Friday, December 2
Abraham put faith in Jehovah.—Jas. 2:23.
Abraham was likely over 70 when he and his family left Ur. (Gen. 11:31–12:4) And for some one hundred years, he lived in tents, roaming the land of Canaan. Abraham died when he was 175. (Gen. 25:7) But he did not see Jehovah fulfill His promise to give the land he walked on to his descendants. And he did not live to see the city, God’s Kingdom, established. Even so, Abraham is described as dying “old and satisfied.” (Gen. 25:8) Despite all the challenges he had to deal with, Abraham maintained strong faith and was content to wait on Jehovah. Why was he able to endure? Because throughout Abraham’s life, Jehovah protected him and treated him as a friend. (Gen. 15:1; Isa. 41:8; Jas. 2:22) Like Abraham, we are awaiting the city having real foundations. (Heb. 11:10) We are not waiting for it to be built, however. God’s Kingdom was established in 1914 and has already taken complete control of heaven. (Rev. 12:7-10) But we are waiting for it to take complete control of the earth. w20.08 4-5 ¶11-12
Saturday, December 3
The thoughts of a man’s heart are like deep waters, but the discerning man draws them out.—Prov. 20:5.
To listen attentively to others, we need to be humble and patient. It is worth the effort for at least three reasons. First, we will be less likely to jump to wrong conclusions about people. Second, we can discern feelings and motives in our brother, and that will help us to be more empathetic. And third, we may help the person to learn something about himself. Sometimes we do not really understand even our own emotions until we express those emotions in words. Some of our brothers and sisters find it difficult to talk about their feelings because of their background, culture, or personality. It may take time for them to feel comfortable speaking to us, but only when they do will we be able to discern their true feelings. If we imitate Jehovah by being patient, we can earn their confidence. Then, when they are ready to share their feelings, we should listen attentively. w20.04 15-16 ¶6-7
Sunday, December 4
You will be catching men alive.—Luke 5:10.
Fish usually stay in an area where the water conditions suit them and where there is plenty of food. Does it matter at what time a fisherman does his work? Regarding the best time to catch literal fish, note what a local Witness on a Pacific island said when he invited a missionary to go fishing. The missionary said, “I’ll meet you at nine o’clock tomorrow morning.” The brother replied, “You do not understand. We go when it is the right time for the fish, not when it is the right time for us.” Likewise, fishers of men in the first century went to places where the “fish” would be and at a time when they were likely to be there. For example, Jesus’ followers preached at the temple and in the synagogues, from house to house, and in the marketplace. (Acts 5:42; 17:17; 18:4) We too need to be familiar with the habits of people who live in our assigned territory. We need to be flexible and preach where and when we are most likely to find people.—1 Cor. 9:19-23. w20.09 4 ¶8-9