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Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
They took Joseph to Egypt (Gen. 39:1).
There was nothing Joseph could do to change his situation while he was a slave, and there was nothing he could do while he was in prison. How did he keep a positive attitude? He worked hard to do the tasks assigned to him well instead of concentrating on what he could no longer do. He always put Jehovah first in his life, and so he blessed everything Joseph did (Gen. 39:21-23). Joseph's story reminds us that in this cruel world there may be people who treat us unfairly. Maybe even one of our brothers hurt us. But, if we see Jehovah as our rock, our refuge, we will not collapse or stop serving him (Ps. 62:6, 7; 1 Pet. 5:10). On the other hand, Joseph was only a teenager when Jehovah caused him to have prophetic dreams. So it is clear that Jehovah trusts his young servants. Currently, there are many young people who have a faith in Jehovah like that of Joseph, and some are unjustly imprisoned for remaining loyal (Ps. 110:3). w20.12 16 para. 3; 17 paras. 5, 7
Why was one Levite so discouraged?
The writer of Psalm 73 was a Levite. The Levites had the great honor of serving in the place where Jehovah was worshiped. Still, at a certain point, he became discouraged because he began to envy the wicked and arrogant. Not that he wanted to do the bad things they did, but he was attracted to the good life they seemed to lead (Ps. 73: 2-9, 11-14). They seemed to have it all: riches, pleasures and zero worries. This discouraged the psalmist so much that he said: “Clearly it has not been worth keeping my heart pure or washing my hands in innocence.” Without a doubt, he was in grave spiritual danger.
According to Psalm 73:16-19, 22-25, what did the Levite do to overcome discouragement?
(Read Psalm 73:16-19, 22-25). The Levite entered “into the grand sanctuary of God,” where other Israelites were surely worshiping Jehovah. There, he was able to put his thoughts in order calmly and with the help of prayer. The result was that he opened his eyes and realized that he was being foolish and that if he continued down this path, he would end up drifting away from Jehovah. He also concluded that the wicked are "on slippery ground" and that a "terrible end" awaits them. What was the antidote for the Levite's envy and discouragement? See things from Jehovah's point of view. When he did, he regained inner peace and happiness. Addressing Jehovah, he said: “On earth, apart from you, I desire nothing.”
What do we learn from the Levite who wrote Psalm 73?
What do we learn? We should not envy the good life that the wicked seem to lead. Their happiness is superficial and will not last, for they will not live forever (Eccl. 8:12, 13). To envy them would be to open the door to discouragement and would put us in danger in a spiritual sense. So if we ever feel like the Levite, let's do what he did: listen to the advice of our loving God and spend time with those who serve him. If Jehovah is our greatest joy, we will be truly happy and continue on the path that leads to “the life that really is life” (1 Tim. 6:19).
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