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JUNE 2-8
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JUNE 16-22
JUNE 23-29
Be of Good Courage
—Jehovah Is Your
Helper!
PAGE 21 SONGS: 22, 95
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JUNE 30–JULY 6
Do You Appreciate
Jehovah’s Watchful
Care?
PAGE 27 SONGS: 69, 120
STUDY ARTICLES
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offering him the Good News No One Can Serve Two Masters
brochure
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Be of Good Courage—Jehovah Is Your Helper!
Many people around the world choose to move away from
POPULATION
their home in order to find work. They leave behind their
75,627,384 husband or wife and their children. These articles will
explain how Jehovah wants family heads to care for their
PUBLISHERS
families and how he helps them to do so.
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Imitate the Faith of Moses
“By faith Moses, when grown up, refused to be
called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”
—HEBREWS 11:24.
MOSES knew the kind of future that Egypt could offer WHAT DOES MOSES’
him. He saw the large, beautiful houses of the wealthy. EXAMPLE TEACH US
He had been adopted by the king’s family. He “was in- ABOUT . . .
structed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,” which prob- ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ably included the arts, astronomy, mathematics, and oth- the difference between
er sciences. (Acts 7:22) It would have been very easy for planning for a temporary
future and planning for an
him to have the money, power, and privileges that a com-
everlasting one?
mon Egyptian could never have.
2Despite all the opportunities Moses had, he made a
decision when he was 40 years old that must have been ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
impossible for Pharaoh and his family to understand. how Jehovah helps us to
He chose to give up his future in Egypt. Did he want the succeed in the assignments
life of a common Egyptian? No, not even that! He chose he gives us?
to suffer with slaves. Why? Moses had faith. (Read He-
brews 11:24-26.) Because of his faith, it was as if Moses
could see Jehovah. He had faith in “the One who is invisi- ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
all his heart, soul, and strength. (Deu- hovah, Bible students, and spiritual
teronomy 6:5) Moses’ decision saved goals. I don’t have any regrets.”
him much suffering. In the end, the 8Jehovah knows what is best for
Israelites took many of the treasures you. Moses said: “What is Jehovah
of Egypt. (Exodus 12:35, 36) Pharaoh your God asking of you? Only this: to
was humiliated and he was drowned. fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all
(Psalm 136:15) But what about Mo- his ways, to love him, to serve Jehovah
ses? He was used by God to lead the your God with all your heart and all
entire nation of Israel to safety. His your soul, and to keep the command-
life was truly successful. ments and statutes of Jehovah that I
7 If you are a young servant of Jeho-
am commanding you today for your
vah, how can faith help you to choose own good.” (Deuteronomy 10:12, 13)
a career? Plan for the future. Have While you are young, choose a career
faith in God’s promises and “store that will make it possible for you to
up,” or plan, for an everlasting fu- serve and love Jehovah “with all your
ture, not a temporary one. (Read Mat- heart and all your soul.” You can be
thew 6:19-21.) This is a decision that confident that such a choice will be
Sophie, a talented ballet dancer, had “for your own good.”
to make. Ballet companies across the
United States offered her scholar- HE VALUED HIS PRIVILEGES OF SERVICE
ships and desirable career opportuni- 9Moses “considered the reproach
ties. She says that “it was thrilling to of the Christ to be riches greater than
be adored.” She even admits that she the treasures of Egypt.” (Hebrews 11:
felt that she was better than the other 26) In this scripture, Moses is referred
dancers. But she was unhappy. Then to as “the Christ,” or “Anointed One.”
Sophie watched the video Young Peo- This means that he was selected by Je-
ple Ask—What Will I Do With My Life? hovah to lead Israel out of Egypt. Mo-
She says: “I realized that the world ses knew that doing this would be dif-
had given me success and the adora- ficult. He would even face “reproach,”
tion of fans in exchange for my whole- that is, opposition. Earlier, one of the
hearted worship of Jehovah.” So she Israelites had mocked Moses by say-
prayed intensely to Jehovah and then ing: “Who appointed you as a prince
gave up her dancing career. How does and a judge over us?” (Exodus 2:13,
she feel about her decision? “I don’t 14) Later, Moses himself asked Jeho-
miss my old life. Today, I am 100 per- vah: “How will Pharaoh ever listen to
cent happy. I pioneer with my hus- me?” (Exodus 6:12) To prepare for the
band. We’re not famous, and we have opposition, Moses prayed to Jehovah
very little materially. But we have Je-
about his fears and worries. How did
7. (a) According to Matthew 6:19-21, why
should we plan for an everlasting future? 8. What Bible counsel can help a young person
(b) What experience shows the difference be- to decide what to do with his life?
tween planning for a temporary future and 9. Explain why it may have been difficult for
planning for an everlasting one? Moses to fulfill his assignment.
