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  • Return to Jehovah

  • As you know, the Bible is largely a book about people. Many were faithfulmen and women who faced challenges similar to our own. They had feel-ings like ours. (James 5:17) Some were weighed down by troubles andanxiety. Others were deeply hurt by family members or fellow worshippers.And a number were plagued with guilt over their own mistakes.Had such individuals left Jehovah completely? No. Many were like the

    psalmist who prayed: I have strayed like a lost sheep. Search for yourservant, for I have not forgotten your commandments. (Psalm 119:176) Canyou relate to those sentiments?Jehovah never forgets his worshippers who stray from the fold. On the

    contrary, he reaches out to themoften doing so through their fellow be-lievers. Consider, for example, how Jehovah helped his servant Job, whoexperienced a number of calamitiesincluding nancial setbacks, the lossof loved ones, and a severe health problem. Job also endured hurtful wordsfrom those who should have been there to support him. But he neverturned his back on Jehovah, although he did go astray in his thinking for atime. (Job 1:22; 2:10) How did Jehovah assist Job to regain his balance?One way that Jehovah helped Job was through a fellow believer named

    Elihu. When Job expressed his concerns, Elihu listened and was moved tospeak. What would he say? Would he criticize Job or try to motivate him byusing guilt or shame? Did Elihu view himself as superior to Job? Far from it!Moved by Gods spirit, Elihu said: I am just like you before the true God;from the clay I too was shaped. Then he reassured Job: No fear of meshould terrify you, and no pressure from me should overwhelm you. (Job33:6, 7) Rather than adding to Jobs burdens, Elihu lovingly oered thecounsel and encouragement that Job needed.Please know that it is in a similar spirit that we have prepared this

    brochure. First we listened, carefully considering the circumstances andexpressions of a number who drifted away. (Proverbs 18:13) Then we turnedto the Scriptures, prayerfully examining accounts of how Jehovah helpedhis servants in the past when they faced similar circumstances. Finally wecombined those Scriptural accounts with modern-day experiences to pro-duce this brochure. We warmly invite you to examine this material. Pleasebe assured of our sincere love for you.

    Governing Body of JehovahsWitnesses

    Dear fellow believer:

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    PARTS 2-4

    PART 5

    WHY RETURN TO JEHOVAH?Jehovahs people in Bible times facedchallenges similar to our own. Jehovahreached out to them and helped them,and according to his promise, he will dothe same for us today. As an attentiveand loving Shepherd, Jehovah searchesfor his lost sheep and invites them toreturn to him.

    WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGESOF RETURNING?Even loyal worshippers of God some-times experienced anxiety, hurt feelings,and guilt, which aected their activity.Examine how Jehovah helped themto recover, to associate again with hispeople, and to regain their joy.

    HOW TO RETURN TO JEHOVAHConsider proof that Jehovah wants youto return to him. Learn how severalChristians returned to Jehovah, how thecongregation received them, and howthe elders helped them to resume theirzealous activity.

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  • 4 RETURN TO JEHOVAH

    JEHOVAH repeatedly likens himself to just sucha shepherd. In his Word, he assures us: I my-self will search for my sheep, and I will care forthem.Ezekiel 34:11, 12.The SheepThat I Care ForWho are Jehovahs sheep? Simply put, Jeho-vahs sheep are the people who love and wor-ship him. The Bible says: Let us worship andbow down; let us kneel before Jehovah our

    Maker. For he is our God, and we are the peopleof his pasture, the sheep in his care. (Psalm 95:6, 7) Like literal sheep following a shepherd,Jehovahs worshippers are eager to follow theirShepherd. Are they awless? No. Gods ser-vants have, at times, become scattered sheep,lost sheep, and like sheep going astray.(Ezekiel 34:12; Matthew 15:24; 1 Peter 2:25)Even so, when a person drifts away, Jehovahdoes not abandon him as being beyond hope.

