Thursday, January 19
You must not . . . profane the name of your God.—Lev. 19:12.
Sometimes others may pressure us to get involved in activities that would interfere with our worship. When they do, we have an important decision to make. Consider an interesting principle found at Leviticus 19:19, which says in part: “You must not wear a garment made with two sorts of thread mixed together.” That law helped to distinguish Israel from the surrounding nations. Today, we do not object to garments of mixed materials, such as cotton and polyester or wool and rayon. But we do object to being like people whose beliefs and practices conflict with Bible teachings. Of course, we have natural affection for our relatives, and we show love for our neighbors. Yet, when it comes to important aspects of life, we are willing to be separate as Jehovah’s people. That is vital if we are striving to become holy.—2 Cor. 6:14-16; 1 Pet. 4:3, 4. w21.12 5 ¶14; 6 ¶16
Friday, January 20
Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life.—Matt. 7:14.
The road to life can be found. Jesus said: “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31, 32) Commendably, you did not follow the crowd; rather, you searched for the truth. You began an intensive study of God’s Word to learn what he requires of us, and you listened to Jesus’ teachings. You learned that Jehovah expects us to reject the teachings of false religion and to stop celebrating holidays that have pagan origins or practices. You also learned that doing what Jehovah requires and breaking free from practices that do not meet with his approval may be challenging. (Matt. 10:34-36) It may not have been easy for you to make the needed adjustments. However, you persevered because you love your heavenly Father. How pleased he must be with you!—Prov. 27:11. w21.12 22 ¶3; 23 ¶5
Saturday, January 21
Listen, my son, and accept my sayings.—Prov. 4:10.
Moses is a good example of someone who accepted correction after he had made a serious mistake. On one occasion, he lost his temper and did not honor Jehovah. Because of this, Moses lost out on the privilege of entering the Promised Land. (Num. 20:1-13) When Moses expressed his disappointment over this decision, Jehovah told him: “Never speak to me again about this matter.” (Deut. 3:23-27) Moses did not become bitter. Rather, he accepted Jehovah’s decision, and Jehovah continued to use him to lead Israel. (Deut. 4:1) Moses is a good example for us to imitate when it comes to accepting counsel. Moses proved that he accepted Jehovah’s counsel by remaining faithful even after he lost a privilege that was precious to him. We benefit when we imitate the example set by such faithful men as Moses. (Prov. 4:11-13) Many of our brothers and sisters have done just that. w22.02 11 ¶9-10