WHEN YOU PRAY WHO LISTENS?

34567JULY 1, 2012

WhenYouPray,WHOLISTENS?

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MAGAZINE, The Watchtower, is to honor Jehovah God, the Supreme Ruler of the universe.Just as watchtowers in ancient times enabled a person to observe developments from afar, so this magazine showsus the significance of world events in the light of Bible prophecies. It comforts people with the good news thatGod’s Kingdom, which is a real government in heaven, will soon bring an end to all wickedness and transform theearth into a paradise. It promotes faith in Jesus Christ, who died so that we might gain everlasting life and who isnow ruling as King of God’s Kingdom. This magazine has been published by Jehovah’s Witnesses continuouslysince 1879 and is nonpolitical. It adheres to the Bible as its authority.This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by voluntary donations. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripturequotations are from the modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References.

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Printing Each Issue:42,182,000 IN 195 LANGUAGES

JULY 1, 2012

FROM OUR COVER

3 Does Anyone Hear Prayers?

4 Who Is the Hearer of Prayer?

6 Why Does the Hearer of Prayer Allow Suffering?

8 Draw Close to the Hearer of Prayer

REGULAR FEATURES11 Did You Know?

12 The Bible Changes Lives

16 Learn From God’s Word—How Do Spirit Creatures Affect Us?

18 Draw Close to God—When God Forgives, Does He Forget?

23 Imitate Their Faith—“Where You Go I Shall Go”

29 Our Readers Ask . . . Why Did God Require ThatHis Worshippers Marry Only Fellow Believers?

30 For Young People—A God Who Abhors Injustice

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE19 “Whenever You Pray, Say, ‘Father’”

“I used to have doubts about God’s existence.Yet, sometimes I would pray anyway. I was unsureif anyone was listening, but I must admit that I didhope that someone was out there. I was unhappyand had no purpose in life. I was afraid to believein God because I thought that only weak peoplebelieved in God.”—PATRICIA,� IRELAND.

CAN you relate to Patricia’s feelings? Do you prayeven if you have doubts about whetherGod exists?

If so, you are far from alone. Consider the following.˛ A poll of 2,200 British people revealed that only

22 percent believe that there is a personal God whocreated the world and who hears prayers. Yet, of thosepolled, 55 percent pray at least occasionally.

˛ A survey of 10,000 people on four continentsshowed that of the respondents who describe them-selves as atheists, almost 30 percent pray.

Why Do They Doubt?An Englishman named Allan says: “I used to say that

I didn’t believe in God because I thought that religionwas invented to control people and to make money.Also, if there were a God, I reasoned, then there wouldnot be so much injustice. Yet, sometimes I would sitquietly and talk to ‘something.’ Iwould also askmyself,‘How did I get here?’”

Each person with such feelings has his own reasonsfor doubting whether prayers are answered. In manycases, the doubts may be fueled by unanswered ques-tions, such as the following:

˛ Is there a Creator?˛ Why is religion so often an influence for bad?˛ Why does God allow suffering?If you could know the answers to those questions,

would you feel more confident about praying?

� Some names in this series of articles have been changed.

Does Anyone Hear Prayers?

THE WATCHTOWER ˙ JULY 1, 2012 3

4

IF THERE is a Hearer of prayer, logically hemust be the Creator. Who else but the One

who designed the human brain could readyour thoughts? Who else could respond toprayers and provide mankind with the helpthey need? But you may wonder, ‘Is it ratio-nal to believe in a Creator?’

Manypeople think that to believe in a Cre-ator, you have to deny the evidence of mod-ern science. But the assumption that beliefin God is incompatible with science is sim-ply not true. Consider the following.

˛ A recent study of 1,646 professors ofscience at 21 elite universities in the UnitedStates found thatonly a third chose the state-ment “I do not believe in God” to describetheir view.

The fact is that a number of scientists be-lieve in the existence of God.

Evidence of a CreatorDo we have to accept without proof that

the Hearer of prayer exists? Not at all. Theidea that faith means believing without evi-dence is a mistaken notion. The Bible de-fines faith as “the evident demonstration ofrealities though not beheld.” (Hebrews 11:1)Another translation says that faith “makesus certain of realities we do not see.” (TheNew English Bible) For example, you cannotsee radio waves, but your cell phone clearlydemonstrates the reality of those invisiblewaves that transmit voices; so you acceptthat such waves exist. Similarly, although wecannot see the Hearer of prayer, we can re-view available evidence that can give us theconviction that he must exist.

Where can we find evidence that God ex-ists? We need only look around us. The Bible

Who is the Hearerof Prayer?

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America, United States of: 25 Columbia Heights, Brook-lyn, NY 11201-2483. Australia: PO Box 280, Ingleburn,NSW 1890. Britain: The Ridgeway, London NW7 1RN.Canada: PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Ger-many: 65617 Selters. Guam: 143 Jehovah St, Barrigada,GU 96913. Jamaica: PO Box 103, Old Harbour, St. Cath-erine. Japan: 4-7-1 Nakashinden, Ebina City, Kanagawa-Pref, 243-0496. Puerto Rico: PO Box 3980, Guaynabo, PR00970. South Africa: Private Bag X2067, Krugers-dorp, 1740. Trinidad and Tobago: Lower Rapsey Street &Laxmi Lane, Curepe.

The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) is published semi-monthly by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of NewYork, Inc.; L. Weaver, Jr., President; G. F. Simonis,Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY11201-2483, and by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Societyof Canada, PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Pe-riodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, NY, and at addition-al mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Watchtower, 1000 Red Mills Road, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. � 2012 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society ofPennsylvania. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada.

Vol. 133, No. 13 Semimonthly ENGLISH

reasons this way: “Of course, every house isconstructed by someone, but he that con-structed all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4) Doyou agree with the logic of that statement?Perhaps when you contemplate the order ofthe universe, the origin of life, or the designof that most complex of all structures onearth, the human brain, you reason thatsomething higher than humans must exist.�

But there is a limit to what nature canteach us about God. Observing evidence ofGod in creation is like hearing the footstepsof someone approaching behind a closeddoor. You know that someone is there, butwho is it? To find out, you need to open thedoor.We need to do something similar in or-der to identify the Someone behind cre-ation.

The Bible is a door to knowledge aboutGod.Whenyou open that door and considersome of its detailed prophecies and their ful-fillment, you will find evidence that God ex-ists.� But more than that, the record of God’sdealings with people shows the very person-ality of the Hearer of prayer.

What Is the Hearer of Prayer Like?TheBible reveals the Hearer of prayer to be

a person—one whom you can know. Surelyonly a person can listenwith understanding.

� For a more detailed discussion of the evidence ofGod’s existence, see the brochure The Origin of Life—FiveQuestions Worth Asking and the book Is There a CreatorWho Cares About You? both published by Jehovah’s Wit-nesses.� The brochure A Book for All People and the book The

Bible—God’s Word or Man’s? are published by Jehovah’sWitnesses to help you to consider evidence that the Bibleis inspired of God.

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Sadly, it is religion that causes many todoubt that there is a compassionate Hearer ofprayer. Religion’s involvement in war, terror-ism, and the toleration of child abuse has ledeven prayerful people to say, “I don’t believein God.”

Why is religion often an influence for bad?Put simply: Bad people have done bad thingsin the name of religion. The Bible foretoldthat Christianity would be hijacked and usedfor evil ends. The apostle Paul told Christian

overseers: “From amongyou yourselves men willrise and speak twistedthings to draw away thedisciples after them-selves.”—Acts 20:29, 30.

God is disgusted withfalse religion. In fact,

God’s Word, the Bible, holds false religion re-sponsible for “the blood . . . of all those whohave been slaughtered on the earth.” (Reve-lation 18:24) Because false religion has failedto teach people about the true God, whosevery essence is love, those religions arebloodguilty in God’s eyes.—1 John 4:8.

The Hearer of prayer feels for the victimsof oppressive religion. Soon, God’s love formankind will move him to judge all religioushypocrites by means of Jesus. Jesus said:“Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,did we not prophesy in your name?’ . . . Yetthen I will confess to them: I never knew you!Get away from me, you workers of lawless-ness.”—Matthew 7:22, 23.

DoesReligion

Make YouDoubt?