    1 The Lost One I Will Search ForThe sheep is bewildered. Somehow, while nibbling grass in the pasture, it got separatedfrom the other sheep. Now, it can see neither the ock nor the shepherd. Darkness ap-proaches. Lost in a valley where predators roam, the sheep is defenseless. Finally, ithears a familiar voicethat of the shepherd, who runs toward the sheep, picks it up,wraps it in the folds of his garment, and carries it home.

  • 5Do you feel that Jehovah is still your Shep-herd? How does Jehovah prove to be a Shep-herd today? Consider three ways:He feeds us spiritually. In a good pastureI will feed them, Jehovah says. They will liedown there in a good grazing land, and theywill feed on choice pastures. (Ezekiel 34:14)Jehovah has never failed to give us a refresh-ing variety of timely spiritual food. Can youthink of an article, a talk, or a video thatanswered your prayer for help? Did it notconvince you that Jehovah cares about youpersonally?He protects and supports us. Jehovahpromises: The stray I will bring back, theinjured I will bandage, and the weak I willstrengthen. (Ezekiel 34:16) Jehovah strength-ens those weakened or overwhelmed by anxi-ety. He bandages his sheep, helping them toheal if they have been hurtperhaps even byfellow believers. And he brings back those whohave strayed and who may struggle with nega-tive feelings.He feels responsible for us. I will rescuethem from all the places where they were scat-tered, Jehovah says. The lost one I will searchfor. (Ezekiel 34:12, 16) To Jehovah, a lostsheep is not a lost cause. He knows when asheep is missing, he searches for that sheep,and he rejoices when he nds it. (Matthew18:12-14) After all, he calls his true worship-

    pers my sheep, the sheep that I care for.(Ezekiel 34:31) You are one of those sheep.Renew Our Days as in Those of OldWhy is Jehovah searching for you and invitingyou to return to him? Because he wants you tobe happy. He promises that blessings willpour down like the rains for his sheep. (Ezekiel34:26) That is no empty promise. You have al-ready seen the evidence rsthand.Recall your experiences as you came to knowJehovah. For example, how did you feel whenyou rst learned the thrilling truths aboutGods name and his purpose for humans? Doyou remember how refreshing it was to beunited with fellow Christians at assemblies andconventions? When you were able to share thegood news with someone who showed genuineinterest, did you not return home happy anddeeply satised?You can regain those joys. Bring us back toyourself, O Jehovah, Gods servants of oldprayed, and we will readily return to you. Re-new our days as in those of old. (Lamenta-tions 5:21) Jehovah answered that prayer, andhis people returned to serve him with renewedjoy. (Nehemiah 8:17) Jehovah will do the samefor you.Still, returning to Jehovah is easier said thandone. Consider some challenges of returningand how you can overcome them.

    To Jehovah, a lost sheep is not a lost cause.He rejoices when that sheep is found

    To help you recall some of the joys of associating withGods people, watch the video Our Whole Associationof Brothers, available on DVD and at www.jw.org. Lookunder PUBLICATIONS VIDEOS.

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    ANXIETY touches everyoneeven Gods peo-ple. Anxieties overwhelmed me, wrote thepsalmist. (Psalm 94:19) And Jesus said thatduring the time of the end, anxieties of lifecould make it especially challenging to serveJehovah. (Luke 21:34) What about you? Doyou feel overwhelmed by nancial troubles,family problems, or health concerns? How canJehovah help you to cope?Power Beyond What Is NormalWe cannot deal with anxiety on our own.We are hard-pressed in every way, the apos-tle Paul wrote. We are perplexed . . . ; we areknocked down. Yet, he also said that we arenot cramped beyond movement, not abso-lutely with no way out, and not destroyed.What helps us to endure? Power beyond whatis normalpower that comes from our al-mighty God, Jehovah.2 Corinthians 4:7-9.Reect on how you received power beyondwhat is normal in the past. Do you rememberhow an encouraging talk deepened your appre-ciation for Jehovahs loyal love? Did your faithin Jehovahs promises grow stronger when youtaught others about the hope of Paradise?When we attend Christian meetings and shareour faith with others, we receive strength toendure the anxieties of life and we gain peaceof mind so that we can serve Jehovah with joy.

