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THIS MAGAZINE, The Watchtower, honors Jehovah God, the Ruler of the universe. It comforts people with the good news that God’s heavenly Kingdom will soon end all wickedness and transform the earth into a paradise. It promotes faith in Jesus Christ, who died so that we might gain everlasting life and who is now ruling as King of God’s Kingdom. This magazine has been published continuously since 1879 and is nonpolitical. It adheres to the Bible as its authority.

What blessings has God promised mankind? Can you trust his written Word? The following articles will examine some divine promises, explain why you can believe in them, and reveal how you can be the happy recipient of these promised blessings.

• Do you long for a world free of warfare, violence, and strife?

• Do you wish that there were no more sickness, suffering, and death?

• Do you yearn to be free of worry and anxiety?

• Do you wish to live in a place that does not get devastated by natural disasters?

Our loving God, the Creator of our beautiful planet, has promised to bless mankind with life in peaceful, happy conditions forever. This is not a dream.

In the following articles, we invite you to consider:

• How our Creator feels about mankind

• What God’s written Word reveals to us

• What God’s prophets revealed about his promised blessings

• What we can do to be happy now and to receive eternal blessings in God’s due time

Let us begin by examining the Creator’s loving concern for his human creation.

1. OUR CREATOR MAKES THE SUN RISE

Can you imagine life on earth without sunlight? The sun provides energy for trees to produce leaves, flowers, fruit, nuts, and seeds. It also makes trees draw water from the soil through the roots and up to the leaves and then into the air as water vapor.

2. OUR CREATOR MAKES IT RAIN

Rain is a precious gift from God that enables the earth to produce food for us to eat. God gives us rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying us with food and filling our hearts with gladness.

3. OUR CREATOR PROVIDES FOOD AND CLOTHING

Many human fathers are anxious about getting enough food and clothing for their families. Note what the Scriptures say: “Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are?”​—Matthew 6:25, 26.

“Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they grow . . . ; but I tell you that not even [King] Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. Now if this is how God clothes the vegetation of the field . . . , will he not much rather clothe you?”​—Matthew 6:28-30.

Since God can provide us with food and clothing, surely he can also help us find other necessities of life. If we seek to do God’s will, he can bless our efforts to grow food or he can help us find employment so that we can buy what we need.​—Matthew 6:32, 33.

Truly, we have good reasons to love God when we consider the sun, rain, birds, and flowers. The following article will discuss how our Creator has communicated with mankind.

Since the creation of mankind, our Creator has communicated with people through angels and prophets. In addition, he chose to have his message and promised blessings put in writing. These promises from God affect your future. So where can you find God’s promises today?

God’s message to us is contained in the Holy Scriptures. (2 Timothy 3:16) How did God use prophets to write his message? (2 Peter 1:21) God put his thoughts in the minds of the writers, who then wrote them down. It is similar today. If a businessman uses a secretary to write a message on his behalf, we still acknowledge the businessman as the author of the message. Likewise, even though God used men to write his message, he is the real Author of the Sacred Writings.

GOD’S WORD IS WIDELY AVAILABLE

God’s message is so important that he wants all people to read and understand it. Today his “everlasting good news” is readily available to “every nation and tribe and language.” (Revelation 14:6, footnote) With God’s blessing, the Sacred Writings are available in whole or in part in over 3,000 languages, many more than any other book on earth.

Some people wonder if God’s written Word has been changed. The prophet Isaiah stated that God’s word “endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) How can we be sure that God’s promises have been preserved accurately?

God has the power to preserve his Word and to prevent it from being corrupted. In ancient times, when handwritten copies were made, careful copyists counted every letter of the holy text to be certain nothing was added, changed, or omitted. Still, humans are imperfect, and some copyists made slight errors.

HOW CAN WE BE SURE THAT TODAY’S HOLY SCRIPTURES CONTAIN GOD’S ORIGINAL MESSAGE?

There are thousands of copies of ancient manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures. If one copy has even the slightest difference, it can be compared with other copies to establish the truth.​—To learn more, see the article “Has the Bible Been Changed or Tampered With?” on jw.org.

Consider, for example, the ancient documents called the Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered by bedouins in caves near the Dead Sea in 1947. These ancient writings contain parts of the Holy Scriptures dating back over two thousand years. Experts compared these ancient manuscripts with the Holy Scriptures we have today. What did they find?

