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Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022
Saturday June 11, 2022
He who shows faith in me will do greater works (John 14:12).
In our day, we must be very focused on preaching the good news of the Kingdom. Jesus foretold that this work would spread and continue long after his death. After his resurrection, Jesus used his power to make some of his disciples catch a large number of fish. He took advantage of that occasion to make it clear to them that fishing for men was more important than any other work (John 21: 15-17). Just before returning to heaven, he told his disciples that the preaching he had begun would take place beyond the borders of Israel (Acts 1:6-8). Years later, he showed the apostle John in a vision what would take place "in the day of the Lord." In it, John saw something impressive: that under the guidance of angels, “everlasting good news . It is clear that Jehovah wants us to participate to the end in this monumental preaching work. w20.09 9 para. 5
What does the example of the farmer mentioned at James 5:7, 8 teach us?
(Read James 5:7, 8). The example of the farmer teaches us to be patient. It is true that some plants grow fast, but most take longer to mature, especially those that bear fruit. In Israel, the growing season lasted about six months: the farmer sowed the seeds after the first rains, in mid-October, and reaped the harvest after the last rains, in mid-April (Mark 4:28). If we are wise, we will follow the farmer's example of patience. Now this may not be easy.
How will patience help us in ministry?
Because of our imperfection, human beings want to immediately see the fruits of our efforts. But, if someone has a garden and wants it to bear fruit, he must give it constant attention: he has to dig, plant, weed and water. The same goes for the work of making disciples. We need to spend time rooting out prejudice and indifference from the hearts of our students. When people reject us, patience will help us not to get discouraged. But we also have to be patient when people respond well, because we cannot force the growth of the student's faith. Sometimes even Jesus' disciples took time to understand the meaning of what he taught (John 14:9). Let us remember that we can plant and water, but God makes it grow (1 Cor. 3:6).
How do we show patience when we preach to our family members?
One area where we can find it difficult to be patient is when we preach to our relatives. In Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7, we find a principle that can help us. There he says: "There is . . . a time to keep quiet and a time to speak." Although we bear witness with our good conduct, we are always on the lookout for any opportunity to speak the truth (1 Pet. 3:1, 2). We preach and teach with enthusiasm, but we are patient with everyone, including our family.
What are some examples of patience that we can imitate?
We find fine examples of patience in faithful servants of the past and today. Habakkuk wanted to see an end to wickedness, but he confidently said, “I will stand at my guard post” (Hab. 2:1). The apostle Paul said that he had a heartfelt desire to finish his ministry. Even so, he patiently continued to give “a full testimony of the good news” (Acts 20:24).
Consider the example of a couple who graduated from Gilead School and went to serve in a country where there are few Witnesses and where the majority religion is not Christian. They found few people who wanted to study the Bible. Instead, their classmates in other countries sent them exciting news about all the people they helped get baptized. Although the work progressed slowly, the couple continued to preach patiently. After eight years of preaching without any apparent results, they finally had the joy of having one of their students become a Witness. What do these examples from the past and today have in common? That they did not become lazy or let their hands rest, and Jehovah blessed them for their patience. So that,
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