    Taste and See That Jehovah Is GoodRealistically, you may feel pulled in many direc-tions at once. For example, Jehovah asks us toseek rst the Kingdom and to maintain a rou-tine of spiritual activity. (Matthew 6:33; Luke13:24) Yet, what if opposition, poor health, orfamily problems have drained you physically?Or what if your secular work claims the timeand energy you would otherwise spend with thecongregation? Faced with so many demandsand too little time and energy to handlethemyou may feel overwhelmed. Perhaps youhave even wondered whether Jehovah expectstoo much from you.Jehovah is understanding. He never expectsmore from us than we can give. And he recog-nizes that it takes time for us to recover fromphysical and emotional stress.Psalm 103:13, 14.Consider, for example, how Jehovah cared forthe prophet Elijah. When Elijah became so dis-couraged and fearful that he ran away to thewilderness, did Jehovah reprimand the prophetand order him back to his assignment? No. Je-hovah twice sent an angel to wake Elijah upgently and to give him food to eat. Even so, 40days later, Elijah was still anxious and fearful.What else did Jehovah do to help him? First,Jehovah demonstrated that he could protect

    2 ANXIETYHard-Pressed in EveryWayAfter 25 years of marriage, my husband and I got divorced. My children left the truth.I developed several serious health problems. Then I became depressed. I felt that mywhole world had fallen in on me and that I couldnt cope with anything anymore.I stopped going to the meetings, and I became inactive.June.

  • 7him. Second, Jehovah comforted Elijah with acalm, low voice. Finally, Jehovah revealed thatthere were thousands of others who werefaithfully worshipping God. Soon, Elijah wasagain active as a zealous prophet. (1 Kings 19:1-19) The lesson? When Elijah was overcomeby anxiety, Jehovah treated him with patienceand compassion. Jehovah has not changed.He cares for us in much the same way.When you think about what you can give to Je-hovah, be realistic. Do not compare what youcan do today with what you used to do. To il-lustrate: A runner who stops training for sever-al months or years cannot resume his formerroutine right away. Rather, he begins by settingsmall goals that build strength and endurance.Christians are like runners. They train with aclear goal in mind. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)Why not pursue one spiritual goal that seemsmost attainable for you right now? For exam-ple, you might set the goal of attending a con-gregation meeting. Ask Jehovah to help you toreach your goal. As you regain spiritualstrength, you will taste and see that Jehovah

    is good. (Psalm 34:8) Remember that any-thing you do to demonstrate your love for Je-hovahno matter how small it may seemisprecious to him.Luke 21:1-4.

    The Boost I Had Been Waiting ForHow did Jehovah empower June to return tohim? She tells us: I kept praying to Jehovah,asking him to help me. Then my daughter-in-law told me about an assembly in my town.I decided to attend one day of the assembly.What a wonderful feeling it was to be back withJehovahs people! That assembly was theboost I had been waiting for. Now I am joyfullyserving Jehovah again. Life has so much moremeaning for me. More than ever, I know that Icannot isolate myself or go it alone. I amthankful that there was still time for me tocome back.

    Jehovah never expects more from us than we can give

  • 8 RETURN TO JEHOVAH

    CAN you relate to Linda, who was deeply hurtby the actions of a fellow believer? Sadly,some have been so disturbed by the conductof others that it has aected their spiritualroutine. Has that been true in your case?