6 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
beyond what is normal” to succeed in God’s promises will come true. For
your assignment. (2 Corinthians 4:7) example, we “do not know when the
Fourth, to help you endure in your appointed time is” for the great tribu-
assignment, our caring Father gives lation. (Mark 13:32, 33) Even though
you a worldwide brotherhood of true we do not know everything, we know
worshippers who “keep encouraging much more about the future Paradise
one another and building one another than Moses knew. Jehovah has given
up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) When Je-
hovah gives you what you need to suc-
It will be exciting to talk to faithful servants like Moses
ceed in your assignments, your faith (See paragraph 16)
in him will become stronger. As a re-
sult, you will value the assignments
you receive more than anything the
world could offer you.
“HE LOOKED INTENTLY TOWARD THE
PAYMENT OF THE REWARD”
14Moses “looked intently toward
the payment of the reward.” (He-
brews 11:26) Even though there were
many details about the future that
Moses did not know, he allowed the
little he did know to guide his deci-
sions. Like his forefather Abraham,
Moses was confident that Jehovah can
resurrect the dead. (Luke 20:37, 38;
Hebrews 11:17-19) His confidence in
God’s promises helped Moses not to
feel that his 40 years as a fugitive and
his 40 years in the wilderness were a
wasted life. Although he did not know
exactly how Jehovah would keep all of
His promises, he had so much faith in
Jehovah that it was as if Moses could
see his future reward.
15 Do you look “intently toward the
8 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
Do You See “the One
Who Is Invisible”?
“He continued steadfast as seeing the
One who is invisible.”—HEBREWS 11:27.
PHARAOH was a powerful ruler, and the Egyptians wor- HOW WILL “SEEING
shipped him as a god. The book When Egypt Ruled the East THE ONE WHO IS
says that to the Egyptians, he was greater than any other INVISIBLE” . . .
earthly creature “in wisdom and power.” Pharaoh wanted ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
the Egyptians to fear him, so he wore a crown with the im- protect you from fear of man?
age of a cobra ready to attack. This image was a remind-
er that the king’s enemies would quickly be destroyed. So
imagine how Moses felt when Jehovah told him: “I will ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
send you to Pharaoh, and you will bring my people the Is- encourage you to do your best
raelites out of Egypt.”—Exodus 3:10. in the field ministry?
2Moses went to Egypt and told Pharaoh about God’s
message. That made Pharaoh very angry. After Egypt was
punished with nine plagues, Pharaoh was so angry that ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
he warned Moses: “Make sure that you do not try to help you to remain strong
see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you during the great tribulation?
will die.” (Exodus 10:28) Moses left, but before that, he
1, 2. (a) Explain why Moses seemed to be in danger. (See opening pic-
ture.) (b) Why did Moses not fear the anger of the king?
prophesied that the king’s firstborn ly believed God’s promises? And how
son would die. (Exodus 11:4-8) Mo- did seeing “the One who is invisible”
ses then told every Israelite family to strengthen Moses when he and his
slaughter a goat or a male sheep and people were in danger?
to splash its blood on their doorways.
HE WAS NOT AFRAID OF
The male sheep was a sacred animal
“THE ANGER OF THE KING”
to the Egyptian god Ra. (Exodus 12:
4Those without faith may have
5-7) How would Pharaoh react? Mo-
ses was not afraid of Pharaoh’s re- thought that Moses was powerless
action. Why not? Because he had faith against mighty Pharaoh. Moses’ life
and obeyed Jehovah, “not fearing the and future were in Pharaoh’s hands.
