April
Saturday, April 1
God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son.—John 3:16.
Jesus showed great love by willingly giving his life for us. (John 15:13) We can never repay Jehovah and Jesus for the love they have shown us. But we can show our thankfulness by how we live our life each day. (Col. 3:15) The anointed treasure the ransom, which makes their wonderful hope possible. (Matt. 20:28) Because of their faith in Christ’s sacrifice, Jehovah has declared them righteous and has adopted them as his children. (Rom. 5:1; 8:15-17, 23) The other sheep too are thankful for the ransom. On the basis of their faith in Christ’s shed blood, they have a clean standing before God and have the hope of coming “out of the great tribulation.” (Rev. 7:13-15) Both groups show their gratitude for the ransom by being present at the Memorial each year. w22.01 4:14-15
Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 10) Matthew 21:18, 19; 21:12, 13; John 12:20-50
Sunday, April 2
Christ purchased us.—Gal. 3:13.
Jesus was distressed by the charge that was the basis for his execution. He was falsely accused of being a blasphemer—someone who had no respect for God or for God’s name. (Matt. 26:64-66) That charge tormented Jesus so much that he hoped his Father would spare him this humiliation. (Matt. 26:38, 39, 42) Jesus had to be hung on a stake to free the Jews from a special curse. (Gal. 3:10) They had agreed to observe God’s Law but had fallen far short of keeping it. As a result, this curse was in addition to their condemnation as offspring of sinful Adam. (Rom. 5:12) God’s Law stated that a man who committed a sin deserving of death should be executed. Afterward, his dead body may be hung on a stake. (Deut. 21:22, 23; 27:26) So by being hung on a stake, Jesus made it possible for the very nation that rejected him to benefit from his sacrifice. w21.04 16:5-6
Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 11) Matthew 21:33-41; 22:15-22; 23:1-12; 24:1-3
Monday, April 3
I surrender my life.—John 10:17.
Imagine what the last day of Jesus’ earthly life was like. Roman soldiers beat him mercilessly. (Matt. 26:52-54; John 18:3; 19:1) They use a whip that rips strips of flesh from his body. Later, they load a heavy beam on his lacerated back. Jesus begins to drag the stake to the place of execution, but soon a bystander is conscripted to carry it for him. (Matt. 27:32) When Jesus arrives at the place where he will die, his executioners nail his hands and his feet to the stake. The weight of Jesus’ body tears at the nail wounds. His friends grieve and his mother weeps, but the Jewish rulers mock Jesus. (Luke 23:32-38; John 19:25) One agonizing hour follows another. His heart and lungs become strained, and his breathing becomes more difficult. With his dying breath, he utters one last triumphant prayer. He then bows his head and surrenders his life. (Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 10:18; 19:30) It was truly a slow, painful, humiliating way to die! w21.04 16:4
Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 12) Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16; Luke 22:1-6
MEMORIAL DATE
After Sundown
Tuesday, April 4
Keep doing this in remembrance of me.—Luke 22:19.
Jesus spoke to his 11 faithful apostles about two covenants, or agreements—the new covenant and the Kingdom covenant. (Luke 22:20, 28-30) These covenants opened up the way for those apostles and a limited number of others to become kings and priests in heaven. (Rev. 5:10; 14:1) Only the anointed remnant, who are in these two covenants, may partake of the bread and the wine at the Memorial. Jehovah has given them a remarkable hope—to enjoy immortal and incorruptible life in heaven, to serve alongside the glorified Jesus Christ and the rest of the 144,000 and, above all, to be in the very presence of Jehovah God! (1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 John 3:2) The anointed recognize that they must remain faithful until their death.—2 Tim. 4:7, 8. w22.01 4:4-5
Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 13) Matthew 26:17-19; Luke 22:7-13 (Events after sunset: Nisan 14) Matthew 26:20-56
Wednesday, April 5
You will be with me in Paradise.—Luke 23:43.