    Can AnyoneSeparate Us From Gods Love?Admittedly, we may nd it very dicult to for-give a fellow believer who has hurt us. After all,Christians should love one another. (John 13:34, 35) If we have been wronged by a fellowbeliever, the disappointment and pain can bedevastating.Psalm 55:12.Of course, the Bible acknowledges that thereare times when Christians give one anothercause for complaint. (Colossians 3:13) Evenso, when that happens to us personally, wemay nd it to be quite a challenge to deal with.Is there anything that can help us? Considerthree Scriptural principles:Our heavenly Father is aware of everything.Jehovah observes all that happens, includingany injustice we face and the suering it caus-es. (Hebrews 4:13) Moreover, Jehovah feels forus when we suer. (Isaiah 63:9) He never al-lows tribulation or distress or anything elsenot even another servant of histo sepa-rate us from Gods love. (Romans 8:35, 38,

    39) Are we not moved to respond in like man-ner, not allowing anything or anyone to comebetween us and Jehovah?To forgive is not to condone.When we forgivethose who have wronged us, we are not mini-mizing, justifying, excusing, or condoning theiractions. Remember, Jehovah never approves ofsin, but he does forgive it if there is a basis fordoing so. (Psalm 103:12, 13; Habakkuk 1:13)When he encourages us to forgive others, Je-hovah is asking us to imitate him. He does notstay resentful forever.Psalm 103:9; Matthew6:14.When we let go of resentment, we benefitourselves. In what way? Imagine the followingscenario. You pick up a rock, perhaps one thatweighs just a few pounds, and hold it at armslength. You would probably have little troubleholding the rock for a short time. But what ifyou tried to do so for an extended period oftime? How long would you be able to hold itsome minutes? an hour? or longer? Nodoubt, your arm would become very tired! Ofcourse, the actual weight of the rock would notchange. But the longer you held it, the heavierit would feel. The same is true of resentment.The longer we hold a grudgeeven a rathersmall onethe more we hurt ourselves. Littlewonder, then, that Jehovah encourages us to

    3 HURT FEELINGSWhenWe Have Cause for ComplaintA sister in my congregation wrongly accused me of stealing money from her. Others in thecongregation learned of it and began to take sides. Eventually, the sister told me that shehad received some new information that exonerated me. Although she apologized, I felt inmy heart that I could never forgive her for what I had gone through.Linda.

  • DRAWCLOSETO

    JEHOVAH

    let go of resentment. Really, letting go is forour own good.Proverbs 11:17.

    I Felt as if Jehovah HimselfWas Talking to MeWhat helped Linda not to harbor resentmentover the way she had been treated by a fellowbeliever? Among other things, she meditatedon Scriptural reasons to extend forgiveness.(Psalm 130:3, 4) Linda was especially movedby knowing that when we extend forgiveness,Jehovah will, in turn, be forgiving toward us.

    (Ephesians 4:325:2) Regarding how thosesentiments aected her, she says: I felt as ifJehovah himself was talking to me.In time, Linda was able to let go of resentment.She freely forgave the sister, and now that sis-ter is her dear friend. Linda has moved forwardin her service to Jehovah. Be assured that Je-hovah wants to help you do the same.

    When we let go of resentment, we benefit ourselves

    When I fell away, I became bitter, says Marie. However, the bookDraw Close to Jehovah reminded me of how very good and lovingJehovah is. As I read it, my love for him grew again. Chapters 26and 30 of that book discuss why and how Jehovah forgives andhow we can imitate him. It is available at www.jw.org. Look underPUBLICATIONS BOOKS & BROCHURES.

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  • 10 RETURN TO JEHOVAH

    GUILT can be a crushing burden. My errorsloom over my head, King David wrote. Likea heavy burden, they are too much for me tobear. (Psalm 38:4) Some Christians have be-come overwhelmed by excessive sadness,convinced that Jehovah could never forgivethem. (2 Corinthians 2:7) Is that conclusionright? Even if you have committed grievoussins, are you so far removed from Jehovahthat he will never forgive you? No, you are not!