6 THE WATCHTOWER ˙ JULY 1, 2012

EVEN though they may pray, some peoplehave doubts that God exists.Why do they

doubt? Perhaps it is because they see somuch suffering in this world. Have you everwondered why God allows suffering?

Did God really make humans as they arenow—imperfect and subject to suffering? Wecould hardly respect a god who would pur-pose for humans to suffer. But consider this:If you walked admiringly around a new caronly to find that the far side was damaged,would you assume that the manufacturermade it that way? Of course not! You wouldconclude that the manufacturer made it“perfect” and that someone or somethingelse caused the damage.

Similarly, when we admire the marvelousorder and design in the natural world and

then notice the chaos and corruption thatblight the human family, what conclusionshould we draw? The Bible teaches that Godmade the first human pair perfect but thatlater they caused themselves to become dam-aged. (Deuteronomy 32:4, 5) The good newsis that God has promised to repair the dam-age—to restore obedient humans to perfec-tion. Why, though, has he waited so long?

Why So Long?The reason has to do with the question of

who should rule mankind. Jehovah never in-tended that humans should rule themselves.He was to be their Ruler. The Bible itself says:“It does not belong to man who is walkingeven to direct his step.” (Jeremiah 10:23) Sad-ly, the first humans chose to rebel againstGod’s rulership. Their lawless act made them

Why Does the Hearer of Prayer AllowSuffering?

It is reassuring to read: “O Hearer of prayer,even to you people of all flesh will come.”(Psalm65:2) He hears thosewho pray to himin faith. And he has a name. The Bible says:“Jehovah is far away from the wicked ones,but the prayer of the righteous ones hehears.”—Proverbs 15:29.

Jehovah has feelings. He is “the God oflove” and is called “the happy God.” (2 Co-rinthians 13:11; 1 Timothy 1:11) Concern-ing his reaction at a time when evil was espe-cially rampant, the Bible says: “He felt hurtat his heart.” (Genesis 6:5, 6) The claim thatGod causes suffering in order to test peopleis untrue. The Bible says: “Far be it from the

true God to act wickedly.” (Job 34:10) Never-theless, you may wonder, ‘If God is the al-mighty Creator, why does he allow sufferingto continue?’

Jehovah has granted mankind the abilityto exercise free will, and that tells us some-thing about what God is like. Do we nottreasure our freedom to choose how wewill live? But sadly, many people misusetheir freedom and cause suffering for them-selves and others. Now here is a questionworth thinking long and hard about: Howcould God eliminate suffering without tak-ing away man’s freedom? We will examinethis question in the next article.


sinners. (1 John 3:4) As a result, they losttheir perfection and caused damage to them-selves and their offspring.

For thousands of years, Jehovah has al-lowed humans to rule themselves, and histo-ry has demonstrated that humans do nothave the ability to do so. It shows that all hu-man governments cause suffering. Not onehas ever eliminated war, crime, injustice, ordisease.

How Will GodUndo the Damage?

The Bible promises that God will soonbring about a righteous new world. (2 Peter3:13) Only those who choose of their ownfree will to show love to one another and toGod will be allowed to live in it.—Deuterono-my 30:15,16,19, 20.

TheBible also says that in “the dayof judg-ment” that is fast approaching, God willeliminate suffering and those who cause it.(2 Peter 3:7) Thereafter, God’s appointedRuler, Jesus Christ, will govern obedient hu-mans. (Daniel 7:13, 14) What will Jesus’ rul-ership achieve? The Bible says: “The meekones themselves will possess the earth, andthey will indeed find their exquisite de-light in the abundance of peace.”—Psalm37:11.

As heavenly King, Jesus will undo thedamage—including sickness, aging, anddeath—that resulted when humans rebelledagainst Jehovah, “the source of life.” (Psalm36:9) Jesus will cure all those who accept hisloving rulership. Under his rule, these Biblepromises will come true:


MANY who claim to believe in God can-not give a sound basis for their faith.

Nor can they explain why religion is oftenbad or why God allows suffering. At best,they can pray only to a God they do not com-prehend.

You, however, can draw closer to God thanthat. You can build your faith on an under-standing of God that makes you love and ap-preciate him. Genuine faith is based on evi-dence. (Hebrews 11:1) If you learn the truthabout God, you can know him and speak tohim as a friend. Consider the experiences ofsomewhoused toprayeven though theyhaddoubts about God’s existence.

˛ Patricia, mentioned in the opening arti-cle. “One day I was with a group of aboutten friends when they began discussing reli-gion. I had told them that I walked outof the house to escape the discussion be-tween my dad, who was an atheist, and oneof Jehovah’s Witnesses, who had called atour home. ‘Maybe Jehovah’s Witnesses havesomething,’ said one of my friends.

“ ‘Why don’t we go to one of their meet-ings to find out?’ said another. And that isjust what we did. Although we were skeptical,some of us continued attending simply be-cause the Witnesses were so friendly.

“However, one Sunday I heard somethingthat changed my attitude. The speaker ex-plained why people suffer. I had never beforeappreciated that man was originally madeperfect and that sin and death started withone man and then spread to all mankind.The speaker also explained why Jesus’ deathwas necessary to restore mankind to whatthe first man had lost.� (Romans 5:12, 18,19) Suddenly, everything made sense to me.‘There really is a God who cares about us,’ Ithought. I continued studying the Bible andsoon, for the first time in my life, I found thatI could pray to someone who is real.”

˛ Allan, also mentioned in the opening arti-cle. “One day Jehovah’s Witnesses called at

� For more information about the ransoming value ofJesus’ death, see chapter 5 of the book What Does the Bi-ble Really Teach? published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Draw Close to theHearer ofPrayer

˛ “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’ Thepeople that are dwelling in the land will bethose pardoned for their error.”—Isaiah33:24.

˛ “[God] will wipe out every tear fromtheir eyes, and death will be no more, nei-ther will mourning nor outcry nor pain beanymore. The former things have passedaway.”—Revelation 21:4.

Is it not comforting to know that soonGod will fulfill his promise to end all suffer-ing? Meanwhile, we need not lose confi-dence that he hears our prayers just becausehe presently allows suffering.

God is there. He can hear you, even yourexpressions of pain and sorrow. And he is ea-ger to see you live to enjoy the time when allyour doubts and painwill be gone.

our home, and my wife invited them in be-cause she was interested in what they saidabout living forever on earth. I was annoyed.So, leaving the visitors in the front room, Igot my wife into the kitchen and told her,‘Don’t be foolish. You can’t believe thingslike that!’

“ ‘Well, then, you just go in there andprove themwrong,’ she replied.

“Of course, I couldnot prove anything. Butthey were very kind and left me a book aboutwhether life originated by means of creationor evolution. Its logic was so clear and wellsupported that I decided I ought to knowmore about God. I began studying the Biblewith the Witnesses, and soon I realized thatwhat it says is very different from everythingI had previously assumed about religion. As Ilearned about Jehovah, I began to pray tohim more specifically. I had some attitudesthat were not very nice, so I prayed for help. Ifeel sure that Jehovah answered my prayers.”

˛ Andrew, who lives in England. “AlthoughI had strong opinions and a keen interest

Genuine faith is based onevidence and a desire toknow the truth about God


in science, I believed the theory of evolu-tion merely because other people said it wasproved. I rejected belief in God because of allthe bad things that happen.

“Yet, sometimes I would think: ‘If there is aGod up there, then I want to know what it allmeans. Why is there so much crime andwar?’ When in difficulty, I sometimes prayedfor help, but I did not know whom I wasspeaking to.

“Then someone gave my wife the tractpublished by Jehovah’s Witnesses entitledWill This World Survive? I had often pon-dered that exact question. The tract made mewonder about the Bible, ‘Might its answers

be worth considering?’ Later, while I was onholiday, someone gave me the book The Bi-ble—God’s Word or Man’s?� When I real-ized that the Bible is in harmony with truescience, I felt that I needed to learn moreabout the Bible. So when one of Jehovah’sWitnesses offered to study it with me, I ac-cepted. As I came to understand Jehovah’spurpose, I felt that I knew him as a real per-son, someone I could freely speak to inprayer.”

˛ Jan, who was brought up as a Protestant inLondon. “The hypocrisy in religion and theprevalence of suffering led me to give up reli-gion. I also gave up college andbegan singingand playing the guitar for money. That waswhen I met Pat. He had been raised as a Cath-olic and had become a disbeliever like me.

