A Future You Can Count On!
A Future You Can Count On!
You have arrived at a fork in the road. One sign says, “Invest your future in humans and their promises.” The other reads, “Trust in God and his Kingdom.” Which way will you go?
THE wise course is to trust in God. “The one listening to me,” he says, “will reside in security and be undisturbed from dread of calamity.” (Proverbs 1:33) We listen to our Creator by heeding the teachings contained in the Bible, knowing that these are trustworthy. (2 Timothy 3:16) Is such trust well-founded? Absolutely! For instance, as we saw in the second article in this series, the Bible alone accurately explains why humans are unable to rule themselves competently. Do you not agree that what the Bible says fits the facts?
The same accuracy is reflected in Bible prophecy. For example, the Bible foretold the woeful conditions marking the present “last days.” We can see these with our own eyes. (Matthew 24:3-7; 2 Timothy 3:1-5) The Bible even predicted that humans would threaten the very health of the planet. God will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth,” says Revelation 11:18.
* (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18) In fact, God stakes his name on his word.
When those words were penned some 2,000 years ago, phenomena such as pollution of air, sea, and land; global warming; and mass extinction of species caused by humans would have been inconceivable. But not now! Yes, God never lies. His written Word is always fulfilled in every detail.A Name You Can Trust
Just as a signature validates a check, God’s personal name—Jehovah—guarantees all the promises recorded in the Bible. * “In his holy name we have put our trust,” said a Bible writer who often experienced God’s loving care.—Psalm 33:21; 34:4, 6.
Linking the name of God to his fatherly care, Proverbs 18:10 states: “The name of Jehovah is a strong tower. Into it the righteous runs and is given protection.” Likewise, Romans 10:13 reads: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” Of course, God’s personal name is not a charm that wards off evil. Rather, it is God himself who does the saving, and those who call on him as that text says do this because they trust him implicitly, knowing full well his flawless reputation. Says Psalm 91:14: “Because on me [Jehovah] he has set his affection, I shall also provide him with escape. I shall protect him because he has come to know my name.”
Ask yourself, ‘Where do I place my trust—in God or in man?’ Jehovah’s Witnesses have made their choice for God and his Kingdom, not out of irrational sentiment or blind credulity, but on the basis of strong conviction rooted in an accurate knowledge of the Bible. (Hebrews 11:1; 1 John 4:1) As a result, they do not fear the future but “rejoice in the hope” set before them. They invite you to share that same sunny outlook.—Romans 12:12.
[Footnotes]
^ par. 5 See the November 2007 special issue of this magazine, which deals entirely with the question “Can You Trust the Bible?”
^ par. 7 See the accompanying box “Both a Name and a Guarantee.”
[Blurb on page 9]
Just as a signature validates a check, God’s name guarantees all the promises in the Bible
[Box on page 9]
BOTH A NAME AND A GUARANTEE
God’s name, Jehovah, is not a mere label. * How so? That name means “He Causes to Become.” Simply put, God has the love, power, and wisdom to become whatever he deems necessary in order to accomplish his purpose and fulfill his word. For example, he can become a Savior of the righteous, a Destroyer of the wicked, a Hearer of prayer, or a loving Father—whatever he chooses to become.
“I am the Divine One,” Jehovah says, “the One telling from the beginning the finale, . . . the One saying, ‘My own counsel will stand, and everything that is my delight I shall do.’” (Isaiah 46:9, 10) Because God is always true to himself and because his name, or reputation, is involved, his written Word is certain of fulfillment. “God is not a man that he should tell lies.”—Numbers 23:19.
[Footnote]
^ par. 17 The name Jehovah is distinct from the titles Almighty, Creator, God, and Lord. It appears approximately seven thousand times in the original text of the Holy Bible. God gave himself that name. Says Exodus 3:15: “Jehovah . . . is my name for ever.”—American Standard Version.