Thursday, September 3
Will the Judge of all the earth not do what is right?—Gen. 18:25.
Do we have good reason for confidence regarding all of Jehovah’s judgments, both favorable and unfavorable? Yes! As Abraham understood so well, Jehovah is the perfect, all-wise, merciful “Judge of all the earth.” He has trained his Son and delegated all judging to him. (John 5:22) Both Father and Son can read what lies in each human heart. (Matt. 9:4) In every case, they will do “what is right”! Let us be determined to trust that Jehovah knows best. We recognize that we are not qualified to judge—but he is! (Isa. 55:8, 9) So we confidently leave all the judging to him and his Son, the King who perfectly reflects his Father’s justice and mercy.—Isa. 11:3, 4. w24.05 7 ¶18-19
Friday, September 4
Jehovah detests a devious person, but His close friendship is with the upright.—Prov. 3:32.
We can learn about the importance of having a sincere heart from Jesus’ first meeting with Nathanael. When Philip brought his friend Nathanael to meet Jesus, something remarkable happened. Although Jesus had never met Nathanael, Jesus said: “See, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” (John 1:47) Jesus saw in Nathanael an extraordinary sincerity. Like us, Nathanael was imperfect. But there was nothing artificial or insincere about him. Jesus admired that and commended Nathanael for it. Most of the requirements for pleasing Jehovah listed in Psalm 15 are related to how we treat others. Psalm 15:3 states that a guest in Jehovah’s tent “does not slander with his tongue, he does nothing bad to his neighbor, and he does not defame his friends.” Misusing our speech in such ways could cause serious harm to others.—Jas. 1:26. w24.06 10 ¶7, 9; 11 ¶10
Saturday, September 5
Lord, even the demons are made subject to us by the use of your name.—Luke 10:17.
If you prepare well for the ministry, you are likely to feel more comfortable when speaking with others. Jesus helped his disciples to prepare before he sent them out into the ministry. (Luke 10:1-11) Because they put into practice what Jesus had taught them, the disciples felt a deep sense of joy in what they were able to accomplish. How might we prepare for the ministry? We need to give thought to how we can express the truth effectively in our own words. It is also helpful to anticipate two or three common reactions from those in the territory and have in mind how we will respond in each case. Then when we approach people, we can try to relax, smile, and be friendly. w24.04 16 ¶6-7