STUDY ARTICLE 46
How Jehovah Can Help Us to Endure and Still Be Happy
“Jehovah is waiting patiently to show you favor, and he will rise up to show you mercy.”—ISA. 30:18.
SONG 3 Our Strength, Our Hope, Our Confidence
WETIN WE COMING LEARN? a
1-2. (a) What question them we coming answer? (b) Wetin show that Jehovah really want help us?
JEHOVAH can help us to endure our problem them and be happy when we serving him. Wetin he can do to help us? And how we can benefit good-good from the help Jehovah can give us? We will answer these question them in this article. But before we answer them, let answer this question first: You think Jehovah really want help us?
2 The apostle Paul use one word in his letter to the Hebrews that can help us to find the answer. Paul said: “Jehovah is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:6) Some research materials say that the word “helper,” in this verse mean, someone who can rush to help another person who need help. Imagine Jehovah rushing to help someone who in serious problem. You will surely agree that this one describe how Jehovah willing to help us, yes, he really want be our Helper. Because Jehovah on our side, we can endure all our problems and still be happy.
3. What the three ways Jehovah can help us?
3 What some ways Jehovah can help us to bear our problem them and still be happy? To find the answer, let read some part of the book of Isaiah. Why? Because plenty of the prophecies that Jehovah told Isaiah to write apply to God people today. Most of the time, Isaiah also use some words to describe Jehovah, that easy for us to understand. Take for example Isaiah chapter 30. In that chapter, Isaiah use some fine-fine examples to talk about how Jehovah can help his people. He say Jehovah can help us by (1) listening to our prayers and answering them, (2) giving us direction, and (3) blessing us now-now and in the future. Let talk about these three ways that Jehovah can help us.
JEHOVAH CAN LISTEN TO US
4. (a) Wetin Jehovah say about the Jews in Isaiah time, and what He allow to happen? (b) What hope Jehovah gave to faithful Jews? (Isaiah 30:18, 19)
4 In the beginning of Isaiah chapter 30, Jehovah say the Jews were ‘stubborn children,’ who “add sin to sin.” He also said: ‘They wicked people, . . .who not willing to listen to Jehovah law.’ (Isa. 30:1, 9) Because the people refuse to listen, Isaiah said that Jehovah was coming to allow them to suffer. (Isa. 30:5, 17; Jer. 25:8-11) And that what happen when the Babylonians capture them and carry them to Babylon to be slaves. But some faithful Jews were among them, and Isaiah gave them hope by what he told them. He said that one day Jehovah was going to allow them to go back to Jerusalem again. (Read Isaiah 30:18, 19.) And that just what happen. Jehovah free them from Babylon. But Jehovah not free them right way. The statement, ‘Jehovah waiting patiently to bless you’, show that some time was coming pass before the faithful Jews were coming to be free. In fact, the Israelites spent 70 years in Babylon before some of them were allow to go back to Jerusalem. (Isa. 10:21; Jer. 29:10) When the people were slaves in Babylon, they use to cry because they were feeling bad. But when they came back to their home, they cry because they were too happy.
5. Wetin Isaiah 30:19 say that can comfort us?
5 Today, we can get comfort from what this scripture say here: “He will surely show you favor at the sound of your cry for help.” (Isa. 30:19) Isaiah say that Jehovah will listen good-good when we cry to Him, and He will answer us quick-quick. Isaiah also say: “He will answer you as soon as he hears it.” These word them from Isaiah remind us that our Father really willing to help those who ask him for help. Just knowing this one can help us to endure problems and be happy.
6. How Isaiah show that Jehovah can listen to his people prayer one by one?
6 Wetin we can learn again from this verse about our prayers? Jehovah can take time to listen to our prayers one by one. Why we say so? In the first part of Isaiah chapter 30, Isaiah use the word “you” to mean plenty people because Jehovah was talking to all his people as one group. In verse 19, he also use “you” but this one mean one person, because Jehovah was talking to his people one by one. Isaiah said: “You will by no means weep”; “he will surely show you favor”; “he will answer you.” Because our Father Jehovah love us, He will never tell any one of us who discourage that, “You suppose to be strong just like your brother or sister.” But rather, he can take care of us one by one and pay attention to each of us when we pray.—Ps. 116:1; Isa. 57:15.