Even Moses himself asked Jehovah:
“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
Is your faith so and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
(Exodus 3:11) About 40 years earlier,
strong that it is as if Moses had run from Egypt as a fu-
you could “see God”? gitive. He may have wondered, ‘Is it
really a good idea for me to go back to
Egypt and risk making the king an-
anger of the king, for he continued gry?’
steadfast as seeing the One who is in- 5God taught Moses an important
visible.”—Read Hebrews 11:27, 28. lesson before he returned to Egypt.
3Is your faith so strong that it is Moses later wrote about that lesson in
as if you could “see God”? (Matthew the book of Job: “The fear of Jehovah
5:8) To strengthen our faith so that —that is wisdom.” (Job 28:28) To help
we can see “the One who is invisi- Moses learn proper fear and act wise-
ble” as a real Person, let us discuss the ly, Jehovah compared humans with
example of Moses. How did his faith himself, the almighty God. He asked:
in Jehovah protect him from fear of
man? How did he show that he real- 4. When Moses appeared before Pharaoh,
what may those without faith have thought?
3. What questions about Moses’ faith in “the 5, 6. What helped Moses to fear Jehovah, not
One who is invisible” will we discuss? Pharaoh?
10 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
“Who made a mouth for man, or who membered in Estonia! You are going
makes them speechless, deaf, clear- to a camp, and the others are going
sighted, or blind? Is it not I, Jehovah?” to Siberia!’ Tauntingly, they added,
—Exodus 4:11. ‘Where is your Jehovah?’” Would Ella
6What was the lesson? Moses was fear men or trust in Jehovah? When
sent by Jehovah, so he did not need to interrogated, she was not afraid to tell
be afraid. God would give Moses the
power to tell God’s message to Pha-
raoh. And this was not the first time With faith in God,
God’s servants had been in danger
in Egypt. Perhaps Moses remembered you can overcome
how Jehovah had protected Abraham, fear of man
Joseph, and even Moses himself from
other Pharaohs who ruled in the past.
Pharaoh was powerless against Je- them: “I have given this matter much
hovah. (Genesis 12:17-19; 41:14, 39- thought, and I would rather live in
41; Exodus 1:22–2:10) Because Mo- prison with my relationship with God
ses saw “the One who is invisible,” intact than be free and lose his ap-
he courageously went to Pharaoh and proval.” Jehovah was just as real to
told him every word of Jehovah’s mes- Ella as the men standing in front of
sage. her. She remained loyal to Jehovah be-
7Faith in Jehovah also protected a cause she had faith in him.
sister named Ella from giving in to 8If you have faith in Jehovah, you
fear of man. In 1949 she was arrested can overcome your fears. If the au-
thorities try to stop you from wor-
shipping God, it may seem that your
Pharaoh was powerless life and future are in their hands. You
might even ask yourself: ‘Is it really
against Jehovah a good idea for me to continue serv-
ing Jehovah and to make the authori-
in Estonia by the KGB. They took all ties angry?’ Remember: With faith in
her clothes off, and then young police God, you can overcome fear of man.
officers stared at her. “I felt humiliat- (Read Proverbs 29:25.) Jehovah asks:
ed,” she said. “Yet, after I prayed to Je- “Why should you be afraid of a mortal
hovah, peace and calmness of heart man who will die and of a son of man
came over me.” Then Ella was left who will wither like green grass?”
alone in a small, dark cell for three —Isaiah 51:12, 13.
9 Keep your almighty Father clearly
days. She says: “The officials shout-
ed: ‘We are going to make it so that 8, 9. (a) What do you need in order to over-
even the name Jehovah will not be re- come fear of man? (b) If you are tempted to give
in to fear of man, what should you keep clearly
7. How did faith in Jehovah protect one sister? in mind?
or what you are to speak, for what vah’s people are announcing this im-
you are to speak will be given you in portant message: “Fear God and give
that hour,” the Bible says. (Matthew him glory, because the hour of judg-
10:18-20) Human rulers and officials ment by him has arrived, so worship
are powerless against Jehovah. If you the One who made the heaven and
strengthen your faith now, you can the earth and the sea and the springs
see Jehovah as a real Person who is ea- of water.” (Revelation 14:7) We must
ger to help you. preach that message now. We must
HE HAD FAITH IN warn our neighbors to get out of Bab-
GOD’S PROMISES ylon the Great, that is, false religion,
10In the month of Nisan 1513 be- so that they do not “receive part of her
plagues.” (Revelation 18:4) Anointed
fore Christ, Jehovah instructed Moses
Christians, with the help of the “other
and Aaron to tell the Israelites to take
sheep,” beg people to become friends
a healthy male sheep or goat, slaugh-
of God.—John 10:16; 2 Corinthians
ter it, and splash its blood on their
5:20.