“We lived in an abandoned house alongwith several other dropouts who were in-

� Published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

terested in Eastern religions. Late into thenights, we spent hours in intense discussionsabout themeaning of life. Although Pat and Ididn’t believe in God, we felt that there mustbe some ‘life force.’

“After we moved to northern England insearch of work as musicians, our son wasborn. One night he got sick, and I found my-self praying to the God I didn’t believe in.Soon afterward, the relationship between Patand me deteriorated, and I tookour baby andwalked out. Again, I prayed for help, just incase there was someone listening. I didn’tknow it, but Pat did the same.

“Later that day, two of Jehovah’s Witnessesknocked on Pat’s door and showedhim someof the Bible’s practical advice. Pat called meand asked if I would agree to study the Bi-ble with him and the Witnesses. Soon welearned that to please God, we would have tolegalize our marriage. It seemeda tall order inviewof our precarious relationship.

“We wanted to know more about the ful-fillment of Bible prophecies, the reason forsuffering, and the meaning of God’s King-dom. Gradually, we realized that God doescare, and we wanted to do as he says. We gotmarried. The wisdom of God’s Word hashelped us to raise our three children. We feelsure that Jehovah listened to our prayers.”

Examine the Evidence for YourselfLike millions of others, those quoted in

this article saw through the deception offalse religion and discovered why God allowssuffering. Did you notice that in each case itwas an accurate understanding of the Biblethat convinced these individuals that Jeho-vah really does hear prayers?

Would you like to examine the evidencethat God exists? Jehovah’s Witnesses will bepleased to help you to learn the truth aboutJehovah and how you can draw close to the“Hearer of prayer.”—Psalm 65:2.

“As I came to understand Jehovah’spurpose, I felt that I knew him as areal person, someone I could freelyspeak to in prayer”


ˇ Regarding the builders of the towerof Babel, the Bible says that “brickserved as stone for them, but bitumenserved as mortar.”—Genesis 11:3.

Bitumen occurs naturally. It comesfrom petroleum, and it is readily foundin Mesopotamia, where it wells up outof the earth and coagulates. Its efficien-cy as an adhesive was noted in Bibletimes. Bitumen was “suitable for build-ings constructed of baked bricks,” saysone reference work.

An article in the magazine Archaeol-ogy describes a recent visit to the re-mains of a ziggurat in the ancient cityof Ur, in Mesopotamia. “The bitumenmortar—one of the first uses of south-

ern Iraq’s vast oil fields—is still visiblebetween the burnt bricks,” says the au-thor. “The sticky black substance, todaya source of the region’s instability andviolence, once literally bound this civili-zation together. The use of bitumenas mortar and pavement has helpedwaterproof the otherwise fragile Su-merian mud-bricks, ensuring that thestructures endured for millennia.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Why did people in Bible times use bitumen as mortar?

Spectrumphotofile/photographersdirect.com

ˇ The question naturally arises becauseof a remark made by the Bible writerJohn: “Although I have many things towrite you, I do not desire to do so withpaper and ink.”—2 John 12.

The Greek word khar�tes, here ren-dered “paper,” refers to the papermade of papyrus, which is an aquaticplant. One reference work describesthe technique used to make sheets ofwriting material from the stems of thisplant as follows: “Stems, sometimes tenfeet [3 m] long, were peeled and cutinto narrow strips which in their turnwere pasted to one another in layers,the grain in these layers going first oneway and then the other; these sheets

were then beaten with a wooden mal-let and finally smoothed with a scrap-er.”

Archaeologists have recovered manyancient papyrus documents in Egyptand in the area around the Dead Sea.Some Scriptural papyri found in theseareas date back to the time of Jesus oreven earlier. It is quite possible that thiswas the material on which Biblical let-ters, such as those by the apostles, wereoriginally written.

What kind of “paper” was available in Bible times?

˘ FLPA/David Hosking/agefotostock


MY PAST: I was born in San Fer-nando, a town in the province ofCamarines Sur. For most of myadult life, though, I have lived in Antipolo,Rizal Province. Situated in a mountainousand grassy area with a lot of trees, Antipolowas a quiet little town when I first movedhere. I rarely saw anyone walking outside af-ter dark. Now, however, Antipolo has devel-oped into a large city with many people.

Some time after moving to Antipolo, I meta man named Benjamin, and in time we weremarried. I found married life to be more dif-ficult than I had anticipated. In an effort toescapemyproblems, I began todrinkheavily.I developed a difficult personality, which wasevident in the way I treated my husband andmy children. I had very little self-control

or patience in dealing withthem. I showed no respect tomy husband. Needless to say,our family lifewasn’t pleasant.HOW THE BIBLE CHANGEDMY LIFE: My husband’s sis-ter, Editha, is one of Jehovah’sWitnesses, and she recom-mended that Benjamin and Istudy the Bible with the Wit-nesses. We accepted the offer,hoping it would help to im-prove our family life.

As we studied the Bible, welearned a number of beautifultruths. The words of Revela-tion 21:4 especially touchedmy heart. Regarding those

who will live in the future earthly paradiseunder God’s Kingdom, that verse says thatGod “will wipe out every tear from theireyes, and death will be no more, neither willmourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”I wanted to be among the people who wouldenjoy those blessings.

I came to realize that I needed to makesome major changes in my attitude and hab-its. The changes didn’t happenovernight, buteventually I succeeded in breaking free fromalcohol abuse. I also learned to be kind andpatient in dealing with my family. Moreover,I learned to respect my husband, cooperatingwith him as he took the lead in our family.

THE BIBLE CHANGES LIVES

WHAT helped a woman in the Philippines to break free from alcohol abuseand improve her family life? Why did a karate enthusiast in Australia become apeaceable minister of religion? Read what these people have to say.

“The changes didn’thappen overnight.”—CARMEN ALEGRE

YEAR BORN: 1949

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: THE PHILIPPINESHISTORY: HEAVY DRINKER


When Benjamin and I began to attendmeetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, we weredeeply impressed by what we saw. AmongtheWitnesses, there is no gambling, noover-drinking, and no partiality. They treat every-one with dignity and respect. We were con-vinced that we had found the true religion.—John 13:34, 35.

HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: Our family lifehas improved dramatically. Benjamin and Ihave a happy marriage, and we enjoy teach-ing the Bible to others. Our two grown sonsand their wives have also begun to study theBible. We hope that in time they will join usin serving Jehovah. This really is the bestwayof life.

MY PAST: I grew up in Albury,a beautiful, prosperous city inNewSouthWales. Likemost cit-ies, it has its share of crime. In general,though, Albury is known as a safe place tolive.

My upbringing was comfortable. Al-though my parents divorced when I was sev-en, they saw to it that my brother and twosisters and I never lacked anything. I receiveda good education, attending the best privateschool in the area. My father wanted me tohave a career in business whenmy schoolingwas complete. However, I was more interest-ed in the sporting sector, where I excelled at

cycling and karate. I endedup taking a job at an auto-motive repair shop, which al-lowed me more time to focusmy energy on my sporting in-terests.

I took pride in keeping my-self in fit physical condition.At times, I felt invincible. Icould easily have used mystrength to take advantage ofothers. But my karate master,knowing that I was strugglingnot to misuse my strength,instilled strict discipline andmorals in me. He constant-ly stressed the importance ofobedience and loyalty.

HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE:When I began to study the Bible, I learnedthat Jehovah hates violence. (Psalm 11:5) Atfirst, I reasoned that karate isn’t violencebut is a sport practiced in a safe manner.I felt that the virtues and high standardsit promotes were much in line with whatthe Bible teaches. The Witness couple whostudied with me were very patient. Theynever told me that I had to give up martialarts; they simplycontinued to teachmeBibletruth.

“I felt invincible.”—MICHAEL BLUNSDEN

YEAR BORN: 1967

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: AUSTRALIAHISTORY: KARATE ENTHUSIAST


As my Bible knowledge grew and myfriendship with Jehovah deepened, I beganto see things from a different perspective. Iwas impressed when I learned of the exam-ple set by Jehovah’s Son, Jesus. Although Je-sus was very powerful, he never resorted tophysical violence.Hiswords recordedatMat-thew 26:52 really hit home: “All those whotake the sword will perish by the sword.”

