DAILY TEXT, From today Sunday March 12, you will see that I open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessings upon you (Mal. 3:10).

DAILY TEXT, From Sunday March 12, you will see that I open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessings upon you (Mal. 3:10).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2023

Sunday March 12

You will see that I open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessings on you (Mal. 3:10).

Let's learn to trust Jehovah. If we trust him and give him our best, he promises to shower us with a shower of blessings. The Bible is full of examples of people who went the extra mile in their service to God. In many cases, they had to take the first step before Jehovah gave them special blessings. For example, God blessed Abraham only after he left home “though he did not know where he was going” (Heb. 11:8). For his part, Jacob received a special blessing only after wrestling with an angel (Gen. 32:24-30). And, when the nation of Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, the people were only able to cross the Jordan River after the priests stepped into its mighty waters (Josh. 3:14-16). We can also learn from the examples of Witnesses today who have trusted in Jehovah and have sought ways to do more for him. w21.08 29, 30 pars. 12-14.

How can positive influences help us?

Choose positive influences. It's easier to try a new food if we spend time with people who like that food. Similarly, if we spend time with those who focus their lives on serving Jehovah, it will be easier for us to look for ways to increase our service to God. That was the case with Kent and Veronica. He explains: “Our friends and family encouraged us to try new facets of the service. We found that spending time with those who sought the Kingdom first gave us the confidence to try new things.” Today the two serve as special pioneers in Serbia.

Based on the comparison at Luke 12:16-21, why should we be willing to make sacrifices?

Be willing to make sacrifices for Jehovah. To please Jehovah, it is not necessary to give up all comforts (Eccl. 5:19, 20). Now, if we don't do more in the service of God just because we don't want to make personal sacrifices, we could make the same mistake as the man in Jesus' comparison who led a very comfortable life but forgot about God (read Luke 12:16 -twenty-one). A brother named Christian, who lives in France, admits: “I was not giving the best of my time and energy to Jehovah and my family.” He and his wife decided to pioneer, but in order to do so they had to quit their jobs. To support themselves, they started a small cleaning business and learned to be content with less. Was it worth the sacrifice? He says: “We enjoy the preaching work more and seeing the Bible students and people we visit learn more about Jehovah.”

Why are some not encouraged to try new things in the ministry?

Be encouraged to try new facets of service (Acts 17:16, 17; 20:20, 21). A pioneer from the United States named Shirley had to make changes in her ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic. At first he did not dare to preach on the telephone. But, during the circuit overseer's visit, they taught him how to do it. And from then on he began to preach regularly by telephone. She explains: “At first I was scared, but now I love it. We managed to talk to more people than when we went from house to house.”

What can help us overcome the problems that make it more difficult for us to increase our ministry?

Set a goal and work towards it. When we are in trouble, we pray to Jehovah and think carefully about how to deal with it (Prov. 3:21). Sonia, who is serving as a regular pioneer in a Romani-speaking group in Europe, says: “I like to put my goals in writing and put the paper somewhere visible. On my dresser, I have a drawing of a road junction. When I have to make a decision, I look at the drawing and think about where my decision will take me.” And, when Sonia has problems, she tries to keep a positive attitude. He explains: “Each new circumstance can be like a wall that prevents me from reaching my goal or like a bridge that helps me reach it. It all depends on my attitude."

How can we show that we are grateful for all the good things Jehovah has given us?

Jehovah blesses us in many ways. We can show our appreciation by doing all we can to praise him (Heb. 13:15). This may include looking for new ways to increase our ministry. If we do, Jehovah will bless us even more. So, each day let us look for opportunities to taste and see that Jehovah is good. Thus we will be like Jesus, who said: "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work" (John 4:34).

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