Scholars found that the contents of God’s Word that we have today reflect the original writings.a A careful examination of older manuscripts confirms that what we read in the Holy Scriptures is God’s original message. We can be sure that God has diligently preserved the accuracy of his Holy Writings for us today.

We can, therefore, read God’s Word with complete trust and confidence in its accuracy. With that in mind, let us next examine what we can learn about God from his prophets.

ABRAHAM

God is impartial and wants to bless all humans.

God promised the prophet Abraham that “all the families of the ground will certainly be blessed by means of you.”​—Genesis 12:3.

What do we learn? God loves us very much and wants to bless all families​—men, women, and children—​who obey him.

MOSES

God is merciful and blesses those who make an effort to know him.

The Almighty gave the prophet Moses the power to perform great miracles. Yet, Moses prayed: “Make me know your ways, so that I may know you and continue to find favor in your eyes.” (Exodus 33:13) God was pleased with Moses’ request and blessed him with more knowledge and understanding of His ways and qualities. For example, Moses learned that the Creator is “a God merciful and compassionate.”​—Exodus 34:6, 7.

What do we learn? God wants to bless all of us​—men, women, and children—​if we strive to come to know him better. He shows us in the Holy Scriptures how to worship him and that he is eager to grant us his favor and blessing.

JESUS

We can enjoy God’s everlasting blessings if we learn about Jesus and what he did and taught.

God’s Word contains many details of Jesus’ life and teachings. God gave Jesus the power to perform many powerful miracles, such as curing the blind, the deaf, and the lame. He even brought the dead back to life. Jesus thus demonstrated the blessings that God will bring to all mankind in the future. He explained how each of us can enjoy those blessings: “This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”​—John 17:3.

Jesus was compassionate, tender, and kind. Men and women, young and old, flocked to him in response to his warm invitation: “Learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for yourselves.” (Matthew 11:29) Unlike others of his time who mistreated women, Jesus treated women with kindness, dignity, and respect.

What do we learn? Jesus showed profound love for people, and he set an outstanding example of how we should treat one another.

JESUS IS NOT GOD

The Holy Scriptures teach that “there is actually to us one God” and that Jesus Christ was God’s humble messenger. (1 Corinthians 8:6) Jesus stated clearly that God is superior to him and that God sent him to the earth.​—John 11:41, 42; 14:28.a

God gave humans a unique gift​—the ability to communicate with him and to express their feelings to him by means of prayer. The prophet David prayed: “O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.” (Psalm 65:2) But how can we pray in order to be heard and blessed by God?

OFFER HUMBLE, HEARTFELT PRAYERS

Your personal prayers allow you to pour out your heart before God​—to convey your true feelings. (Psalm 62:8) The Almighty cherishes sincere prayers from the heart.

ADDRESS GOD BY HIS PERSONAL NAME

Although God has many titles, he has only one personal name. “I am Jehovah. That is my name.” (Isaiah 42:8) The name Jehovah appears some 7,000 times in the Holy Scriptures. Many prophets addressed God by his personal name. Abraham said: “Jehovah, please, . . . let me go on speaking [with you].” (Genesis 18:30) We too should use God’s name, Jehovah, when we pray.

PRAY IN YOUR OWN LANGUAGE

God understands our thoughts and feelings no matter what language we speak. His Word assures us: “God is not partial, but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”​—Acts 10:34, 35.

However, to be blessed by God, we need to do more than pray. In the following articles, we will examine what we need to do.

The prophet Moses said that if we obey God’s commandments, we will receive God’s blessing. (Deuteronomy 10:13; 11:27) We do not obey God because we fear his punishment. God’s beautiful qualities motivate us to obey him because we love him and want to avoid doing something that may sadden him. “This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments.”​—1 John 5:3.

But how does obedience to God result in his blessing? Consider two ways.

1. OBEYING GOD WILL MAKE US WISE

“I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, . . . guiding you in the way you should walk.”​—ISAIAH 48:17.

Jehovah God, our Creator, knows us and provides the guidance we need. If we want his teachings to help us make wise decisions, we must learn from the Holy Scriptures what God wants us to do and then put those teachings into practice.

2. OBEDIENCE WILL MAKE US HAPPY

“Happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!”​—LUKE 11:28.