The more I learned about Jehovah, themore my love and respect for him grew. Tothink that our Creator, sowise and so power-ful, could care about me personally movedme deeply. I was touched to learn that evenwhen I let Jehovah down or when I felt thatit was all too hard and I just wanted to throwin the towel, he would never give up on me

as long as I kept on trying. I foundgreat com-fort inhis promise: “I, JehovahyourGod, amgrasping your right hand, the One saying toyou, ‘Do not be afraid. I myself will helpyou.’” (Isaiah 41:13) When I realized that I’dbeen shown that sort of love, I wasn’t aboutto let it go.

I knew that giving up karate would be thehardest thing I had ever done. But I alsoknew that it would please Jehovah, and I wasconvinced that serving him was worth anysacrifice. I think the clincher for me waswhen I read Jesus’ words recorded at Mat-thew 6:24: “No one can slave for two mas-ters.” I realized that it would be impossible toserve Jehovah fully and keep practicing kara-te, as my priorities would inevitably driftback to karate. The time had come to choosemy master.

It wasn’t easy to give up karate. I struggledwith many conflicting emotions. I felt a mea-sure of joy in knowing that I was making Je-hovah happy. But I also felt as if I were betray-ing my karate master. Those who practicemartial arts often view betraying someone asan unforgivable sin. Some will even opt tocommit suicide rather than deal with theshame.

I could not bring myself to explain to mykarate master why I was leaving. Instead, Isimply walked away, ceasing all communica-tionwith him and myotherkarate associates.I knew that I had done the right thing in giv-ing up karate. Yet I also felt guilty for not ex-plaining my new beliefs, having missed anopportunity to share my faith with others. Ifelt as if I let Jehovah down before I even be-gan serving him. All of this was quite tor-menting. There were many times when Itried to pray to Jehovah but ended up cryinginpain.

Jehovah must have seen something goodin me, for he moved the brothers and sistersin the congregation to rally to my side. Theirlove, comfort, and friendship were incredi-ble. I also drew comfort from the Bible ac-count of David and Bath-sheba. Even thoughDavid committed serious sins, Jehovah for-gave him after he sincerely repented. When Ireflected on that account, it helped me to putmyown shortcomings in perspective.HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: Before studyingthe Bible, I didn’t care too much about any-one else—lifewas all aboutme.Butwith Jeho-vah’s help and that of my beautiful wife ofseven years, I have developed a lot more em-pathy. We’ve been blessed with the privilegeof studying the Bible with a number of indi-viduals, including some with tragic circum-stances. Seeing Jehovah’s love touch the livesof others has brought me more joy than be-ing a powerful karate champion ever could.

“To think that our Creator, sowise and so powerful, couldcare about me personallymoved me deeply”

Did you enjoy reading the foregoing ex-periences? They are just 2 of over 50 suchaccounts published in The Watchtower sinceAugust 2008. The series “The Bible ChangesLives” has become a favorite among ourreaders. Why have many found it so appeal-ing?

The individuals featured in these articlescome from various backgrounds. Beforelearning about Jehovah God, some enjoyed ameasure of success but lacked a real purposein life. Others contended with major chal-lenges, such as a violent temper or the abuseof drugs or alcohol. A few grew up knowingabout Jehovah but strayed from his worshipfor a time. All such experiences illustrate thatmaking changes in order to please God ispossible. And doing so always brings bene-fits. What impact are these accounts havingon our readers?

One reader explains how the article in theFebruary 1, 2009, issue helped some inmatesat a prison for women.˛ “Many of the inmates can relate to the indi-viduals featured in the article,” she says. “The‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures, along with theprofiles of each person’s past, were especiallyeffective. Many inmates have similar back-grounds. After reading these accounts, twoinmates started to study the Bible.”—C. W.

The experiences featured in this series haveespecially struck a chord with some. For ex-ample, the April 1, 2011, issue carried the ex-perience of Guadalupe Villarreal, who gaveup a homosexual lifestyle in order to serve Je-hovah. Note just two of the many letters thatcame from our readers in response to his ac-count.˛ “Guadalupe’s experience touched me tothe core. It is so wonderful to see how love for

Jehovah and his Word can completely trans-form a person!”—L. F.˛ “In the past, I tried to share my faithwith everyone, including homosexuals. Late-ly, though, I’ve noticed that I tend to over-look such individuals or even avoid them.This article was just what I needed. It helpedme to view such individuals as Jehovah does—as his potential worshippers.”—M. K.

Another experience that resonated withmany readers was that of Victoria Tong, whosestory appeared in the August 1, 2011, issue.Victoria described her tragic upbringing. Sheacknowledged that she has struggled to feelloved by Jehovah, even after years of servinghim. And she related what has graduallyhelped her to accept Jehovah’s love. No-tice what some readers said about her story.˛ “Victoria’s experience spoke directly to myheart. I’ve experienced a lot of tragedy in mylife. I constantly battle negative thinking—even after years of being a baptized Wit-ness. But Victoria’s experience makes mewant to work even harder to see what Jeho-vah sees in me.”—M. M.˛ “When I was young, I fought an addictionto pornography. Recently, I suffered a re-lapse. I’ve sought the help of Christian el-ders, and I’ve made progress in overcomingmy problem. The elders have assured me ofGod’s love and mercy. Yet, at times, I still feelworthless, as if Jehovah couldn’t possiblylove me. Reading Victoria’s experience reallyhelped. I now realize that when I think Godcouldn’t possibly forgive me, in essence I’msaying that his Son’s sacrifice is not enough tocover my sins. I’ve clipped out this article sothat I can read and meditate on it wheneverfeelings of worthlessness well up within me.Thank you for this wonderful series!”—L. K.

“ThankYoufor ThisWonderful Series!”

1. Who are the angels?Angels are spirit creatures who live in heaven.

They are a higher form of life than human life. Thetrue God, who is himself a spirit, created the angelsbefore he created the earth. (Job 38:4, 7; Matthew18:10) Jehovah has surrounded himself with mil-lions of loyal angels.—Read Psalm 103:20, 21; Daniel7:9,10.

2. Do angels help people?Angels helped a righteous man named Lot.

He lived in a city that God had determined todestroy because of the people’s badness. Twoangels warned Lot and his family to flee.Some people considered the warning a jokeand ignored it. But Lot and his daughters sur-vived because they obeyed the warning that

God had sent by means of angels.—Read Gen-esis 19:1,13-17, 26.

According to the Bible, angels are helpingpeople today by directing the work of thosewho faithfully preach the good news of God’sKingdom. (Matthew 24:14) The good newsincludes a warning. Like the warning given toLot, it is no joke. It comes from God throughangels.—Read Revelation 1:1; 14:6, 7.

God can use angels to strengthen us whenwe face trials. He used an angel to strengthenJesus.—Read Luke 22:41-43.

Soon God will use angels in another way—to eliminate wicked people who cause suf-fering. That will bring delightful relief to man-kind.—Read 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8.

LEARN FROM GOD’S WORD

How Do Spirit CreaturesAffect Us?

This article considers questions youmay have raised and shows where youcan read the answers in your Bible.Jehovah’s Witnesses would be pleasedto discuss these answers with you.

3. How do demons affect us?Just as many people on earth have acted badly by

disobeying God, so also in heaven many angelshave rebelled against God. (2 Peter 2:4) Disobedi-ent angels are called demons. Foremost amongthem is Satan, the Devil. Satan and his demons aremisleading mankind.—Read Revelation 12:9.

Satan has used corrupt businesses, human gov-ernments, and false religions to influence peopleand to turn them away from God. Thus, Satan is re-sponsible for the injustice, violence, and sufferingthat afflict mankind.—Read 1 John 5:19.

4. How do demons mislead people?Satan has deceived many people by teaching

that the dead become spirits that can communicatewith them. The Bible, however, says that the deadcan do nothing at all. (Ecclesiastes 9:5) But demonsoften deceive people by imitating the voice of deadloved ones. (Isaiah 8:19) Demons mislead othersthrough spirit mediums, fortune-tellers, and prac-ticers of divination and astrology. God’s Wordwarns us to avoid all such practices. So we shoulddiscard anything in our possession that is related tothe demons and the occult.—Read Deuteronomy 18:10,11; Acts 19:19.