doorways. (Exodus 12:3-7) Although 13 We are convinced that “the hour
the Israelites had never done that be-
fore, the apostle Paul later wrote that of judgment” has arrived. We are also
Moses had faith and “observed the convinced that the preaching work is
Passover and the splashing of the just as urgent as Jehovah says it is. In a
blood, so that the destroyer might not vision, the apostle John “saw four an-
harm their firstborn.” (Hebrews 11: gels standing on the four corners of
28) Moses knew that Jehovah’s prom- the earth, holding tight the four winds
ises would come true, and he had of the earth.” (Revelation 7:1) Do you
faith that all firstborn sons in Egypt see those angels ready to release the
would die. destructive winds of the great tribula-
11Moses obediently warned other tion on this world? If you see those an-
gels with your eyes of faith, you will
Israelite families whose firstborn sons
feel confident about preaching the
were in danger, even though his own
good news to others.
sons were apparently in Midian, safe
and far away from “the destroyer.” Jehovah evidently sent angels to execute the first-
born sons of the Egyptians.—Psalm 78:49-51.
10. (a) What instructions did Jehovah give the
Israelites in the month of Nisan 1513 before 12. What message has Jehovah told us to
Christ? (b) Why did Moses obey God’s instruc- preach?
tions? 13. What will help increase your desire to
11. Why did Moses warn others? preach the good news?
12 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
14We already have a friend-
ship with Jehovah and the hope
of eternal life, but we also under-
stand that it is our responsibility
to “warn the wicked one to turn
from his wicked course so that
he may stay alive.” (Read Ezekiel
3:17-19.) Of course, this is not
the only reason why we preach.
We preach because we love Je-
hovah and because we love our
neighbor. In his illustration of
the Samaritan, Jesus taught us to
understand what it really means
to show love and mercy. We
might ask ourselves: ‘Am I like
the Samaritan, or am I like the
priest and the Levite? Am I al-
ways willing to give a witness, or
do I make excuses not to preach
to others?’ (Luke 10:25-37) If we
have faith in God’s promises
and love for our neighbor, we
will want to do our best in the
preaching work before it is too
late.
THE ISRAELITES “PASSED
THROUGH THE RED SEA”
15Moses’ faith in “the One
who is invisible” helped him
when the Israelites were in dan-
ger after they left Egypt. The Bi-
ble says: “The Israelites raised
their eyes and saw the Egyptians
pursuing them. The Israelites be-
came terrified and began to cry
out to Jehovah.” (Exodus 14:10-
12) The Israelites should have
14. Why do we want to “warn the wick- If you have faith in Jehovah, your desire
ed one to turn from his wicked course”? to preach the good news will increase
15. Why did the Israelites feel trapped? (See paragraph 13)
14 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
No One Can Serve Two Masters
“No one can slave for two masters . . .
You cannot slave for God and for Riches.”—MATTHEW 6:24.
EVERY day Marilyn’s husband, James, returned home WHAT DO YOU THINK?
from work exhausted. (See footnote.) He barely earned ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
enough money to pay for their daily needs. Marilyn want- What Bible principles show
ed to make life easier for her husband and wanted their how Jehovah wants us to care
for family responsibilities?
son, Jimmy, to have some of the nice things his school-
mates had. She wanted to help their extended family and
also save some money for the future. Many of her friends
had moved to other countries so that they could earn
more money. But when Marilyn thought about moving
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
away from her family, she was not sure what she should How can our decisions show
do. Why? that we serve only Jehovah?
2 It upset Marilyn to think about what could happen if
their families, and they still seemed to be serving Jeho- In what ways does Jehovah
vah. Could she really raise her son over the Internet and bless our decisions when we
put him first?
