Sunday, July 17 For your sakes I will send to Babylon and bring down all the bars of the gates.—Isa. 43:14. In line with that prophecy, a world-shaking event happened one night early in October 539 B.C.E. While Babylon’s king and his nobles were drinking wine from holy vessels captured from Jerusalem’s temple and were praising their man-made gods, the armies of Media and Persia conquered Babylon. In [...]
Saturday, July 16 Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.—Gen. 6:8. Noah “was a righteous man” who “proved himself faultless among his contemporaries.” Because “Noah walked with the true God,” Jehovah instructed him to build a huge ark. Its design was well-suited for the preservation of human and animal life. Obediently, “Noah did everything that Jehovah had commanded him,” and with the cooperation of his [...]
Friday, July 15 Stop judging that you may not be judged.—Matt. 7:1. Rather than being judgmental or suspicious, if a fellow believer has been weakened by personal problems, our priority should be to provide spiritual assistance. If we pause to reflect on our brothers’ circumstances, we may see their seeming frailty in a different light. Think of sisters who have been enduring family opposition for years. Some [...]
Commentary on daily text of Jehovah's Witnesses Wednesday, July 13 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.—Matt. 25:19. Jesus will come to settle accounts with his slaves toward the end of the great tribulation just ahead. What leads us to this conclusion? In his prophecy recorded in Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Jesus repeatedly mentioned his coming. Referring to the judgment [...]
Tuesday, July 12 Let your petitions be made known to God.—Phil. 4:6. When Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the central Philippines in late 2013, Sheryl, who was only 13 years old at the time, lost virtually everything. She said: “I lost my home, and I lost most of my family.” Her father, mother, and three siblings died in the powerful storm surge. What has helped Sheryl to get [...]
Monday, July 11 Who has despised the day of small beginnings?—Zech. 4:10. There is no need for us to be overly concerned about how the Kingdom message will reach the millions who have not yet heard it. Jehovah has everything under control. But what is our work? God’s Word answers: “Sow your seed in the morning and do not let your hand rest until the evening; for [...]
Friday, July 8 They strengthened the disciples, encouraging them to remain in the faith and saying: “We must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.”—Acts 14:22. At first, that statement might seem strange. After all, the prospect of going through “many tribulations” would seem distressing, not encouraging. How is it, then, that Paul and Barnabas “strengthened the disciples” with a message that pointed to more [...]
Thursday, July 7 I will pour out my spirit on every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy.—Joel 2:28. Jesus was very kind to women. For example, consider a woman who had a flow of blood for 12 years. From behind, she approached Jesus in a crowd and touched his garment. Instead of rebuking her, Jesus kindly said: “Daughter, your faith has made you [...]
Wednesday, July 6 Why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.—Rom. 14:10. It would be wrong to entertain baseless suspicions about our brothers and sisters. What is more, having a tendency to distrust the integrity of others in the congregation would be harmful to our own spirituality. Each [...]
Monday, July 4 I will open my mouth with illustrations.—Matt. 13:35. Some believe that Satan is “in charge” of hellfire. We could ask them: “Imagine that your child has become very rebellious and is doing many bad things. How would you react?” Likely, the parent would say that he would correct his child. But what would he do if the child rejected all efforts to help him? Most [...]
Daily commentary on examining the Scriptures.