Today, millions who heed the Word of God enjoy true happiness. For example, consider a man in Spain who had an explosive temper and treated others harshly​—including his wife. One day he read in the writings of the prophet Moses about the mild character of Joseph, the son of Jacob. Joseph was sold as a slave and unjustly imprisoned; yet, he remained mild, peaceable, and forgiving. (Genesis, chapters 37-45) The man in Spain admits: “Thinking about Joseph’s example motivated me to cultivate mildness, kindness, and self-control. As a result, I now enjoy a happy life.”

The Holy Scriptures provide more guidance on how we should treat others. Consider this in greater detail in the next article.

As descendants of the first man, Adam, we are all one family. Even though members of a family are expected to love and respect one another, nowadays it is hard to find such love. This is not what our loving God wants.

WHAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES SAY ABOUT LOVE

“You must love your fellow man as yourself.”​—LEVITICUS 19:18.

“Continue to love your enemies.”​—MATTHEW 5:44.

WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE FELLOW HUMANS

Note how God describes love in his Word at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:

“Love is patient and kind.”

Consider: How do you feel when others are patient and kind with you and do not react angrily to your mistakes?

“Love is not jealous.”

Consider: How do you feel when others are overly suspicious or envious of you?

Love “does not look for its own interests.”

Consider: How do you feel when others are willing to respect your views and do not always insist on their own opinion?

Love “does not keep account of the injury.”

Consider: God is willing to forgive repentant people who have wronged him. “He will not always find fault, nor will he stay resentful.” (Psalm 103:9) We appreciate it when someone that we have offended forgives us. So we should be ready to forgive others when they offend us.​—Psalm 86:5.

Love “does not rejoice over unrighteousness.”

Consider: When something bad happens to us, we do not like others to rejoice over our suffering. So we do not rejoice when others suffer hardship, even if they have mistreated us.

To enjoy God’s blessing, we must love others in these ways regardless of who they are. One practical way we can do this is by helping those in need.

Many people around the world live in need of food and shelter. Some simply need a hope for the future. How will our efforts to help such ones lead to God’s approval and blessing?

WHAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES SAY

“The one showing favor to the lowly is lending to Jehovah, and He will repay him for what he does.”​—PROVERBS 19:17.

WHAT IT MEANS TO HELP SOMEONE IN NEED

Jesus told a parable about a man who had been attacked by robbers and left for dead. (Luke 10:29-37) A helpful stranger stopped and cared for the badly injured man. He did this despite being from a different ethnic background.

This kind man not only gave the injured man first aid and material support but also comforted him and brought him relief from his distress.

What do we learn from this parable? Jesus was showing that we should help those in need in whatever way we can. (Proverbs 14:31) The Holy Scriptures teach that God will soon put an end to poverty and suffering. We may wonder, though, how and when will God do that? The following article will discuss the blessings that your loving Creator has in store for you.

God promised the prophet Abraham that one of his descendants would bring blessings to “all nations of the earth.” (Genesis 22:18) Who would that descendant be?

Almost 2,000 years ago, God gave Jesus, who was a descendant of Abraham, the power to perform powerful miracles. Those miracles indicated that the promise made to Abraham would come to the nations by means of Jesus.​—Galatians 3:14.

The miracles Jesus performed helped identify him as the one whom God has chosen to bless mankind, and they also demonstrated how God will use him to bless mankind eternally. Notice how Jesus’ miracles highlight some of his appealing qualities.

Tenderness​—Jesus healed the sick.

Once, a leper begged Jesus to heal him. Jesus touched him and responded: “I want to!” Immediately, the leprosy vanished.​—Mark 1:40-42.

Generosity​—Jesus fed the hungry.

Jesus did not want people to go hungry. On more than one occasion, he miraculously fed thousands of people by multiplying a few loaves and a few small fish. (Matthew 14:17-21; 15:32-38) After eating, all were satisfied and an abundance of food was left over.

Compassion​—Jesus raised the dead.

“Moved with pity,” Jesus raised from the dead the only son of a grieving widow who had no one else to look after her.​—Luke 7:12-15.

• 

  Why are there so many problems in the world?

• How can you find the wisdom to face life’s problems?

• Does God care about you as an individual?​—1 Peter 5:6, 7.

• How can you know more about God and his will?

Millions of people have found satisfying answers to these questions by studying the Holy Scriptures. You can too.

If you would like further information, please request the brochure Real Faith​—Your Key to a Happy Life free of charge from the publishers of this magazine or read it online at www.jw.org.