Names have been changed.
1-3. (a) What problems do many families have with money, and how
do some try to solve them? (See opening picture.) (b) When parents
think about moving away from their family, what concerns do they have
about raising their children?
teach him to serve Jehovah?—Ephe- Many are deeply in debt. Others may
sians 6:4. live in an area that has a poor econo-
3 Marilyn asked for advice. Her hus- my. Because they want to have nicer
band did not want her to leave, but he things and live a more comfortable
said that he would not try to stop her if life, they may move away from their
she wanted to go. The elders and some family to an area where it is easier to
others in her congregation warned her earn money. Parents who move away
not to leave, but some sisters told her: from home often leave their chil-
“If you love your family, you’ll go. You dren to be raised by others, such as
can still serve Jehovah.” Even though
she had doubts, Marilyn said good-bye
to James and Jimmy and left for a job Real happiness and
in another country. “I won’t be gone
for long,” she promised. security do not come
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES from the things we have
AND BIBLE PRINCIPLES
4Jehovah does not want his ser-
another parent, an older child, grand-
vants to starve. (Psalm 37:25; Prov- parents, other relatives, or friends.
erbs 30:8) Throughout history, Jeho- Even though it is painful to leave their
vah’s people have moved to get out family, many who move to work far
of poverty. To avoid starvation, Jacob away from home feel that they have
sent his sons to Egypt to buy food. no choice.
(See footnote.) (Genesis 42:1, 2) In 5In Jesus’ day, many people were
contrast, most who move today are
poor. They may have felt that if they
not starving, so why do they move?
had more money, they would be hap-
Each time Jacob’s sons went to Egypt, they were pier and more secure. (Mark 14:7) But
away from their families for three weeks or less. Lat- Jesus did not want them to trust in
er, when Jacob and his sons moved to Egypt, they
brought their wives and children with them.—Gene- temporary things. He wanted them to
sis 46:6, 7.
5, 6. (a) What did Jesus teach about happi-
4. Why do many people move far away from ness and security? (b) What material things did
their family? Who often raise the children of Jesus teach his followers to pray for? (c) How
parents who move away? does Jehovah bless us?
16 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
trust in Jehovah, whose blessings last
forever. In his Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus taught that real happiness and
security come from our friendship
with Jehovah, not from the things we
have or from our own efforts.
6 In his model prayer, Jesus did not
18 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
phone calls, or video chats. She ex- Others tried to convince her to stay
plains, “You cannot hug your child or and told her that she could not earn
kiss him good-night over the Internet.” enough money back home. “You’ll be
11Marilyn’s relationship with Jeho- back here in a short time,” they said.
vah also suffered. She spent time with Instead of making such discouraging
her congregation only one day a week comments, Christians should “advise
or less. Her relationship with her hus-
band suffered too. She had to fight
off her boss who wanted to have sex A Christian needs
with her. And because James and Mar-
ilyn could not talk about their prob- strong faith to go against
lems with each other, they talked to his family’s wishes
others about their feelings and almost
committed adultery. Marilyn realized
that even though they did not commit the younger women to love their
adultery, their marriage was in danger. husbands, to love their children,” and
The Bible instructs married couples to to be “working at home,” or taking
care for each other’s emotional and care of their own family. In this way,
sexual needs. Because Marilyn and Christians will not bring shame on
James were so far apart, they could not God’s name.—Read Titus 2:3-5.
give each other the private time and at- 13Many who leave their family to
tention that a married couple should work far away have grown up in cul-
enjoy. (Song of Solomon 1:2; 1 Co- tures that honor traditions and rel-
rinthians 7:3, 5) And they could not atives, especially parents, more than
worship Jehovah together with their all else. A Christian needs strong faith
son. Marilyn says, “When I learned at to go against his family’s wishes when
a convention that regular family wor- these wishes do not please Jehovah.
ship is vital for us to survive Jehovah’s 14Consider Carin’s story: “When
great day, I understood that I needed my son Don was born, my husband
to go home.” She had to rebuild her re- and I were working abroad, and I had
lationship with her family and with Je- recently begun to study the Bible.”
hovah. Everyone in the family expected Car-
GOOD ADVICE AND BAD ADVICE in to send Don to her parents until
she and her husband could earn more
12 When Marilyn decided to return
money. When Carin said that she was
home, some gave her good advice and
going to raise Don herself, her rela-
others gave her bad advice. The elders
tives, including her husband, called
in her congregation commended her.
her lazy and laughed at her. Carin said:
11. (a) How does living apart for work affect “At the time, I could not fully under-
a marriage? (b) When did Marilyn realize that stand what was wrong with leaving
she needed to be with her family?