If we love Jehovah, we do not need to live in fearof the demons. When we study God’s Word and doas it says, we oppose the Devil and draw close toGod. Jehovah is more powerful than the demons.His faithful angels can strengthen us in time ofneed.—Read Psalm 34:7; James 4:7, 8.

For more information, see chapter 10 of thisbook, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

WHAT DOESTHE BIBLE

Really TEACH?

17


THE answer, in a word, is yes. Concerningthose whom he favors, Jehovah promises: “I

shall forgive their error, and their sin I shall re-member no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34) Jehovahthus assures us that when he forgives repentantsinners, he does not remember their sins any-more. But does that really mean that the Creatorof the vast universe is unable to recall the sins hehas forgiven? The words of Ezekiel shed light onhow God forgives and forgets.—Read Ezekiel18:19-22.

Using the prophet Ezekiel as a spokesman, Je-hovah proclaimed judgment against unfaithfulJudah and Jerusalem. The nation as a wholehad abandoned Jehovah’s worship and filledthe land with violence. Jehovah foretold thedestruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.

But in the midst of the judg-ment, Jehovah provided a mes-sage of hope. Each individualhad a choice; each one was re-sponsible for his own course ofaction.—Verses 19, 20.

What, then, if someonechanged from doing bad to do-ing good? Jehovah said: “As re-gards someone wicked, in casehe should turn back from all hissins that he has committed andhe should actually keep all mystatutes and execute justice andrighteousness, he will positively

keep living. He will not die.” (Verse 21) Yes, Je-hovah was “ready to forgive” a sinner whoturned back from his wayward course, manifest-ing true repentance.—Psalm 86:5.

What about the sins he had committed? “Allhis transgressions that he has committed—they

will not be remembered against him,” Jehovahexplained. (Verse 22) Notice that the repentantone’s sins would “not be remembered againsthim.” Why is this significant?

In the Bible, the Hebrew word translated “re-member” can mean more than just to recall thepast. Regarding this word, one reference worksays: “Quite often, in fact, [it] implies an actionor appears in combinationwith verbs of action.”Thus, “to remember” can mean “to act.” Hence,when Jehovah says of a repentant sinner that hissins “will not be remembered against him,” Heis saying that He will not thereafter act againstthe individual because of those sins, such as byaccusing or punishing him.�

The words of Ezekiel 18:21, 22 paint a touch-ing picture of the extent of God’s forgiveness.When Jehovah forgives our sins, he will neverhold those sins against us in the future. Instead,he puts the sins of repentant ones behind him.(Isaiah 38:17) It is as if he wipes out the recordof those sins.—Acts 3:19.

As imperfect humans, we need God’s mercy.After all, we sin many times. (Romans 3:23) ButJehovah wants us to know that if we are sincere-ly repentant, he is willing to forgive. And whenhe forgives, he forgets—that is, he will not re-hash our sins in order to accuse or punish usever again. What a comforting thought! DoesGod’s mercy move you towant to drawcloser tohim?

� Similarly, “to remember sins” can mean “to take ac-tion against sinners.”—Jeremiah 14:10.

DRAW CLOSE TO GOD

When God Forgives, Does He Forget?

��

SUGGESTED BIBLE READING FOR JULY:˛ Ezekiel 6-20

��


“FATHER” was the term that Jesus often used when talkingto and about God.� When teaching his followers to pray,

Jesus said: “Whenever you pray, say, Father.” (Luke 11:2) Butwhat kindof father is Jehovah? The answer to this question isvitally important. Why? The better we comprehend the kindof father Jehovah is, the closer we will draw to him and themore we will love him.

No one is better qualified to tell us about our heavenly Fa-ther than Jesus himself. He enjoyed a close relationship withhis Father. Jesus stated: “No one fully knows the Son but theFather, neither does anyone fully know the Father but theSon and anyone to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.”

� Jehovah’s fatherhood is a dominant theme in the Scriptures. For example,some 65 times in the first three Gospels and over 100 times in John’s Gospel, weread of Jesus using the term “Father.” Paul also refers to God as “Father” over 40times in his letters. Jehovah is our Father in the sense that he is the Source ofour life.

“Whenever You Pray, Say,‘FATHER’”“Father.” What does that word bring to your mind? A loving,affectionate man who has deep concern for the welfare ofhis family? Or a neglectful, perhaps even abusive, man? A lotdepends on the kind of man your father was.

The better wecomprehend thekind of fatherJehovah is, thecloser we willdraw to him andthe more we willlove him


(Matthew 11:27) Thus, the best way to knowthe Father is through the Son.

What can we learn from Jesus about ourheavenly Father? Consider this statementthat Jesus made: “God loved the world somuch that he gave his only-begotten Son, inorder that everyone exercising faith in himmight not be destroyed but have everlastinglife.” (John 3:16) Jesus’ words here identi-fy our heavenly Father’s dominant quality—love. (1 John 4:8) Jehovah manifests hislove in various ways, such as by his approval,compassion, protection, and discipline, aswell as by providing for our needs.

Assured of Our Father’s ApprovalChildren draw strength and courage from

parental approval. Imagine how it must haveencouraged Jesus to hear his Father say:“This is my Son, the beloved, whom I haveapproved.” (Matthew 3:17) Jesus, in turn, as-sures us of the Father’s love for and approvalof us. “He that loves me will be loved by myFather,” Jesus said. (John 14:21) What com-forting words! There is, however, someonewhowants to rob you of that comfort.

Satan tries to create doubts in our minds re-garding our heavenly Father’s approval. Heseeks to convince us that we are notworthyofit. He often does this when we are mostvulnerable—ill, frail, or elderly or when weare staggering under the weight of failuresand disappointments. Consider the case of ayoung man named Lucas, who felt unworthyof God’s approval. Lucas relates that his par-ents changed drastically during his youth,abandoning manyof the values that they hadtaught him. Perhaps as a result, he found itdifficult to relate to his heavenly Father. Addi-tionally, being impetuous by nature, Lucasoften got into difficulties, especially in his re-lationships with others. Gradually, however,his patient and encouraging wife—whom Lu-cas calls “a special blessing, a gift fromGod”—

helped him to control his impetuous nature.Lucas came to recognize that “Christ Jesuscame into theworld to save sinners.” (1 Timo-thy 1:15) Lucas says that meditating on God’slove and approval has given him a sense ofpersonal happiness and fulfillment.

If, at times, you find yourself doubtingwhether Jehovah could love you or approveof you, you might find it encouraging to readandmeditate onRomans 8:31-39. The apostlePaul there lovingly assures us that nothingcan “separate us from God’s love that is inChrist Jesus our Lord.”�

A Father of Tender CompassionOurheavenly Father is sensitive to our suf-

fering. He is a God of “tender compassion.”(Luke 1:78) Jesus reflected his Father’s com-passion for imperfect humans. (Mark 1:40-42; 6:30-34) True Christians also endeavor toimitate their heavenly Father’s compassion.They heed the Bible’s admonition to “be-come kind to one another, tenderly compas-sionate.”—Ephesians 4:32.

Reflect on the experience of a man namedFelipe. One day, on his way to work, he sud-denly felt a terrible pain, as if he had beenstabbed in the back. He was rushed to a hos-pital. After an eight-hour examination, thedoctors finally concluded that the inner lay-er of his aorta had suffered a tear. They saidthat he had only 25 minutes to live and thatthere was no point inperforming surgery.

Some of Felipe’s fellow worshippers werepresent, and their compassion moved themto spring into action. They quickly arrangedfor him to be transferred to another hospi-tal, where an emergency operation was per-formed, and they stayed with him until thesurgery was complete. Happily, Felipe sur-vived the ordeal. Looking back on the expe-

� See chapter 24, “Nothing Can ‘Separate Us From God’sLove,’” of the book Draw Close to Jehovah, published byJehovah’s Witnesses.


rience, Felipe is thankful for the compassionexpressed by his fellow worshippers. But Fe-lipe is convinced that his heavenly Fatherwas the motivating force behind their com-passion. “It was as if God, like a loving father,were standing by my side to strengthen me,”says Felipe. Indeed, Jehovah often shows hiscompassionby moving his servants on earthto reflect that quality.