    Let Us Set Matters StraightBetween UsJehovah does not abandon repentant sinners.In fact, he reaches out to them! In the parableof the prodigal son, Jesus compared Jehovahto a loving father whose son abandoned hisfamily and pursued a debauched life. In time,the son decided to return home. While [theson] was still a long way o, his father caughtsight of him and was moved with pity, and heran and embraced him and tenderly kissedhim. (Luke 15:11-20) Do you wish to drawcloser to Jehovah but feel that you are still along way o from him? Like the father in Je-sus illustration, Jehovah is moved with tendercompassion for you. He is eager to welcomeyou back.

    But what if you believe that your sins aretoo serious or too numerous for Jehovah toforgive? Please consider Jehovahs invitationrecorded at Isaiah 1:18: Come, now, and letus set matters straight between us, saysJehovah. Though your sins are like scarlet,they will be made as white as snow. Yes, evensins that seem as indelible as scarlet dye on awhite garment are not beyond Jehovahs for-giveness.Jehovah does not want you to keep sueringwith a guilty conscience. How, then, can youexperience the relief that comes from Godsforgiveness and a clean conscience? Considertwo steps that King David took. First, he said:I will confess my transgressions to Jehovah.(Psalm 32:5) Remember, Jehovah has alreadyinvited you to approach him in prayer and toset matters straight with him. Accept that in-vitation. Confess your sins to Jehovah, andshare your feelings with him. From personalexperience, David could condently pray:Cleanse me from my sin. . . . A heart brokenand crushed, O God, you will not reject.Psalm 51:2, 17.Second, David received help from Gods ap-pointed representative, the prophet Nathan.

    4 GUILTCleanse Me FromMy SinMy new job improved our familys standard of living, but it also led me into all sorts of ques-tionable activities. I began to celebrate holidays, to participate in political events, and evento attend church. I was inactive as one of Jehovahs Witnesses for 40 years. The more timethat went by, the more I thought I was beyond Jehovahs forgiveness. I felt that I couldntforgive myself. After all, I knew the truth before I headed down the wrong path.Martha.

  • (2 Samuel 12:13) Today, Jehovah has providedcongregation elders who have been trained tohelp repentant sinners restore their friendshipwith Jehovah. When you approach the elders,they will use the Scriptures and oer heartfeltprayers to soothe your heart, lessen or re-move your negative feelings, and help you toheal spiritually.James 5:14-16.

    Happy Is the OneWhose TransgressionIs PardonedAdmittedly, you may feel that confessing yoursins to Jehovah God and approaching the el-ders would be among the most dicult thingsyou could do. David evidently had similar feel-ings. He kept silent for some time about hissins. (Psalm 32:3) Afterward, however, he ap-preciated the benets of confessing his sinsand correcting his course.A major benet was that David regained hisjoy. He wrote: Happy is the one whose trans-gression is pardoned, whose sin is forgiven.(Psalm 32:1, footnote) He also prayed: O Je-hovah, open my lips, so that my mouth may

    declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15) Relieved ofhis guilt and grateful for Gods forgiveness,David was motivated to tell others about Je-hovah.Jehovah wants you to experience the relief ofa clean conscience. And he wants you to tellothers about him and his purposes, not withfeelings of guilt, but with sincerity and deepjoy. (Psalm 65:1-4) Remember his invitationto get your sins blotted out, so that seasonsof refreshing may come from Jehovah him-self.Acts 3:19.That is what happened to Martha. She relates:My son kept sending me theWatchtower andAwake!magazines. Little by little, I becamereacquainted with Jehovah. The hardest partof coming back was asking forgiveness for allthe sins I had committed. But nally, I ap-proached God in prayer and asked him to for-give me. Its hard to believe that 40 yearswent by before I returned to Jehovah. I am liv-ing proof that even after many years, some-one can be given another chance to serveGod and be back in his love.

    Jehovah wants you to experience the relief of a clean conscience

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  • 5 Return to the Shepherdand Overseer of Your SoulsWere you able to relate to one or more of the challenges discussed in this brochure?If so, you are in good company. Many faithful servants of Godboth in Bible times andin our dayhave dealt with similar challenges. Just as they received help from Jehovahto overcome such challenges, so can you.