12. What advice from the Bible can help those 13, 14. Why do we need faith to go against
who are living apart from their family? family wishes? Give an example.
20 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
Be of Good Courage
Jehovah Is Your Helper!
“Be of good courage and say:
‘Jehovah is my helper.’”—HEBREWS 13:6.
EDUARDO had a good job and made a lot of money when HOW WOULD
he was working in a country far from his family. (See YOU ANSWER?
footnote.) But when he learned the truth, he realized that ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
his family needed more than money. They needed him at What must parents do to
home to care for them. So he went back home.—Ephesians help their families stay
6:4. close to Jehovah?
2 Eduardo knew that Jehovah wanted him to go back to
his family. But it was not going to be easy. He had to re- ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
store his relationship with his wife and children, and he How can family heads
had to earn enough money to care for them. How would care for their family’s needs
he do that? Would the congregation help them? without moving away for
work?
REPAIRING YOUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH JEHOVAH AND WITH YOUR FAMILY
3Eduardo admits: “I had neglected my children when ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
they most needed my guidance and affection. I had not What can a Christian do
if his relatives want him
Names have been changed. to move far away to make
money?
1, 2. Why can it be difficult for those who work far away from home to
return? (See opening picture.)
3. How are children affected when parents live far away?
been there to read them Bible stories, permission to do things,” says Eduar-
to pray with them, to cuddle them, do. “I had to learn to take the lead in a
and to play with them.” (Deuteronomy Christian way.” Eduardo and Ruby re-
6:7) His oldest daughter, Anna, re- alized that their children needed to see
members: “I felt emotionally insecure that their parents make decisions to-
not having our father at home with us. gether.
When he returned, we knew him only 5Eduardo did all he could to repair
by his face and voice. It didn’t feel nat- his relationship with his family and
ural when he hugged me.” to help them build their relationship
4 The longer a father lives away from with Jehovah. He wanted to teach his
home, the more difficult it is for him children the truth by word and exam-
to be a family head. Eduardo’s wife, ple, not just to say that he loves Jeho-
Ruby, explains: “I had to play two roles vah but to show it. (1 John 3:18) Did Je-
hovah bless Eduardo’s efforts? “Seeing
all his efforts to be a good father and
The longer a father lives to draw close to us again made a big
difference,” answers Anna. “When we
away from home, the saw him reaching out in the congre-
more difficult it is for him gation, we felt proud. The world was
trying to pull us away from Jehovah.
to be a family head But we saw our parents focused on
the truth, so we tried to do the same.
Papa promised never to leave us again,
—Mom and Dad—and I got used to and he didn’t. If he had, I probably
making most of the family decisions. wouldn’t be in Jehovah’s organization
When Eduardo came home, I had to today.”
learn what Christian subjection real-
ly means. Even now, I sometimes have ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY
to remind myself that my husband is 6Children want their parents to be
here.” (Ephesians 5:22, 23) “The girls
were used to going to their mother for 5. What did Eduardo do to repair his relation-
ship with his family when he returned home?
4. Why is it difficult for a father to be a good What was the result?
family head when he lives away from his fam- 6. What lesson did many parents learn during
ily? a war in the Balkans?
22 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
with them. For example, when there older Christians cannot care for their
was a war in the Balkans, many Wit- own needs, their children and grand-
ness parents were not able to go to children should help them. According
work. As a result, they spent most of to Paul, all we really need to be content
their time with their children at home. with our standard of living are food,
They played with them, talked with clothing, and shelter. (Read 1 Timo-
them, and studied with them. The chil- thy 5:4, 8; 6:6-10.) To provide for his
dren loved it, and they were happy
even though life was very difficult dur-
ing the war. The lesson? More than Money cannot
money or gifts, children really want
their parents. As the Bible says, chil- help and protect
dren will benefit when their parents us as wisdom from
spend time with them and train them.