Wetin Isaiah mean when he said: “Do not give [Jehovah] any rest”? (See paragraph 7)
7. How Isaiah and Jesus show that it important to continue praying?
7 When we pray to God and tell him about something that affecting us, He can first give us the strength to bear the problem. We must pray to Jehovah over and over for strength to endure if our problem not finish the time we were expecting it to finish. That what Jehovah tell us to do in Isaiah 62:7. It say, “Do not give [Jehovah] any rest.” Wetin this one mean? It mean, we must continue to pray to Jehovah over and over just like we not allowing him to rest. What Isaiah say here make us to remember the example Jesus give about prayer in Luke 11:8-10, 13. In these scripture them, Jesus encourage us to pray with “bold persistence” and “keep on asking” for holy spirit. We can also beg Jehovah to help us so we can make good decisions.
JEHOVAH CAN DIRECT US
8. Way back, how Isaiah 30:20, 21 was fulfill?
8 Read Isaiah 30:20, 21. The people suffer when the Babylonian soldiers surrounded Jerusalem for one and the half year. They got so use to the suffering until it was looking just like bread and butter to them. But according to verses 20 and 21, Jehovah promise the Jews that if they repent and change their ways, he was coming to save them. Isaiah call Jehovah their “Grand Instructor.” So he promise the people that Jehovah was coming teach them how to worship Him the right way again. When Jehovah free the Jews from Babylon, he did the thing them he promise. He prove that he was their Grand Instructor, and he gave them directions that help them to start worshipping him the right way again. We too happy for Jehovah to be our Grand Instructor today.
9. Give one way Jehovah teaching us today.
9 In these Bible verse them, Isaiah say we looking like students who Jehovah teaching in two ways. First, Isaiah say: “You will see your Grand Instructor with your own eyes.” In this example, Isaiah say the Teacher standing in front of his students. We really bless for God to be our teacher today. How Jehovah can teach us? He teaching us through his organization. We too happy for the clear directions we can get from his organization! The thing them we can learn from our congregation meetings, conventions, the publication them, broadcasting programs, and from plenty other things, can help us to go through hard times and still be happy.
10. How we can hear God voice behind us?
10 Isaiah talk about the second way Jehovah can teach us by saying, “Your own ears will hear a word behind you.” Here the prophet say, Jehovah looking like one teacher who walking behind his students and paying attention to them. He directing them which way to go. Today we can hear God voice from behind us. How it can happen? God put his word them in the Bible long time ago. So when we read the Bible, it just like we hearing God voice coming from behind us.—Isa. 51:4.
11. What the two things we must do, and why?
11 How we can benefit good-good from the directions Jehovah can gave through his organization and through the Bible? Notice that Isaiah say two things. First, ‘that the way here.’ Second, ‘follow it.’ (Isa. 30:21) It not enough just to know “the way.” But we also need to ‘follow it.’ Jehovah organization and the Bible can teach us what Jehovah want us to do. We can also learn how to do the things we learn. To bear all our problem them and be happy serving Jehovah, we need to do the two things Isaiah talk about. That the only way we can be sure that Jehovah will bless us.
JEHOVAH CAN BLESS US
12. According to Isaiah 30:23-26, how Jehovah was going to bless his people?
12 Read Isaiah 30:23-26. How this prophecy was fulfill for the Jews who left from Babylon and went back to Israel? Jehovah gave them plenty things to help them live and continue serving Him. Jehovah gave his people plenty food. The more important one was that, Jehovah gave them everything to help them get close to him and start worshiping him the right way again. The spiritual blessings God people enjoy that time, was more than anything they na ever enjoy before. According to Verse 26, Jehovah gave them more spiritual light. That mean he help them to understand his word better. (Isa. 60:2) The way Jehovah bless his people, gave them the strength to continue serving him and be happy “because of the good condition of the heart.”—Isa. 65:14.