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    BE ASSURED that Jehovah will be there foryou as you return to him. He will help you todeal with anxiety, to resolve hurt feelings, andto nd the peace of mind and heart thatcomes from having a clean conscience. Thenyou may once again feel moved to serve Jeho-vah along with fellow worshippers. Your situa-tion will be similar to that of some rst-centuryChristians, to whom the apostle Peter wrote:You were like sheep going astray, but now youhave returned to the shepherd and overseer ofyour souls.1 Peter 2:25.Returning to Jehovah is absolutely the bestthing you can do. Why? You will bring joy to Je-hovahs heart. (Proverbs 27:11) As you know,Jehovah has feelings, so our actions aecthim. Of course, Jehovah does not force us tolove and serve him. (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20)One Bible scholar put it this way: There is nohandle on the outside of the door of the hu-man heart. It must be opened from within. Byworshipping Jehovah out of a heart full of love,we can choose to open that door. When wedo so, we give him a precious giftour integri-tyand we bring tremendous joy to his heart.Really, nothing can compare to the happinesswe experience from giving Jehovah the wor-ship he deserves.Acts 20:35; Revelation4:11.Moreover, when you resume your Christianworship, your spiritual need will be lled. (Mat-thew 5:3) In what way? People around theworld wonder, Why are we here? They hungerfor answers to questions about the purpose oflife. Humans have that need because Jehovahcreated them with it. He designed us to ndfulllment in serving him. We can have nogreater satisfaction than that which comesfrom knowing that we are worshipping Jeho-vah out of love.Psalm 63:1-5.

    Please know that Jehovah wants you toreturn to him. How can you be sure? Consider:With much prayer, this brochure was carefullyprepared. It was brought to your attention, per-haps by a Christian elder or another fellow be-liever. Then you were moved to read it and re-spond to its message. All of this is proof thatJehovah has not forgotten you. On the con-trary, he is gently drawing you back to him.John 6:44.We can gain comfort from knowing that Je-hovah never forgets his lost servants. That iswhat a sister named Donna came to appreci-ate. She said: I had slowly drifted away fromthe truth, but I often found myself reectingon Psalm 139:23, 24, which says: Searchthrough me, O God, and know my heart.Examine me, and know my anxious thoughts.See whether there is in me any harmful way,and lead me in the way of eternity. I knew thatI didnt belong in the worldI never really t inthereand I knew that Jehovahs organizationwas where I needed to be. I began to see thatJehovah never leftme; I just needed to nd myway back to him. And Im so happy that I did!It is our sincere prayer that you too will experi-ence once again the joy of Jehovah. (Nehe-miah 8:10) You will never regret returning toJehovah.

    I began to see that Jehovah never left me; I just needed to nd myway back to him

    Jehovah will be there for you asyou return to him

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    WHERE DO I START?A person who has been physi-cally ill may need to resumehis normal routine gradually.Likewise, you can build yourstrength as a Christian by tryingto take in at least a little spiritu-al food each day. Do not feelthat you have to do everythingat once. Perhaps you couldspend a few minutes reading orlistening to a recording of theBible, studying one of our publi-cations, browsing the jw.org Website, or watching one of the pro-grams broadcast on tv.jw.org.Also, try to attend a congrega-tion meeting as soon as possi-ble. Above all, pray to Jehovahand ask for his help. Throw allyour anxiety on him, because hecares for you.1 Peter 5:7.After becoming inactive in myworship, I felt too ashamed evento pray. When I did muster up thecourage to pray, an elder fromthe local congregation visitedme. He helped me to appreciatethat Jehovah had not given upon me. The elder suggested that Istart by reading the Bible daily.When I did that, I gained thestrength to return to the meet-ings. In time, I began to share inthe ministry again. I am so happythat Jehovah never gave up onme.Eeva.