Two criminals were being executed alongside Jesus. (Luke 23:40, 41) One of them turned to Jesus and said: “Remember me when you get into your Kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) Knowing that his Father is merciful, Jesus spoke words that gave hope to this dying criminal. (Ps. 103:8; Heb. 1:3) Jehovah is eager to forgive us and to show us mercy if we are truly sorry for the bad things we have done and we exercise faith that we can obtain forgiveness of our sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:7) Some may find it difficult to believe that Jehovah could ever forgive them. If you feel that way at times, consider this: Shortly before he died, Jesus made an expression of mercy to the condemned criminal who was just beginning to show faith. So how much more would Jehovah show mercy to his faithful worshippers!—Ps. 51:1; 1 John 2:1, 2. w21.04 15:5-6
Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 14) Matthew 27:1, 2, 27-37
Thursday, April 6
Jesus said: “It has been accomplished!”—John 19:30.
By maintaining his integrity till he died, Jesus accomplished a number of things. First, he proved Satan a liar. Jesus showed that a perfect human could keep perfect integrity in spite of all that Satan could do. Second, Jesus gave his life as a ransom. His sacrificial death made it possible for imperfect humans to have a righteous standing with God, and it gave them the prospect of living forever. Third, Jesus upheld the righteousness of Jehovah’s sovereignty and cleared his Father’s name of reproach. May we live each day as if it were our last chance to maintain our integrity! Then, even if we should face death, we would be able to say, “Jehovah, I have done my best to keep my integrity, to prove Satan a liar, and to vindicate your name and your sovereignty!” w21.04 15:13-14
Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 15) Matthew 27:62-66 (Events after sunset: Nisan 16) Matthew 28:2-4
Friday, April 7
This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved. Listen to him.—Matt. 17:5.
After being falsely accused and being judged guilty of a crime he did not commit, Jesus is mocked, cruelly tortured, and then nailed to a torture stake. Nails pierce his hands and feet. Every breath he takes, every word he speaks, is painful. But he must speak—he has important things to say. What powerful lessons we can learn from Jesus’ final words! We are reminded of the need to forgive others and to trust that Jehovah will forgive us. We are privileged to have a wonderful spiritual family of brothers and sisters who are ready to help us. But when we need help, we must take the initiative to ask for it. We know that Jehovah will help us endure any trial that comes upon us. And we see the importance of living each day as if it were our last day to prove our integrity, confident that our life is safe in Jehovah’s hands. w21.04 15:1, 17
Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 16) Matthew 28:1, 5-15
Saturday, April 8
This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.—John 17:3.
Following Jesus’ footsteps leads to everlasting life. When a rich young man asked what he needed to do to gain everlasting life, Jesus replied: “Come be my follower.” (Matt. 19:16-21) To some Jews who did not believe that he was the Christ, Jesus said: “My sheep . . . follow me. I give them everlasting life.” (John 10:24-29) We exercise faith in Jesus by acting on what he taught both by word and by example. If we do that, we will stay on the road to everlasting life. (Matt. 7:14) Before we can follow Jesus’ footsteps closely, we must come to know him. “Coming to know” Jesus is an ongoing process. We must become better and better acquainted with him—learning about his qualities, his thinking, and his standards. No matter how long we have been in the truth, we must keep working at coming to know Jehovah and his Son. w21.04 14:9-10
Sunday, April 9
Formerly I was a blasphemer and a persecutor.—1 Tim. 1:13.
There must have been times when the apostle Paul was tormented by his past. He referred to himself as the “foremost” sinner, and no wonder! (1 Tim. 1:15) Before coming to a knowledge of the truth, Paul relentlessly pursued Christians in one city after another, putting some in prison and voting for the execution of others. (Acts 26:10, 11) Can you imagine how Paul would have felt on meeting a young Christian whose parents had been executed with his approval? Paul regretted his mistakes, but he knew he could not change the past. He accepted that Christ had died for him, and he confidently wrote: “By God’s undeserved kindness I am what I am.” (1 Cor. 15:3, 10) What is the lesson for us? Accept that Christ died for you and paved the way for you to enter into a warm, personal relationship with Jehovah. (Acts 3:19) What counts with God is what we do now and in the future, not the mistakes we made in the past.—Isa. 1:18. w21.04 17:11
Monday, April 10
Test the inspired statements to see whether they originate with God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.—1 John 4:1.
