6. How did both the psalmist and Job further illustrate this?

⁶ Both Job and the psalmist recognized how God looks after the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and makes provision for them. Certainly human creatures are worth much more than these, and especially those who have entered into a covenant relationship with Jehovah God to do His will. Job 38:41 asks, “Who provideth for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry unto God, and wander for lack of food?” (Am. Stan. Ver.) Again, “Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.” (Ps. 147:7-9) Are not the needs of men made sure? Why then be worried about life and all its problems? Seek first the Kingdom!

 7. How must we avail ourselves of God’s provisions?

⁷ Do not the squirrels gather nuts and store them away in holes dug in the ground or hide them in the trunks of trees? Do not the beavers make provision for themselves and the bees store up honey in their hives for the winter? The point is this: provision is made for all of the animals so that they can gather in the things necessary to their life. They work to gather what God supplies. Man can do the same. All that it is necessary for man to do is to use the things God provides. Man should not be lazier than the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, or the animals of the earth. As good counsel to the lazy man, the wise one said, ‘Consider the ant, thou sluggard.’ Yes, we have to work, but we do not have to become slaves to commerce or to this old world in order to live.

 8. Why is it foolish to hoard great riches for a future day?

⁸ It is natural for man to want to live, and he would like to carry on his existence even in this present time of hardship and distress as long as he possibly can; but the hoarding up of earthly riches is not the thing that is going to guarantee life any more than it did for that certain rich man who stored all his wealth away in barns only to die that night. For, as the account says, “this very night your soul will be demanded of you. Then who will have all you have prepared?” (Luke 12:20, An Amer. Trans.) Then Jesus in his discussion with his disciples said, “And who from among you though anxious can unto his stature add a cubit?” (Luke 12:25, Roth.) If the body of an individual wears out and it is time for that body to return to the dust, there is not much that one can do in fixing up the organism. If the heart is exhausted and the nervous system worn out or the muscles become stiff and hard, there is not much that one can do to add another step to his life; he has reached the end of his way. So Jesus argues, “If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest?” (Luke 12:26, A.S.V.) In other words, if we cannot extend our life just a little, not even a cubit, why then should we be so anxious and concerned about storing away great wealth, food, clothing, and in having many homes and properties? Why should we be anxious to store up that which we have collected during the past year into barns and then say: “From now on I will eat, drink and enjoy myself”? How much better it would be to give that which we have to the poor and store up for ourselves treasures in heaven!

 9. What treasure do we have? How do we store treasure above?

⁹ What treasure do we have? Those who have come to a knowledge of God’s Word have the truth. They have come to understand who Jehovah God is, the Great One of the universe; how he provided his Son, Christ Jesus, to redeem mankind through him that they might gain eternal life; how Christ Jesus has now come and taken to himself his power and begun to reign and that the kingdom that we have prayed for is established. These things we know; these things Christians possess in the way of knowledge because of their study of God’s Word, and they can give this good message to the poor who are sighing and crying because of the abominations that have come upon them in this world. True Christians will devote what they have of this world’s goods, whether little or much, to bringing this message to the poor and comforting those who mourn. They remember that a person’s life is not due to the things that he possesses, but his eternal existence depends on the treasure that he stores up in heaven. They consistently add to their heavenly treasure by preaching the good news of the Kingdom.

Reviewing the Past Year’s Work World-wide

 1. What are Jehovah’s witnesses? What do we ask about them?

JEHOVAH’S witnesses are ministers of God, ordained to preach the Word. Let us then review what they have done and see if they are trying to store up treasures in heaven, or only treasures upon this earth. Are they giving to the poor and bringing to them the comfort and good news?

 2. Were there many Kingdom publishers in 1914? What befell them?

² The Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, the governing body of Jehovah’s witnesses, has pointed out through its publications that the kingdom of heaven was established in 1914, and it has shown in its writings how the signs of the present day are fulfilling prophecy in proof of the establishment of that kingdom.