with God’s name: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed [or sanctified] be thy name.” (Matt. 6:9, AV) And later during his earthly ministry Jesus said in prayer regarding God’s name: “I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world.”—John 17:6.

Surely, therefore, it is of utmost importance that we know the name of God and use it. Jesus used it, and all faithful servants of God have done so. In fact, God’s personal name appears in the Bible some 7,000 times! It is found, for example, in the King James Version Bible at Psalm 83:18, which reads: “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.”

Yes, Jehovah is God’s own self-chosen name. “I am Jehovah,” God declares. “That is my name; and to no one else shall I give my own glory.” (Isa. 42:8) In the original Hebrew language of the Bible God’s name appears in Tetragrammaton form (יהוה); the Tetragrammaton being defined as: “The Hebrew word written JHVH (or JHWH, YHVH, YHWH), representing, without vowels, the ‘ineffable name’ of God, . . . commonly transliterated in English as ‘Jehovah.’”—The American College Dictionary, page 1252.

In imitation of God’s faithful servants in the past, true Christians today use God’s name. Does the religion with which you associate do so? If it does not, then it could not be the true religion, for God said: “My people will know my name.” Not only would they know what the name is, but they would know it as a name glorified by reason of God’s own acts. Also the Bible says: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” (Isa. 52:6; Rom. 10:13; Joel 2:32) How vital, therefore, that you associate with those who exalt God’s name and treat it with respect!

A LOVING PROVIDER

As one comes to know who God really is, there are O so many things to speak to Him about. Just look around and observe his marvelous creations. “He is the Maker of the earth,” the Bible tells us, “the One firmly establishing the productive land . . . He has made even sluices for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.” (Jer. 10:10-13) The appreciative person is moved to exclaim, as did the Bible psalmist: “How many your works are, O Jehovah! All of them in wisdom you have made. The earth is full of your productions.”—Ps. 104:24.

True, humans may labor hard to feed and clothe their families, perhaps working long hours to plant seed, and toiling beneath a hot sun to harvest the fruitage. Yet, who makes that seed develop into nutritious food that can give strength to their bodies and cause their children to grow? How is it that seed, plus a little water and soil, can produce such miraculous results? Is any human responsible? No, but it is God’s doing! It is “God who makes it grow.”—1 Cor. 3:7.

What the Bible says is true; God gives “rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts to the full with food and good cheer.” (Acts 14:15-17) Thus, just as an infant is dependent upon its parents for necessities of life, so all humans are dependent upon Jehovah God. He truly is a loving provider. As the Bible says: “He himself gives to all persons life and breath and all things,” and “by him we have life and move and exist.”—Acts 17:25, 28.

We should, therefore, be appreciative and thankful. We should make known to God our gratitude for the food we eat, the air we breathe, the beautiful scenery that delights our eye, the melodious sounds that please our ear, and His many other blessings. Do you? Do you, for example, offer heartfelt thanks to Jehovah God for the food you eat? It was He that made it grow.

GENUINELY INTERESTED IN MAN

However, man needs more than just God’s material provisions. While it is true that these can sustain him for a while, it is unavoidable that the deteriorating effects of sin eventually catch up with him and he dies. Man, even with his great advances in medical science, is unable to do anything to prevent this. How evident it is, therefore, that man also is in dire need of Jehovah’s spiritual provisions! Has God made these available?

Yes, he has! Even though the original human pair rebelled against him and the majority of their offspring have chosen to ignore him, God has not left mankind without hope or guidance. Think of it! “God loved the world [of mankind] so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) How grateful we should be! Jehovah sent his beloved heavenly Son to earth as a ransom, thus opening the opportunity to all mankind to enjoy everlasting life in happiness in a new system of things.—Matt. 20:28.

Truly, what a wonderful God Jehovah is! He is, indeed, a loving Father who cares for man, not an uninterested bystander. He has not abandoned humankind, nor has he left them in ignorance concerning the present deplorable conditions. No, but God has made clear why humans die, how death will be eliminated, and why wickedness and human suffering have been tolerated for so long. All of this information he has made available in His Word the Bible.

This means that we have a responsibility toward the true God Jehovah. If we desire his blessing and eternal life we must avail ourselves of his provision to learn about Him. It is a life-or-death matter. Jesus Christ explained: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) How vital it is, therefore, to set aside time for regular Bible study! Do not put it off. Jehovah’s witnesses will be happy to assist you to obtain this valuable knowledge concerning God and his purposes. Remember, it means your very life.

‘No Christians in Prisons’

✔ Early Christians led exemplary lives. So much so that Minucius Felix, at the beginning of the third century, could reply to a pagan: “If we Christians be compared with you . . . we shall be found much better than you. For you forbid, yet commit, adulteries; we are known as men only for our own wives: you punish crimes when committed; with us, even to think of crimes is to sin: you are afraid of those who are aware of what you do; we are even afraid of our own conscience alone, without which we cannot exist; finally, from your numbers the prison boils over; but there is no Christian there, unless he is accused on account of his religion.”—The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4, p. 195, The Octavius, chap. 35.