Thursday, December 7
I hurry and do not delay to keep your commandments.—Ps. 119:60.
We want to imitate Jesus, but we should not be discouraged if we fail to imitate Jesus perfectly. (Jas. 3:2) A student artist cannot perfectly imitate the work of a master artist. But as the student learns from his mistakes and strives to follow the example of the master artist as closely as possible, he will keep improving. Similarly, if we act on what we have learned through personal Bible study, doing our best to correct any flaws we may have, we can successfully follow the model that Jesus left for us. (Ps. 119:59) We live in a world that is dominated by selfishness. But Jehovah’s people stand out as different. We have been touched by the self-sacrificing spirit of Jesus, and we are determined to follow his example. (1 Pet. 2:21) As we do our best to imitate Jesus’ self-sacrificing attitude, we too will experience the joy of gaining Jehovah’s approval. w22.02 24 ¶16; 25 ¶18
Friday, December 8
Some things in them are hard to understand.—2 Pet. 3:16.
One way that Jehovah provides direction to his people today is by means of his Word, the Bible. If we take the time to ponder over what Jehovah is teaching us, we will be able to follow his direction and accomplish our preaching work. (1 Tim. 4:15, 16) Another way that Jehovah provides direction is by means of “the faithful and discreet slave.” (Matt. 24:45) At times, this slave may give direction that we do not fully understand. For example, we may receive specific instructions designed to prepare us to survive a natural disaster that we think is unlikely to occur in our area. What should we do if we feel that the instructions given are not practical? Think about Bible accounts that we have read. Sometimes God’s people received direction that did not appear to be practical from a human standpoint but turned out to be lifesaving.—Judg. 7:7; 8:10. w22.03 18-19 ¶15-16
Saturday, December 9
Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.—Luke 23:46.
With complete confidence, Jesus said the words of today’s text. Jesus knew that his future depended on Jehovah, and he was certain that his Father would remember him. What can we learn from Jesus’ words? Be willing to put your life in Jehovah’s hands. To do that, you must “trust in Jehovah with all your heart.” (Prov. 3:5) Consider the example of Joshua, a 15-year-old Witness with a terminal illness. He refused to accept medical procedures that violate God’s law. Shortly before he died, he told his mother: “Mom, I’m in Jehovah’s hands. . . . I can tell you this, Mom, with all certainty: I know Jehovah is definitely going to bring me back in the resurrection. He has read my heart, and I truly love him.” Each of us would do well to ask, ‘If I were to face a life-threatening situation that tests my faith, would I put my life in Jehovah’s hands and trust in him to remember me?’ w21.04 12-13 ¶15-16