Our Father Provides ProtectionWhen a little child senses danger, he may

run to his father for protection. A child findssecurity in the loving embrace of his father.Jesus fully trusted in Jehovah as a protector.(Matthew26:53; John17:15)We too canfindsecurity under our heavenly Father’s protec-tion. The protection Jehovahnowprovides isprimarily spiritual. In other words, he pro-tects us from spiritual harm by equipping uswith what we need in order to avoid dangerand to safeguard our friendship with him.One way he provides protection is throughBible-based counsel. When we receive suchcounsel, it is as if Jehovah were walking be-hind us, saying: “This is the way. Walk in it.”—Isaiah 30:21.

Consider the example of Tiago and hisbrothers Fernando and Rafael, who weremembers of a rock-and-roll band. They

were really excited when they were selectedto play at one of the most famous mu-sic halls in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It seemedthat success awaited them. A fellow worship-per, however, warned them about the dan-gers of keeping close company with thosewhose lifestyle shows disregard for God’sways. (Proverbs 13:20) He underscored thisBible-based counsel by telling of his person-al experience. His own brother had becomeinvolved in ungodly conduct as a result of as-sociating with the wrong crowd. Tiago andhis brothers decided to abandon their musi-cal career. All three of them are now in thefull-time Christian ministry. They believethat heeding the counsel of God’s Word pro-tected them from spiritual harm.

Our Heavenly Father Disciplines UsA loving father disciplines his children, for

he cares about the kind of people they willbecome. (Ephesians 6:4) Such a father maybe firm, but he is never harsh in correctinghis children. Similarly, our heavenly Fathermay at times find it necessary to disciplineus. But God’s discipline is always given inlove and is never abusive. Like his Father, Je-sus was never harsh, not even when his disci-ples were slow to respond to needed correc-tion.—Matthew 20:20-28; Luke 22:24-30.

JEHOVAH MANIFESTS HIS FATHERLY LOVE IN VARIOUS WAYS

APPROVAL COMPASSION PROTECTION DISCIPLINE PHYSICALSUPPORT


Take note of how a man named Ricar-do came to appreciate that he was dis-ciplined by Jehovah in love. Ricardo wasabandoned by his father when he wasonly seven months old. When he got intohis teens, Ricardo keenly felt the lack ofa father. He got involved inbad practices, andhis conscience began to torment him. Realiz-ing that the life he was leading was not com-patible with Christian moral standards,he decided to speak to the elders in thecongregation he attended. The elders gavehim firm but loving counsel based onthe Bible. Ricardo appreciated the dis-

cipline, but he contin-ued to suffer intensely be-cause of what he had done—sleepless nights, tears,and depression. Finally, hecame to realize that his be-ing disciplined meant thatJehovah still loved him. Ri-cardo recalled the words ofHebrews 12:6, which says:“Whom Jehovah loves hedisciplines.”

We do well to keep inmind that discipline in-volves more than punish-

ment or reproof for wrongdoing. The Biblealso associates discipline with training. Soour loving heavenly Father may discipline usby permitting us for a time to suffer unpleas-ant consequences for our mistakes. Yet, theBible indicates that his discipline is trainingus, helping us to pursue a right course. (He-brews 12:7, 11) Yes, our Father is really con-cerned with our well-being and corrects usfor our own benefit.

Our Father Providesfor Our Physical Needs

A loving father seeks to care for the physi-cal and material needs of his family. Jehovah

is no different. “Your heavenly Father knowsyou need all these things,” said Jesus. (Mat-thew 6:25-34) Jehovah promises: “I will byno means leave you nor by any means for-sake you.”—Hebrews 13:5.

A woman named Nice came to appreciatethe truthfulness of those words when herhusband became unemployed. She had justleft a well-paying job so she could dedicatemore time to her two girls and to God’s ser-vice. Now what would they live on? Sheprayed to Jehovah. The very next day, herhusband went back to his place of work topick up his belongings. To his surprise, hisboss told him that another job had just be-come available and offered him the posi-tion! So Nice’s husband lost his job oneday, only to get it back the following day.Nice and her husband thanked their heaven-ly Father for the positive outcome. Theirexperience reminds us that as our lovingProvider, Jehovah never forgets his faithfulservants.

Appreciating Our Father’s LoveTruly, words do not suffice to describe

the wondrous love of our heavenly Fa-ther! When we consider the various ways inwhich he manifests his fatherly love—byhis approval, compassion, protection, anddiscipline, as well as by providing for ourneeds—surely we conclude that he is the bestFather imaginable!

Howcanwe demonstrate our appreciationfor the love that our heavenly Father hasshown tous? We canmake the effort to learnmore about him and his purpose. (John17:3) We can bring our life into harmonywith his will and ways. (1 John 5:3) We canreflect his love in our dealings with others.(1 John 4:11) In all such ways, we can showthat we look to Jehovah as our Father andthat we view it as an honor to be his chil-dren.

We canshow thatwe look to

Jehovahas our Fatherand that we

view it asan honorto be hischildren


Each woman bore a heavy burden of grief.Naomi had been a widow for years now, butshe was mourning more recent losses—thedeath of her two sons, Chilion and Mahlon.Ruth too was grieving. Mahlon was her hus-band. She and Naomi were heading to thesame destination, the town of Bethlehem inIsrael. In a way, though, their journeys dif-fered. Naomi was going home. Ruth was ven-turing into the unknown, leaving her ownkin, her homeland, and all its customs—in-cluding its gods—behind her.—Ruth 1:3-6.

What would move a young woman tomake such a drastic change? How wouldRuth find the strength to make a new life forherself and to take care of Naomi? In learn-ing the answers,wewill findmuch to imitatein the faith of Ruth the Moabitess. First, letus see how those two women came to be onthat long road to Bethlehem.

A Family Torn Apart by TragedyRuth grew up in Moab, a small country

that lay to the east of the Dead Sea. Theregion consisted mostly of high, sparselywooded tablelands cut through by deep ra-vines. “The fields of Moab” often provedto be fertile farmland, even when famine

stalked Israel. That, in fact, was why Ruthfirst came into contact with Mahlon and hisfamily.—Ruth 1:1.

A famine in Israel convinced Naomi’s hus-band, Elimelech, that he must move his wifeand two sons away from their homeland andtake up living in Moab as aliens. The movemust have presented challenges to the faithof each family member, for Israelites neededto worship regularly at the sacred place Jeho-vah designated. (Deuteronomy 16:16, 17)Naomi managed to keep her faith alive. Still,she was grief-stricken when her husbanddied.—Ruth 1:2, 3.

She might well have suffered again lat-er when her sons married Moabite wom-en. (Ruth 1:4) Naomi knew that her na-tion’s forefather, Abraham, went to greatlengths to procure a wife for his son, Isaac,among his own people, who worshipped Je-hovah. (Genesis 24:3, 4) Later, the MosaicLaw warned the Israelites not to let theirsons and daughters marry foreigners, forfear that God’s people would be led intoidolatry.—Deuteronomy 7:3, 4.�

� See the article “Our Readers Ask—Why Did God Re-quire That His Worshippers Marry Only Fellow Believers?”on page 29.

IMITATE THEIR FAITH

“Where You Go I Shall Go”RUTH walked beside Naomi on a road that stretched across thehigh, windswept plains of Moab. They were alone now, two tiny

figures in a vast landscape. Imagine Ruth noticing that the afternoon shadows hadlengthened, then looking at her mother-in-law and wondering if it was time to find aplace to rest for the night. She loved Naomi dearly and would do all she could to carefor her.

Nevertheless, Mahlon and Chilion mar-ried Moabite women. If Naomi was con-cerned or disappointed, she evidently madesure that she showed her daughters-in-law,Ruth and Orpah, genuine kindness and love.Perhaps she hoped that they too wouldsomeday come to worship Jehovah as shedid. At any rate, both Ruth and Orpahwere fond of Naomi. The good relation-ship they had helped them when tragedystruck. Before either of the young womenhad borne children, both became widows.—Ruth 1:5.

Did Ruth’s religious background prepareher for such a tragedy? It is hard to see howit could have. The Moabites worshippedmany gods, the chief among them beingChemosh. (Numbers 21:29) It seems thatthe Moabite religion was not exempt fromthe brutality and horrors common in thosetimes, including the sacrifice of children.Anything Ruth learned from Mahlon or Na-omi about the loving and merciful God of Is-rael, Jehovah, surely struck her as a markedcontrast. Jehovah ruled through love, notterror! (Deuteronomy 6:5) In the wake ofher devastating loss, Ruth may have drawn

Ruth wisely drew close to Naomi duringa time of grief and loss

even closer to Naomi and listened willinglyto the older woman as she spoke aboutthe almighty God, Jehovah, his wonderfulworks, and the loving, merciful way he dealtwith his people.