    HOW WILL THECONGREGATIONRECEIVE ME?You can be sure that membersof the congregation will warmlywelcome you. Rather than criti-cize or judge you, they will con-rm their love for you and dowhatever they can to encourageyou.Hebrews 10:24, 25.I was embarrassed to return tothe Kingdom Hall. I wonderedhow the friends would treat me.One of our elderly sisters whowas there 30 years ago said tome, Welcome home, Son! Thatreally touched my heart. I wastruly home.Javier.I went to the Kingdom Hall andsat in the last row so that noone would notice me. However,many began to recognize mefrom the days when I had attend-ed as a child. They welcomed meand embraced me so aection-ately that I felt an overwhelmingpeace. It was as if I had comehome.Marco.

    HOW WILL THE ELDERSHELP ME?The elders will treat you kindly.They will commend you for yourdesire to rekindle the love youhad at rst. (Revelation 2:4)They will mercifully help you tocorrect any mistakes you havemade, doing so in a spirit ofmildness. (Galatians 6:1; Prov-erbs 28:13) The elders may ar-range for someone to conduct astudy with you, perhaps in apublication such as Draw Closeto Jehovah or KeepYourselvesin Gods Love. Rest assuredthat the elders will comfort andsupport you every step of theway.Isaiah 32:1, 2.During the eight years that Iwas inactive, the elders keptreaching out to me. One day, anelder showed me some pictureshe had taken of us. They broughtback so many wonderful memo-ries that I began to long for thejoy I felt when I served Jehovah.The elders lovingly helped mereestablish a spiritual routine.Victor.

    Answers toQuestions AboutReturning to Jehovah

  • SingtoJehovah

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    There was a reason why God brought the truth to youAnd called you from the darkness to the light.

    Within your heart, he saw the longing that you hadTo search for him and practice what is right.

    You promised him in prayer to do his will;He helped you then, and he will help you still.

    God gave his own beloved Son in your behalf;On this account, He wants you to succeed.

    If He did not withhold the gift of His dear Son,Then never doubt Hell give the strength you need.

    He wont forget the faith and love youve shown;He will not fail to care for all His own.

    (CHORUS)With Jesus blood He bought you, to God you now belong.

    So he will make you firm, and he will make you strong.Hell guide you and protect you, as he has all along.

    Yes, he will make you firm, and he will make you strong.

    HeWill MakeYou StrongOur songbook, Sing to Jehovah,contains a number of stirringsongs that can comfort and en-courage you as you resume yourspiritual activity. Consider, for ex-ample, the lyrics to song number60. Based on the words found at1 Peter 5:10, the song is entitledHe Will Make You Strong.

    To listen to vocal renditionsof this and other Kingdomsongs, scan code or goto www.jw.org. Look underPUBLICATIONS MUSIC.

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    2015WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACTSOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIAPublishersWATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACTSOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC.Brooklyn, NewYork, U.S.A.January 2015 PrintingThis publication is not for sale. Itis provided as part of a worldwideBible educational work supportedby voluntary donations.Unless otherwise indicated,Scripture quotations are from themodern-language New WorldTranslation of the Holy Scriptures.Return to JehovahEnglish (rj-E)Made in the United Statesof America

    Do you ever reminisce about the good times you had withJehovahs peoplean encouraging congregation meeting, athrilling convention, a delightful experience in the ministry, orsimply a pleasant conversation with a fellow believer? Youhave not forgotten Jehovah; neither has he forgotten you. Hefondly remembers your faithful service. And he is eager tohelp you return to him.

    I myself will search for my sheep, says Jehovah, andI will care for them. I will care for my sheep like a shepherdwho has found his scattered sheep and is feeding them. I willrescue them from all the places where they were scattered.Ezekiel 34:11, 12.

    sOcial Web site ofJehovahs Witnesses

    Scan codeor visit

    www.jw.org