—Proverbs 22:6. Jehovah can
7Some parents may be shocked
when they return to their family. Their
children may act as if they do not even family, a Christian does not need to be-
care that they are back or as if they come rich in this world that is “pass-
do not trust them anymore. The parent ing away.” (1 John 2:15-17) We must
may say, “How can you be so ungrate- not think that money can solve all our
ful after all I have done for you?” But problems or let the “anxieties of life”
the truth is, the child is hurt because cause our family to lose their “firm
his parent left him. How can the par- hold on the real life” in God’s new
ent fix the problem? world!—Luke 21:34-36; 1 Timothy 6:19;
8 Ask Jehovah to help you to under- Mark 4:19.
stand how your family really feels, and 10Jehovah knows that we need
show them that you care. You also some money. But money cannot help
need to speak to your family and ad- and protect us as wisdom from Jeho-
mit that you are part of the problem. A vah can. (Ecclesiastes 7:12; Luke 12:
genuine apology may help. When your 15) Many times, people do not realize
family sees that you keep trying to how much it will cost to move to anoth-
make things better, they will know er country. And there is no guarantee
that you are sincere. If you are patient that they will make money once they
and do not give up, your family may get there. In fact, such a move can be
begin to love and respect you again. dangerous. Many who leave their fam-
ily return home with even more debt.
PROVIDING FOR YOUR FAMILY
Instead of being able to serve God
9The apostle Paul wrote that when more freely, they have to serve the peo-
7, 8. (a) What may shock parents when they
ple to whom they owe money. (Read
return home? (b) How can parents repair their Proverbs 22:7.) It is always wise to
relationship with their children? avoid debt in the first place.
9. Why should we be content with our stan-
dard of living? 10. Why is it wise to avoid debt?
24 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
Can you learn to do a variety of jobs to support your family?
(See paragraph 12)
26 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
Do You Appreciate
Jehovah’s Watchful Care?
“The eyes of Jehovah are everywhere, watching
both the bad and the good.”—PROVERBS 15:3.
road and who try to escape instead of helping the vic- Why does Jehovah watch us?
tims. The recordings help the authorities to find and ar-
rest these ones. Because of all these cameras, it is becom-
ing more difficult for criminals to get away with doing
wrong. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2The Bible says that Jehovah’s eyes “are everywhere.” In what ways can you
(Proverbs 15:3) Does this mean that he constantly watch- receive Jehovah’s warnings,
correction, and guidance?
es us only to see if we break his laws? Is he just waiting
to punish us as soon as we make mistakes? Not at all! (Jer-
emiah 16:17; Hebrews 4:13) Jehovah watches us because
he loves us and wants us to be safe and happy.—1 Peter
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3:12.
3How can we get a deeper understanding of God’s Why does Jehovah sometimes
allow us to suffer?
love for us? We will discuss five ways in which Jehovah
1, 2. How is the way Jehovah watches us different from the way traffic
cameras do?
3. In what five ways does Jehovah look after us?
looks after us. (1) He warns us before he would continue to have a good re-
we do what is bad. (2) He corrects us lationship with God.
when we go the wrong way. (3) He 5The same is true with us today.
guides us with Bible principles. (4) He Jehovah is able to see who we tru-
helps us when we face trials. (5) He ly are on the inside. He knows our
rewards us for doing what is right. thoughts and desires, and we cannot
hide anything from him. He loves us
and wants us to do what is right, but
All the warnings in he does not force us. So if he sees
something bad in us, he warns us.
the Bible really show How? When we read the Bible regu-
that Jehovah loves larly, when we read our publications,
and when we attend meetings, we are
each one of us able to hear God’s warnings. Have
you ever read or heard something
JEHOVAH WARNS US that helped you overcome a problem
that only Jehovah knew about? These
4 First, we will discuss the ways that warnings from Jehovah come exactly
Jehovah warns us before we do some- when we need them.