Naomi, for her part, was eager for news ofher homeland. One day she heard, perhapsfrom a traveling merchant, that the faminein Israel was over. Jehovah had turned his at-tention to his people. Bethlehem was againliving up to its name, which means “Houseof Bread.” Naomi decided to return home.—Ruth 1:6.

What would Ruth and Orpah do? (Ruth1:7) They had grown close to Naomithrough their shared ordeal. Ruth inparticu-lar, it seems, was drawn to Naomi’s kindnessand her steadfast faith in Jehovah. The threewidows set off for Judah together.

The account of Ruth reminds us that trage-dy and loss beset good, honest people as wellas bad. (Ecclesiastes 9:2, 11) It shows us toothat in the face of unbearable loss, we arewise to seek comfort and solace in others—especially those who seek refuge in Jeho-vah, the God whom Naomi worshipped.—Proverbs 17:17.

The Loyal Love of RuthAs the miles stretched out behind the

three widows, another concern beganweighing on Naomi. She thought of the twoyoung women at her side and of the lovethey had shown to her and her sons. Shecouldnot bear the thoughtof adding to theirburdens now. If they left their homelandand came with her, what could she do forthem in Bethlehem?

Finally, Naomi spoke up: “Go, return eachone to the house of her mother. May Jeho-vah exercise loving-kindness toward you,just as you have exercised it toward the mennow dead and toward me.” She also ex-pressed a hope that Jehovah would rewardthem with new husbands and new lives.“Then she kissed them,” the account says,“and they began to raise their voices andweep.” It is not hard to see why Ruth and Or-pah felt so attached to this kindhearted andunselfish woman. Both of them kept insist-ing: “No, but with you we shall return toyour people.”—Ruth 1:8-10.

Naomi was not so easily persuaded,though. She reasoned forcefully that therewas little that she coulddo for them in Israel,

“Your people will bemy people, and yourGod my God”

25

since she had no husband to provide for her,no sons for them to marry, and no prospectsof either. She revealed that her inability tocare for them was a source of real bitternessto her.—Ruth 1:11-13.

With Orpah, Naomi’s words hit home.She had family there inMoab, a mother, anda home that was waiting for her. It really didseem more practical to remain in Moab. So,with a heavy heart, she kissed Naomi good-bye and turned away.—Ruth 1:14.

What about Ruth? Naomi’s arguments ap-plied to her as well. Yet, we read: “As forRuth, she stuck with her.” Perhaps Naomihad resumed walking on the road but no-ticed that Ruth was trailing behind her. Sheremonstrated: “Look! Your widowed sister-in-law has returned to her people and hergods. Return with your widowed sister-in-law.” (Ruth 1:15) Naomi’s words reveal a vi-tal detail to the reader. Orpah had returnednotonly to her people but also to “her gods.”She was content to remain a worshipper of

Chemosh and other false gods. Was thathow Ruth felt?

As she faced Naomi on that lonely road,Ruth’s heart was sure and clear. It swelledwith love for Naomi—and for the God Nao-mi served. So she spoke: “Do not plead withme to abandon you, to turn back from ac-companying you; for where you go I shallgo, and where you spend the night I shallspend the night. Your people will be my peo-ple, and your God my God. Where you die Ishall die, and there is where I shall be buried.May Jehovahdo so to me and add to it if any-thing but death should make a separationbetween me and you.”—Ruth 1:16,17.

Ruth’s words are remarkable—so much sothat they have long outlived her, echoingdown through some 30 centuries. They per-fectly reveal a precious quality, loyal love.The love that Ruth felt was so strong and soloyal that she would stick with Naomi wher-ever she went. Only death could separatethem. Naomi’s people would become herown people, for Ruth was ready to leave be-hind everything she knew in Moab—eventhe Moabite gods. Unlike Orpah, Ruth couldwholeheartedly say that shewanted Naomi’sGod, Jehovah, to be her own God as well.�

So they traveled on, just the two of themnow, on the long road to Bethlehem. By oneestimate, the journey might have taken aslong as a week. Surely, though, each foundin the company of the other some measureof comfort in the face of grief.

There is no shortage of grief in this world.In our own times, which the Bible calls “crit-ical times hard to deal with,” we face allmanner of losses as well as grief. (2 Timothy3:1) So the quality we find in Ruth has be-

� It is noteworthy that Ruth did not use only the imper-sonal title “God” as many foreigners might; she also usedGod’s personal name, Jehovah. The Interpreter’s Bible com-ments: “The writer thus emphasizes that this foreigner isa follower of the true God.”

The book of Ruth has been described asa small gem, a masterpiece in miniature.Granted, the book has neither the sweepnor the scope of the book of Judges, whichprecedes it and provides the time setting forRuth. (Ruth 1:1) Both books were evidentlywritten by the prophet Samuel. Yet, as youread through the Bible, you may agree thatthe book of Ruth is beautifully placed in theBible canon. After reading of the wars,raids, and counterraids recorded in thebook of Judges, you come to this little bookthat reminds us that Jehovah never losessight of peaceful folk struggling with every-day problems. This simple domestic dramaoffers profound lessons about love, loss,faith, and loyalty that can benefit us all.

A Masterpiece in Miniature

come more important than ever. Loyal love—the kind of love that holds on to its objectand simply refuses to let go—is a powerfulforce for good in this darkening world. Weneed it in marriage, we need it in family rela-tions, we need it in friendships, we need it inthe Christian congregation. As we cultivatethat kind of love, we are imitating the ster-ling example of Ruth.

Ruth and Naomi in BethlehemIt is, of course, one thing to put loyal love

into words; it is quite another to prove thequality in action. Ruth had before her theopportunity to show her loyal love not onlyto Naomi but also to the God she chose asher own, Jehovah.

The two women finally reached Beth-lehem, a village about six miles (10 km)south of Jerusalem. Naomi and her family, itseems, had once been quite prominent inthat little town, for the whole place wasbuzzing with the news of Naomi’s return.

The women there would peer at her and say,“Is this Naomi?” Evidently, her sojourn inMoab had left her much changed; her coun-tenance and bearing showed the mark ofyears of hardship and grief.—Ruth 1:19.

To those kinswomen and neighbors ofyears past, Naomi revealed how bitter herlife had become to her. She even felt thather name should be changed from Naomi,which means “My Pleasantness,” to Mara,which means “Bitter.” Poor Naomi! Muchlike Job before her, she believed that Jeho-vah God had brought her hardships on her.—Ruth 1:20, 21; Job 2:10; 13:24-26.

As the two women settled into life inBethlehem, Ruth began thinking about howbest to take care of herself and Naomi. Shelearned that the Law that Jehovah had givento his people in Israel included a loving pro-vision for the poor. They were allowed to gointo the fields at harvesttime and follow thereapers, gleaning what was left behind aswell as what grew at the edges and corners of

Ruth was willing to do hard, humble work to provide for herself and Naomi

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the fields.�—Leviticus 19:9, 10; Deuterono-my 24:19-21.

It was the time of the barley harvest, likelyin April by our modern calendar, and Ruthwent to the fields to see who would let herwork under the provision for gleaners. Shechanced upon the fields of a man namedBoaz, a wealthy landowner and a relative ofNaomi’s dead husband, Elimelech. Thoughthe Law gave her the right to glean, she didnot take it for granted; she asked the youngman in charge of the harvesters for permis-sion to work. He granted it, and then Ruthgot right towork.—Ruth 1:22–2:3, 7.

Imagine Ruth following the harvesters. Asthey cut through the barley with their flintsickles, she stooped to pick up what theydropped or left behind, bundled the stalksinto sheaves, and carried them off to a spotwhere she could beat out the grain later. Itwas slow, tiring work, and it got harder as themorning wore on. Yet, Ruth kept at it, stop-ping only to wipe the sweat from her browand to eat a simple lunch in “the house”—likely a shelter set up to provide shade forthe workers.

