, September 20
Jehovah continued with Joseph and kept showing loyal love to him.—Gen. 39:21.
Have you ever been severely wronged by someone, even by a fellow worshipper? Note the example of Joseph who suffered injustice at the hands of his own brothers. He remained focused on his service to Jehovah, who richly rewarded him for his patient endurance. Over time, Joseph was able to look past the hurt he had experienced and see how Jehovah had blessed him. (Gen. 45:5) Like Joseph, we are comforted when we draw close to Jehovah and leave justice in his hands. (Ps. 7:17; 73:28) If you are enduring an injustice or some other cause for hurt, remember that Jehovah draws close to “the brokenhearted.” (Ps. 34:18) He loves you for your patience and for throwing your burden on him. (Ps. 55:22) He is the Judge of all the earth. Nothing escapes his notice. (1 Pet. 3:12) When you are undergoing difficulties that you cannot resolve, are you willing to wait on him? w21.08 11 ¶14; 12 ¶16
Thursday, September 21
Keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is.—Eph. 5:17.
It would be wise on our part to use our life in a way that will endear us to Jehovah. We must set proper priorities. Sometimes, making the best use of our time involves choosing between two activities that are not wrong in themselves. The well-known account about Jesus’ visit to the home of Mary and Martha illustrates the point. No doubt thrilled to receive Jesus as her guest, hospitable Martha set about preparing an elaborate meal. Meanwhile, her sister, Mary, took advantage of the visit to sit close to her Lord and listen to his teaching. While Martha was certainly motivated by the best of intentions, Mary “chose the best portion.” (Luke 10:38-42, ftn.) In time, Mary may have forgotten what food was served on that occasion, but we can be sure that she never forgot what she learned from Jesus. Just as Mary cherished that limited time with Jesus, we cherish our time with Jehovah. w22.01 27 ¶5-6
Friday, September 22
Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself on my account?—1 Ki. 21:29.
Although Ahab humbled himself before Jehovah, his later conduct showed that he was not truly repentant. He did not try to remove Baal worship from his kingdom. And he did not promote the worship of Jehovah. After Ahab died, Jehovah revealed how he viewed that man. God’s prophet Jehu said he was “wicked.” (2 Chron. 19:1, 2) Now consider: If Ahab’s repentance had been genuine, surely the prophet would not have described him as a wicked man who hated Jehovah. Clearly, although Ahab had shown a degree of regret, he never fully repented. What can we learn from Ahab’s example? When he heard Elijah’s message of calamity against his family line, Ahab initially humbled himself. That was a good start. But his later actions showed that he was not repentant at heart. Repentance, then, must involve more than temporarily expressing sorrow. w21.10 3 ¶4-5, 7-8