thing bad. (1 Chronicles 28:9) For ex- 6 All the warnings in the Bible real-
ample, Cain “grew hot with anger”
ly show that Jehovah loves each one of
when Jehovah did not approve of him.
us. It is true that the Bible, our publi-
(Read Genesis 4:3-7.) Jehovah warned
cations, and our meetings benefit mil-
Cain that if he did not “turn to doing lions of people. But Jehovah asks you
good,” he was going to sin. It was as if to pay attention to his warnings in the
sin were “crouching at the door,” wait- Bible so that you can do what is right.
ing to catch him. Jehovah asked him: This shows that he cares for you per-
“Will you get the mastery over it?” Je- sonally.
hovah wanted Cain to “be restored to
favor.” If Cain listened to the warning, 5. In what ways does Jehovah warn us?
6, 7. (a) What proof do we have that Jehovah
4. Why did God give Cain a warning before he cares for each one of his servants? (b) How can
sinned? you benefit from Jehovah’s personal attention?
28 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
7How do we benefit from God’s
warnings? We must first believe that
he really cares about us and then ap-
ply his Word to ourselves. So if we
have any thought that displeases God,
we must crush it immediately. (Read
Isaiah 55:6, 7.) If we are quick to lis-
ten, we will avoid a lot of heartache.
But what if we do not listen? Does Je-
hovah still care for us?
OUR LOVING FATHER
CORRECTS US
8When Jehovah corrects us, we
know that he cares for us. (Read He-
brews 12:5, 6.) It is true that we do not
30 SIMPLIFIED EDITION
the congregation, and others think fic starts to move. Instead, you be-
that he is wonderful. You might ask: come impatient and decide to find
‘How can this be? Does Jehovah not another road. But then you get lost
see? Will he not act?’—Psalm 13:1, 2; and arrive late at your destination. If
Habakkuk 1:2, 3. you had been patient and had stuck
14Jehovah sees much more than
we see, and he may allow a situation
for important reasons. For example, It is important that we
someone may give us counsel that
we do not feel we deserve, and our
learn to be patient
feelings are hurt. But God may see
the situation differently. Is it possible to your original route, you probably
that we did deserve the counsel af- would have arrived on time. It is sim-
ter all? In his life story, Brother Karl ilar when we face trials. If we are pa-
Klein said that Brother Rutherford tient and follow Bible principles, Je-
once gave him strong counsel. Some hovah will help us endure.
time later, when Brother Rutherford 16Jehovah may allow trials be-
greeted him cheerfully, Brother Klein cause he wants us to be trained by
barely responded. Brother Ruther- them. (Read 1 Peter 5:6-10.) We must
ford saw that Brother Klein was still never think that God causes our
hurting from the counsel. Broth- trials. (James 1:13) It is “your adver-
er Rutherford warned Brother Klein: sary, the Devil,” who causes most of
“Just watch out. The Devil’s after
the suffering. However, it is impor-
you.” This advice really helped Broth-
tant to know that Jehovah sees our
er Klein. When he later became a
suffering and that he loves us. He will
member of the Governing Body, he
make sure that our trials do not last
said that he had learned that our
forever. They will continue for only
brothers have the right to counsel us
“a little while.” Be confident that Je-
and that if we hate them for this, the
hovah cares for you and will provide
Devil will catch us.—See footnote.
you with the strength to endure to the
15We want trials to end quickly.
end.—2 Corinthians 4:7-9.
But it is important that we learn to
be patient. Trials can be compared to THE REWARD FROM JEHOVAH
being stuck in traffic when you are 17Jehovah searches the hearts of
driving on a busy road. You could pa- all people to see who really loves him.
tiently stay on the road until the traf- The prophet Hanani told King Asa:
Brother Klein’s life story was published in the
“The eyes of Jehovah are roving
October 1, 1984, issue of The Watchtower. about through all the earth to show
14. Why might Jehovah allow our brothers to 16. Why might Jehovah allow us to suffer
give us strong counsel? trials?
15. What must we keep in mind when we face 17. Why does Jehovah search the hearts of all
trials? people?
18. Why should we be confident that Jehovah 19. What experience did one sister have?
will reward us if we do what is good? (See open- 20. How do you feel about Jehovah’s personal
ing picture.) interest in you?
ws14 04/15-E
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