Although many Jews in Jesus’ day did not expect that the Messiah would need to die, notice what had been prophesied in the Scriptures: “He poured out his life even to death and was counted among the transgressors; he carried the sin of many people, and he interceded for the transgressors.” (Isa. 53:12) So the Jews had no reason to be stumbled when Jesus was executed as a sinner. Today, we can avoid being stumbled by learning the facts. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned his listeners that some would “lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against” them. (Matt. 5:11) The source of these lies is Satan. He influences opposers to spread malicious slander about those who love the truth. (Rev. 12:9, 10) We must reject the lies told by our opponents. Never should we allow such lies to intimidate us or to undermine our faith. w21.05 19:14, 16
Tuesday, April 11
Have no fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.—Matt. 10:31.
Help your Bible student to trust in Jehovah. Jesus assured his disciples that Jehovah would help them because He loved them. (Matt. 10:19, 20, 29, 30) Remind your student that Jehovah will help him too. You can help him to rely on Jehovah by praying with him about his goals. “My teacher often mentioned my goals in his prayers,” says Franciszek, who lives in Poland. “When I saw how Jehovah answered my teacher’s prayers, I quickly started to pray. I felt Jehovah’s help when I needed to have days off from my new job to attend the meetings and the convention.” Jehovah cares deeply about our Bible students. He appreciates how hard Christian teachers work to help people draw closer to him, and he loves them for it. (Isa. 52:7) If you are not currently conducting a Bible study, you can still help Bible students to progress toward baptism by accompanying other publishers on their studies. w21.06 22:17-18
Wednesday, April 12
His delight is in the law of Jehovah, and he reads His law in an undertone day and night.—Ps. 1:2.
We can show that we appreciate the privilege of having God’s Word by reading it regularly. We cannot afford to leave personal study to chance, doing it when we feel that we have the time. By sticking to a regular routine of study, we can keep our faith strong. Unlike “the wise and intellectual ones” of this world, we have solid faith based on God’s Word. (Matt. 11:25, 26) As a result of our study of that sacred volume, we know why conditions on earth are deteriorating and what Jehovah is going to do about it. So let us be determined to strengthen our faith and to help as many as possible to have faith in our Creator. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) And let us continue to look forward to the time when all alive on earth will echo the words of Revelation 4:11: “You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory . . . because you created all things.” w21.08 32:18-20
Thursday, April 13
In brotherly love have tender affection for one another.—Rom. 12:10.
As shepherds, elders are responsible for giving counsel when it is needed. They should strive to give counsel that is both practical and motivating and that will “make the heart rejoice.” (Prov. 27:9) Elders love their brothers and sisters. At times, they show that love by counseling someone who is heading down a wrong path. (Gal. 6:1) Before speaking to the person, though, an elder might consider some of the facets of love that the apostle Paul mentioned. “Love is patient and kind. . . . It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13:4, 7) Meditating on those Bible verses will help the elder to examine his motives for giving the counsel and to approach his brother with the proper attitude. If the one receiving the counsel can sense that the elder cares about him, he will be more likely to accept the counsel. w22.02 8:3, 5
Friday, April 14
They rebelled and grieved his holy spirit.—Isa. 63:10.
Jehovah created his spirit and human children perfect, without any flaws. But then the rebel angelic son Satan (meaning “Resister”) turned the perfect humans, Adam and Eve, against Jehovah. Other angels and humans joined in the rebellion. (Jude 6) Jehovah rightly felt betrayed. Still, he has endured, and he will keep on enduring until the time comes to put an end to all rebels. That will bring blessed relief to his loyal ones, who along with him are enduring evil in this system of things! Satan accused Jehovah’s upright servant Job, saying in effect that all of Jehovah’s faithful worshippers serve God for selfish reasons. (Job 1:8-11; 2:3-5) The Devil has kept up his accusations to this day. (Rev. 12:10) We can do our part to prove that there is no truth to Satan’s lies by enduring our trials and remaining loyal to Jehovah out of love for Him. w21.07 27:7-8
Saturday, April 15
Remove your evil deeds from my sight; stop doing bad.—Isa. 1:16.
The apostle Paul used a powerful word picture to teach us just how serious we must be about changing our lifestyle. He wrote that we must nail our old personality “to the stake.” (Rom. 6:6) In other words, we want to follow Christ’s example. We need to kill off attitudes and practices that Jehovah hates. Only if we take these steps will we gain a clean conscience and have the prospect of enjoying everlasting life. (John 17:3; 1 Pet. 3:21) Jehovah will not change his standards to suit us. Instead, we need to change who we are and conform to his standards. (Isa. 1:17, 18; 55:9) Even after you get baptized, you will need to continue to fight fleshly desires. Pray for Jehovah’s help, and rely on his spirit, not on your own strength. (Gal. 5:22; Phil. 4:6) We must be determined if we are to strip off the old personality and keep it off. w22.03 10:15-17
Sunday, April 16
[Jehovah] will sustain you.—Ps. 55:22.
