Thursday, November 18
Jehovah is a God who requires exclusive devotion.—Nah. 1:2.
Jehovah deserves our exclusive devotion because he is our Creator and Life-Giver. (Rev. 4:11) However, we face a challenge. Even though we love and respect Jehovah, we might be lured away from giving him the exclusive devotion he deserves. In the Bible, being devoted to God implies having a deep love for him. When we are exclusively devoted to Jehovah, we will worship only him. We will not allow anyone or anything to take his place in our heart. (Ex. 34:14) Our devotion to Jehovah is not blind. Why not? Because it is based on the facts we have learned about him. We have come to admire his beautiful qualities. We know and agree with his likes and dislikes. We understand and support his purpose for us. We feel honored that he allows us the opportunity to be his friend. (Ps. 25:14) Every detail we learn about our Creator draws us closer to him.—Jas. 4:8. w19.10 26 ¶1-3
Friday, November 19
A true friend shows love at all times and is a brother who is born for times of distress.—Prov. 17:17.
Today, our brothers and sisters face a variety of challenges. For instance, many suffer from natural or man-made disasters. When that happens, some of us may be able to welcome these friends into our home. Others may be able to help financially. But all of us can ask Jehovah to help our brothers and sisters. If we learn that a brother or sister is discouraged, we may not know what to say or how to react. But all of us have much to offer. For example, we can make time to be with our friend. We can listen sympathetically when he or she speaks. And we can share our favorite comforting scripture. (Isa. 50:4) What matters most is that you are there with your friends when they need you. We must be determined to build and maintain strong relationships with our brothers and sisters now. Those friendships will last not only through the end of this system but for eternity! w19.11 7 ¶18-19
Saturday, November 20
This is the law of the communion sacrifice that one may present to Jehovah.—Lev. 7:11.
This was a voluntary offering that the individual made because he loved his God, Jehovah. The person making the offering, his family, and the priests would eat the meat of the sacrificed animal. But certain parts of the animal sacrifice were offered up exclusively to Jehovah. Which parts? Jehovah viewed the fat as the best part of an animal. He also specified that vital organs, including the kidneys, were of special value. (Lev. 3:6, 12, 14-16) So Jehovah was especially pleased when an Israelite voluntarily offered vital organs and the fat to him. The Israelite who made such an offering demonstrated his deep desire to offer the very best to God. In a similar way, Jesus willingly offered up to Jehovah his very best by serving Him whole-souled out of love for Him. (John 14:31) For Jesus, doing God’s will was a delight. (Ps. 40:8) How pleasing it must have been for Jehovah to see Jesus serve him so willingly! w19.11 22-23 ¶9-10