13. How the prophecy about worshiping God the right way again, na happen in our time?
13 You think the prophecy about God people worshiping him the right way again apply to us today? Yes! How? Since 1919 C.E., plenty people na leave from Babylon the Great or all the false religion in the world. They na come to one place that better more than the Promise Land in Israel, and that the spiritual paradise. (Isa. 51:3; 66:8) Wetin we call spiritual paradise?
14. Wetin we call spiritual paradise, and who all living there today? (See Meaning of Some Words.)
14 Since 1919 C.E., anointed Christians enjoy living in the spiritual paradise. b After some time, the “other sheep,” or those who get the hope to live on the earth forever, enter this spiritual paradise too. And they enjoying plenty blessings from Jehovah.—John 10:16; Isa. 25:6; 65:13.
15. Where place we can find the spiritual paradise?
15 Where place we can find the spiritual paradise today? Since Jehovah people living all around the earth, it mean we can find this spiritual paradise all over the world. So today, no matter where we living on the earth, we can be part of the spiritual paradise so long we supporting true worship.
What each one of us can do to make the spiritual paradise more beautiful? (See paragraphs 16-17)
16. How we can continue to see the beauty in the spiritual paradise?
16 If we want stay in the spiritual paradise, we must continue to be grateful for the Christian congregation that all over the world. How we can do it? By focusing on the good in our brother them and not on their mistakes. (John 17:20, 21) Why it really important? Think about this example. All of us can expect to see different-different trees in the forest. That the same way the spiritual paradise in the congregations today get different-different people that looking like trees in the forest. (Isa. 44:4; 61:3) We must make sure to continue focusing on the way the forest fine, and not on the ugly mark them that on each tree that near us. We must not let our own mistakes or our brother them mistakes to stop us from seeing how the whole organization beautiful.
17. Wetin each of us can do for the congregation to remain united?
17 Wetin each of us can do for the congregation to remain united? We can be peacemakers. (Matt 5:9; Rom. 12:18) Each time when we be the first to make peace with our brothers in the congregation, we helping to make the spiritual paradise more beautiful. We must remember that Jehovah draw each person that in the spiritual paradise to true worship. (John 6:44) Imagine how Jehovah can be happy when he see us trying our best to make peace and unity strong among his people, who he love so much!—Isa. 26:3; Hag. 2:7.
18. Wetin we must think on good-good most of the time, and why?
18 How we can benefit good-good from the plenty blessings God can give his people? We must think good-good about what we study in the Bible and in our publication them. This kind na deep study and thinking, will help us to get good Christian qualities that will make us to show “brotherly love” and “tender affection for one another” in the congregation. (Rom. 12:10) When we think on how Jehovah blessing us now-now, it will make our friendship with him thick. Also, our hope to serve Jehovah forever will be strong if we think on the good-good thing them he get for us in the future. All this one them will help us to be more happy in serving Jehovah now-now.
READY TO ENDURE
19. (a) Wetin Isaiah 30:18 convince us about? (b) What will help us to endure and be happy?
19 Jehovah “will rise up” or save us when he come destroy this wicked world. (Isa. 30:18) We convince that Jehovah, that “God of justice”. So he will not allow Satan world to last for one day more than the time he set to destroy it. (Isa. 25:9) We must be patient and wait for the day that Jehovah will save us. In the meantime, we ready to do our best to continue to pray, study, apply God Word, and think good-good on our blessings. When we do this, Jehovah will help us to endure and be happy worshipping him.
SONG 142 Holding Fast to Our Hope
a This article will talk about three ways Jehovah can help his servants to endure the problem them in life and still be happy. We will learn about them in Isaiah chapter 30. This chapter will help us to know why it important to pray to Jehovah, study the Bible, and think good-good on the blessings we getting now-now and the one them we will enjoy in the future.
b MEANING OF SOME WORDS: “Spiritual paradise” mean the way we can worship Jehovah together in peace. In this paradise, we get plenty spiritual food that not get any lie-lie thing about God inside. Also, we get plenty work that we can enjoy doing when we preaching about God Kingdom. We enjoying close friendship with Jehovah. We living in peace with our brothers and sisters who love us and can help us to endure our problems and still be happy. We can enter this spiritual paradise when we start worshipping Jehovah the right way and do our best to follow his example.