Jehovah promises that he will provide us with food, clothing, and shelter if we seek his Kingdom first and live by his righteous standards. (Matt. 6:33) With that in mind, we avoid thinking that the material things this world offers will bring us security and lasting happiness. We know that the only way we can gain real peace of mind is by doing Jehovah’s will. (Phil. 4:6, 7) Even if we can afford to buy many things, we must consider whether we really have the time or the energy to use and care for them. Might we become too attached to our possessions? Remember that God expects us to be productive members of his family. That means we should not allow ourselves to be distracted. We certainly do not want to be like the man who turned down the opportunity to serve Jehovah as well as the potential to be adopted as one of his sons—all because he was attached to a few earthly possessions!—Mark 10:17-22. w21.08 30:17
Monday, April 17
Make a defense before everyone.—1 Pet. 3:15.
As you study the Scriptures, you will note that a distinct personality emerges—one that harmonizes with the qualities reflected in creation. These qualities clearly belong to a real Person and are not a product of someone’s imagination. (Ex. 34:6, 7; Ps. 145:8, 9) As you come to know Jehovah better and better, your faith in him will grow, your love for him will deepen, and your friendship with him will become stronger. Share your faith in God with others. But what if someone you witness to raises a question about the existence of God and you are unsure of how to reply? Try to find a Scriptural answer to the question in one of our publications, and then share it with the individual. You can also ask an experienced fellow Witness for help. Whether the unbeliever accepts answers from the Bible or not, you will benefit from having done the research. Your faith will grow stronger. w21.08 32:14-15
Tuesday, April 18
I did not hold back from telling you.—Acts 20:20.
We do not need to give up all comforts in order to please Jehovah. (Eccl. 5:19, 20) However, if we were to hold back from doing more in God’s service just to avoid making personal sacrifices, we could make the same mistake as the man in Jesus’ illustration who created a comfortable life for himself but ignored God. (Luke 12:16-21) When we face challenges, we prayerfully do our best to use our thinking ability to come up with a plan of action. (Prov. 3:21) Jehovah blesses us in many ways. We can show how much we appreciate those blessings by doing all we can to bring him praise. (Heb. 13:15) That may include expanding our ministry, putting us in line for additional blessings. Each day, let us look for ways to “taste and see that Jehovah is good.” (Ps. 34:8) Then we will be like Jesus, who said: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”—John 4:34. w21.08 34:16-19
Wednesday, April 19
Pride is before a crash, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.—Prov. 16:18.
Satan wants us to develop an unbalanced sense of pride. He knows that if we allow improper pride to dominate us, we will become like him and lose out on gaining everlasting life. Accordingly, the apostle Paul warned that a person might “get puffed up with pride and fall into the judgment passed on the Devil.” (1 Tim. 3:6, 7) That could happen to any one of us, whether we are new in the truth or we have been serving Jehovah for many years. Pride is a form of selfishness. Satan tries to get us to be selfish, to focus more on ourselves than on Jehovah, especially when we face a challenge. For example, have you been falsely accused? Or have you been treated unjustly? Satan would love to see you blame Jehovah or your brothers. And the Devil wants you to think that the only remedy is to do things your own way rather than to follow the guidance Jehovah gives you in his Word.—Eccl. 7:16, 20. w21.06 24:4-5
Thursday, April 20
“Be strong, all you people of the land,” declares Jehovah, “and work. For I am with you,” declares Jehovah of armies.—Hag. 2:4.
The prophet Haggai received an important commission from Jehovah. Haggai had likely been among those who in 537 B.C.E. returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. Soon after they arrived at their destination, those faithful worshippers laid the foundation of Jehovah’s house, or temple. (Ezra 3:8, 10) But before long, a sad situation developed. They got discouraged and stopped working on the project because of opposition. (Ezra 4:4; Hag. 1:1, 2) So in 520 B.C.E., Jehovah commissioned Haggai to rekindle their zeal and motivate them to complete the temple. (Ezra 6:14, 15) Haggai’s message was designed to build faith in Jehovah. The expression “Jehovah of armies” must have been reassuring. Jehovah has a vast army of angelic warriors under his command, so the Jews needed to rely on him to succeed. w21.09 37:4-5
Friday, April 21
By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves.—John 13:35.
Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses enjoy a loving unity on a global scale. Like no other organization, our close-knit brotherhood rises above national, racial, and social boundaries. We see evidence of genuine love at our meetings, assemblies, and conventions. That evidence strengthens our conviction that our form of worship is the one approved by Jehovah. (John 13:34) The Scriptures urge us to “have intense love for one another.” (1 Pet. 4:8) One way we show such love is by forgiving one another and putting up with one another’s imperfections. We also look for opportunities to be generous and hospitable to all in the congregation, even to those who may have offended us. (Col. 3:12-14) Such a loving bond is truly the foremost identifying mark of true Christians. w21.10 42:13-14
Saturday, April 22
The one who loves [his son] disciplines him diligently.—Prov. 13:24.
Can getting disfellowshipped help an unrepentant sinner change his course? It can. Many who have fallen into serious sin have found that the firm action the elders took gave them the very jolt they needed to come to their senses, change their course of action, and return to Jehovah’s warm embrace. (Heb. 12:5, 6) Consider an illustration. A shepherd notices that one of his sheep is ailing. He knows that treating this particular illness requires that he isolate the sick sheep from the rest of the flock. However, sheep are social creatures. They long to be with the flock, and they may become agitated when kept apart. Does this mean, though, that the shepherd is being harsh or cruel in choosing this treatment? Of course not. He knows that if he allows the sick sheep to mingle with the rest of the flock, the illness will spread. By isolating the sick one, he protects the whole flock. w21.10 41:9-10
Sunday, April 23
Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your fine works and give glory to your Father who is in the heavens.—Matt. 5:16.
It is a great privilege to belong to a loving international family. We want as many as possible to join us in worshipping our God. With this in mind, we should be careful never to do anything that would reflect badly on Jehovah’s people or on our heavenly Father. We try to conduct ourselves in a way that will attract people to the good news. At times, some may belittle us or even persecute us because we obey our heavenly Father. What if we feel intimidated when speaking to others about our beliefs? We can count on Jehovah and his Son to come to our aid. Jesus reassured his disciples that they did not have to worry about how to speak or what to say. Why not? “What you are to speak will be given you in that hour,” explained Jesus, “for the ones speaking are not just you, but it is the spirit of your Father that speaks by you.”—Matt. 10:19, 20. w21.09 38:17-18
Monday, April 24
I will say to Jehovah: “You are my refuge and my stronghold.”—Ps. 91:2.
Moses used a similar word picture about a refuge. (Ps. 90:1, ftn.) Moreover, toward the end of his life, Moses called attention to a heartwarming detail. He wrote: “God is a refuge from ancient times, his everlasting arms are beneath you.” (Deut. 33:27) What does the phrase “his everlasting arms are beneath you” tell us about Jehovah? When Jehovah is our Refuge, we feel secure. Still, there may be days when we are down and struggle to get up. At such times, what will Jehovah do for us? (Ps. 136:23) He will put his arms beneath us, gently lift us up, and help us to get back on our feet. (Ps. 28:9; 94:18) Knowing that we can always count on God’s support helps us to remember that we are blessed in two ways. First, we have a secure place of refuge no matter where we live. Second, our loving heavenly Father deeply cares for us. w21.11 44:15-16
Tuesday, April 25
You have been distressed by various trials.—1 Pet. 1:6.
Jesus knew that injustice would challenge the faith of his disciples. To help them deal with it, he gave an illustration that is recorded in the book of Luke. Jesus told the story of a widow who kept crying out to an unrighteous judge for justice. She was confident that her persistence would pay off. Eventually, the judge responded to her pleas. The application? Jehovah is not unjust. So Jesus said: “Certainly, then, will not God cause justice to be done for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night?” (Luke 18:1-8) Then Jesus added: “When the Son of man arrives, will he really find this faith on the earth?” When we suffer injustice, we need to prove by our patience and perseverance that we have strong faith like that of the widow. With such faith, we can be confident that sooner or later Jehovah will act in our behalf. We also need to believe in the power of prayer. w21.11 47:12, 14
Wednesday, April 26
How can a young man keep his path clean? By keeping on guard according to your word.—Ps. 119:9.