Ruth probably neither hoped nor expect-ed to be noticed—but she was. Boaz saw herand asked the young foreman who she was.A remarkable man of faith, Boaz greeted hisworkers—some of whom may have been daylaborers or even foreigners—with the words:“Jehovah be with you.” And they respondedin kind. This spiritually-minded older mantook a fatherly interest in Ruth.—Ruth 2:4-7.

Calling her “daughter,” Boaz advised Ruthto keep coming to his fields to glean and tostay near the young women of his house-

� It was a remarkable law, surely unlike anything Ruthknew in her homeland. In the ancient Near East in thosedays, widows were treated poorly. Notes one referencework: “After her husband’s death, normally a widow hadto rely on her sons for support; if she had none, she mighthave to sell herself into slavery, resort to prostitution, ordie.”

hold to avoid being harassed by any of theworkmen.He made sure that she had food toeat at lunchtime. Above all, though, hesought to commend and encourage her.How so?—Ruth 2:8, 9,14.

When Ruth asked Boaz what she, a for-eigner, had done to deserve his kind favor,he replied that he had heard about all thatshe had done for her mother-in-law, Naomi.Likely Naomi had praised her beloved Ruthamong the women of Bethlehem, and wordhad reached Boaz. He knew, too, that Ruthhad turned to the worship of Jehovah, for hesaid: “May Jehovah reward the way you act,and may there come to be a perfect wage foryou from Jehovah the God of Israel, underwhose wings you have come to seek refuge.”—Ruth 2:12.

How those words must have encouragedRuth! She had, indeed, decided to take ref-uge under the wings of Jehovah God, like ayoung bird securely nestled against a protec-tive parent. She thankedBoaz for speaking toher so reassuringly. And she kept onworkinguntil evening fell.—Ruth 2:13,17.

Ruth’s faith in action is a sterling exampleto all of us today who struggle in these dif-ficult economic times. She did not think thatothers owed her anything, so she appreciat-ed everything that was offered her. She feltno shame in working long and hard to carefor one she loved, even though it was hum-ble work. She gratefully accepted and ap-plied wise advice about how to work safelyand in good company. Most important, shenever lost sight of where her true refuge lay—with her protective Father, Jehovah God.

If we show loyal love as Ruth did and fol-low her example in humility, industrious-ness, and appreciation, we will find that ourfaith too will become a sterling example forothers. How, though, did Jehovah providefor Ruth and Naomi? We will discuss thematter in a future article in this series.

ˇ God’s Law to the nation of Israel included thiscommand concerning the people of the nationsaround them: “You must form no marriage alli-ance with them. Your daughter you must notgive to his son, and his daughter you must nottake for your son.” (Deuteronomy 7:3, 4) Whatwas the reason for such a prohibition?

On the broad scale, Jehovah knew that Satanwanted to corrupt His people by turning them tothe worship of false gods. God thus went on towarn that the unbelievers “will turn your sonfrom following me, and they will certainly serveother gods.” A lot was at stake here. If the nationof Israel fell to serving other gods, they wouldlose God’s favor and protection, becoming easyprey to their enemies. How, then, could the na-tion produce the promised Messiah? Clearly, Sa-tan had reason to lure the Israelites into marryingunbelievers.

On a smaller scale, remember that God caredabout his people as individuals. He knew thatthe happiness and welfare of each one of themdepended on their having a close relationshipwith him as their God. Was Jehovah’s concernabout the dangerous influence of an unbeliev-ing mate well-founded? Consider the exampleof King Solomon. He knew Jehovah’s warningabout unbelieving wives: “They will incline yourheart to follow their gods.” Because he was anoutstandingly wise man, perhaps he had cometo feel that he was above God’s counsel, that itdid not apply to him. He ignored it. With whatresult? “His wives gradually inclined his heart . . .to follow other gods.” What a tragedy! Solomonhimself lost Jehovah’s favor, and his people wereseverely divided because of his unfaithfulness.—1 Kings 11:2-4, 9-13.

Some might reason that there were excep-tions. For example, the Israelite Mahlon married

the Moabitess Ruth, and she became an out-standing believer. But marrying Moabite womenwas a risky choice. Mahlon is not commended formarrying a Moabite girl; he died young, likelyeven before Ruth called Jehovah her God. Mah-lon’s brother, Chilion, married the Moabitess Or-pah, who remained attached to “her gods.”Boaz, on the other hand, married Ruth sometime after she became a believer. In fact, the Jewslater regarded her as a “perfect proselyte.” Themarriage of Ruth and Boaz was a blessing forboth of them.—Ruth 1:4, 5,15-17; 4:13-17.

Is it wise, then, to reason that an example suchas that of Mahlon and Ruth somehow arguesagainst Jehovah’s counsel to marry only fellowbelievers? Really, would reasoning that way notbe a bit like pointing out a gambler who won ajackpot and then arguing that gambling musttherefore be an acceptable way to earn a living?

The Bible urges Christians today to marry“only in the Lord.” It warns against becoming“unevenly yoked with unbelievers.” Such coun-sel is aimed at true Christians who are currentlyseeking a mate. For those already married to un-believers, the Bible offers helpful counsel on howto make the best of a challenging situation.(1 Corinthians 7:12-16, 39; 2 Corinthians 6:14) Allsuch counsel shows that Jehovah God, the Origi-nator of marriage, wants us to be happy as hisworshippers—whether single or married.

OUR READERS ASK . . .

Why did God require that his worshippers marryonly fellow believers?


– ANALYZE THE SCENES.—READ 1 KINGS 21:1-26.

In your mind’s eye, how do you picture the four characters in this account?Ahab ��

Jezebel��

Naboth ��

Elijah��

What tone do you detect in the voices of Jezebel and Ahab in verses 5-7? ��

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Describe the commotion that arises in verse 13, as you imagine it. ��

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What emotions do you detect in the voices of Elijah and Ahab in the confronta-tion described in verses 20-26? ��

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— DIG DEEPER.

What trait(s) does Jezebel manifest in verses 7 and 25? ��

What trait(s) does Ahab manifest in verse 4? ��

To obtain Naboth’s vineyard, who else did Ahab have to put to death? (Read2 Kings 9:24-26.) ��

What kind of man was Ahab in Jehovah’s eyes? (Reread verses 25 and 26. Seealso 1 Kings 16:30-33.) ��

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FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

A God Who Abhors InjusticeInstructions: Do this exercise in quiet surroundings. As you read thescriptures, imagine that you are a bystander watching the events unfold.Visualize the scene. Hear the voices. Feel the emotions of the characters.Let the account come to life.Main characters: Ahab, Jezebel, Naboth, and ElijahSummary: Prompted by Jezebel, King Ahab commits murder to obtain avineyard.

˜ APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED. WRITE DOWNWHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT . . .

Jehovah’s awareness of unjust acts.��

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Jehovah’s concern for those who have beendealt with unjustly. ��

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How Jehovah shows that he is a God of justice.(Read Deuteronomy 32:4.) ��

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™ FOR FURTHER APPLICATION.

How might some people today manifest aspirit similar to that of Jezebel? (Read Revela-tion 2:18-21.) ��

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In what situations might you need to showcourage similar to that of Elijah? ��

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Of what can you be assured when you observeor experience acts of injustice?��

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š WHAT ASPECT OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MOSTMEANINGFUL TO YOU, AND WHY?��

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Suggestion: Turn this account into a newsstory. Report the event, and include imaginaryinterviews with the main characters and eyewit-nesses.

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Even in this troubled world, you can gain happiness from accurate Bible knowledge of God, his Kingdom,and his wonderful purpose for mankind. If you would welcome further information or would like to havesomeone visit you to conduct a free Bible study, please write to Jehovah’s Witnesses at the appropriateaddress listed on page 4.

www.jw.org wp12 07/01-E

Would you welcome a visit?

If God listens to our prayers, why does he allow suffering?SEE PAGES 6-8.

What helped a woman in the Philippines to break free fromalcohol abuse and improve her family life? SEE PAGES 12-13.

When Jehovah forgives, does he forget?SEE PAGE 18.

What can we learn about love and loyalty fromthe faithful woman Ruth? SEE PAGES 23-28.

WHEN YOU PRAY WHO LISTENS?

Spiritual

Transcript of WHEN YOU PRAY WHO LISTENS?