Young ones, do you sometimes feel that Jehovah’s standards are too restrictive? This is what Satan wants you to think. He would like you to focus on what those who are traveling on the spacious road are doing, on the good time they seem to be having. He may use what your peers at school are doing or what you see on the Internet to make you feel that you are missing out on all the fun. Satan wants you to think that Jehovah’s standards are keeping you from enjoying life to the full. But remember this: Satan does not want those who are traveling on his road to see what awaits them at the end of the journey. (Matt. 7:13, 14) Jehovah, on the other hand, has given you a clear picture of what he has in store for those who stay on the road to life.—Ps. 37:29; Isa. 35:5, 6; 65:21-23. w21.12 51:6-7
Thursday, April 27
Forgive your brother from your heart.—Matt. 18:35.
We know that we should forgive; that is the right thing to do. But we may still struggle to do so. The apostle Peter may have felt that way at times. (Matt. 18:21, 22) What can help? First, meditate on how much Jehovah has forgiven you. (Matt. 18:32, 33) We do not deserve his forgiveness, but he offers it freely. (Ps. 103:8-10) At the same time, “we are also under obligation to love one another.” So forgiveness is not optional. We owe it to our brothers and sisters to forgive them. (1 John 4:11) Second, meditate on what happens when we forgive. We may help the person who has wronged us, unify the congregation, protect our friendship with Jehovah, and remove a burden from our shoulders. (2 Cor. 2:7; Col. 3:14) Finally, pray to the One who asks us to forgive. Do not allow Satan to disrupt the peace you enjoy with your fellow worshippers. (Eph. 4:26, 27) We need Jehovah’s help if we are to avoid falling into Satan’s trap. w21.06 25:11, 14
Friday, April 28
You will be king over Israel.—1 Sam. 23:17.
David was running for his life. Saul, the powerful king of Israel, was determined to put him to death. When David needed provisions, he stopped at the city of Nob, where he made a modest request for five loaves of bread. (1 Sam. 21:1, 3) Later, he and his men found refuge in a cave. (1 Sam. 22:1) How did David come to be in this situation? Saul was insanely jealous of David’s popularity and military victories. Saul also knew that his own disobedience had led to Jehovah’s rejecting him as king of Israel and that Jehovah had selected David for the throne. (1 Sam. 23:16, 17) Still, as king of Israel, Saul had a large army and many supporters, so David had to flee for his life. Did Saul really think that he could fight against God’s expressed purpose for David? (Isa. 55:11) The Bible does not say, but we can be sure of one thing: Saul was putting himself in a dangerous position. Those who fight against God always lose! w22.01 1:1-2
Saturday, April 29
Nicodemus . . . came to him in the night.—John 3:1, 2.
Jesus worked hard in the ministry. He showed his love for people by continuing to teach them at every opportunity. (Luke 19:47, 48) What moved him to do so? Jesus felt compassion for them. At times, so many wanted to hear Jesus’ words that he and his disciples “were not able even to eat a meal.” (Mark 3:20) He also made himself available at night—a time that was more convenient for one of his listeners. The majority of those who initially listened to Jesus did not become his disciples. But all who heard him received a thorough witness. Today we want to give everyone the opportunity to hear the good news. (Acts 10:42) To accomplish this, we may need to adjust our approach to the ministry. Rather than stick to a schedule that is convenient for us, we should be willing to adjust our schedule to preach when we are more likely to meet people. If we do, we can be sure that Jehovah will be pleased. w22.01 3:13-14
Sunday, April 30
Man has dominated man to his harm.—Eccl. 8:9.
Today many find it hard to trust anyone in authority. They have observed that the legal and the political systems tend to favor the wealthy and the powerful and to deny justice to the poor. In addition, the conduct of certain religious leaders leaves much to be desired, which has caused some people to lose confidence in God. So when a person agrees to study the Bible with us, we face the challenge of helping him to build trust in Jehovah and trust in His earthly representatives. Of course, Bible students are not the only ones who need to learn to trust in Jehovah and to trust in his organization. Even those of us who have been in the truth for many years must never lose sight of the fact that Jehovah’s way of doing things is always best. At times, situations arise that may test our confidence in that regard. w22.02 6:1-2